Diamonds

Still in pain following my minor surgery removing my wisdom tooth and the one next to it. However I was pretty touched by this newspaper article on "She wanted to be a diamond".

For those whom I had taught before - remember I told you that when a person died, the ashes can be made into diamonds? This little girl's death wish was to become a diamond. Read about this on the Newpaper:
http://newpaper.asia1.com.sg/news/story/0,4136,110591,00.html?









Have you ever wondered what will become of you when you die?

My students

Went for lunch at Hougang Mall with hubby today. Met one of my former student who is now working in the Japanese restaurant. I have always thought that she would further her studies as she was quite good in her writing. Also met Xue Qin and Huiting called to say that she was also at the mall but I was already on my way home.

Looking back at the students whom I have taught and the students under my CCA, I must say I had at least a thousand. Some would stay in contact and openly declare that they missed me ( me too). However there are also some who seem rather cold and indifferent - or maybe they are too shy? I treat everyone of them like my child - in fact my husband said I regard them more highly than my own kids. It is always a joy to see them grow and like a proud mother, I grinned ear to ear when they achieved. I enjoy working with them, and I would always tell them I am there for them to share whatever knowledge I have. I am never too shy to admit to them that I am still learning - and so should they.

I learnt how to create webpageswith Dreamweaver two years ago when my students enrolled in a webpage design competition. I attended the training session with them and I was really proud of them when one team won the first prize and the other third. Last year we entered another competition on business proposal for a tour in Toa Payoh- and I learned quite a lot as well as the students and the teams won first and third again. Of course the preparation for the competitions had brought us closer.

Of course I also saw the growth of our Red Cross unit. We have managed to attained quite a no. of awards in the last two years. I am also proud to say that we have also built up quite a no. of leaders in them. They have never failed to amaze me with what they can achieve.

I received a call from my colleague regarding the students' achievement today as they are keying in the record for their CCA points. The followings are the competitions which I had worked with the students -they won after much hard works!

Starting from 2004:
Red Cross Community Service Bronze, 5th Singapore Tourism Competition for Schools (Merit for disaplay), NE Virtual Heritage Trail Competition orgainised by NECDC and Temasek Polytechnic (First and 3rd)

2005:
Red Cross Community Service Gold, Red Cross Excellent Unit Silver, Red Cross Banner Design (Most creative),SYF National Heritage Trail (3 medals), National Blogging competition (2nd), First Aid competition (3rd in North District), Learn @ Singapore River (Merit), Toa Payoh Heritage Trail Design (1st and 3rd), NYAA Middle-east Webpage Design competition (3rd), Heritage City design competition (2nd, 3rd, Merit), Geography Challenge (Top 20)

2006:
Red Cross Community Service Gold, Red Cross Excellent Unit Silver, Red Cross Sculpture Making competition(2nd), Red Cross Video award (Bronze), Fire Prevention Webpage Design (merit)

Of course there are also many more other competitions which I had worked with the students - even though they did not win - I am always happy that they had worked hard for them. As they took part in those competitions, I am always comforted that they had learned something new.

Presently I am working with some students on the following competitions: NFPC webpage design competition, Learn @ SDC and the Red Cross Current Affairs competition. I hoped that they would have learned much more in preparation for the competitions and I wished them all the best in the results.

I have brought many students for overseas trips ( Malaysia) which I strongly believe that they will really learn beyond the textbook. With all these trips, I often see more of the students - and the bonding seems much stronger. I would talk about those trips in future....

Salt and Pepper

After reading my tagboard, I decided to post this entry. Life is never a bed of rose - but there are always happy moments. I hope I did not give the wrong idea by just writing on the downside of my life. There is never a script in life and I had never meant my life to be so 'dramatic'. I suppose that after 38 years of existence on planet Earth (Ha-Ha- where else can I be?), I would say that many events have spiced up my life - just like pepper.

Did I ever tell you I love salt - I would die without it. I have always been amazed by the formation of salt and I can't imagine a single meal without it. This is my life. Let's talk about salt today - the delights of my life.

I suppose I should start with my childhood....

I lived in a kampong and I had already posted the story in my old blog. Though life was hard, it was an experience which I like to reminisce. I can still remember the fun we had playing 'masak masak' and catching guppies in the drain. I could also remember happy moments such as getting the best progress award in my primary school as well as getting the 4As for PSLE. I love my secondary school and missed the days feeding the fishes in the pond and hiding in the basement working on my sculpture which was part of the exhibit for Youth Day Festival. I won quite a number of art competitions .. something which I am still proud of today.

I was the chairman of Art Club when I was in Temasek JC. I must say I was completely immersed in art and craft. I was involved in the stage decoration for the play Mikado (I think that's the name of the play). I learned how to paint nature with watercolour as well as new craftwork. I must say our club was one of the pioneers in using paperclay and I learned tie and dye. Until today I am still grateful to my Art Teacher, Mr Jimmy Lee. He looked fierce and was so sacarstic when I first met him - but I was proven wrong - he was very concern for us. Knowing that I could not further my studies if I do not get any financial help, he recommended me for a scholarship. Though I was selected for the scholarship, I freaked out when the panel of interviewers told me that I had to go to France to learn Art and learn French within a month. I had never left Singapore before and really lacked the courage to go to such a foreign land. I told them that I did not want to go to France and settled for a local merit teaching bursary instead.

I finally graduated from NUS with a B.A. - it would never had been possible without the bursary. I was very grateful and I think I have been lucky. I joined teaching and was bonded for 6 years. My first school was Rangoon Secondary. I could still remember this girl called Zhang Miao Hui who sent my a greeting card every year even though she had left that school for many years .. I really missed her and I think she is in her 30's now.

Of course there are much more happy moments ... my wedding, my honeymoon, cruises, the birth of my boys,,,, and many more.

I had also held many jobs which are mainly short terms during my vacation - I have worked in a biscuit factory, a sales asistant for a CD shop, a money changer in the Changi Airport and a clerk in a branded good firm. Of course I had been a teacher as well as an administration manager for a convent. All these had broaden my experience and definitely add joy to my life.

There are always ups and downs in life - that's why I am always grateful that I managed through them with so much help given.