HELLO OI MING!! =)

super duper long weekend!

So...I have fully recovered.

Well, ALMOST. Voice still gets a bit wobbly when I talk too loudly or for too long a period in class...but well, a huge improvement from when I posted previously I guess, which is good.

Well...many many events over the last 2 weeks..

MGS Founder's Day dinner

My gang of mgs friends decided to go back for founder's day dinner this year as it marks the 1oth year that we've left mgs. Woohhoo, mighty long time we realised.

So let's see, including my table, I think there were about 4-5 tables of the batch of '97? Which was quite cool...some of the gals, I have not seen in years.. but overall, everyone still looks pretty much the same.

Our teachers too, looked quite the same...except for those extra few strands of silver in their head. AND, i must say, my sec4 form teacher has superb memory. She could actually remember my name, and I think most of the other gals from my sec4 class. Always find it quite amazing that people whom I've not met in a long time remember my name..coz I don't think my name's the easiest of names to remember. I do hope that in many more years to come, I'd be able to rattle off the names of the boys who return to CH to visit.. :)

My table of girls..

Corrine May's "Beautiful Seed" concert @ University Cultural Centre

Doesn't the stage look so nice and pro? :)

Had been looking forward to this concert ever since I caught wind of it 2 months back. Think Corrine's music is really one of a kind...simple lyrics that one can easily relate to, yet tells so much about life and it's different situations and emotions that come along with it. Feel that her music has a sort of.....healing effect...because of the stories/train of thought that are told with each song..sometimes I really feel as if I can relate to it perfectly....almost always puts one into a reflective mood..

I pretty much enjoyed the concert, she's got such a lovely voice. This time round, her concert had a band added to it..but personally I'd rather much prefer the make-up of instruments from her previous concert that I attended last year, just a string ensemble and her on the piano. During this Aug concert, I think the band was kinda drowning her out at some parts.

Wish the "Beautiful Seed" album had been sold prior to the concert...a concert's always so much more enjoyable when you're able to sing & hum along with the singer. But all in all, still a good concert.

Some pictures taken during the concert from her blog (http://corrinemay.blogspot.com/), since we were told like 1000 000 times that 'no photography is allowed during the concert'.. :P

CHS Drama Fest @ Victoria Theatre

Was quite happy & proud of the fact that I managed to nag until about 20 people from my class bought tickets for the drama festival. I suppose I can't tell if every one of the 20 people actually turned up, but at least they showed some kinda interest/succumbed to my nagging to go, which I think is a good sign of support for the guys from our class who were involved. So yay :)

So naturally, the act that I was most looking forward to was the SLB hip hop dance, coz that's the item in which my guys were involved in. And yup, I totally enjoyed it! I think hip hop is one of those genres of dance which is really hard to look good in, and you gotta have a certain flaire and attitude to be able to pull it off well. Brought along a few gerberras for the hip hop group..think it's always nice for performers to receive flowers :) So yup, well done CH and J, proud of you guys ;)

The other act that I really enjoyed was the Eng Drama presentation of "Animal Farm". Certainly one of the best performances of the night. :)

The rest were, mmmm, alright..though I found some stuff pretty funny.

Like the donkey that keeps getting pushed out in between acts....like how the pri. school children "swam" right back to the sampan that they were pushed out from amidst the imaginery big waves/storm and all...haha...

Oh, and the pri school kids look so cuuuuuute in those animal costumes!!!!

Really regret not bringing my camera, coz I didn't think I'd sit far front enough to snap good pictures. BUT, who would have guessed we'd be shifted to 3rd row from front! -.- Pek cek.
Had to settle for my lao cok cok 2 megapix camera phone without zoom function..

Hip hop item..See that super gigantic-eyes donkey on stage???

This was meant to be a pic with just CH and J...but, err, I guess the pic is self-explanatory ;)

Band concert @ Esplanade Concert Hall

Yup, yet another school production. Went mainly to support my 2 boys who were involved...felt that the previous band concert that I attended was a tat better. But oh well, it was nice watching my students on stage..both past and present ;)

NDP & CHS

Will let the collage tell of the morning's activities and celebrations...

To P, S and JH, proud of how you guys persisted and held up :)

After the parade, one of my students came to see me regarding make-up classes. Since we were gonna have a super long weekend, I offered to meet him on one of the days. But he turned down my offer. His words were "No no, cannot lah. You need to have time to yourself. Teachers have a life too you know."

Mmm, he's the first student to ever say that to me..and to be frank, I was a little touched by the maturity, thought and concern that he showed with that simple sentence.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that it's wrong of students to ask to see teachers after school hours, nor do I resent nor dread seeing students after school hours. In fact, I find that the best part of teaching, is to be able to spend time with much smaller groups of students, or have one-to-one sessions because it is really during those times where you get the opportunity to speak with them, and to understand a little more about them as a person. :)

But yeah, was very sweet of my student to say that...plus it also reminded me that, YES, I do need a life. Which was why I arranged a few meet-ups with some friends over the long long weekend..

Meet-ups over the super duper weekend

Made use of this super duper long weekend to arrange a few meet-ups with some of my old friends whom I had not met for some time. Was great catching up with Y and J..especially Y, whom I've not met since last year I think..she's currently doing a 2nd degree in Law in UK. J, my old JC friend, treated me to yummy mochi ice-cream at Ajisen, yum yum..

Being the ever patriotic Singaporean, I'd usually glue myself to the TV in the evening on 9th August. But this year, I omitted watching the NDP broadcast on TV ...for obvious reasons...

Went out in the evening instead to meet up with my gang of friends at this ulu little place called Dempsey's Hut which is at Minden Road. Apparently this is where the famous little PS Cafe is..haha, I didn't even know that until W told me about it after I came back from the gathering. Was also T's birthday :) Always remembered that her bday fell on National Day..super yummy brownie-cheese birthday cake we ate...yuummm...

The whole jing gang when I arrived..

YN, M, & I..

T the bday gal :) Happy bday T! She's one of the most garang among us....which is why she's an OBS instructor! Don't play play ah...
And this is J, an ex-journalist who's about to go to the US for her Masters. She's my next block neighbour too.. As one can see, she's happily trying out the different modes of her camera. Which got all of us started on taking black-&-white and Sepia shots after that.

One last pic before we went home..

And so....tomorrow's back to school...