Music resources

http://ethemes.missouri.edu/themes/1746

https://sites.google.com/site/elementarypraxis/activities/songs

http://msderks.jimdo.com/teaching-music-sourcebook/music-in-context-lessons/my-classmate-s-lessons/

http://isleoftune.com/

http://www.musicalcontexts.co.uk/

http://listeningadventures.carnegiehall.org/ypgto/game.aspx?cookieID=177510&firstRun=1&cIndex=0&highPagePlayIndex=0&visits=0&gamesCompleted=0

http://www.spurin.co.uk/Worksheets.htm

http://iwbmusic.blogspot.sg/

http://www.primaryresources.co.uk/music/music.htm

A goal in life...

Once you decide on your occupation
You must immerse yourself in your work.
You have to fall in love with your work.
You have to fall in love with your job.

You must dedicate your life
to mastering your skill.

- Jiro Dreams of Sushi -

Swee choon dimsum

Was feeling famished after watching the super intriguing "Hua Mulan" last night, so decided to have some supper to sooth the hunger pangs!

And I was on an adventurous mood, hence we settled for a dim sum eatery we never tried before! We normally patronise the dim sum store at a coffee shop in changi village or the popular 126!

I like changi's for their Phoenix claws and wanton soup! 126's fried carrot cake combined w the xo sauce is the bomb too!

I didn't try a lot of varieties at swee choon! But I really like the liu sha bao:) the custard really flows and is fluid, not solidified! The sweetness and saltiness is just right and this is the closest taste to the ones I tried in hong kong:)

Yums! Can't wait to taste those buns again! And im still in the search of nice har gows and siew mais! Now, if only someone can open a restaurant that has all the specialties from the existing dim sum restaurants!

Heehee:)

Note to self...

Once free, must leave school fast!

The school graduation ceremony is finally done. I think I played well, except for that short mistake at the front. But nonetheless... It was good and received a lot of compliments! Yay-ness!!:)

The finale was ok but the clapping was not coordinated!! So disappointing! If not it will be perfect! O wells... All is done and finished...

Shall look forward to knocking off!!!

A long hiatus...

School exams may have ended... Normal subject teachers might have less topics to teach and cover... But music lessons in school still go on as usual, piano lessons are all back as usual.

I am still feeling tired and easily sick after toiling for so many hours each day, screaming at students and practising hard with the piano kids.

One thing I dun enjoy about piano teaching is the dash from house to house. Sometimes, parents get so demanding that I just feel like giving up the student and tell the parent to go find another teacher. I am not doing this for $, I am teaching pupils who r willing to inherit my skills and knowledge and work hard for themselves.

Next year, I think I might as well just sieve out the ones I want to keep and gradually focus on teaching from my home. Tt will be a long term aim which hopefully I can fulfil before I turn 30 and when I have a place I can call my own!

Shall turn one of the rooms into a small study room cum piano studio and teach my piano students:) have a small table for pupils to learn their theory along with comfy chair and air con fitted environment for optimum comfort.

Can't wait for tt day to happen!:) cant wait to stay at home to teach piano and cook delicious meals for the love ones. Cant wait to enjoy the bliss of being a wifey and wait for the hub to reach home in the evening for precious bonding time:)

Tgif:)

So much personal errands to run plus the tummy is still not feeling well. But nonetheless, I'm thankful for the weekend rest. The mind and the body has been feeling unwell, really need more time to recover from the flu and stomach cramps. Headache and vomiting bygone!

Rumblings

Still not feeling well...

Had stomach cramps the whole of last night until 5am. Got up giddy for school and my bones were sore for the entire day... Was giving my best for all the lessons but the fever and the muscle aches were not helping.

Now I'm stuck in bed, feeling too sore to stand up. Have I contracted some kind of dengue or virus attack?

Can't sleep...

Thanks to fever and the never ending sneezing! The watery mucus just keeps flowing from the nose like the running tap I see on tv:(

Why am I feeling so sick nowadays?

Still have to go for work tmr:( Urgh! Flu flu, go away!!!

Seriously...

The teachers and the management in this school is the reason why the pupils are not receiving quality education.

If u have a colleague who only knows how to wayang at the boss, give things super last minute, talk bad behind people's back and expect instructions to be given to her at the promptest time when she does otherwise, please tell me how good the working environment can be... Especially when majority of the pple in this school behave this way.

I think it is not surprising that such pple can survive well in any environment, they are selfish enough to take care of their own benefits and bring others down to make themselves look good.

But these people can create such a pessimistic aura to the environment that only these selfish people themselves will enjoy. That might be what an ex colleague was trying to bring across. She mentioned that the staff room feels so gloomy all the time that she can't wait for classes to end so that she can get out of this sad place ASAP.

Well, I can't wait to quit. That's for sure. But if I do so now, the bond will deplete half of my savings and I'm not sure if I'm comfortable with it:(

who, what, when, where and why

hate it whenever the father needs to use the car when i need it to go for my piano lessons... now i got to postpone the lessons. i know the parents are ok with the postpone but the sense of guilt still lingers within me for a long time whenever this happens.

sigh... shall buy myself a good car when i become a full time piano teacher in the future so that the bf and i can have a vehicle of our own and dun need to worry about the availability of the car.

just watched a wongfu video and it got me thinking alot. i think this is why i like wongfu's scripts so much? the scenarios are so closely linked to our experiences and daily lifes that it is so easy to see the connection and build some rapport with the characters inside the videos...

i love wongfu, and there was one sunday afternoon i remembered keeping myself at home, watching and re-watching many wongfu videos. it wasn't a productive day but i remembered smiling, crying and laughing alot:) the videos are that good:)

somehow, im glad to have some personal time now. there are so much things going on in my life nowadays that i want to pen out... i wanna write about how i was as a child, how exams are like nowadays... how psle marking was like, and my bf's birthday which passed more than one week ago. I wan to write about how working adults are like, the characteristics of certain pple in my office and how i feel about my job now. there are just so much things going on in my mind, and i feel like penning them down so that i can better reflect on my current status.

but after watching the latest wongfu video, i have the urge to write about something more personal...

i feel like writing about the who, what, when, where and why boys throughout my 26 years of life... inspired by wongfu video "the last".

who 

who i love was a boy from my postgraduate days...

who was the man that everyone loves. who was everyone's man. the pain in my heart is still fresh from all the wonderful memories curved out during my nie days.

who was the reason why my nie days were filled with happiness and laughter.

i love how who always rests his hand across my shoulder, how we always stood so close to each other but yet, no one seems to know how we felt about each other.

it is a kind of nostalgic love that puts a smile across my face every time i think about my nie days. i just hope, we make our feelings clear about each other even though we each belong to someone else's now. i just wan to tell him how he made me felt, and how i could turn back time just to experience all those happiness once more:)

i really love who, i really do:) can we still be close like before?

what

what i love was a boy i knew from the third year of my university days.

we were compatible in all ways, in terms of beliefs, faith, music and life. we were comfortable, but somehow, the spark and bond between the both of us were never so strong that we had to get together.

i will always remember the late nights spend at kbox singing with two other guy friends, of which one loved me but i couldn't reciprocate.
i will always remember the new year's eve spent at mel's place when the rest left the two of us alone to chat along the star lit pathway.

it was romantic to me, but it never happened. he is now working in vietnam, pursuing his dreams of living in a rustic and laid back life. i will miss him, but i am glad i met up with him before he left vietnam.

have a great time in vietnam my old friend:) we still owe each other a high tea session at marina bay sands:)

when 

when i love was a boy from my university days.

when was funny and jovial, when was nice when everyone avoided me. when was the man that took care of me when i was at my lowest. when accompanied me through the darkest days of my university life.

i like when, but love? coming to think of it, maybe there was a tinge of it... but we never got together. somehow, time just passed and nothing happened. so, friends we become, and well, i still disturb him as and when i feel stressed at work. hahaha;p

best friend forever bro!:)

where

where i love is the one i loved the most

i knew where since the first three months of my jc days... where was the reason why i gave up my place in tjc to transfer back to tpjc, that precious slot that everyone was vying for... and i gave it up for love. it was a dumb move and it caused my academic results and future.

where was a crush, a huge crush i never got over. i would look for him across the lecture room just to get a glimpse of him, i would keep myself awake and chat with him online till the wee hours of the morning.

where is special, bcos he never left my life.
i love him alot, and now he is the one in my life:)

why 

why i love was the boy who hurt me the most.

why was a great friend, he was the first guy i got very close to during my first year in university. he was the first guy who showed genuine interest of me and made me feel special. he was not good looking, but he had the height and that cheeky smile on his face all the time. we shared similar taste in music, namely chinese songs, he would let me listen to his mp3 for the whole day during our mass study while he studies without any entertainment.

we had that spark that never diminished and even now when we do meet, i can still sense his crush on me. but why and i never got together... he is now blissfully married to his first gf of his life, his soul mate whom he shares the same faith and beliefs. and i think that is the reason why we couldnt be together... faith....

my last

my last was where.

my last is where my heart belonged to throughout many years of my adult life.
my last is a man of charisma and suaveness, he is good looking, tall, dark and pleasant.
my last is the man that took away my heart when i was 17 and never returned my heart back to me since.

i love him alot:) and yah, he is my last in my life:)

wow, i cant believe i took 1 hour to write all these. now i wonder how long those hardcore bloggers take to craft their blog entries with all those photo editing.

well:) im glad i wrote to my heart's content and relieve my brain from these thoughts. to the who, what, when, where and why i loved, i really thank you for letting me have the feeling of loving and getting hurt, to put my heart through happiness and pain.

:) shall end off, got to get ready for the next piano lesson at 8pm. cant wait to finish the lesson and rest:) tmr is a longer day ahead... phew! jia you limin:)

Feeling unwell...

Took an mc this week due to bad flu and inflamed throat. Was feeling dizzy and nauseous on Tuesday morning and decided to take mc and visit the doctor.

Today is Saturday... And I'm starting to feel dizzy all over again:( cancelled 4 classes, now contemplating if I should cancel my 5th and 6th lessons later. Responsibility and money become secondary issues when I feel so sick...

I feel like throwing up... I feel hot all over and the cold weather is not helping:( sigh... Wat is wrong with my body?

Get well soon Limin! It's the weekend!

Me...

On a random afternoon...

So she says...

Something racist and got fired. Many may say it's unfair for the company to fire her due to her personal mistakes and it's too serious to take away her rice bowl.

N*tuc has a pool of mps and employers of high profiles even though its not a stat board or a government agency. This makes it hard to detach the image of an union employee from the government due to its close ties with the cabinet.

Ultimately, even though ntuc may not represent the government... The employees need to ensure tt they are acting in tandem with the gov expectations and beliefs.

These pple are after all her bosses... She could have been more careful with what she share online...

Hahaha, an indirect reminder for myself too:p

My first ever...

Teacher's day and children's day as a teacher! Haa:) the dates of these two celebrations have been changed from the 1st of sep and oct to the first Friday of sep and oct! Inaugural change!

No holidays for teacher's day this year but oh wells... I just wan my teaching life to be smooth sailing and enjoyable.

Received many presents from my sch and piano pupils! The giraffe soft toy given by my grade 8 student is so cute! I love it so much!! Oh man... Im going to miss this student terribly! She is so guai!! Maybe I shall put the soft toy in my cubicle to cheer myself up:)

Many pupils bought Hershey's and I haven't gotten the chance to eat them yet... Better put them together and keep them in the freezer before they spoil:( can use them to bake cookies!

Children's day was the bomb! Bought pencils for the p1s, jellies for the p2s, chupa chups for the p4s, 5s and 6s, plus extra mentos and snickers for the form and science class.

I'm glad tt I kept within the $50 budget I set for myself. Shall try to get gifts and stationery from tampines big bookshop in the future! Saw quite a number of good deals there:)

Cheer up cheer up:) Stay happy and optimistic:) I can do it:)

Happy birthday daddy!

30 sep:) bought many of his favourites:) koi green tea macchiato, Lao ban beancurd, Indian rojak and hello panda cookies!

Stay happy and healthy always:)

From where I am now...

Teaching is indeed not an easy job... The job of teaching is hard enough but this job requires one to take up more than one role simultaneously.

It has been a heart wrenching third week, which leaves me with a sore throat to nurse over the weekend and a battered soul to strive through the next 3.5hrs of piano.

One unforgettable time this week was when the students told me they didn't know who the discipline master in sch was. It immediately dawned on me why these pupils in this school are so notoriously behaved... Bcos there is no form of authority in school.

Random but bus rides home r extremely therapeutic, especially if i manage to get on bus 28 which goes straight to my place. This short 30 mins is the time for me to reflect on my hectic day in sch before I transform to my other role.

Woosshh... Sep recap

Life has been rushed lately... Rushing from classes to classes in sch, rushing from homes to homes for piano. It is really not easy trying to cope two jobs at a time and still trying to have a life meeting up with friends and relatives.

Met up with Melissa and her bf during the September holidays for karaoke:) and she looked radiant w the love of her life! Really glad tt mr c*hoon wee is treating my bestie well! Although we are seeing each other less, the bond is still close and our other halves were also comfortable hanging out together:)

The week after tt was spent w the jc clique at a pub, can't rmb the pub's name but the drinks and food were reasonably. And more imptly, the company was good:) the sister also treated sushi tei@bedok point, food was not as fresh and sumptuous as itacho, but definitely good enough to cure my sushi/Japanese rice cravings! Heehee:)

23rd sep was lunar 8th day of the 8th month. One of my paternal cousins got married in a lavish setting at Fullerton hotel. The ballroom was huge and grand, dishes were played and served individually. The cousin was the first to get married at our side, I couldnt help thinking tt we are truly growing up and moving on to the next stage of life. O boy... Life is really passing by really fast. Just hope everything will be smooth and happy for the future me and my family:)

Spent a solemn mid autumn weekend as the bf's uncle passed away. I must spend more time w my parents and bring them for meals and view singapore's ever changing landscape. No matter how busy our lives are, we got to learn to treasure the people around us and spend time fruitfully and happily.

Life is really fragile, let's live life:) Carpe diem!

Hush hush...

Im going to get there by 720am and everything is going to be fine!:)

2nd wk of term 4...

Just started the week of teaching cos I was on course yesterday. Shall get through today successfully and not get tired... Life has been seriously exhausting, waking up early and ending work at 10pm. No joke!

U know the sch u r working in is not ideal

1) When contract teachers are leaving the service and rejecting entering nie... Reasons up to ur own imagination

2) When the school ends 30mins later than others... I start at 730am and end at 130pm while other pri schools end at 1250pm (yes, I teach pri)

3) When you have 15 more periods than normal b*eginning teachers from other schools (I have 44 periods for ur info)

4) When you never leave school before 4pm on a normal day even though u are a bt and while your peers are leaving at 1pm (normal days in my context are days with no cca, remedials and stuff meeting)

5) When there are only 5 classes in each level (yyyyyyyuuuppp, that's my sch)

6) When the amount of work is piled due to lack of standardization bcos the kps believe in "renewing" and "improving" ideas (ahuh ahuh)

7) When fighting are common among pupils DURING SCHOOL PERIODS (you geddit now?)

Ok, I got to stop here bcos I realized how detrimental this might dampen my mood even further. I'm really infuriated right now.

First day

Super grumpy and bad mood. The body and mind are extremely exhausted, and my eyes are half opened. Dun give me anymore work... Enough is enough

The night before the last term...

And im feeling so complexed cos I need to meet the RO tmr:( I really hope everything is going to be fine. I will be fine, everything will be good. I can do it.

Tmr marks the 10 weeks countdown and I will be able to finally take a break from Singapore and do some travelling. I can't wait for a restful break from work and the hectic weekdays. I wan to slow down my pace of life and enjoy the little things around me. Im slowly growing out of my prime and I dont wan to regret not living my prime time to the fullest.

After all, this is life isn't it? We only live once, so let's live it to our fullest!

2 days break from sch:)

*phew* I got through 10 weeks plus 3 days of sch! Can't wait to detach my mind from sch for 2 days even though I'm going to be busy like crazy, having piano and meeting up with friends.

Im grateful that I made it through this far, shall continue to persevere and make music lessons effective and enjoyable:) the school principal, vice principal and teachers will love me:) and the students will respect me and in turn, love me.

Y am I typing all these? Hahaha, sounds like I'm pyscho-ing myself. Well... Still have music templates to complete! Shall embrace it and quickly finish it! Off for piano!!

Personal work list

1) buy scales books
2) calculate aug fees
3) buy ingredients for soy pudding + container
4) buy children's day present
5) transfer iPhone photos into laptop

Work list (revised 3/9)

To do;
1) update template for work review
2) lesson plan
3) idea bank
4) inform ro course date
5) inform sh purchase of electronic piano
6) iPad check and review
7) iPad loops ideas
8) mark ss wb
9) call z*hang hong and j*ovin's parents

:) dun worry, be happy!

Happy september holidays:) although its filled with course, remedials and lessons, life is kind and happy:) everything is great!

I'm doing good and swaying to the happy pulse of life:)

Kekeke

Coughing non stop with the bf!

My nose and eyes are sensitive to all these smoke pollution... And my nose is detecting the presence of smoke even within my house:(

Is there smoke in Indonesia?

Today is crap

I h*ate my crap students, I h*ate my freaking job!!!!

My favourite position...

Wat a day...

Is the line that flashed across my mind repeatedly throughout the day. It was a weird day in school... I talked too much, I expressed too much... I basically did too much of everything. Time to go home and waste off my bizzare behaviors.

Crazy day yo!!! Keep calm!

Ps: still didn't manage to meet the ro!! Read lesson plan file and write lesson plan tmr... Pronto!

Pps: I missed my bus stop thanks to my persistent blogging... Today is definitely weird. Wat??

Banana bread:)

Finally baked something after so many months! I have been craving for some warm banana bread and there are a bunch of banana at home threatening to go to the bin if we don't consume it soon. So a banana bread baking session it is!

This recipe differs from the banana cake I usually bake, and I'm glad the texture and taste is moist and not too sweet for my family's palate. I can foresee myself using this recipe again and again:)


Banana bread
Adapted from
http://thriftydecorchick.blogspot.sg/2012/05/easy-peasy-banana-bread.html?m=1

4 ripe bananas, smashed
1/3 cup (75g) melted butter
3/4 cup (150g) sugar
1 egg, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon baking soda
Pinch of salt
1 1/2 cups (200g) all-purpose flour
Pinch of cinnamon powder

1) smash the banana
2) mix in melted butter, sugar, beaten egg and vanilla extract
3) fold in flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon powder
4) fill batter in 4 inch x 8 inch pan
5) bake in oven preheated at 175C for 55mins to 1hr

Half way through the long weekend:)

This marks the end of the slackiest two days I ever had for a long long time:)

No sch, no piano:) just me and my bed and my trusty safari on the iPhone to bum through the whole day:)

Submitted two students for theory exams and just sent a banana bread into the oven. Hehe, the banana bread looks moist and delicious to me! Can't wait to see the finished product later!

I have also just updated my iPhone apps and software:) feel so much more at ease:))

Now got to buy new notebook, write up lesson plan, weekly lesson plan and reflections! 4 things to do! I can do it!

Lunch on tuesday

Had a great time with the kids at string ensemble, as usual:p

Monday and Tuesday are killer days thanks to my super packed timetable (read: 44 periods a week, norm 28 periods for bts in other schools...)

Only had one hour of break during the students' recess which I used to prepare my lesson materials for my last ss class.

Afternoon violin enrichment starts at 2pm, so I packed my super healthy lunch of cherry tomatoes and blueberries.

I love the honey cherry tomatoes i bought from shop and save!:)

Happy national day Singapore:)

I'm really glad to be here. Well, I have no particular reason why I feel so, just feeling thankful.

Great to see the mm on tv:) stay healthy and strong:) and hope the pple who spread the rumors dun get into serious trouble:)

Half time break...

After a super long day in sch:(
Brain is juiced after sch and string ensemble.

Getting ready for second half... Haha:) stay cheerful Limin:) u can do it!

Life will be kind and everything will be good.

So tired...

Half of my life zapped out by my most notorious class. My brain hurts after teaching them, need to get out from this place:(

Brain dead:(

Hot weather...

Gives me headache and hunger pangs!
Major craves for sukiya!!
Can't wait for national day to come!
Happiness count down to 2 more days!!:):)

Mini car accident

Which almost happened...

Feeling thankful tt I'm still alive but angry tt the driver is so nonchalant and only concerned about his own well being. He is just being solely defensive and wanting to escape from the situation by doing what he does best...

Throwing a tantrum...

I dun need someone who throws tantrum... I see it enough in school.

Work...

Last paper work to complete before the weekend... Stop procrastinating Limin!! U can do it!!!

And smile:))

Little angels in the staff office...

Thank you very much to whoever u r:)

I can do it!

Email sent, 3 more work to go before I can get down to my cluster lesson plan proper!

Had a saddening day in school, not sure if it's my pms or if I'm starting to feel lousy about work again. Nonetheless, i shall try my best to overcome these obstacles! After all, every job is accompanied with his and her own challenges, so I shall be more optimistic about myself.

Limin! Be kind and loving, inject humor and everyone will love u! U can do it!!:)

Really hope I can improve on my classroom management as well as my approach in talking to difficult students too!

I'm starting to find talking to Marco a chore due to his constant shouting and unwillingness to cooperate. He basically still acts like a big baby despite his age. Must remind myself to be calm and firm during lessons and smile more.

Stomped out of school at 230pm becos the environment in the staff room was so pessimistic... I'm not sure what happened but I could sense the sadness from the teacher who was complaining quite loudly for everyone to listen. I rmb vividly a sentence,"我不出声不代表我是病猫!" dunno if she is ok now but I'm glad I left early to break myself from the moody environment.

Went to interchange to get my "happy meal"! Koi red tea macchiato and fried carrot cake:) they are fattening but it filled my stomach and gave me a nice nap:) happy food rocks!:)

Tmr will be a better day!! Yes!

Slacking is good...

But is too much slacking giving me headache? :p

Probably im just procrastinating too much... Down to work limin!!

Disappointed...

But i can only wish for him to have better times ahead... If not, it's really tiring to have two battled souls being together...

Prioritising work

Finish lesson plan, ask regarding reflections then plan piano schedule!

Fighting! W a sleepy president next to me:p

SNSD Paparazzi

I watch this 3 days late from the date of its release! but nvm tt, cos im so happy that the music video of SNSD's paparazzi is finally out!! Yay!!

double yay to double happiness as there are two video versions of the same song! one with an introduction accompanied by "singing in the rain" and the other focusing on the dance! both are great and i think it is a really smart move from sm ent!

love the song and the dance! its great to hear that everyone has a more equal share of the song parts, especially since most of the dancers sang minimally in recent songs. the only qualm is probably the overly synthesized voices; it is hard to recognise the singer just by listening to the audio and taeyeon's lines r too few in this song:( nonetheless, the song is catchy and upbeat, very snsd style:) 

i thought i also saw one or two familiar dance moves from their previous song (mr taxi? not too sure! heehee) i love tt yoona is in the center most of the time as it brings back reminiscence of their debut and genie days. hope to see yoona, yuri and seohyun standing in the center of the group again:)

yay once more to the new snsd song! this song is definitely on repeat mode in my phone!!:)

I called...

And it wasn't easy, but I did it:)) *pat on the back*

I weeped over the fact tt I still have to be in service for probably 10 more weeks or more...

But I shall continue to count my blessings and try to juggle the ginormous amount of school work and piano lessons for these two thunderous months until the day I officially bid farewell to that depressing place.

To the closet person to me, be ready for more nonsense from an unhappy baby:(

I hate this!!

Why do I even have to go back for two months?

But what to do??:( I still want to have my cert:(

Dilemma

When life is filled w so much doubts and fear, days r dark and sullen. But I know... A ray of light will enlighten my path and guide me to the brightened route where happiness and contentment awaits.

I must be strong, and I will be strong.

Momiji Japanese Buffet Restaurant @ City Square

Whee:)) finally had my sushi cravings satisfied on one Saturday evening at Momiji:)

The buffet was normal:) food quality is slightly better than sakura buffet, and probably slightly below par as compared to kuishinbo!

The meal was enjoyable and we had a good time cutting the snow crab legs and trying to remove the meat from the shells in one whole piece! The feeling is surprisingly gratifying!

Yummy!!

Read from somewhere tt...

Introverts, in contrast, may have strong social skills and enjoy parties and business meetings, but after a while wish they were home in their pajamas. They prefer to devote their social energies to close friends, colleagues, and family. They listen more than they talk, think before they speak, and often feel as if they express themselves better in writing than in conversation. They tend to dislike conflict. Many have a horror of small talk, but enjoy deep discussions.

Don't count your blessings...

Instead be contented to be blessed:) somehow, i am glad that i started this blog cos now i can backtrack on what i have achieved or what i have done previously. just yesterday, i was feeling depressed for losing 4 students due to my straightforwardness and honesty. Felt so terrible... until i read my blog just now. 

Since 7 may, I have found 4 more students! Yippee:):) *clap clap clap* very happy with my progress, slow but I am satisfied. shant feel so sad anymore:) need to pick myself up and work hard for my well being:) 

Great to be feeling blessed:)

the terrible feeling...

of not receiving the results when the students from other courses have already received theirs is maddening:( now im starting to think if im blacklisted from the school and they are refusing to release my results...

haix, and im feeling so unwell... everything is plummeting to the rock bottom of the sea. i know everything will eventually turn out fine, but... when?

Liang Liang Garden Dessert

This maddening weather is terrible:( i find myself soaked in sweat just by stepping out of my house:( terrible!!

My persistent cough makes everything worse:(

Wanted something sweet to brighten up the mood and soothe the throat, so went to a random dessert shop to buy a bowl of hot cheng tng.

At first sight, the bowl looks small and the soup is darker than norm so I wasn't expecting much. But the first mouth took me aback, the cheng tng was really yummy!

The soup is not overly sweet, with a nice hint of red dates' taste. The bowl is filled with generous amount of ginko nuts, longan, candied orange, candied winter melon, barley and jelly strips, yums:) and I'm further surprised to find red bean and water chestnut inside the soup! Totally love the crunchy texture from the water chestnut.

The best part is... This bowl of goodness only costs $1.20! Me want another bowl now!

Liang Liang Garden
Tiong Bahru Market Stall #02-75

Wedding:)

Another wedding:) my friends around me are so blessed!

went for adeline and chong g*uan's wedding last night:) it was well planned , simple and heartwarming.

Had a good time catching up w vivien:p even meeting up w the ex-bosses was less awkward, thank goodness *phew* Everyone was happy and I'm sure tt's wat Adeline had meticulously planned for:) always so careful and thoughtful:)

I feel so happy for my dearest adeline who has finally settled down w the man she loved:) stay happy dearest:) u look super gorgeous last night!!:))

Blue Lagoon Western Food @ Bedok North Market and Food Centre

Wanted to eat chris kway chap but it was sold out by 2pm:( walked down the food centre and decided to give this western food a try as most of the tables were eating from the western store.

Western food is not my favourite, but the breaded pork chop at blue lagoon was delicious! My impression of pork chop is tough and chewy. But at blue lagoon, the meat is tender and moist, without the husky taste of frozen pork. The breaded crust sandwiching the pork was crispy and somewhat aromatic! This dish is so yummy that I found myself gnawing on the bone at the end of the meal:p

Servings r generous, each dish is priced at an affordable $5! Blue lagoon is definitely one of the better hawker styled western food:)

216 Bedok North Street 1
#01-75
Singapore 460216

Blabber mouth

Hmm... Another trouble maker in my life:(

Y can't things be kept peacefully according to my way?

Hate insensitive pple! note to self, dun over share information w colleagues.

GDI!!!

Gloomy day...

Makes me feel like hiding underneath my blanket and let the tears flow...

Nothing is wrong... I just wanna release the accumulated insecurities and uncertainties suppressed within me.

Back to nie

Went for the first lecture after practicum and am feeling rather surreal tt one week ago I was still in tt hellish place.

hopefully this is the last lesson in nie too... I have little strength to do anything related to nie and moe anymore!

:) so is life good now?

Yippee:)

One new student near my place starting next month:) hopefully it will turn out fine *cross fingers*

More please?

Wedding:)

Attended jessica's wedding yesterday and am very happy tt everything turned out fine despite the weather!

Abit worried if the packet I gave is not enough, i based it on my friend's suggestion. but nonetheless it's the thoughts tt counts right?:)

Congratulations girl:)

Sunset Grill and Pub (Seletar) closed?

Wanted to eat at sunset grill to curb some buffalo wing cravings but was shocked to see nothing at its previous location!

We recapped how we went in 2 years ago and questioned whether we might be lost.

But the scenery is still the same; the toilet near the carpark, the rows of office and the big huge tree in front of sunset grill is still present. But the restaurant is gone:(

Thank God for technology, a safari search solved our doubts and confirmed tt other pple also met with the same situation.

Bye bye sunset grill, we will miss ur tranquil idyllic location:(

Last day of practicum

This is *finally the last day of practicum, no photos taken with the students. just pictures of the school settings for memory sake.

The sense of relief comes from both the temporary closure from the throngs of lesson plans and the retreat from the noise and misbehaviours. Generally, practicum has been an eye opening experience, dotted with greater disappointment as a trainee teacher and a colleague.

Disappointed bcos I did not manage to execute interesting lesson plans to better engage the students and augment their interest in music. Music lessons are brief and the short weekly meeting with the students made it harder to establish firm rapport and discipline.

Students display different forms of behaviours every lessons, and sometimes exhibit violence in class. Im still scared of certain classes as there are too many unmanageable students in one class, and my heart falls whenever I know I have to teach them on that particular day.

With the lack of support and sense of helplessness, I was unfocused in the development of lesson plans. Maybe I should have asked for more help from my cts, but to me, rapport w the students can only be built when classes r managed personally by me without the previous teachers around.

I am being truthful here bcos this is my blog, a place where I can pour out my inner most thoughts without the worries of being judged.

I try my best not to blame the students, but rather take it upon myself that I'm too weak and not resilient enough as a 21st century teacher. Many would tell me that my work is too overwhelming for a trainee teacher who has no prior experience in any teaching and being forced to perform the skills of an experienced contract teacher.

But isnt this what I pre-empt? That I will be less proficient than the trainee teachers who have prior contract experience? So y the stress to grow out of my shoes and wear myself out so fast?

Sadly in a graded situation like the practicum, i had to get myself well adapted asap. As trainee teachers, we have to perform and bring in interesting lesson activities for our 8 lesson observations during the short 10 weeks stay in practicum.

It is not an easy feat especially if the students are naturally disruptive and not cooperative in classes. I consistently had to worry whether my lesson activities were engaging and learner centred enough without inciting too much excitement in class to prevent disruptive behaviours.

Maybe the school has not been sensitive enough and arrange difficult classes for a beginning teacher to teach without considering the overwhelming demands of a student teacher.

I have 2 primary 1 classes, 1 primary 2 class, 1 primary 3 class, 1 primary 4 class and 6 primary 6 classes. That's a total of 11 classes altogether. While normal EMS teachers only take 3 classes and see their classes a few hours each week, music teachers only meet each class either once a week for 1 hour or twice a week for 30mins each. The challenges met are vastly different and in actual fact, beginning teachers are not supposed to teach at primary 1 and primary 6 levels.

But I shan't pursue on, since I had showed my timetable to my NIE*sup and she was fine with the arrangement.

Im glad that I didnt give up in between my practicum and bite the bullet till the last day. I tried, but I know im capable of achieving better if given a different setting.

Thinking back, life in the school had been depressing and unmotivating. I hated the colleagues who gossiped non stop and talked behind pple's back. It was too excessive. They complained about the slightest thing and everything openly.

I hate being judged for teaching a "slack" subject. I used to be very confident of my knowledge and im starting to feel unsure now.

I feel weak and lost:(

That place made me more negative then ever, hence I know it's right for me to go. I dun wan to lose my happy self to that awful place.

Some pple...

R simply too full of themselves. Vying for the spot of alpha female, trying to be cool and everything.

Words may be cheap to you, but dun assume pple dun rmb wat u say. Haix, u r only gd at complaining and making ur life sound so glamorous. Can you try to see the world beyond ur well?

Y talk bad behind pple's back and act concerned in front of them? Is tt y ur bf left u previously? Is tt wat he was telling u? Cos u r a two headed snake?

I know u r generally nice, but i can feel tt u r not nice in a sincere way. Please stop hiding those insecurities and act so atas. *face palm faker*

And I feel like telling u a hard truth... Sorry but ur musicality and piano playing is not exactly fantastic:( ur lesson plans ain't interesting and u display no sense of musicality. I feel uneasy sitting in ur lessons:(

Yakitty yak!

Dun understand...

Y some pple can be so unkind and hurtful?

Y some pple can be downright mean and obnoxious?

These r the pple driving me out of school:( these r the pple who set the unhappy and unfriendly environment in school:( they r the reason y the students r so badly behaved... The school lacks nurturing teachers!

Bad apples be gone! Stay in ur rugged holes all u mean teachers!! Urgh!

The world can really do w more good apples!

Foodie labour day!

Had a great time out on labour day, searching for food and pigging out! Ended the day by watching the avengers! Had to book the tickets 1 day in advanced cos it was selling out everywhere!

Avengers is action packed, dotted w many eye feasting showcase of hunky men and humorous hulk scenes:D

The disappointing factor is probably the draggy storyline at the beginning when the heros quarrelled among themselves.

The highly acclaimed show didn't capture my fascination remarkably but the movie is definitely worth catching! Check out the trailer after the end of the movies:)

3.25 out of 5 popcorns

SNSD twinkle:)

I love snsd! Yay to SNSD TTS's "Twinkle"!

First heard the song without the video on YouTube and i was already blown away by the first verse which I later know is sang by Taeyeon! love her versatile and impressive singing techniques!:)

The video is really cute:) can see some popular fashion statements like printed clothes designs and red lipsticks, as well as centre parted hair which is making a strong comeback this season!

Love tiffany's last hair do in the video, wish I can look as good as her with centre parting... Hai...

Taeyeon's printed jumper also caught my attention! I like how the jumper is low at the front and fitted at the waist! Very flattering! Can we find such jumper in sg??

Twinkle is definite on replay in my mind!

Mc-ed

Yes, i told myself not to blog about job-related issues... But sadly work is the overwhelming part of my life now, so I shall pen this down for future reference.

2nd mc this practicum, does this reflect my lacksture attitude towards this job?

Please stop procrastinating clm!

This week's lesson plans and reflections r still not done and I'm already two days late from submission, reply to ct's SMS is not drafted...

And my scm still hasnt replied my SMS...
Dearest scm, please dun hate me. I'm socially awkward but I'm trying my best.

Feeling despondent and disappointed with myself tt I'm not performing better at work and im still stuck in such a mess despite being so old already.

Y no one loves me at work:(

Gotta find a way out of QLC!

Old

You know u r old when u feel less pai seh sitting on the yellow seats in SBS buses
It rocks to be old!! *consoling self*

=.=

April's Fool!

This is blog post number 1!
After having countless of blogs dotted across various internet blog sites, I highly doubt I will sustain this blog for long.
But nonetheless, I am only searching for a outlet to pen down my thoughts and my inner emotions.
To write down words that are not work related and not politically correct
To translate what I really feel and hopefully to be able to reflect better when life's happenings are penned down in words

happy april's fool to all
take jokes with a pinch of salt and enjoy the day:)