Cannot take it already

Okies, going to sleep liao.

Almost falling dead down. Crying buckets over my fatigue right now actually. I'm serious.

Ok, to bed, to bed. Wouldn't want to drop my laptop and spoil it.

Sweet ending to my Good Friday

Sweet ending to my Good Friday

Häagen-Dazs fondue is fantastic!

Had a lot of fun dipping bits of fruits and cubes of Häagen-Dazs ice-cream in the chocolate fondue. The chunks of ice cream are deeply frozen so that they won't melt in the hot chocolate. The chocolate in turn will harden and form a layer around the ice cream, making it the ultimate Häagen-Dazs experience. And the chocolate is much better than that from Coffee Club. It's slightly sweet and much smoother in texture. Belgian chocolate leh!

One thing to watch out for though... Do take the pot of chocolate off the holder and tea light when you wanna take a break or the chocolate will 'burn' and become bitter.

Of course, the company really helped me enjoy the experience more, right? Thanks, Johnny, for the fondue and the company!

Would like to try the chocolate fondue from The Chocolate Bar next. They have a choice of white chocolate, dark chocolate and milk chocolate. In addition, would like to try their suckao, a unique invention by Max Brenner. You combine chocolate chips and milk in a potppouri-like aparatus, warmed by a tea-light candle. When the chocolate chips and milk are well combined, you sip the mixture through a metal straw. It sounds wonderful, doesn't it! Last but not least, must try their Mexican chocolate with chili flakes.

First Week of Term 2

First Week of Term 2

Oh my, wat a tiring week.

But all my fault lah. Didn't do any work during the one-week hols, so kinda had difficulty catching up with preparing my lessons and all the admin.

And having extra-curricular stuff everyday didn't help. Monday was a tedious and long Contact Time, Tuesday was Maths Proficiency Test, Wednesday was a SAIL course and Thursday Maths Sharing Session.

Thankfully, Linda came to the rescue with an invite to a party that night. Was dreadfully tired (only 3-4 hours sleep per night the past week) but hey, I've had no life since I started teaching...

Rushed home after my Maths Sharing (work will always be there, no use worrying about it over the weekend *grin*) and took an hour nap. Couldn't make it in time to get lift from Linda by the time I bathed and changed, so took a cab down to Havelock Road where the party was.

Liked the warm-up music (R&B) but place was empty!

As the night progressed, music was ok, but crowd just wasn't really grooving... Started sms-ing friends A & B to meet for supper. Then got introduced to pretty cute guy Ernest and started chatting. Crowd still wasn't grooving by 1, so asked E if he wanted supper too.

Drove over to MS for bak kut teh and hey, night just got interesting! Just as we reached MS and made a U-turn, we got in the way of an oncoming police car. Ernest got pulled over and I was reprimanded for not bringing out my IC. oops... The one time I didn't bring my IC...

Keeping my fingers crossed that Ernest won't get charged or booked...

Not a good start to a Good Friday after all...

Lovers in Paris

Lovers in Paris

Okies, finally finished Lovers in Paris in time. Last day of holidays ahead.

Sigh... I really love this kdrama. It's funny and really sweet.

And of course, it helps that Park Shin Yang is so cute!!!

More Shopping

More Shopping

This time, went shopping on my own.

Finished this Katherine Perez workshop nominated by my principal and decided to go over to Suntec and check out the Natas Travel Fair.

Realised need to pay to enter the fair and so only took watever brochures were being distributed before going off. Browsed through a oily and smelly Food and Beverage Fair downstairs and witnessed some drama (adults fighting over some seats - a chair was almost thrown). Bought several packs and bowls of the new Koka No-MSG Instant Noodles.

So many warehouse sales (Hush Puppies, Shoe Box, Sports Wear, etc) were held at the Suntec showrooms. But thankfully, didn't find anything to my fancy.

Did, however, buy 2 tops from U2 coz of 30% discount with my UOB card. Then fell in love with a dress when walking to MRT along Citylink Mall. Wouldn't have bought the U2 tops if I knew I was going to buy the dress... But the dress is real pretty. Couldn't stop smiling after I put on the dress. So, no choice. Have to buy lor... Difficult to imagine a dress can make me smile so much but it's true. Silly me eh?

Shopping with my Mum

Shopping with my Mum

Went shopping with my mum today.

First to Chinatown to get some work pants tailored. Then to scout for some holiday packages. Mum really wans to go Shanghai but quite costly coz I can only go during the June holidays.

Have gone for holidays with my brother in Dec 2003 (Europe), then my dad in Dec 2004 (Hong Kong). Can't say they were great. But well, I would say they are once in a lifetime experiences. The guys in my family aren't very decisive and really knows how to make me vomit blood. Would really love to go travelling with my mum and see how we interact.

Last but not least, took the NE MRT to Dhoby Ghaut. Spent a fortune first at the basement Casio counter then at M&S. Mum really knows how to shop now. Bought her a new S$60 Casio watch and then a S$90 shirt. S$90 shirt!!! I shudder to think... But well, I did tell my mum to enjoy life now that we can afford it. *grin*

Catching up with lost friends

Boy, is it proving hard to catch up with my JC classmates.

Everybody's busy with their work and lives, I guess...

Hoping to organise something for pple to meet up and catch up. But well, despite the ease of communications with email, etc, or perhaps because of that, it seems harder for pple to meet up in person.

Instead of slow-mail and birthday cards, we now make do with a quick email, sms and e-cards... What a no-brainer!

So, ps, Class of S02C from 1997, type in your email address on the left & join in the Yahoo Group I created just for us!!!

('',)

Happy Belated Birthday Wishes for a Dear Friend

Sorry I'm 2 weeks late, but still, HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Here's a little something for you in addition to the present, hot tea and bottled tea.

At times our own light goes out
But it is rekindled by a spark
From another person.

Each of us has cause to think
With deep gratitude of those
Who have lighted the flame within us.

So I'd like to thank you, Varian,
For always being there
To rekindle my light.

You're much appreciated.

Destiny Quote

Do not worry about the future for it is not yet home.
Live each day in the present and make it beautiful.

And yet... What is to live? If I slept the whole day, did I live? Did I make my day beautiful? What is there to life other than to eat, sleep and eat some more? Guess it sounds exactly like the life of a pig or some other domestic animal?

But hey, what are we but 'civilised' animals right? We slog away each day just to 'live' our days in peace of mind that we have a roof over our heads, food to put on our plates and a bed to lie in when the sun sets...

Photos from New Year's Eve

Photos from New Year's Eve



I am so sorry the photos have taken so long to be uploaded...



Yeah, I know... Work can only be an excuse for so long. But well, it's true! There's always something happening each week. Fighting, caning, constant mischief, my students are starting to really irk their teachers...







Anyway, since the photos are finally out, enjoy!










But pity, the annual NYE dinner is down to only us 3 gals. And Marilyn was all dressed up! She's the one in the lovely pink top. Linda's in the black tube top and me's in my brand new HK-bought (thus ultra thick) white long-sleeved top.

My E-Teaching Portal

Getting started on my E-Teaching Portal

Ok. Here's my E-Teaching Portal.

Hm... Wonder if all this work will be for nothing. Well, not exactly nothing. HOD might probably be impressed and expect more from me. Level head will probably give me more work. Subject head will also give me more work. Fellow colleagues might also ask me to help them out...

Sigh. Guess better keep it on the low and slow then... Should remember me name more. *grin* My name is slow, after all. So that should be my motto. Life should be nice and slowly done.

Week 9 and counting

Week 9 and counting

Yeh! It's week 9! Just one more week of school before the March holidays.

Not that it'd be any real holidays. Loads of work still, but at least no need to see my students every day.

The past 2 months have been real hectic - instead of (everyday 1 minor tiff, every 3 days 1 major tiff), it has been ‘everyday minor incident, every 3 days major incident’. Like I was telling a colleague, have to put out bush fires every day. *sigh*

Stress and Fatigue II

Stress and Fatigue II

Can one suffer from depression coz of lack of communication?

Not the kind of communication at work. I communicate enough every day. I'm a teacher.

My family used to talk a lot but with the 'recent' death of my grandmother, my grandfather having his cataracts removed, my family has become a really quiet one.

I have always been one who needs to be surrounded by lots of friends too. But everybody's busy these days. It's been 3 weeks since I met up with anybody! Not that I actually had a lot of communication at my birthday party.

Met up with the gals last night for a slumber party but I kinda felt a lil left out. The corporate world is very different from the public sector. Esp teaching...

Or maybe I'm just becoming more self-centred. Or perhaps I have been rather self-centred all this while. And now that I lead such a boring life, I'm making myself sick with envy... *grin*

Ready, Set, Go

Ready, Set, Go

How do you know your noodles are ready? Do you ever get perfect toast every time?

Or do you make do with what you are presented with and eat up watever's on the table?

Was I really ready when I signed on the dotted line to join the MOE? Will I even be ready tomorrow morning for a brand new week ahead?

How does one know one is ready? For anything?

Gut instinct perhaps? Advice from friends and family?

How much do our past shape our decisions? Our present experiences? Or our hazy predictions of the future?

Alright. Time to stop all these thinking and settle down to my work... *sigh* Got more important things to finish. (Or so I think...)

Stress and Fatigue

Stress and Fatigue

I am getting stressed out...

I am so tired I will fall asleep at 10pm and couldn't care less that I still have tons to lessons to prepare, worksheets to put together, marking to finish...

How can I get back the energy level I used to have?

I used to be so much more involved. I used to care more about the things I produce. Not that I am not proud of my work... But they can definitely be better. I used to be such a perfectionist. I wonder where that has gone to?

I went to see the doctor today. Felt all awry. Spent an hour waiting for the doctor. Went in to discuss fatigue in about 5 minutes. Got my mc, some medication and proceeded back home.

Fell asleep once I got back home and woke up only at 6pm. My goodness. Couldn't believe it!

And now, I'm feeling all tired out again!

Other Sharon Lows

Other Sharon Lows

Cool. 74 posts found in Goggle Singapore for "Sharon Low". Found in 0.10 seconds.

Was reminded of how my colleague went online straight after our Contact Time last year when it was announced that we were getting a new principal. Tried to dig up all the info we could on her and get a handle of how she was like. I remember me saying jokingly to my colleague, "She can run, but she can't hide from the Internet, eh?"

But well, nothing on me. Phew. In case any of my students have the same idea of digging for dirt on me. *grin*

There's a Sharon Low who's the Program Director in Bio Valley of one of NUS Overseas Colleges.

Another Sharon Low in Temasek Life Sciences Laboratory who published a paper on Piezoelectric quartz crystal based veterinary diagnosis for Salmonella enteritidis infection in chicken and egg in Sensors and Actuators B. 75: 29-35.

Cool. A Sharon Low who has her wedding photo online.

Oh... This one is the best. A Sharon Low who won the 1st runner prize in the Trios 2000 at Victor's Bowl on the 13th Jan.

Poem

A poem which tugged at me heart

You'll never know
how much
your smile lights up the room
or your laughter fills my soul,
making all the little problems of the day disappear.

You'll never know
how much it means to me
when you do or say something
thoughtful and totally unexpected —
usually just at the moment I need it most.

You'll never know
how much pride I hold in my heart
for the person you are and the things you do —
for your strength and your gentleness,
your courage and your determination,
your accomplishments and your dreams.

You'll never know
how much I need you by my side —
in the best of times and the worst of times
and all the times in between.
It really doesn't matter where we are
or what we're doing,
as long as we're together to share it all.

Birthday Bash 2

Hm...

Wat else to say?

The gals turned up and snuck into the bed to gossip. As usual, I had to socialize with the rest of my guests and didn't get to catch up with the gal-talk. Is this my party or not?

Didn't get to talk to Ban, Sinyuan, Huixin, Junhuai, hey, did I talk to anybody at all that night? Maybe not.

Wonder why I organise my bday party every year. Always dun get to catch up with the people I invite. I'm more like providing them with a chance to catch up among themselves...

Thankfully, there are people like Grace, May and of course, Varian, who I managed to snag some one-on-one time. Varian, as always, came at the best time - 2am in the morning... *grin*

But still, you didn't bring me my annual bouquet of flowers... Other than my students, you're the only person who gives me flowers, you know? Now I'm all depressed coz not only did I not get any flowers for my bday, I'm definitely not gonna get any for V day...

*sulk*

Birthday Bash 1

Picked Grace up early around 1pm at Holland Village.

Then checked into the suite at Mandarin and explored the room. Alright but wasn't that impressive.

It was getting late by then and we rushed off to Taka for lunch. Did some catching up on work, possible weekend getaway to HK? and ...

It was great having some 1-on-1 time with her. She had to rush off for another meeting with another group and I went off to Cold Storage to grab some sushi for dinner & the stuff we might need later - cups, plates, etc.

Made a call to Robin asking him to pick up some drinks. Thanks Robin!

Then it was back to the suite and grabbing some forty winks.

May called soon after and I went downstairs to pick her and Floyd up to the suite.

Avocado juice tastes like caramel corn.

Had a great dinner (with loads of fats) with Jonathan.

After dinner, went to Queensway to look for a tennis racket or pair of inline-skates for my birthday present. But, the only inline-skates shop was closed and the tennis racket was a lil over-budget.

Did, however, buy 3 new pair of FBT shorts. And lots of New Year goodies.

Last but not least, Jon introduced me to avocado juice. Slightly gross, murky and green... it tasted like caramel corn to me. Jon disagrees.