My exploration in life… (diary for baby!)

My battered body was looking forward to this day very much; it was crying out for rest and telling me that he has already regret taking up this new job, for the things i was going through now…  =(

So okay, more games for us today.  I sat out the games as there were enough people to participate in them.  Ok ok, it was mainly because i was dead beat already and was a little reluctant to move about.  Haha…  i thought it didn’t really matter anyway, as others could still have fun, and my involvement in the games wouldn’t have made a difference to anyone.

There was a New Balance shoe clinic to explain to us how the shoes were named.  I never took notice of that!  Men’s X-training shoes would start off with "MX", the degree of complexity and time would make up the numbers that followed (e.g. 1050 would be high end shoes, new version of shoes in the same series would probably be 1051, 1052 etc.).  Forgot the meaning of the last letters of the shoes’ names, but i don’t think it makes a big deal to anything much…

There was about an hour given to us to prepare for GALA NIGHT.  Our group presented a short skit that modelled after DREW CARREY’s "WHOSE LINE IS IT ANYWAY?".  We had fun.  There were a few groups who made fun out of themselves and generated quite a bit of laughter from others.  Our guys and gals, being reserved and shy, took a step back and let them steal the show.  I would think most enjoyed the night and looked forward to the start of our life in school again.  For me?  Just can’t wait to start teaching after my course ends in two years…  =)

I was too tired to write on the second and third days of the camp after returning home immediately; haha…

Think i had forgotten to write that groups were assigned names following the STAR WARS films’ characters; 5 teams belonged to the light while 5 belonged to the dark side.  This was to facilitate the competition throughout between the theme revolving from the movie.  I was assigned to team 8, Team Malak Darth.  Don’t ask me who / what this was; i have never been a fan of STAR WARS and won’t start now!

Day Two started with breakfast and everyone waking up to aching muscles, especially to those on our lower limbs.  I think we all now understand the importance of warming up and cooling down before and after exercises respectively - learning through the hard way wasn’t exactly what we had in mind!

It was followed by a scavenger hunt with the aim of orientation run around NTU / NIE.  I think the target was not achieved, as one: we were too busy following directions from Kit and Adrian, who knew the way, and two: we were simply too "shacked" to run!  We started to wonder how to carry on with the rest of the camp, while we were also thankful that it was going to come to its end was not too far away…

During this game, we were given some tasks.  One of the tasks was for us to make two bouquets of flowers with some material they supplied (some tape, cardboard paper, twine etc.) and with whatever we could find around this "garden" we were in.  With petite team mate Angie’s lead, we produced two very nice looking bouquets that we were proud of.  This bouquets went on to win us the prize of producing the best flowers at the end of the camp!

A programme called "Wild and Wet" was conducted after lunch.  "Wild" consisted of a few land games at the basketball courts beside the SRC swimming pool, followed by "Wet" - a few water games in the pool.  Our group didn’t fare too badly at this station, but frankly, i think we were already too tired to care if we would win anything…

There was some talk to recruit us freshies to join the SLC - a committee that did social work in Singapore and overseas countries.  The last game of the day was War Game - a fight between the Light and the Dark Forces.  The fight was some silly water bomb game that ended with not too much meaning, in my opinion…

We were told earlier that we had to present a skit of three to five minutes during the last day’s gala night.  My mates chose to discuss this at supper after they washed up from the day’s activities, and told me that i could go home then.  So i left for home earlier than the previous night…  =)

It is Day one of the camp today.  The camp was not only for people taking the Diploma in PE, but also degree and what-nots in PE.

I’m totally drained out now, after going through the many games today aimed at introducing the sports to us - football, a game basketball & netball combined, floorball, touch rugby, an ultimate frisbee (is this how you spell it??) game etc.  Too many games rolled up in one day left us - the participants - tired!

I got to know the people in my orientation group today too.  Most of them are going to do a degree in PE.  There were 17 of us, i think i had forgotten a few names!  I’m glad i found this group, as they are nice people, not the rowdy and obnoxious ones i witnessed today.  They’re comment on me after witnessing me play the games?  Very agressive!  Haha.

And i got to stay out as i’m married!  Yes!  =)  At this point of time, they are trying to get sleep in the NIE compound, whereas i am home not, and would be cuddling up with my wife very soon!  =)))  Lucky me!

Before I go into the topic proper, i ask myself, "Why are you writing a blog?  Would there be anyone who is interested in reading?"…  To my first question - I write as i want to keep friends who do not see / talk to me face-to-face or over the line updated about things that happen in my life.  As to whether anyone reads them or cares about what i write, well, i’m not exactly too concerned here.  If friends continuingly read this humble blogs of mine - well and good, appreciate it!  If they don’t, i don’t think i lose too much…

Back to registration - i went to NIE today a little before 9 a.m. to have it done.  Perhaps it has got something to do with working with SAF for sometime, that i’ve been taught that the registration counter(s) must be ready to receive even the first person who reports.  Try not to keep anyone waiting.  I found that MOE / NIE has a different concept of doing this.  They may be still getting ready at 8.45 a.m.m but their doors are never open before the stated time.  Like it or not, you come early - you wait.  Or perhaps that was the way things were done in the civil sector as well?

Ok, registration was for a few things to be done.  Firstly, you pay registration fees.  You then fill in your name on your Personal Record File (couldn’t this be done by the clerical staff?? i ask myself).  You collect your student card, NIE portal (a website) password, orientation gifts and submit application for Rental of Lockers (if applicable).  It was there that i was told that orientation for Diploma in Education - Physical Training (Dip Ed - PE, for short) was compulsory.  It would be a 3 day-2 night stay-in camp from 21 to 23 Jul 05!  Ha!  Orientation camp!  This sounds so JC / Poly days; i thought i’m totally past these!

I’ve also got to know my first two friends / coursemates - Darron and Kaixin.  These two guys have apparently been on contract (untrained) teaching for a few months at Ang Mo Kio Primary.  I had also found out a few interesting things:

1.  The course for Dip Ed (PE) was for about forty-odd people.  I had the impression that there were to be about hundred odd of us, like poly days…

2.  I’m not the oldest person in the course.  According to my two new friends, there were another two students born in 1976.  That’s two years older than me.

3.  At the registration, i saw another person’s NRIC number startign S85XXXXX.  I was told that the youngest girls (as they had no NS obligations) could be born in 1986.  Gosh - that’s eight years younger than me!

I still have no idea how the course would be like.  I’m not exactly excited.  Kind of want to get this two years over and done with soonest.  But Darron and Kaixin told me that these NIE times would be those that you found most fun in the teaching career.  So i’m taking this with mixed feelings…

Now allow me to tell you about my exploration with my new job (i hope i could call it a career down the road…) - a Physical Education (PE) teacher with MOE.

I had discussed with my wife, Yen (still girlfriend then), that i thought that SAF would not suit me as a career.  We decided that if i wanted to change a job, we’d rather i do it sooner, than later, and leaving the SAF was kind of now or never for me.  So while we haven’t already had kids, it’s easier.  Also, with my brother’s job stability and her being able to lessen my burden at home very soon, she fully supported my decision to tender in my resignation.  I had also discussed this with my superior in my unit then, MAJ LEE HWEE SIONG.  I tendered my resignation immediately upon my return from Thailand with SAF early February.

I timed it too, as I had submitted my application to MOE online before I left for Thailand in mid December last year.  It would probably give me time to get an interview by MOE by the time i return to Singapore, if i was lucky to be shortlisted.  But i had received news of an interview scheduled for me while i was overseas from Eddie, and i called back to MOE to ask them to reschedule the interview.  Deep inside, i was glad i got the chance.

I was called for the reschuduled interview shortly after my return to Singapore.  So everything was in good time.  =)  Went for the interview, waited about a month, before they told me i was selected.  The only hurdle that stood between me and a place in NIE was passing the proficiency test for PE, where all who wanted to teach in PE were not given exemptions.  I took the test in mid May, and i received news of a pass in Jun!  =))

Why did i take up teaching?  Wasn’t i afraid of the rumoured needing of patience with kids, the loads of homework it brought, the stress etc.?  First of all, it’s a Government job - it brings about job stability.  It also is nearer to my personal aspirations of having a office hour-like, service-related job.  Loads of work and stress would come, but most jobs would have those!  ("/)

I look forward to being a good teacher, someone whom children could fondly remember, made a difference to their lifes.  I look upon doing the best in things that i set my heart at.  So brace yourself - NIE, here i come!

Okay, here’s my little thoughts on things happening around us; perhaps there would be many friends with differing views, but these are just my thoughts:

1.  The NKF case - the CEO, T.T. DURAI, should probably just give in to public demands, in my opinion, to quit from his post in NKF.  Now that topics are bing discussed and dirty bedlinen being starting to be hung out to the public, shouldn’t he accept the public’s demands to avoid much unhappiness?  Donations to NKF would not be the same again, now that this has happened.  Which leads me to the question - why must we have actors / singers do death-defying tricks on TV, before we agree to part with our few dollars?  Or prizes galore to be won?  Aren’t what’s being done for the patients or the unfortunate, from the bottom of our hearts??

2.  The London bombing - what price, the winning of the bid to host a global event.  Though people have stood forward to delink winning the right to host Olympics to the bombing, your guess, well, is still as good as mine.  Would it still have happened if they hadn’t won?  Would it have happened to another country had they won the right??

3.  Cutting up of Liu Hongmei - Together with Huang Na’s murder case, do these cases make Singapore an unsafe city?  Would it make others think twice before sending their children or loved-ones here to work or study?  The reason to the murder would only be told months down the road as the trial proceeds.  Ghastly and gruesome, how some people’s wrapped minds could get…

I went to return the unused wines on Tue afternoon.  I went ahead with an order of 72 bottles of red and 48 bottles of white.  I had a great remainder of 26 red and 45 white - this means that only 46 bottles of red and 3 bottles of white wine.  Which draws the possible conclusions from me:

1.  My guests were not wine drinkers - free flow of beer and soft drinks offered by the hotel were suffice.

2.  Or the wines I had ordered did not please the tastebuds of my guests.

Anyhow, this shop that we got the wines from allowed return of the unused wines, as long as they were in acceptable condition (read - unopened, no damages to the sticker on the wine bottle due to chilling, etc.).  This saved us quite a bit after paying for $23/= per bottle.  These wines, I understand from the guy who sold it to us, was what he calls "medium grade" ones.

So I paid $1183.35 (including GST) for the wines.  Hopefully no complaints from my guests on them!  =)  Anyone wants the contact number of the dealer?  You might want to get it from me!

Well, our Wedding Dinner is finally over!  =)

I had requested for a hotel room from Meritus Mandarin a day earlier, so that I could move the wedding favours (the CDs we recorded), our box for Angpows, our swordbearers uniforms and swords, our suits and gowns etc., in a night earlier.  Cause i reckon i probably won’t have the time to do so on the actual day.  And I was proved correct, as by the time we could leave for the hotel, it was already 3-plus p.m.  =)

We had a rehearsal for the sword bearers, the emcee, the banquet manager and the technician a night before the dinner to tie down all the details needed.  Of course I had to bring in all the videos and music CDs.

Yes, I had only gotten the MTV CD from Kenny on Sunday.  Can’t blame him as he is very busy with NDP and his personal work too.  And I finally got my hands on the video of my proposal to Yen at Fish Leong’s concert on Tuesday, after two months of waiting!  =)

I only briefed the reception girls for my guests, and my good secondary school friends - Cheryl and Felicia - at about an hour before cocktail reception.  I had preferred to have briefed them earlier, but there wasn’t any choice as i didn’t have a chance to earlier.  The swordbearers arrived before the start of the event, to my relief.

The proceedings for the night was for the MTV to be played, the swordbearers and first march-in to be held, cake cutting (totally unrehearsed) before dinner could be served.  We would leave the ballroom to change to our second outfit during the second dish and re-enter after the playing of the proposal video.  A thank you speech and toasting would follow, and we would have the photo-taking at all the tables thereafter.

Our aim for the dinner was for it to be a simple, yet memorable affair.  No embarrassing situations (e.g. yum seng brothers not getting the yum seng right etc.), and no unhappiness, we hope.  I guess we could do with feedback from those who attended the dinner, to be told how they felt.  It was, to us, very enjoyable, as we had got most of our friends and colleagues to turn up at the dinner to share our joy of our matrimony.

We were totally overwhelmed with happiness and glad that the proccedings took place without too many hiccups.  And we thank our working party - Ceyu (emcee), Zhenshun, Jianwei, Wenqiang, Shiyong, Zhaozhong, Azmi (photography), Mingsong (videography), Cheryl, Felicia, Eva, Aiyun, Kitty (all five for reception), Kenny, Jinwei (for the MTV), our parents and brothers for all the help they gave us.  And of course, for all who turned up - you have made the night possible.  It is in my view - totally impossible for a LTA hosting 55 tables for a wedding dinner.  But we have made it happen.

Thank you!!!