Thursday, May 28, 2009

Married...

We're glad the wedding went well, and that many of our friends, relatives, colleagues, ex-classmates were all there. We're glad that they were generous in their giving, enabling us to give back to God in thanks for His blessing. We're glad everyone liked the no-frills, fuss-free wedding with live music and good food.

Most of all we're glad that the wedding, while enjoyable, is over and we can look forward to the rest of our lives together i.e. our marriage. Thank you for your well-wishes and we hope we can be a blessing to you the same way you have been a blessing to us.

Yours sincerely,
Mr & Mrs Aaron Wong

Barcelona 2-0 United

Deserved what we got - nothing. Shades of 2007's capitulation to Milan. Can't outpass the best.

Friday, May 22, 2009

Last day of singlehood

No it is not an emo song. I'm getting married tomorrow and it still hasn't sunk in. Still feels like any other Friday, except there's no ALG. At least there are no butterfiles in the stomach. =]

Al Jarreau - Take Five (1976)

Sunday, May 17, 2009

Stag night

The guys brought me to a stand-up comedy at DXO, Esplanade. It was full of the usual risque jokes and I was the butt of many of them given that EVERYONE in the club knew I was getting married but I enjoyed it with my close friends beside me, laughing at me.

On top of all that, United won the title halfway through the night, so it's all good.

Tuesday, May 12, 2009

Exams - the kids' and mine

I hope I've done enough for the kids despite the mad rush. The SA1 practice papers & answer keys, the Revision Tests and the worksheets came thick and fast. I never like to rush, but there really was no time. And now I have to rush the non-core stuff during my marriage leave, after going through the SA1 papers and the files.

That aside, I completed my first UniSIM exam paper for Introduction to Humanitites I. I somehow could not get going over the weekend only really studied today, the day of the exam. No wonder they call it study leave - MOE knows we're gonna study at the last minute! By God's grace, I studied selectively, spotting certain questions I knew would emerge - painting evaluation, Colosseum/gladiators/Roman games, and the study of history. Drawing mind maps really helped with the memorising part, together with desperate kinesthetic memory techniques. I remembered whatever I wanted myself to remember in a few hours, with naps in between. I had never felt so lethargic! And so I finished my paper with 15 minutes to spare, enabling me to catch a cab with three others headed to the northeast. I overestimated the cost, so as I got off last, I paid only $2.

Thanks, God. =]

X-Men Origins: Wolverine


Plot: Wolverine lives a mutant life, seeks revenge against Victor Creed (who will later become Sabertooth) for the death of his girlfriend, and ultimately ends up going through the mutant Weapon X program.
My take: Made me interested in the whole X-Men fanboy thing again, especially figuring out why/who things and people are in the movie. Interesting.

Source: http://www.flixster.com/movie/wolverine

Saturday, May 09, 2009

Predicting religious holidays

Ever wondered why it's so difficult to portend when Hari Raya Puasa/Haji, Deepavali, Vesak Day, Chinese New Year comes every year? Fret no more, as an NUS Maths professor explains how the different calendars (lunar, solar, Gregorian, lunisolar etc.) come together to make planning leave so chaotic.
Source: http://www.math.nus.edu.sg/aslaksen/calendar/public-talk.pdf

Thursday, May 07, 2009

MOE Statement on Sexuality Education Programme

The erstwhile new Exco did have a point, then.
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1 In recent weeks, the Ministry of Education (MOE) has received feedback on the Sexuality Education Programme conducted by AWARE, as well as other lesson material not involving AWARE. MOE has done a thorough investigation. This statement presents the Ministry’s findings and future steps.

2 MOE and the schools do not promote alternative lifestyles to our students. MOE’s framework for sexuality education reflects the mainstream views and values of Singapore society, where the social norm consists of the married heterosexual family unit.

3 Today, schools are allowed to engage external vendors to supplement MOE’s sexuality education programme. MOE has reviewed the internal processes for selecting and monitoring vendors and found that they can be improved. MOE will put in more stringent processes to ensure that training materials and programmes delivered in schools are in line with the Ministry’s framework on sexuality education. Schools will suspend the engagement of external vendors until the new vetting processes are completed. The Ministry is also reviewing ways to provide parents with more information about sexuality education in the specific schools that their children are in.

4 MOE has examined AWARE’s “Comprehensive Sexuality Education: Basic Instructor Guide”. The Guide contains some positive aspects, like the accurate information provided on STIs/HIV and role-play practice for students to say no to sex. However, MOE’s assessment is that in some other aspects, the Guide does not conform to MOE’s guidelines. In particular, some suggested responses in the instructor guide are explicit and inappropriate, and convey messages which could promote homosexuality or suggest approval of pre-marital sex.

5 In view of this, AWARE’s programmes in schools will be suspended and subjected to the new vetting processes.


6 MOE has also investigated feedback about materials used during General Paper (GP) lessons in junior colleges which carry information on alternative lifestyles. These materials and lessons did not involve AWARE. GP lessons are meant to promote critical thinking and discussion on contemporary issues. MOE investigations showed that the teachers had used these materials to initiate discussion on family structures, and not to promote alternative lifestyles. Nevertheless, MOE will remind school leaders and teachers to exercise greater professional discretion in guiding their students when such topics are discussed. They should also adhere to social norms and values of our mainstream society.

7 Parents are ultimately responsible for inculcating values in their children. MOE’s sexuality education programme aims to complement parents’ role in helping students make informed, responsible and values-based decisions regarding sexuality.
Source: http://www.moe.gov.sg/media/press/2009/05/moes-statement-on-sexuality-ed.php