Last quarter of 2006

My Sheares Bridge Run number tag

Tomorrow marks the start of the last quarter of 2006. I already noticed that some retail shops are starting to sell Christmas stuff. Not surprising as Dec 25 is only 85 days away. I have already started spinning KennyG's Christmas album and also the Hillsongs one. I may be early but it is only around this time of the year that you can play these songs!

Today was quite uneventful. Only went to Blk 155 for lunch and then went for a 15k run as the weather was so cooling! I have only 8 weeks to the Stanchart Marathon on paper but I should stop the full scale vigourous training at least 2 weeks prior to that in order not to tire myself out prematurely. That was advice from season runners. And 1 of my friends who is taking part in the StanChart Marathon suggested keeping the number tags as a memento.

So this is the start to a kaleidoscope to a whole range of number tags!

Children's Day

Some photos to share. From top: My farewell with 5D (this is the photo on the post card I made and gave them). The 6P6s who got the autograph book. Jonathon, Tricia, Jiali and myself (something went wrong with the camera when that shot was taken) and My 'special' project. The stationery set consisting of a mechanical pencil, lead and eraser was for 2T.

I was back in LPS today for their ACES Day cum Children's Day celebration. I was unsure what the ACES day was all about. Found out from a colleague that it is basically a set of exercises done to the rhythm of some music. Somewhat like the Great Singapore Workout (GSW). The concert was fantastic as members of the teaching staff put up various items which kept the kids really entertained. Dances, skits, performances etc etc....Seems that LPS staff are multi talented. I think we have the calibre to match the Singapore Idol, Project Superstar, Superband, Superhost and Star Idol. So pple like Taufik & Hady, Kelvin Tan, Mi2 lu4 bing1, Lin Cuifang and Bryan Wong should learn from the multi-talented staff of LPS!!! Oh we have our very own Bollywood and musicians as well!!

With stuff like blogs, online diaries, photo editors, msn etc. one may question the need for handwritten stuff. I believe that it is more personal if you were to write it using the traditional pen and paper. High-tech stuff like those I just mentioned just lack that personal touch. It is more time-consuming but it is certainly worth the while.

To the class of 5D: This post card will be something that you will never forget:- U are all part of the 44 smiles which makes you all so special. I am sure this post card will remain close to your hearts even when you all go your separate ways in a years time.

I only contributed a very small portion to your schooling life.

Your form teacher, Mrs Tan has done, is doing and will do much much more. Please always remember her as your special teacher, mentor, guide, counsellor and friend.

To the 6 P6s: Fill that autograph book with entries from your friends and teachers. Likwise, I hope that little autograph book will be a part of your fantastic journey in LPS.

I will end off by wishing ALL children a very Happy Children's Day!!

P;S- So shoik, monday is a sch hol!! But I do not have!! Nvm, I have my Shanghai GP to look forward to!!

I have completed my 'special' project

I stayed up until 3am this morning to complete my 'special' project. As I did not want to drag it into the day since I was meeting Aaron, I decided to bite the bullet and completed it.

I met up with Aaron at the New York cafe along CityLink Mall. It is quite a nice place but then the prices are also 'nice'. However, it is not everyday that I patronise such places.

It's children's day tomorrow! For the graduating P6s, this will be your last children's day. In just another 93 days, you all will be in your respective secondary schools embarking on a new chapter in your schooling life. As you savour your last couple of weeks as a child before you become a teenager, I hope that you will cherish the friendships formed over the years. In your respective classes or groups, you all have laughed, slogged, cried, motivated, encouraged, some even quarrelled,....but above all the bonding and friendship is something that will last a long time. For now, focus on your PSLE and excel in it. You all are high achievers.

As for the rest, 2006 sailed by faster than the speed of Schumacher's Ferrari. Likewise, many of you have had good times, not so good times etc etc...... The SA2 is coming. Focus on doing well and you have the year end break to enjoy. Concentrate and do well!!

Perhaps you all could organise an outing during the Nov and Dec holidays. Cycling and BBQ at east coast? Bowling?......The list can go on......Please don't get distracted by this as it is the exam period!!!

Second post for today

Just thought of posting another two photos.

The one above is our wedding car. Not the conventional Merc or Bimmer or Jag but a Toyota Rav4 SUV. And it was self-driven.

The photo on top shows Colin (left) and Richard tying 8 tin cans to the back of the car. Imagine the noise the cans generated when the vehicle is in motion.

Praise the Lord! I am much better already! Think I should be able to have a good sweating session tomorrow morning after fetching Angela to work.

I realised that I have not taken a walk down Orchard for quite a while. I was supposed to meet my group members at OG building. (previously known as Orchard Pt which is next to Centrepoint) Apparently, the change in name must have occurred pretty recently as my street directory does not reflect it. BTW, it is the latest edition! Somehow I managed to find it. I did not want to drive down but I had some errands to run therefore I could not get down in time by MRT or bus. The parking charges came out to $4 for just a little over 3 hrs!

I have started on 'that special project'. I only have another 24hrs to complete it. Looks like I have to go full throttle tomorrow morning. I need to get it all ready by tomorrow night.

Shanghai GP this weekend! Will Ferarri and Schumi do it again? Let's see......

I watched the SI (Sg Idol) results show last night. Though I would have preferred Jon to win, I congratulate Hady on being crowned the new SI. I believe both of them can bring even more vibrancy into the music and entertainment industry. One has great vocal ability whilst the other has the edge of being more marketable. However, 1 thing that really surprised me was the winning margin. It is 7% higher than the 63% which Taufik garnered in the first season.

I went with my course mate at her contract school to have a few words with their counsellor regarding special needs/disabilities and how inclusive a society Sg is at this point in time. I must say she gave us a very valuable insight into what is happening on the ground and whilst the top level plans the long term strategies, there must be a match during the execution process else there is a mismatch in achieving the goals and objectives.

The rest of the day was spent at home reading up and doing some work. At least I am feeling slightly better. Think I should be able to go for a run tomorrow morning. The reason is that having just consumed a really heavy dinner, the amount of calories and carbohydrates has to be burnt out! Had a gathering at a uni friend's place this evening. It was a sumptuous meal. That is why I need to go running badly!!

I've got a meeting to attend tomorrow morning in town to discuss the 101 group assignment. I am considering taking the MRT instead of driving as I do not want to incur the parking charges. Since we are meeting at 11am, there is no charge entering Orchard but the parking charges can be pretty hefty.

I have started on a 'special' project but have to complete it fast. I will not reveal what this project is. Only time will tell......

Photo taken on our wedding day Sat 240404

The oral for P1 to 5s starts this week. I wish them all the best as they prepare for the written papers which will be in about 2-3 weeks. May you all pass with flying colours and have a well-deserved break after that. This is a very stressful period for all of you preparing for the exams and at the same time having to cover the last few topics which will be tested. Be sure to have a balance between studies and keeping fit. The last thing you wish for is to fall sick at this crucial period.

I spent a good part of today nursing my running nose! Been having it since yesterday. Really do not wish to fall sick during this period when I have so much stuff to do. Due to this, I don't think it is advisable for me to go for a run. Would love to actually!!!
I was supposed to meet the YCM staff regarding the project proposal but he called me this morning saying that they just need some further details so it saved me a trip.
Tomorrow I have an appt with a school counsellor from my coursemate's contract school. We are going to speak to them about special needs and Sg on its way to being an inclusive society.
I got another mtg with my 101 gp on Wednesday noon. As time is tight, we got to get down to business swiftly.
I am meeting Aaron on Thursday for 102 gp assgn. Still have not fixed a venue but will most probably be somewhere central.
Friday? Well no prizes for guessing where I will be....

Sunday service was awesome!

Our church celebrated Children's Day this morning. All the three adult english services were run by staff and children from the Sunbeam church. The Sunbeam is the name given to the children's group. They were fantastic. I liked the 'puppet show' where there were 10 puppets moving to the rhythm of the music and the dancers. The closing song was the finale and the kids put up a great performance. It warms my heart to see these little children aged 7 - 12 delighting in serving the Lord. The rest of the congregation was told that during the church camp held in June, they had already started reharsing for today's event. Kudos to the Sunbeam staff, kids and ultimately, all glory to God. Even though it was my duty to take charge of the visuals ( I am one of the visual crew serving alongside the PA and AV team), the Sunbeam sent two kids to manage the visuals for each service. All that was needed for me was to guide them along. However, their competency level in handling the task was brilliant so there was virtually nothing that I needed to do! Keep it up children!!

As we were leaving for home, I noticed yet another dent on my car. This time, the front number plate was quite badly scratched and the centre portion caved in. From the looks of it, someone must have grazed it when they drove past. *sigh* I have already lost count on the number of scratches and dents on my car since I bought it half a year ago! Seems to me that there's quite a number of people who need a thorough refresher course in driving!!

our baby at his/her 15th week inside mummy's womb

It is going to be a short post as we are preparing to attend a wedding dinner tonight at The Fullerton Hotel.

The photograph on the left is the scan of our baby at the 15th week. It is amazing that once upon a time we were inside our mother's womb! The length of the baby is only 85mm at this stage. 4 weeks ago, he/she was only about 45mm. We do not know at this stage if we are expecting a boy or girl but that does not matter because what is important is that the child is healthy and normal. Moreover, children are a gift from God. As we prepare for parenthood, it is going to be an eventful journey but certainly a fulfilling one.

A couple of our photos

From top to
bottom: Our bridal shower held a few days before our wedding in Apr 04, Angela's b'day celebrated at Indiana's cafe at Cottesloe Perth Mar 05 & our Bangkok trip in Jun 06.

Term break is here....well it is not really a break...

My 2 Topaz class. They can be a nice bunch provided that they do not drive me up the wall, which they do rather incessantly!!!


The long awaited term break is here but it is not really a break. There's lots to do and I have so many meetings to attend. This is besides the time I have to spend doing my own assignments and reserach.

Anyway, I went to Sg Swimming Club with Aaron and Joanne for lunch today as I needed to clock in the F&B levy. We ate a lot! But I think the cakes we had for dessert was fantastic! I liked the chocolate mudcake and the strawberry cheesecake out of the four slices we chose. I think we will try the tiramishu and durian cake the next time we go there. Oh and there is a variety of vegetarian cakes like an 'eggless' cheesecake, 'eggless' tiramishu cake etc etc. I just wonder what an 'eggless' cake would taste like. It seems to me like eating prawn noodle without the prawns!

The gynae appt was in the afternoon. Now into the 15th week of pregnancy, the scan revealed even more of our baby growing nicely. You can see the face and the limbs are more prominent. Our gynae was rather pleased with the progress so far and when we see him in another 4 weeks time, we will know if we are going to have a son or daughter.

Got a long day tomorrow as I am helping out a couple in their wedding tomorrow. Congrats, Colin and Carie-Anne.

My course mates ( The Excellent Eight )

In front L to R: Aaron, Wee Hwa and Jonathon
Behind L to R: Joanne, Rafizah, Stephanie, Dora

Fed up

What a horrible day. I am really fed up. Seriously. I tried to talk some sense to this person (ok, i shall refer to this person as X) but somehow or rather X is just not listening. So either there is something wrong with my spoken english or X suffers from severe hearing probems or X seems to have a vaccum in place of her/his ______. (U fill in the blanks)

After english tutorial this morning, I had a conversation with X regarding the gp assgn. I explained to X the rationale and direction that we are taking. Even before the module began a fortnight ago, I had already in mind what to do and since I have the resources, connections and network of people readily available, there was no time to waste since the runway to the due date is rather short.

X was quite stubborn and narrow-minded about the direction and displayed an absolute sense of narrow-mindedness by just wanting to zero in on a particular aspect. Although there is no 'right' or 'wrong' answer to the approach, one should have an open mind and be realistic. I was really thankful that I did not lose my cool but after the conversation, my temperature soared to the overheating zone. Perhaps I was right in that X is better off working alone.

Just when I thought I had a bad encounter, my course mates told me that some joker (let's call this disruptive element/s B) in their tutorial gp created a mess by asking the tutor for a group reshffule AFTER a consensus was reached whereby the original group allocations remained. B went to the tutor and in my honest opinion started to paint a pitiful picture of having difficulties working with certain individuals with certain difficulties which I will not elaborate. The tutor then sent an email to the WHOLE tutorial group asking them to re-group. How unprofessional! Some of them have already started on their research and now this 'tsunami' came along to upset things. My affected course mates intend to stand firm on maintaining the status quo. All because of B's stupid and uncalled for excuses created a mess which can be avoided.

Since I do not wish my weekend, one week break and of course my NIE life to be dampened by such disruptive elements, I shall simply just ignore any 'talk outside of curriculum' as far as they are concerned.

In all my life, I have met worse characters than B & X. But to think that B & X are going to be teachers really makes me feel sorry for those who will be their colleagues and students.

I got up this morning feeling a little tired. Must have had a bad night's sleep. During maths lesson, I could keep awake surprisingly. I think the Nescafe (extra strong) I had for breakfast did the trick. BTW, my favourite brand of instant coffee is Nescafe! Tried other brands but Nescafe is still the best in terms of taste and aroma. But I took a short nap of about 30 min after lunch when the fatigue finally set in.

I am a little undecided as to whether I should continue working with one of the six members whom I worked with for one of the earlier group assignments. Hear me clearly. I have no personal issues with this person but I feel that he/she works best on his/her own. Perhaps it is his/her character make-up that makes himself/herself appear rather unapproachable. I prayed to God and I sensed that He is trying to tell me to accept this person as he/she is. If God can accept a sinner like myself, who am I to judge others? Moreover, as far as this matter is concerned, it is not an issue in His eyes. Afterall, there are bigger issues that require my attention so this shld not be an issue at all.

Another 2 days to the week's break. However, it is a time of catching up on research, assgn and preparation for the next maths quiz. So the library, home & my running route will be the 3 places which I will frequent the most next week. Of course, there is one place that I will go on the 29th Sept.

Can finally relax a little....

Finally, I can take a small break. Having completed the reflections for tomorrow's tutorial, I can take a slight break before starting on intensive research. Things like the ed psych, ICT and individual diff have quite a fair bit to research. This is over and above revising for the maths quiz after the break and consistently having to read up for english. GESL is the other one. Hopefully this thursday will see the core groups getting on with the nitty gritty details. My role in GESL? The communicator and OIC (overall-in-charge).

1 of my course mates did stg rather sneaky. She secretly took photos of a few of us dozing whilst we were doing our assignment in funny postures. But those photos are no longer a secret cos she posted it on her blog! Goodness! It showed 3 of us catching 40 winks in the library and the conputer lounge. (no, i did not link my blog with hers!) Well the reason that i dozed off in the library is because I only get about 5 hrs sleep on weekdays. The most difficult time of the day to keep awake is just after lunch!! So we student teachers do have a child-like side of us.

english test

Today's english test was quite tough. Except for the verb analysis part, the word class was quite difficult. I found the noun analysis quite ok except for one dumb error I noticed AFTER I handed in the script. Oh well, it is already over so no point harping on it. Focus on what is ahead.

We found another place to do our work. Terming it as the 'penthouse', it is so much better than the 'suite'. For a start, signal strength is superb. There is also an abundance of space and comfort wise, it is just as good.

I have just completed another assgn! For the rest of this week, we can afford to take a slight breather from our hectic schedule. Since the next week is the break, we intend to take it a little easy for a day or two before shifting to a higher gear. Other major assgn and projects are coming up. Those really require a lot more research.

I really hope that the weather will be favourable later after my lessons. Been wanting to go for a run but somehow or rather, the weather has not been good. Furthermore, I do not like running indoors. It just does not have the 'ommph' compared to running outdoors.

I was reminded by how gracious our Lord is. Today's sermon touched on the issue of forgiveness. Pastor quoted an example of seeking forgiveness when one did something wrong to another. It is not the case that since God has forgiven that person so we 'must grudgingly' follow suit and forgive the party that did injustice to you. The cruz of the matter is that God forgave us first so we should forgive others as well. So is there someone who stepped on your toes and you are still bearing that grudge or unhappiness?

The next thing is that I am in a dilemma. There are two courses which I would like to enrol. One is the Advanced Safety Driving Course conducted by Performance Mtrs, distributor for BMW. They teach the finer points of driving & what to do in an emergency plus other things. There is also a segment where participants will negotiate a slalom, execute a handbrake turn, do a quick sprint and stop before the end point. And the best part of it is that the vehicle is provided. A brand new BMW 325i is all yours to trash (not to wreck it but drive it hard) and drive it to the limits. The theory sessions are indoors and a full-day practical at the Pasir Gudang racetrack in JB.

The other course is the class 4 & 5 license. This is where you are trained to drive a vehicle such as a lorry and a crane. Once you pass, you are eligible to drive a bus, lorry and crane. For those who wish to pilot a prime mover pulling a container trailer, there is a one day course conducted at PSA. I thought of this course is just to have the skill and partly to 'get the license'. Whether I will have the chance to drive such huge vehicles is another question.

Both these courses cost about $850 each!! That's a huge sum. However the benefits of enrolling for each courses are tremendous. But in life, choices as well as sacrifices have to be made.

So the questions is:- Which one should I choose? Or shld I just save the $$ and forgo both of them?

How Mr and Mrs Tang spent their Saturday

Practically the whole of today was spent at home. Mr Tang was doing his ICT assignment (already halfway through) which is due on Tuesday. However, he did other things in between so that it would not be monotonous.

Having a craving for 'chee cheong fun' and 'chwee kueh', Mr and Mrs Tang took a walk to the coffee shop next to the CC across the road. After that they walked to blk 159 to check out the infant care centre. As their baby will be arrriving in six months time, they planned to put the little one at infant care when he/she (dunno if the baby is a boy or girl) is abt 3 mths old. The people at the centre were so friendly. She brought them around and even showed them the room where the little ones were. As it is a sat, there were not many babies around other then the 4 who either sleeping or awake and being kept entertained by the centre staff. And they are SO CUTE!!! This 16 mth old girl was so sociable! She was so excited on seeing 2 adults and immediately warmed up to them. Another boy who had just gotten up from his slumber took a little longer but he too was fascinated that there were 2 'strangers' in the infant care centre!

The rest of the day saw Mr Tang frantically typing away on the computer. Planning to go for a run around 5, the skies opened up again (it rained a good part of the afternoon) so he could not put in some mileage into his shoes! Never mind, the car was so dirty after yesterday's downpour so he decided to wash the car instead. Seeing the car clean again, Mr Tang was happy! He is one fusspot who gets irritated when his car gets dirty. Well, he was advised about the pains of having a black car. But then, Mr Tang likes black so there must be some sacrifices made.

What an 'interesting' day.

Long and tired day.....

It was an eventful Friday but nonetheless an enjoyable one. Had my maths quiz this morning and I think it is possible to get a perfect score. I think I must have checked through each question at least twice each. Hopefully the subsequent quizzes and of course the final exam will be as smooth sailing as today.

I went to the National Youth Council after that to submit the form for the YCM grant for my GESL group. Now comes the wait for them to get back to us to present to them our proposal. Aaron was with me and we then decided to have some nice food. He suggested going to Joo Chiat for the wanton mee and prawn noodle. After circling a few rounds (yes, he remembered the rd name wrongly! Now it is in my mind: along Joo Chiat PLACE not Rd!) we found the delectable and fantastic wanton mee and prawn noodle adjacent to the famous dumpling (ba chang) shop. Wooo.....sedap!!!

I then headed back to LPS to 'join' my ex-colleagues in the dance thing. But I decided to opt out as it was a little too advanced for a stiff person like me. Moreover, my next two weeks or so will be quite hectic so I decided to give it a pass. But then I will make my appearance in school (not the stage!) on the 29th Sept.

Was suppopsed to go for cell gp mtg this evening but had to attend a friend's wedding reharsal. Their wedding is next sat. Held at the SJI chapel, it is a nice and cosy place. Seeing them preparing for their wedding looks fun though it can be stressful. Angela and I went through that but we thank God for providing us with great helpers, a good coordinator and other stuff. MOst impt of all, it's a once in a lifetime thing and it's worth it. We enjoyed the whole process. So to Colin and Carie-Anne: Angela and I wish u both everlasting love and happiness. May your love 4 each other and to God grow deeper with each passing day.

When the wedding is over, marriage life begins. The former lasts only a day but the latter lasts a lifetime.

I caught this week's episode of The Singapore Idol (SI). Let me clarify that it was because I had nothing better to do so that was why I watched it. After the results show earlier, I could not help but think back 2 years ago when the first season of the SI reached the pinnacle when the last 3 were left standing and then it was down to the final 2 to battle it out at the Indoor Stadium. Look at the similarities: In the first season, it was down to Taufik, Sylvester and Olinda. Then Olinda was voted out leaving the two guys to battle it out. Before this evening, Hady, Jonathon and Jasmine were the last three remaining contestants. Then Gurmit Singh announced that Jasmine's idol journey had ended. So who is going to win on Sept 25th? (Did I get the date right?) Will history repeat itself?

Aaron, Joanne and I tried something new again with our lameness. As we had 3 computers, we tried to synchronise them by playing the same piece of music. So we had ur own version of 'surround sound'. I think we might use the student hub to 'display our deejaying' skills!!! The reason for this was kind of destressing. We got our maths quiz tomorrow. Monday is our english test, we got an assignment due on tuesday and a reflections journal to submit on wednesday. After that we can take a breather......

One of my ex-colleagues from LPS asked me to join them for the childrens' day reharsal dance program. Oh dear....I am super stiff!!! Should I join them or not?

Personality test!!

My course mate Aaron told us about this link which tells you quite a bit about one's character make-up and trait. It only takes about 3 mins and it is quite accurate. It is obviously not 100% spot on but at least 80%. So guess what mine is? Romantic, Helper, Achiever? For those of you who know me well enough, it is quite obvious! I guess it is my nature to help others although it can be at my own expense occasionally.

We could not use the 'suite' today as it was reserved for some scrabble stuff. So after lunch, we adjourned to the student hub. Signal strength is so much better and the aircon is much better. And as we are doing our assgn with our MP3 running concurrently, each of us take turns to play a track. We tried to be like DJs: fading off when a song ends just as when the next one starts a new somg....A bit lame right? Well, we student teachers also have a 'crazy' side!!!

Short post for now as I got to go for a class.

MSN is finally up and running!

Some of you may have experienced trouble logging into MSN yesterday. I needed to discuss some stuff with my course friends so I resorted to using the hp- SMS.

I was supposed to rise at 4.30am this morning for my dawn run but the sleeping bug got the better of me. I was really tired and both of us actually overslept! Fortunately, we still managed to leave the house at 7.15am. The reason is that I got to pick Jonathon and Joanne along the way into NIE. Thankfully they are staying at Hall 11 so I 'd only need to pick them at the bus stop outside Hall 11.

Since I did not manage to get up early this morning for my run, I went in the late afternoon after I came back from class. Started running at 4.45pm and returned home at 6.30pm. Now that I have already clocked in about 50km or so on my new shoes, it is quite 'seasoned' already. I read in some health magazines that it is advisable to 'run-in' a new pair of shoes before using it on a half of even full marathon.

My ed psych 1 gp meeting was very beneficial this morning. Based on our initial research and brainstorming, we are on the right track. The next task ahead is to delegate the various aspects of research to each of the 6 of us. I did the MI (multiple intelligence) test and guess what? My interpersonal was the highest followed closely by a tie between logical numeric and intrapersonal. Think that is in congruence with my sanguine and outgoing personality.

Next task ahead is the maths quiz, then english test then ICT assgn. In a sense they compliment each other cos one is practice, one is reading while one is penning my reflections. Shld be interesting juggling them.

Signing off here. The blackaltis will be back tomorrow......

Hectic 2 weeks

I was in the 'suite' from 10am to 4pm. Other than going for lunch, the rest of the time was spent finishing up the assignment which is due on Wednesday. After that we had our group meeting for another module. Coming Friday is the maths quiz with the english test on monday. After that, another assignment is due. Sounds hectic but quite managable.

We had the introductory lecture on special needs today. I already have in mind what to do for the group assignment which is quite tedious. However, that will have to depend on the group concensus.

I realised that if I were to park my car all the way into the lot until the tyre touches the kerb is not a good move when you have to:

1. move off with a full load of people
2. if the kerb is rather high

I gave a lift to my gp mates out of NIE and when I moved off, the towing hook grazed the kerb as the vehicle will be lower due to the full load! Thankfully, the towing hook is the strongest part of the car so no dramas. Maybe there was someone in the car who needs to go on a diet?? *laughs*

I might go for a dawn run tomorrow. Hopefully the weather will hold. Gosh! I really love running!!!

2233......read on to find out what these digits mean

The speculation regarding my favourite F1 driver's future has been laid to rest with Schumi confirming that he will retire from racing after this season. It was a great win for him at Ferrari's home race in Italy and watching the celebrations in the scarlet camp, emotions ran high. I felt kind of sad too because he has been my favourite driver since 2003 when I began watching.

Now let me explain the 4 digits:

2: It was a mere 0.002sec that separated Kimi and Schumi who grabbed pole and p2 respectively yesterday.

2: After today's race, the gap between Schumi and Alonso as far as championship points is concerned is just a mere 2 pts.

3: With Schumi's win and Alonso's engine failure, Ferrari is 3 pts ahead of Renault in the constructor's title.

3: With just 3 more races, Shanghai, Japan and Brazil, the battle for both driver's and constructor's title has just turned white-hot.

I only started watching F1 when I was working in M;sia about 3.5 years ago. On Sunday nights when it was so boring, I happened to turn on the TV and saw 20 cars racing around a circuit only pitting for about 5-8 sec per stop to change 4 tyres, refuel, wing adjustments, cleaning the air ducts before zooming out again. Travelling at breakneck speeds in excess of 300km/h and hearing the roar of the engines was simply fascinating. Since then, I was hooked and it was this man, Michael Schumacher (aka Schumi) who instantly became my favourite driver and Ferrari, my favourite team.

The next race will be in 3 weeks time. Held in China, it is the Shanghai GP and the circuit is cool because if you notice, the circuit is in the shape of the chinese word 'shang'. Till then, let's enjoy and remember the 'good and bad' moments that motorsport has given to Schumi.

Short-lived happiness!!

Some of you could sense my happiness yesterday when I collected my car. It was nicely washed and polished after they did a touch-up job on the LHS C-pillar. Alas! My happiness was short-lived when we discovered something 'new' last night after CG meeting.

I saw some scratch marks on the rear RHS door and on the front LHS fender! I think it must have been caused by the vehicles that parked next to my car. I am very careful whenever I open the door so as to ensure that it will not make any contact to the adjacent vehicle or the wall. However, not everyone thinks the same way. So if the occupants in the vehicle next to your parked vehicle simply push open the door by swinging it wide, you will have a 'new' autograph on your vehicle. In fact, my previous Honda Civic had it worse. Virtually every panel had scratch marks and there were even dents (small ones though) all around. Other than 2 which were caused by Angela and my own negligence, the rest were by some unknown persons! Until the day we handed over the Civic to the used-car dealer, we did not bother about the marks at all.

I attempted to use the car polish to alleviate the marks and thankfully it is not so obvious now. The next step is to puchase some DIY (do-it-yourself) touch-up paint. If you recall one of my earlier posts on the scratch marks on the front bumper, I was quoted $370 just to get it resprayed! That amount is exclusive of GST! Imagine if I have to touch up ALL the scratch marks! I dare not think of the figure!

So remember: whenever you open a car door, please be considerate and careful or you will make some car owners like me feel the pain!!

I got back my car!

I went to Borneo Mtrs to collect my car after class this morning. They did a good job and even gave my car a wash, polish and applied the tyre shine! Saved me the trouble of having to wash and polish it! Now the blackaltis looks as if it has just come out from the showroom.

Our CG will be ushering for the first service in church on Sunday. As it is the anniversary service, we pray that the sanctuary will be filled with worshippers. I can get to wear my cartoon tie!! Not sure which one to choose. I have 2 Winnie the Pooh ties, 1 of The Simpsons, 1 with Tweety n Sylvester, 1 Calvin n Hobbes and 1 Duffy DUck. Some of you may wonder why I purchased them. I use them outside work purposes as it is not very appropriate to wear it to work. I never did have to use them in school anyway. I usually use it when I attend wedding dinners, serving in church or if the occasion calls for it. BTW, I bought them in Hong Kong's Stanley Market at a price of 6 ties for HKD100. That works out to just SGD$3 plus per tie.

Going to run later! Hopefully it does not rain!

P;S- Italian GP this weekend!! Have to finish up my assignment and revision before that.

Schumi to confirm this weekend after the Italian GP if he will retire

I read in today's ST that my favourite F1 driver Michael Schumacher will retire after this season. I felt sad as he is known by many around the world to be the best racing driver in history. Other big names like Aryton Senna, Alan Prost, Mikka Haikennen and Damon Hill have achievements under their belts but the one that currently holds the highest number of race starts, wins, pole positions and world championships is ..........SCHUMI!!! He rawks!!

My english lesson this morning was rather hilarious. Our tutor explained to us the concepts behind the topic and it gave us a whole new perspective. I can imagine the kind of modules that I will be facing next semester. For now, focus on THIS semester.

Angela will be singing tonight with the rest of the chorale for the opening of the IDMC conference. What I will be doing while she is in church is to go for a run and thereafter have my dinner. I had a fantastic run on Monday evening just before the rain came. I think that besides running, I should make full use of the swimming pool in NIE or I could just walk over to the Civil Service Club. At least I can let my knees, ankles and ligament relax.

Midweek

At this point in time, I am taking break from doing my assignment. My next class will start in an hour. Maths lesson this morning was fantastic. The concept was similar to what I learnt in my A level maths. BTW, it has been SOME years since I have left college. However, I can still recall a good part of what my teacher taught me back then. Thanks to Mr Daniel Sun from ACJC.

Posting this entry from the 'suite', I have completed 30% of a 1000 word assignment. It may not appear that long but what makes it challenging is to be able to squeeze all that I need to say within the limit.

Class ends at 5.30pm. Got to be home by 6pm. Angela needs to be in church by 7pm for a chorale reharsal for the IDMC conference tomorrow night. She will finish at around 10pm. Will be spending the rest of the evening trying to finish up this assignment and attempt to start on the next one.

Petrol prices fell by 6c per litre! I am so happy! Hopefully oil prices will remain as it is. Thankfully I got an extra discount if I pump at Shell as I am an OCBC cardholder. Too bad I am not a Citiback cardholder as they have a tie-up with ExxonMobil which is my preferred brand. After trying out the various brands of petrol, my first choice is still ExxonMobil followed by Shell. Some may say it is purely psychological but after driving for so many years, I find it hard to be convinced that all petrol brands are the same.

I got a manual car to drive for 2 days!

I sent my car to the Toyota bodycare shop to touch up a defect in the paintwork. It is a rather small spot but they need 2 days to get it ready as it is metallic in colour. Since my father-in-law (FIL) will be out of town till Friday, he gladly loaned me his car and the best part of it is that it is a manual car! Some of you may find it strange. Why would a 71 year old man still drive a manual car? But my FIL is the kind who prefers to change gears! And he drives very well for his age! I must confess it was great being able to get in touch with the clutch, gear shift and feeling the revs. For those of you who find that driving a manual car is not as great as an auto, I beg to differ. A manual car consumes less fuel, gives you better control but in the event of a traffic congestion, auto is still the way to go. However, with the advancement in techonology, things like steptronic and steering mounted gear shifts are becoming more and more common nowadays.

Now for some sad news. Think many of you know abt the passing of Steve Irwin who is a.k.a 'Crocodile Hunter'. Upon reflecting on this tragedy, it shows that life is short. I recall my mentor, Pastor Benny Ho asking us in his bible study group years ago a question which I would like to pose to you. Here it is:

"What would you like to be mentioned in your eulogy during your funeral or memorial service?" For the benefit of those who may not know what a eulogy is, it is a piece of writing or article praising a person or thing.

Therefore, whatever time we have in our hands should be made use of wisely and fruitfully. Impact others' lives. Inspire those around you. Invest time motivating and encouraging others. Live life to the fullest. Put in your 101% in all that you do. I believe that Steve Irwin lived a worthy life and in many ways impacted many around the world. I may not be a huge fan of him but I recall and enjoy watching his shows on Animal Planet (Cable CH 10). My deepest condolences to Steve's family.

Interesting day.....

When I got up at 6.30am this morning, I woke Angela up as well. But it was only when she said, " I am on holiday!" did I realise that this is the 1 week break! Arghhh!!!!

Today's trial English test was not as hard as I had expected it to be. But due to some careless errors, only mged to get 75 marks. *sigh* Got 2 weeks before the actual test to do a post mortem and some extra revision. Next thing is to start on 2 assignments that will be due in a week's time. I aim to complete it by the end of this week so that it frees up more time to devote to other modules.

We went to the Classroom Of The Future this afternoon as it is part of our course requirements. To sum it up in just one word: COOL!! I cannot imagine everything being so high tech and virtually every aspect is done on the computer. What happens if one fine day the system fails? Then it will be back to the primitive days again!

Heard from the evening news about the new policies, benefits and other goodies announced by the Education Minister earlier in the day. Sounds really encouraging. Anyone wants to make a career switch and make a difference in educating these young lifes? Haha! Don't get me wrong! I am not the spokesperson for MOE!!!

Time flies......

When I was in church today, pastor was announcing that the drama ministry is currently recruiting people for the upcoming Christmas Musical. After doing some finger work on my handphone, I realised that Christmas is just 112 days away. And if that is not surprising, 2007 will be here in just 119 days! I whispered to YS who was seated next to me that it seemed as if 2006 had just begun. I am sure that when most of us are so busy working, studying or simply being indulged in some form of activity or routine, time simply sails by without us realising it. Think most of you know the old saying, "Time and tide waits for no man."

Just 2 nights ago, I received a call from a church friend whom I have known since my varsity days. She was on transit for 2 nights en route to M'sia. I was surprised to receive her call and through her, I got to know that some of our other friends who are married are expecting their first child. Furthermore, those who are attached will be getting married whilst others have moved onto various seasons in their lives. Though we only chatted for abt 12 min, (I was in the midst of my CG mtg) it dawned on me that it has been nearly 10 years since the day I left Sg to Aus to pursue my Degree. In retrospect, those were some of the best years in my life.

So what is the lesson learnt? Make the best use of the limited time we have on hand. Everyone has just 24hrs daily. No more, no less. Prioritize our tasks. Cherish what we have: friendships, family, work etc.... Count and give thanks for all your blessings daily.

Fruitful Saturday

I will be spending this weekend revising my english and maths modules as there is a test and quiz approcahing respectively. I am comfortable as far as maths is concerned but as for english, I am not so sure. The worst part is that it is an open-book test! For those of you who think that being open-book is easy, let me say this: NO WAY! From experience, open-book exams are even tougher. You still have to prepare way before hand. Tagging the relevant pages, highlighting the important facts are just some of the initial background work. Moreover, during the test or exam, you have hardly any time to refer to the book. In between my revision, I will probably go for a run to train up for the ShantChart Half Marathon which is exactly 13 weeks from today.

I met up with my contractor yesterday and had the chance to drive his brand new Toyota Camry. What a difference compared to my humble Corolla! Pretty obvious as there is a $30k difference in price. It is quiet, spacious, comfortable and really luxurious. After we parted, it was back to reality! But I must confess that whatever car I have driven, nothing beats the sense of individuality of driving your own personal car.

Looking forward to meeting up with 2 of my cousins this evening. I am sure it will be a good time to catch up before one of them leaves for the UK. The other one is in the midst of preparing for her 'A' level prelims. Wish her well.

My hp phone bill.....

When I opened the mailbox earlier, I saw my phone bill. At the back of my mind, I knew that for this round I will certainly exceed the limit. As I have been messaging my course mates and ex-students, I was prepared that I will probably exceed by about 10% or so. But that was not the case.

I shot past the 900 mark! 902 to be exact. That meant an extra $20 just on SMS alone. At least I did not exceed the outgoing air-time else there would be another surcharge.

Admittedly, I must say that I get carried away when I am messaging. Unknowingly, I actually sent out 100 SMSes within 24hrs. Some of you may find this trival but to me, that is a huge number.

It is the start of the September school holidays. Unfortunately I do not have that luxury. My one week break will be later. But that will be a time of finishing up group projects and individual assignments.

On a lighter note, the weekend is here! CG meeting tonight will be enriching! I will be meeting up with my cousins as one of them will be leaving for UK to pursue his tertiary education. How nice! I had mine years ago in Australia. Now is the time to contribute back to society.