The Unforgettable...

This is crazy... It's so busy at NIE with 9 modules & so many assignments that I am constantly thinking & feeling stressed about all the things that I'm not sure about & all my deadlines! Argh! Now I begin to understand why my Mum said that she has never seen my brother work so hard before! Sigh...

MOE Olive Run!

It's been a number of years since I represented any agency or organisation in a competitive run. Finally, I got a chance to represent Farrer Park Primary School in the mixed team event Olive Run! It was held at East Coast Beach on 15 Aug.

Here are the memorable photos below. The first photo shows those who represented the school in the mixed team event & the second photo is our all-staff photo! =)

I Survived My First 2 Weeks At NIE

Wow... Time really flies... & suddenly it's been 2 weeks at NIE for my formal teacher training. It has been quite a challenge to adapt back to studying, after working for 5 years. Although I did pursue my post graduate diploma back in 2007, that was evening classes, which I occasionally skipped due to unfinished work. Part-time study & full-time work is tough, but somehow I struggled through with the assignments & exams for the entire 1 year.

Frankly, full-time study is easier... much easier... in terms of managing work concurrently, which really takes a toil on me. However, now having gone back to full-time study, I experienced another different form of struggle - a struggle for identity. Although I am coming to terms with this emotional, mentally & physically, after 2 weeks of absorption back into study life, I remember that my first week, in fact more so for the first 3 days, was excruciating.

I couldn't accept this sudden change in my lifestyle & not to mention that I don't like studying. I prefer to do things on the job & learn from daily experiences, which I honestly feel that I learn better. Seriously. I just couldn't come to terms with the fact that suddenly all the primary school pupils had disappeared & I started to miss my daily interaction with them. Strangely, though they were horrendously behaved, especially on certain days, I still feel drawn to relate with them... whether as a teacher or even an elder brother. I miss the kind of honest, forthcoming & childlike interaction that they have with me... & I believe many of them miss me as well. How do I know? I still get SMSes, calls, e-mails, class blog entries, MSN messages & Facebook invites from them. They can be so horrendously lovable at such times.

Full time studying hasn't been easy for me, contrary to what most adults percieve about NIE. Maybe during their early years at NIE, things were not as hectic or messy. Who doesn't realise by now that as things evolve, more things get added & things get more complicated? Every seasoned working adult should recognise that by now. But I am still thankful that I don't have to juggle work concurrently, just like in 2007. That was a terror... & I truly respect those mothers who manage work, evening study & children at the same time. 24 hours is never, ever enough.

Workload aside, the traveling time is horrendous too. Daily commuting time of at least 3 hours to & fro, can really sap the living daylights out of me! That's just physically, but even mentally, I feel pissed off at times, coz it is such a huge wastage of time! Even if I was physically able to stand (despite tiredness) & mentally still partially functioning to try to read my textbook or notes, the REAL problem is that there isn't ANY SPACE to do so!!! Everyone is like crammed up like sardines in a long MRT sardine tin can... & most of us can't even move. How to study? And it doesn't make me feel better that Boon Lay is such a dirty, polluted & smoky place!

Food is generally blend but edible at NIE canteen, though I believe food at NTU canteen is much better. But I think it is more pricey over there. Anyway, I don't have time to travel to & fro, coz apart from a 20 - 30 min lunch break, I spend most of my time mugging at the library. Partly it is to keep away from germs around (recently quite a number of people are coughing), but mostly it is because I have so much readings & work to catch up! I feel that 9 modules is just too heavy, especially for a 1st semester student, who is TOTALLY new to this genre of education study!

Anyway, somehow... somehow... I managed to survive my first 2 weeks... Well, let's see how I go from here...

Children Learn From What They Live

If a child lives with criticism, he learns to condemn.

If a child lives with hostility, he learns to fight.

If a child lives with ridicule, he learns to be shy.

If a child lives with shame, he learns to feel guilty.

If a child lives with tolerance, he learns to be patient.

If a child lives with encouragement, he learns confidence.

If a child lives with praise, he learns to appreciate.

If a child lives with fairness, he learns justice.

If a child lives with security, he learns to trust.

If a child lives with approval, he learns to be himself.

If a child lives with acceptance and friendship, he learns to find love in the world.

Reaching For My Lowest Fat % In Years!

I bought this weighing machine from Guardian that also calculates a person's % of fat in terms of his/her body weight, as well as % of water composition in his/her body. Its pretty interesting & so far, the figures haven't fluctuated much over the past 2 months, so I think its quite accurate.

Well, 2 months ago... my fat % was around 18.5 - 18.8%, when I first bought this machine. Since then, I have exercising more regularly, plus doing resistance training... & after 2 months, my fat % has now reduced to around 17.5 - 17.8%, which is a 1% drop in fat! Based on my average weight of 64kg, this means that I have lost about 640g of fat! That's great!

I have been so encouraged by the gradual results so far, that I have recently set myself a goal to reach a body fat % of 15% by the end of this year. I'm not sure if there is enough time & health to achieve this goal, but it's better to aim for the moon... at least if I miss a bit, I would still reach the stars... I read this slogan from some bookmark at some bookshop... hahaha... so here goes!

The Truth About Hollywood

In these recent years, I have started to purchase items online because I am unable to locate them in local book stores & video stores. I still find it very surprising why my favourite stuff are so difficult to find locally... you mean, there are so few people who share my interests? Hmm...

Well, I purchased my latest book from eBay & it is titled 'A Rocky Life' whereby a reporter wrote a book about the ups & downs of Sylvester Stallone's love life. This reporter must have been very priviledged to interview the star himself, plus other people such as his second ex-wife, the star's mother, etc. I wonder how it feels like to actually talk to a celebrity... Wow...

This book proved to be an interesting read, as I have read several biblographies of Sylvester Stallone, but it was mostly on the central topic of his down & out career, before he attained stardom... as well as the other centre of attraction topic on how he developed his physique for his intensely physical roles in his movies. I mean, this guy has actually been training for over 40 years! Talk about how he spent his life!

Anyway, this book was so interesting that I could almost hardly put it down... & I actually finished this 200+ pages book in about 3 - 4 days. Wow... true life accounts really reach my heart. But as I read this book, I felt a strong sense of sadness overwhelm me. Sly's life has been excruciatingly difficult ever since his childbirth... & till date, he still suffers from emotional scars from the past... some from his parents, mostly his aggressive & violent Dad... & of course, all those women that have passed by his life...

Frankly, I feel sorry for him, although he is probably not the only person on Earth to ever live through these depressing encounters. I actually felt sad throughout those 3 - 4 days as I read this book! Wow... what an impact...

There was another side to his book which I discovered... & that was the cruelty & realism of what happens at Hollywood. Movie making is ultimately about making money... & a star's pay check & awards seriously depend on how much money the movie makes. To Hollywood producers, making profits is their only concern. I'm not sure if this is something to feel sad about coz I really feel that movies have its way of reaching into the lives, hearts & minds of its viewers. In a way, movies can actually change lives... as we have seen its influence ever since movies came into play since the early days. For example, Christopher Reeve's Superman movies weren't the first Superman movie that was released. There were actually several earlier Superman versions even before his time... & they were in black & white, of course. And so are the much earlier Batman movies, etc.

Another fact that I found it quite difficult to swallow is how critical American movie critics could be. I mean, I was astonished to read about how critical & judgmental they could be! Talk about expectations... nothing comes close to Hollywood! I'm not sure about Bollywood, but they would get there, sooner or later... as long as it reaches the international market.

Its astonishing to me, coz there are so many movies that made an impact on me... or at least I found entertaining, but these are so easily shot down by movie critics, hit charts, etc. Honestly, the critics can be so brutal... merciless! I just feel for the actors & actresses... I mean, I wonder if I would even find joy acting in such an environment like this... being scrutinised for every move. And seriously, movie making is an art... & artistic views differ...

Thus, all in all, I really take my hat off to Sly... He really has the heart to go through all these for so many years. Not to mention just acting... but writing scripts & directing as well. Wow...

My List of Favourite Male Celebrities

Now that I have listed down my list of female celebrity crushes, I will move on to my list of favourite male celebrities. In this case, these are not crushes coz I'm a straight guy... but these are the male celebrities that have showed prowess, attitude & potential... which I admire... or at least at some point of my life have admired...

1) Sylvester Stallone


Sly tops my all-time list of favourite male celebrities. I first came across this amazing star in his early Rocky movies. I still remember that when I was in upper primary, I used to stay over at my grandparents' home over the weekend during the school holidays. There was once that they brought me out & my grandfather brought me the cassette tape soundtrack of Rocky 3. I still remember that I would listen to this soundtrack over & over again on his cassette tape player. Up till this day, I still enjoy listening to Sylvester Stallone movies soundtracks! Of course, Sly also showed great performances in many other movies e.g. Daylight, Cliffhanger & especially Rambo. His bibliography touched my heart also as he was an underdog turned star.


2) Jean-Claude Van Damme


I first came across this physically well-defined movie star when my cousin introduced to me the movie 'Kickboxer'. That was in the 80s & during that era, Van Damme starred in several adrenaline pumping movies like 'Bloodsport', etc. Although he acted well & could do perfect leg splits, his physical body cannot be compared to Sylvester Stallone, who is well known for having one of the best bodies in Hollywood. In terms of marital arts, Donnie Yen definitely overshadows him. So he's quite an average martial artist movie star... except that he was one of the early martial arts movie stars that I encountered on screen.


3) Jackie Chan


This fella is famous around the world & has produced many excellent movies during his time. I guess he is best known for his dangerous stunts & humour in his movies. He is quite versatile too, being able to star in both English, Mandarin & Cantonese movies... of several different kinds of movie genre too. So I would say, he is the most adaptable movie star of his time.


4) Donnie Yen


He caught my attention when I was watching his Hongkong TV series 'Fist of Fury' back in the mid 90s, in which he acted as the role of Chen Zhen, a replica of Bruce Lee's 'Fist of Fury' back in the 70s. Donnie Yen is a fantastic martial artist & his stunts in his movies were never the same, unlike that of Van Damme (after all, Van Damme's moves are boring). Donnie Yen tried to act in a few English movies, but I guess his limited English & Cantonese accent didn't pull through. What attracted me to his movies are basically his stunning martial arts moves & intensity.


5) Jet Li


I read somewhere that Donnie Yen & Jet Li studied under the same kungfu master back during their early childhood days. Some say that Jet Li got more successful movies made because of his looks. To me, both of them speak terrible English accent, but both are a rare talent in kungfu. The difference is that Jet Li managed to move into the Hollywood film industry & got several roles, whereas Donnie Yen couldn't manage with any success.


6) Johnny Depp


There is not much to say about this guy, except that I find him eccentric. I noticed him the most in his later movies 'Pirates of the Carribean' where he played the role of Captain Jack Sparrow. Other than that, his on screen character didn't impress me much. But I like his style as Captain Jack Sparrow!


7) Tom Cruise


He strikes me as an old time actor that was more successful during the 80s & 90s, rather than in the 2oth or 21st century. His big hit came when he starred in the movie 'Top Gun' during his early days. I guess the 'cool' look & youth played a big part in the American film industry back then. Later on, he kinda got older & fatter... so lost some of his charima & looks. But nonetheless, he was a star in the 80s & 90s.


8) Jim Carrey


This guy is weird... mad, perhaps. Apparently he has acted in many films, mostly of comedy. I think its because he is that eccentric, that's why people pay to watch him. I think he can sing pretty alright too, but mostly its his humour that caught people watching his movies.


9) Owen Wilson


This is also another funny guy. Not as hilarious as Jim Carrey, but he has a mix of nonsense, dry humour & an occasional inspirational bit that made people like him. I like this fella a lot... I guess he ranks top in my list of favourite comedy actors. Definitely above Ben Stiller & Adam Sandler.

My List of Female Celebrity Crushes

Hahaha... this thought came to mind recently to blog about my list of female celebrities & see how far I have come. I think this is going to be an interesting list... hee hee... for old times' sake. Let's start from the early beginnings of my childhood onward... =)

1) Amy Jo Johnson

This girl was probably the first female celebrity that I came across at my youngest age! I admired her when she was acting as the Pink Power Ranger in the TV series back in the early 80s. At that young age, I thought that she was pretty & has good figure. Well, I guess as I grew older & came across more female celebrities... she didn't look so pretty after all...

2) Elizabeth Shue

I found her a bit cute (though relatively plump) when I watched her star in the movie 'The Karate Kid'. I watched this movie also in the 80s & 'The Karate Kid' 3-part movie series captured my heart. I remember that I was learning Taekwondo during my late primary school years & I used to still watch this movie & listen to the soundtrack all the way through secondary school.

3) Kelly Preston

Thinking back now, I'm not sure what I liked about her, when I first watched her in the movies back in the late 80s. But I guess at that time, I was still young & she looked pretty too! I don't even recall which movie that I saw her act in, but for the record... this was one of the girls that I had a crush on...

4) Ali Landry

I first noticed her in one of the earlier movies that I watched in my mid-school years (probably late secondary or JC school years). Looking back, she doesn't look that fantastic, but I guess at that age, there weren't that many movies that I watched so far.

5) Denise Richards

Its interesting to see her seemingly 'demure' side when I watched her star in the movie 'Starship Troopers'. At a young age, this science fiction movie captured my young mind & I remembered that this movie used to be one of my favourite; also because of the hero 'Johnny Rico' that starred in this movie. Apparently, this girl's role as a seemingly 'demure' on-screen personality vanished after this film... well, at least based on the small number of movies that I have seen her act.

6) Jennifer Love Hewitt

I have watched a few movies starring her as the lead actress, but I really started to take notice of this cute girl, when I watched the movie 'Heartbreakers'. She played the role of a scheming daughter who followed in her mother's footsteps to gain big & quick fortune by cheating on men. In this movie, she really showed how 'manja' she could get... & I guess it drew my attention... not to mention her laughing eyes & stunning good figure... I have admired her figure in a number of her movies... except that this particular photo that I have chosen, just doesn't do justice to her younger looks back then!

7) Brittany Murphy

I started to find her attractive in terms of her figure & on-screen personality, when I watched the movie 'Just Married'. It was about this young couple who just got married, without knowing what to expect, experienced a horrendous honeymoon & nearly broke up upon returning home. Now that I look back, she doesn't look so pretty anymore... Movies seem to have a strange effect on me, for a while... then... well... hahaha...

8) Lindsay Lohan

I remember watching her during her very early acting years in the movie 'Parent Trap' & she was really more demure & innocent back then. Later on in years, she caught my attention in her movie 'Mean Girls'. Maybe it was the make-up, but she looked quite pretty, except for some pigmentation on her face... but I think she acted a good role in that movie.on her face...

9) Jennifer Aniston

I watched a few movies starring her as the lead female actress & one of those movies which I felt a little bit attracted to her, was when she was acting in this comedy with Ben Stiller, called 'Along With Polly'. It was so hilarious! I'm not sure why I felt attracted to her, as she looked much older than my age... even now, she's probably in her 40s already... but I guess it was the way she did the sensual salsa dance scene in that movie that captured my attention... plus the tight red mini shorts that she wore in another scene... Wow... not bad for her age! But she's old now...

10) Winona Ryder

I find this girl is pretty when she was younger. I first saw her appearance in the movie 'Edward Scissorhands'. It was like crush-at-first-sight! I guess it's the cute & demure face & personality that I liked, since a young age. There were other later movies that she starred in, but this was the first movie that impressed on me.

11) Kristin Kruek

In much recent years, I had a crush on this girl for about a year because of her demure look & personality in the TV series 'Smallville'. This TV series has had more than 7 seasons & it is still going relatively strong, I think... Kristin is quite skinny though... but she has a nice smile, beautiful eyes & cheerful on-screen personality. It's no wonder that I had a crush for quite some time.

12) Jessica Alba

My latest crush is definitely this girl. She is one fantastic girl who really captures the attention of men all over the world. Apparently, she has been ranked Top 100 sexist women in the world! No wonder she has mentioned to be one of the most downloaded over the Internet. She first caught my attention in the movie 'Into The Blue' & I just enjoy watching her underwater dive scenes! And that slight tanned skin makes her look so sporty! That aside, what really attracted me to her is her 'next-door-neighbour' kind of girly look which can melt the hearts of men. She has this charming demure look which just draws my attention & of course, her smile... Wow... & not to mention her cute chuckling laugh that just tickles the heart! She is so cute! I have watched some of her interviews online through You Tube & her personality just charms me... she is eloquent & knows how to engage those around her... & her humour is so amazing... Wow...

God Is An Artist?

A Sunday School teacher began her lesson with a question, "Boys and girls, what do we know about God? A hand shot up in the air. "He is an artist!" said the kindergarten boy. "Really? How do you know?" The teacher asked, "You know - Our Father, who does art in Heaven..."

A Bear, Lion & Pig...

A bear, a lion and a pig meet. Bear says: "If I roar in the forest, the entire forest shivers with fear." Lion says: "If I roar in the jungle, the entire jungle is afraid of me." Pig says: "Big deal... I only have to cough and the entire planet lives in fear.”

Unresolved Mystery of Couple Differences

Recently, I have been thinking about how different couples can be, before and more so after getting married. When I was in my teens, I remember that I used to ask my parents about what did they like about each other. Their answer (despite several attempts through the years) has always been the same - Don't know.

I pursued the question each time, asking why they do not know... & they always brushed it off, saying that they have forgotten what they liked about each other & it was so long ago. Now, it is just going to church on Sunday together, visiting relatives, reading newspapers, watch TV drama serials, washing clothes & dishes, day after day, week after week, year after year.

At that young age, I couldn't figure it out, but now after being married for 8 months, I am starting to wonder to myself about this same question. Who says parents don't influence their children? Hahaha... but then again, being an inquisitive person, this question would bound to pass through my mind sooner or later anyway...

It’s not that I have forgotten what attracted me to my wife, but the dynamics and scope of things do change after getting married and living together. Not that it is difficult to live with her (in fact, she has been very helpful at home) but I guess I have been reflecting about how our relationship has changed since we got married. When typing this sentence, I was actually pondering whether to use the word 'improved' or 'progressed', but in the end, I used the word 'changed' because I guess it’s the more honest description that fits my reflection at this point of time.

Not that either of us has changed much, but I guess it’s the coming together & living together that changed the dynamics of our relationship. During our courtship, most of our time was spent studying (when we were in university), typical dating activities (like going to the zoo, beach, movies, dinner, etc), going to church (that's pretty much the same since we were a child anyway) and of course, chatting on the phone for hours (which we hardly talk much nowadays). After that, I would send her home (most of the time) and that was pretty much it. Thereafter, how we live our lives in our parents’ home is very much on our own.

But that's the catch, you see... coz now we are living in our own home TOGETHER & this issue of how we used to spend our time comes into the situation! I guess this is where most couples find it challenging coz what we chose to do when living in our own parents’ home rolls over to how and what we also choose to do when living in our own home now. Now that pinpoints the mystery of the century! It is easy to do things together when outside with friends or just the two of us, but when we get home, it’s a totally different matter altogether!

Of course, this is not to say that a couple must continue to do the same things together back at home, but this is the part that becomes challenging and often difficult to resolve or come to a consensus. Why? It’s because each party has been used to living their own way & each prefers it that way. For example, the husband may prefer to play computer games or watch soccer & his wife may not like it coz she wants to watch TV. Some couples get two TVs so as to resolve this problem, which also draws them away from each other & continue in their own world. And when their children come along, they get more TVs.

Or in this case, the husband may decide, well... let’s watch TV together... but the preference of TV shows may differ from husband & wife. For me, it doesn’t help that our local TV shows are down-right lousy! So maybe one of them may suggest that they watch a video together, but same problem... in my case, I enjoy watching action movies, but my wife doesn’t like them much (it’s quite obvious from her expression).

How about doing activities together? One party may be more outgoing than the other & it might spark differences again. My wife would ask why she can live with being simple, but I am not. It’s just our different background, interests & personality! For example, I am thinking of learning to scuba dive, but my wife is not interested. I am keen to take up rock climbing, but my wife is also not interested. Honestly, I also have a much-suppressed interest in playing paint ball & Laser Quest, but I have yet to find anyone who would be interested to join me. My wife is interested to learn piano & cooking, but I am not into that. Well, it is good that we support each other’s interests, but I have been reflecting about what exactly do we do together now & in the long term? The way things are going, we aren’t going to have anything in common!

I see that happening in almost every couple relationship that I know of. One guy is interested in collecting limited edition toys, but the girl is interested in piano. Another guy is interested in playing pool, but the girl is interested in shopping. Another guy is interested in watching action movies, but the girl prefers romantic or comedy. Another guy likes to talk about life, but the girl avoids because she doesn’t want to see this as reality. Another guy likes to watch soccer, but the girl prefers to watch Korean dramas. Another guy likes to swim, but the girl doesn’t want to spoil her hair. Another guy likes to go outdoors & take photographs of nature, but the girl prefers to stay home & avoid the sun. Another guy likes adventure sports, but the girl doesn’t like to sweat. Another guy likes to watch documentaries about war, but the girl prefers to watch TV shows about travel. Another guy is interested in gadgets of the latest technology, but the girl prefers fashion & clothes. Wow... there’s a lot of things that men do, ya? But for the difference with girls, I can simply sum it up in one super short sentence – shopping, music & drama shows. And these are just about each gender’s interests & hobbies... I haven’t even brought up other issues like religion, bringing up children, clash of careers, etc.

Is this how opposites attract? How does that even happen? How does it last, coz sooner or later, each party starts to wonder what attracted them in the first place? Is the final decision to stay together going to be because it is a Christian relationship or marriage & the other party is just stable enough to live together?

If the guy manages to join an interest club & finally get a chance to do these things, he would find more friends to go out with, which is good... (let’s not go into the topic about what may happen when the guy finds members of the opposite sex that are also interested in the same interests as him)... but the point is – how would their marital relationship develop? Only when they have children? And when that happens, would the couple really be developing their marital relationship, or are they actually getting busy about their children? It’s no wonder that couples are beginning to wonder what they were attracted to each other in the early days... even my parents.

So, what do married couples like us do together anyway? Eat dinner together, watch an occasional movie that we can accept, go for a short overseas holiday once in a while during school holidays, go for an occasional jog or swim together, meet up with parents and in-laws for a meal, attend & serve in church and raise children together. That’s about it that I can think of, at this point of time.

From this list, the more regular activities are eating dinner, visiting parents & in-laws, serve in church & probably a more regular exercise together. Well, that’s about what we have been doing all these months anyway. That’s mainly the usual stuff about living together as a married couple... but we have almost no interest in common... hopefully taking part in runs together. But there is nothing much to spice up marriage & keep the fire going. I guess at this point of time, it is really dependent on our CG activities to really do different things together. It’s odd to think that it is doing things together as a CG that keeps this part of our marriage together.

Of course, there is always the constant nagging feeling to doing as much work as possible at home coz our teaching job is endless. But then again, what’s new... we had expected it when we entered the service. Yet, how much do we choose to let our jobs eat into our personal lives? No wonder the senior teachers in our school say that they have SOLD their soul to this job. Now, here comes another challenging part about living together – how we slot in time for work at home.

For some couples, they would choose to stay back late at work to finish up before coming home. But the question is – what time would they really be back? For teaching, schools should close by 7pm (unless they are in the steering committee which has meetings till past 8pm). But what about if a couple is working in the corporate sector? I have worked in the corporate sector for 4 years & I know how it is like, except that teachers can’t work that late, so they end up bringing work home.

Not that it is wrong to bring back work to do at home (especially in the case of working as a teacher) but the question is how do we prioritise work at home? I was in the HR line before & I remembered my manager REBUKING me that the nature of work has changed from last time. Now successful professionals have to learn to juggle both work and family commitments at the same time & at the same place. Gone are the days where we just do our work at the office & come home. In this modern age of work, people bring work back home to do & it has become essential to work at home. Work doesn’t stop at the office. Work is part of our daily life. Even weekends, we need to check e-mail & do work at home, so that we can keep up with what’s going on and be successful.

So, if we think that this is about teaching, think again... it’s not. In fact, it can be a lot worse, if we are working in the corporate world. Bosses demand turn-around time within the same working day. If there is a technical disruption, it HAS to be resolved in a matter of hours, within the same day, if not the company would incur major losses & penalties. My ex-ex-ex-colleague was sacked because of this. Believe me; it is not just about worrying that a parent would call to ask why her child’s workbook is not marked. But then again, it’s really about work in the end, corporate or non-corporate; in the office or back at home; single or married.

In this case of a married couple, their difference in perspective of work can severely alter the dynamics of their relationship... & in a Christian marriage, we can change our job, but we can’t change our spouse. For some, that becomes a real problem. Worse still, when children come along, this matter gets worse. That’s why there are so many issues of child misbehaviour SIMPLY due to the lack of parental support & non-nurturing family background. Believe me; we get that a lot in school nowadays. Teachers & even counsellors can’t do much, if the family situation does not reinforce it. Sadly, I believe that there are children of these teachers themselves, who fall into this category as well... or worse still, their own children beyond parental control. How is our job & salary worth, really? And some career driven parents can tell me that each of their hours is more costly, so it makes more economic sense to hire a maid to spend time with the child. They can earn more in an hour, compared to how much they pay a maid.

Even if it is not about children; how about the rising cases of divorce in Singapore nowadays? Why can’t it include teachers? I am dead-sure that it does. Why not? Our country is experiencing a 40 – 50% divorce rate in these recent years & the figures are increasing year by year. I have personally known of a couple who separated because of their severe differences in perspective & prioritising of their job. Think about it – crime rate is going down, but divorce rates are going up. Go figure!

Why should divorce only be because of marital infidelity? Can’t it be because of differences & difficulty of living together? The truth is – that ACTUALLY happens MORE often than marital infidelity nowadays! People are finding it harder to live together nowadays because of how different their lives have been before they are married. For some, it is also because of how different they want their lives to continue to be, EVEN after being married. It could be about pursuing their peak in their career, or simply just being in a job that demands so much of their lives that their marital relationship or even family breaks down. Believe me; it is true!

Like it or not, the challenge of making time to do more for work is not just in the office, but even at home. Everyone wants to achieve more. For some, it is about personal career satisfaction & for others; it may be just to keep their job. I don’t know how much about what the Bible says about not being a part of this world is reflected & lived out in our modern lives nowadays. We are all sucked in. Some are by choice, whereas others are by demands.

In this modern age, people are living longer... but are they really living? What can they POSSIBLY be living for, if they are just striving to squeeze as much work to be done, within 24 hours? And can you believe it, there are devices that are marketed to help people accomplish as much as 48 hours of work, within 24 hours! If they keep this up, someone had better come up with another better device to help people accomplish 36 hours of work, within 24 hours!

The truth is – what we do not realise is how much work is affecting our very lives, our marital relationships, our friendships, our meaningful involvement in God’s work, our children... & even our eating, our sleep... & also how it affects our own heart. Need I remind everyone that stress is also a major contributor of disease in humans? Do we believe that we can overwork our heart? I don’t think so coz many of us work as if we are invincible, overly important or indispensible! We feel so important at work that we just want to keep going! Or we feel so worried about what the bosses, principal, HODs & parents would think of us that we keep on striving & stressing our bodies, mind & heart.

I learnt this concept about life some years ago & it has never failed to prove itself true – that we have to give up something, to get something. In the end, we have to ask ourselves how much that thing is worth. Is it worth killing ourselves, getting sick & paying countless doctors’ bills? Is it worth 10 years of trying to get pregnant, paying tens of thousands of dollars & still unable to conceive? Is it worth risking a miscarriage? Is it worth the impact of how our children would grow up? Is it worth losing our marriage; or for that matter, even if we keep our marriage, but lose the quality of it?

What is it that we fear in the end? Losing our job? How much of our lives do we REALLY, REALLY, REALLY submit & surrender to God? Coz if we surrender & give our hearts, lives & jobs to Him, all these won’t be happening. And definitely not at this escalating scale in society. And we are not talking about a far away developed nation... we are talking about Singapore... we are talking about the very own spouse, family, friends & people that we see around us every day.

The question is – What are going to do about this?

Shallow But Its The Underlying Truth...

Lately, I have been thinking quite a bit about what is it about females that really attracts, or should I say, draw my attention. The more I ponder about this issue, the more I come face to face with the real hard truth that men are shallow-er when it comes to attraction towards the opposite sex. But hey, what's new? And the truth is that God made the male gender different, be it creature or human.

I wondered about animals and realised that the male animal also gets visually drawn to another female animal based on 'her' physical looks, except that it is more extreme than male humans, in the sense that they are attracted purely (or largely) due to the instinct of mating. I guess this is how God made them to be, so as to ensure the continuation of the species. And based on the rapid rate at which humans consume animals, for all kinds of delicacies, it is all the more crucial that these male animals procreate as frequent as possible, so as to increase the chances of survival of their species.

But the point is - male animals are visually attracted to their female counterparts. Male humans, on the other hand, are similar too... except that there is a possibility of a cultivating of a relationship with the opposite sex. But even before that happens, the male human has to be visually drawn to the female first. In a way, this makes me wonder how online dating really takes place, when there is such a high chance of faking a person's identity and selective use of photos, etc. I mean, how can one be sure, unless they meet up? And even if they meet up, how can one be sure that this is really the person whom he/she has been relating online? It could well be their friend, who is employing a tactic to scout out for suitable friends or partners. Why not?

Anyway, the point is - I find that it is SO real that men has to be visually attracted to a female, before considering starting a relationship with her. I mean, it doesn't have to be a red-hot sizzling visual attraction (though that REALLY helps, even in the long run), but at least, that guy must not be turned off by that female. Well, the acceptance of turn off habits vary from guy to guy, but that's another story.

Is it possible to feel drawn to an attractive female without desiring intimacy with her? For me, this is something that I have pondering. So far, it seems possible. I mean, there are so many visually attractive females (especially the young ones in their 20s up to maybe 30) that I literally feel overwhelmed with choice! Of course, the quantity of such 'sights' vary from location to location, but its more or less there, at least for the younger crowd. Naturally, there are also the contrast of NON visually attractive females, though a slight acceptance of 'defect' is possible, recognising that these real life females are not perfect looks and figured comic book characters.

For me, I find myself visually attracted to slightly younger females, but it isn't a desire for intimacy. As I grow older, I find myself starting to admire and appreciate female physical beauty. Apart from the natural attention to parts like slim legs, hour-glass figure, endowed 'assets'... I have begun to start wondering about how the facial features can REALLY make a difference and impact in visual attraction. And my conclusion is YES!

I have seen females, even older women, who can have a good figure, legs, assets, etc... but it doesn't mean that they look pretty... much less to use the word 'beautiful'. Of course, others can always argue that physical beauty is skin deep, but does this aspect not exist? I mean, definitely everyone gets old... it is a natural process of ageing... but I have seen older women who know how to age gracefully and still one can tell that she used to be very pretty when young, coz she still maintains that tinge of facial beauty, even now when she is much older. Believe me, there are such females around... not too many, but there are. And I really wonder how much their husbands whole heartedly admire and appreciate that about them.

I guess males do appreciate and are visually drawn to females who upkeep themselves. And if isn't about the idea that after married, it doesn't matter. In fact, after getting married, it matters EVEN more, coz to lose a part of the attraction that existed initially, is to lose a part of the attraction for and towards each other. And that is a serious thing, especially for some men... or should I say, most men. I mean, why should a male stop being visually attracted to their partner after getting married? Does that psychology change after putting on a ring or saying a vow? I don't think so... not at all! Not at all, at all! In fact, I believe most guys have to appreciate or at least accept the attractiveness of his partner, before considering being married to her. And I believe (or at least I am hoping) God is fair too - in the sense that He wouldn't force a man or a woman to purposely marry another person of the opposite sex, if there is simply nothing that he/she is attracted to, in the first place!

So where does this leave me? Well, I don't know... though I do upkeep my physical stature, even after I got married... not just for myself, but for my wife too. Even if my wife doesn't bother, it still bothers me, and I would still do it for myself, coz I can't stand being unfit, fat and unhealthy. Why should I ruin my body? And I always believe that our body is our responsibility.

As for all the physically attractive females out there, well... this isn't going to change... and in a way, I am glad that it stays that way, coz its really a nice sight to see physical beauty around (I mean, that's why people travel to see physical beauty right? Buildings, beaches, skies, etc are all visual physical beauty)... and neither can I will (even if I wanted to) my psychology to change, so I guess I would just have to continue this way for the rest of my life. Well, this is part of life - people. I am no Robinson Crusoe...

The Passing of Michael Jackson

Yeah, everybody (almost) knows that the King of Pop, Michael Jackson, has recently passed away. It was very sudden & it seems that all of the sudden, there came about a huge hype about him! His CDs started selling like hotcakes, TV broadcasting his memorial service, etc. Wow...

For me, I have never been a fan of Michael Jackson... or Michael Jordon... or Michael J. Fox... or even Michaelangelo (that ninja turtle). Ok, you got me... I did go crazy about Michaelangelo when I was a litte kid, but after awhile, it started to fade away... I was a KID, what do you expect? Ninja turtles was one of the more decent yet exciting cartoons back in the 80s!

Anyway, back to MJ... No, not my colleague Ming Ju... but Michael Jackson. It was because of his recent demise that I started being curious about his video clip over You Tube. Initially, I thought he has stage presence... well, he did... unless how in the world does he make $10 million per show... but after awhile, I started to reflect at the back of my mind, about this famous guy who started out poor, later on became rich... and much later, died a bankrupt. Just like Elvis Pressly, according to my Dad.

As I watched his video clips on You Tube, I started to pity him... seriously. Its really a sad story, not to mention his disfigured face and how skinny he looked now. Oh yes, and his countless pills and painkillers that he takes so regularly... its so sad... Well, he did revolutionise the pop culture, but that didn't end well for him... and of course, those media publicity about his crimes... Sigh...

Now when I watch his video clips online, I feel sorry and sad for him... and that person singing and dancing in the video clip is now dead... even a king will some day die... and it is even more sad how he ended up... and how he died... I wonder where is he now... heaven or hell... the moral of the story is - if you start out well, make sure you do your best to end well... if not, it would really be a sad case... for he has truly fallen from his 'glory'... sad... its such an irony...

Transit To My Next Phase of Life

Guess what... after almost 1 year of contract teaching, I am finally going into NIE! Well, not that I'm really raring to go, coz I know that I will miss the pupils at Farrer Park Primary School... but I guess it would be a good break and opportunity to learn how to teach better.

Yeah, I will be entering into NIE on 28 July, which is like 13 days away... which actually means its down to my last 9 working days in school! Wow... wait a minute... not that I'm really all that enthusiastic about leaving, but its more of feeling sad to leave... colleagues, pupils, even the two security guards! One of the security guard Jaleeha, even told me that she is sad that I will be going off... and reminded me not to forget her... Wow... I wasn't really expecting that... but its nice!

Oh well, its going to be a brand new start for me... very soon. I still remembered that one of the senior teachers telling me that now that I have experienced quite a number of different classes at different levels, I am know able to challenge what is taught at NIE! Well, true in some sense, but I rather stay humble, until its really important that I speak up. Oh well... life is going to be different for the next 2 years, but its going to be interesting!

God, please grant me wisdom, understanding and favour... Amen!

Electric Guitar - A Concert On Its Own!

Now, this is the MOST marvelous video clip that I have seen so far - using an electric guitar to play the rock version of Pachebel's 'Canon in D' and using only ONE instrument! When I listened, I was in awe! It was like playing and holding a concert on its own! Amazing! Breath-taking! =)

Canon in D - Spider Fingers with SIMPLY an Acoustic Guitar!

This video clip below shows an amazing and superb performance of Pachebel's 'Canon in D' using SIMPLY one acoustic guitar! Before I saw this video clip, I had never EVER dreamt that it was possible for ONE guitar to play a song as melodious and specific to what a piano can do. This guy was like playing the whole song by himself using ONE guitar! He can match the playings of a piano using just a guitar! Can you imagine it? I couldn't!

I call him 'Spider Fingers'! If you watch this video clip, you can see his fingers crawling all over his guitar and making melodious music that I only thought was possible with a piano! Something that I had thought was simply impossible! But he did it! Oh... I can't get over it...

Pachebel Rant - Funny!

This video clip is recorded 'live' at Penn State, whereby this stand-up musician and comedian by the name of Rob Paravonian rants about how annoying and boring it is to play Pachebel's Canon in D with a Cello (string instrument that is larger than a guitar). Watch it and laugh! =)