3 Respect a.k.a. 2E3's Blogs

Hi young ones

Here're the blog addresses of your fellow classmates. To provide anonymity, I'll just link the address to your index numbers. So, if you want to know whose blog you are reading. Go memorise your class list!

1. www.obstacles-in-between.blogspot.com
2. www.freedom1990.blogspot.com
3. www.iloveQQQQQ.blogspot.com
4. www.certifiedris-.blogspot.com
5. www.sakurasecretjournal.blogspot.com
6. www.alightment.blogspot.com
7. www.darkangelbuttsoff.blogspot.com
8. www.lshua.blogspot.com
9. www.xiamnicc.blogspot.com
10. www.wenwhui17.blogspot.com
11. www.phillstzjptyr.blogspot.com
12. www.roborovski.blogspot.com
13. www.yankhee13.blogspot.com
14. www.venderplace.blogspot.com
15. www.masteroftactics.blogspot.com
16. www.julian3344.blogspot.com
17. www.funfun123.blogspot.com
18. www.alan31626309.blogspot.com
19. www.gsp11.blogspot.com
20. www.teaandkopi.blogspot.com
21. www.tatalim.blogspot.com
22. www.lorrn.blogspot.com
23. www.electro88.blogspot.com
24. www.gumabuser.blogspot.com
25. www.lonelyfreakos.blogspot.com
26. www.teaaa.blogspot.com
27. www.greatfaker2.blogspot.com
28. www.peepsszh.blogspot.com
29. www.regretsforlife.blogspot.com
30. www.serwg.blogspot.com
31. www.trainris.blogspot.com

Free Soundtrack!

Just received an email which states that I’ve won “A Lot Like Love” soundtrack through some contest. Hmm… but I bet they sold my particulars to some marketing companies which will irritate me with some other forms of gimmicks in the future.

Hmm… favourite song in the soundtrack? The one by Chicago. No particular reason, it just sounds nice and nostalgic. Sigh wanna put it as a background music but don’t know how. Will any of the other Jedi or Blog Masters teach me? Arrghhhh… I cannot. I must resist. I said I’ll keep my blog as it is. No fancy tails, no fancy pics …. Look what I’ve done! I’ve added four pictures already!!! Resist I shall…. No music, only lyrics. Resist I shall….

IF YOU LEAVE ME NOW (Chicago)

If you leave me now
You’ll take away the biggest part of me
No, baby, please don’t go
If you leave me now
You’ll take away the very heart of me
No, baby, please don’t go

A love like ours is love that’s hard to find
How could we let it slip away ?
We’ve come too far to leave it all behind
How could we end it all this way ?
When tomorrow comes and we both regret
The things we said today

A love like ours is love that’s hard to find
How could we let it slip away ?
We’ve come too far to leave it all behind
How could we end it all this way ?
When tomorrow comes and we both regret
The things we said today

If you leave me now
You’ll take away the biggest part of me
Oo, oo, oo, no, baby, please don’t go
Oo, oo, girl, I’ve just got to have you by my side
Oo, oo, oo, no, baby, please don’t go
Oo, ah, ah, I’ve just got to have you, girl

First iPod Photo. Next iPod Video? (The Sunday Times pg 42)

First Blogspot. Next Blog Reality Video?

Read an article in the papers today about the possibility of iPod Video being the next step in the popular digital evolution. Was wondering if there’ll ever be a time when chips are implanted in people’s mind to record the emotions, thoughts and events that happen in their daily life. And by some form of ingenuity and advanced technology, the data recorded can be uploaded onto their “Blog Reality Video” where others can view the events through the eyes and minds of the bloggers. Hope, I’ll be dead by the time such “evolutions” occur.

The Final Two Lessons

Haha… managed to meet my target and finished the book before the movie version (160mins long!!!) was aired on Hallmark Channel. Well, like most print-to-screen movies, this one didn’t do the book justice too. It missed out a number of details and yet seemed draggy. I guess reading allows you to explore the characters in a deeper sense and you have the ability to create and interpret the mood and scene as and when you read them whereas for movies, every visual stimulus is offered to you. You can either take it or leave it. Where’s the fun?

Many authors and movies have offered representations of heaven, but few with as much conviction and creativity as Mitch Albom’s version. The other movie that I can think of that portrays life after death creatively is What Dreams May Come starring Robin Williams. Beautiful cinematography, refreshing point of view of life after death and the essential message is simple, love doesn’t end in death. For every ending, there’s a beginning.

Having finished the book, here are the final two lessons:

LESSON 4:

Lost love is still love. It takes a different form, that’s all. You can’t see their smile or bring them, food or tousle their hair or move them, around a dance floor. But when those senses weaken, another heightens. Memory. Memory becomes your partner. You nurture it. You hold it. You dance with it. Life has to end. Love doesn’t. ~ Marguerite

Hmmm... Every fleeting moment will always be remembered, be treasured and be in my memory forever. Love is not lost if you continue to love be it the distance, the absence or the constraints.

LESSON 5:

With our existence, comes a purpose. The simple and sometimes mundane things that we do in our lives can affect others.

~ Each affects the other and the other affects the next, and the world is full of stories but the stories are all one. ~

Hmmm…Who have I affected, am I affecting and will I affect? Hope I didn’t ruin anyone’s life by my mistakes.

Are you one of the five people I'll meet in heaven???

I'm nearly through with The Five People You Meet in Heaven. I have two more people to go. Arrgghh... rushing to finish the book by tomorrow so that I can watch the movie version on Hallmark channel, if not I've got to tape it. Grrr...

Though Tuesdays with Morrie is more inspiring, 5 people you meet in Heaven makes you wonder who are the 5 people who have touched you or whose lives you have touched (knowingly or unknowingly).

I've always known heaven as a final resting place where you get everlasting peace and joy, where you'll go back to our Father, our creator. Yet in this book, it is being portrayed as a place where you make sense of your life where your earthly life is explained to you by five people who were in it.

There are 5 lessons to be learnt. Most we've already known but for different people, at different stages of their life, these lessons would be intepreted differently. So go ahead and fibgure what these mean to you.

LESSON 1:

"All lives intersect. That death doesn’t just take someone; it misses someone else, and in the small distance between being taken and missed, lives are changed. "

"No life is a waste. The only time we waste is the time we spend thinking we are alone."

"There are five people you meet in Heaven. Each of us was in your life for a reason. You may not have known the reason at the time, and that is what heaven is for. For understanding your life on earth" - The Blue Man

Hmm... I'm wondering who are the five people I'll meet or if I've even met anyone of them yet. Perhaps only one so far.

LESSON 2:

"Sacrifice is a part of life. It's supposed to be. It's not something to regret. It's something to aspire to. " - Captain

"Sometimes when you sacrifice something precious, you're not really losing it. You're just passing it on to someone else."

Hmm... but its so hard to let go...

LESSON 3:

"Silence was his escape, but silence is rarely a refuge."

"Holding anger is a poison. It eats you from inside. We think that hating is a weapon that attacks the person who harmed us. But hatred is a curved blade. And the harm we do, we do to ourselves." - Ruby

Hmm... such a common point of view yet when you are in that state, it is often hard to get out. Silence.......................................

LESSON 4 & 5: (to be continued)

http://www.albomfivepeople.com/index.htm

Teachers have no life??!!

Teachers have no life??!!
Often we stay back late in school to do work or "fold cranes" or sleep till around 7pm and rush out of office to avoid being the last or rather 2nd last. (if not, you'll be called the LOSER)
And when we do go out, school, work, teachers and students are bound to pop out... call that occupational hazard or what? And this weekend, some of my colleagues are spending their weekends with some "Blog Challenge" Duh... Thks to JJB which got everyone started... Hmmm starting to think if he's from the DARK SIDE!

But I refuse to join in!!! But then again I am human... I sucummbed to their MSN cult within just one month. It's just too tempting! No, I must be strong, I shall keep my blog as it is. No fancy tails, no fancy pics just meaningful things that I want to keep.

So coming back to the topic. Do teachers have a life? Yes we do. Don't want to justify anything but I think that in this line, your 'kids' will become part of your life. You see them grow, you see them leave and they remember you still. Just this month I went for two class BBQ (my current form class and my previous year's form class) Enjoyed every bit with them.... Laughed at their nonsensical jokes and lame remarks.... But you'll remain young at heart because you are with these youths. (Hence, most of my colleagues/friends seem to look younger than their age with some behaving like 18 yrs old and below.)

Some say that when you teach, you lifespan gets shorten. I beg to differ. You'll find that your life will be enriched by the people you work with and the kids whom you'll learn a thing or two from.

In conclusion, teachers have a life, and a very meaningful one too.

Parting is such sweet sorrow....

Today was simply an emotional roller-coaster ride for me... Lots of mixed feelings. As the saying goes: Parting is such sweet sorrow. To see a special member of the 3E1 family grow into a sensible, well-liked 15-yr-old and later see him leave, is not easy. And who am I? I'm just his teacher. What about his friends who are much closer and have known him for a longer period of time, how much lost would they feel?

Some good came out from this departure. I see more compassion and love in my 'kids'. I see how much they treasure each other. I see how well they can treat one another.

Time is running short it seems. We seem to make every moment as special as we can for him. Started out this morning with a formal/fun photo shoot for my class so that Marion can still be in the school magazine class photo. It was filled with laughter, creativity and sweat. Photo of the year could most probably go to the 'tootster' photo (super mega bo seh). Never had such fun with taking class photos. Will publish the photos once my padawan JJB teaches me how. (Oi!! Get the hint alphamale aka JJB aka can't cartwheel PE teacher! And stop making useless remarks in my blog!)

The rest of the day went by quickly till assembly. During the last 15 mins, Marion made a speech to the whole school and a slideshow dedicated to him was shown. Felt so proud of my class.... sitting at the front area of the hall swaying to song "Graduation" by Vitamin C. Touching indeed. Who would have thought this could happen to a student. Maybe it should have been a class affair but if the school is supposed to be a family, shouldn't we treat everyone like one.

Well, luckily (or unluckily) we live in the era where Internet, and MSN exist. So, keeping in touch is no problemo......

Lesson learnt: Treasure what you have and live everyday to the full... Carpe Diem.. Seize the Day.. (Oops sorry Master Chocoindryice for stealing your quote)

2E3 has officially become BLOGGERS

Yesterday, I was wondering how to conduct my lesson with 2E3. Two periods equates 1 hour 10 mins. Minus the greetings, wasting of time (by students), scoldings, surveying of class cleanliness and making sure guys like Jia Cheng and Darryl have their shirts tucked in, I'm left with 55 minutes. I wonder how can I effectively teach them how to do a good personal recount and I had to think of ways to interest these easily restless, "mandarin-speaking" students of mine. Computer labs! That's a sure way to get them excited, be it the venue or the air conditioning or the simple fact that they can get out of the class.

The initial aim was to let them read some online journals and illicit comments from them regarding the stucture, features etc... Sounds boring still. Then Nicolette, perhaps the most IT-savvy student asked for permission to edit her blog. Hmmm.. If she can do that, why can't the rest? Then in my 'authoritative' voice, I instructed my seemingly docile class to create their own blogspot. "Huh? How? Why?" These seem to be the immediate response for practically anything I ask them to do. But what the heck. Do it.

So now, I'm starting my own as well (afterall that's what teachers do.... be a role model). And my 'kids' are across me doing their blogspots as well. Hope this would be a learning experience for them. Hey 2E3 Times up! Finish your blog at home!!!