working @ DInosaurs

Walking with Dinosaurs!

Some updates about my life! I have been working at Singapore Science Centre as a show host, part of the Dinosaurs: A T-rex named Sue and friends exhibition. Basically the job involves bringing visitors through the exhibits. Pays pretty well, a pity I only get to work like 2-3 days in a week. Come find out the longest dinosaur, most ferocious dinosaur and view the world's most complete T-rex! For more info, pls visit Dinosaurs!

I met up with an old group of army friends during Selestine Birhday celebration, many of them I haven really kept in contact with. Somehow, the prideful me dint bring myself to talk to Jon, somehow the words just dint flow. I wont say that I am petty but am still pretty sore about being accused of a fair-weather friend or simply I only look for him when I have some favours to ask from. Had the urge to message him to meet up but somehow I dint, i do not know what stopped me, perhaps its a prideful self, that i refuse to take the first step. Yah, i know it's freaking childish over here but perhaps its time to let bygones be bygones.

I met many others from Faculty of Science during my stint at the Science centre . basically we the showhosts are supposedly the '19 who did well in the interview out of a possible 100+' and that we were vocal and can interact with visitors etc. Indeed, i am indeed rather impressed with some individuals, while I was kind of stuggling with some of the dinosaur names and scientific terms here and there, there was one who was there explaining to a group of us about evolution, fossils, Dna replication etc. Though he was a life-science major, he was really well-read and it was only later I realised from a conversation that he was a yr 2 TSL. Another friend i talked to was a Yr 3 Chem major, I learnt that she actually was doing a second degree in SMU concurrently and she in fact had taken over the biz of her father to run 3 counry clubs in Singapore. Pretty cool!

Ok, thE main point here is that these 2 groups I met recently were so distinctively different that it struck me. Not about the former being less vocal or less rich, but somehow the lifestyles each group led were very unalike. While one group works, bring s home a pay packet, forced by the 'gahment' to save a small amount through CPF, while squanders away the rest on clubbing and pubbing. The topic of discussion can range from which club has the chioest girls or when to go to Malaysia to get more cigarettes? Another group, on the contrary, despite being the same age, are still studying ,thinking of going overseas for exchanges, or those who were fortunate enough to have a family business of fortune to inherit from. The topic of discussion for the latter group is probably about where to go to for the next holiday or which stock is the best to invest in.

i do not know what exactly I am illustrating here, it's definitely not a case of the rich gets richer while the poor gets poorer, but its about the different segments of society and the way the way they lead their day to day lives. Perhaps the big question is whether one's education will shape one life chances in the future, the job you do, the friends you hang around with and the lifestyle you lead. I am not sure whether I make sense here, but its again just a passing thought.

What's up this week;
Wed: To head down to DHS to sign the Relief teacher form, darn it a trip down just fo rmy signature
Thur: Dinosaurs
Fri: Dinosaurs
Sat: Release of Results and BIG day to make my decision. (Had a false alarm that one was able to check his rusults on the science intranet. One senior manged to know his overall cal for this sem, but apparently NUS eas fast enough to remove the link, argh I can't wait)

Life after exams

Random Thoughts III

It's been about 1.5 weeks after exams, somehow the inertia to blog and change the blog layout is still there.

DHS level 2 camp @ Sarimbun: My intial thought was that I be a camp facilitator, boy i was quite wrong. being a relief teacher during the camp then meant that I do not have to use the dirty toilets over at Sarimbun, sleeping in air-conditioned bunks with pillows and most importantlt Polar puffs for tea brought by the principal himself. Teachers are indeed a privileged lot. Spoke to come teachers about certain issues. Basically 2 thoughts summarized:
1) There is no such thing such as equal opportunity for everyone in the education system. Many a time, there is no perfect allocation of resources and when the school actually has a fund to subsidise deserving students for enrichment activities, . So now who defines who are the deserving students? Meritocracy seems to be the answer and this reminds me of a phrase which Mr Kiw said “ 机会是留给做好充分准备的人。”My trip to US back in 2000 did open my horizons and guess I really benefited from the subsidy back then.
2) Always thought that the integrated programmes at TJ and VJ will somehow be more 'superior' to that offered by DHS and they will prob attract the best brains and cause a brain drain in the school. I even asked myself what choice I will make if all the hype about integrated programmes was during my era. The promise to go to an institution with supposedly less rules, more freedom and better track record for A levels? Or is the friendship bonds, CCA and caring teachers that will keep me in DHS? Though DHS has no track record for A levels, it does have an excellent one for Os, and the teachers actiually reasoned out that these colleges do well because they absorb good students from DHS in the first place.
Well, this education system has become so commercialized that there are advertisements outside 158 busstop depicting a group of Vi pupils lying on a patch of green grass with the caption 'The grass is greener on the other side'. One wonders where VJ gets this advertising budget from, somehow i do not see how the money spent on advertising will have a direct impact or value-add a student currently studying in VJ. This is probably how some ministries spend taxpayers' money?

Paved with good intentions

The Singaporean Plan

Thanks Alex who sent me this link some time back. It did strike a chord in my heart. Thanks Vijay who lent me the book "Tuesdays with Morrie" though it's still with me after 1.5 yrs. You guys did make a difference and prob will help in my decision whether to switch my major.

NYC: The city that pulsates with the beat! Heard many things about New York from people, perhaps I should really spend some time there to soak in the culture?

To all fellow MOE scholars: This article is a good read, remember why we wanted to be teachers in the first place?

Read this article by Colin Goh and Joycelin Wu: Paved with good intentions)

Random Thoughts II

Random Thoughts II

It's time I plan for my hols! Nothing seems concrete yet. HK trip with colin? Bangkok trip with Weiming and gang?

Just read Xiaxue's blog (yes, i do read her blog sometimes), and going on a cruise seems fun too, I haven been on Virgo though.

All these cant be financed without money and the only 'legal' job that i can do cos of the bond seems to be relief teaching. It's not that I dun enjoy it but guess it's just being me again wanting to try something different and challenging for myself sincE I will end up teaching 4 years later anyway. AnY jobs to offer?

I did not apply to KR for my next year's accomodation. Got accepted into Kuok. A small part of me wants to stay in KR, it's definitely different being a senior compared to a freshie in year 1, have spent these few days cooping up in my room, maybe I should have given myself another chance to interact with people. I do treasure the occasional talks with Zhan Rui and Glen. Guess transferring to another block is not an option for me.

I was also contemplating switching my majors. i seriously do not care how this bromine molecule will add to alkene, or whether that chlorine attack the alkyl halides from backside or forward. I tried to convince myself to liking the subj, but to no avail, seriously it does not affect me in any bit whether phenol is more acidic than alphatic alcohols. I dun foresee myself working in the lab, all i wanted is that I can become a teacher to relate to my students and to make a difference in their lives. I suddenly realised that being a chem/maths teacher in the future may not serve that purpose. I need to have passion in what I teach, and i DUn really find it the science subjs thaT i am doing. Spoke to a senior in hall and Vijay about it, there's no guarantee that I will enjoy geography. Doing an exposure module GE1101 is not a fair gauge of my interest and ability in the subject. Dint do Geo @ A levels, changing to a new faculty and having to fulfil its requirements and getting MOE's permission to switch my majors are all the things that I will need to go through. SEP plans are to be postponed too i guess. By waiting one more sem to ascertain whether I like geo will be bit too late and I dun wanna spend an extra semester in NUS.

Exploring the option of changing my second teachign subj to Geography like what selina did. Perhaps thats the way to go, it will mean taking disgusting linear algebra for nothing, or perhaps its becos of that that I met her. I need to make up my mind soon, in the mean time its time to head back to Organic Chemistry. "Still trying to deceive myself that organic chem rox!"

Random Thoughts

Random Thoughts

It's been a tiring week. We have realised that there are fundamental differences between us, its really up to to both of us to iron out the differences and to compromise.

I am weary and tired to hear those empty promises, to the extent that I do not even trust what you say sometimes. I may be anal about things u might say, but isn't trust one of the basic must-haves in a relationshIp? I am sick of having any expectations from ya just to be disapointed in time to come.

I do break my promises i made to myself, but i am certain these did not hurt anyone around me. By not embarking on Project Angel, my excuse is not about the long period of time I gonna spend in Cambodia, it's not about my parents disallowing me to go on such a mission, but it's bout a promise I made to a friend, to be the Logistics IC for an event in NUS. This may not be important to you at all, perhaps helping to build a school for the children in Cambodia is more rewarding than to organise some quiz in NUS, but I am just keeping my word.

Enough said, I am willing to give this another chance, I am aware of my flaws and am willing to work on it. It all depends on ya, if u still insist that I cant give u the personal space and freedom that you need, I shall respect your decision. It might just be better for both of us, like wat you say.

On Being 22

It's time for the quarterly update i suppose. This year's 22nd birthday was indeed a different one from last year. Well perhaps its the after 21 syndrome, after a big party last year, this year was a series of small scaled meet-ups with different groups of friends. Guess it's part of the growing old stage where presents no longer become important and note my wishlist this year was non-existent.

Sadly, to date, I have not received any presents(not including 2 red packets). At this point, do wanna thank my family for being there for the past 1 year, esp my mum who bore the labour pains to give bith to me 22 years ago. Next is my baby who planned all the birthday meetings with my different friends though the elements of surprise was gone. Next is probably people whom i met, peeps who called me / SMS / MSned me on this special day. Special mention to Andrew who called from Melbourne ,Janice who sent me a Santa claus post card from Finland, Eugene who messaged me from UK. Glad to hear that you guys are still alive and kicking ,having fun.

It's also during this day that I realise how many close friends I have lost contact with. I am rather sure that this friend do remember this day, i do not know whether he choose not to remember or simply he has forgotten about it. It kinda saddens me that this friendship has come to such a stage. Perhaps,it just takes more effort on both sides, or perhaps, in my opinion, it takes more than 1 hand to clap.

Life in school is hectic, manage to scrap through my exams last sem, and i better pull up my socks this sem but certain things are just not within my control. Read yuwei's entry and I also heard about it. Indeed life is not about getting good grades or even trying to please others. It's time i reflect upont this to cherish the people around me and derive joy from the little things in life. These will be captured in snapshots in my memories and these are the things that will last, i suppose.

P.s: Hope to blog more often and pen down my thoughts else they will just disappear into thin air. Thanks all for bearing with me all these times. Love ya guys!