What I call tuition

27 February 2010, Saturday.

" Now, this is what I call a tuition."- This is one of the comment made by a student from Pop Excel today. He is the same student who rocked his chair and screamed at the top of his lung during lesson last week. He is one of my student.

I felt so encouraged! Of course, there are much more nonsensical chatters, comments and small fights than such lines, but I think I'm a step closer to the slogan of Gold 95.5 FM " Hear only the good stuff".

That's their advertisement. Pretty Cool. Sometimes this slogan worked(:I used to expect the perfect. 100% attention. 100% hard work. 100% submission. 100% obedience. I would feel so discouraged and like such failure whenever I see 90% of them chattering away. Maybe that's not an effective way. Too demoralising. " Hear only the good stuff", I'm now changing my focus to the 10%. If I have made a change to just one person today, I have achieved something. The satisfaction of a teacher.

CAEM 4

26 February 2010, Friday

dy/dx = -Ay(lny) [A>0] Find the mass of tumor cells at time t. [y(t)]

I ended having an equation of ylnylnylny= blah bah blah!
And Jocelyn confirm with me that this ylny.ln(ylny) thing is right!

I have difficulty acepting an equation that look like this : ylnylnylny.

MST I lost only 30 marks.
CAEM4 I gain only 30 marks.

Well I calcuated of needing at least 38 marks to pass my paper. I think the rest of the 8 marks will have to come from the factor M.( miracle).

Miracle, please please please get me to the passing line! I want a diploma plus! Not just certificates.

Tetanus Vaccination

25 February 2010, Thursday

I had a Tetanus Vaccination at a family clinic. $28 vaccination + $12 consultation =$40. Doctor do earn fast! $40 within 5 minutes.

The Tetanus Vaccination is for my 5 day OUTWARD BOUND CUTTER EXPEDITION!! I'm so so so looking forward to it. We'll be learning about sailing, wind effects, knots etc etc, typically all the stuff a sailor and a pirate do! Oh. I have always fancy them! And $500 fully paid by the school! How cool is that? I'm so excited! AYE AYE CAPTAIN.

POP EXCEL CNY 10'

20 February 2010, Saturday

Pop Excel's Chinese New Year Celebration. Lo Hei, one of the messiest food. You find them in the air, on the table, in the mouth and on the floor. Yet when you see these mess exchanges for smiles, laughter, unity, family bondings and friendships, you will shake your head and say "beautiful"((:

She does look like the Beverly 10 years ago.

Membrane Science Technology

23 February 2010, Tuesday

Mr. Satha's stunts are back again! We were totally taken in by surprise at the first flips of the exam paper. We were not really unguarded, just wrongly guarded. Most of what we had studied didn't really come out at all. What came out were all the unexpected and unfamiliar. Some of the formulas we have not even seen it before in the entire semester.

You would say, " just substitute the values to the formulas." I did and I've got a system efficiency of 108%. If we are using this alien formula to calculate the efficiency of the alien space ship, maybe I would believe its works at 108%. BUT, this is earth man, nothing works with an efficiency exceeding a 100!

It's like we have equipped ourselves with armours and shields, even bullet proof jackets, but all these were nothing when he came with a chemical attack and some unidentifiable substances. Who would thought of bringing a breathing aparatus to the battlefield?

Yesterday I thought losing 12 marks is a lot. Today I can easily lose 30 marks.
Yesterday I got a bullet in my arms and I thought it hurts . Today, I stepped on a land mine and realised yesterday was nothing.

What does M stands for?

22 Februrary 2010, Monday

Today, in the exam hall I asked a question. " What does M stands for?"

Dr. Katayon: "M is Mass"
Fact:"M is the number of cycle"
Fly:" She meant find the M in the Mess"
Naomi: " Me is in the mess"

Me is the Mess because I lost 12 marks (a grade) because I thought M is the Mass. All of a sudden, all the M words are pain inducing. Me. Memorize Mass, Mess.

He told me otherwise. M is for miracle.

Final Exam. FINAL

21 February 2010, Sunday

Monday- Industrial Wastewater Treatment (2.30-4.30p.m)
Tuesday- Membrane Science Technology (2.30-4.30p.m)
Wednesday- Workplace Safety & Health 2 (9.oo-11.00 a.m)
Thursday- Environmental Management System (9.00-11.00a.m)
Friday- Advance Mathematics 4 (2.00-4.00p.m)
Yesterday- Stress (12.ooa.m- 12.ooa.m)
Today- Stress (12..oo a.m- 12a.m)

I hate to memorise. My memory capacity is very limited.
So, don't be surprise if I forgot you.

A Centuar

20 February 2010, Friday

She's a mermaid. She belongs to the sea.
I am a centuar. I belong to the wind.

lordosis

CNY at Hazel Place

14 January 2010, Sunday Chinese New Year

Hazel invited me over to her place for a steamboat dinner on 1st day of Chinese New Year and we had mahjong with her sister and Dom. (: There was even a round where we finish the tiles of dragon-length with no winners! I had the last tile.

I missed the time where grandpa, grandma yong sin and I would just sit at the open roof top playing Taiwan mahjong in the midnight breeze. I want to go back Taiwan sometimes soon. This year probably. Next month probably. I miss the creaky er'hu that grandpa used to play in our yard under the moon light. And we would play badminton in the same yard at the same time complaining the shadows casted by the mixtures of moonlight and streetlights were blocking the view of the shuttle cork.

When I was saying this er'hu and badminton game @ Alex chalet, they thought it's my imagination, but it's not. It was a habitual past tense. A memory.

Talking about family, I think the intermolecular forces of attraction between Hazel and I makes me feels like she's just part of my family. A physical adsorption.

Happy Chinese New Year to my friends from as close as the girl who lives 10 min's walk from my place to as far as the girl who lives at least 100 min's bus ride, to my family from as close as the boy of a few square tiles away , to the girl of a few highways and streets away, to the relatives of a border away and to the relatives of a few seas away. ROAR! I hope the tigers this year will be loud enough to transmit my greeting to as far as those written above. ROAR. ROAR. ROAR.

Happy Valentines' Day

14 February 2010, Valentine's Day

Sometimes, love works this way. The not so obvious.

A different reunion dinner

13 February 2010, Saturday

A different reunion. Thanks to CHONG & Family! It was a hilarious yet a heart warming scene to see the family fighting over whether to use a metal stirrer or a wooden stirrer to fry the vegetable, fighting over the way to hold the knife and direction to cut an abalone, quarrelling over whether should use slow heat or add heat, there's even an instruction sheet involved. LOL. Like an army of ants on a hot sizzling pan, like the way hazel and I try to bake our first cookie. It's the togetherness, the process that was fun.

Let me think when was the last time I stepped into kitchen and help to prepare a reunion dinner? It was always my grandma with her 3 maids and 2 daughters-in-law, never was I in the picture. I think I have missed out the kitchen fun all these years.

I love rasin

13 February 2010, Saturday

"To my friend,

I love my friend.
I love God.
I love my friend.
My friend name is rasin.

From A. Akison. Ali"

I love my friend, rasin. - naomi

day 1

12 February 2010, Friday

day 1: the fishes died. ALL.

I was never good with fishes. One time, after proudly designed the boring fish tank with playground, tunnels and houses made of colorful play doughs, all of them got poisoned and died. Another time, I tried to feed the fishes and got myself a 9 cm long of stitches, the one I would jokingly say "L" is for Lan Li. I tried to make sense of what happened this time, I fed and changed water for them, and they still died. Well, I was never good with fishes.

Laojie say good bye to dajie

11 February 2010, Thursday

For a minute, I was convinced that I should go to Malaysia with you. I started packing my bag at 2.a.m, then again the hope was comletely destroyed at 2.01a.m . When laojie is able to wake up at 5.am to say good bye to you, it meant something. I really want to have a good holiday with you. No disturbances, just quality time. Such as? Such as 8 hours in the car, without hand phone, without computer, just us.

Happy Chinese New Year cum Valentines. I miss you all. I'm having pounding hearts and goosebumps because of the lonely nights- I thought I heard footsteps in the house, all the time. And I dare not turn and walk out to check. How I wish I had a pet now. Anyway, pray really hard that the fish wouldn't die and plants wouldn't wither under my care! HAA.

Thanks, Nicholas & Fly for the lovely presents from USA (:

Giant Chocolate Bar!!

And a "naomi" band that I wore it around my ankle, secretly hoping it would keep away my fear

.

You are my bra.

10 February 2010, Wednesday

Strike off the "friends" and replace it with "sisters". Anyway, it doesn't really make a difference, you are both to me. I love this analogy, "friends are like bras, close to the heart and always there for support." It is undoubtedly that you are close to my heart. Then when I am worried and frustrated over the printer that plays tricks on me at the most urgent minute, you are there. And I kind of like it when I can just drop my bags at home and grab my keys and result slips and walk to your home in a sloppy shirt this evening to discuss on college plans and application. Then when I told you about my lonely Chinese New Year plan, you immediately took me in for CNY dinner with your family. Knowing how awkward and shy I would be as the only outsider, you made your mum to call me up and assure me. How many of my friends would do that?? I have told not only you about my lonely New Year, but you (and a.carol) are the only one who offer a family dinner together. How can I thank you enough for you kindness?

So I dedicate a bra to you tonight.

University Application

9 January 2010, Tuesday

I'm confused. I found myself losing myself. Lowly enough that I started selling my dreams, passion and talents - to just whoever who would open their wallet and feed me with a golden spoon. Yes, that's what I felt like at the moment. An opportunist.

I was no longer sure of my dreams. Welcome to college, a place of reality. Dreams are free, but reality costs. Reality involves risks, costs money and age. I had none of it. Left only with $8 bucks in my account, wasted a year in primary school and another in polytechnic, certainly I could not take any more risk.

My God my Lord, where exactly do you want me to go? It is true that I love both.

Teaching is something that I enjoy. Moulding and impacting life in a direct manner, visible appreciable form is something that would give me the sense of satisfaction and achievement. Children is a group of people whom I can work with freely because of the absence of inferiority and fear. School is one conducive environment to exercise creativity and put behind boring routines. A vibrant and soul touching job. Then, I thought of kok guan and Mr Chua and Mdm Yap.

Environment is another thing I enjoy. Nature- trees, forest, valleys, ocean, water, ecosystem, energy. What was the very first job that God had given to the very first human being, Adam? To rule and care for his creations. And this is it, it's like returning to the Garden of Eden to continue our job. But the world is so different from the Garden, it is polluted, sick and dying. Doctors are for sick human, Vets are for sick animals and who are for the sick environment? I don't mind working with the sewage, oil spills and fouling but can I really find joy and satisfaction in the corporate world ladder. We are not working with nature here now, we are working with engines, machines, test tubes, computers and people, adults. Then I thought of National Geographic.

Presley & Mary's Wedding

7 February 2010, Sunday

Presley & Mary's Wedding! I love attending weddings for their wedding montages, special items and a time of fantasizing on my own wedding. (though the groom's face is always a grey figure head with a question mark right in the centre. The kind they use for people who are lazy to upload photos to their profile).

It was followed by a buffet dinner and dances. Presley's Dad dress as Elvis Presley and had an awesome performance just like a rock star. Then the newly-wed couples dances. Then invites the rest of us for dance too.- LOL. guess what dance? CHICKEN DANCE! LOL. Still, I think it's much cooler than banquet dinners(:

Sissy Joyce, I'm right! People don't play the ten-ten-ten-ten weddings song nowadays.

I love this painting!!!! I like it very much!

Alex 21st Birthday

6 February 2010, Saturday

We went to Alex's 21st birthday chalet @ Fairy Point Chalet. We played Hide-and-Seek. Pointing finger>> Chong. She suggested it. I couldn't believe we are playing hide-and-seek at this age. When was the last time I played it?? Probably primary school.

Aunty Jac taught us a new game. The opposite of of Hide-and-Seek called Sardine. Hide and seek goes like this- everybody hide, 1 person will find and when a person is found, he will help to look for others. Sardine goes like this- 1 person hide, everybody go around looking for that person, and when somebody found the hiding person, he's to hide with that person and others will continue to find them. And the game will end spookily when you slowly see your friends one by one disappear, only you are the one left looking for the rest.

Yea, it's suppose to be interesting but some stupid fellows spoil the game.

Alex's mum had hand-baked a strawberry cheese cake which taste fantastically good! I want a home-baked cake too. The class will know what cake to bake- Strawberry shortcake, our class's signature cake.

Happy Birthday Alex
I hope that you will grow strong and faithful in the Lord.
I hope that you will always be our friends. Always.
I hope that you will be a master of all computers, lights and sounds!- maybe singing too??

Sunny Side Up

29 January 2010, Friday

Sunshine Club! The goldfriends' return to the crib. Friends, siblings, teachers and students gathered back for a meal of pizzas and KFC! It's interesting how friends and siblings are inter linked. Cherry is a good friend of Jia Rong, Cherry's sister is a good friend of Jia Rong's brother. I'm a good friend of Charlene, my brother Andy is a good friend of her brother Clarence. Just in the photo itself, we have 4 pairs of siblings. Families know families. Oh, unknowingly, I have grown a decade with them!

Everyone must have said this at least once or more in their life time" 10 years down the road, xxxx year xx month and xx day. yy hour yy min. Let's all meet back under this oak tree"- the feeling was exactly like an old promise. ( Just that we didnt' really make such a promise)

Hazel Birthday Part I

26/27 January 2010

Happy Birthday to my Dear Hazel!!! We had an alfresco dinning @ Punggol Park, the Bliss- Restaurant with our 2B classmates. We were actually sitting at a candle-litted table by the lake, enjoying cool breezes of night wind. Too bad that the photo was too dark to see any of these. And it was a pet-friendly restaurant! Owners bring dogs to dine with them(: LOL! Still all of them weren't the main star. The main star was her, my best girl friend.

This is by far the most pretty birthday card I have made for anyone!! Even I laugh to myself with this sometimes too.

We spent the first minute of her birthday together, perfect evidence!

And so the day started with Dom's surprise cake to her house @ 12a.m 27 January 2010(:

Happy Birthday Hazel

I wish that we will always be such a good friends forever.
I wish that you will get into your desired univeristy with your desire course.
I wish that you will last forever with Dominic.