Hmm haven't been blogging in this blog for a long time.

Last term was gone in a flash with a mountain of things accomplished and rushed out. Time flew when you are bogged down with too many commitments and though much has been done, nothing seem to register in my head. Hey was term 2 even here? I can't remember much of it - just the constant feeling of rushing from point A to point B, getting Task c to be done and in the process, unable to hold my temper and screaming at boy D. haha. New resolution for the rest of the year - Learn to take things easy.

There is this short story in Paulo Coelho's Like the Flowing River. The title is Manuel is an Important and Necessary Man. It's about a man who works all day, non stop. He makes sure that he arrives on time and is constantly buried in his work, because he feels obliged to justify his being there and because secretly of pride. When he goes for lunch, he sits with his colleagues and complain about the same thing everyday, complains about his boss, having to work overtime and how everything in the company depends on him. With a secret hint of pride actually.

Anyway one day the angel asks him "Would you be capable of taking 15 mins of your day to stop and look at the world and at yourself and do nothing?"

The man says he doesn't have time.

Angel,"You are lying. Everyone has time to do that. It's just that they don't have the courage. Work is a blessing when it helps us to think about what we're doing bt it becomes a curse when its sole use is to stop us from thinking about the meaning of life."

How true.

On the eve of the official start of term 2, I am sitting alone in the living room, closing my eyes and listening to the raindrops on the windown panes and the sound of the occasional car driving by. How surreal. And I feel a sense of calm which I have not felt in a long time.

Top 3 things I really want to do now:


1. Take an umbrella out into the rain, feel the wetness around my ankles, and watch how my toes would wriggle in cold. sing to the melody of the rain. feel the warmth of my hands against my cool cheeks. breathe in deeply, so I could fill my lungs with the air so imbued with the taste of the rain.


2. Take a book, any book, and sit by the window where the rain can caress my skin and tickle my toes. Let the scalding coffee lick my throat in ecstasy. Let the aroma fill me.


3. Listen to Olivia Ong (the old Olivia Ong) and let the voice move her. (done)

See you tomorrow, guys...

In case you cannot access my wikispace, (make sure you rectify the problem or have joined the group for there will be many discussions done on wikispace in the days to come)

Watch the video for more information on figurative language.
Search for your favorite poem or song lyrics on the internet or at this website

http://famouspoetsandpoems.com/

Copy and paste the poem/ lyrics on your blog and answer the following questions:

1. How are the figurative language used in the poem? Give the specific word(s), explain what type of figurative language it is and why the poet chose to use this figurative language?

2. Tell us why you like this poem in no less than 100 words.

Over the last 2 weeks, there has been much talk of Susan Boyle, even during our training sessions. Well yes, I do admire her for her confidence and courage in taking part in this contest but what I am perturbed about is the fuss made over it. Why should it be such a big surprise that a frumpy old spinster can sing? There is a lot to be said about stereotypes and prejudice.

Anyway the rendition above is the one I like more - not that Susan (haha the pun) is not good, just that she lacks the emotions that a professional has due to years of training and experience on stage. I love this rendition because you can feel the raw emotions of this song and the helplessness towards the end never fails to make me tear a bit. Especially this line:



"But Life has killed the dream I dreamed"

Went to catch The Cats last night and was totally blown over by the performance. Wanted to give a standing ovation but Singaporeans are rather selfish in giving any praises.

Being a Drama Teacher, though I am no expert at theatre, I have come to have some knowledge at least. To see the actors on stage prancing around cat-like and constantly onstage and in character, I must definitely take my hat off at their superb performance. EDC has just put up our SYF performance and the actors had to be creature-like and be constantly onstage. This is definitely not easy - to break our of all human characteristics and be an animal and to be in character throughout that 20 mins takes up much stamina and effort. Hence I am already very proud of the boys, regardless the results. And because of that SYF experience, I now know how to appreciate the actors for Cats. Bravo!

On a side note, I really am disgusted by some Singaporeans. For goodness sake, please learn to respect the perfomers for their professionalism and hours and months of hard work and sacrifice put in. By whipping out your camera not only causes distraction to the other members of the audience (look, your very bright LCD screen is really vying for attention), it is also a total disrespect for intellectual property.

On the whole, I enjoyed myself at the Esplanade last night amidst the very period of marking :)

I could almost feel the summer's heat crawling on my skin - sticky, warm and unforgiving. The howling wind is suddenly nothing but a facet of the past. I frowned, as i wiped away the thin sheen of perspiration from my forehead. The summer is a euphemism for the need of fans.


Summers are overrated. They are the backdrop of Sweet Valley infatuations, a tropical getaway or a passionate kiss by the beach. They are the reasons for ice cream on your way home from school. They are the motivations for long baths and cooling showers. They are the inspirations behind heartbreak hotel.


Summers are evil. They give you unrealistic expectations about life. They make you think you could fall in love the next trip to the seaside. They make you work those extra kilos off just so you could fit into yet another bright yellow sundress. They make you make ice-cold lemonade, only to finish it within the next second. They making working a chore - they make you crave for air conditioning (and forego whatever goals you set to become a more environmentally friendly person). They make afternoon naps a sweaty venture. They make falling asleep an impossibility at night.


But i love summers - for its unabashed insistence on all things colourful, romantic and beautiful. I love the sea breeze, when you're only a mouthful of mashed potatoes away. I love the way time seems to stop when it's summer.


I'm sure you agree. I'm sure there is a summer that changed your life too, the way it changed mine.


So Let yourself shine - it's summer! There's no time in your life you shine brighter than under the blazing sunlight! Dance! Even if you have two left feet like me! Because it's summer - and summer is another word for life.

Read this from newsweek.

There has been a big hoo ha about the US President getting to keep his Blackberry. Apart from the security issue since he will also be the first President to use the email, there has been countless talks about whether a Blackberry is doing more harm to his thinking process.

Digital natives are finding it difficult to keep focussed as I myself can be a testament to that. There is this compulsive need to keep attending to all email alerts, reply to sms or answer a call since I can be contacted at all times, checking if anyone has called or smsed me, answer any pop-up windows on the MSN, do something everytime when a light came on or a sound beeped on the computer. I also find that I cannot just sit still and do a piece of work. I must be doing a few things at the same time - listening to music, suring YouTube, working on my documents, chatting on MSN - all at the same time. But is this really efficient use of time? Technology is supposed to help us but is it really?

That's why sometimes, I just switch off my phone and be away from the computer during weekends or the holidays. It is enough that I keep stressing myself during workdays hence I force myself to live a primitive life when I can. Somtimes I really detest the fact that I can be contacted at all times and people expect me to reply them immediately or I feel that I am expected to reply immediately. Where has the good old days of waiting for a letter gone to? People just want everything done fast and now, which sometimes is more detrimental than helpful.

Anyway, just another trival information. Obama uses the Mac. Check this out.



Yeah!! All hail the Mac. I guess that says something about the way he thinks as well. A Mac user is very different from a PC user. Hmm I can write a thesis on this.

I have no doubt that you, my boys, will grow up to be somebody in life. Perhaps some of you may end up at Stanford as well. Some of you will grow up to be doctors and lawyers, even ministers leading the country.

But what is important in life? What is an ideal life? What is an ideal man? These are some questions that we have been pondering as we read Flowers for Algernon. Is academic acheivement really everything? Does intelligence result in happiness? Is material wealth all that important?

I guess not. It is what you contribute to the society that is important. It is who you are as a human being that is important. When we look at Steve Jobs, we see how creative he is, how he has managed to change the world for us, he smart he is to be able to see things that average man could not, how brave he is to be able to take failures and yet be able to stand up again, stronger and better. Whether he is a school drop-out seems inconsequential.

But how does one contribute to society? Only when one has the passion in what he does and the courage to deal with what has to come. Know what you want to do with your life. of course, maybe not now since you are still young but yeah, the idea is don't live your life for someone else. Take responsibility for your own life.

Stay hungry. Stay foolish.

Stay hungry for knowledge, be curious in everything and be foolish enough to have the courage to take the road less travelled. It could mean all the difference.


Just one more point to add though. Yes, Steve Jobs was a drop-out. Bill Gates was a drop-out. But mind you, one did manage to get into Reeds and the other managed to get into Harvard. They dropped out of school because they already knew what they wanted to do and not because their grades were lousy.