Pictures to share

I'm going to share some pictures that I have accumulated in the recent 5-6 years. I really love those that I took in USA, especially all and any of those with Kara and Brigid, but I'm going to limit those pictures as I want to respect my host parents. Maybe they do not want the girls' pictures to be floating around. It's going to be very random pictures but I'll try to explain them as I go along.

This is a sunset that I saw in Scotland. It's the same sunset that I posted at the top of this blog. All of us in the tour group were busy snapping shots of this. Having grown up in a city all my life, this is something very awesome and even till now, I still remember the whole sunset process. We waited till it dark before going off.

This is taken in Alaska. I love how the cloud seems like it's on level with me. The mountain in comparison seems to be much shorter. The view of Alaska is indeed nice but it's not all cold and snowy all year round. I went in the summer and this is how it looks like.

This is a real shot that I took while on a trip in California. Looks like a postcard, right? Actually I was sleeping for most of the time when on the road. I very rarely took pictures or even admire the views. This is a common view of the deserts along expressways when going from one city to another in California.

Yes, I took this picture too! The colour combination is fantastic! This is taken on a tour of 1000 Islands, Ontario, Canada. This is one of the island. Imagine, you can buy one of these island and tell people you own and island! In winter, the people use snow mobiles to get oout of the island to the main land or from island to island.

A picture of me with Kara and Brigid and the snowman we made beside the house in USA. This is not the first snowman I made, so I looked very well. I still miss snow and winter, especially when I'm baking walking on Singapore's streets!

Red Cliff 2, Look for a Star

Few weeks ago I went to watch Red Cliff 2. Had been wanting to watch it as I watched the first part last year. I like the show very much not only for the actors, but also for the message behind the show. The sceneries in the show are also very enchanting. I have to admit that I'm not one who knows my Chinese history well. I always turn to my oldest brother who has read or knows everything about Chinese history. Although I have not much knowledge or interest in studying Chinese history, I do like to read books or watch shows that show them. Actually, not only Chinese history. When I was younger, my father brought back a book about war fighting. There's a lot of scenarios in the book depicting the strategies to use when fighting a war, the feelings of the author and people around. Same as when I was watching Red Cliff, the thought I had throughout the show was very clear - in a war, no matter whether you lose or win in the end, it's always a lose-lose situation. There is never a win-win situation for anyone when in a war. Much to my surprise and approval, the last words spoken by Tony Leung at the end of the fighting also says pretty much the same thing, 'There's no winner here'. Whenever I watch such shows, I always want to cry. Cry for the poor soldiers who die for the ambitions of whoever they serve. So painful to die by having a sword go through your body or your neck. Bullets are better, I think.

I went to watch 'Look for a Star' yesterday. Of course, it's a must watch because it starred Andy Lau. I'm a hopeless romantic and watching this show, again makes me dream. During the show, I have this revelation that probably because of my thirst for romance, when I can't find it in real life, I can't be satisfied. That is why I'm still single now. I have this sort of idealistic and romantic idea of how a relationship should be like and when I don't find in in real life, I get disappointed and hence, all the guys I'm with are not 'The One'.

I want someone who looks at me and only sees me. I want someone who holds me dearly in their hands. I want someone who loves me second only to God. (Yes, even parents are not excuses. That's the true meaning of two becomes one.) I want someone who is willing to give up everything just for me. (Don't have to really give up, just be WILLING to give up. The key word is willing to and meaning it.) Guess I read too many romance novels. Keep dreaming...

Sick!

This past whole week I was doing Chinese Language relief teaching at CSS. Due to poor quality of sleep on Sunday night, I was subsequently very tired on Monday and Tuesday itself. On Wednesday, I woke up in the morning not feeling at all well. I know I have a sore throat as my throat was very painful even with swallowing my saliva. So, I went through the motions of getting ready to go to school but I felt not good at all. Having a hunch that I may have a fever, I took my temperature. Sure enough, 37.7 degrees C. But since I'm doing relief, I don't feel good to call the school and ask them to find someone on so short notice to relief the relief teacher. So, I stuck it out and went to school.

The whole day, I was like very tired and not feeling good at all. I didn't eat anything although I was very hungry. My through hurts so much that I didn't think I can swallow anything. During classes, I was mostly moving slowly and sitting down most of the time. Good thing I was doing relief for secondary school and don't have to do any teaching and not much discipline to do.

Anyway, after school ended, I had to rush for tuition with my student. I was extremely tired at this point but this session of tuition is when I'll collect my fees. I hate to wait for another week. I was debating whether I should cancel or not. Then, I was also thinking whether I should go see the doctor. If I want to see the doctor, I have to go before my tuition because by the time tuition finish, the clinic would be closed and I have to wait till night. However, as it is, I'm already late for my tuition. But I made the decision to go see the doctor before tuition. My main motive is to get the medicine. I thought that my fever has already subsided when I went to see the doctor. However, when the doctor took my temperature, it has gone up to 38.4 degrees C!

To cut long story short, I went for tuition after seeing the doctor. Good thing, she only needs me to teach her spelling. Which means I can sit there and just test her. After tuition, I went home, had a shower, took my medicine, and went straight to bed at 6pm. I was again debating whether to call in sick at the school the next day as the doctor gave me two days MC. But, my sense of responsibility won again. I slept from 6pm to 6am the next day, where I got up feeling better and went for teaching again. Of course, I didn't sleep for the full 12 hours. Was waking up on the off when my family members came home. What was most amazing about my sickness was that nobody, and I mean NO ONE knows that I was sick. No one in school noticed, I didn't inform my family members because I don't see them. Sigh, such a sad thing right?

Today is Valentine's day. For the sixth year, I celebrate it with....no one. Yap, has been single for the past six years. I hope God take pity on me and show me someone whom I spend the rest of my life with soon.

Helpless

Today I did something that I feel guilty about. Well, not that guilty but then I feel bad. I made my tuition student cry. She comes from a broken family. Her parents do not live with her and she's brought up by her maternal grandparents. That's also the reason why she is so weak in her studies. She can't even spell simple words like 'grandmother', 'around' or 'agree'. She's in Primary Four already!

Well, the reason she cried was because I was quite strict with her and she can't take it. I threaten to not teach her anymore and for her to find another teacher. She's afraid her grandmother would scold her, so she has to accede to my demands. You know, I always can't stand students who are too slow to get what I'm saying. However, I always remind myself that if they're clever or smart, they wouldn't need me to tutor them. So, I realise that I don't mind that you're slow. What I can't stand is that the student doesn't put in effort or not willing to learn. That puts me off so much and makes me very angry. I may seem as patient and kind and loving to children, but actually when it comes to areas of disciplining, teaching and learning, I'm very strict and demanding. I can be very crazy when playing, sometimes to the point of not caring so much about safety, but when it comes to studies, I would always apply my own standards to the children I teach. I wouldn't say that I'm very clever, but I like to think that I'm smart. A lot of times, I can't get things or concepts very fast and I used to demand this of my students. I then realise that not everyone is able to grapse things as fast.

Anyway, I can't stand my student because now that she is used to me, she starts to talk back. She also is very, very stubborn, wanting to do things her way. The thing is, she is very good in wasting time and I always feel that time is wasted in her doing things her own way. When I tried to tell her nicely, she refuses to listen. You know, the main purpose I'm hired is to help her study for her spelling, both English and Chinese! She can study that on her own! I want to help her with Maths concepts, English grammar and vocabulary but she doesn't want. She even wants me to just sit there and watch or help her with Art and Craft! I just feel that it's such a waste of time and money for her.

Ok, I should stop ranting. Kids nowadays are no longer the obedient sort like when I was a kid. I was always afraid of my teachers. When I was in primary school, I was so afraid of my teachers that I do not even dare to ask for permission to go toilet. I would always try to hold my bladder till a suitable time to go. Sigh...times are changing.

New beginnings...

This is my first post on the new blog site. Finally have some time to blog. Have been wanting to blog about a lot of things. Initially was because Friendster blog makes me so frustrated. Now it's because I have no time to blog.

Why did I say new beginnings? Well, Chinese New Year is over and I think for me a new year will start only now. Actually had a nanny job that was more or less confirmed to start in March. However, in the midst of letting go of current tuition assignments and relief teaching, I got more and more offers. This made me rethink my decision of accepting the nanny job. The hours are too long and though it offers fixed pay, the pay is not that fantastic, though I maybe doing what I like. But I think if I keep doing what I'm doing now, I can still make a decent living and still have my freedom. I like the fact that I have the flexibility to decide my working hours. If I need more money, I just have to get more tuition students.

Anyway, I'm on a quest recently. On a quest to find the ideal vacation location. This year marks the year that me and my best friends of over 15 years turns into the big Three O. Instead of giving each other presents as what we've been doing for all these years, I suggested that we save up the money on buying presents and all 4 of us go on a vacation together, since we have not done that at all. Yes, we've known each other for so long but have not gone on a holiday together. We have gone in twos, in threes, but never all four of us. We all have different work schedules and vacation time and different budgets, so it's kinda tricky. I'm assigned to search out the different locations an options. since I have a budget and I want to make sure that I get my money worth on what I'm paying for.

Well, we can't go too far as the taking of leave for the other would be too tricky. I'm leaning towards Bali, but they have suggested Redang in Malaysia too. Have been trying to find some deals online and Redang is just too troublesome to get to. My searches have been heavily on Bali. Haha. We still have not decided on when to go. That's another of the problem. I really hope to find some good deals. Every year I wanted to go to London to see the Lynches but every year just can't bear to spend such a big chunk of my money. Just the flight alone makes me feel as if I'm having a heart attack.

Will see bah. Maybe I should really take on more tuition assignments.