누나 Pau.....

Second week

2011-01-10T11:31:00.000+08:00

Phew!!

Survived the first week. It was exhausting especially since there was a meeting on Saturday. By the time I got home, the whole day was gone and I felt that so tired.

Before I knew it, it was Sunday and after doing housework, it was time for LP and sleep.

Sometimes I wish people will have some sense and give us a break on Saturday afternoons.

SIGH! If wishes were riches, I will be very very wealthy.

I am trying to be a little tougher this year and learning to let go of more duties. I nearly killed myself last year by doing a lot so be smarter this year,

I miss my chingus - LOL - we should meet up soon. I have been homebound the last week and the only bright spot are dinners.

Last week I did go for dinner with my sonsaengnim to Yayasan food court where there is a Korean food stall. The price is affordable and they have various dishes that are not available at other Korean restaurants. I have to go back and try more dishes!!

So now back to work cos I remember I haven't completed my 2011 Action Plan - Eeeeeek!

Blah

2011-01-04T13:51:00.000+08:00

Started writing in a good mood then my post was wiped out!

GRRRRR!

Will write in more detail tomorrow. I will be in the swing of things tomorrow onwards.

AJA AJA HWAITING!

2011

2011-01-01T15:36:00.000+08:00

2011!

Who knows what it might bring. For us, it's the year of the rabbit - a good time to have babies..LOL

New Year's' Eve was a change. Instead of steamboat at my place, it was BBQ at Mr and Mrs Juices' new home. It's really cosy and perfect for two - plus one.. hehe.

It was a collaborative effort. Everyone chipped in to help. From setting up the BBQ (thanks to ms Racer and Sis) to fanning the flames of love (Mr Gundam, Ms ButterflyAngel, Mr 2000) to showing us the way (Mr and Mrs Juice) and Mrs 2000 who helped with the food...ah... happy days then,

Also it was kudos to the power of our hosts who sang the 'rain, rain go away song' and it stopped! We had our own Chun to entertain us and bring joy to the house.

Nearing midnight, we gathered in the living room to exchange gifts and took a few photos (Mr Gundam's camera)

I feel blessed that I have such good chingus who understand me and counting the years, I have known them since 2000! (except for Mr Juice and Mr Gundam and Mr 2000). I hope that our friendship remains as strong as ever and here's looking ahead for a fruitful and fulfilling 2011. HWAITING!

My resolution this year is to keep fit, help out more and stress less!

Been out of town

2010-12-19T13:06:00.000+08:00

Whoa.. it has been a while since I updated.

I have been away for the last three weeks on a course in Singapore. Now I am busy with the reports.

It was an interesting cou

rse and I would say an awareness raising course as well because we are aware of the nece

ssity of oral communication skills but we don't focus on this skill. We pay more attention to reading and writing because these two skills are more heavily assessed.

Our students need to be orally competent especially once they reach a stage where they need to apply for further studies or employment. An inarticulate speaker will lose points with the interviewers ev

en if he/she is academic smart.

Ok, now that I am back, th

e next big job is my room. It is currently under renovation and so far the walls are up and painted. Windows should be up by tomorrow. Floor to be measured tomorrow and done by Wednesday. After that I will officially move my stuff in! YAY!

So for now, I am trying to complete the school work as I think I will be pretty busy sorting out my junk and valuables once my room is ready.

Looking forward to meeting the

chingus for Christmas and New Year.... Hoorah!

Thinking of dumping MinHo for another guy...hmmm Why? Well, Minho is getting to darn popular and too many girls and noonas like him.. Tired of having to fight... LOL

Counting down

2010-11-13T14:51:00.000+08:00

One more week!

I am looking forward to next week as there are many things planned and I will be kept busy (in a good way)

Got the Annual Dinner, bowling practice, bowling tournament, meeting with ladies, dinner with chingus and dinner with sonsaengnim... PHEW!

I will be busy starting tomorrow as well as I have to start packing my stuff in my room. I hope that they will be hacking the wall when I am away. I just have to make sure my valuables are moved to a secure location... LOL..

So.. may be busy for a while and no updates. More updates will be on facebook!

Glad I am no celebrity!

2010-10-29T11:23:00.000+08:00

Those of you who know me well will know that I am a huge K-fan. K-dramas, K-music, K-stars.

The last few days, there has been an uproar among fangirls about their idol from Shinee actually out and about dating someone (who happens to be a beautiful actress)

Gah... It is insane with the threats against the girl, fan sites of the guy shutting down. It made me wonder, was I ever like this during NKOTB days?

Phew, I wasn't. My favourite was (still is) Joey McIntyre and I never thought of killing myself just because he was dating someone. I also realised that this was not restricted to Korean stars. Remember Andy Lau and his poor wife. Fans actually committed suicide when they discovered he was married.

I feel sad for these celebrities. They are famous but it is a lonely life up there.

Now, if MinHo were to start dating or get married, there will be death threats for sure! The only one that I can think of who would suit him would be Goo Hye Sun ^_^

Hello Hello

2010-10-23T18:12:00.000+08:00

Ah... to go on holiday..

Yesterday my bro and his gf just flew off to UK. There was a massive jam at the airport as it was the first Haj flight. WOW... there were really tons of people there.

I am looking forward to my own little trip. I know it is a working holiday (so to speak) but I relish the thought of learning something useful. It made me realise that I am still willing to keep on learning and there were times I thought I was 'too old' to go back to school.

Met up with my friends this past week. Next week is payday so I am staying put. There seems to be tons of paperwork to do before I fly so I have to get stuck into that soon.

Well, the renovation work has started and there is now a huge hole in my backyard and tomorrow they should be filling in the cement for the ground floor. I can't wait to have my room expanded. I am actually eager to go and look at furniture and also thinking of a design for my new wardrobe! Yeeha!

A breather

2010-10-07T18:53:00.000+08:00

Finally! A breather!

Going to finish all the paperwork for the oral this week. Will most likely have to pop by the Ministry a couple of times to hand in stuff.

On the work front, it's so-so. Have to think about next year's plans and offload some duties to the others. I have realised that I cannot continue the way I have been this past year.

Other than that, I am thinking about my next holidays. Probably will head to my homeland next year for relaxation and shopping. June will be homebound and then Sept.. hmmm....

Hey, have to think about the holidays or I will go crazy. At least look forward to something!

Blog blog

2010-10-04T18:07:00.000+08:00

Hmm... my chingu is taking the number one spot in training... LOL

Now we realise that

we need time to relax and complain about work , especially when we are overworked.

I realised that educators (I don't want to say women cos that will sound sexist) are great multitaskers.

As I am typing this, I am FB-ing, downloading, playing the FB games, typing my lesson for my lovely students for tomorrow and watching CNN. Hehe...

I think that after all the complaints, I really want to help my students. Nothing makes me happier than a student who actively looks for me to help them. I have to admit though that they do like the last minute thing. I find it difficult to cram a year's work into 2 hours 0_o

It looks like we are doing the alphabet thing for our meetups. So it's MsCrab's turn this week. Alphabetically, it should be Mrs Juice then followed by ButterflyAngel then me. I am already thinking ahead to a place where we can relax.. hehe.. let's see if someone thinks of the same place.

So it's already 10pm now. Better get back to work or I will be panda eyed again tomorrow.

Guilty

2010-10-03T15:49:00.000+08:00

After seeing ButterflyAngel update her blog.. I felt guilty.

Nothing much has been happening at all.

I have been busy with arranging orals, conducting orals.. I am all oral-ed out! Thank goodness it is over by Wed next week.

So our Nippon friend has left for Japan again. It seems like time is passing by so fast nowadays. I don't really feel stressed about it anymore. There are lots of opportunities out there and I have got a pretty full plate to deal with this year already.

I am looking forward to the next three weeks cos I will be slightly free until the last week when there will be workshops again in the afternoon (4 consecutive days!)

End of this year is kind of vacation free cos I will be busy on course but then it gives me more time to plan next years holiday. I already know where I am going.. HEHEHE>..

This feels pretty summarised but no mood to write a long post.

Oh yeah, biggest news this week was the SNSD sightings...... Should be true but they are here for a private function so I don't think many people will get to see them (unless pictures leak out)

Wait and see...

Late..

2010-08-08T19:01:00.000+08:00

So late already but thought about writing something.

Another week before Puasa! I think I will have more time to blog then...

Now back to MinHo...

Tonight's the night!

2010-07-07T17:15:00.000+08:00

More or less, it is the wee hours of the morning.

I don't think I will be catching the match later. Insanity as it's working day tomorrow. I have a feeling that it will be a LOOONNNNG day for some people. Won't be surprised if there is no one left at work tomorrow afternoon.

It's nearly the end of the jabulani and vuvuzela. If you haven't heard of these words, you must have been hibernating. I have my kids singing the World Cup song in school and I haven't seem them so interested in lessons since my beautiful colleagues created worksheets based on famous footballers.

In the interest of staffroom joy and smiling faces tomorrow, I hope Germany goes through.

YEEHAAAA!

So malas....

2010-07-04T06:59:00.000+08:00

For the first time, I watched a football match outside of home. I was watching the Germany - Argentina match and boy, were there quite a few Argentinian supporters. A lot of screams and shouts and the result caused a lot of people to be in shock.

I am sure that at work tomorrow, this will be a huge topic, especially since we have a German Club in my workplace and a lot of people love Messi.

Somehow, a guy in the cafe managed to get his hands on a vuvuzela and he was blowing it quite a few times. I can definitely tell you this... the vuvuzela is freaking annoying!

I am so looking forward to next week. Time to meet my chingus again and chill. It has reached a point where we just meet up after we set a date and time. It is difficult to get everyone to come at one time and if we try to suit everyone, we will never meet up.

So, get through next week and enjoy the long weekend!

Park Yong Ha Funeral : So Ji Sub Sending off PYH Jul 2, 2010

2010-07-02T20:55:00.000+08:00

Shocked...

2010-07-02T13:59:00.000+08:00

Such sad news...I love this picture of him.....

It's a bit late but the shock of Park Yong Ha's death is too real now.

Although I wasn't his greatest fan, it was a big shock to me because of his age. He was, by all consideration, young, successful, handsome and had so much potential. He had a new project coming up as well as his Japanese concerts.

Suddenly, gone! I would not be able to know the real reason why he did this but it must have be really bad. From the last words and actions where he cried and blamed himself for his father's illness and condition to stress from his work comittments. It must have overwhelmed him to an extent where he took his own life.

I think that we as humans need support, especially family and good friends. By good friends, I mean those who you can trust and confide in. Not those 'friends' who will blab your secrets or just patronise you. Friends who listen and not judge, give advice when you need it and be there for you , a friend who you KNOW will be there any time of the day, as a shoulder to lean or cry on.

I am fortunate to have chingus who are postive and support me. I have a family who loves me and not pressure me. In ALL.... I AM BLESSED!

One step at a time

2010-06-25T12:36:00.000+08:00

So many things are happening!

It's busy busy busy!

Thank goodness I didn't go anywhere during the holidays. I didn't even get sick *touch wood*

The funny thing was I became sick the third day into work.

I know there are many superpeople out there but I am not one of them. I don't do stress well. If you look at locus of control, when you feel that things are out of your personal control, you feel that you are being overwhelmed and stress occurs.

You feel less stress when you can blame others or think that things are not within your locus of control. Literally, out of your hands.

I hope that my marking ends soon. Then I can have my afternoons back!

Crisis

2010-05-26T17:26:00.000+08:00

I had a crisis of faith in my abilities as an educator earlier today.

I discovered that my Ss were not doing as well as I expected and first thought was "I am not a capable teacher"

I wondered at how these Ss could have done badly. It can't be all them, I must bear some of the blame too. I thought "Is it my methods?" " Was I not clear?"

At the end of the day, after my meltdown, I rationalised that I play a part the end game (results) but inevitably, who are the ones sitting for the exam? You know the answer. I feel sad for my weaker Ss but I know that they started caring about English too late and it is very very difficult to go from not caring to attempting a Credit in the Final Exam.

I will continue trying my best and I know I am giving my 100% but are the Ss? That is a question that I cannot answer..

Neverending story...

2010-05-24T16:08:00.000+08:00

End of school soon but still so busy... Arghhh...

Got great news that I will be at a workshop from 1st to 3rd June....whole day. Wonderful !

I am now speechless. So I have to think about relief and miss out the fun on the last week of school.

Some things are not meant to be....

2010-05-10T14:07:00.000+08:00

watched.

I freaked out last night. I popped a DVD in and started to watch this Korean movie called "White Night" It stars Son Yeh Jin (the actress currently with my MinHo in his latest drama) and Go Soo ( I think it was his first movie after the army)

It started off with a sex scene. Gawd... something you don't see normally in Korean anythings... Then later on Go Soo had a sex scene and he was buck naked. He had a ripper of a body though

This is what happens when you don't find out what the movie was about before you watch it! Now I need to scrub those images from my brain and watch these two actor/actress in a more innocent setting. Ahhhh... Go Soo.. I have to watch 'Piano' again but why do you act in such sad and heart wrenching dramas or movies..

Back to my "Personal Taste"......need more innocence in my life..

Gossip!

2010-05-03T15:06:00.000+08:00

Haha.. not of the work kind.

So many events happening in K world.

Lee Jun Ki going off to the army. Wah, he will be gone for the next 2 years. Earliest we will see him out will be 2012. Time to be a man. I am not used to his hair though. Somehow, I think he would have made a really pretty yoja..^_^

Who else is in the news ? Jang Dong Geun and Go Soo Young got married.

Gawd, the equivalent of the Bragelina couple.

I am happy to see him married to someone closer his age, but most importantly that he loves her.

I was ogling at some of the guests who went to the wedding and one of them was a man from my past... Now with his baby son and wife...(tons, tons, tons prettier than me) Hahaha... cannot compete with the Korean beauties la.

Check out these two!

Can I just stress how envious I am of Son Yeh Jin. Surprisingly I do not feel like scratching her eyes out. Just envy. Does this mean that I have matured? But man, Korean dramas have matured cos this was one serious kiss @_@

Seriously, I love this drama. Predict it will be a big hit once the DVD copies come out.

Considered?

2010-04-27T12:34:00.000+08:00

I couldn't resist when I read this story.

It's still a case of mentioned but nothing is done until something adverse occurs.

Why have all the talks when nothing changes?

Good Management Key To Controlling Stress In Workers

Written by Dewi Mohd Sofri Tuesday, 27 April 2010 07:24

Bandar Seri Begawan - Good management in the work environment is key to reducing stress in employees, the Head of Counselling Unit at the Ministry of Health said yesterday during a talk on "The importance of mental, emotional and physical health for work performance and generating productivity" for the teaching staff of Rimba Secondary School.

Pg Hj Sabtu Pg Hj Tuah said bad management is one of the factors identified as a cause of stress and he pointed out that lack of incentives and appreciation from employers to the employees can trigger stress in the long run.

Other external factors include the workload, type of tasks/duties, funetions and roles of the employees as well as conflict in communication among colleagues. At the same time, the employee may also be suffering from problems that are not directly related to their work but can affect their productivity, such as chronic illnesses, a poor diet and alcohol consumption. Pg Hj Sabra also highlighted a lack of faith which can worsen an individual's mental and emotional health.

'The (basic) meaning of stress is anything that can cause discomfort in you," he told the teachers. 'There are many different ways of expressing stress and everyone will experience some of it."

He continued by saying that stress to a certain extent can be good as it can spur productivity but when it becomes more than one can handle, then it becomes a cause for concern.

"And for those handling machinery, it can get dangerous," he added. Stress can also lead to depression which can also, at worse, lead to suicide. The talk is a project of the school to promote overall health.-- Courtesy of The Brunei Times

Monday again

2010-04-26T16:44:00.000+08:00

Nothing momentous but it will be a very busy week!

Tomorrow - Sports Day

Wed morning - heard I have a meeting but no memo as yet. Wed afternoon - PD

Thursday - briefing and afternoon PD

Hmm... am I going to be pooped or what?

Saranghae!

2010-04-23T14:48:00.000+08:00

Thank you my friends.

My chingus are my rock. Thank you for hearing me out and giving me support.

Sometimes I wonder if things which happen, there must be a reason. Cabaran?

Human behaviour is very fickle. In working life, people find it difficult to differentiate between professional and personal life. Everything is taken to heart. What more when you know that you are wrong and yet try to shift the blame and can only think of payback.

You know what? I am going to just complain and then forget it. I am going to concentrate on doing my job. Every human has their own free will. I can only advise and it is up to the individual whether or not that advice is accepted.

Many times, there is the 'You are hearing what I am saying but you are not LISTENING!"

Evaluate what was said, ask yourself if the comment was right, refute if it is wrong but accept when it is right. Move on from there! That is what makes a great leader.

I have had comments made on my PROFESSIONAL behaviour and sometimes I accept it. Do I favour certain people? I step back and assess. It may seem like I am favouring but I can also say that these people who I 'favour' are doing work. It's just that I don't announce to everyone. "OK, A is going to a meeting, B is going to a workshop, C will be helping out at ...." The best person for the job is usually the case, I can't send a person who is teaching lower to an upper meeting or vice versa.

So bring it on! Be fair and square in a fight. If you hold a grudge and act on the grudge, beware cos even a prodded dog will bite back! GRRRR!

Burnout..

2010-04-21T15:23:00.000+08:00

Let the sanity continue.

I have to say that life is like a rollercoaster. It has its ups and also the downs...

My my, today was down.

It feels like no one cares about our opinions. We are just automatons to be pushed and prodded and still said to be 'not doing enough'

An aspect that everyone seem to have forgotten when they concentrate on the students. What about us, the educators?

No one seems to care that we are trying our best. We are just told, 'look at the results' 'improve them' , 'more intervention programs'

When I think back to my school days, my teachers were *wait for it* TEACHERS! They taught us by sharing knowledge and pacing us. Now all the worries are ' our school is located at so and so on the ranking table'

Have they heard the adage, you can bring a horse to water but you can't make them drink? We are bringing them by giving them the knowledge but they are just not using it. We are trying our best! Granted that a few bad apples appear in any profession but is it right to torture those who do work?

Typical day of work

Class - 6 periods, free time - admin stuff + marking of books

Afternoon- extra class or workshops.

When the free periods are taken away as well as the free time in the afternoons, can we mark? can we update our books? How do we give constructive feedback?

AIGOOOO....

Back in the saddle..

2010-04-17T15:24:00.000+08:00

Wah... so enthusiastically blogging now.

I still have nothing much to say . The work is still there. Just waiting for me.

At the moment, I am multitasking. FB and also my LP. Isn't life full of acronyms?

So far, it has been relatively quiet. I am now busy arranging the exam papers. So I have delegated these jobs to my staff. Just have to be on top of things. So next week will most likely be my nagging week. "Have you finished the paper?" ' Can I check it?" blah blah blah.

A lot of things to think about too. Next week, sports practice. Then PTM. Plus other things that would pop up along the way.

Surprisingly, I am not upset as much as I was in the beginning of the year. I think because there are less things that are coming at one go. I only hope that this will continue and uppers will give time for us to prepare for reports and such. I don't want to hear "I need this by tomorrow!"

Side note... still happy that he is back.....SSIGHHHH...

Another step...

2010-04-16T15:02:00.000+08:00

$285 ....

Phew.. a lot of money but hey if it is beneficial, why skimp.

Slowly making decisions, left, right and center.

I have given up on ranting. It is bad for health and in the end, nothing happens.The best thing to do is concentrate on your work and do your best.

So far, it has been difficult catching up on the marking. So many distractions and interruptions. I can forsee that I will have to stay a few afternoons to complete all these. But wait! Monday - Workshop, either Tues or Wed - Sports supervision. Thurs ? and Saturday is my no-no day to stay back unless I HAVE to...

Sigh... I just want to let everyone who actually reads what I write to know. We DO actually work at home as well. Don't penalise us for not staying back. I mean, would you rather have someone who stays at work but surfs the internet (just to seem to be working) or someone who actually continues to work, albeit in the comfort of our home....

You know who we are!!!

On a happier note.... Guess who is back!! I am enjoying this drama and it seems as if Kim Bum improved since Boys Over Flowers and so did Min Ho!!

*********************************************************************MULITPLY***************************

Motivation needed

2010-04-14T14:34:00.000+08:00

Even if you didn't want to change, the world beyond you is changing.

There are some moments in life where you wonder where you are headed. Do we play safe and remain in our comfort zone or do we boldly go out THERE even if we are scared?

Questions have been swirling around in my head. I honestly can't see where I am in 5 years' time. Do I do something about this?

FEAR is a big thing holding me back. It seems like I am not the only one. But FEAR should also be the motivation to move forward because we are paralysed by FEAR and hence just stay where we are. STATIC..

I have been away too long to be thinking about these things. Now, just have to think about the next holiday!

Back for now

2010-03-11T11:26:00.000+08:00

Where have I been?

For those of you who have missed me, I have been at a workshop (got memoed on Saturday afternoon) from Mon to today. Full day.

It was the ACER (not the computer!) workshop where there were so many statistical data and analysis flying around and I thought I was back in uni!

I think that the data and how they design and develop the test papers were interesting but one constant thing was mentioned (in whispers). Where is the Exam dept?

They have left it all to ordinary teachers (Maths and English) to attend a workshop which I found personally to be enriching but not so practical as it basically dealt with analysing exam papers and the students' abilities.

The carrot at the end is that selected teachers will be going to Melbourne for three weeks to undergo more training. At the end of Sept. I would be interested in going but then three weeks is a long time and I am thinking of my students. Unless there is an additional teacher, then I would be unwilling to go. (Haha, this is only if I am selected - they are choosing 7 or 8 out of 34 teachers) Macam akan kena jackpot. LOL.

I will be back at work on Saturday and I found myself missing my students. Sure, they may drive me mad sometimes with their antics but it is more dynamic in the class and a more active activity. I have been on my bum for the last 4 days and absorbing way too much!

Tonight I will meet my chingus for a bit of relaxation. My good chingu, Mrs J is headed off to my homeland soon. Ahhhh.....lucky lucky!

I am looking forward to my holiday next week. A bit of relaxation is what is needed. Before that though, I have to get through next week!

The last week of this show . How can grey hair look so good on a guy???!!

The Waiting Game

2010-03-03T17:07:00.000+08:00

Trying hard to relax now.

I know there are quite a few things due. Sometimes I am being bombarded left and right. Makes me want to hide in a dungeon somewhere.

It has been pretty hot lately. I always feel like going for an ICED CAPPUCINO after the second period. Not going to complain much about the weather. Is it better to have too much rain or too much heat?

With the weird weather pattern going around the world today, it's best to appreciate what we have at the moment.

Ahh... Monday which caused me sleepless night went well, I think. The reading session was alright although I would still prefer it to be in the classroom as the students are more comfortable and it is a more realistic place. Think about sitting on hard tiles for 30 minutes!

The performance went well too. A few hiccups with the mikes but I thought the kids did well with limited practice. It helped that they were gung-ho about the whole thing. Kudos to them!

More pictures of the event on FB. I am still waiting for my colleague to upload more pictures. I was busy clicking the slides that I couldn't take many photos.

Finally... I can't get enough of two dramas at the moment. 'Still Want to Marry' and "Yamato Nadeshiko Shici Henge' Must get the drama sets once they come out! My Min Ho will be back with a new drama soon. I am not a big fan of Son Yeh Jin but I will sacrifice myself and watch this. The storyline seems interesting as well.

Heelloo Blog!

2010-02-25T14:09:00.001+08:00

It's been a long time!

No motivation and no time. A little breather now with the 3 day break ahead.

Something happened today to emphasise my need for a break.

I left my record file on my car and drove off. Luckily for me some teachers helped me to collect the remains and even sent it to my house.

So much on my mind lately and I hope these three days can make me relax a bit. But then, there's the presentation for the assembly on Monday.

People have to realise that it takes time to do a proper slideshow. You don't give birth to it overnight. Cut us some slack!

Others tell me to delegate. I can delegate but you still have to be involved in the process. It shouldn't be a SHOCK on the day itself (whether it was good or bad)

So many complaints, so little time. Time for destressing tomorrow. Can't wait to let it all out!

On a side note,

Love this new drama ~ another older woman, younger man scenario! Kim Bum is much much better in this than BOF.

Heelloo Blog!

2010-02-25T14:09:00.000+08:00

It's been a long time!

No motivation and no time. A little breather now with the 3 day break ahead.

Something happened today to emphasise my need for a break.

I left my record file on my car and drove off. Luckily for me some teachers helped me to collect the remains and even sent it to my house.

So much on my mind lately and I hope these three days can make me relax a bit. But then, there's the presentation for the assembly on Monday.

People have to realise that it takes time to do a proper slideshow. You don't give birth to it overnight. Cut us some slack!

Others tell me to delegate. I can delegate but you still have to be involved in the process. It shouldn't be a SHOCK on the day itself (whether it was good or bad)

So many complaints, so little time. Time for destressing tomorrow. Can't wait to let it all out!

On a side note,

Love this new drama ~ another older woman, younger man scenario! Kim Bum is much much better in this than BOF.

Busy!

2010-02-10T14:06:00.000+08:00

Sad to note nothing really positive to add.

Have been so busy. Practicing march past, going for meetings, stupid deadlines (hello , less than a week before it's due). I can go on and on.

Sometimes I think that schools are so focused on attaining good marks, not for the sake of the students but for the name of the school. They work their teachers to death (literally!) and if marks are bad, they look to the teachers. Hello, there is something called 'students'? Haven't they heard the adage that 'You can bring a horse to water but you can't force it to drink?"

I have to tell myself to be motivated because I have a great department. Issues are spilling over because it seems that the workplace has lost its understanding of the teachers' feelings. Nowadays I get home by 4ish. I am already pooped and I can't imagine those with kids.

Sigh..... I hope the situation gets better soon. I heard that other schools were as bad (in terms of teachers' morale) What has happened when getting Rank 1 over rides everything?

Shout out

2010-02-04T11:04:00.000+08:00

A big shout out to my chingu who celebrated her birthday yesterday.

I hope you enjoyed yourself and I am sure you had tons of fun at your workplace.

Let's meet for dinner soon!

Thinking hard

2010-02-01T13:21:00.000+08:00

New month but same old story. I am just going through the motions and doing what is expected of me.

Sometimes you feel like sanity is holding you together. Without sanity there is chaos.

For the first time in my teaching career, I forgot to bring my record file to work. This is the first, EVER! I have been in this field for almost ten years and there goes my record.

Actually, it's the students and colleagues, add my chingus and friends who help me get through the day. Of course some students do try and drive you up the wall but there are some bright lights out there who would give you the motivation to continue the work.

So what's ahead? A few holidays .. YIPEE and my March schedule.

For now, take it day by day....

Saturday but still shackled

2010-01-23T10:26:00.000+08:00

Two sick today....

Giving a running count of my staff who have been ill.

Today was busy for me. Although I only had one class, I had to relief a class, then meeting until 1020 with my next class at 1100. After that was CCA and had an impromptu meeting until 1145, rushed to my club venue and did my best to promote Korea.

PHEW!

Now is my free time. We currently have no maid so did some chores. Hopefully I can complete my LP today and tomorrow is cleaning day.

The next thing I will do is to upload those pics for Chocoballs. Check on FB!

Aja Aja Hwaiting! The picture below was taken at a workshop last week. I gotta say that we English teachers are a wacky bunch!

Ritual.

2010-01-21T17:50:00.000+08:00

Back home from a great night out.

Went for the usual sushi and then coffee and cake at the new franchise nearby.

Nothing much happened today. There was an environment launch at my workplace and it took up my free time! I had 30ish minutes to rest before it was off to work. It's actually funny how one says something but does another. Ya, recycle but do we do it (actually)? Stop deforestation but the trees around us are chopped down and made into an ugly cemented area.

I am hoping to make our theme this year to be all about environmental change. I am guilty of doing some things that don't help this cause but it takes time to educate.

This afternoon I visited a new 'workplace' It was nice to see my ex students and they remembered me. They couldn't believe that it was me there. LOL...

Had lunch (thanks to Butterfly Angel) and went around a bit.

Nothing much to add about tonight. Mrs Juice is excited to be off to my 'homeland' and HK. I am hoping to meet up with her and her hubby over there. My next holiday destination. (Aiyah, forgot my cuti form again)

We went to try out the new 'cake' place and first impressions are not good. Cake was not up to expectation and the coffee not extraordinary. Service is still lacking. Mrs Juice watched as her drink was prepared and left on the counter. No one serving it but tons of servers walking around. Same case with Ms Racer. Her drink was also left on the counter until she reminded the waitress. Aish.. don't think we will be going back there anytime soon.....

As usual we talked shop..... LOL... We won't be meeting next week but mostl likely before Chinese New Year...

Ladies.. I am torn between two lovers...

Bi....

2010-01-17T17:59:00.000+08:00

So quick and it's Sunday.

I felt like I didn't have a break because I had a long day on Sat.. I don't know whether it was fortunate (or unfortunate) that I didn't have any plans that night cos I think I wouldn't have been great company.

It is going to be a repeat tomorrow... sigh...

This is due, that is due....Sucks man....

Now where am I going on holiday next?

Positivity...Yeah right!

2010-01-16T13:22:00.000+08:00

Another looong day at work.How to stay positive?

So many things to do in such a short time. Sucks big time.

I only got back at 5pm today, considering that I have been at work since 7 in the morning.

I am absolutely speechless... I feel more pity for those who have families. I am already tired and I don't have children and a husband at home who expect some time with their mother or wife.

It's back to the same old stuff on Monday. Deja vu as one of my colleagues said.

Once again, I am speechless.

Sigani Opso

2010-01-13T12:25:00.000+08:00

Sigh... Can't wait for this week to be over.

At the moment, so many things on my plate. Trying to do things step by step.

I only wish that some people would listen to our opinions. We organised, plan and arranged it so what't the point if our decision is overridden? Makes us feel like we are not heard and a lot of things are for 'superficial' reasons. Just to make one person look good....

It's also still the usual last minute things. Please remind at least a week before and it will be ok. Not the day before...

Finally, check first. Usually things are already given and you can find it once you check with the right person. There is something called a chain of command so check with the appropriate person before asking where it is!

And it's only the second week!

POOPED

2010-01-11T12:19:00.000+08:00

What a start to the week...

First, I had to wake up at 5am to drop my parents off at the airport. Then, my first official assembly.

Walked around most of the school with our guests and only managed to sit down at 930. After break I had 3 periods of classes. Off to do the record books after that.

Afternoon, a workshop which ended at 430pm.

Crazy la!

I am even too tired to go out for dinner... but I will definitely contact my chingus about Thursday night. SOON...

And so it goes..

2010-01-06T13:25:00.000+08:00

Still surviving, my fellow educators?

I am halfway there. LOL. I think the first week is ful of adjustments. Back to a timetable, back to facing our students, back to the grind of work and back to the last minute 'things/reports' to hand in. Coincidentally as I type this, I am 'postponing' writing my reports.

I tell myself that I must finish most of the paperwork this week because I know that there will be a meeting later on where all these things are needed.

At the moment, I am still waiting for the final decision on the timetable and classes. This year seems to be quite hectic for the Yr 9. Last year, we were all so focused on Yr 8 that we didn't think about the Yr 9.

Everyone is on tenderhooks with the amount in each class. 35-40 seems to be the average. It is scary how I am used to this. Imagine, when I first started working, I had 21 periods and an average of 27 in each class (only three classes - mind you)

This already indicates that there is a problem somewhere where it is either the amount of students are growing or there are a lot of students not leaving the schooling system.

I worry for a lot of the kids who are already demotivated to study. They see school as a social point, not as an educational institution. A place where they can 'lepak' until 1230. They have not put in much thought to what is in their future.

To be a pilot, what do you need? Subjects? Social skills? What about becoming a teacher? What subjects? What skills both personal and social? If you think about it, being a teacher requires a person to have affable personal skills such as a groomed self (imagine a teacher with greasy hair and unwashed bajus), a stature that inspires confidence so that students can say 'Yes, I respect this teacher' Also social skills. We won't like a teacher who tells you to go away at every opportunity and does not want the students to ask any questions at all. What if a student tells you about her/his personal problem? Next thing you know, the teacher has blabbed it to the friends.

The teaching profession is a wonderful thing. It may sound trite but honestly, I enjoy seeing my students a few years down the road. How you taught them is how they treat you. Do not think that students are dumb. They are quite astute. They do know which teacher has helped them a lot ( even if this teacher was reprimanding them most of the time in order to get them to study) They also know which teacher may be 'friends' with them but they have learnt nothing of value from that teacher.

I hope that all the students I have ever taught reflect on me and say that I was a teacher. Not a friend, not a mother but a teacher because I hope that I have taught them something of value which they can still remember ten years later.

1st Day

2010-01-04T09:19:00.000+08:00

Is it good or bad that today was alright?

I left home for work and arrived before 7. Tons of parking and traffic was amazingly light.

It was good to see everyone coming in with smiles on their faces. Of course, all were talking about their holidays, what they did and how they enjoyed it.

In the beginning of the day there were tons of kids wandering around the place, looking for their rooms and new friends. It was great to see a few familiar ones but there were also some that you hoped would have stopped.

Nothing much happened today except for an assembly after break. It was a quick one and back to normal as normal can be. I didn't even know it was already 1230 (one reason was our clock had run out of batt and permanently showed 725)

Here is looking forward to tomorrow~!

One big question though. WHY are the meetings on Saturdays IN THE AFTERNOON???

2010!~

2010-01-01T14:17:00.000+08:00

It is finally here!

I had a great time with the chingus last night. Mr and Mrs Juice couldn't make it this year and they were greatly missed. We had the usual steamboat and it was nothing fancy but great times where we had a decent talk. Went a bit crazy with photos but now waiting for Mr Gundam to post them.

Thinking back 2009 was not so bad. I mean, in the first half nothing momentus happened. I was just plodding along and doing my work. Went off to Singapore in March and again in September.

Chocoballs came back for a surprise visit and nearly caused an international incident. I confess that I was the only one in the group who knew he was coming back. This is called a surprise, No?

My boss went for further studies and I had to take over. The last chingu bites the dust and becomes the HOD.. LOL.. I had been resisting for soooo long...

My trip to Korea in December where people said, "You are going there again??" Aiyoh, to me going there is like a trip to Singapore, just further. I would never go again in December where the average temperature was a butt numbing -12 degrees.

Like ButterflyAngel said.. "It's noona's pilgrimage" hehe..

Looking ahead, it's kind of unpredictable. I have to see what happens and adjust accordingly. I foresee a lot of chingu meetups to destress.

I hope that this blog will not be so un-updated (hey, I am an English teacher!). I hope I will be diligent this year.

My new year's resolution?

Actually have none but I plan to go on more vacations!

PS> Photos from my trip will be available on FB. ^_^

Another day...^_^

2009-12-10T06:55:00.000+08:00

Wah... a lot of things have happened the last few days.

First of course is that my parents came back from their holiday.

We had an early birthday dinner for my dad. Once a month we have dinner together somewhere because we realise that it is difficult for the whole family to actually have dinner together. We were giving advice to my bro for his upcoming holiday. Can't believe this is the first time he is going on tour (without his parents and sis!)

Yesterday we had a breakfast meeting with the chingus at D. Again Mr and Mrs Juice are going on holiday, this time to Thailand. Wow, I have to find a hubby that loves travelling as well ^_^ We caught up with one another and all of us agreed not to think of work until the final two weeks of the holidays LOL....

Last night, I went out to meet some of the people who would be with me on the trip. They seem like a nice group of people and to say Brunei is a small country, we have mutual friends in Brunei. Shouldn't be surprised because our community is really small.

I may blog again tonight about the issue from before... Do we use too much time to wait for the ONE? ^_^

Three more days!

2009-12-08T08:14:00.000+08:00

Last night my parents came back from their holiday. They told me it was really cold in HK but lots of shopping can be done at HK airport (Yipee!)

There were tons of people at the airport yesterday until I had to park at the second parking lot! I don't know why unless there were a lot of people leaving as well. At first I thought a celebrity was coming to Brunei LOL... but no one famous (that I could recognise)

This is the week! I haven't packed yet and I checked the weather forecast and currently it is snowing in Seoul. Wa.. that would be a first for me in Korea. On average it has been 5 degrees (max)!!

Already I have a list of things that people are asking me to buy stuff. I can't believe that there is no place on Earth that I can go without having to buy something back. Maybe it is time to consider going to Alaska!

I will usually promise to try my best to find the thing but no concrete promises. I am still making a list of what I want to buy and it is woefully little. A few CDs and 'You're Beautiful' stuff. LOL. I have passed my Boys over Flowers stage. Hope to see my Shin Woooooo.

I was reading ButterflyAngel's blog and it brought me to something that I was discussing with some friends. About fate. Even if we have been with someone for a while, you can still easily break up with that person and within the next 6 months , meet someone else, fall madly in love and get married. There is always the issue of 'timing' and this brings me to the movie 'Turn Left, Turn Right' or 'Sliding Doors' Check those movies out. Reaching this age of mine, I have come to the realisation that I should take my time. I have waited this long, why should I be pressured by conventions which say that I SHOULD be married by now.

I would rather take my time and not rush. Yes, the biological clock is ticking and there is an expiration date for the womb but do I have to feel that I NEED to give birth? I would love to have children but if it wasn't meant to be then c'est la vie.

I think that everyone should know that marriage and children are big steps in one's life. To be pressured or rushed into it, that is folly. If you meet the right ONE, then by all means Hwaiting. I believe that as we mature, we make more rational decisions. Now, the only worry is that we take too long to make these decisions. This story will be for another blogpost.... ^_^

Chunbi! Kaja!

2009-12-01T14:01:00.000+08:00

Everything is settled. Phew!

So ready to have a break.

Nothing much has been happening here except that today was a heck of a day. It has been raining since this morning. A steady drip then downpour and back to drip.

I was woken this morning by the sound of the rain. No thunder thank goodness. I would say that today was pure rain. It has kept the temperature nice and cool but the sky gives the impression of doom.

Went to work as usual and then to MOE to do some form filling. After that was lunch. Wanted to go to Golden Leaf but no parking. Decided to go to 88 and saw so many cars, I thought *ARGGGH* We managed to get a spot and the restaurant was full so the boss pulled a table for us.

After lunch was when I went to pay for the trip. A great relief to have this debt removed. I hate holding on to money which I know has to be used. I rather pay it off and then enjoy the money that I have left.

I am happy to find out that my sonsaengnim will be there when I am there. Yippeee....I feel more secure now cos I am with two chingus who have not been there before. My language skills are still subpar (but I can say 'Saranghae' ^_^)

So counting down now..... stop procrastinating on work to be done!

Nomu kamsahamnida to my chingu, MsK (now Mrs Juice). The goodies are oishi!!

The start of something good..

2009-11-27T14:06:00.000+08:00

It's finally here!

The much anticipated holidays!

So far I have been relaxing but today I still woke up at the usual time. Have to tell my brain that it is OK to wake up late.

Last night I went out with my sonsaengnim and it was great catching up with each other.

Today, it was my usual Friday date and came back home pooped. I am looking forward to tomorrow when I can see my chingus! And welcome back Mrs Juice (I am sure she will be bringing goodies from her honeymoon)

I am telling myself to finish all my paperwork before my trip. Must do or I will stress about it when I am over there. Agh....

The end of my drama... Now what should I watch after this.,

PS. Shin Woo, you are still my Number 1!!

Racehorse...

2009-11-22T15:37:00.000+08:00

Now why is that my title... cos I feel like a racehorse which is reaching the finishing line. I can see it ahead!

I have survived this week (barely) and into the last stretch. I know that there are tons of work to do but since I only start my leave on the 6th, I think I can use my time constructively when no one is around to complete the work.

I just need to remind those who are doing the SOW that it's their responsibility. All the other reports will slowly but surely be done.

What else can I do. I heard that there are tons of stuff that will happen next year. I am just leaving to fate. Aish....

There are good things happening. I will definitely take the time to relax......

What roses???

2009-11-21T09:31:00.000+08:00

Life is a bunch of roses.. That's the usual adage. Not this year!

I am so wrecked at the end of this year. I had to restrain myself from bursting my frustration at work because of blame games and the eleventh hour issues.

Tip to future management, please 'tegur' the individuals directly and not as a whole. Some people pretend ignorance that they are not the PERSON who the comment is targeted to.

I absolutely love my job. I enjoy what I do but when work that is not related to my job description keeps getting thrown at me, I feel frustrated and unhappy.

So how to deal with this? I escape to my fantasy world and try to speak as least as possible. It's better to say nothing if there is nothing good to say.

I am going to enjoy my weekend and hope that my travelling plans can be confirmed by next week.

Back to my alternate reality now...

Horoscope mode...

2009-11-16T16:23:00.000+08:00

LOVE.. SARANG....

Snakes are beautiful people who exhibit quite a sexual appeal. They are sleek and seductive and if they want you, will put a spell on you that won't let you stop thinking about them. However, Snakes are quite prejudiced when choosing a partner and don't just choose based on physical qualities. The Snake needs a partner who can appreciate his quirky sense of humor and his wacky way of handling situations, so generally, although quite beautiful and tempting to approach, the Snake does all the pursuing.

My compatibility....

EXCELLENT	Rooster
GOOD	Ox, Horse, Dog, Dragon, Sheep
FAIR	Rabbit, Monkey, Snake
DIFFICULT	Rat, Tiger, Pig

My boy-boy is a Fire Rabbit! NOOOOO......

My newbie is an Earth Snake ....second strike....

Arghh.. my first love (Seung Ki) is also a Fire Rabbit....

So my best bet are people born in 1969 (40), 1981 (28), 1993 (16 ...eek)

My best choice out of the drama I am watching is him..he's a Metal Horse..keke

Snake on vacation..

Snakes love to vacation. They get a great deal of pleasure out of just being lazy. And they love luxurious things, often spending their money on material desires they probably don't need.[Dunno whether this is true] When a Snake goes on vacation, he really goes on vacation. Fancy restaurants, expensive health clubs and spas, anything in which they can fully indulge themselves. Their getaways must be fully equipped to pamper their every want, or the Snake will become stressed.[True in a way. I like things to be properly planned. Not 'kelam-kabut']

Hidden Sexual Fantasies of Snake Women

2009-11-16T15:50:00.000+08:00

I had to post this when I read it. Cos I fear some of it is true ^_^..... Guess which bits.. haha...

Everything in your fantasies is related to desire. But desire and wait rather than acting. What's important in your eyes is games of seduction, glances, the extreme luxury of dresses and places, the promises of a smile or of a movement which is apparently innocent but terribly provocative. Those who crowd your fantasies are beings who are all refined, who pursue love but prove to be difficult to charm, shifty or even reticent. You move in a universe of charm and beauty, a subtle and harmonious universe, where everything is sign, promise or refusal, where everything is mask and swift turn, subtle avowals or hardly perceptible flights. However, all this amorous merry-go-round will end with a freely accepted union.

Brutes displease you as much as too spicy a dish. You like handsome, young and sensitive men. [Could this be true??]Those who can arouse your fantasies have everything of romantic heroes. They are tall and slim, wear clothes of great elegance with subtle ease, their long hair floats on their shoulders.[ I can think of so many men, all from a certain country] They ride stallions or drive sport cars. They roam the world as dandies, capable of great passions but restraining their instincts so as not to hurt the beautiful women whom they desire. You imagine them at your feet, you want them to be submitted to you, at least in appearance. For, actually, you expect only one thing - that these almost feminine men show you that they are as virile as others. [Very true here, This I agree!]

Tough week ahead

2009-11-16T10:34:00.000+08:00

It's Monday and I already have so many things on the brain.

Couldn't sleep last night because of all the pending things. Managed to do 2 out of 4 things so that wasn't too bad.

Today was mainly running around and getting things done. It seems like I will be absolutely packed this week. I will most likely stay back tomorrow to put the comments in. Then possibly on Wednesday as well. I don't think I can complete the comments in one day.

On Thursday will be the meeting and then now I have to attend a conference on Thursday and Friday as well. Sigh... more stuff to do.

Saturday will be another meeting (in the afternoon!)

I surrender! This week my life will be revolving around school. I swear if they expect more things next week, I will explode......

HOLIDAYSSSS .. WHERE ARE YOU? Need to see more of this...

Need a hero

2009-11-13T18:32:00.001+08:00

Two more weeks!

Ahh... got some things done today at least.

I had a destressing session with my chingus last night. The newly-weds were not back from their honeymoon so it was just the three of us. As usual, comments about work....

No pictures because no mood la...

At work, it is the same old. I was pretty sick on Wed and had to sauna it out...

It worked! Plus drinking an awfully bitter tea did help as well. Felt human the next day at least.

So I have been frantically watching this new drama. It has taken over my life on Wed and Thurs. Ahhh... it's late so I will stop for now.

Only 20 years old. I swear they are getting younger ^_^

Need a hero

2009-11-13T18:32:00.000+08:00

Two more weeks!

Ahh... got some things done today at least.

I had a destressing session with my chingus last night. The newly-weds were not back from their honeymoon so it was just the three of us. As usual, comments about work....

No pictures because no mood la...

At work, it is the same old. I was pretty sick on Wed and had to sauna it out...

It worked! Plus drinking an awfully bitter tea did help as well. Felt human the next day at least.

So I have been frantically watching this new drama. It has taken over my life on Wed and Thurs. Ahhh... it's late so I will stop for now.

Only 20 years old. I swear they are getting younger ^_^

Burdened

2009-11-09T12:17:00.000+08:00

Sigh..

Many things due soon before the holidays.

Starting to panic a little here cos of all the paperwork due. That's it. I am going to really enjoy my holiday. Just thinking about all these pending things is giving me a headache.

Today was the day of Wordplay. I went back to my previous school and well, the place has changed a lot. I popped in and saw MsRacer, said Hi and then had to go.

One thing I can say is that the boys are still the same. My poor girls were stuck to my side and afraid of the boys. I think they were Form 5s cos there must have been an exam today.

My kids did pretty well I think, as we did not have that much time to practice. I think we only had four days to practice. We beat SMB by 2 points and lost to SMMG by 1 point. This year, the format has changed and I think that I prefer it this way because a lot hinged on team work instead of the buzzer format. The buzzer format may see the same kid pressing the buzzer and not giving others a chance.

As for my plans for this week, I think I will be out with my chingus on Thursday nite and a date on Friday night. Need the break to release stress!!

And of course, my picture of the day.

Teacher's Day all over again!

2009-11-04T14:12:00.000+08:00

Blisss....

A day off is such a rare thing. I know there are still tons of things to do but for tonight I am going to settle down, play my FB games and watch my anime.

I know that there are some Ts who are going to be working tomorrow, My heart pounded as I approached the pigeonhole and there was nothing there! PHEW..

The past two days have been hectic. I didn't sit down until 11am, too many things happened and kept me busy. I was running around the place and I think I already have my exercise regime, climbing up and down stairs.

Yesterday I only sat down at about 9pm. Ahhh...more things popped up. I swear chingus , if you see me losing weight, it's not that I have an eating disorder. It's either stress or my climbing stairs routine.

Today I went to the Korean Language launching at UBD. I think it was successful because there were lots of people there. I saw a few Korean textbooks that I think I will buy when I am there. Tomorrow night I will most likely be back at UBD watching the singing and dancing competition. It should be interesting.

So now back to my FB games and looking for a decent winter jacket. Wonder if he comes with the jacket.. hehe '^_^

Lazy and busy

2009-11-02T14:09:00.000+08:00

So much has happened since the last time I blogged.

Last Wednesday I went to watch the Okinawa dance show at ICC. I enjoyed it (honestly) but it was slow going.

Halloween night was at

John's place. The first time for a lot of us at his place. It was nice and cosy and had a great view of the padang and temple. Mr and Mrs J were telling us about their upcoming honeymoon to Japan. And their next stop after that would be Thailand. Wah...

My travel buddy has made a comment that I am pondering. Should we stay longer in my favourite place? I was thinking now of four nights instead of 2. Hmmm... have to hunt down a suitable place to stay...

Now... my pictures will probably change. Still love my boy-boy but a new one is popping up! ^_^ Ahh... a woman's heart can be so fickle...

Orae Manae

2009-10-20T12:19:00.000+08:00

It's been a while since I last blogged.

Combination of laziness and moodless..

So what's up? Well I have been busy with paperwork and deadlines. Was feeling stressed last week and it manifested in a sore shoulder and back. Now the kiddies are in exam mode so I am relaxing a bit.

Still trying to finish some paperwork at the moment as well.

Now, the big event has come and gone. Now Miss K is Mdm K or Mrs J.. I think I will keep to Mdm K... more mature LOL

I missed the wedding at the church (which was regretful) but thanks to Mr Gundam, I could see the wonderful pictures from that day. I had the others who attended the wedding describe to me what happened so it was great to hear that all went well.

That Saturday night was the dinner night. We all wore blue (at the request of the bride) and YES... my dress was blue la (a bit bluish-grey)

We went to see the bride but she was still getting her make-up done. We chatted with her for a while before going down to wait for MsLexus.

Standing there we tried to see if we knew anyone. I met my schoolmate's sister and asked her why she was there. LOL... I finally figured later that she was Mdm K's classmate!

The dinner went well and I loved Mdm K's chinese style dress. The MC was a bit wacky (I suppose that's normal) We also had tons of fun taking pictures! A lot of love going around. Also a lot of bum shots. I swear I have never laughed so much in my life.

The dinner ended at around 10 and we waited to have pictures with the happy couple. Now we are giving Mdm K time to adjust to married life and soon we will be bugging her to see some of her wedding photos. Hehe....

More pictures at FB cos I am too lazy to upload here...

New obsession

2009-10-12T15:27:00.000+08:00

It's been a while since i have last blogged.

With the start of a new position, it has been hectic. I wish that it happened in the beginning of the year because now there are so many pending things.

I am definitely looking forward to the holidays. I think that's when I can relax and enjoy myself at my favourite place!

It's also five days and counting to our chingu's big day.Thinking back, I have now seen two chingus married and another on the way. WOW! That's quite a long friendship we have. As to the question that MrsJ mentioned in FB, you never know who's next!

At the moment, I am obsessing over a new drama so chingus, don't be surprised if my picture changes... LOL....

So hot!

2009-09-30T10:44:00.000+08:00

Nope, that's not the WonderGirls song..

It has been really hot lately. Throw in a few blackouts and you have a grand ole time.

On Sunday, my place had a blackout. I think it was because of the weather cos the wind was freaky! I could see the trees swaying wildy in the wind. If this is only a preview event to an actual typhoon, I would be scared, really scared.

On Monday, there was the bandar wide blackout where many of the commercial areas were affected. Fortunately, my place was fine. The next day, half my kids were energyless and said they didn't sleep well that night.

Yesterday, I went to watch the Korean festival where there were traditional dancers and music. It was filled with people and it was a wonderful performance. Met quite a lot of familiar people there. Luckily this performance was not on Monday night!

I have mixed emotions about my current situation. All I can do is give my best. Better think more positively.. SIGH....

So lazy

2009-09-24T05:58:00.000+08:00

No mood to blog as yet... maybe when it gets busy again.

Just did the usual.... went on holiday and came back. Met the new English teacher.

So lazy to go out today so I am saving my energy tomorrow... I think it will be very busy tomorrow....

Hehe.. blog then..

So lovely....

2009-09-12T15:24:00.000+08:00

Ahh.. this is it!

Happiness rules today!

On Thursday, it was the usual meetup with chingus. We went to MsK so it was carpool time.

On the way, lots of things were said and my frustrations were eased. All thanks to chingus! We are now in the same club (dunno if this is actually good) although one of us has a potential to 'improve' LOL....

We chatted about MsK's plans and Chocoballs talked about his worries. Sometimes I hope that we do give useful advice but I also say that Chocoballs, we are behind you all the way, you know?

It was time for the chingus to whip out their wish list. I have to remember to compile all of this or I will forget everything.

Today is the last day of work.. woohoo...

I feel like throwing my record book in the air (but it will most likely hit me on the head)

There are tons of things to complete before the new term as well. Sigh.. better enjoy holiday first and worry about that later!

So jammed!

2009-08-31T15:30:00.000+08:00

Today was pretty jammed...

After work today, I decided to meet up with an ex-colleague (for the moment) to settle a few matters. We talked about what was happening all around as well as work related issues.

After lunch, I decided to do some errands. I thought that I might as well do it all today so that I don't have to run around tomorrow.

Wa.. I went to Serusop to do some photocopying and when I left to head towards Kiulap, there was a huge jam. This was at 215pm. I used the old road... Kumbang Pasang to head towards Bandar/Kiulap and there was a jam there as well. As I passed the turnoff to Gadong (near Riverview) another jam!

Thankfully Kiulap itself was ok. At the moment, I am looking for documentaries about the Titanic but no luck. So if anyone sees a DVD about the Titanic (not the movie) Please tell me!

So nice..

2009-08-29T12:48:00.000+08:00

Last Thursday we went out for our first sungkai at Icebar. When we got there it was not crowded (6pm) but it was already fully booked!

We waited for both sungkai to start as well as MsRacer. Guess which one came first... LOL...

So we tucked into our meal. I had the miso base but I still prefer the kimchi. I shared with ButterflyAngel and it was quite filling. We had grand ideas of ordering extra side dishes but then Chocoballs wanted to try out Bakerlyn so we had to save our 'perut'.

Chatted about issues and reminded ourselves that friendships are important. I rank 'good friends' as second to 'family' The other stuff will be below these two. Also we found out MsK's honeymoon destination has changed. Wah... good to ask her to kirim from the land of many sakuras... hehe...

Anyhow, as this place did not have the flakes, we headed off to Bakerlyn. MsRacer and I followed Chocoballs but MsK and ButterflyAngel had to drive themselves there.

We arrived there, ordered our cakes and found out that they were closing in 10 minutes. We decided to stay on a bit and it was cosy because it was only us. We tried 5 different cakes and I would say that the "Selfridges Cheesecake' is DIVINE.... Must try that again. Good for strawberry lovers!

We ended the night relatively early and I was home by 930. It was straight to FB then... LOL...

Ah.. I am glad for my chingus. They are always there whenever I need an ear, a hand or other body parts. ^_^

I still need to add him to my chingu list though.... PS... ButterflyAngel... just msg me when you feel like having pasta or sushi... hehe..

So sakit....

2009-08-27T11:08:00.000+08:00

It has a horrible night.

I think my body had a meltdown and decided to escape through my nose.

My body has strangely overheated even though I drank more water than I usually do. So do I surmise that the more water I drink, the sicker I become???

It is already Thursday and I am looking forward to the holidays! Need to relax and be stress free. I know when I get back to work, my lovely Boss will have gone to UK and I am left holding the wheel of an unstable ship. I swear, it is daunting to take over her shoes and I thank God that she is only away for a year.

I will be seeing my chingus later for sungkai. Should have more photos then!

So mad....

2009-08-24T10:17:00.000+08:00

I am so angry (well, actually have cooled down a bit).

I have to find a place to vent today. Now I realise how fortunate I am to have a blog.

I was so angry today because of one particular student. He is back from suspension and literally does nothing in class. All he does is hang out the window and whistles at the girls.

Today I asked him to close the windows and I closed the back door. As soon as my back was turned, he said 'p#k*m*' (chinese word for the female part). I turned around and exploded, literally.

This is fasting month and they are telling us to be patient. How can I let this go? Is this fasting when you use swear words? I consider that today would be null and void for this fellow.

I swear, it is at times like this that I feel demotivated. Why am I teaching these kids who don't want to learn? I understand that we should give all children a fair go at education but some of these kids I feel are taking up the valuable space which could be given to another student who deserves it more.

I know that there may be some underlying factors which shaped the student's behaviour into what he is today. At least if he transferred from another school, he should try to change in his new environment. Start afresh, so to speak... but no... he continues his bad behaviour.

Do I just throw my hands in the air and say 'That's it!!' ? Now, more than ever I really want a break. I need to focus on further education!!!

Even he can't make me happy.. *_*

Thanks for all the support that I received from fellow educators... sigh.... instead of motivation for students, it should ne motivation for teachers....

Road trip

2009-08-23T12:21:00.000+08:00

It appears that I am going on a familiarisation of Brunei trip.

Last Friday I went with my chingus on a trip down to KB. MsRacer was the designated driver and we carpooled to MsK's restaurant. We met her there and had breakfast. We chatted for a while until Chocoballs arrived.

We were there until 1015ish and decided it was time to head out. We piled into MsRacer's car (with MsK leading the way) We went to MsK's place at Sg Liang to pick her up. All of us agreed that MsK should consider buying a 4WD cos the road conditions to her workplace were not ideal for sedans.

After she arrived and got into our car, we left for KB. A friend of ButterflyAngel (our friend as well) invited us to her house for lunch. We became lost in Mumong! We couldn't find her place so she and her husband had to drive out to lead us. We waited for them at PJN. It so happened that it was also prayer time so there were tons of cars.

She found us and we followed her back to her house. She had prepared a nice meal for us. We got to meet her twin babies and they were so cute. They were non-identical so it was easy to tell them apart.

We sat down and had a leisurely lunch where BAngel's friend believed that Chocoballs was Japanese and we were bringing him around Brunei. There were quite a few chuckles and it was believable that Chocoballs was really a Japanese.

After lunch we headed to OGDC. Amazingly a few of us have never been there. Unfortunately for one of us, her sandal strap broke and she had to wait outside the centre for us. Aiyah...

We went in and went around trying the stuff. Chocoballs and MsRacer played Mindball where the most relaxed person wins by pushing a ball away from you. All by using brain waves. Guess who was more relaxed........Chocoballs!

We continued playing with a few of the illusions. It appears that the exhibits are the same as last year because I was there in June 2008 and it is still the same.

After OGDC it was time to head home. We dropped MsK back at the office and headed home. The day was rainy and there was an accident along Jln Jerudong as we were going to drop Chocoballs back to his car.

I got home at about 6pm. Just in time to eat dinner then go and rest.

It was a fun day and I really enjoyed myself. Although we did not go around Seria town or KB, the time we spent in the car talking made it all worth the trip!

PS - Not in Temburong and not in KB either....

Bloody Hell!

2009-08-20T10:43:00.000+08:00

I lost all my post as the bloody internet connection was cut.

So now the shortcut version of my trip.

I went to Temburong for my orals yesterday.

I was at the jetty by 7 and chatted to my fellow Korean freak, Vivian. We chatted about our holiday plans until the others arrived. We also saw the daily commuters, the teachers at Awang Semaun. I am thankful that I am based in Bandar.

We left for Temburong at 705 and it is definately a 45 minute ride. All around were swamps and water. We didn't trust the life jackets and they looked like it was made of styrofoam. Would we actually float or become crocodile food?

We arrived at Temburong by 745 and the bus was already there. We hopped on and the school was only 5 minutes away. We were brought to the auditorium. There were 6 groups (in pairs) so we conducted our Orals simultaneously.

We were impressed with the level of English spoken by the students and it made me feel ashamed that sometimes we joke about their language abilities. My partner and I got mainly the B, C and D class so that might be one reason why.

We soldiered on until 1130 (20 students done by then) and had lunch. There were really nice snacks (begedil, potato and cheese and egg sandwiches - no wajid though) and they also gave us a packed lunch. We continued the orals until about 3ish. We packed up and left the school at around 315.

We were at the jetty but the boat wasn't there yet so we took some photos. Very touristy for Bruneians to do. Some of the shops reminded me of those found in Tutong Town.

We left for Bandar at around 350 and arrived at 440. Along the way we chatted and joked and I managed to see crocodiles and proboscis monkeys!

When we arrived in Bandar we saw tons of police boats on the river. There were police men everywhere. We wondered what was happening (Only to find out today that it was a terrorist drill)

After we arrived at the jetty , we said our goodbyes and I still had to follow my dad to pick my mom. Got home, ate and showered and thought 'Phew! No more orals!"

In Temburong, I didn't see any guys like him so I suppose there is none in Brunei (^_^)

So knackered...

2009-08-18T11:10:00.000+08:00

It was a busy weekend for me last week. On Friday I had dinner with my school friends and it was decided.. pot luck. I got my mom to fry some mee-hoon and the gents loved it!

It was a great chance to see the baby again (whose name escapes me at the moment!) Also his brother Isaac kept playing with my camera and surprisingly he takes good shots. Below is a picture he took of me. He is only 5!

There were good news all around as one of my friends is now pregnant with twins (her first children) and my other friend will be due next month. Got to think about the baby gift!

On Saturday, I decided to go out with my sonsaengnim. She just came back from Korea and we went to Gripps for dinner. She bought a present from Korea. Kamsahamnida. From the sounds of things, there are a lot of activities planned and she mentioned that maybe some B-Boys will be coming to Brunei! COOLLLLLL!!!

Now, the last two days had nothing going on. I have been sleeping at about 10ish every night and waking up at 5ish..... Tomorrow I will be headed to Temburong for the Orals. I think that my farms will be badly looted by the time I come back!!

So pissed..

2009-08-16T14:34:00.000+08:00

Something went wrong last night. I was finishing my post and then boom... I had connection problems. All my writing was gone!

To begin again...

On Thursday night, I went out for dinner with my chingus. We decided to meet at MsK's restaurant. So we carpooled. It was my turn to drive so I picked up ButterflyAngel and msRacer. MsRacer was surprised to see us cos she expected to drive to BAngel's place. We were early so we decided to pick her up instead. She brought a box into the car and we were curious about it but didn't ask about it.

In the car, there was a lot of venting. There were some work related issues that had to be off our chests. It was the first time I heard BAngel so upset. Wow...

By the time we got to MsK's place, (hopefully) BAngel had got most of it off her chest. We went in and met MsK. We settled down for dinner and asked her about her wedding. She had just taken photos in Miri and we were excited to hear that it would be ready the next week. Hehe.. I hope she doesn't forget to show us.

She also talked about finances and how much should we let the other half know. There were some minor disagreements but that is why I value my chingus. We can speak our mind and agree to disagree.

Halfway through our meal, there was a surprise. It was Chocoballs. He had returned to Brunei and both of us arranged to surprise the others. Boy, you should have seen the look on the others' faces. Haha....

He returned home for the puasa holidays and Raya so he will be celebrating here in Brunei. He brought gifts for all of us and we were very happy with our gifts. We could have taken more quirky photos but were restrained by the presence of other diners. We continued with dinner with Chocoballs.

We chatted for a bit and ended up deciding to do something next week. Now.... what will that be??? Hehehe..PS... MsRacer did some real farming and gave us each a yam......Sorry no picture though.

No blog today...

2009-08-14T19:13:00.000+08:00

I decided against writing a post now cos I am so tired. Just got back from a dinner. (1104pm)

So tomorrow's post menu:

Thursday nite with chingus
my holiday plans
dinner tonight

I think I have been neglecting my boy-boy lately. I didn't go to BRIDEX so I hope there wasn't anyone who looked like him or I would have regretted not going!

So in need of a break....

2009-08-10T16:43:00.000+08:00

I always feel this way when I don't go any where the last holidays..

It's the start of a new week. Thank God I only have another 2 days of Orals before I have to go to Temburong. I think that will be quite an adventure and I hope I manage to take tons of photos.

Today was such a rushed day. I had 6 periods on and then I had to rush home to have lunch before heading to my venue. To top things off, I was so mad at my last class. There are some lovely Ss in that class but a few get my goat. I have experienced the class when they are not there and there is a difference. When these particular Ss are not around, I find teaching to be smoother and less stressful.

I hope that our meetup this week happens. I suggested MsK's place because I want to see her la. Plus see her bag too to make me think about getting a similar one (?) hehee...

So far, MsRacer feels like meeting up too because she mentioned that she is stressed out. Wow, if she is stressed out, it means that it is not good.

Last night I went out to eat ambuyat with my family as well as my bro's gf. Honestly speaking, the ones who ate were my mom, bro and his gf. I am not a big fan of ambuyat so my dad and I ordered something else. Caution! If you intend to order a drink at Aminah Arif (Serusop) , ask for kurang manis....

It was a good chance to catch up with my bro and also I found out his gf is going to Spore. She will be back on Wed and hopefully she bought my SIMS 3. Yahooooo....

So catch up soon. I have been trolling bruneiair.com for the airfare and it seems to be constantly at $295. I think this is the best that we can get.....

So not healthy...

2009-08-07T10:53:00.000+08:00

I am feeling the effects of the weather. My throat is dry and my nose is itchy. Have to remember to drink lots of water.

Also my car's fan has finally given up. I had a scare coming home as my temperature light kept flashing. I was praying hard that I would reach home before anything happened. Thank God, for my Dad and Bro. They brought my car to be looked at and the decision was that my car fan was dead and I would have to replace something. There goes $$$$$$ ....

Last night, we went out to Portview for a steamboat dinner. The view was not bad (we sat indoors) but even at night you could see and smell the haze. It was quite surreal with the boats coming to and from the jetty to the houses opposite. You can only see the lights bobbing on the water. I think this is something that Brunei can capitalise on.

The steamboat was nice and to top it off, it has no MSG. I think MsRacer was happy about that. It was another nice and quiet nite where we ate slowly and not in a rush. We had decided to carpool and MsButterlyAngel was the designated driver.

MsRacer was talking about how she has not been running. Good idea, with the haze around, it will be like smoking. She is thinking about joining a gym. Sporty eh...

We pretty much enjoyed the food and company. There weren't that many people around so it was cosy.

Right, now I have to get back to cleaning my room. Wish me luck!

So terrinble...

2009-08-05T16:47:00.000+08:00

Hmm... every day now I feel like I am smoking at least a pack of cigarettes. It was so darn hazy this morning and hot. From the second floor, I could hardly see the houses which is just outside my workplace!

It was Day 2 of Orals. You can really feel that time is ticking. I am not surprised that Ss are not fluent in speaking but even reading was bad! I have another week to go.... sigh..

To keep me upbeatm I have been looking at air ticket prices. I have applied for leave and now thinking about how much I am willing to pay for this holiday. I think I want a relaxing one so I am willing to pay a bit more for a nice hotel. We'll see about that..

Tomorrow nite is the meetup with the chingus. I hope the food is good and we really need to remember to take photos for Chocoballs.

So then... to be continued...

So unhealthy...

2009-08-04T13:33:00.000+08:00

Officially, the weather has gone from bad to worse.

Today it is even worse than yesterday. I went to Supersave after picking my mom and when we came out, there was ash all over my car. I think it is time to bring out the masks again, this time to prevent ourselves from inhaling the ash particles.

As I was driving home, the visibility along the Mentiri highway was poor and for the last two days, the sun has been a red glow. But can anything be done or do we just shrug our shoulders?

Today was the first day of the PMB orals and I had to do mine at a school in town. The Ss were lovely but weak in speaking. The only problem with the orals is that it takes away my afternoons for 2 weeks. Tired out... on top of the school work in the morning....

I am looking forward to the chingu meetup on Thursday night and I hope that it will not be as smoky as today. I think it would be better to sit inside. I feel sorry for MsRacer as I am sure she will not be running in this weather.

My mind is a blank at the moment. Will continue if I need to add more....The only woman that I think is compatible with my boy-boy....

Makan and Holiday

2009-08-01T12:42:00.000+08:00

Updating...

Although we didn't go out on Thursday nite, I had a last minute invitation for dinner in town. My uncle was shooting the menu and so there was tons of food left and he called me and my mom over to help out.

Of course, we readily agreed... free food la. Trust me, there were tons of food. I can't post the pictures but he did take a few shots of us eating (never a good photo with your mouth open _ LOL)

If anyone ever goes there (hint hint - it is by the riverside in town) try the red beef curry. I also liked the fish cake and pineapple rice. Not many people know that the upstairs is serving Oriental food and it's Thai this time round.

I was there until 8ish and there were quite a number of people there. I think there were at least two tour groups as well and the view is really lovely.

So chingus, I have made reservations for our steamboat already at 730pm. We can meet earlier to go to the goldsmith.

Tonight, I will be having a makan at my place. It has been a while since all the relatives have gotten together. Hopefully I will remember to take some pictures. On the menu tonight, braised duck (grandma style), roast chicken, chicken curry and.... sharkfin soup. To top it off, we have the Fresh Fruit Cream Cake from Sheraton (DROOLS)

On to the other topic, I am still peeved that no one has confirmed if we can fly off for the holidays. Someone please make the decision!!!!

Woof

2009-07-29T16:44:00.000+08:00

Ok.. the new timetable is not working out for me. I am usually pooped by the end of the day and with the Oral exams coming up, I am already drained.

Sigh.... please let things get better....

I had to destress with my babies this afternoon. They are wonderful and give you unconditional love and support. You can feel your stress melting away...

Until they start chasing the cats!

New staff member...

2009-07-25T12:16:00.000+08:00

We had a new English teacher today. Alas, he was only available for a short period of time. His name was Rupert. [No, it's not the guy in this picture ~ I WISH!!]

We couldn't stand his shifty eyes and body odor. What more, he had a tendency to eat the snacks on the table. In the end, we couldn't stand it and had to ask a colleague to 'take him out'

I actually do feel sorry for the poor thing but it was his luck to be put in our department. He should learn to run wild and free. SIGH... it's too late now.

We have baited another trap to make sure that there aren't any others around. I don't want my colleague to drown another one. I mean, I have a personal philosophy that we shouldn't kill animals (insects excluded) if we can help it. Now I worry that Rupert's poor soul will be roaming the kitchen where he was killed.

On to happier things,

I was looking through my photos and remembered a set for my uncle's and aunt's birthday two Sundays ago. Just putting it up cos their kids are sooooo cute!

Ahh.

2009-07-24T15:45:00.000+08:00

Yesterday was the Thursday ritual.

We decided to meet at the Charcoal and Grill and good too cos I was craving a steak. I had the steak and MsK and MsRacer shared a huge pizza. They walloped three-quarters of it!

MsK had just returned from her $$ trip. She was delivering the goodies that she bought for us. I love my new pink crocs! Unbelievably, they are really light and my feet do not ache even after standing for 2 periods. Too bad the company is going under. I hope that if I do manage to go $$ in Sept, I can get another pair. She was lovely enough to buy for us some tea. I can't wait to try it soon.

I realised that now we are the Fab Four because it is usually the 4 of us for dinner nowadays. Now MsK is quite busy as well so the three of us call ourselves the Trio. LOL>..

We chatted a bit and from the sounds of it, MsK went major shopping. Her card barely survived the trip! She bought a really lovely bag and it is a good choice because no one here (I think) is familiar with the LOEWE brand. I hope she puts up a picture of it soon!

It has been a while since we chatted. The last time we met was at Sheraton with most of the gang. It was really unfortunate that no one remembered to take photos (for Chocoballs benefit) We really miss you here la. You are one of the Gang!

There is nothing much on the other front. Sometimes I am tired of writing the same things over and over again. I feel frustrated that nothing happens. I am feeling the pressure now that my Boss is leaving soon. Seriously, if one has been following my blog, I really appreciated my boss. She takes the hits for us. A casualty in the front trenches. She puts herself out there for us and is supportive. I am trying my best to deflect this position from myself. Hey, I am leaving next year ( hopefully ~ praying hard) and I don't want them to need to train a new boss. I have already recommended someone but it is up to the TOP.

To marry a rich man....

2009-07-22T16:59:00.000+08:00

Korean one of course.... (Joking ah)

I came upon this article when I was browsing the news... interesting for future reference. [Been watching too many Korean dramas!]

Samsung Family Top Rich List in Unlisted Stocks

Former Samsung Group chairman Lee Kun-hee

Fifty-five individuals hold more than W100 billion worth of unlisted stocks (US$1=W1,251). The figures come from an appraisal of stocks held as of the end of June by shareholders of unlisted firms based on their fair value or net asset value estimated in accordance with the Fair Trade Act by Chaebul.com, a web portal about business conglomerates and tycoons.

Former Samsung Group chairman Lee Kun-hee topped the list with W2.99 trillion worth of unlisted stocks, including 4.15 million shares in Samsung Life Insurance and about 553,000 shares in Samsung General Chemicals.

Lee also owns W3.5 trillion worth of listed stocks, bringing his total holdings to an estimated W6.5 trillion.

SK Group chairman Chey Tae-won ranked second with W1 trillion worth of unlisted stocks. He held 22 million shares or 44.5 percent of SK C&C and SK Shipping's unlisted stocks. Mirae Asset chairman Park Hyeon-joo and Kyobo Life Insurance chairman Shin Chang-jae ranked third and fourth with W949.5 billion and W753.7 billion.

The other shareholders in the top 10 were Samsung Electronics executive vice president, Lee's son and heir Jae-yong (W693.4 billion), Daekyo Group chairman Kang Young-joong (W654.8 billion), Kyowon Group CEO Chang Pyung-soon (W632.7 billion), Daelim Group honorary chairman Lee Joon-yong (W493.7 billion), Choi Jin-min, honorary chairman of Kiturami, the country's largest boiler maker, (W451.6 billion), and Nexon Holdings president Kim Jung-ju (W433.2 billion).

Among women, Lee's eldest daughter Boo-jin, the executive vice president of Hotel Shilla, topped the list with W259.5 billion in unlisted stocks. She was followed by Chey Ki-won, Chey's younger sister (W236.9 billion), and Lee's second daughter Seo-hyun (W217.4 billion).

from The Chosun Ilbo news portal.

All the money was quoted in the billions.... mind-boggling!

Free to play!

2009-07-18T14:30:00.000+08:00

Wow... It is a lovely week. First the Wednesday off and now Monday.

So now I am free to play my FB games... for a little while before I get back to the grind of work.

At the moment, I envy MsK who will be headed to $$ city to get her wedding stuff. A little break for her away from the hectic time she is having. I hope she enjoys herself and not stress over what is in Brunei.

The next two days will be blissful. I am going to enjoy myself and put the work away.. at least until Sunday night.

I am serious when I said I wanted to go somewhere in Sept. My last resort is $$. The problem now is the uncertainly if we can leave the country. I hope the situation improves so that we can go.

So many new things are happening here. I am excited about the changes and will be patiently waiting to see what is ahead of us. Of course there is a little apprehension about changes, but if it happens, we have to make the best of it.

I really miss my boy-boy. Sigh.. when can I see him again....

PS.. Happy Farm has music. Still in two minds whether I like it or not... ><

A Great Shopping Area!

2009-07-16T15:13:00.000+08:00

Shop till you drop in Myeong-dong

A street in Myeong-dong

Myeong-dong is the busiest shopping area in Seoul. In some senses, it looks like one huge department store spread over several blocks. The area is packed with items to accessorize your outfit, excite your mind, or change your whole image. As the most popular area among foreign tourists, Myeong-dong is the alpha and omega of traveling in Seoul. Myeong-dong is especially popular among Japanese tourists, and so we sometimes hear more people speaking Japanese in the streets than Korean.

It was time to look around Myeong-dong. Where to start? Myeong-dong guides were ready for the tourists. Wearing red vests and straw hats, they help tourists for directions. This service, provided in Japanese, Chinese, and English, began in March this year. As of early July, 3,000 Japanese, 350 Chinese, 50 South Asians, 160 English-speaking foreigners, and 800 Koreans have been helped out by the guides. Although more Chinese tourists are beginning to visit Korea, most of them tour in groups with their own guides, so they don't need public guides' services. On the other hand, Japanese tourists travel freely, mostly in groups of 3 or 4, and are more likely to ask for directions, particularly for new sites to visit.

The "walking information" said that tourists were most interested in beauty items, including cosmetics and massage services. Famous cosmetic brands include Etude House, Missha, The Face Shop, Aritaum, and Innisfree. Foot massages, body massages, and saunas are also popular with tourists. When I entered one cosmetic shop that was promoting its brand with a Japanese make-up artist and transvestite model "Ikko," it was completely packed with tourists. The prices were affordable, mostly between 10,000 and 20,000 won. Tanaka said these cosmetics were usually just for presents or general use, while most tourists purchased one or two high-priced cosmetic items at duty-free shops.

The second most popular item is food. Most Japanese want to eat gyoza, samgyetang, bibimbap, bulgogi, samgyeopsal, and galbi at resaurants. On the other hand, they buy gim, kimchi, soju, and makgeolli as presents. The third most popular thing to do in Myeong-dong is clothes shopping. Especially, lower priced clothes and shoes are best items. Socks sold by street venders are also popular. These items are popular because they provide good quality for the price, and tourists sometimes buy several of the same items for souvenirs or presents.

The main district of Myeong-dong is surrounded by large-scale department stores. Major hotels are located nearby, and cheap yet good quality items can be found everywhere. Moreover, the streets are always bright, safe, and fun for foreigners.

I agree that Myeongdong is pretty safe. There are little alleyways which I think would be better explored in the daytime. I really enjoyed looking at the stuff available for sale in Myeongdong and it is similar to Orchard Road in Singapore. We can see the latest fashion here. So far, looking at the number of times I have been to Korea, it remains a must go place for me. When will that be again? ^_^

Disclaimer: Not all the Korean men and women look like celebrities. This would be assuming that all Bruneian men look like Wu Chun...LOL....

Kimchi

2009-07-15T13:08:00.000+08:00

I miss this!

I found this on a website that I frequent... Korea.net.

Kimchi, the most relished food in Korea, is a pungent, fermented dish generally consisting of cabbage or turnip seasoned with salt, garlic, green onions, ginger, red pepper and shellfish. Kimchi holds the most important side dish in Korean cuisine and along with rice constitutes the basis of a Korean meal. It is very nutritious, low in calories and cholesterol and very high in fiber. In fact, it is richer in vitamins than apples. Many Koreans even believe that kimchi can protect against infectious diseases like the 2003 SARS outbreak in Asia and the avian flu. In fact, in May 2009, the Korea Food Research Institute, Korea's state food research organization, proved the efficacy of kimchi against avian flu by conducting related scientific tests.

In Korean food culture, no other food has the importance that kimchi has. For instance, a meal without kimchi is unthinkable, and even if such a thing existed, the meal would not be complete; it would be considered lacking in style and grace.

Rice and kimchi constitute the basic meal for Koreans. The two alone suffice as a meal. Along with soy sauce, soybean paste and red chili pepper paste, kimchi is considered to have the most unique taste representing Korea. As is supported by much research, kimchi has had its place in the history of Korean food for quite a long time, and the methods of making it vary greatly.

Kimchi used to be the major source of vegetables consumed by Koreans during the winter, when no fresh greens were available.

Kimchi is low in calories and fat content but is high in fiber, vitamin A, ascorbic acid, calcium, phosphorus, iron and has a large amount of other minerals. It used to be the major source of vegetables consumed by Koreans during the winter when no fresh vegetables were available. The nutrient contents of kimchi vary according to the ingredients used, microorganisms and the condition of fermentation. The amount of organic acid, free amino acids and vitamins show the highest value when kimchi is well-fermented and its flavor is good.

The main ingredients of kimchi have few calories, high water content, high fiber content, and various vitamins. Red chili pepper is a good source of vitamin A and C for Koreans. Garlic has a sterilization effect and contains a large amount of allyl sulfide. Spring onions, especially the green part, are a good source of vitamins A and C, too. The bitter taste of cucumbers contains ellaterin, and this aids digestion. Potassium in cucumbers has a diuretic function. Thanks to all this, kimchi has worked as a traditional folk remedy in Korea.

Some say kimchi is good for people on a diet. Why is it good for weight loss?

A. When we eat kimchi, a substance called "capsaicin" from the chilies used in kimchi makes us use more energy, which helps our body burn more body fat. Eating kimchi is one of the best ways to consume the capsaicin from chilies even for those who don't eat chilies often. Therefore, kimchi aids in weight loss.

I like kimchi but hate the smell, especially the smell left in the storage container because it never goes away. How can I remove it?

A. Kimchi is tasty but its smell lingers a long time in the storage container after use. The best way to remove the remaining kimchi smell is to put finely chopped green vegetables or leaves inside the container and close it for one or two days. By doing so, it gets rid of the aroma.

http://www.korea.net/

Wonderful!

2009-07-13T15:10:00.000+08:00

I am so motivated now!

After listening to the titah just now, I feel that there is a reason for living. If I could get the full transcript of the titah, I will laminate it.

It is wonderful how He has pointed the fingers at all the 'people' who are like robots! I do wonder at the lack of initiative by certain people. Everyone is always waiting for someone to sign a piece of paper to certify something.

Instead of running like chickens without the heads, these people should take the initiative and implement things (of course after thinking it through). Some of them fear their positions and wait for others to ok it. It is also the TOP who do not listen to their staff at times and I mean, seriously listen. So many times, you say or try to show that something that they want done should be looked at from all angles. Not by merely looking at another place and say what they can do, we can do better. I appreciate the input from other places but we have to negotiate and look at the current situation.

There were so many parts where I was applauding and had my eyes and ears glued to the screen. For sure I will catch the 8 oclock and 10 o'clock news. I hope that nothing is left out and the full titah is made available to the public.

Aja Aja Hwaiting! I am too choked up at the moment. Will watch the news again and make notes!

So full!

2009-07-10T15:54:00.000+08:00

Last night was dinner at WECAN restaurant, behind Sin Kiew Hin in Gadong.

It was an amazingly quiet night. There was hardly any traffic and plenty of parking. Most likely, many people had come to their senses and are avoiding crowded areas.

As far as I know, my little cousins (kiddy age) have not been to school. I do think that for little kids it is still a bit risky for them to be back.

I just can't believe the amount of Ss who came to school and are obviously sick. Who could miss their teary eyes and sniffling. Plus their attempts at hiding their coughs did not work. Why did they insist on coming? Boring la... were the main responses.

Back to dinner. It was just the three of us this time. I guess we were feeling hungry cos we ordered three dishes and they were huge. [kailan with oyster sauce, Mango Fish and Singapore Tofu ~ YUM!!]

The food was quite good actually and it was an enjoyable dinner. There were lots of other families there and it was a quiet place to eat.

We chatted a bit about work (usual) and about the current situation at work with the virus still floating around. I mentioned that my trip to Japan may be scrapped due to the uncertain situation (leave or no leave) and so I was thinking of either HK or Singapore. Chingus?

MsLexus left earlier and she mentioned she would not be able to make it to MsK's place next week for dinner. I told MsRacer that we would most likely carpool cos MsK's place is far. So I will confirm with MsK later on.

Sigh.... fortunately I am not in a big funk at the moment. At times I felt like I was going to be on a downer but then I have to drag myself up. It is not all from work but the uncertainties in life. I hate uncertainties! Sometimes I wish I had a crystal ball so I can be lazy and look into the future. So what does the future hold for me? I NEED A VACATION!!

Halfway through

2009-07-08T14:41:00.000+08:00

It's now Wednesday.

At work, it seems like attendance is still dropping. I was in a class this morning and more than half didn't turn up. I had to scramble to think of something for them to do because I didn't see the point in continuing my lesson when there are so many absentees.

It was amazing what the small amount of Ss could do. I found my reputedly worst class was so attentive and responsive. I didn't have to shout or censure any of them. I think it was actually premium teaching time. If the rate is still down on Saturday when I next see them, I will continue teaching according to the plan.

The workplace has been pretty quiet. Not as many hoo-haa ing around and the Ss seem more subdued.

I had spent the last two days explaining to the Ss the facts about H1N1 using information from the Health Departments around the world. I regularly log on to the WHO website where they have updates about all the countries and what was happening.

I also visit the local MOH websites as well as Singapore MOH's website. There is so much information about the virus and what the MOH is advising the public to do.

Well... last night I slept really early, about 9pm. And I only woke up at 6am so I totally missed MJ's memorial. I do hope that there will be a full repeat on one of the channels or I may have to resort to piracy! I am sure my trusty shop will be stocking copies of the memorial service soon. I have to admit, when I watched what his daughter said at the end, tears started leaking out from my eyes. (How can I miss it with multiple repeats on CNN!) It was simple, yet so moving!

So now we move on from MJ's death and we should try to remember that he brought music into our lives and honestly, we all wonder about all the rumours when he was alive. I hope now, we can remember his legacy to us, his wonderful, memorable songs. "I WANT YOU BACK" ~ I love the Jackson 5 as well!

It's the beginning

2009-07-06T15:02:00.000+08:00

Today went more smoothly than I had anticipated.

There was a feeling of calm in the air and no panic situations.

I could see a lot of Ts were wearing masks and some Ss as well. Attendance was as expected with some Ss staying away.

Even though the numbers were as they were, I continued my job. I think I will be asking the Ss who are away whether or not they want make-up classes.

The Ss in the school were relatively healthy as we became hyper sensitive to the coughs and sneezes around us. I think the best thing to do at this stage is to teach proper hygiene and to provide accurate information. Nothing causes chaos as much as misinformation.

Here's hoping for a smooth day tomorrow as well. I haven't checked the updated numbers but I know it is not decreasing any time soon. What I am worried about now is the Sept holidays! Please please, be as usual....

His new hairstyle... Makes him look even younger... SIGH>>

Been around the world...

2009-07-02T15:39:00.000+08:00

It hasn't been a break for me.

The last two days I was at a seminar and they were full day workshops. On the bright side, I have an additional 16 hours on my 100 hours..... hehe...I am in the paper. Just play find Noona game..

http://www.brunei-online.com/bb/thu/jul2h12.htm

So now the flu situation has multiplied. 66 cases and counting. I do hope they do not decide to keep the schools closed. I can only see the cases increasing and if so, do we keep the schools closed until the end of the year?

It has just struck a lot of people that if schools remain closed, there will be payback later on. I can see that our holidays later on will be affected.

Plus... please look at other countries. They have not closed schools and just stepped up their precautionary measures. Singapore only closes the schools when the suspected cases have reached a certain level within that school. Everyone focuses on schools but what about Malls and cinemas? We are still breathing the same air in the Malls and the cinemas are enclosed areas. Air conditioning would help spread the virus even more quickly as they circulate the air. Do we see anyone recommending that the Malls and cinemas close for a week?

Something for everyone to ponder...

Just remember the catchphrase "Practice Social Responsibility!"

Now for the positive in my life! ButterflyAngel... check out his necklace... hehe...

Where are the students -_-

2009-06-29T09:59:00.000+08:00

Wow...

I have been away the last three days and became too lazy to blog.Let me recap.

Friday nite - Dinner with aunt and uncle. Korean food (yummy) and to top it off, coffee at Fleur.

Sat nite - Dinner with my sonsaengnim. Went to the Thai restaurant at Jerudong. She made the comment that the last time she went there, it was with me as well. LOL. I guess it is a bit far for the usual folks.

Sun - had swimming again but I had the symptoms of me getting sick. Bad sneezing episodes and a slight fever, no cough. I told myself yesterday that I would see a doctor today if my condition became worse. Thankfully, I am slightly better although I have a low voice today.

Today - Studentless for one week. I think I will enjoy it but I must think of something to do the rest of the week or I think I will go mad. Luckily I had some marking to finish but what next? LOL..... don't get me wrong, I feel that I can do a lot of planning stuff this week and I only have myself to blame if I am not ready by next week.

I miss my boy-boy! So today I will post three pictures!

My favourite scene at the swings!!

RIP - MJ and Farah Fawcett

2009-06-26T05:27:00.000+08:00

How can one not pay tribute to one of the greatest pop acts of all time as well as the iconic woman who became the poster girl in the 70s with her flipped hair and wide smile.

Michael Jackson (1958 - 2009)

I woke up to disbelief when I switched on to CNN and the news was that MJ had died. This was at 7am in the morning when there was no official confirmation yet.

No matter what may have occured throughout his life, from his humble beginnings to his rise to pop stardom and his numerous 'scandals' - MJ is an icon.

You will find it difficult to find someone who does not know who MJ is. Go to the wilds of Alaska and I am sure they have heard of him or at least heard his music.

He was such a mysterious figure and that was strange considering the amount of time he was under the limelight.

We were lucky to catch him in concert in Brunei, more than 10 years ago. He was such a superstar and there were fans everywhere. Even as I stood outside the amphitheatre in Jerudong, I could feel the electricity in the air and practically everyone around me knew the lyrics to his songs. It was like I was in a norebang (karaoke room)

I think today's news coverage will be about him and I don't know if it will rival Princess Diana's death coverage.

I want to move on the Farah Fawcett.

She was only 62 when she died and she had been battling anal cancer. She had finally decided to marry her longtime companion, Ryan O'Neal and that was yesterday's news. Today I woke up to the news that she had passed on as well.

I remember her from the original Charlie's Angels, which I used to watch when I was little. I loved the thought that 3 beautiful ladies could use their skills and solve crimes and help people. Farah might have been the overtly sexy one but she used those skills to the maximum. What man could resist her big smile and the blend of innocence and sensuality. Plus when she flipped her hair.. WOW.

I decided that I don't need to write long tributes. There will be tons on the news today. What I hope for is that Farah Fawcett's death is also highlighted. I feel sad for her that MJ's coverage has overpowered her coverage.

RIP - Michael and Farah

Crappy espeed - (speed - yeah right!)

2009-06-25T10:28:00.001+08:00

Lost a whole bunch of posts...

Stupid e-speed.

I was commenting about life during the holidays and how boring it was. Then I tried to publish it and due to the crappy connection, all GONE! I am not going to rewrite everything again. I swear - during the holidays the connections suck! I don't mind paying more if they can guarantee the connection. Sheesh!

Also about the H1N1 virus :

More information on this site - http://www.cdc.gov/H1N1flu/antiviral.htm

What are the signs and symptoms of this virus in people?
The symptoms of novel H1N1 flu virus in people are similar to the symptoms of seasonal flu and include fever, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, body aches, headache, chills and fatigue. A significant number of people who have been infected with this virus also have reported diarrhea and vomiting. Also, like seasonal flu, severe illnesses and death has occurred as a result of illness associated with this virus.

Prevention & Treatment

What can I do to protect myself from getting sick?
There is no vaccine available right now to protect against novel H1N1 virus. There are everyday actions that can help prevent the spread of germs that cause respiratory illnesses like influenza.

Take these everyday steps to protect your health:

Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it.
Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after you cough or sneeze. Alcohol-based hand cleaners are also effective.
Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Germs spread this way.
Try to avoid close contact with sick people.
Stay home if you are sick for 7 days after your symptoms begin or until you have been symptom-free for 24 hours, whichever is longer. This is to keep from infecting others and spreading the virus further.

Other important actions that you can take are:

Follow public health advice regarding school closures, avoiding crowds and other social distancing measures.
Be prepared in case you get sick and need to stay home for a week or so; a supply of over-the-counter medicines, alcohol-based hand rubs, tissues and other related items might could be useful and help avoid the need to make trips out in public while you are sick and contagious.

What is the best way to keep from spreading the virus through coughing or sneezing?
If you are sick, limit your contact with other people as much as possible. If you are sick, stay home for 7 days after your symptoms begin or until you have been symptom-free for 24 hours, whichever is longer. Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when coughing or sneezing. Put your used tissue in the waste basket. Then, clean your hands, and do so every time you cough or sneeze.

I like the actions taken by Singapore's MOE. I tried to find the link but I couldn't see it.

The most important thing for all is to practice 'social responsibility' If you have been to a H1N1 affected country during the holidays, for goodness sakes, stay home for at least 3 days!

Crappy espeed - (speed - yeah right!)

2009-06-25T10:28:00.000+08:00

Lost a whole bunch of posts...

Stupid e-speed.

Also about the H1N1 virus :

More information on this site - http://www.cdc.gov/H1N1flu/antiviral.htm

Prevention & Treatment

Take these everyday steps to protect your health:

Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it.
Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after you cough or sneeze. Alcohol-based hand cleaners are also effective.
Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Germs spread this way.
Try to avoid close contact with sick people.
Stay home if you are sick for 7 days after your symptoms begin or until you have been symptom-free for 24 hours, whichever is longer. This is to keep from infecting others and spreading the virus further.

Other important actions that you can take are:

Follow public health advice regarding school closures, avoiding crowds and other social distancing measures.
Be prepared in case you get sick and need to stay home for a week or so; a supply of over-the-counter medicines, alcohol-based hand rubs, tissues and other related items might could be useful and help avoid the need to make trips out in public while you are sick and contagious.

I like the actions taken by Singapore's MOE. I tried to find the link but I couldn't see it.

The most important thing for all is to practice 'social responsibility' If you have been to a H1N1 affected country during the holidays, for goodness sakes, stay home for at least 3 days!

AWOL

2009-06-23T05:31:00.000+08:00

I have to admit that I have been lazy these past few days. I haven't started on anything yet.

This post will be about my Miri trip. I hope to keep it short because quite a few things happened on this trip.

My parents and I left home to go to my gran's and we arrived there by 630am. Everyone was already there, even the bus! All 21 of us were ready to go!

We left for Miri at about 650am. Traffic was good, hardly any cars on the road and we managed to reach Miri at about 10. We had to pick an aunt along the way. There was not much of a queue at the Brunei side but there was a health check at Miri post. All of us had to get down and get temperature checked. The bus had a special lane and we saw quite a few buses.

When we arrived at Miri, the first thing to do was to get our stomachs filled. We went to Sin Yakin and the first difficulty of a big group popped up. We couldn't sit together.So we split up and quickly grabbed seats. That foodcourt was full! Saw quite a few Bruneians there as well. I had porridge (not recommended) We wanted to have some cakoi but it was all sold out... to Bruneians! At 25cents each, I am sure the Bruneians went 'cheeeep'

After that I wanted to hunt down my bookshop. It was a 'ho lan' experience. We went to the wrong building and it was a wasted 45 minutes. Luckily, my aunts and cousins found a VCD shop selling Chinese series so they happily went there and bought a few.

The next stop was the Mall with Popular bookshop. Wow, they have really renovated and it looks more on par with Singapore. I was happy to see that they stocked English fiction books and managed to buy some! After that I walked around a bit. I bumped into my uncle and his son so we went off to KFC. It was a 20 minute queue.

After that we went to Imperial. I just wandered around and ended up having some dessert. The ice-cream/gelato here is not bad. I had the Green tea and it wasn't sweet at all and I could taste the green tea. (Picture in FB)

Along the way, the older adults managed to buy roasted meats, duck and pau. We actually went to a lot of places! The last stop was Boulevard. We decided to skip eMart cos we were running out of time. We left Boulevard at about 5pm.

The Miri Immigration post was not bad but the Bruneian side was packed! There was seriously a long queue and apparently there is a new procedure (maybe only for buses) We brought our passports to the Brunei immigration and they told us to wait in the bus. We waited and wondered what was happening. Then we saw two ladies with our passports and they boarded the bus. They said the names of each person and that person had to claim the passports. I think it was probably a check on people trying to enter Brunei illegally. That was a new experience for me!

We made a pit stop at Seria and by the time we left Seria it was 830. We arrived at my gran's at about 10pm. This is the first time I have ever been so long on a bus! That was why I was pooped and lazy to blog yesterday.

The bus trip overall was quite fun and with all the talking and jokes, time went by very quickly. It didn't feel that long.

The bus itself was not bad. Adequately ventilated, it was freezing cold in the morning and night. Remember to bring a jacket if you decide to use a bus.

I went one day without my boy-boy! It was his 22nd birthday yesterday! Saengil chukhahamnida!

Been a while

2009-06-18T16:36:00.000+08:00

Today, we met up with NewMommy (my new name for MrsDanny)

She surprised us by bringing her baby boy - Cutie Joshua. He is so cute and happy all the time. Even though I have a thing for younger fellas, this fella is way way too young for me..

We met at Cbox at the Mall for afternoon tea/lunch. It has been a long while since we have met with NewMommy. We chatted as usual about work (pretty hard not too) and the Mushy brains at the top.

Strangely enough, all of us did not plan to go anywhere these holidays. Maybe it is divine providence because of the flu (last I read, there is a positive case in KK as well) Definitely I want to go somewhere in September... be it my favourite place, the land of the rising sun or if all choices are not possible, trusty shopping paradise which is a plane ride away.

Now, it seems like a lot of my chingus are addicted to the games in FB. At the moment, I am checking on my farmS, restaurant and trying to check my pet.... what a busy life I lead... NOT! I feel less like a cradle-robber when he is in a suit... hehe..

Interesting...

2009-06-18T05:31:00.000+08:00

Mobile Phone Users Tend to Group in Gangs of 5

Despite a long list of contacts stored in a mobile phone, people actually keep in touch with a very limited number of people.

A recent survey by SK Telecom revealed that 62 percent of calls made by customers were concentrated on no more than five numbers per person. Out of the five most frequently contacted numbers, in turn, about 29 percent of calls were directed to just one number, and 51 percent went to the top three numbers. More women than men, and more people in their teens and 20s or those aged over 50 tended to have a smaller personal network.

The trend is spawning packages like SK Telecom's "Pajama Five" service launched in August, where a user designates four people on the screen whom he or she joins in a group, making it easy to make a call or send a text message to group members. The service attracted more than 350,000 subscribers in just three months.

"MyFaves," a monthly fixed-rate plan by U.S. network provider T Mobile that offered unlimited calls and text messages to the five most frequently called numbers, was also hugely popular.

Mobile phone makers are taking note of the trend. Samsung Electronics' Anycall Haptic 2 features a "Top Five" function, with which a user can connect to the five most frequently called numbers from the screen instantly. "

It seems people tend to prefer communication with close friends rather than keeping contact with people in scattered networks," said Ahn Hoe-kyun, an executive from SK Telecom's roaming and data business division.

As the world gets more and more complicated, it seems people tend to put more emphasis on maintaining close emotional bonds with a few rather than keeping wide but superficial relationships.

englishnews@chosun.com / 1Feb. 10, 2008 08:49 KST

Day 2 of the holidays

2009-06-16T16:08:00.000+08:00

Wah... time flies by so quickly.

I have been really lazy. Not yet cleaned my room and I have decided not to do anything until next week.

So now I am playing my farms, restaurants, pets and yoville....

Also surfing for pictures of my boy-boy... hehe...

This afternoon, went out with my chingus. I finally heard MsRacer talk about her frustrations at work along with MsLexus. So there is stress over there as well.. LOL.. We were at sushi for quite some time.

This Thursday, we will be meeting up with NewMommy (MrsDanny) I will remember to take photos this time so that we can update Chocoballs on how we look like at the moment. The holiday faces!

Younger men - Part 2

2009-06-15T08:56:00.000+08:00

By some divine or ironic turn of events, I read an article about this on Her World, June 2009 last night.

The article started with a big photo of one of the most famous celebrity pairings, Ashton Kutcher and Demi Moore. He is 31 and she is 46 and they have been married for over 4 years.

Dr Adrian Wang , a consultant psychiatrist commented that " A woman in her late 30s or early 40s may have been considered old a decade ago but nowadays women are having children, looking good and feeling fit well into their 40s"

On the subtopic of "Why women made love wait", the comment was that women likely to be dating younger men today probably focused on their careers over finding a mate.

Dr Wang also said "Women have a need to find someone to spend their lives with - to have kids, share special moments with - before they are too old to do so. It's only natural to hook up with a younger man, especially if you're a woman over 30 who looks young."

The article continues with little interviews with some couples in this type of relationship. I like the ending where one woman said "In life you want to find someone you can really love and who has similar passions. Once you value these aspects of a relationship, then age becomes a non-issue."

If you want to read more, June 2009 - Her World....

Younger men..?

2009-06-14T17:11:00.000+08:00

I dunno why I am blogging about this.

Maybe it's because of my current obsession. Many people have asked me about the prominent fella in everyone of my blog posts. He is Lee Min Ho from the drama "Boys Over Flowers" and folks, he is only 22 years old.

I am not telling my age but I am his noona. He is not too young that I consider myself as cradle robbing. How young is young anyway?

I am not going to blog about how unfair it is that older men can date babies. C'mon, if a guy is 50 and the girlfriend is 20, show me a person who wouldn't roll their eyes and be cynical about the relationship. I am more interested about people's opinions when it is the other way around.

Usually, the older partner is more successful than the younger one. That leads to a lot of people talking about gold digging.

Why is it so automatic that when an older woman is seeing a younger man, it is also considered gold digging? Is it because there is no benefit in dating an older woman? Ideas that the ovaries are expiring soon? For a man, they can reproduce even if they are 80.

There is even a term for older women who date younger men, cougars. It makes one think of the blood that will be shed when the woman "attacks" the young man.

I used to be one of those people who actually was adamant about not dating younger men. As the years passed, the options really narrow. I don't think of myself as being desperate - if I was desperate enough, I would have thrown caution to the wind and just married anyone. I consider myself as more cautious. I don't think that I am picky or choosy, I just know what I want and I will not settle for less.

I don't ask for the age of the guy I am talking to because I don't want the age factor to bias my opinion of him. I have meet guys who are younger and are more mature. There are also guys who are older than me who still want to think of themselves as wild and free.

Why do we worry about age differences so much? I would think that it is actually not because you, yourself are worried but you are worried about what other people may think. I guess this does influence who we choose to date and especially in this country where everyone knows everyone else.

I don't think I will mind seeing a guy who is younger. I would rather date a guy I can communicate with compared to a suitable 'older' guy whose only positive is that he is older.

LOL> A funny thought popped into my head just now. I had visited my friend who just gave birth and for the first time ever, I felt the biological clock ticking. I have never worried about that clock before.

Parasites...

2009-06-13T16:02:00.000+08:00

I have to get this off my chest. It was after I read the article in the newspaper about parasitic men.

Sad to say, I think that there are quite a few of these men here. I am not going to generalise or quote statistics but I have been hearing instances of this behaviour occurring.

For me, it doesn't actually matter how much the guy is earning. For example, I would prefer to be with a guy who earns $2000 and manages to have at least 30% of his salary rather than one earns $5000 and has 0% left before payday due to overcommitments.

I feel that there are now a lot of fellas out there just looking for a free ride and we women are admittedly soft-hearted. Lending cash and love to one who is using you is quite common. Personally I tend to be wary when you are seeing a guy and after one or two dates (or even if he thinks you are already hooked by his lines) the parasite will raise the problem of insufficient finances. It boils my blood when the guy asks you out and yet expects you to pay. I rather go Dutch and never see the guy again.

Lesson to learn that no matter how good looking a guy is or the amazing amount of money he may earn, we have to screen our potential mates. As long as the guy treats you right and is not a parasite, give him a chance. Of course, if you are not attracted to him at all, please let him down gently and use the oft used phrase "Let's just be friends."

Next blog tidbit will be about younger men and older women. A topic really close to my heart... LOL...

Aiyahh..

2009-06-12T11:15:00.000+08:00

Basic anatomy 'baffles Britons'

Answers see bottom of the story

Many people in the UK are unable to identify the location of their major organs, a study suggests.

A team at King's College London found public understanding of basic anatomy has not improved since a similar survey was conducted 40 years ago.

Less than 50% of the more than 700 people surveyed could correctly place the heart, BMC Family Practice says.

Under one-third could place the lungs in their correct location, but more than 85% got the intestines right.

There are concerns that a poor grasp of anatomy could potentially compromise patient care.

The researchers asked more than 700 people to look at outlines of both a male and female body and identify which of several shaded areas was a particular organ.

Those asked included apparently healthy members of the public and then people undergoing treatment for a problem that affected specific organs.

Even those for whom the organ was particularly relevant often performed poorly - more than half of those with renal problems did not correctly identify the kidneys.

Fewer than 30% of the general population were able to do so.

But liver patients did better, with 75.3% identifying the organ compared with 46% of the general population.

The researchers said they had aimed to update a similar piece of research carried out in 1970, in which just over half of all the questions were correctly answered.

But with an average of 52.5% correctly answered, the results have barely changed.

"We thought that the improvements in education seen since then, coupled with an increased media focus on medical and health-related topics and growing access to the internet as a source of medical information, might have led to an increase in patients' anatomical knowledge," said lead researcher John Weinman.

"As it turns out, there has been no significant improvement in the intervening years."

There was little difference between men and women, although women did perform better when a female body image was used.

Unsurprisingly, the better educated identified more organs correctly.

Communication concerns

The researchers said their findings did raise concerns about doctor-patient communication and possibly therefore the quality of care.

Don Redding, head of policy at the Picker Institute Europe, a patient research group, agreed.

"There is a real problem with health literacy - people's ability to understand and process health information - which this study is indicative of.

"It really does matter, particularly as we look ahead to an NHS where resources are ever tighter.

"If people are going to use the NHS in an effective way they need to be able to communicate and understand what is said to them - this way we avoid repeat referrals, unnecessary hospitalisations.

"Everyone involved has to think harder about how to engage people in their own health - it's the only way."

Ellen Mason, from the British Heart Foundation, said: "Ideally the public would have a better knowledge of the location of their major body organs than this study suggests.

"This would hopefully produce a more meaningful dialogue with their doctor when something goes wrong with one of these organs.

"However, it is ultimately more important to know how to look after your heart than where it is in your body."

Answers: Heart - C, Kidneys - D, Pancreas - B.

BBC News Online