Tomorrow onwards.
boo-hoo.
For an ‘indefinite’ period. Which is anything from 1 week to 8 weeks.
Ah well.
I’ve loadsa marking and PW stuff and work work work awaiting!
You will see a very focused sze in the next few weeks.
But….anyone who wants to take me out on a date (while the boyfriend’s away)?
Single session for kids’ safety
KUALA LUMPUR: To keep children safe from danger, the Prime Minister has suggested that a single session for schools be implemented.
Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said this would mean students starting school as they were doing now and ending at 4pm.
“If it can be done, it will be a massive exercise,” he told reporters yesterday after chairing the Umno supreme council meeting.
“This will be a relief when both parents know their children are in school so they will be safer.”
This was the view, he said, of many working parents who were not at home to monitor their children when they got back from school.
Abdullah, who is Umno president, said the students could complete their homework or take part in extra-curricular activities during the last few hours.
He said a combination of ways was needed to keep children safe from any danger.
“Everyone must carry out one’s responsibilities and not only fault the authorities or the police,” he said when asked whether parents should be held responsible for negligence leading to children being hurt.
On the recent murder of Nurin Jazlin Jazmin, Abdullah said police would hunt for the criminal until those responsible were caught.
He also said the Government wanted to “reactivate” the Rukun Tetangga movement so the people could keep a vigilant eye on strangers in their neighbourhood.
Source: http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2007/9/25/nation/18984492&sec=nation
I say:
This suggestion is almost as un-gone-through-the-brain as the suggestion (and eventual implementation) to teach Science and Math in English and the suggestion (and eventual implementation and removal) of PTS (the one where kids can skip Standard 4).
With this lala suggestion which somehow will miraculously solve the problem of sick predators waiting to pounce on our children, have we thought of….
- the availablility of classroom and facilities to house all the students in one session?
- teachers of double session schools are still sharing desks - so two teachers to one desk now?
- re-arrangement of the entire school’s timetable
- staff meetings / training courses / whatever teacherly admin stuff how? Para guru diminta menghadiri mesyuarat guru petang ini pada pukul lima?
- parents having to make new arrangements for childcare and enrichment classes and whatnot
- enough bas sekolah or not?
- teachers/counselors/disciplinarians/mothers/fathers/admin personnel/secretaries/coaches/whatnot have a new job - after-school-care providers –> "the students could complete their homework or take part in extra-curricular activities during the last few hours". Hello, who else will watch out for these kids?And please do bear in mind that many kids are not assigned homework (not every one of us attend Chinese schools who gave truckloads of homework) and not all kids are involved in CCAs. There’d probably end up mucking around in school doing nothing.
- “This will be a relief when both parents know their children are in school so they will be safer.” And what about the teachers’ children? They will now have less time to spend with their own kids. Being "in school" does not mean that those buildings will protect the kids hello.
- “Everyone must carry out one’s responsibilities and not only fault the authorities or the police,” he said when asked whether parents should be held responsible for negligence leading to children being hurt." It’s not about "only" faulting who now. It’s about doing what needs to be done.
- On the recent murder of Nurin Jazlin Jazmin, Abdullah said police would hunt for the criminal until those responsible were caught. <– insert Cantonese phrase here 讲了等于没有讲。
But who am I to say anything? I am merely part of the brain drain, part of the good riddance.
And I continue to be positive…
Barely 3 months, and I have had to learn to stand up to evil people.
And the classroom continues to give me strength and the will to continue smiling.
Marking befalls upon me next week.
n-e-e-d s-t-r-e-n-g-t-h
Bukit Jalil stadium. 30,000 screaming fans. Lightsticks. An audience comprising of children under 10 years old to middle-aged ‘aunties’. Fan-made neon-lights-boards (What do you call them anyway?). Mass karaoke session.
Jacky Cheung.
That’s it la - I am so going to KL for all my HK artistes’ concerts from now onwards.
I thought it was so apt to begin the concert with 爱火花 and to end the hour-long encore with 祝福 (That song is just so primary 6!). And I loved it how the audience would sing along to all his Cantonese classics, especially 每天爱你多一些. The concert was a very well planned and choreographed PERFORMANCE - he was clearly all out to perform - and perform he did. The concert was in 4 very clear sections: An ‘introduction’ to his repertoire where he showcased the wide variety of his songs - from the ballads to the rock and roll to even a lullaby that he wrote for his daughter. Then he did a section on his ‘classics’ - which drove the audience crazy. Then a mini musical which was like a combination of Snow Wolf Lake and Perhaps Love.
And then the hour-long encore where he encouraged the audience to let him know which song they wanted.
All his classics just brought back so many memories - and how all the lyrics just came to mind so easily - lyrics like these just get stuck when you’ve been listening to this song for at least 12 years:
但求 你未淡忘 往日旧情
我愿默认 带着泪流 很想一生跟你走
就算 天边海角 多少改变
一生只有 风中追究 不想孤单的逗留
但求 你未淡忘 往日旧情
我愿默认 带着泪流 很想一生跟你走
在我心中的你 思海的你
今生不可不能没有
It’s more than his no-need-to-say fantastic voice - it’s the expression of the songs - how the lyrics just got translated so beautifully. And of course the memories it brought, as many of us grew up with these songs.
The only (mini) grouse was that 真情流露 and 分手总要在雨天 was not performed. But ah…..I got to watch him perform 头发乱了and 讲你知 (one of the most romantic songs ever!) and 遥远的她 and 李香兰 in person, and I am more than happy about that 
And of course his amazing, amazing falsetto
What I’ve learned from this experience:
- Justin and I are the most cheena people among our friends - Our Singaporean friends do not listen to Mandarin/Cantonese songs and (most of) our Malaysian friends do not even know the language.
- Park illegally by the roadside if you ever want to watch a concert at Bukit Jalil.
- Get the most expensive ticket that you can get if you are serious about it. We bought the RM318 tickets, technically the second category but it was like our Eason Chan experience as well, when we got the SGD98 tickets.
- Rent a car with a CD player if you are driving up to KL
- Give up trying to ask your own friends to get an extra ticket off your hands - lowyat.net is the place to go!
Ah. Me is happy.
Now it’s to wait till October 13 for Sammi Cheng in Singapore (Well, I missed the one at Genting…).
Second time that I’ve taken the MyerBriggs thingy this year but first time testing out Garder’s theory after reading so much about it in NIE
And - I AM Anne! She is an INFP too!
Okie enough distractions 
Being a good teacher is not just about preparing engaging lessons, meeting the students after school hours (on your own initiative), spending your after-lesson hours marking, giving constructive comments, busying yourself with comm work, reading up to prep yourself for questions.
Those are just the bare minimum of a regular teacher who wants to survive.
There are parents to keep in touch with, students’ progress to keep track of, to record this and that, to maintaining good relationships with people around you, to share what you have with others.
Those are only bare minimum plus one.
Then there is volunteering yourself for this and that, to speak up a lot and I also don’t know what else.
Slightly overwhelmed. I don’t know if I can truly manage. People are nice and yea but there are just too many times when all I want to do is to retreat into my shell of a cubicle and shut out everything.
But thank God, I still love the classroom.
