Oil oil oil

When I first had to pay for my own petrol, I remember distinctly that the price of the top grade of gas at the pump was $1.20 per litre. In the short span of 10 years it has gone up to $2.20! well on paper if you look at it $1.00 increase in 10 years translates into a 10% increase per year.. or something like that. That rate of increase is only comparable to the price increase at McD’s…

Well I’m considering seriously changing my car… I just don’t know how to tell my dad… yup, I still run decisions that are major through him first, I take it as using his brain for a round of filtering of my ideas before they are taken into action. This hopefully filters out some of my really radical and harebrain ideas and reduces the impact on my life post implementation. Strange eh, but I guess that’s what happens to a kid who grows up without siblings to share ideas and thoughts with.

My dad’s view on the rising fuel prices is one that is surely appreciated by our ruling government and many other 1st world governments globally, that it doesn’t matter how much the fuel costs as long as we earn enough. Sigh.. unfortunately for the rest of us caught in this capitalistic web of enslavement, we don’t really earn enough to sustain the current lifestyle.. I really don’t know what to do with my current situation, should I let my car go and revert to public transport? Should I buy a smaller car and pay less to travel on the roads?

Petrol isn’t the only problem in the horizon, the ERP gantries that have sprouted up like wild mushrooms after a spring shower are also adding to the burden of driving… hey what the heck, at least I’ve got my EZ link card already, something that I wouldn’t have dreamt of 6 months ago… …

Critter#33

Week 8

Results due this week, but something heavier weighs down on my heart.

I've got this girl in my class who is not in school, hasn't been here for almost 3 weeks already. I've called her, smsed her, made a home visit and still feel that there is nothing I can do to help her situation.

YOu know what's the worst thing? I know for sure that this girl wants to study. She is really interested in gaining a better education, she knows the importance of at least getting her 'O' Levels but...what we cannot do is solve her family's financial problems.

The fact that she's a responsible child, one who can see the big picture (that her younger siblings MUST STAY in SCHOOL; that she should help out financially to the family) just makes me feel worse...This is exactly the kind of situation that I wanted to face when I 1st joined service...I believed that I would be able to help those truly in need...but...now that the opportunity is here, I realise that there is so little that we can do...

I hate this feeling...I feel like I've let them down...

Week 7

What a week, briefing for NSWP, rain...sigh...

the weather is indeed bad, many times I wonder why there seems to be this congruence between the weather and my life on these many occasions...

I wonder if there is a sunny day at the end of the horizon. Work...home...work...home...work...home...what has happened to my life?

week 6 2k7

Release of GCE 'O' Level results.....

... stress? a colleague asked me if I was feeling stressed about the impending release of the O level results... actually, I'm not exactly worried about that. Many things happened this week, my sis-in-law getting tuberculosis, me and my daughter failing the x-ray test and the stress from awaiting lab results, the immense sense of relief when it came back clear. With such larger issues at hand, I guess the o level results are not very stressful.

In retrospect, this week has been a relatively good week, aside from the medical issues, life has been as good as it has been for my family, we recently took delivery of one new car and i'm awaiting the arrival of my new subaru next week. Exciting times...

My Sec 5 NA pure geog students did quite well, passing percentage was very high, always thought that it would be bad. Being that I'm only trained to teach lower sec geography and have only 5 years of teaching experience. Although the quality of the passess still leaves much room for improvement, I'm still uncomfortable with having to teach upper sec geography, guess i always will be, many a times I miss teaching English, I really do...but such is life, manpower shortage, departmental needs, school needs... I really understand, doesn't make me feel any better though.

This year's Sec 5 students are a generally weak cohort, I've decided to start the intervention program soon, my strategy last year of drilling on the MCQ has produced the relatively high pass rate, with that, I'll continue this trend, starting after the Lunar New Year Break. so that after June I can focus more on the Paper 2 techniques. Having a smalll Sec 5 group is a bane, 17 students, if 1 doesn't pass, it'll be close to 8% failure...sigh....yet another week....

week5 2k7

hectic week, rushing here and there for the various things that have to be done, games to attend, teams to coach... funny feeling in my throat, must remember to drink more fluids, in case I catch that funny virus floating around the staff room.

Lost to both New Town and Raffles, but walloped ACS (Barker) and Beatty Sec. life's like that i guess, now we are awaiting the start of the B division league games. Hope we can move further on in the league. I'll have to coach the team during the league games, Coach will focus on the C division, Given our current batch of lower sec boys, there is a good chance of us proceeding further this year.. 2nd round at least...hope we get a better draw.

until next week

week 4

Time really flies when we are busy eh, it's been an eventful week. My boys started their games, got off to a grinding start, losses against the strongest 2 teams in my group, New Town and Raffles. after the game it got me thinking, how can I replicate the glorious past that my earlier teams had?

I have come to the conclusion that what has changed is me. My level of involvement is no longer as high as it was when I first joined the school. When I was first posted into this school, I spent my entire tuesday and thursday afternoons training with my boys. Running with them, doing the same drills, correcting their mistakes, it was super tiring, but I was happy. Now, I can barely find time to stand with them (in my rediculous teaching uniform) and providing some guidance.

I want to be able to run with my boys again, I want to be free to train with them, if this cannot be then we will never be able to return to the glory days of before. In the past 5 years, I've gotten my team to a National Top 8 position, produced the youngest ever Singapore Men's Basketball Team player (Wong Weilong) and another (Koh Yong Ann). Will it end here? I dont want it to end here, everyone says that they want the team to do well, but where's the tangible help? Where's my buddy who can really help me train the boys? Where is the time set aside for me to be training with the boys and not for me to be engaged in some training of another? I need time? Anyone care to sell me some?

next 2 games are very likely the last games that my captain (Jiewei) and vice Captain (Brian) will ever play for the school at the school level, why must it be so? sigh, hope the next week will be a better week, it's been too gloomy already...the rain seems to be perpetually falling, dampening the spirits and knawing away at our souls... ... until next week.

week3 2K7

Week 3 is over, time really flies when we are occupied rite? I completed class tests for the Sec 5NA Pure Geography already. Also had tests for the 4NA Elective Geography students.

It’s been a tiring 5 days, started training the ‘C’ Division already, to free my coach up to do specific training for the ‘B’ Division. It’s tiring but I will continue to do it as it is on the court and in the classroom where I belong. My passion to teach has led me to this career but like all jobs, there are parts of it that we would rather not exist but nonetheless still are around.

Hope lady luck will be kind to my boys in their games next week (Tues & Thurs). Sigh…

week 2 2k7

Week 2 has been a blast, collecting the holiday homework, getting to know my new students, whew!

I realized something about express students, maybe I’ve not taught them for too long, I am so used to having to pressurize students to submit homework. This phenomenon is apparently not required anymore when dealing with express classes! Hope I can tailor my lessons to further empower them with the skills to start on their journey to learn more while I teach less. . .

Meetings have begun, just waiting for training to start too, my basketball team has gone for their draw, will be playing New Town and Raffles, ACS (Bkr) and Beatty. Hope we can somehow squirm our way into the 2nd round, my boys seem to always get the short end of the stick when it comes to such draws, maybe I should stop attending them, send my ever-changing 2ics for it instead.

week 1 2k7

It’s been an hectic week, my Pure Geography afternoon class group is proving to be an interesting experience. They seem pretty intellectual, just wondering to myself if I will be able to complete their syllabus within 10 solid months of intensive lessons. If I can accomplish that, I’ll have the entire Sec 4 year to do past year papers! Very tempting thought, since they are such a small group.

My form class (5A1) has been allocated the Air-conditioned container room, it’s quite nice, rustic view outside the window, when the class is engaged in work, I can even hear the crickets outside the room. One of my student even remarked that we dig a pond outside the room. Hope that it will get better from now onwards.