I forgot to collect my JLPT 1 cert! What with all the lesson planning and assignment marking....it sort of just slipped from my mind. And the diabolical JCS refused to entertain me! They were like....serve you right for forgetting.........well I guess I can't really blame them.
Argh....oh well...I'll just have to take JLPT again. I have this strange premonition that I will never be able to pass it ..cos I have jinxed it by not collecting the cert...OH MY ...
Monday, April 10, 2006
Wednesday, March 29, 2006
I'm back! Blogging again...although I'm a tad self-conscious now that some of my students know my blog...... but then..I have nothing to hide!! (=p)
It all began one fine day...when I was using my own laptop during a classroom lesson, and my email address was in full display to my students (grrr...the MSN "remember me" function). I thought nobody took notice..but then..a sharp eyed girl sitting right in the front row managed to take my email address down... And now I have 14 Faith 1-1 students on my MSN contact list....
Hee..to be honest they are nice people and haven't been bothering me too much, but they will rue the day they add me on their MSN..because now I have another medium with which to assign them homework..MUAHAHA
It all began one fine day...when I was using my own laptop during a classroom lesson, and my email address was in full display to my students (grrr...the MSN "remember me" function). I thought nobody took notice..but then..a sharp eyed girl sitting right in the front row managed to take my email address down... And now I have 14 Faith 1-1 students on my MSN contact list....
Hee..to be honest they are nice people and haven't been bothering me too much, but they will rue the day they add me on their MSN..because now I have another medium with which to assign them homework..MUAHAHA
Hi Changsheng,
Acknowledgment of Resignation
1. On behalf of the 32nd Executive Committee, I hereby acknowledge your resignation from the NUS Chinese Orchestra as of 23 March 2006.
2. Your email address will be removed from the NUSCO Yahoo Groups as of the above-mentioned date.
3. If you so choose, you may donate your concert uniform to the orchestra.
4.On behalf of the committee, I thank you for your selfless support and contributions over the past few years for the orchestra. May you have all success in your future endeavours.
It's such a relief. Although I have no need to wait for them to "approve" my resignation, it's still nice to see it officialized. =) Finally I'm out of that hellhole.
Friday, February 17, 2006
Wow..I have never been so busy ..not even when writing my Honours Thesis! Had back-to-back assignments for the past week...and with my grandfather's funeral I barely had time to finish them, had to ask for extension for some of them. Hmm..now that the NIE term has ended, I'll just be waiting for Practicum to start (20 Feb).
In fact I just came back from GMSS, went down to meet the CTs and get my timetable. Teaching all express classes(or rather, Faith classes..GMSS name their Express, N(A) and N(T) classes as Faith, Hope and Joy respectively)...Sec 1 EL. Sec 2 Maths, Sec 3 EL. Had quite a good impression of the place, although the school was rather cramped since they are using a temporary building while waiting for their former building to be renovated. The poor teachers have to make do with very small cubicles in their staff room..and there was just no more space for us (8 trainee teachers at one go!) ..so we are all just going to squeeze in the pantry. Heehee quite okay lah..the fridge, the coffee machine, the microwave oven..all just next to me. =)
Hmm..I think I will like the place. All the best for my practicum!!
In fact I just came back from GMSS, went down to meet the CTs and get my timetable. Teaching all express classes(or rather, Faith classes..GMSS name their Express, N(A) and N(T) classes as Faith, Hope and Joy respectively)...Sec 1 EL. Sec 2 Maths, Sec 3 EL. Had quite a good impression of the place, although the school was rather cramped since they are using a temporary building while waiting for their former building to be renovated. The poor teachers have to make do with very small cubicles in their staff room..and there was just no more space for us (8 trainee teachers at one go!) ..so we are all just going to squeeze in the pantry. Heehee quite okay lah..the fridge, the coffee machine, the microwave oven..all just next to me. =)
Hmm..I think I will like the place. All the best for my practicum!!
Wednesday, February 01, 2006
Chinese New Year has come...and gone. Well for a while we weren't sure if we were going to be celebrating because my grandpa is in a critical condition in the hospital. Doctors told us to be prepared for the worst. Well new year has passed and he's still in the hospital but his condition has worsened.
There's only one more week of school before I get a one week break. Hurrah..it has been a rather busy term. Then it will be 10 weeks of practicum. Posting will be out this Saturday..but I'm no longer eager to know where I am going..it's like..just tell me when you are ready to tell me, I'm sick of all the anticipation. Congrats to Calbin though, who already knew his posting and it is where he wanted to go. ;)
There's only one more week of school before I get a one week break. Hurrah..it has been a rather busy term. Then it will be 10 weeks of practicum. Posting will be out this Saturday..but I'm no longer eager to know where I am going..it's like..just tell me when you are ready to tell me, I'm sick of all the anticipation. Congrats to Calbin though, who already knew his posting and it is where he wanted to go. ;)
Monday, January 23, 2006
Snow, public baths, calpis and nigiri(part 2)
I was interrupted in my last entry because the NIE computer was threatening to shut down on me. I had to abruptly end my post, as a result I didn't even mention anything about public baths, calpis and nigiri which were prominently displayed on my title, resulting in some of my friends losing a few more strands of hair because of the head-scratching.. tsk tsk...
Basically public baths, calpis and nigiri are what I missed most about everyday life in Japan, and I am suffering from withdrawal symptoms. I suppose what public baths are is pretty self-explanatory. Calpis is, ahem, * JIAHUI SCREAMS * this refreshing drink commonly found in convenience stores all over Japan. It is kind of like Yakult but much more watery. Unfortuantely the word Calpis is frqeuently accompanied with suppressed giggles because it is the euphemism used by Japanese schoolboys for some kind of body fluid...The drink is milky white in colour..enough said.
Nigiri is Japanese rice balls. (饭团）There is usually some kind of stuffing inside, ranging from mayonnaise chicken, plum, tuna to other more exotic Japanese ingredients which I cannot identify, and wrapped in delicious crispy seaweed. It is convenient to eat and readily available in any convenience stores. The package is very unique: the seaweed is separated from the rice to maintain its crispness and freshness, and there is a special way of opening the package so that the whole nigiri does not come apart. The first time I bought one I just ripped open the package callously without reading the instructions (hmmm...reminds me of the time I ripped open the McDonald's Grilled Chicken Foldover.. * Calbin nods in agreement * ) ..as a result the seaweed was torn apart and I was eating the rice separately from the seaweed. Ingenuous innovation I must say.
Sadly nigiri and Calpis are not commonly available in Singapore. I was so desperate for Calpis that last week I went all the way to the Japanese supermarket in Liang court to hunt for it. They cost a horrifying $4 per bottle (about same size as a small bottle of mineral water), whereas it only costs 120 yen or so(around $1.80) in Japan(who says prices are high in Japan?? =p) There is a cheaper $2 version...but the taste is so vile it left an unremovable aftertaste in my mouth for hours. The $2 version is called Calpiso..must be a cheong brand! So sad. I am deprived of a basic necessity!
Okay, my time is up again. Hmm nowadays I am always blogging in NIE Computer Lab when I have one of those terrible 4-hour break in between lessons..... =(
Basically public baths, calpis and nigiri are what I missed most about everyday life in Japan, and I am suffering from withdrawal symptoms. I suppose what public baths are is pretty self-explanatory. Calpis is, ahem, * JIAHUI SCREAMS * this refreshing drink commonly found in convenience stores all over Japan. It is kind of like Yakult but much more watery. Unfortuantely the word Calpis is frqeuently accompanied with suppressed giggles because it is the euphemism used by Japanese schoolboys for some kind of body fluid...The drink is milky white in colour..enough said.
Nigiri is Japanese rice balls. (饭团）There is usually some kind of stuffing inside, ranging from mayonnaise chicken, plum, tuna to other more exotic Japanese ingredients which I cannot identify, and wrapped in delicious crispy seaweed. It is convenient to eat and readily available in any convenience stores. The package is very unique: the seaweed is separated from the rice to maintain its crispness and freshness, and there is a special way of opening the package so that the whole nigiri does not come apart. The first time I bought one I just ripped open the package callously without reading the instructions (hmmm...reminds me of the time I ripped open the McDonald's Grilled Chicken Foldover.. * Calbin nods in agreement * ) ..as a result the seaweed was torn apart and I was eating the rice separately from the seaweed. Ingenuous innovation I must say.
Sadly nigiri and Calpis are not commonly available in Singapore. I was so desperate for Calpis that last week I went all the way to the Japanese supermarket in Liang court to hunt for it. They cost a horrifying $4 per bottle (about same size as a small bottle of mineral water), whereas it only costs 120 yen or so(around $1.80) in Japan(who says prices are high in Japan?? =p) There is a cheaper $2 version...but the taste is so vile it left an unremovable aftertaste in my mouth for hours. The $2 version is called Calpiso..must be a cheong brand! So sad. I am deprived of a basic necessity!
Okay, my time is up again. Hmm nowadays I am always blogging in NIE Computer Lab when I have one of those terrible 4-hour break in between lessons..... =(
Thursday, January 19, 2006
Snow, public baths, calpis and nigiri
New entry for my blog! I realized that more people read my blog than I expected, so it's good to know that I touch lives in ways more than one..hee hee. I have been chastised for not updating my blog, not telling people about my Japan trip, and worst of all not putting up pictures taken during the trip. Well, in my defense, there was countless Christmas/New Year parties/chalets/barbecues once I came back to Singapore, and then the NIE term started. Since this semester is so short, everything was very intense unlike last semester which was more laid-back for me. In fact I am already half-way through the semester! (Since there are only 6 weeks this sems)
The Japan trip was good, of course, thanks to global warming which resulted in the erratic climate that Japan had to face in Dec 2005. The Kansai and Tokyo area almost never get any snow in December, but snowstorms struck Japan on 18 Dec 2005, breaking the record held for the highest amount of snow accumulated in a single day in 25 of the cities. The result: Kiyomizudera covered in snow. In fact there was enough snow that even people like me who are seeing snow for the first time finds it a little annoying after some time.
Some things I had not known about Japan:
1. When visiting a temple/shrine/places which require you to remove your footwear, Japanese leave their pricey trendy boots on the shoeshelves for people to steal, but their much cheaper umbrellas are safely locked and secured in the umbrella stands provided.
2. The sheer amount of verbal announcements on public transport. I believe up to 70% of the Japanese I heard on my 11 day trip is made up of announcements made on the train/bus. Kyoto buses growl "TO-BI-RA-GA-SHI-MA-RI-MA-SU"(The door is closing) annoyingly frequent. Shinkansen trains give a nice melodic chime before a sweet female voice purrs and reminds you to watch your steps as you board or alight. (Ashimoto o gochu-i kudasai!) The announcements are so lengthy that they need to begin shortly after the train leaves each station. My train barely pulled out of Osaka when suddenly the announcements are reminding me "Mamonaku Kyoto desu" (Soon we will reach Kyoto). But the soon turns out to be at least ten minutes of endless announcements. They tell you which doors are going to open(left or right), they tell you where you should get off if you are transferring to other train lines, they even tell you what time the next train on the other line is departing.
3. When paying with credit cards, the salesperson will ask you how many times you want to pay(literally). I was a bit taken back the first time I used my credit card and did not understand the question despite my, ahem, above average Japanese proficiency. You mean I have to pay more than once? It took me a few days to realize that most retail shops allow credit card users to pay by instalments and the salesperson was asking me how many instalments do i want to pay. * sheez *
4. Of course I had heard that the Japanese people are very orderly, but I didn't realize the extent to which the statement is true. I was in Tokyo on Christmas eve for the Christmas lights illumination. I have always hated crowds and never have I been in such a huge crowd for the past quarter of a century. (Tokyo has 7.8 million people. Compare that with Singapore's 4 million) I can barely step out of Tokyo Station although the actual illumination is still some distance from the station. An endless throng stretch in every direction and the end of the line is nowhere to be seen. Yet surprisingly the line moves pretty fast, almost at a walking pace (despite a slow one). When I reached the illuminated site, I was amused to see that nobody stops to take a picture. The Japanese take pictures with their high-tech mobile phones while they are simultaneously walking forward, not wishing to cause jama (disturbance) to the rest of the Christmas crowd. The few people who stopped in their stride to take pictures (causing the immaculate system set in place by the local police to break down) are, sure enough, tourists (Singaporeans?).
Okay, my time is up and the NIE Computer Lab is not allowing me to extend my time.....so I guess more of my trip in the subsequent entries!
The Japan trip was good, of course, thanks to global warming which resulted in the erratic climate that Japan had to face in Dec 2005. The Kansai and Tokyo area almost never get any snow in December, but snowstorms struck Japan on 18 Dec 2005, breaking the record held for the highest amount of snow accumulated in a single day in 25 of the cities. The result: Kiyomizudera covered in snow. In fact there was enough snow that even people like me who are seeing snow for the first time finds it a little annoying after some time.
Some things I had not known about Japan:
1. When visiting a temple/shrine/places which require you to remove your footwear, Japanese leave their pricey trendy boots on the shoeshelves for people to steal, but their much cheaper umbrellas are safely locked and secured in the umbrella stands provided.
2. The sheer amount of verbal announcements on public transport. I believe up to 70% of the Japanese I heard on my 11 day trip is made up of announcements made on the train/bus. Kyoto buses growl "TO-BI-RA-GA-SHI-MA-RI-MA-SU"(The door is closing) annoyingly frequent. Shinkansen trains give a nice melodic chime before a sweet female voice purrs and reminds you to watch your steps as you board or alight. (Ashimoto o gochu-i kudasai!) The announcements are so lengthy that they need to begin shortly after the train leaves each station. My train barely pulled out of Osaka when suddenly the announcements are reminding me "Mamonaku Kyoto desu" (Soon we will reach Kyoto). But the soon turns out to be at least ten minutes of endless announcements. They tell you which doors are going to open(left or right), they tell you where you should get off if you are transferring to other train lines, they even tell you what time the next train on the other line is departing.
3. When paying with credit cards, the salesperson will ask you how many times you want to pay(literally). I was a bit taken back the first time I used my credit card and did not understand the question despite my, ahem, above average Japanese proficiency. You mean I have to pay more than once? It took me a few days to realize that most retail shops allow credit card users to pay by instalments and the salesperson was asking me how many instalments do i want to pay. * sheez *
4. Of course I had heard that the Japanese people are very orderly, but I didn't realize the extent to which the statement is true. I was in Tokyo on Christmas eve for the Christmas lights illumination. I have always hated crowds and never have I been in such a huge crowd for the past quarter of a century. (Tokyo has 7.8 million people. Compare that with Singapore's 4 million) I can barely step out of Tokyo Station although the actual illumination is still some distance from the station. An endless throng stretch in every direction and the end of the line is nowhere to be seen. Yet surprisingly the line moves pretty fast, almost at a walking pace (despite a slow one). When I reached the illuminated site, I was amused to see that nobody stops to take a picture. The Japanese take pictures with their high-tech mobile phones while they are simultaneously walking forward, not wishing to cause jama (disturbance) to the rest of the Christmas crowd. The few people who stopped in their stride to take pictures (causing the immaculate system set in place by the local police to break down) are, sure enough, tourists (Singaporeans?).
Okay, my time is up and the NIE Computer Lab is not allowing me to extend my time.....so I guess more of my trip in the subsequent entries!
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