Posts
Saturday, August 30, 2008
Friday, August 29, 2008
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Monday, August 25, 2008
Flying Gohs
The Lord gives, and the Lord takes away. I was glad to be minstered by these words in a song led by Jeannie on Friday. "In moments like these", I can still sing out a love song to Jesus.
DEPARTURES
As some of you may have already found out, Elaine, Joshua & Joycelyn have decided to leave Agape. Elaine's official reason was to follow her family, though I understand she was also struggling with other issues apart from that. Joshua & Joycelyn left even more suddenly, informing their ministry heads only three days before they were supposed to serve. Similarly, they quote God's instruction as the reason for them leaving, insisting that it had nothing to do with the closure of the Chinese ministry. Of all these I am not certain of the details, so I will only talk about the facts that I'm certain of.
The context of all this is to learn how we deal with hurt, and I hope by sharing this, we will all learn together the best way to handle hurt and conflict, so we don't fall into the enemy's trap.
I will not talk much about Elaine, because I am less clear of her reasons for leaving, but I will dwell more about Joshua & Joycelyn. According to them, they have been seeking God about their future in Agape for a while, even before the closure of the Chinese ministry. This may well be true, but I believe God is a God of order, and will not ask His people to leave haphazardly and in a manner that causes massive disruption to His ministries. Moreover, the Gohs have been avoiding all contact with me - verbal, SMS, phone calls, emails, MSN - for more than a month, to my growing frustration. It would have been easier to contact Mas Selamat and check his plans for Hari Raya. They were also leaving immediately after service when they would normally lunch with us, in addition to cutting back on their ministry commitments. All these, as we learnt in our latest ALG session on Handling Hurt, are signs of someone who has suffered a perceived injustice or hurt. They had chosen to choose the Avoid method of handling hurt, unfortunately the only lose-lose solution. As a result of this, church ministries were greatly affected, with the worship ministry having to look for a soundman and backup singer on the morning of service itself in Joshua's absence on 17 Aug.
Their haste in leaving, in most cases without even saying goodbye to friends, as well as the extent they went to to avoid contact with Agapeans, tells me that they must have been facing some issue that they were struggling with. As far as I know, they chose not to tell anyone about it, and have decided that leaving is the best way to resolve it. As the ALG learnt on Friday, this is one of the worst forms of avoidance, greatly affecting ministry and causing irreparabale damage to relationships. Hard work done over two years can be instantly forgotten.
I have been personally hurt by this episode, because the Gohs were people I trusted, and I feel my trust has been betrayed. When Joshua first came to Agape, I was advised against choosing him as an apprentice. At that time, I defended him vehemently, arguing that he had not been given a fair chance and that he was being pre-judged. I don't regret trusting in him, but I can't help but feeling like a fool. It would have been fine if their sudden departure had been a purely personal matter, affecting us on a personal level. God will heal all wounds, eventually. What I could not accept was the damage done to our ALG as a result of their actions.
SINGAPORE FLYER DEBACLE
As you know, we had an outing to Singapore Flyer on 10 Aug 2008, where 29 of us were there. Joshua & Joycelyn, with the help of Ben & CK, were in charge of this event. My efforts to contact them were also due to me wanting to find out how the preparations for the event were going. My trepidation was obvious, given this was the Professionals' first event. As I mentioned, they completely ignored me. As a result, on 10 Aug itself, I was still completely in the dark about what was going on. Only CK bothered to let me know what was going to happen.
To cut a long story short, many things went wrong, especially with the activities before the flight. I don't blame CK, because he was directed by Joshua & Joycelyn, as they were in charge. He did the best he could in the circumstances. The activities were generally served no objective other than to kill time, which was ironic because we were already struggling to get to the Flyer on time. Moreover, the activities did not consider the needs of our less mobile participants. I apologise for this unwise planning, as I could and should have taken the drastic step of cancelling the pre-Flyer activities, despite the risk of disappointing the Outing Committee. Obviously, I had no idea at that time that they were planning to leave. As a result of my inaction, many people were unhappy and correctly so. I have learnt that I need to make the correct decsion even if hurts people, or I will end up hurting even more.
Unfortunately, the debacle did not end there. The Gohs had assured me that they had already recceed the Flyer. The confusion with which I was greeted with suggested otherwise. They were unsure whether tickets should be collected or distributed, where to present the tickets etc. All this resulted in tempers flaring and unfortunate and untimely comments being aired. I was a guilty party as well. From this I have learnt to Respond (with thinking) and not React (without thinking). I raised my voice and made a reactive comment when I should have responded later when I had calmed down. I apologise for this as I really should be setting a positive example. Let's learn to respond to situations rather than react, even if it means responding later.
After the whole event, I again called the Gohs, who had left the Flyer immediately to avoid me. Joshua finally replied me to confirm that they were leaving. Ever broken up with someone via SMS? When that person won;t return your calls or emails? That's what that feels like. What made me more upset was after I mentioned that I intended to review what went wrong at the Flyer, I was told to treat it as "just an outing". For our ALG, this was more than "just an outing" - it was an invaluable opportunity to bond with one another, given we had only been together for three months, to celebrate our progress in that time. Unfortunately, they decided to put their personal hurts above our well-being by refusing to talk to me, damaging what could have been a really fun day out for all of us.
For all this, I apologise. I could and should have done something about it, and rest assured I am wiser for this episode. What I ask is for your forgiveness and trust that we will do a better job next time, and your patience as keep striving to improve. I hope you will give us another chance.
CONCLUSION
Allen prayed on 17 Aug before the service that we needed to forgive them and learn to bless them. I'm sorry, but that's really difficult for me. I feel betrayed because I had invested so much in their lives. But then I think of how Jesus must feel every time we sin: He feels betrayed, having invested His life to purchase our sins. Yet He chose to forgive us. I know what I must do. I have chosen to forgive and forget, through clearly that will take time. I hope you too will forgive us and forget our mistakes. Let's move on, stronger, more united and steadfast in Christ.
I appreciate God's timing of their departure as it provided a perfect, authentic case study for us when learning about handling hurts. Let us all learn to Agree when facing conflict - to settle things privately with people, and choosing to Respond rather than React. I have. Will you?
DEPARTURES
As some of you may have already found out, Elaine, Joshua & Joycelyn have decided to leave Agape. Elaine's official reason was to follow her family, though I understand she was also struggling with other issues apart from that. Joshua & Joycelyn left even more suddenly, informing their ministry heads only three days before they were supposed to serve. Similarly, they quote God's instruction as the reason for them leaving, insisting that it had nothing to do with the closure of the Chinese ministry. Of all these I am not certain of the details, so I will only talk about the facts that I'm certain of.
The context of all this is to learn how we deal with hurt, and I hope by sharing this, we will all learn together the best way to handle hurt and conflict, so we don't fall into the enemy's trap.
I will not talk much about Elaine, because I am less clear of her reasons for leaving, but I will dwell more about Joshua & Joycelyn. According to them, they have been seeking God about their future in Agape for a while, even before the closure of the Chinese ministry. This may well be true, but I believe God is a God of order, and will not ask His people to leave haphazardly and in a manner that causes massive disruption to His ministries. Moreover, the Gohs have been avoiding all contact with me - verbal, SMS, phone calls, emails, MSN - for more than a month, to my growing frustration. It would have been easier to contact Mas Selamat and check his plans for Hari Raya. They were also leaving immediately after service when they would normally lunch with us, in addition to cutting back on their ministry commitments. All these, as we learnt in our latest ALG session on Handling Hurt, are signs of someone who has suffered a perceived injustice or hurt. They had chosen to choose the Avoid method of handling hurt, unfortunately the only lose-lose solution. As a result of this, church ministries were greatly affected, with the worship ministry having to look for a soundman and backup singer on the morning of service itself in Joshua's absence on 17 Aug.
Their haste in leaving, in most cases without even saying goodbye to friends, as well as the extent they went to to avoid contact with Agapeans, tells me that they must have been facing some issue that they were struggling with. As far as I know, they chose not to tell anyone about it, and have decided that leaving is the best way to resolve it. As the ALG learnt on Friday, this is one of the worst forms of avoidance, greatly affecting ministry and causing irreparabale damage to relationships. Hard work done over two years can be instantly forgotten.
I have been personally hurt by this episode, because the Gohs were people I trusted, and I feel my trust has been betrayed. When Joshua first came to Agape, I was advised against choosing him as an apprentice. At that time, I defended him vehemently, arguing that he had not been given a fair chance and that he was being pre-judged. I don't regret trusting in him, but I can't help but feeling like a fool. It would have been fine if their sudden departure had been a purely personal matter, affecting us on a personal level. God will heal all wounds, eventually. What I could not accept was the damage done to our ALG as a result of their actions.
SINGAPORE FLYER DEBACLE
As you know, we had an outing to Singapore Flyer on 10 Aug 2008, where 29 of us were there. Joshua & Joycelyn, with the help of Ben & CK, were in charge of this event. My efforts to contact them were also due to me wanting to find out how the preparations for the event were going. My trepidation was obvious, given this was the Professionals' first event. As I mentioned, they completely ignored me. As a result, on 10 Aug itself, I was still completely in the dark about what was going on. Only CK bothered to let me know what was going to happen.
To cut a long story short, many things went wrong, especially with the activities before the flight. I don't blame CK, because he was directed by Joshua & Joycelyn, as they were in charge. He did the best he could in the circumstances. The activities were generally served no objective other than to kill time, which was ironic because we were already struggling to get to the Flyer on time. Moreover, the activities did not consider the needs of our less mobile participants. I apologise for this unwise planning, as I could and should have taken the drastic step of cancelling the pre-Flyer activities, despite the risk of disappointing the Outing Committee. Obviously, I had no idea at that time that they were planning to leave. As a result of my inaction, many people were unhappy and correctly so. I have learnt that I need to make the correct decsion even if hurts people, or I will end up hurting even more.
Unfortunately, the debacle did not end there. The Gohs had assured me that they had already recceed the Flyer. The confusion with which I was greeted with suggested otherwise. They were unsure whether tickets should be collected or distributed, where to present the tickets etc. All this resulted in tempers flaring and unfortunate and untimely comments being aired. I was a guilty party as well. From this I have learnt to Respond (with thinking) and not React (without thinking). I raised my voice and made a reactive comment when I should have responded later when I had calmed down. I apologise for this as I really should be setting a positive example. Let's learn to respond to situations rather than react, even if it means responding later.
After the whole event, I again called the Gohs, who had left the Flyer immediately to avoid me. Joshua finally replied me to confirm that they were leaving. Ever broken up with someone via SMS? When that person won;t return your calls or emails? That's what that feels like. What made me more upset was after I mentioned that I intended to review what went wrong at the Flyer, I was told to treat it as "just an outing". For our ALG, this was more than "just an outing" - it was an invaluable opportunity to bond with one another, given we had only been together for three months, to celebrate our progress in that time. Unfortunately, they decided to put their personal hurts above our well-being by refusing to talk to me, damaging what could have been a really fun day out for all of us.
For all this, I apologise. I could and should have done something about it, and rest assured I am wiser for this episode. What I ask is for your forgiveness and trust that we will do a better job next time, and your patience as keep striving to improve. I hope you will give us another chance.
CONCLUSION
Allen prayed on 17 Aug before the service that we needed to forgive them and learn to bless them. I'm sorry, but that's really difficult for me. I feel betrayed because I had invested so much in their lives. But then I think of how Jesus must feel every time we sin: He feels betrayed, having invested His life to purchase our sins. Yet He chose to forgive us. I know what I must do. I have chosen to forgive and forget, through clearly that will take time. I hope you too will forgive us and forget our mistakes. Let's move on, stronger, more united and steadfast in Christ.
I appreciate God's timing of their departure as it provided a perfect, authentic case study for us when learning about handling hurts. Let us all learn to Agree when facing conflict - to settle things privately with people, and choosing to Respond rather than React. I have. Will you?
Thursday, August 21, 2008
Georgia
My favourite font.
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Georgia is a transitional serif typeface designed in 1993 by Matthew Carter and hinted by Tom Rickner for the Microsoft Corporation, as the serif companion to the first Microsoft sans serif screen font, Verdana. The initial version of the font was released on November 1, 1996 as part of the Core fonts for the Web collection. Later, it was bundled with Internet Explorer 4.0 supplemental font pack.
It is designed for clarity on a computer monitor even at small sizes, partially due to a relatively large x-height. The typeface is named after a tabloid headline titled "Alien heads found in Georgia." The Georgia typeface name is a registered trademark of the Microsoft Corporation.
The Georgia typeface shares many similarities with Times New Roman, though Georgia is noticeably larger than Times at the same point size. Times New Roman's characters are slightly narrower, having a more vertical axis. When one compensates for the size differences and disregards the differences in compression and spacing, the remaining differences are minimal. Overall, Georgia's serifs are slightly wider and have blunter, flatter ends, but on initial inspection many letterforms are difficult for a novice to distinguish between Georgia and Times New Roman. Figures (numerals) are an exception: Georgia uses text (old-style) figures whereas Times New Roman has lining figures.
Georgia was part of the core fonts for the Web package and is preinstalled by default on Apple Macintosh and Windows-based computers. It has found popular use as an alternative serif typeface to Times New Roman.
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Humorism
Essentially, this theory held that the human body was filled with four basic substances, called four humours, or humors, which are in balance when a person is healthy. All diseases and disabilities resulted from an excess or deficit of one of these four humors. The four humors were identified as black bile, yellow bile, phlegm, and blood. Greeks and Romans, and the later Muslim and Western European medical establishments that adopted and adapted classical medical philosophy, believed that each of these humors would wax and wane in the body, depending on diet and activity. When a patient was suffering from a surplus or imbalance of one fluid, then his or her personality and physical health would be affected. This theory was closely related to the theory of the four elements: earth, fire, water and air - earth was predominantly present in the black bile, fire in the yellow bile, water in the phlegm, and all four elements were present in the blood.[1]
Theophrastus and others developed a set of characters based on the humors. Those with too much blood were sanguine. Those with too much phlegm were phlegmatic. Those with too much yellow bile were choleric, and those with too much black bile were melancholic. The idea of human personality based on humors contributed to the character comedies of Menander and, later, Plautus.
Through the neo-classical revival in Europe, the humor theory dominated medical practice, and the theory of humoral types made periodic appearances in drama. Such typically "eighteenth-century" practices as bleeding a sick person or applying hot cups to a person were, in fact, based on the humor theory of surpluses of fluids (blood and bile in those cases). Ben Jonson wrote humor plays, where types were based on their humoral complexion.
Additionally, because people believed that there were finite amounts of humors in the body, there were folk/medical beliefs that the loss of fluids was a form of death.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humorism
----------
So when they talk about a sense of humor, you now know they really mean someone who is sanguine, or who possesses a lot of blood, one of the humors.
Theophrastus and others developed a set of characters based on the humors. Those with too much blood were sanguine. Those with too much phlegm were phlegmatic. Those with too much yellow bile were choleric, and those with too much black bile were melancholic. The idea of human personality based on humors contributed to the character comedies of Menander and, later, Plautus.
Through the neo-classical revival in Europe, the humor theory dominated medical practice, and the theory of humoral types made periodic appearances in drama. Such typically "eighteenth-century" practices as bleeding a sick person or applying hot cups to a person were, in fact, based on the humor theory of surpluses of fluids (blood and bile in those cases). Ben Jonson wrote humor plays, where types were based on their humoral complexion.
Additionally, because people believed that there were finite amounts of humors in the body, there were folk/medical beliefs that the loss of fluids was a form of death.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humorism
----------
So when they talk about a sense of humor, you now know they really mean someone who is sanguine, or who possesses a lot of blood, one of the humors.
Personality test
Apparently, I am Phlegmatic Melancholic.
The Introvert | The Watcher/Thinker | The Pessimist
Phlegmatic - 35%
10 Strengths, 4 Weaknesses
Melancholic - 25%
2 Strengths, 8 Weaknesses
Sanguine - 20%
5 Strengths, 3 Weaknesses
Choleric - 18%
3 Strengths, 4 Weaknesses
------------
Strengths
The Phlegmatic's Emotions
Low-key personality
Easygoing and relaxed
Calm, cool and collected
Patient well balanced
Consistent life
Quiet but witty
Sympathetic and kind
Keeps emotions hidden
Happily reconciled to life
All-purpose person
The Phlegmatic As A Parent
Makes a good parent
Takes time for the children
Is not in a hurry
Can take the good with the bad
Doesn't get upset easily
The Phlegmatic At Work
Competent and steady
Peaceful and agreeable
Has administrative ability
Mediates problems
Avoids conflicts
Good under pressure
Finds the easy way
The Phlegmatic As a Friend
Easy to get along with
Pleasant and enjoyable
Inoffensive
Good listener
Dry sense of humor
Enjoys watching people
Has many friends
Has compassion and concern
----------
Weaknesses
The Phlegmatic's Emotions
Unenthusiastic
Fearful and worried
Indecisive
Avoids responsibility
Quiet will of iron
Selfish
To shy and reticent
Too compromising
Self-righteous
The Phlegmatic As A Parent
Lax on discipline
Doesn't organize home
Takes life to easy
The Phlegmatic At Work
Not goal oriented
Lacks self motivation
Hard to get moving
Resents being pushed
Lazy and careless
Discourages others
Would rather watch
The Phlegmatic As a Friend
Dampens enthusiasm
Stays uninvolved
Is not exciting
Indifferent to plans
Judges others
Sarcastic and teasing
Resists change
http://www.oneishy.com/personality/results/340fe07fc
==========
The PhlegMel
Of all the temperament blends, the PhlegMel is the most gracious, gentle, and quiet. He is rarely angry or hostile and almost never says anything for which he must apologize (mainly because he rarely says much). He never embarrasses himself or others, always does the proper thing, dresses simply, and is dependable and exact. He tends to have the spiritual gifts of mercy and help, and he is neat and organized in his working habits. Like any phlegmatic, he is handy around the house and as energy permits will keep his home in good repair. If he has a wife who recognizes his tendencies toward passivity (but tactfully waits for him to take the lead in their home), they will have a good family life and marriage. However, if she resents his reticence to lead and be aggressive, she may become discontented and foment marital strife. He may neglect the discipline necessary to help prepare his children for a productive, self-disciplined life and so "provoke his children to wrath" just as much as the angry tyrant whose unreasonable discipline makes them bitter.
The other weaknesses of this man revolve around fear, selfishness, negativism, criticism, and lack of self-image. Once a PhlegMel realizes that only his fears and negative feelings about himself keep him from succeeding, he is able to come out of his shell and become an effective man, husband, and father. Most PhlegMels are so afraid of over-extending themselves or getting over involved that they automatically refuse almost any kind of affiliation.
Personally I have never seen a PhlegMel over involved in anything – except in keeping from getting over involved. He must recognize that since he is not internally motivated, he definitely needs to accept more responsibility than he thinks he can fulfill, for that external stimulation will motivate him to greater achievement. All phlegmatics work well under pressure, but it must come from outside. His greatest source of motivation, of course, will be the power of the Holy Spirit.
Barnabas, the godly saint of the first-century church who accompanied the Apostle Paul on his first missionary journey, was in all probability a PhlegMel. He was the man who gave half his goods to the early church to feed the poor, the man who contended with Paul over providing John Mark (his nephew) another chance to serve God by accompanying them on the second missionary journey. Although the contention became so sharp that Barnabas took his nephew and they proceeded on their journey by themselves, Paul later commended Mark saying, "He is profitable to me for the ministry" (2 Tim. 4:11). Today we have the Gospel of Mark because faithful, dedicated, and gentle Barnabas was willing to help him over a hard place in his life. PhlegMels respond to the needs of others if they will just let themselves move out into the stream of life and work with people where they are.
Test: http://www.goingthedistance.org/pages.asp?pageid=18151
Results: http://www.goingthedistance.org/pages.asp?pageid=18155
The Introvert | The Watcher/Thinker | The Pessimist
Phlegmatic - 35%
10 Strengths, 4 Weaknesses
Melancholic - 25%
2 Strengths, 8 Weaknesses
Sanguine - 20%
5 Strengths, 3 Weaknesses
Choleric - 18%
3 Strengths, 4 Weaknesses
------------
Strengths
The Phlegmatic's Emotions
Low-key personality
Easygoing and relaxed
Calm, cool and collected
Patient well balanced
Consistent life
Quiet but witty
Sympathetic and kind
Keeps emotions hidden
Happily reconciled to life
All-purpose person
The Phlegmatic As A Parent
Makes a good parent
Takes time for the children
Is not in a hurry
Can take the good with the bad
Doesn't get upset easily
The Phlegmatic At Work
Competent and steady
Peaceful and agreeable
Has administrative ability
Mediates problems
Avoids conflicts
Good under pressure
Finds the easy way
The Phlegmatic As a Friend
Easy to get along with
Pleasant and enjoyable
Inoffensive
Good listener
Dry sense of humor
Enjoys watching people
Has many friends
Has compassion and concern
----------
Weaknesses
The Phlegmatic's Emotions
Unenthusiastic
Fearful and worried
Indecisive
Avoids responsibility
Quiet will of iron
Selfish
To shy and reticent
Too compromising
Self-righteous
The Phlegmatic As A Parent
Lax on discipline
Doesn't organize home
Takes life to easy
The Phlegmatic At Work
Not goal oriented
Lacks self motivation
Hard to get moving
Resents being pushed
Lazy and careless
Discourages others
Would rather watch
The Phlegmatic As a Friend
Dampens enthusiasm
Stays uninvolved
Is not exciting
Indifferent to plans
Judges others
Sarcastic and teasing
Resists change
http://www.oneishy.com/personality/results/340fe07fc
==========
The PhlegMel
Of all the temperament blends, the PhlegMel is the most gracious, gentle, and quiet. He is rarely angry or hostile and almost never says anything for which he must apologize (mainly because he rarely says much). He never embarrasses himself or others, always does the proper thing, dresses simply, and is dependable and exact. He tends to have the spiritual gifts of mercy and help, and he is neat and organized in his working habits. Like any phlegmatic, he is handy around the house and as energy permits will keep his home in good repair. If he has a wife who recognizes his tendencies toward passivity (but tactfully waits for him to take the lead in their home), they will have a good family life and marriage. However, if she resents his reticence to lead and be aggressive, she may become discontented and foment marital strife. He may neglect the discipline necessary to help prepare his children for a productive, self-disciplined life and so "provoke his children to wrath" just as much as the angry tyrant whose unreasonable discipline makes them bitter.
The other weaknesses of this man revolve around fear, selfishness, negativism, criticism, and lack of self-image. Once a PhlegMel realizes that only his fears and negative feelings about himself keep him from succeeding, he is able to come out of his shell and become an effective man, husband, and father. Most PhlegMels are so afraid of over-extending themselves or getting over involved that they automatically refuse almost any kind of affiliation.
Personally I have never seen a PhlegMel over involved in anything – except in keeping from getting over involved. He must recognize that since he is not internally motivated, he definitely needs to accept more responsibility than he thinks he can fulfill, for that external stimulation will motivate him to greater achievement. All phlegmatics work well under pressure, but it must come from outside. His greatest source of motivation, of course, will be the power of the Holy Spirit.
Barnabas, the godly saint of the first-century church who accompanied the Apostle Paul on his first missionary journey, was in all probability a PhlegMel. He was the man who gave half his goods to the early church to feed the poor, the man who contended with Paul over providing John Mark (his nephew) another chance to serve God by accompanying them on the second missionary journey. Although the contention became so sharp that Barnabas took his nephew and they proceeded on their journey by themselves, Paul later commended Mark saying, "He is profitable to me for the ministry" (2 Tim. 4:11). Today we have the Gospel of Mark because faithful, dedicated, and gentle Barnabas was willing to help him over a hard place in his life. PhlegMels respond to the needs of others if they will just let themselves move out into the stream of life and work with people where they are.
Test: http://www.goingthedistance.org/pages.asp?pageid=18151
Results: http://www.goingthedistance.org/pages.asp?pageid=18155
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Schools Digital Media Awards
Am doing this before November this year. Sounds quite interesting and can actually put my RadioPro skills to use, though I got D for that module. Have to use Audacity or ProTools to create a 3-min radio package on SOMETHING. Will worry about it in Term 4 lah. Will probably involve all the kentangs in my class and with Kalai's help, this should be fun.
http://www.evideo.edu.sg/sdma/
http://www.evideo.edu.sg/sdma/
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
The shit hits the fan
Alternative title: All hell breaks loose.
It's been coming for a while, but it finally boiled over last week. If you ever need a case study on why communication is important and considering people's needs, do approach me. I'd been trying for a month to talk to some people regarding issues in their life that concerned me, but I detected some obviously evasive action. NIL replies to SMSes, emails and missed calls for ONE WHOLE MONTH.
It was an accident waiting to happen, and it did. Despite my best efforts, I was not in the know, due to a infuriating lack of communication. Having advised the organiser to reconsider the activty, I had to step back and let them make the decision, otherwise they'd learn nothing from it. And so the activity suffered from a lack of time and consideration and the participants' needs.
To top it all off, I bore the brunt of the criticism, as I strived to protect the people from hurtful and demoralising comments. Ruined my day, but I'm still glad I did it. All this would be useless if the people now STILL do not communicate with me to review the event, but I did what I had to do.
I just hope that I find out at the end of the day that it was all my fault because of dodgy Starhub SMSes. I'd be incredibly relieved that I was the buffoon.
It's been coming for a while, but it finally boiled over last week. If you ever need a case study on why communication is important and considering people's needs, do approach me. I'd been trying for a month to talk to some people regarding issues in their life that concerned me, but I detected some obviously evasive action. NIL replies to SMSes, emails and missed calls for ONE WHOLE MONTH.
It was an accident waiting to happen, and it did. Despite my best efforts, I was not in the know, due to a infuriating lack of communication. Having advised the organiser to reconsider the activty, I had to step back and let them make the decision, otherwise they'd learn nothing from it. And so the activity suffered from a lack of time and consideration and the participants' needs.
To top it all off, I bore the brunt of the criticism, as I strived to protect the people from hurtful and demoralising comments. Ruined my day, but I'm still glad I did it. All this would be useless if the people now STILL do not communicate with me to review the event, but I did what I had to do.
I just hope that I find out at the end of the day that it was all my fault because of dodgy Starhub SMSes. I'd be incredibly relieved that I was the buffoon.
Monday, August 11, 2008
Sunday, August 10, 2008
An open letter
Judging from your non-responsiveness to any communication from me, I believe this will be the last time you hear from me. I don't see a need for me to say anything else if you don't.
When I got an SMS from you thanking me for my leadership and blessing my ministry, it sounded terribly hollow.
It still remains a mystery to me why you would uproot yourself so haphazardly. Officially, the reason is divine intervention, but many things fly in the face of that reason. If truly God was behind this, why the secrecy? Why the avoidance? Why the tell-tale signs of a person greatly disturbed by something?
Ironically we are going to learn some of these things this Friday. Soon after the announcement of the closing of a ministry you were connected to, you started leaving service immediately after closing, when it was in your nature to stick around. You started to scale down your ministry commitments. You avoided my calls, SMSes and emails for over a month. Your actions were so obvious that people aside from me started to notice as well.
The main thing that gets me is, if this is from God, would God have wanted you to make so ignominous an exit, almost with a paper bag over your head - so ashamed are you to face your friends? Who am I to speak if it is truly God? So if you speak the truth, then I apologise unreservedly, to God and you.
However, the signs point to the fact that something or someone hurt you, or someone close to you, perhaps related to the above-mentioned ministry. I will never know, because you will never tell. I sincerely hope I am wrong about you, because if you would use God's name to lie about a personal reason for leaving, then I pray for God's mercy on you.
I must admit that I'm hurt by your actions. Ironically, we're teaching Handling Hurt, the final lesson in the ALG for Creating Community. Even more ironically, you were supposed to plan this lesson, but like all the other ministries, you dropped everything and left, something unlikely for God to allow you to do even if He were asking you to leave. I feel like I've been betrayed, despite the effort I've put in to your lives, that I don't even deserve a decent response or explanation. Again, is this what God would have you do?
For these reasons, I really doubt that your reasons are genuine, and that instead you are grappling with personal hurts that you've chosen to nurse and nurture. You've let it consume you to the extent that you'd put aside dear friends here and leave without saying anything to them.
Finally, for you to see the Sunday outing as "just an outing" was utterly irresponsible, and it showed. I even have to doubt a recce was even done (as I was informed); the chaos at the location was damning evidence of that. You may have seen it as your last hurrah, but how is that fair to the people who entrusted their time to you?
Words can't really describe the disappointment I feel after the effort I went through to defend you in front of others who tried to put you down. They said you were irresponsible, impatient, cunning, conniving, undependable and more. I defended you vehemently on countless occasions. Unfortunately, now I feel like a fool, for they have been proved right.
I hope God will make you learn your lessons about impatience and judgmentalism, or you will be condemned to repeat the lessons till you do.
When I got an SMS from you thanking me for my leadership and blessing my ministry, it sounded terribly hollow.
It still remains a mystery to me why you would uproot yourself so haphazardly. Officially, the reason is divine intervention, but many things fly in the face of that reason. If truly God was behind this, why the secrecy? Why the avoidance? Why the tell-tale signs of a person greatly disturbed by something?
Ironically we are going to learn some of these things this Friday. Soon after the announcement of the closing of a ministry you were connected to, you started leaving service immediately after closing, when it was in your nature to stick around. You started to scale down your ministry commitments. You avoided my calls, SMSes and emails for over a month. Your actions were so obvious that people aside from me started to notice as well.
The main thing that gets me is, if this is from God, would God have wanted you to make so ignominous an exit, almost with a paper bag over your head - so ashamed are you to face your friends? Who am I to speak if it is truly God? So if you speak the truth, then I apologise unreservedly, to God and you.
However, the signs point to the fact that something or someone hurt you, or someone close to you, perhaps related to the above-mentioned ministry. I will never know, because you will never tell. I sincerely hope I am wrong about you, because if you would use God's name to lie about a personal reason for leaving, then I pray for God's mercy on you.
I must admit that I'm hurt by your actions. Ironically, we're teaching Handling Hurt, the final lesson in the ALG for Creating Community. Even more ironically, you were supposed to plan this lesson, but like all the other ministries, you dropped everything and left, something unlikely for God to allow you to do even if He were asking you to leave. I feel like I've been betrayed, despite the effort I've put in to your lives, that I don't even deserve a decent response or explanation. Again, is this what God would have you do?
For these reasons, I really doubt that your reasons are genuine, and that instead you are grappling with personal hurts that you've chosen to nurse and nurture. You've let it consume you to the extent that you'd put aside dear friends here and leave without saying anything to them.
Finally, for you to see the Sunday outing as "just an outing" was utterly irresponsible, and it showed. I even have to doubt a recce was even done (as I was informed); the chaos at the location was damning evidence of that. You may have seen it as your last hurrah, but how is that fair to the people who entrusted their time to you?
Words can't really describe the disappointment I feel after the effort I went through to defend you in front of others who tried to put you down. They said you were irresponsible, impatient, cunning, conniving, undependable and more. I defended you vehemently on countless occasions. Unfortunately, now I feel like a fool, for they have been proved right.
I hope God will make you learn your lessons about impatience and judgmentalism, or you will be condemned to repeat the lessons till you do.
Saturday, August 09, 2008
Kung Fu Panda
Flixster Plot: Po the Panda is the laziest animal in all of the Valley of Peace, but unwittingly becomes the chosen one when enemies threaten their way of life.
My take: There are no words for awesomeness.
Thursday, August 07, 2008
United 1-0 Espanyol - Ole Gunnar Solskjaer testimonial
You are my Solskjaer, my Ole Solskjaer
You make me happy when skies are grey
And although Shearer was so much dearer
Don't take my Ole away
To the one and only Baby-Faced Assassin - such a devoted servant and the most well-spent 1.5m quid ever. We'll always remember THAT Nou Camp toe-poke, the Nottingham Forest super-sub quadruple and the self-sacrifice to squad rotation.
Wednesday, August 06, 2008
Rotten day
Got admonished for talking during Value Moments. We were discussing about what was being shared leh, but I guess we'd tell the kids the same thing - discuss later.
Then gave bad advice about letting the IT monitor know my password - bad move. Why didn't it occur to me? Sigh.
Then gave bad advice about letting the IT monitor know my password - bad move. Why didn't it occur to me? Sigh.
Monday, August 04, 2008
E-cow-nomics
SOCIALISM: You have 2 cows, so you give one to your neighbour.
COMMUNISM: You have 2 cows. The State takes both and gives you some milk.
FASCISM: You have 2 cows. The State takes both and sells you some milk.
NAZISM: You have 2 cows. The State takes both and shoots you.
TRADITIONAL CAPITALISM: You have two cows. You sell one and buy a bull. Your herd multiplies, and the economy grows. You sell them and retire on the income.
MALAYSIAN BUMIPUTRAISM: You have two cows, the State takes one and gives it to your bumiputra neighbour. From the milk you sell from the remaining cow you buy a bull and mulitply your herd. The State takes 30 per cent of your herd as it grows and give them to your bumiputra neigbour. Your bumiputra neighbour has a kenduri each time they receive a cow.
UMNOPUTRAISM: The State takes 30 per cent of your herd and parks them in Switzerland in the name of some UMNO official or close relatives, friends and sons-in-law.
MALAYSIAN GOVERNMENT-LINKED OR BUMIPUTRA CORPORATION: You have two cows.
You employ mainly bumiputras to milk them. But both cows have been sent to the kenduri, so the State gives you more cows and write off the losses of the first two. After several kenduris later, you invite an American or German Corporation to turn around the losses. The Japanese have however already taken their two original cows back home to Japan.
AN AMERICAN CORPORATION: You have two cows. You sell one, and force the other to produce the milk of four cows. Later, you hire a consultant to analyse why the cow has dropped dead.
A FRENCH CORPORATION: You have two cows. You go on strike, organise a riot, and block the roads, because you want three cows.
A JAPANESE CORPORATION: You have two cows. You redesign them so they are one-tenth the size of an ordinary cow and produce twenty times the milk. You then create a clever cow cartoon image called 'Cowkimon' and market it worldwide.
A GERMAN CORPORATION: You have two cows. You re-engineer them so they live for 100 years, eat once a month, and milk themselves.
AN ITALIAN CORPORATION: You have two cows, but you don't know where they are. You decide to have lunch.
A SWISS CORPORATION : You have 5,000 cows. None of them belong to you. You charge the owners for storing them.
A CHINA CORPORATION: You have two cows. You have 300 people milking them. You claim that you have full employment, and high bovine productivity, and arrest the newsman who reported the real situation.
AN INDIAN CORPORATION: You have two cows. You worship them.
A BRITISH CORPORATION: You have two cows. Both are mad.
A MALAYSIAN CORPORATION: You have two cows. You signed a 40-year contract to supply milk at RM0.06 per litre. Then midway through, you raised the price to RM0.60 or you cut the supply. When the buyer agrees to the new price, you change your mind again and now want RM1.20.
The buyer decided you can keep the milk, who rather go look for milk that comes from recycled cows or the cow urine instead. At the end your two cows retire together with the Prime Minister.
A SINGAPOREAN CORPORATION: You have two cows. Whenever prices of GST, ERP, PUB and kopi-si go up; one cow-peh and the other cow-bu.
COMMUNISM: You have 2 cows. The State takes both and gives you some milk.
FASCISM: You have 2 cows. The State takes both and sells you some milk.
NAZISM: You have 2 cows. The State takes both and shoots you.
TRADITIONAL CAPITALISM: You have two cows. You sell one and buy a bull. Your herd multiplies, and the economy grows. You sell them and retire on the income.
MALAYSIAN BUMIPUTRAISM: You have two cows, the State takes one and gives it to your bumiputra neighbour. From the milk you sell from the remaining cow you buy a bull and mulitply your herd. The State takes 30 per cent of your herd as it grows and give them to your bumiputra neigbour. Your bumiputra neighbour has a kenduri each time they receive a cow.
UMNOPUTRAISM: The State takes 30 per cent of your herd and parks them in Switzerland in the name of some UMNO official or close relatives, friends and sons-in-law.
MALAYSIAN GOVERNMENT-LINKED OR BUMIPUTRA CORPORATION: You have two cows.
You employ mainly bumiputras to milk them. But both cows have been sent to the kenduri, so the State gives you more cows and write off the losses of the first two. After several kenduris later, you invite an American or German Corporation to turn around the losses. The Japanese have however already taken their two original cows back home to Japan.
AN AMERICAN CORPORATION: You have two cows. You sell one, and force the other to produce the milk of four cows. Later, you hire a consultant to analyse why the cow has dropped dead.
A FRENCH CORPORATION: You have two cows. You go on strike, organise a riot, and block the roads, because you want three cows.
A JAPANESE CORPORATION: You have two cows. You redesign them so they are one-tenth the size of an ordinary cow and produce twenty times the milk. You then create a clever cow cartoon image called 'Cowkimon' and market it worldwide.
A GERMAN CORPORATION: You have two cows. You re-engineer them so they live for 100 years, eat once a month, and milk themselves.
AN ITALIAN CORPORATION: You have two cows, but you don't know where they are. You decide to have lunch.
A SWISS CORPORATION : You have 5,000 cows. None of them belong to you. You charge the owners for storing them.
A CHINA CORPORATION: You have two cows. You have 300 people milking them. You claim that you have full employment, and high bovine productivity, and arrest the newsman who reported the real situation.
AN INDIAN CORPORATION: You have two cows. You worship them.
A BRITISH CORPORATION: You have two cows. Both are mad.
A MALAYSIAN CORPORATION: You have two cows. You signed a 40-year contract to supply milk at RM0.06 per litre. Then midway through, you raised the price to RM0.60 or you cut the supply. When the buyer agrees to the new price, you change your mind again and now want RM1.20.
The buyer decided you can keep the milk, who rather go look for milk that comes from recycled cows or the cow urine instead. At the end your two cows retire together with the Prime Minister.
A SINGAPOREAN CORPORATION: You have two cows. Whenever prices of GST, ERP, PUB and kopi-si go up; one cow-peh and the other cow-bu.
Sunday, August 03, 2008
Making the ban(ner)
I am SO impressed by my class' artistic talent. In barely 2 hours and between 10 students helping out, we cut out all the letters for sticking on the banner, almost completed the pictures of racial harmony and the S'pore flag in crayon, and even found time to watch me lose in the aforementioned football tournament. Hats off to 5 Joy. =]
-------------
22 Jul 2008, 2220hrs
Our class is making a banner for NDP and I've assembled a elite team of art & design specialists to create it (me excluded). There's gonna be painting, scribbling, drawing, pasting, gluing and other messy verbs thrown all over the place.
I really enjoyed today hanging out with them and generating ideas for the banner. Just watching them interact with one another in their endearing Mat-nerisms made for quite an entertaining afternoon. Picking up a few Malay words from them here and there too.
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Graduation
It is with bitterweet emotion that I graduate from NIE with my Diploma in Education (Credit) tomorrow. What might have been was not to be - and that's that. I have to trust God that this is for the best. In a way, I'm glad the decision to crossover is not mine to make - God's made it easier for me somehow.
Monday, July 28, 2008
Racial Harmony Day football tournament
So much fun! My team played 5 matches, won 0, drew 1, lost 4, scored 2 and conceded 7 but we enjoyed it all the same. We even managed to salvage the draw against the eventual champions.
It was obvious the teams were not exactly on an even keel but we never gave up and I almost scored one of the goals of the tournament. A chest trap to control a defensive clearance, a run towards the defender before pirouetting 360-degrees Zidane-like away from him but my hurried snapshot was parried away.
It was obvious the teams were not exactly on an even keel but we never gave up and I almost scored one of the goals of the tournament. A chest trap to control a defensive clearance, a run towards the defender before pirouetting 360-degrees Zidane-like away from him but my hurried snapshot was parried away.
Saturday, July 26, 2008
Anagrams
Dormitory: Dirty Room
Schoolmaster: The Classroom
Elvis: Lives
Clint Eastwood: Old West Action
Western Union: No Wire Unsent
Desperation: A Rope Ends It
The Morse Code: Here Come Dots
Slot Machines: Cash Lost in Me
Conversation: Voices Rant On
Heavy Rain: Hire a Navy
Tom Cruise: So I'm Cuter
Mother-in-law: Woman Hitler
Funeral: Real Fun
Snooze Alarms: Alas! No More 'Z's
A Decimal Point: I'm a Dot in Place
Statue of Liberty: Built to Stay Free
Eleven plus two: Twelve plus one
David Letterman: Nerd Amid Late TV
Debit card: Bad Credit
Presbysterian: Best in Prayer
Astronomer: Moon Starer
The Eyes: They See
Election Results: Lies! Let's Recount!
The Earthquakes: That Queer Shake
Eleven Plus Two: Twelve Plus One
Schoolmaster: The Classroom
Elvis: Lives
Clint Eastwood: Old West Action
Western Union: No Wire Unsent
Desperation: A Rope Ends It
The Morse Code: Here Come Dots
Slot Machines: Cash Lost in Me
Conversation: Voices Rant On
Heavy Rain: Hire a Navy
Tom Cruise: So I'm Cuter
Mother-in-law: Woman Hitler
Funeral: Real Fun
Snooze Alarms: Alas! No More 'Z's
A Decimal Point: I'm a Dot in Place
Statue of Liberty: Built to Stay Free
Eleven plus two: Twelve plus one
David Letterman: Nerd Amid Late TV
Debit card: Bad Credit
Presbysterian: Best in Prayer
Astronomer: Moon Starer
The Eyes: They See
Election Results: Lies! Let's Recount!
The Earthquakes: That Queer Shake
Eleven Plus Two: Twelve Plus One
Thursday, July 24, 2008
He who has a why to live can bear with any how. - Friedrich Nietzsche
This is SO applicable in classroom management and discipline, as well as so many other things inherent in teaching.
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Why Men Are Happier Than Women
NICKNAMES
If Laura, Kate and Sarah go out for lunch, they will call each other Laura, Kate and Sarah.
If Mike, Dave and John go out, they will affectionately refer to each other as Fat Boy, Godzilla and Four-Eyes.
EATING OUT
When the bill arrives, Mike, Dave and John will each throw in $20, even though it's only for $32.50. None of them will have anything smaller and none will actually admit they want change back.
When the girls get their bill, out come the pocket calculators.
MONEY
A man will pay $2 for a $1 item he needs.
A woman will pay $1 for a $2 item that she doesn't need but it's on sale.
BATHROOMS
A man has six items in his bathroom: toothbrush and toothpaste, shaving cream, razor, a bar of soap, and a towel.
The average number of items in the typical woman's bathroom is 337. A man would not be able to identify more than 20 of these items.
ARGUMENTS
A woman has the last word in any argument.
Anything a man says after that is the beginning of a new argument.
FUTURE
A woman worries about the future until she gets a husband.
A man never worries about the future until he gets a wife.
SUCCESS
A successful man is one who makes more money than his wife can spend.
A successful woman is one who can find such a man.
MARRIAGE
A woman marries a man expecting he will change, but he doesn't.
A man marries a woman expecting that she won't change, but she does.
DRESSING UP
A woman will dress up to go shopping, water the plants, empty the trash, answer the phone, read a book, and get the mail.
A man will dress up for weddings and funerals.
NATURAL
Men wake up as good-looking as they went to bed.
Women somehow deteriorate during the night.
OFFSPRING
Ah, children. A woman knows all about her children. She knows about dentist appointments and romances, best friends, favorite foods, secret fears and hopes and dreams.
A man is vaguely aware of some short people living in the house.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
A married man should forget his mistakes. There's no use in two people remembering the same thing!
If Laura, Kate and Sarah go out for lunch, they will call each other Laura, Kate and Sarah.
If Mike, Dave and John go out, they will affectionately refer to each other as Fat Boy, Godzilla and Four-Eyes.
EATING OUT
When the bill arrives, Mike, Dave and John will each throw in $20, even though it's only for $32.50. None of them will have anything smaller and none will actually admit they want change back.
When the girls get their bill, out come the pocket calculators.
MONEY
A man will pay $2 for a $1 item he needs.
A woman will pay $1 for a $2 item that she doesn't need but it's on sale.
BATHROOMS
A man has six items in his bathroom: toothbrush and toothpaste, shaving cream, razor, a bar of soap, and a towel.
The average number of items in the typical woman's bathroom is 337. A man would not be able to identify more than 20 of these items.
ARGUMENTS
A woman has the last word in any argument.
Anything a man says after that is the beginning of a new argument.
FUTURE
A woman worries about the future until she gets a husband.
A man never worries about the future until he gets a wife.
SUCCESS
A successful man is one who makes more money than his wife can spend.
A successful woman is one who can find such a man.
MARRIAGE
A woman marries a man expecting he will change, but he doesn't.
A man marries a woman expecting that she won't change, but she does.
DRESSING UP
A woman will dress up to go shopping, water the plants, empty the trash, answer the phone, read a book, and get the mail.
A man will dress up for weddings and funerals.
NATURAL
Men wake up as good-looking as they went to bed.
Women somehow deteriorate during the night.
OFFSPRING
Ah, children. A woman knows all about her children. She knows about dentist appointments and romances, best friends, favorite foods, secret fears and hopes and dreams.
A man is vaguely aware of some short people living in the house.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
A married man should forget his mistakes. There's no use in two people remembering the same thing!
Monday, July 21, 2008
Dark Knight
Plot: Batman and Gordon find alliance with a newly appointed DA Harvey Dent to stop a vicious killer with a warped sense of humor known only as The Joker, a threat to both the good, and the evil of Gotham City.
My take: Watch this for Heath Ledger's final performance as the manical Joker. The plot was engaging enough till the end, with a stellar supporting cast featuring the likes of Aaron Eckhart, Michael Caine, Morgan Freeman, Gary Oldman, Maggie Gyllenhaal, and even Chin Han (Masters of the Sea) and Edison Chen! Apart from Batman's perpetual hoarse throat, watch out for the Joker's pencil-disappearing act.
Sunday, July 20, 2008
Saturday, July 19, 2008
Thursday, July 17, 2008
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
NDP 2008 MTV
Someone commented that our NDP 2008 MTV is very similar to a Japanese TVC. Judge for yourself:
NDP TVC
Jap TVC
Email said:
My response was rather fervent:
Some alumni replied with sensible responses, meaning I had to retract my words. Among their salient points, the fact that there is nothing truly orignal in the world anymore, merely adaptations and modifications, and that the NDP 08 people were merely (to use an MCM example), changing every third word to avoid plagiarism because three words in sequence is plagiarism. It's no crime by the letter of the law, but it goes against the principle of it:
My final response:
NDP TVC
Jap TVC
Email said:
"if you notice something, our NDP video this year is a rip off from a Japanese TVC about this child thinking differently drawing a whale while our NDP version is tis girl drawing a star! what a shame!
First we have a MDA rap, next our NDP video actually rip off from another country's TV. How embarrassing."
My response was rather fervent:
"Rip-off? Spread the shame? I think that's quite an unfair statement to make. Having been involved in planning for NDP 04 during my NS days, I can tell you that original ideas are hard to come by. Instead, the effort is made to scour the globe for ideas that can help meet the objectives. If you look at the entire NDP 08 video, the classroom scene is just a small part of the whole thing.
To say that it's a rip-off, I think, is an insult to the effort that the Committee has put in to celebrating the nation's birthday.
My suggestion is that, instead of sitting in your armchair and commenting, get off your seat and contribute to NDP in a more constructive way. Then, perhaps, will you appreciate the thankless task that is NDP planning.
Please put yourself in the person's shoes before passing off callous, thoughtless statements, and think about the value it will add in people's lives before you click Forward.
Aaron Wong
MCM '03
NDP '04 Show Committee, PA to Chairman Show"
Some alumni replied with sensible responses, meaning I had to retract my words. Among their salient points, the fact that there is nothing truly orignal in the world anymore, merely adaptations and modifications, and that the NDP 08 people were merely (to use an MCM example), changing every third word to avoid plagiarism because three words in sequence is plagiarism. It's no crime by the letter of the law, but it goes against the principle of it:
"I really don't know guys. It was a tough day at work, and I guess my response was a little too fervent. Apologies there, Chee Kaur.
In any case, there may have been factors we were not aware of and will never know. Basically with something as big as NDP, I'm assuming the Chairman would not have allowed it if he knew it were plagiarised. He must have been kept in the dark somehow.
In my opinion, they found a good idea, used it, and probably hoped no one would find out. Pretty naive perhaps, but they could have gotten away with it if not for FMS-ers snooping around. =]
The thing I'd have done differently is probably cite the source of inspiration somewhere and make relevant changes to it so as to protect myself. I guess now they need to face the music, if only for taking someone's great idea, and perhaps passing it off as their own. Sounds familiar?
Lastly, I'm not a journalist, but perhaps still think like one. =]"
My final response:
"I think they found a really good idea. I'd use it too, if it was the best I could come up with. Most people are concerned only about the end result anyway, and don't care how you do it, as long as you get it done. That's work, guys. But the lack of citation was quite dishonest, and they should be accountable for that."
Sunday, July 13, 2008
PAD-man
Or Pre-Army Depression Man.
No lah, I'm sure Seng can handle it, but I believe every pre-NS send-off from now on should be like tonight's. It was just a time for him to enjoy our company and what we had to say about him, and only we got the saboing, which was pretty mild. Moreover we learnt so much about him too.
Well done Angela & Jas. =]
No lah, I'm sure Seng can handle it, but I believe every pre-NS send-off from now on should be like tonight's. It was just a time for him to enjoy our company and what we had to say about him, and only we got the saboing, which was pretty mild. Moreover we learnt so much about him too.
Well done Angela & Jas. =]
Saturday, July 12, 2008
Malaysia Boleh!
They've outdone themselves again - this time with three New Paper stories in a row!
1. They've suddenly sprung a surprise and relaunched the white cards again. The Johor immigration department was contacted and, get this, they directed the call to the checkpoint. That's like, hey PM, I have a question about Singapore. Oh here, talk to my MP. ?!?!
Immigration oficer Shahrul Nazrie (poor soul) said that he didn't know why the white cards were being introduced, and that he was just following instructions from the Putrajaya immigration department.
That's right, make a decision, but don't tell your people why.
Finally, to all you white-card hoarders - bad news - it might not be the same white card.
2. Malaysia's Women, Family and Community Development (hmmm, no mention of men, there) Minister Datuk Dr Ng Yen Yen has suggested castrating repeat rapists.
The female minister did clarify that she was advocating more research in this area. Yes, Dr Ng, castration DOES prevent rape. No need to risk any male guinea pigs for this one.
3. Finally, a non-Muslim reporter in a knee-length skirt was barred from Malaysian parliament after guards objected to her attire. She was sent home to change to pants. Hello, we don't even do that to children nowadays.
Those who failed the "skirt test" were told to pull their skirts down a bit. Another reporter was sent home for having too-tight pants.
Some female MPs were spotted in similar attire but the guards didn't stop them. Their explanation? "We can't tell them off as they are MPs."
A Malaysian minister promptly over-declared: "To me, as long as you don't some dressed in only your underwear, I'm fine with it." Anything except underwear, you say?
------------
Jan 22 2008, 2259hrs
Malaysian bureaucracy's finest hour.
Singaporeans do not need to fill out white cards on entry to Malaysia because, wait for it, they've run out of them. Apparently they decided to start a new system, as yet unnamed and undescribed (or indescribable), but have not bothered to inform, errr, anyone at all. Some officers stamp the white cards, and some don't.
Mr Johari of the Johor Immigration said that Singaporeans would still be asked the location and duration of their visit. I quote, almost verbatim: "It would be quite troublesome for our officers to keep asking them for the location and duration, so we may get them to write this on little pieces of paper, but it's not confirmed yet."
Whoa. Like such a groundbreaking decision. So you replace the white card (a form) with a piece of small paper (another, albeit smaller, form). Apart from this lunacy, everything else is status quo, of course.
How do you change the system and inform no one? How do you remove the old system without the new one in place, and tell no one? How do you all that, and stil not be sure about what to do with little pieces of paper?
Am I the only one who doesn't get it?
1. They've suddenly sprung a surprise and relaunched the white cards again. The Johor immigration department was contacted and, get this, they directed the call to the checkpoint. That's like, hey PM, I have a question about Singapore. Oh here, talk to my MP. ?!?!
Immigration oficer Shahrul Nazrie (poor soul) said that he didn't know why the white cards were being introduced, and that he was just following instructions from the Putrajaya immigration department.
That's right, make a decision, but don't tell your people why.
Finally, to all you white-card hoarders - bad news - it might not be the same white card.
2. Malaysia's Women, Family and Community Development (hmmm, no mention of men, there) Minister Datuk Dr Ng Yen Yen has suggested castrating repeat rapists.
The female minister did clarify that she was advocating more research in this area. Yes, Dr Ng, castration DOES prevent rape. No need to risk any male guinea pigs for this one.
3. Finally, a non-Muslim reporter in a knee-length skirt was barred from Malaysian parliament after guards objected to her attire. She was sent home to change to pants. Hello, we don't even do that to children nowadays.
Those who failed the "skirt test" were told to pull their skirts down a bit. Another reporter was sent home for having too-tight pants.
Some female MPs were spotted in similar attire but the guards didn't stop them. Their explanation? "We can't tell them off as they are MPs."
A Malaysian minister promptly over-declared: "To me, as long as you don't some dressed in only your underwear, I'm fine with it." Anything except underwear, you say?
------------
Jan 22 2008, 2259hrs
Malaysian bureaucracy's finest hour.
Singaporeans do not need to fill out white cards on entry to Malaysia because, wait for it, they've run out of them. Apparently they decided to start a new system, as yet unnamed and undescribed (or indescribable), but have not bothered to inform, errr, anyone at all. Some officers stamp the white cards, and some don't.
Mr Johari of the Johor Immigration said that Singaporeans would still be asked the location and duration of their visit. I quote, almost verbatim: "It would be quite troublesome for our officers to keep asking them for the location and duration, so we may get them to write this on little pieces of paper, but it's not confirmed yet."
Whoa. Like such a groundbreaking decision. So you replace the white card (a form) with a piece of small paper (another, albeit smaller, form). Apart from this lunacy, everything else is status quo, of course.
How do you change the system and inform no one? How do you remove the old system without the new one in place, and tell no one? How do you all that, and stil not be sure about what to do with little pieces of paper?
Am I the only one who doesn't get it?
Tuesday, July 08, 2008
NE Show
It wasn't that bad after all and - dare I say it? - I actually enjoyed it. Weather was more or less perfect with little sun except during the waiting at the beginning, a stiff sea breeze and not a hint of rain. I got to know my students a lot better, my colleagues a little less so, but all in all it was good fun.
I learnt a little lesson about the deployment of toilet passes from last year's NE Show batch, took some photos with Iskandar's camera (which he'll pass me a copy of) and basically just took in all the sights and sounds. I exhorted those around me to sing the national anthem with the same vigour on Tuesday morning but I somehow don't see it happening. =]
I think once will do for me, though.
----------
01 Jul 2008, 2222hrs
Having managed to siam NDP in NS, it's all coming back to haunt me now.
Have to being 5 Joy to the NE Show on 5 Jul. Yes, that's my Saturday burnt. I'll be baking it the sun and broiling in the humidity from 1pm to 10.30 at night - and that's just a conservative estimate.
Please pray for good weather on 5 Jul, otherwise we'll need to come back on 6 Jul. Pray for nice fluffy clouds to cover the sky but no rain too. Perfect.
Thank God 7 Jul is a holiday. =]
Monday, July 07, 2008
'Kota Baru bans noisy high heels'
I'm beginning to suspect certain states in Malaysia are run by aliens. Check out this insightful article in The New Paper:
"Authorities in Kota Baru have banned Muslim women from wearing bright lipstick and noisy high-heeled shoes to work. The ban will enhance thir dignity and prevent them from getting raped, Bernama said."
The government went on to say, kindly, that they may wear them if the heels are padded with rubber. A RM500 fine awaits any violator.
Ban, ban, ban. Fine, fine, fine. Is this the only thing they know how to do? Oh wait - that's the island down south.
But seriously, I agree that heels are noisy and irritating, but to say they facilitate rape? Unfortunately, such sweeping and extreme statements are already commonplace.
"Authorities in Kota Baru have banned Muslim women from wearing bright lipstick and noisy high-heeled shoes to work. The ban will enhance thir dignity and prevent them from getting raped, Bernama said."
The government went on to say, kindly, that they may wear them if the heels are padded with rubber. A RM500 fine awaits any violator.
Ban, ban, ban. Fine, fine, fine. Is this the only thing they know how to do? Oh wait - that's the island down south.
But seriously, I agree that heels are noisy and irritating, but to say they facilitate rape? Unfortunately, such sweeping and extreme statements are already commonplace.
Wednesday, July 02, 2008
Monday, June 30, 2008
Remedial
Can it be? I enjoy giving remedial more than actual teaching. The pressure of book checking is lifted and I can afford to be creative with my lessons. Proceeding with diagnostic tests for English and heuristics for Maths and maybe Science. But having fun so far and I hope I can remove the stigma of remedial in the students' minds.
Sunday, June 29, 2008
He gives and takes away...
Just when you thought you've got it all figured out, something happens that rocks your world. We're singing Blessed Be Your Name this Sunday, but this line will be all the harder to sing.
This post is dedicated to an acquaintance of mine in the teaching fraternity. Her boyfriend passed away this week after battling to survive a massive stroke. There was little sign that such severe haemorrage was going to happen - he was a young man of below 30 - though there was the odd complaint of headaches.
It reminds me of the fragility of our lives and the futility of our plans. May we continue to live our lives as if each day was our last, that when we meet God face to face, we can say that we were faithful with what we were given.
This post is dedicated to an acquaintance of mine in the teaching fraternity. Her boyfriend passed away this week after battling to survive a massive stroke. There was little sign that such severe haemorrage was going to happen - he was a young man of below 30 - though there was the odd complaint of headaches.
It reminds me of the fragility of our lives and the futility of our plans. May we continue to live our lives as if each day was our last, that when we meet God face to face, we can say that we were faithful with what we were given.
Thursday, June 26, 2008
5 Joy
I'm the new form teacher of 5 Joy and I must say that I've done things very atypically so far. New teachers are warned not to smile, joke or do anything that can give away the fact that they are actually human, especially during the first week.
Well, guess what? I did - and I feel much better for it. I have chosen to take the trust-trustworthiness equilibrum with this class and with my tolerance for behaviour also going up, this has resulted in a less threatening classroom environment. As one student put it, they don't even dare raise hands in another class. I introduced the notion of appropriate and inappropriate noise, so they know how they should react to different situations.
Slowly but surely the tide is turning from ignorant apathy to daring responsibility. Students are beginning to tale risks as they know they won't get shot down if they get an answer wrong, because they realise I'm rewarding them for the effort.
I've also impressed on them that interesting lessons require a partnership - participative students and an interactive teacher. They responded well to my Maths lesson today, even though it's a simple manipulation of practice of fraction-decimal conversion. Didn't take too much time and effort to plan either.
I really hope to keep this up, and once the class desktop and e-Beam are up, who knows? The sky's the limit.
Well, guess what? I did - and I feel much better for it. I have chosen to take the trust-trustworthiness equilibrum with this class and with my tolerance for behaviour also going up, this has resulted in a less threatening classroom environment. As one student put it, they don't even dare raise hands in another class. I introduced the notion of appropriate and inappropriate noise, so they know how they should react to different situations.
Slowly but surely the tide is turning from ignorant apathy to daring responsibility. Students are beginning to tale risks as they know they won't get shot down if they get an answer wrong, because they realise I'm rewarding them for the effort.
I've also impressed on them that interesting lessons require a partnership - participative students and an interactive teacher. They responded well to my Maths lesson today, even though it's a simple manipulation of practice of fraction-decimal conversion. Didn't take too much time and effort to plan either.
I really hope to keep this up, and once the class desktop and e-Beam are up, who knows? The sky's the limit.
Saturday, June 21, 2008
Spend is a verb!
It has come to my attention that credit card companies and retailers are using 'spend' as a noun like so:
"10% discount with a minimum spend of $50."
Excuse me, but stop already, can? Whatever happened to the word 'expenditure'?
"10% discount with a minimum spend of $50."
Excuse me, but stop already, can? Whatever happened to the word 'expenditure'?
Seng Kang Primary
Just finished a whole-day meeting at school. I must admit it was not what I expected.
Firstly, the principal, Mrs Lew, although she prefers to be called Lan Chin. She's more from the Miss Chua Soh Leng-type (Punggol Pri) of principal. She looks like Shirley, and from what I can observe, possesses a true Christ-like character. Her words are so encouraging and she used her sharing to marvellous effect.
While other principals would deign to use the time to talk about policies and programmes, she did it differently. Yes, she was talking about a new initiative called Invitational Education, but she talked about it with such conviction and belief that she really sold me on the idea. I'll probably even use it in Professionals for our module on communication, and I told her so.
I could sense that God knew I needed some encouragement as I was not doing a good job of getting used to teaching life again. Her session on something called unintentional disinvitation (or being unintentionally disinviting) resonated with me. It's basically a scenario where people unwittingly make themselves unapproachable. We were asked to give a personal experience of this, and she shared her example of aunties asking nephews/nieces when they are getting married every CNY - they mean well, but it's just a complete turn-off. *winks to Yinglei*
My example was just as explicit, and I believe God was giving me an opportunity to be open to my colleagues. Bear in mind that I knew 5% of the people in the room, and that some have never talked to me or even seen me. I shared my experience of people recommending cures of eczema to me and how despite their good intentions, it was a bugbear for me. It allowed me to appeal for their understanding, as well as help them understand how to relate to me with me on this sensitive issue. I told them to keep their cures to themselves, and tell me when my skin looks good not bad. I sincerely hope my honesty will make it easier for me to break the ice with them, as I'm not a very sociable person and struggle to make close friends outside of church.
Throughout the session, Lan Chin was encouraging and effusive with praise of people's honesty, and found ways to use visuals to get her ideas across. I badly wanted to pee/doze off, but I found I didn't dare to, lest I miss something important/interesting - such was the engagement.
To top it all off, she asked for a volunteer to read a list out, and I just felt compelled to volunteer, partly cos I haven't heard my radio voice in a while. After I had read the meaningful list of paradoxical commandments, she turned around and told everyone she was giving me the book I had just read from. What a gesture! I really admire her optimism and zest for life and such infectious leadership has sort of hooked me. That's the power of inspirational leadership by example.
I hope to do that some day, where someone turns around and says I've inspired them. Till then, I have next week's lesson plans to write. =[
Firstly, the principal, Mrs Lew, although she prefers to be called Lan Chin. She's more from the Miss Chua Soh Leng-type (Punggol Pri) of principal. She looks like Shirley, and from what I can observe, possesses a true Christ-like character. Her words are so encouraging and she used her sharing to marvellous effect.
While other principals would deign to use the time to talk about policies and programmes, she did it differently. Yes, she was talking about a new initiative called Invitational Education, but she talked about it with such conviction and belief that she really sold me on the idea. I'll probably even use it in Professionals for our module on communication, and I told her so.
I could sense that God knew I needed some encouragement as I was not doing a good job of getting used to teaching life again. Her session on something called unintentional disinvitation (or being unintentionally disinviting) resonated with me. It's basically a scenario where people unwittingly make themselves unapproachable. We were asked to give a personal experience of this, and she shared her example of aunties asking nephews/nieces when they are getting married every CNY - they mean well, but it's just a complete turn-off. *winks to Yinglei*
My example was just as explicit, and I believe God was giving me an opportunity to be open to my colleagues. Bear in mind that I knew 5% of the people in the room, and that some have never talked to me or even seen me. I shared my experience of people recommending cures of eczema to me and how despite their good intentions, it was a bugbear for me. It allowed me to appeal for their understanding, as well as help them understand how to relate to me with me on this sensitive issue. I told them to keep their cures to themselves, and tell me when my skin looks good not bad. I sincerely hope my honesty will make it easier for me to break the ice with them, as I'm not a very sociable person and struggle to make close friends outside of church.
Throughout the session, Lan Chin was encouraging and effusive with praise of people's honesty, and found ways to use visuals to get her ideas across. I badly wanted to pee/doze off, but I found I didn't dare to, lest I miss something important/interesting - such was the engagement.
To top it all off, she asked for a volunteer to read a list out, and I just felt compelled to volunteer, partly cos I haven't heard my radio voice in a while. After I had read the meaningful list of paradoxical commandments, she turned around and told everyone she was giving me the book I had just read from. What a gesture! I really admire her optimism and zest for life and such infectious leadership has sort of hooked me. That's the power of inspirational leadership by example.
I hope to do that some day, where someone turns around and says I've inspired them. Till then, I have next week's lesson plans to write. =[
Zikai's 21st birthday gig at Music Garage, Bugis Village
7 sessions of gruelling practice finally came to fruition where our gig passed without any major cock-ups. In fact, I really enjoyed playing with a wonderfully-talented bunch of musicians, and the pressure dissipated after the first 2 songs.
I think Zikai's testimony resonated with the audience, even his army friends. It really was a cosy atmosphere where they interacted with us and I'd love to do it again. '80s rewind perhaps? =]
Managed to get Jasmine, Valerie, Zoe, and Yinglei+friends to come so they can get the gist of what it means to have a non-threatening evangelistic event.
So all in all, I really enjoyed it and I think we achieved our objective where the seeds were sown and everyone enjoyed themselves. Let's do this again sometime, especially the impromptu fusion instrumental at the end. =]
I think Zikai's testimony resonated with the audience, even his army friends. It really was a cosy atmosphere where they interacted with us and I'd love to do it again. '80s rewind perhaps? =]
Managed to get Jasmine, Valerie, Zoe, and Yinglei+friends to come so they can get the gist of what it means to have a non-threatening evangelistic event.
So all in all, I really enjoyed it and I think we achieved our objective where the seeds were sown and everyone enjoyed themselves. Let's do this again sometime, especially the impromptu fusion instrumental at the end. =]
Monday, June 16, 2008
Euro 2008
Has this been the best tournament so far? Absolutely. Dramatic late goals, remarkable upsets, stunning strikes, and all this with supposedly jaded players and no England!
Holland, Croatia and Turkey have been an absolute revelation in Austria-Switzerland, and you never know quite what to expect from each match.
Take the latest one, for instance. Czech Republic were 2-0 up and cruising when Turkey's Arda Turan showed a remarkably cool 21-year-old head to pick his spot low inside Petr Cech's near post.
Then Nihat Kahveci pounced on Cech's flap at a cross to pull Turkey level. Best keeper in the world? You're having a laugh. Look no further than Edwin van der Sar.
Finally, Nihat broke the despondent Czech offside trap to curl an absolute beauty outside of Cech's reach, off the crossbar and in the top corner.
And I'll tell you what: this isn't and won't be the most dramatic match so far. Arjen Robben's immediate riposte to Thierry Henry's goal in Holland's 4-1 win over France comes to mind. Wesley Sneijder's stunning last-minute goal was a thing to behold. Sneijder for Ronaldo anyone? Croatia's 2-0 ousting of favourites Germany?
This has been a dream of a tournament.
Holland, Croatia and Turkey have been an absolute revelation in Austria-Switzerland, and you never know quite what to expect from each match.
Take the latest one, for instance. Czech Republic were 2-0 up and cruising when Turkey's Arda Turan showed a remarkably cool 21-year-old head to pick his spot low inside Petr Cech's near post.
Then Nihat Kahveci pounced on Cech's flap at a cross to pull Turkey level. Best keeper in the world? You're having a laugh. Look no further than Edwin van der Sar.
Finally, Nihat broke the despondent Czech offside trap to curl an absolute beauty outside of Cech's reach, off the crossbar and in the top corner.
And I'll tell you what: this isn't and won't be the most dramatic match so far. Arjen Robben's immediate riposte to Thierry Henry's goal in Holland's 4-1 win over France comes to mind. Wesley Sneijder's stunning last-minute goal was a thing to behold. Sneijder for Ronaldo anyone? Croatia's 2-0 ousting of favourites Germany?
This has been a dream of a tournament.
Sunday, June 15, 2008
Gym buddies!
Went to the gym for the first time today - and boy was it tiring! Went with Joycelyn, Yinglei, Jasmine, Yewhock and Elaine for a body combat class that involved a lot of kicking and punching the air.
It was all a bit strange for me - and I concluded that I'd never dance or teach Children's Church; I'm hopeless with actions and I'm just too self-conscious perhaps. Still, I really sweated it out and I think I'll ache tomorrow - too many ambitious high kicks.
I think I rather stick to fixed weights. Going again tomorrow.
It was all a bit strange for me - and I concluded that I'd never dance or teach Children's Church; I'm hopeless with actions and I'm just too self-conscious perhaps. Still, I really sweated it out and I think I'll ache tomorrow - too many ambitious high kicks.
I think I rather stick to fixed weights. Going again tomorrow.
Quotable quotes
"There are three types of people in the world - those who can count, and those who can't."
"I've never been a person to complete my..."
"I don't like superstitions - they're bad luck."
"I've never been a person to complete my..."
"I don't like superstitions - they're bad luck."
Saturday, June 14, 2008
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
California Fitness
Accompanied Jasmine, Joycelyn and Yinglei to California Fitness to take a look. I see a healthy lifestyle movement forming - with Jasmine & Yinglei signing up today, there are more than a few members in our church there already; Yewhock, Elaine, Aiping (formerly) come to mind. If we can rope in a few more, it provides a healthy solution to our weekly problem of 'what to do after service?'. It isn't cheap - $96 monthly with a further $77 for each hourly session with a personal trainer - but eczema notwithstanding, the presentation and facilities were more than enough to convince me to give it a shot. As it is, it'll be put on the backburner while I discreetly observe if it is money well-spent for Jasmine & Yinglei.
I also had a free body composition analysis, which confirmed what I feared - I am unfit. Not too shabby, cos I'm 81% fit, but there are obvious areas of improvement.
I had a few myths blown out of the sky:
Firstly, starving yourself and running does not make you lose weight. It just forces the body to subsist on less calories per day.
Secondly, keeping fit is 60% diet and 40% exercise. If you know my diet, you know where my weakness is, and eczema's no excuse for THAT.
Thirdly, increasing your metabolism is the way to lose weight. We do this, ironically, by increasing our muscle mass. When we gain muscle, the mitochondria, or fat-burning centres, also increase their input, so more fat is burned.
Fourthly, muscle does NOT weigh more than fat, the same way a pound of bricks does not weigh more than a pound of feathers. Yes, muscle has a greater density, but I'd rather my mass be in the form of muscle than fat - it sure looks better.
Also, a few inconvenient truths:
I weigh 71kg. Yes, I've unknowingly broken the 70kg-mark. My ideal mass is about 65-68kg so I need to get that off. Of that, 55kg is muscle and 12.3kg is fat. That translates to 17.3% body fat, when I should have only 15% or below. Michael Jordan in his prime had only 0.3% fat! If I gain muscle mass, my body will burn more fat, and I will lose the weight.
Finally, I'm 109% obese. Meaning I am 9% more chunky than the average male. I shall not go into Jasmine's scores, but they are comparable.
The gym people sound pretty confident about us showing results soon, and Jasmine has already started her punishing (physically & financially) schedule. Let's see what results transpire.
Me? Well I need to get my eczema reasonably out of the way first, then we shall talk. I might accompany them as a guest though. I wanna be a gym buddy too. =]
I also had a free body composition analysis, which confirmed what I feared - I am unfit. Not too shabby, cos I'm 81% fit, but there are obvious areas of improvement.
I had a few myths blown out of the sky:
Firstly, starving yourself and running does not make you lose weight. It just forces the body to subsist on less calories per day.
Secondly, keeping fit is 60% diet and 40% exercise. If you know my diet, you know where my weakness is, and eczema's no excuse for THAT.
Thirdly, increasing your metabolism is the way to lose weight. We do this, ironically, by increasing our muscle mass. When we gain muscle, the mitochondria, or fat-burning centres, also increase their input, so more fat is burned.
Fourthly, muscle does NOT weigh more than fat, the same way a pound of bricks does not weigh more than a pound of feathers. Yes, muscle has a greater density, but I'd rather my mass be in the form of muscle than fat - it sure looks better.
Also, a few inconvenient truths:
I weigh 71kg. Yes, I've unknowingly broken the 70kg-mark. My ideal mass is about 65-68kg so I need to get that off. Of that, 55kg is muscle and 12.3kg is fat. That translates to 17.3% body fat, when I should have only 15% or below. Michael Jordan in his prime had only 0.3% fat! If I gain muscle mass, my body will burn more fat, and I will lose the weight.
Finally, I'm 109% obese. Meaning I am 9% more chunky than the average male. I shall not go into Jasmine's scores, but they are comparable.
The gym people sound pretty confident about us showing results soon, and Jasmine has already started her punishing (physically & financially) schedule. Let's see what results transpire.
Me? Well I need to get my eczema reasonably out of the way first, then we shall talk. I might accompany them as a guest though. I wanna be a gym buddy too. =]
Monday, June 09, 2008
Crossover vs UniSIM
Dear Mrs Koh,
Thank you for your explanation. I will accept the Board's decision.
However, I must register my dissatisfaction with the fact that the criteria for admission is not made known to student teachers. If I had known my poly grades would be of such detriment to my admission chances, I would not have raised my hopes so high. Besides, my inferior grades were in an unrelated area of study, while my credit was in a related area of study. Why then should such heavy weightage be given to my poly performance? By doing well in Dip Ed, I was hoping to redeem my lack of effort in poly. But it seems that we are being punished twice for our past mistakes and not being given sufficient opportunity to redeem ourselves. I am disappointed in myself for not realising the value of education in poly 5 years ago, but even more so now with NIE & MOE for valuing the efforts of Dip Ed-ers so cheaply.
As for the Advanced Diploma, I'm sorry to say that it makes no sense at all. Why would I want to spend 1+ years getting another diploma when I already have two, with no impact on my emplacement and no direct guarantee of a degree? It would take me 3+ years to eventually get my degree, with little economic benefit to me in the meantime. It is no wonder that many Dip Ed-ers are forced to pursue unrelated part-time degrees at UniSIM etc at the expense of their work-life balance to get the emplacement they need.
I do hope you will reconsider the criteria for degree programme admission and provide more viable and realistic opportunities for us to get our degree.
Yours sincerely,
Aaron Wong
-----------
Dear Mr Wong
APPEAL FOR CROSSOVER TO THE DEGREE PROGRAMME
1 I refer to your email below appealing for crossover to the degree programme.
2 For Diploma graduands to crossover to the NIE's degree programme, both your performance in the Diploma in Education programme and your polytechnic diploma results are taken into consideration. This is part of an overall set of admission criteria that ensure the high standards of candidates who are admitted into the degree programmes in the university. You have obtained a Credit in the Diploma in Education but your polytechnic diploma results fall below the university’s minimum admission requirements. Based on the admission criteria, the NIE Board of Examiners collectively decided that the institute is unable to admit you into the degree programme.
3 NIE is fully aware that we must provide alternative pathways where Diploma graduands like you can have an opportunity to further their studies academically. With this in mind, NIE has put in place the Advanced Diploma programme in the relevant subject area, which we would like to invite you to consider applying for. When a candidate does well in the Advanced Diploma programme, he or she can use this additional qualifications (on top of their NIE diploma and polytechnic diploma results) to apply for the degree programme. Further advice on how to sign up for the Advanced Diploma may be obtained by e-mailing inservice@nie.edu.sg or calling 67903944. We are happy to let you know that some teachers have entered the Degree programme through obtaining good results in the Advanced Diploma studies.
4 We wish you all the best in your future endeavours and hope to see you pursuing the Advanced Diploma in the not too distant a future.
Yours sincerely,
KOH SOU KEAW (MRS)
HEAD
FOUNDATION PROGRAMMES ADMINISTRATION
----------
Dear Mrs Koh (Hd FP Adm Off),
I received with great disappointment my results for my final semester in Dip Ed. I realised that I was not offered an opportunity to further my studies in the BA(Ed) programme. I called the FPO and was informed that I did not meet the criteria for crossing over, despite a GPA of 4.36 and a pass in my practicum. I was informed that NIE and poly results were taken into account in considering who should be offered the degree option.
My purpose of writing is twofold:
1. To appeal to be admitted into the BA(Ed) programme,
2. To urge NIE to review the criteria and transparency of selection for BA(Ed).
I am guessing that in the end it was my mediocre poly results that did me in for admission into BA(Ed). Honestly speaking, I did not take my polytechnic education that seriously until my final year. However, on coming to NIE, I finally found something that I could excel in. I applied myself enthusiastically and diligently during my time in Dip Ed finally achieving a CGPA of 4.36, virtually an A-average. I was also a member of the ELL Club (Ref: Mr Jason Loh, ELL Club ex-adviser) that organised activities for Year 1s. I was hopeful of continuing my pursuit of excellence in the BA(Ed), but now having been informed otherwise, I would like to appeal to be admitted into the programme, where I believe I can be a credit to the cohort of Dip Ed crossovers.
Secondly, I implore NIE to review the selection criteria for crossing over. The criteria has been made confidential, and we were only able to hear rumours about what the criteria was. This was totally unhelpful as we were not able to target a certain GPA or involvement to achieve. If we put it bluntly, I was doomed the moment I stepped into NIE, due to my inferior poly grades. I feel I have not been given a chance to improve myself or turn over a proverbial new leaf, despite doing my best to. It feels like a kick in the teeth that I never stood a chance. If convicts are given a chance to turn over a new leaf in seeking new employment, why am I being judged on what I (did not) achieve in the past? I believe I have acquitted myself well during Dip Ed, and more than made up for my inadequacies in the past.
I urge NIE to place greater weightage on performance in NIE rather than previous qualifications, which have less relevance in excellence in teaching. Moreover, if past results are taken into account, then my 'O' Levels would be in my favour, but apparently they are not considered at all.
I also urge NIE to be more transparent in communicating criteria of crossing over in official channels, instead of leaving us in the dark where we were trying to do our best but not knowing if we were on track at all. If PSLE and 'O' Level students know the score they need to get into the school they want, why shouldn't student teachers know what they need to achieve to cross over? I believe such transparency would help NIE get the elite students they want, as these would be the people that really do their best in NIE, to be excellent in their teaching.
I hope you will consider my appeal favourably and allow me to further my studies at the cradle of Singapore education.
If you need references of NIE tutors/lecturers, I'm sure Prof Douglas Edge (MME), Mr Jason Loh (now HOD Eng, Innova Pri) and Ms Jo-Ann Netto-Shek (ELL) would be glad to oblige.
-----------
6 Jun 2008, 1245hrs
I have not been offered the crossover option despite a GPA of 4.36. That's virtually an A-average. Jasmine says it's because I only got a pass at practicum, though that's another issue. Jon says it's because of my poor poly grades. But tell me, isn't busting your gut to do well in NIE after realising the importance of education enough to earn your place? Apparently not. Above is my letter of appeal.
-----------
23 Aug 2007, 0045hrs
To all aspiring crossovees, Aaron has done the math for you so you can decide if you should crossover to BA or BSc(Ed) next year if you are offered it.
My calculations assume you are graduating from Dip Ed, as I am, in June 2008, and will begin work in a primary school in July 2008. It assumes you enjoy a pay adjustment for NS. It also assumes you get three-months' bonus each year.
This calculates your net loss/gain till June 2011. Why June 2011? Well, assuming you start studies in UniSIM immediately after graduating from NIE, you will graduate from their part-time degree course by that time. So here goes:
Crossover to 2-year BA(Ed) programme at NIE:
Pros:
Stipend: $10,000
Salary [GEO1: Jul 2010 - Jun 2011]: $42,330
Studying full-time
Cons:
Four-year bond [CAA 2011]
Education degree [too specific]
-----------
3-year part-time degree at UniSIM, English major with another field:
Pros:
Salary [GEO2: Jul 2008 - Jun 2011]: $95,310
No bond [CAA 2011]
General degree [non-education]
Cons:
Course fees: $21,000
Working full-time & studying part-time
+++++++++++
So, the question is, are you willing to work and study for three years, albeit a degree you have more control over and is more saleable outside, just to gain $21,980? I know I am. =]
Duncan brought up a very pertinent point though. Optimistically, if I can add another tuition student [total: 2] at $22.50/hr for 4 hrs/wk, I can make $720/mth, or $25,920 in 3 years, more than making up the shortfall. Now the picture is not so rosy.
MOE will even loan you $14,000 interest-free & bond-free to study part-time.
Thank you for your explanation. I will accept the Board's decision.
However, I must register my dissatisfaction with the fact that the criteria for admission is not made known to student teachers. If I had known my poly grades would be of such detriment to my admission chances, I would not have raised my hopes so high. Besides, my inferior grades were in an unrelated area of study, while my credit was in a related area of study. Why then should such heavy weightage be given to my poly performance? By doing well in Dip Ed, I was hoping to redeem my lack of effort in poly. But it seems that we are being punished twice for our past mistakes and not being given sufficient opportunity to redeem ourselves. I am disappointed in myself for not realising the value of education in poly 5 years ago, but even more so now with NIE & MOE for valuing the efforts of Dip Ed-ers so cheaply.
As for the Advanced Diploma, I'm sorry to say that it makes no sense at all. Why would I want to spend 1+ years getting another diploma when I already have two, with no impact on my emplacement and no direct guarantee of a degree? It would take me 3+ years to eventually get my degree, with little economic benefit to me in the meantime. It is no wonder that many Dip Ed-ers are forced to pursue unrelated part-time degrees at UniSIM etc at the expense of their work-life balance to get the emplacement they need.
I do hope you will reconsider the criteria for degree programme admission and provide more viable and realistic opportunities for us to get our degree.
Yours sincerely,
Aaron Wong
-----------
Dear Mr Wong
APPEAL FOR CROSSOVER TO THE DEGREE PROGRAMME
1 I refer to your email below appealing for crossover to the degree programme.
2 For Diploma graduands to crossover to the NIE's degree programme, both your performance in the Diploma in Education programme and your polytechnic diploma results are taken into consideration. This is part of an overall set of admission criteria that ensure the high standards of candidates who are admitted into the degree programmes in the university. You have obtained a Credit in the Diploma in Education but your polytechnic diploma results fall below the university’s minimum admission requirements. Based on the admission criteria, the NIE Board of Examiners collectively decided that the institute is unable to admit you into the degree programme.
3 NIE is fully aware that we must provide alternative pathways where Diploma graduands like you can have an opportunity to further their studies academically. With this in mind, NIE has put in place the Advanced Diploma programme in the relevant subject area, which we would like to invite you to consider applying for. When a candidate does well in the Advanced Diploma programme, he or she can use this additional qualifications (on top of their NIE diploma and polytechnic diploma results) to apply for the degree programme. Further advice on how to sign up for the Advanced Diploma may be obtained by e-mailing inservice@nie.edu.sg or calling 67903944. We are happy to let you know that some teachers have entered the Degree programme through obtaining good results in the Advanced Diploma studies.
4 We wish you all the best in your future endeavours and hope to see you pursuing the Advanced Diploma in the not too distant a future.
Yours sincerely,
KOH SOU KEAW (MRS)
HEAD
FOUNDATION PROGRAMMES ADMINISTRATION
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Dear Mrs Koh (Hd FP Adm Off),
I received with great disappointment my results for my final semester in Dip Ed. I realised that I was not offered an opportunity to further my studies in the BA(Ed) programme. I called the FPO and was informed that I did not meet the criteria for crossing over, despite a GPA of 4.36 and a pass in my practicum. I was informed that NIE and poly results were taken into account in considering who should be offered the degree option.
My purpose of writing is twofold:
1. To appeal to be admitted into the BA(Ed) programme,
2. To urge NIE to review the criteria and transparency of selection for BA(Ed).
I am guessing that in the end it was my mediocre poly results that did me in for admission into BA(Ed). Honestly speaking, I did not take my polytechnic education that seriously until my final year. However, on coming to NIE, I finally found something that I could excel in. I applied myself enthusiastically and diligently during my time in Dip Ed finally achieving a CGPA of 4.36, virtually an A-average. I was also a member of the ELL Club (Ref: Mr Jason Loh, ELL Club ex-adviser) that organised activities for Year 1s. I was hopeful of continuing my pursuit of excellence in the BA(Ed), but now having been informed otherwise, I would like to appeal to be admitted into the programme, where I believe I can be a credit to the cohort of Dip Ed crossovers.
Secondly, I implore NIE to review the selection criteria for crossing over. The criteria has been made confidential, and we were only able to hear rumours about what the criteria was. This was totally unhelpful as we were not able to target a certain GPA or involvement to achieve. If we put it bluntly, I was doomed the moment I stepped into NIE, due to my inferior poly grades. I feel I have not been given a chance to improve myself or turn over a proverbial new leaf, despite doing my best to. It feels like a kick in the teeth that I never stood a chance. If convicts are given a chance to turn over a new leaf in seeking new employment, why am I being judged on what I (did not) achieve in the past? I believe I have acquitted myself well during Dip Ed, and more than made up for my inadequacies in the past.
I urge NIE to place greater weightage on performance in NIE rather than previous qualifications, which have less relevance in excellence in teaching. Moreover, if past results are taken into account, then my 'O' Levels would be in my favour, but apparently they are not considered at all.
I also urge NIE to be more transparent in communicating criteria of crossing over in official channels, instead of leaving us in the dark where we were trying to do our best but not knowing if we were on track at all. If PSLE and 'O' Level students know the score they need to get into the school they want, why shouldn't student teachers know what they need to achieve to cross over? I believe such transparency would help NIE get the elite students they want, as these would be the people that really do their best in NIE, to be excellent in their teaching.
I hope you will consider my appeal favourably and allow me to further my studies at the cradle of Singapore education.
If you need references of NIE tutors/lecturers, I'm sure Prof Douglas Edge (MME), Mr Jason Loh (now HOD Eng, Innova Pri) and Ms Jo-Ann Netto-Shek (ELL) would be glad to oblige.
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6 Jun 2008, 1245hrs
I have not been offered the crossover option despite a GPA of 4.36. That's virtually an A-average. Jasmine says it's because I only got a pass at practicum, though that's another issue. Jon says it's because of my poor poly grades. But tell me, isn't busting your gut to do well in NIE after realising the importance of education enough to earn your place? Apparently not. Above is my letter of appeal.
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23 Aug 2007, 0045hrs
To all aspiring crossovees, Aaron has done the math for you so you can decide if you should crossover to BA or BSc(Ed) next year if you are offered it.
My calculations assume you are graduating from Dip Ed, as I am, in June 2008, and will begin work in a primary school in July 2008. It assumes you enjoy a pay adjustment for NS. It also assumes you get three-months' bonus each year.
This calculates your net loss/gain till June 2011. Why June 2011? Well, assuming you start studies in UniSIM immediately after graduating from NIE, you will graduate from their part-time degree course by that time. So here goes:
Crossover to 2-year BA(Ed) programme at NIE:
Pros:
Stipend: $10,000
Salary [GEO1: Jul 2010 - Jun 2011]: $42,330
Studying full-time
Cons:
Four-year bond [CAA 2011]
Education degree [too specific]
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3-year part-time degree at UniSIM, English major with another field:
Pros:
Salary [GEO2: Jul 2008 - Jun 2011]: $95,310
No bond [CAA 2011]
General degree [non-education]
Cons:
Course fees: $21,000
Working full-time & studying part-time
+++++++++++
So, the question is, are you willing to work and study for three years, albeit a degree you have more control over and is more saleable outside, just to gain $21,980? I know I am. =]
Duncan brought up a very pertinent point though. Optimistically, if I can add another tuition student [total: 2] at $22.50/hr for 4 hrs/wk, I can make $720/mth, or $25,920 in 3 years, more than making up the shortfall. Now the picture is not so rosy.
MOE will even loan you $14,000 interest-free & bond-free to study part-time.
Sunday, June 08, 2008
Friday, June 06, 2008
Teaching Practice: 25 Feb - 9 May 08
Despite a virtual guarantee of a credit by my main CT, I only got a pass. I intend to clarify with her why this happened, but I strongly suspect my supervisor's ill-timed and ill-prepared second observation did me, Nazir and Hui Erl in. It does leave a bitter taste in the mouth, seeing we did our best and were at the mercy of general incompetence.
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9 Apr 2008, 1843hrs
I'm geting swamped here. Have been trying to keep up with my lesson plans and as a result, am falling back with my marking. The result? I bag full of worksheets and a 0.5m stack of books. Die...
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7 Mar 2008, 1343hrs
Another treat! My CTs don't require me to write daily lesson plans in painstaking detail. They just need a weekly lesson plan with details of the procedure, resources and all that. This reduces the workload by A LOT. Of course formal observations still need the detailed one lah. But thank God for His mercy and providence.
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My, my. What a surprise. Practicum's been a breeze so far with only obervations going on. Little chance of me teaching next week due to CA and my CT's wanting to finish their incumbent unit first. Looks like I'm only starting in Term 2, which means I have the term break to piah lesson plans. Term 2 Week 7-8 should be interrupted by SA1, so I'm left with 6-7 weeks to fit 10 observations in. It might not be that bad after all. I think the P2 class will be the challenge.
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21 Feb 2008, 1843hrs
This is the biggie. Ten weeks altogether. One week of observation followed by nine weeks of teaching. I'm teaching P3 & 2 English and Maths respectively. My main CT is the P3 level head. Our practicum will include CA and SA time, so that should cut down the teaching load.
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9 Apr 2008, 1843hrs
I'm geting swamped here. Have been trying to keep up with my lesson plans and as a result, am falling back with my marking. The result? I bag full of worksheets and a 0.5m stack of books. Die...
-----------
7 Mar 2008, 1343hrs
Another treat! My CTs don't require me to write daily lesson plans in painstaking detail. They just need a weekly lesson plan with details of the procedure, resources and all that. This reduces the workload by A LOT. Of course formal observations still need the detailed one lah. But thank God for His mercy and providence.
-----------
My, my. What a surprise. Practicum's been a breeze so far with only obervations going on. Little chance of me teaching next week due to CA and my CT's wanting to finish their incumbent unit first. Looks like I'm only starting in Term 2, which means I have the term break to piah lesson plans. Term 2 Week 7-8 should be interrupted by SA1, so I'm left with 6-7 weeks to fit 10 observations in. It might not be that bad after all. I think the P2 class will be the challenge.
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21 Feb 2008, 1843hrs
This is the biggie. Ten weeks altogether. One week of observation followed by nine weeks of teaching. I'm teaching P3 & 2 English and Maths respectively. My main CT is the P3 level head. Our practicum will include CA and SA time, so that should cut down the teaching load.
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