verbs & verb phrases, nouns & noun phrases, adverbials, tenses, voice, moodals.....

I am suffering from an overdose of 3Gs. Not the 3G mobile network but grammar, grammar and grammar. I was analysing my texts for the DSE assignment and I am glad to say that I have kind of finished the analysis except for the passive voice which from last semester I still cannot really fully grasp the concept! I managed to complete the other sections and now I only need to type it out. Thankfully our module coordinator gave us a template to use so that it would be easier for us to do our analysis. Or perhaps it would make it easier for them to mark? I think it is a win-win situation.

It is going to be a cool night due to the afternoon rain. How conducive it is to snuggle up under the sheets and hug your bolster and pillow as you head into la la land. I think I need a good night's rest as I am going for a morning run at MacRitchie with my NIE kakis.

a good workout.....n a new Shell station coming

I had such a good workout earlier. After I came back from the service centre which made me $250 lighter, I went for a run for one hour. Basically I covered my usual 10km route. As I ran past the new MI campus, I noticed that the ground breaking ceremony just took place at a site of a brand new Shell station. That means I have yet another option to drive to when I need to re-fuel the car. Usually, I patronise the branch along East Ave 6 which is next to Autobacs. This makes me wonder if SPC will come to Bt Batok. The main players namely Shell, ExxonMobil and Caltex are in various parts of the estate. So only time will tell.

DSE assgn

I managed to find all the 7 text types for my DSE assignment and I found them at home. I looked through Angela's collections of books and those that I picked out fitted the criteria for the assignment. Now I need to choose 2 suitable ones to do the detailed analysis. I hope to be able to complete this assignment so that I can start on the DCM one. Not forgetting that DSM has too and a test after the break. Topics for the DSM test includes all that will be done till wk 8 issit? Oh dear, I better go check it.

scan at 37 wks

As promised, these are the scans of Esther at 37wks old. We hope that she will arrive during the March holidays which is about 2 wks from now. However, it is not for us to decide when her arrival will be.

1 wk non-teaching break starts now. Besides getting my assignments done, I will also spend some time jogging at either East Coast or MacRitchie. Or perhaps I should try out new routes?

eventful sat....

Had a fantastic run this morning. Met up with 2 other friends at East Coast and I must say that the route along the beach is great. Though the sun may be shining, but the cool sea breeze makes the run so much more enjoyable. My friend brought her dog along and i think it got a good workout as well! After the run, I brought them to Tg Rhu to have the famous pao and wanton noodle that rawks! So much so for running 10k and having a nice meal after that. Anyway, it does not make any difference to me! haha....

The class gathering in the afternoon was a great time with my ex-classmates. (ACS class of 4B6 1991) It is a yearly affair at our former teacher's residence. Although there were not many of us, we had a great time chatting, joking and sharing our fond memories back in the old and run-down Barker Rd campus. And our teacher's son has grown! When we completed our O levels, he was just born that year. To think that he is now in Sec 3 and has he grown! He is almost my height and being in the canoeing team, this boy is well-built. I look forward to this annual class gathering as it is a wonderful time to meet up and exchange what we all have been up to in the various aspects of our lives. As my teacher put it, "We all have grown!" (another way of saying that we all have aged!)

Mid-semester break

The long awaited mid-term break is here. However, lest anyone thinks that it is a week of simply play, relax and recreation, for some at least, this break is for us to catch up on our assignments, projects and also preparing for upcoming tests.

I am so glad that the DCE assignment is over. I will try to complete the DSE and probably start on DCM. The reason is that when SHE makes her grand arrival, timing will be extremely tight. Therefore, I target to make full use of this break to get some things out of the way.

I got a packed saturday ahead. Will be meeting some of my running kakis for a morning run at East Coast. Got a Sec 4 class gathering at our ex-teacher's house in the afternoon and at night is my extended family's annual CNY 7th day gathering. So it would seem pretty hard to get things done tomorrow.

Had our appointment with the gynae today. Esther is growing well inside. One of the scans shows her in a posture that makes it look as if she is trying to say,"hmmm....how boring inside here...when can I come out?" haha.... I will scan and post the photo perhaps tomorrow.

Finished one assignment lots more to go

I have finally completed my DCE. What's left is another lot for DSE, DSM and DCM. I am particularly concerned about DCM as that one carries a rather high weightage. Although the DSE is also the same i find that one easier to tackle.

Got a make-up lesson for DCE tomorrow as we missed 2 weeks due to the CNY and my tutor's medical leave. However, it is first thing in the morning so at least i have the rest of the day to do other stuff.

Stress level rising....

The stress level is rising. Assignments and major projects due dates are fast approaching. Tests and exams will be here in no time as well. Besides having to do research, group meetings are necessary as well. As for me, besides all these, I have something additional that is due soon. This will come at anytime from next week onwards till the middle of next month. The time of arrival will also be unknown but the journey leading up to that grand arrival will be a fantastic one. Though I have no school tomorrow, I think I will want to get some assignments out of the way. Apologies for such a short post again.

Jack Neo's latest movie

For those of you who have not watched Jack Neo's latest movie, please do catch it. Without a doubt, he has once again struck the chord of Singaporeans by bringing to light the daily bread and butter issues. Lest that I dampen the mood of those who have yet to see this movie, I shall not disclose anything related to the movie. The money spent watching this movie is certainly worth it. Period.

Family lunch

We had dim sum for lunch and my brother brought both his sons along. They have grown! David (the elder one) is almost 2 years old and he is REALLY active. Talks a lot and his vocabulary is fantastic. He brought along a book about various types of vehicles on the road and he could easily read them. Needless to say, he can also identify the various crockery on the table as well. Tried carrying him and he is heavy! When we were going to take a family photo, he could hardly keep still. Once the photo was taken he will start running about and I had to catch him just in case.

Derek (the younger one) is more well-behaved. Though he is only 7 mths, compared to his brother when David was 7 mths, Derek is quieter. I also carried Derek throughout the lunch (get some practise!!) and whenever I was eating, he will look up at me with that kind of ("What are you eating?") look. He loves being carried and when my mum carried him, he was full of smiles. Can see that both boys are quite comfortable with the grandmother, uncle and aunt.

Next year this time, the two boys will have a female cousin to keep them company. I would imagine putting David, Derek and Esther together. The four of us are going to have a tough time! Well, that is parenthood.

A very rainy First Day

I was surprised to see a few shops open for business today. We decided to have McD for lunch so we deliberately walked through WM just to take a look. Shop N Save, World of Sports, F&B outlets and Esprit were open for business. As we drove from places to places, we noticed that the roads were fairly quiet. I can imagine the Central Business District will be a ghost town.

We got home just as the skies were about to open up. I recall the weatherman saying that it will be a fairly wet CNY. Hopefully it will cool the environment but not to the extent of dampening the festive mood.

Got a second round of "lou hei" tonight. Third round tomorrow and of course this coming Sat as well.

Will fuel prices continue to dip?

Current fuel prices have dipped with some stations offering an extra 5% with certain bank credit cards over and above the 19% already offered. Being the cheapo me, I will obviously partonise the petrol brand which gives me the highest nett discount. All things being equal, it seems that Caltex offers the highest with HSBC cardholders. However, as I have posted before, I just do not get the same mileage with Caltex fuels. Fortunately UOB has an extra 3% with Shell stations. I still miss my favourite Exxon Mobil but since I do not have and do not intend to get a Citibank card, I just have to settle for Shell which does give me pretty good bang for buck second to Exxon Mobil.

The Lunar New Year is just less than 2hrs away. Here's wishing you all a blessed lunar new year and for those not celebrating CNY, have a wonderful long break. Besides visiting, I think I will be spending a fair bit of time doing my assignments as they will be due after the non-teaching break.

DLK final presn went well

I had my final component for the DLK module. We were supposed to pick a school-related topic at random and before giving a 3 min speech on it, we have a10 min preparation time. Even though I have no problems in public speaking, there is still that sense of anxiousness in me as this component is a whopping 50%! Thankfully it went well and my tutor was very pleased. By and large, the whole group did remarkably well. Kudos to the support we gave one another.

After today's session, we have one module out of the way. That means we will have more time to focus on the others: 2 subject knowledge and 2 curriculum studies. We expressed out heartfelt thanks to our tutor who made the sessions rather interesting and she really guided us very well. I like this tutorial group. All of us were from the same ICT class so I think the dynamics was already there.

I only need to go to school for one day next week as certain classes are not on due to the CNY holidays. The module coordinators made it such a way so that all tutorial groups will be on par. The week after that is the non-teaching break. However that will be a time of doing assignments and it is also around the time of Esther's arrival. So if you all notice that i do not post, no prizes for guessing why.

GST goes up, car road tax drops.....

I am sure the hot topic that will be talked about over the town will the magical figure 7%. From 1st Jul, the GST will be raised by 2%. Concurrently, the employer's CPF contribution will also be raised by 1.5%. This has been long awaited since 2003 when it was reduced to 13%. However, there are some exceptions for those in a certain income group.

One of the good news is that the road tax for passenger cars and motorcycles will dip by about 8%. This would make car ownership cheaper but if you were to work it out, the bigger engine capacity cars will benefit more as road tax is calculated based on the engine displacement. I wonder when will this take effect as my car's road tax is due for renewal in about a month's time. Let's hope it will be with immediate effect! If not, I will just renew the toad tax for 6mths instead of 1 year.

DLK final presentation tomorrow. The weightage is a whopping 50%. The 3 mins is whether you make or break it.

Gift delivered

The pair of 'love bears'



The 3 stalks of sunflowers



My running top

The florial shop sent me an sms around lunchtime today informing me that they had delivered the flowers and gift to Angela. Even her colleagues were quite curious and excited when the delivery staff arrived at the kindergarten. She told me that they were wondering who was the blessed person to receive a gift on V day.

Well, I actually had to cook up some excuse on saturday morning saying that I was going to the news agency to look for some car magazine. As she was also going to the supermarket to purchase something, I had to act fast! So I made quick one to the flourist and did the selections, wrote the greetings, swiped my credit card and bolted back home in case I bumped into her along the way and the surprise would be dashed! Just as I was leaving WM, I saw her walk past. Thankfully she did not see me else she would have gotten suspicious.

She also gave me a gift. Since I run a lot, she bought for me a Nike running top. Obviously, it was not much of a problem choosing the colour.

Valentine's Day Eve

As the restaurants will charge sky-high prices tomorrow especially, we decided to go out and have dinner tonight. We went to Swensen's at WM and we ate till we were really full. There is this couple's set menu going at $69 for two but we gave that a miss as we might have trouble finishing the food. So we decided to order from the a-la-carte menu. Thanks to HSBC, we had a 10% discount! Angela also took home the heart-shaped balloon that was on display on every table.

Got my maths quiz tomorrow. Coming up on friday will be the DLK final presentation. After that, my wednesdays will not be as hectic and my friday's will be free.

One test done, another 2 to go

Today's test was like well......all I can say is that whoever who flips open my answer script will have to wear a gas mask as it is very smokey. Some questions I could do but some I really had to smoke my way through! Oh well, just concentrate on the next quiz which is coming up on wed.

It finally rained! At posting time, the sky is very overcast and it has just started raining. At least it will cool off the surroundings a bit as it was fairly warm over the past week. However, the weatherman reported in the papers that the following months will be drier and less humid. I think that sounds quite ok to me as that means more chances to go running and also being able wash the car!

Got our fifth pre-natal session tonight. It is going to be interesting!

busy week ahead

This week will be quite busy. Got a test and a quiz for each of the maths modules. One of them is NOT the usual calculation type but it is the rather unconventional writing short answer kind. For those who have taken such modules you will know what I mean but for those who have not, you will wonder what kind of maths this is. Oh well, for the sake of course requirements, just get on with it like it or not.

It is the last episode of PCK tonight. I will certainly miss this sitcom. I did mention before that besides PCK, the other favourite sitcom of mine is "Under One Roof". However, I think I left out yet another local sitcom. It is entitled, "Living With Lydia". That was another wonderful sitcom that I enjoyed watching. You cannot help but laugh when you see how Lydia Sum is being cast in the show. She is simply fantastic especially when she breaks into her rap about all the various kinds of dim sum that she can make. "Har kow siew mai char siew pao................lor bak gou."

my 200th post since i started this blog...

This is my 200th post ever since I started joining the blogging community a little more than 6mths ago. Thanks to my ex-students who introduced me to the blogging community and some who guided me along. Needless to say, they were and are still much more proficient than me. Some of them helped me to do certain settings and adjustments. However, I still have no clue how to change blogskins!!

Today also marks the 35th week of Angela's pregnancy. We saw our O&G yesterday and he is still the ever-encouraging doctor who will keep reminding us to relax and not get too anxious. He also gave us some idea as to what happens just before the labour process begins. Though it sounds worrying but he assured us that the staff at TMC are very professional and assured us that we are in great hands. We will next see him in a fortnight and thereafter, on a weekly basis. He even asked his staff to help us make a booking for the room after delivery so at least we are assured of a comfortable place to rest after Esther makes her grand arrival. That means, the 10 days or so before March 15th will be crucial. I have to make sure that my fully-charged phone is always with me especially when I am on campus. Informed my lecturers and course mates that when THAT phone call comes, I have to rush off. Not only that, the camera will also have to be fully charged and on-hand to capture the first shots of Esther when she arrives. Stay tuned.....

More photos

As promised, here are another 2 photos taken at the b'day function. Apologies for omitting them in yesterday's post.

Just a thought: Fast forward ten years into the future. All of you will have graduated or are nearing graduation from the varsity. Would'nt it be great if you all had gatherings like that? It does need to be so frequent but at least it is a great time of getting together, letting your hair down and enjoying a brilliant fellowship. I strongly encourage all of you to keep these friendships going even after you all have left school as seen in the class of '06 being present. This is the start of a very fulfilling journey in building long-lasting friendships.

Have a great weekend people.

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Class of '07



Class of '06

Photos taken at Charmaine's bday party

Here are some photos taken at Charmaine's bday party 24 hrs ago. By request from some of you to upload them, here you go.
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"HEART ATTACK!"

Does this look like some illegal gambling den?!!

"Integrated Resort" at Hillview!!!

Chester looks like the banker.

Another banker, this time it is Li Qing

Busy eating away....

Bday gal chatting with the rest of the girls

My ex-student's bday

Bday gal Charmaine (in white top) flanked by myself, Mrs Tan & Ms Pek

I attended one of my ex-student's bday party earlier at her residence. Her family members are very hospitable in that they willingly opened up their house to accomodate so many people. I think the highlight was when the students were playing the card game 'heart attack'. I sensed they really enjoyed it though the two groups looked like some backyard illegal gambling dens! Just kidding!

Birthday wishes for my ex-student (Charmaine). Mr & Mrs Tang wish you every success in all your endeavours and may you do exceedingly well in every aspect of your life. Hope you liked the gift.

Went running at MacRitchie Reservior

I went running this morning at the MacRitchie Reservior. I finally managed to try out the 11km trail which is rather hilly, rocky and needless to say, quite dirty! After running on flat roads for a while, it sure felt good to attempt something different. However, the terrain does make it a lot more challenging. Not only does it take a longer time to clear the same distance compared to flat road running, extra care has to be taken as the terrain can easily cause ankles to sprain which I nearly did. The whole route took us about 90 mins but that included a short rest at the ranger station somewhere around the half-way mark. The scenery was beautiful as we ran along the golf course. I certainly hope to run this route again sometime later. Meanwhile, it's time to go back to my books.

start of the e-learning week....

It seems that I am more productive in school than compared to being at home. Not surprising as there are numerous distractions at home. Cable tv, Internet, magazines and worst of all, my comfortable bed. All it takes is for me to smell my pillow and the tranquilizer effect is lethal. Off I go to zzzzzzzzzzzzzz land in no time.

As this is the e-learning week, we are supposedly to be on our own. However, I think I might go back to campus tomorrow as it is a more conducive place than compared to a particular unit at some HDB blk in Bt Batok Ctrl. As I need to do quite a bit of net surfing for my assignments, one other distraction is that of MSN, blogging and other websites such as MyCarForum(MCF) & F1.

Just realised that OCBC has stopped the fuel price discount promotion with Shell. However, UOB jumped into the bandwagon. So I now have to remember to use my UOB card so that I get the 3% discount over and above the station discount. 3% may seem little but it works out to quite substantial savings as I travel quite a fair bit. I hardly use my credit cards as I prefer cash transactions. However, I will only swipe that piece of plastic if and only if I am short of cash and there is no ATM around or if there is a discount offered for any particular bank cardholder. My social worker friend once told me that many financial difficulty or worse still, bankrupty cases, are usually caused by credit cards. Therefore she recommends this remedy (I also advocate this as well) to those who live on credit cards: opt for plastic surgery, CUT.

Press on.....

Today's sermon was very inspiring. That does not mean that other weeks is uninspiring! Pastor preached about her own journey when she started exercising despite the fact that she had heart problems since young. She mentioned that there were two persons in her life who encouraged her to overcome the odds and take that 'first lap' in both swimming and jogging.

I could relate to what she preached today when it comes to my own running regime. When I did not pass my annual IPPT (we NS men take this fitness test annually) in 2004, I had to go for the remedial training (RT). It was during the RT sessions that I managed to pass my IPPT and attain the silver award! After that, I found that I grew to like running. Moreover, it was my brother who asked me to train up and join him in running events. Initially, I had my reservations but I soon caught the running bug. The rest, they say, is history.

So what is the moral? I think that the most difficult part in doing anything is taking the first step. In anything we do, it is usually the first step that is the most terrifying, difficult, nerve wrecking and traumatic. However, if we can overcome that psychological barrier in our minds, the rest will be easier.

Therefore, in whatever we undertake, always remember that once we overcome that 'first lap or step', the rest will automatically fall into place. Obviously, this is not a hard and fast rule. Other factors like perserverance and determination to press on when the going gets tough also play a part.

Another city gets to host the F1 GP

The following article was adapted from the F1 website (www.formula1.com). Another city will get to host the F1 GP. If all goes well, hopefully and prayerfully we will soon see a similar article entitled, " Singapore gets Grand Prix for 2008"

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Abu Dhabi gets Grand Prix for 2009
Thousands celebrate at F1 Festival on Abu Dhabi streets

In front of an elated crowd of tens of thousands of people, Formula One Management today announced that Abu Dhabi, the capital city of the United Arab Emirates, has secured the rights to host a Formula One Grand Prix from 2009.
On behalf of His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the United Arab Emirates and in the presence of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, the announcement was made to the public who had gathered to watch the sport's elite at the first-ever Abu Dhabi F1 Festival - featuring the largest gathering of current Formula One drivers and cars ever assembled outside of a Grand Prix.An official signing ceremony immediately followed at the stunning Emirates Palace Hotel by the Chairman and CEO of Formula One Management, Bernie Ecclestone and the Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Executive Affairs Authority (EAA), His Excellency Khaldoon Al Mubarak, in the presence of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi."A Formula One Grand Prix is one of the world's most prestigious sporting events, in the same category as an Olympic Games or World Cup, and is unrivalled in terms of continuous global resonance. That is why this new partnership is such an exciting one for Abu Dhabi and the entire UAE," said His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan."For Abu Dhabi, and indeed the whole of the UAE, the opportunities that are presented by increased international attention and connectivity will deliver very real macroeconomic benefits."Abu Dhabi, the capital, and largest of the seven Emirates that make up the United Arab Emirates, will provide an idyllic location for one the world's most popular sport. With over 200 natural islands, offering some of the most untouched beaches in the region, it is fast becoming one of the most sought out destinations in the world.Formula One Management CEO Bernie Ecclestone commented: "We are delighted to welcome Abu Dhabi into the Formula One family, and look forward to a long and successful partnership. Abu Dhabi's hospitality, the genuine warmth of its people, and ever increasing number of world class facilities, will ensure that its round of the FIA Formula One World Championship is a wonderful addition to the Formula One calendar."The 2009 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix track is being constructed by ALDAR Properties, one of the UAE's leading property development companies, and designed by renowned Formula One circuit designer Hermann Tilke.Already under construction, the track is situated on a 2,550 hectare, natural leisure island, Yas Island, situated on the east coast of Abu Dhabi and only minutes away from the expanding Abu Dhabi International Airport."Abu Dhabi will bring its own unique culture, landscape and fans to the F1 experience," said HE Khaldoon Al Mubarak. "The track design alone is an indication of the visionary approach we are taking and I am confident we will deliver something truly special," he added."Spectators will enjoy high speed action played out on three distinct sections of the 5.6km circuit, including high speed areas ending in tight overtaking turns, a street section and a marina section. Each section of the circuit combines to deliver an unrivalled viewing experience."

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E-learning week ahead

Except for the coming Wed and next Fri, I have no lessons as it is the E-learning week. I was told that the reason for such a thing is that in the event of some outbreak of any epidemic, NIE is able to cope with the situation. Everyone is to stay home so students will do online learning. Initially, our DLK group suggested to our tutor about combining both the lessons into one so that we need not come back twice next week. However, the same old lame excuse is always being used. I shall not disclose what it is.

We had our individual component written test for the DLK module today. Basically, we had to identify the flaws, errors and negative writing style in a given email and then re-write it in such a way that it is acceptable and professional. Some question the objective of such a module. I would say that it is good as this gives us the exposure and guidance on how to communicate effectively in both writing and speaking.

This week I will need to start collecting articles/texts for the DSE 101 module. There is also a worksheet for DSM 101. Not only that, there is an assignment for DCM 100 which is to be completed and submitted online by Friday. So who said that the E-learning week is a time to relax?

Finale of the Amazing Race Asia

We just finished watching the finale of the Amazing Race Asia. It was exciting, fun and really entertaining. The all-female team of Joe Jer and Zabrina made history, were the first to step on the mat which made them the winners and of course taking home the USD$100, 000 prize.

We practically followed the whole series every thursday nights. It proves that to succed in this is not just pure physical strength or intelligence. Besides these 2 traits, being street-wise, a calm and cool head, alertness, speed and of course the mental and physical endurance does play a part also.

There will be the Amazing Race All Stars season which will commence sometime this month. That will another round of excitement and entertainment.