SARs and ME

Finally i finish typing my report for my project, actually i'm still not done with the other projects which are unfortunately dued next week. I've been facing the computer for the past few days for hours and hours till late night. Next week i'm gonna have my presentation as well, and right now i feel i've got even more to do! My mind is still pretty much asleep..

Because of SAR :

i slacked more at work ( ghost town of late )

Hot topic in school... everyone is like going " SArr...SArr...SArr.." echoes of it fill the canteen..

i frequent the hospital more often

swimming training was postponed

Tuition was postponed as well till the following week

Petitions online from both poly and uni grads (simply lame, the government won't give a damn to that)

The following is an extract from yesterday's new paper.

"WHY aren't the Institutes of Technical Education (ITE), polytechnics and universities ordered to close - just like the rest of the schools?

That is what students from these institutions and their parents are asking. If MOE says such students are more mature, what about those in junior colleges?

Poly students are no older than JC students.

Mrs K Tan, the wife of a lecturer at Nanyang Polytechnic, asked: 'Are JC students considered more precious than polytechnic students?

'The ministries say that the reason for their decision is that university students are mature enough to make the right decisions - but aren't polytechnic students the same age as JC pupils?'

I personally feel that we should just drop this debate on whether we should close the poly and so on, i mean it's already said that our system is different from jcs. We are going semester by semester, this will affect our exams, those who are graduating as well.. anyway i see there's an increase in the no of people wearing the mask, taking precautions over SARs.. Seriously, the number of people who are infected are gradually increasing.. so people please take good care...

There had been so many things going on lately, i just feel so drained out. Things i don't know how to go about handling them, everything is going too swiftly, things are happening out of the blue, too sudden. Sometimes i just feel so lost alone. Then would i pick up my guitar or hit my piano, hoping that i would play away my hidden emotions...it's as though you feel like shouting but the words won't come out. "Can someone hear me shout?".. but well who will give a damn to that.. anyway in my previous blog, i said my parents might me making arrangements for my grandma back in Singapore, and because of the outbreak of SARs, they changed their minds. Though we share the same thoughts, but it was also dissapointment that i felt. By the way, my parents are in Australia now with my uncles and aunties, to avoid returning to Singapore for the time being. Looks like SARs had really affected me quite a bit in one way or another...

I'm feeling rather vexed now, gonna leave the sight of facing the computer for a few hours as i head down to the esplanade, boat quey for some photo shootings. Back to viewing the night scenes at Benjamin Sheares Bridge.

Earlier on i brought my cousins out for dinner, they were like so bored at home, i guess i need some "kids-entertainment-kit". I install some computer games on their PCs, loaded them with some more vcds, playstation games..

p.s : daven thanks for that card.. :)

And now it's just an image that I find
Like the paintings in my mind

Winamp Playing :Tommy Page - paintings in my mind

Why is it that we got school tmr

DETAILS OF SCHOOL CLOSURE

As an additional precautionary measure in response to concerns expressed by parents on the recent SARS cases, the Ministry of Education (MOE) and Ministry of Health (MOH) have decided to close all primary schools, secondary schools, junior colleges and centralised institutes from Thursday, 27 March 2003 to Sunday, 6 April 2003.

All school competitions and co-curricular activities scheduled between now and 6 April will be cancelled or postponed. The current school term, Term 2, will be extended into the June school holidays, to make up for losses in curriculum time.

The universities, polytechnics and Institute of Technical Education will continue to operate as normal. These institutes of higher learning have a different system of operation from our national schools. Furthermore, the students in our post-secondary institutions are older and are better able to understand the situation and take the necessary precautions.

everyone is asking me that question..yap that's the answer! Alright school as per normal, for the others who are gonna have holidays! Enjoy, please take good care! :P
My cousins are jumping for joy now, i guess i'll not have to wake up that early then...:) Anyway i do hope there is no holiday for us now, if it is so means that we will be having shorter holidays after exams.. i rather not then..

Winamp playing : Sun yan zi - yong yuan

Life as a babysitter

Yes!! i'm gonna look after my cousins - 6 of them, all in primary school, for 2 weeks! i must say it's really not easy! Reason : Our parents are away at Thailand for a wedding dinner and they decided to stay there for 2 weeks. Heard the bride is a Thai and the groom is a Singaporean, so they held a wedding ceremony here and the second one back at Thailand. That must be tiring...

Yesterday was the first day i actually experienced looking after so many kids, despite having one of their maids here. It actually doesn't make any difference when i'm home. Let's see, i've to wake up at 5 the lastest, make breakfast, wake them up at 530am (that's really a hazzard!) i can't, they are sleeping so soundly! In fact, part of me felt so bad to wake them up from their little wonderlands.. hah so yesterday morning, the maid was busy so i had to help my cousin tie her hair? She's in primary 3, and her hair is really long and my clumsy hands just couldn't grab all of her hair and i've no slightest idea on how to tie? hehe so i just grab wat i can and tie it. ahah it was hmmm messy with strands of hair sticking out. :( i've tried my best...haha..:X so she screamed " KOR KOR! my hair!!!!!!!!" hahah... That's the first day of school! hhah..., more to come i guess...

Sunday i brought them out for dinner, nothing really fascinating, just some fast food which they love. Thanks to Mac donalds coupons that help me save money! haha.. ok i'm not being cheapskate but you know... money isn't easy to earn..haha.. We went to archade, play some games like daytona, bish bash champ? (not quite sure wat's that) hand was really pain after that, not because i was hitting it, but rather my cousins were hitting my hand that i stupidly placed them on the button! We went to take neoprints, photos as well. We saw a group of Japanese tourists, and they took a picture with us, after we offer our help to help them take a group picture. I must say kids really are the "natural-kind-of-expressions" when it comes to photo taking... no fake smiles, etc... anyway i did enjoyed myself, i always did when there's kids around. i simply love them to the core! That's the best day of the week i guess..

I had finally managed to register for my GCE exam. Due to some science subjects because of the practicals part, i faced some problems, i'm glad is over. It's really not a piece of cake studying for it as well as handling my current school work, projects, work, tuitions, etc.. i'll probably be the top flunker next year when the results are announced. You may think then why in the first place take the exam? well, i guess i shan't delay it any longer as i did last year, i'll just try my best...

I'm too tired now, gonna sleep and wake up in 3 hours time....

Winamp playing : Matchbox twenty - why can't we be friends

A busy week

Haven't got the time to really update, was absolutely busy. My daily routine for this week turns out to be, going to school in the morning, on days that class ends early, i'll be going for training as well as dance practice, after which i'll go to work. The day will end at around 11pm when i get back home, do some house-keeping stuffs. Finally, i'll settle down to do my assignments which usually drags after 3am, leaving me not much time to sleep. The days continue, and i guess i hadn't slept for more than 15 hours since last Friday. This is gonna continue for sometime, i guess..

Today, finally i managed to squeeze in some time to help Raymond fix his computer, after him bugging me for weeks or even months? We head down to Sim Lim, to get some stuffs and was at his house downloading programs after programs. Glad is done, hope there won't be any problems after that, hah..

Anyway this few days, i've been meeting alot of very rude people, both in school and at work. was so irritated with them, and i've a classmate whom i've to work with for project. It was the first time that i get so annoyed over a project, she was ordering every member in the team to do this and that, she would say " eh didn't i ask you to do research on this? where is it? i'm so sick and tired of reminding you!" or "You think we have alot of time is it? I don't care, you have to give me the report on this, so i can do the conclusion,blahhh...BETTER DON'T DELAY!" i'm so sick of her attitude, no manners and respect at all! But that didn't happen to me, just that she's been calling me up in the middle of the night about the project, and being the sacastic her, she kept saying about our attitude when it comes to project. yah, wait a minute, who's the one doing the research? who's the one doing the analysis? who's the one doing the typing? who's the one who is shaking leg at home ? Can someone please knock some sense into her? I'm so crossed with her attitude, but then again i thought perhaps all these are interculated in her by the environment she's in. At least, i'm glad this my first and final project with her. I was thinking and i thought it was a good experience too, at least i get to know how is like, how to handle and work with such people around.

My mum came back from Australia yesterday, i'm glad to say that now that the war had started. It's still safer at home, though i would never say we'll be perfectly safe. I'm still catching up with the news on it, it's still hard to believe, the war had come so swiftly. I never imagine that war would breakout in these days, i was too naive. I read alot on the history of Europe, the wars, etc. I never thought it would happen to this generation that we're living in. I just hope these wouldn't have to last long, though i feel it will. I'll pray for the refugees at Jordan, hoping that they will be safe.. My parents are making plans for my grandma to return to Singapore, she's in Penang, still home is the safer place. Hopefully, she'll be able to come back... i miss her so much.

I'm not able to go wakeboarding this weekend like i said i would, the reason being that my friend is going to help out with some training stuffs, so we'll postponed it to next week. Moreover, i'm not free as well. Will be bringing my younger cousins out for dinner on Sunday, because my uncles and aunties will have to attend a wedding dinner. Most probably, they will stay over at my house on Saturday, means i've to go back home on weekends.

I'm had an interesting conversation with Mr Lee last night, he's a lawyer and yap he was telling me about this case he is working on, about sibling rivalry over matters relating to money. Sometimes studying law can be interesting, of cos i'm not saying that such things are interesting, but you get to work on different cases and form there you learn about different perspective of things and so on... Suddenly, it reminds me of a similar issue that had happen to my friend, wouldn't state who is it here. Then i gather my thoughts, money seems the thing that everyone is fighting for, often a times neglecting the more important things around them. Well i don't know, maybe life's getting more practical? no idea.. hmm but after which we move in to talk about polictical stuffs, which i'm interested in. And i wasted my one hour more of sleep for something knowledgable, so no regrets..haah..

The Singapore Biathlon is next weekend right? A few of my friends are training like 5 times a week to prepare for the 1.5km swim and 10km run! For me, i think it's quite challenging especially to do it within a certain timeframe to beat your opponents. I missed the closing date which is 9march if i'm not wrong.. argh!! else, i will be having tons of fun preparing for it, and i think it will be really cool with around 1400+ participants competiting against each other!

Winamp playing : John Mayer - Love song for no one

Wonderful weekend / recording

This weekend is one of the best since beginnning of the year, had tons of fun at chalet, though was tired because i travelled quite abit from chalet to work and back. I had finished doing work for my mum, and for the first time it was a perfect piece. Anyway i had signed up for a design/photography course thing! i'm so happyy!! Chalet was fun really fun, furthermore i get to know new friends and one of them shared the same interest as me and that is designing. He's really good, i've seen a few of his drawings, and i think i got to really work hard on mine.

Actually, i've another chalet to go to later, which is at Changi, some of the people from the chalet i went earlier are going too. I guessed this may be more fun, cos there's more groups going and yap i probably join them later for some water sports.

I'm at my friend's house now doing some recording of songs. :) really quite happy that it's back to the days strumming on my guitar, singing , so on.. especially when the songs didn't turn out the way it should be, but the process of it was great, i guess its the passion for it. now i've got the inspiration to write more songs, more instrumental pieces as well...

Tomorrow's back to school, have to start working on my projects. oh yea, i need to go register for private As exam too! gotta put a reminder in my hp before i screwed it up again. Alright, i'm gonna continue with my recording and gonna sleep for an hour or so and i've to go for interview.. :D wish me luck!

Winamp playing - My Sassy Girl - I believe (piano)

Getting too physical

Today's my last paper! I had fundamental maths today, whooo, really fundamental, it doesn't make any difference with my tutor's hint either. Will see how's the results.. but it's over anyway! Rejoice!! i went for a 4.8km run today, after which went for training. Coach was really nice, he ordered pizza for us after training.. yummm.. Oops.. i realised i'm always talking about food! hehe..i saw some people in my school drinking the vanilla coke? anyone tried that? my idea of it is like the taste of the ice cream float? creamy taste...

Tomorrow it's the chalet, the weird thing is i'm not as excited as i'm when i first agreed to go. I'll be bringing the food in the afternoon, yes food again! it's all at my house and will be helping the girls to carry their barangs and stuffs, after that i'll be heading to work. Most probably i'll have to go back all the way to pasir ris, that's like... :X The initial number of people who is going was really little, and now there was like around 30+ pple going. So gonna wake up early again, go to the market get more food, i shouldn't have tell anyone i don't have to go school tomorrow, then i don't have to ... haha. i'll also have to go meet my friends, carry their bags to my house, cos they all got to go school, need to get the playstation from John. see, i wish i have school tomorrow, at least i won't have to do this all alone. actually i'm quite tired after today's training...

My friend is asking me to join him for wakeboarding sometime next week. I only tried wakeboarding once.. and i must say it's not easy.. especially the impact when you hit the water. I've seen some photos of Singapore top wakeboarders from my friend's album, it's really coool. Shots like turning in the air and so on... i wish i can do that...Kallang would be a good place to wakeboard...the whole idea and picturing of it, really urge me to go... :) Are you feeling it too? hah

I'm looking forward to my pay, hope to have some money left to buy my spectacles, i really love the titanium one! I'll be starting tuition with this two students soon. A sec one boy and a primary six girl in April, more work, less time for fun, entertainment, sleep, blog ? Alright, i need to go pack my stuffs for tomorrow, wish you all have a great great weekend!! :) And, Timothy, hope you will cheer up bit more, your friends are always here for you, though i know that it might not always help, but we're always here to listen.. :D

Take a break from your work, play some games, corny ones too... enjoy!

You sheltered me from harm.
Kept me warm, kept me warm
You gave my life to me
Set me free, Set me free
The finest years I ever knew
were all the years I had with you....

You taught me how to love,
What its of, what its of.
You never said too much,
but still you showed the way,
and I knew from watching you.
Nobody else could ever know
the part of me that can't let go

A very soothing, nice song. It may sound familiar, it was taken as one of the adverts of a particular condominium.. :D

Winamp playing : Bread - I would give everything i own

Common test week

One good thing about common test is that we can go straight home after the paper, so usually i'll go to work after that, end work earlier. :) Yesterday's paper was hmm i would say a little challenging but still manageable.

Anyway, after class i went for lunch with my friends, we're at food junction. As usual, we always head for the Japanese food together. ( it's really good, and it's been a long time since i ate it) So we were queuing, it's was freaking long, we were talking and joking around and suddenly i felt two taps on my shoulder. then, i turn around, i saw that girl. yah, i'm using "that girl", because until now i've no idea wat's her name is. Just in case you're clueless about what i'm talking, she's the girl i mention in my earlier blog who gave me that bear on val's day? She's quite short or maybe small size? i feel like a huge giant to her! :X so she ask whether she could join me and my friends for lunch. i was like... ermm sure.. so while having lunch, it was so damn weird! she was sitting opposite me, i didn't feel like talking, so i just continue eating. After a few minutes, she started asking me whether i did go for lectures cos she didn't see me around, what school i was from, how many siblings i've got? what sports i play? so she go on and on.. I was totally bored, tired and part of me which i could go invisible and run out of the canteen. i'm not the kind of guys who can talk naturally with girls? I'm more of the shy and quiet type when it comes to talking to girls that i'm not close with. I was trying to ask for her name, so at least i'll know her by her name? but she was talking non-stop. So basically everything ended when Dennis, my friend came and ask us to go to gym. so phew! The way i put it might sound as though she's not attractive and so on, but frankly speaking, she's quite pretty in a way, but definitely not my kind of girls. Then again, what would be my kind of girls?

Going to school soon, backaches, dozed of while studying and slept with my head on the table the whole night.. arghh.. can't wait for this week to be over! And yes! i'm looking forward to the chalet on Saturday!!

Winamp playing : Puddle of mud - She hates me

Sports school in Singapore

My coach was talking about the new sports school that opens next year. "Should the sports school be limited to Express students?". In my opinon, it's should not only limit to express students. You see, not everyone is born to be excelling well both in sports and academically. I must agree that in Singapore we tend to pay too much attention and often stress too much on students' academic abilities and the fact that without that it would not represent anything. So what if you are going to perform well in sports, just because you can't memorise history in school, can't apply formulas for maths and so on, you are being eliminated. I think it's really unfair to say that you want a student to do well in both factors. Normal stream students can still perform well in their stream, being in a slower pace, but that doesn't mean they do not do well academically too? So what are they trying to imply? This narrow-minded view of Singapore should change. Ok, going back to the point when they decided on building the Sports school which is to train teenagers to become potential runners, players etc? Therefore, we should exclude the point of their academic abilities as to who's to enter the Sports school. Well i just feel that you don't need brains to start running, but stamina. There's so much more in life than just books, exams etc. We can't have the best of everything, but we can make the best out of something..

I'm quite sick now, and my common tests is just next week. Arghh.. to add on to that, i'm not study for any of my papers yet. I'm so dead now. Yap, the As results had been release, congrats to all my friends who did extremely well! Alright, do anyone knows when's the registration for GCE Examinations (private candidates) ? i think i better go off to study for my paper tomorrow. Good luck to those who are having exams next week..

Some things in life are bad
They can really make you mad
Other things just make you swear
and curse
When you're chewing on
life's gristle
Don't grumble, give a whistle
And this'll help things turn out for the best...
And...

...always look on the bright side
of life...
(Whistle)

Always look on the light side
of life...
(Whistle)

I mean - what have you got to lose?
You know, you come from nothing
- you're going back to nothing.
What have you lost? Nothing.

c'mon lets stop sighing and whistle ~

Winamp playing : Monty Python - Always look on the bright side of life

No time to blog

These few days been busy at training and at work, was having 4 hours plus of training in the scorching heat.. and result in my body burning now. :( I think i had better concentrate on my swims, realise that there's room for more improvements.. can't help it, my arms are aching badly.

Was visiting Jean in the hospital for the past few days, feel horrible, when all i can do it to just looked blankly at her. I could see the mark of dried tears on her face and again she was back to the Jean 4 mths ago. I'm not good at words, i don't know how to console pple, especially in a bgr relationship thing. All i can do is listen, and i really really thinks that sux alot. I just hope she'll recover from this depression soon.

Recent news on the car that lands on the Mrt track, so what's your comment on that? i was rather shocked to realise that the car actually land on the track? It never happened before, was totally astonished. Then, do you think a driver is needed in the new north east line? i feel that a driver is needed at least it's more secure and can they prevent accidents like this to happen? No they can't.

Someday we'll know
If love can move a mountain
Someday we'll know
Why the sky is blue

Winamp playing :New radicals - Someday we'll know

Back at home

After a long turn, i'm back at home again. Although i know this is only temporary, i'm cherishing every single bit of it. The week's holiday had begun,
and i'm buried with loads of work, that i never find myself getting done. Something bad about me is that i always do things that are consider
least important. Like the past few days, when i was at home, i was reading The King of Torts by John Grisham, when i should be finishing up my tutorials, and read up my literature. i would say i fancy reading books by John Grisham.
It makes me really feel like reading on. I'm about to finished this book. I must say it's really good.. :) Jean was reading this book, Milkrun by Sarah Mlynowski , it's more romance, dates and so on. Not really my kind of book , though i still read sometimes.. yah sometimes.. but i must say i like the coverpage of that book alot.. :) any books to recommend? or maybe i should just get my work done. :(

i beginning to listen to more stephanie sun's song recently. i think her lastest album was good. but i mean i downloaded it from kazza. Oops.. the wrong way to support an artist, well i'm broke. when was the last time i bought any albums ? long long long time back...

I'm sooooooo hungry now. so gotta go cook.. let's see if there's any "food" for me to cook! i feel like eating pasta or butter rice? shall pamper myself alittle... dun drool.. :D

- off to the supermarket -

Winamp playing : Stephanie Sun - Yan Shen

Words heals

I sit alone on the edge of the bed
Remembering the cruel words that were said
You smiled as you delivered that final blow
The damage it's done, you'll never know
You think I'm different from the rest
So it seems to you your way is best
I wish you'd leave me here in peace
But your words still echo and will not cease
My self-esteem has been so low
Yet I try in my own way to grow
Please someone offer me some hope
I'm finding it so hard to cope
Just let me know that I'm okay
Could you just spare a smile today?
You cannot see what's hidden here
That brings about this flood of tears
Please think about the things you say
They make a difference in my day
Words can heal or leave me weak
Please think of that before you speak

Winamp playing