When I was young, I always looked forward to celebrating my birthday. That was because I had to wait a long 364 days in the year for it to arrive. The arrival of my birthday also meant the arrival of a new year. It excited me because I would be starting a fresh new year with new textbooks, new shoes, new friends and most importantly, I would be one step closer to adulthood and henceforth, freedom.
Tomorrow I will turn 29. For the past few days, I had actually felt a little depressed that IT is really coming. Once tomorrow arrives, I will be marching towards the big 3. There is no turning back. It scares me.
Oh well, I still have 364 days.
Happy Birthday.
Wednesday, December 29, 2004
Met an Old Friend
Yesterday, on the 28th Dec, I went to school for our Orientation Day. I was hanging around the canteen and suddenly, a sharp voice from the crowd pierced through the noise and reached my ears. "Desiree!!" I turned around and saw a familiar person wearing an excited look on her face. It's my ex-classmate from secondary school to Pre-U! At that instant, I couldn't recall her name and had to ask her for it. Ai Bing! Oh yes! How could I forget? ( Well, she was able to call me by my name because she saw my name tag...)
After the adrenalin has gone down a little, I looked at her with a suspicious look,"Why are you here? Don't tell me you're here with your child?!" I mean, I don't have any kids yet, but if she has kids in primary school, she must have married real young!
"No lah! I may have a motherly figure, (she's a bit on the plump side) , but no kids yet. See that big-sized man behind us? That's my Lao Gong. My family runs the school bus service!" Wow. Shocker number 2. Never knew the family runs a bus service.
I searched my memory frantically and managed to retrieve some data. "I thought your family runs a minimart in Ang Mo Kio?" "Oh, we have rented it out to 'Cheers'. By then she had already known that I was a teacher there. I had a name tag on, remember? Ohhhhhh...
So we simply stood there and briefly updated each other from A-levels till 2004. It was a nice chat. Truly, I enjoyed it tremendously. There wasn't any shy-shy business, and we just talked like we have never lost contact. Ended the conversation with an exchange of numbers.
Seeing old friends is good, good.......
After the adrenalin has gone down a little, I looked at her with a suspicious look,"Why are you here? Don't tell me you're here with your child?!" I mean, I don't have any kids yet, but if she has kids in primary school, she must have married real young!
"No lah! I may have a motherly figure, (she's a bit on the plump side) , but no kids yet. See that big-sized man behind us? That's my Lao Gong. My family runs the school bus service!" Wow. Shocker number 2. Never knew the family runs a bus service.
I searched my memory frantically and managed to retrieve some data. "I thought your family runs a minimart in Ang Mo Kio?" "Oh, we have rented it out to 'Cheers'. By then she had already known that I was a teacher there. I had a name tag on, remember? Ohhhhhh...
So we simply stood there and briefly updated each other from A-levels till 2004. It was a nice chat. Truly, I enjoyed it tremendously. There wasn't any shy-shy business, and we just talked like we have never lost contact. Ended the conversation with an exchange of numbers.
Seeing old friends is good, good.......
Friday, December 24, 2004
Nathaniel has Arrived!
My second nephew is born today! (I mean 23rd Dec) The pink, handsome baby weighs 2.76kg, has long fingers, a beautiful nose, well-shaped lips and 2 dimples on each side of his chubby cheeks! This is the first pair of dimples in my family!!! :)
His mum, my sister, is doing well and resting at Gleneagles. She will be back home on Christmas day.
I was hoping that Nathaniel could be born on 30th dec, which happens to be my sister's as well as my birthday. Well, my sister said that he couldn't wait and wanted to arrive earlier to receive Christmas presents. Matthew, four, is thrilled to see his baby brother. Suddenly, Matthew has become a big Kor Kor!
If I hadn't lost mine, I could have been a mum by now.
His mum, my sister, is doing well and resting at Gleneagles. She will be back home on Christmas day.
I was hoping that Nathaniel could be born on 30th dec, which happens to be my sister's as well as my birthday. Well, my sister said that he couldn't wait and wanted to arrive earlier to receive Christmas presents. Matthew, four, is thrilled to see his baby brother. Suddenly, Matthew has become a big Kor Kor!
If I hadn't lost mine, I could have been a mum by now.
Fond Memories
I received a Christmas card from an ex-pupil of mine. I taught her when she was in Primary 5. She will be in Secondary 3 in 2005. Time flies.
She has never really shown any interest in her studies until she came to my class in P5. Somehow we clicked and she began to try. However, there was too much to catch up and she didn't make it, and had to go to the EM3 stream in P6. I didn't teach her as I followed my EM2 class up to P6. However, she still came to see me whenever she needed help. I was glad to see her so motivated. On the day of the release of PSLE results, I cried when the Principal announced that she had topped the EM3 stream.
She went on to Secondary school and started out in a Normal Tech class. I told her that she must work hard and get into the Normal Academic class so that she can take her 'O' levels. She promised to try.
She did. And she got into the NA class in Sec 2. I was so proud of her!
In the Christmas card, she thanked me for all that I have done for her. She knows that I had made an impact on her. But what she doesn't know is that she has also made an impact on me. She reminds me of what I can do for others, and that determination can conquer many odds. I always relate her story to my other pupils to motivate them.
One day she will become very successful. I know it.
She has never really shown any interest in her studies until she came to my class in P5. Somehow we clicked and she began to try. However, there was too much to catch up and she didn't make it, and had to go to the EM3 stream in P6. I didn't teach her as I followed my EM2 class up to P6. However, she still came to see me whenever she needed help. I was glad to see her so motivated. On the day of the release of PSLE results, I cried when the Principal announced that she had topped the EM3 stream.
She went on to Secondary school and started out in a Normal Tech class. I told her that she must work hard and get into the Normal Academic class so that she can take her 'O' levels. She promised to try.
She did. And she got into the NA class in Sec 2. I was so proud of her!
In the Christmas card, she thanked me for all that I have done for her. She knows that I had made an impact on her. But what she doesn't know is that she has also made an impact on me. She reminds me of what I can do for others, and that determination can conquer many odds. I always relate her story to my other pupils to motivate them.
One day she will become very successful. I know it.
Thursday, December 16, 2004
Great Plans
Yesterday I had fun. Met up with 2 girlfriends who happen to be my colleagues as well (erm, ex colleagues now but well..) and we had breakfast. Chatted through the morning and updated one another on our holidays. Then I went to Ikea with Dency while Kumari left to do her own stuff. I was supposed to accompany Dency there to get a spare part but I ended up loading lots of things into my car. Somehow I always end up buying things whenever I go there. To think that I had just spent $1000 on furniture there just a few days ago!
Hubby and I plan to revamp our spare room into a proper study, or should I call it a work room? We are just such superb workaholics that we want to work some more when we get home! Anyway, in order to make it more condusive for work, we have purchased proper decent book cupboards and big tables. I don't know how we are going to squeeze them into the tiny orange room but we will somehow. Also bought several wall-mounted display cabinets to display the souvenirs that we get from our travel experiences.
Wow. What a lot to do. And what a big damage to our pockets!!
But I'm LOVIN' IT!
Hubby and I plan to revamp our spare room into a proper study, or should I call it a work room? We are just such superb workaholics that we want to work some more when we get home! Anyway, in order to make it more condusive for work, we have purchased proper decent book cupboards and big tables. I don't know how we are going to squeeze them into the tiny orange room but we will somehow. Also bought several wall-mounted display cabinets to display the souvenirs that we get from our travel experiences.
I forgot to add one more item - Aircon!
Wow. What a lot to do. And what a big damage to our pockets!!
But I'm LOVIN' IT!
Wednesday, December 15, 2004
New Year, New Job
I had just attended another meeting at Fernvale this morning.
Having taught in Xinghua for 5.5 years, I felt a need to move on. Not out of teaching, as yet, but a change in environment and portfolio. So I applied for Fernvale and I got it! Wow. I couldn't believe my luck. Subject Head English - something I had wanted right from the very beginning.
Had been managing the Art Dept almost all my life (okay, it was only for 4 years) and I had actually loved it. I still do. Art is an interest I have. But I just didn't want to do it for a lifetime. I needed fresh challenges. So I moved on to an IP department. Leaving Xinghua is easy. Leaving my colleagues is difficult.
I do not know what is in store for me but I am going to make it exciting. I believe it is in my hands.
I look forward to starting work in a brand new school. But right now, I just want to enjoy my holidays.
Having taught in Xinghua for 5.5 years, I felt a need to move on. Not out of teaching, as yet, but a change in environment and portfolio. So I applied for Fernvale and I got it! Wow. I couldn't believe my luck. Subject Head English - something I had wanted right from the very beginning.
Had been managing the Art Dept almost all my life (okay, it was only for 4 years) and I had actually loved it. I still do. Art is an interest I have. But I just didn't want to do it for a lifetime. I needed fresh challenges. So I moved on to an IP department. Leaving Xinghua is easy. Leaving my colleagues is difficult.
I do not know what is in store for me but I am going to make it exciting. I believe it is in my hands.
I look forward to starting work in a brand new school. But right now, I just want to enjoy my holidays.
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