Take Flight.
Monday, October 26, 2009, 05:39 p.m. #1637.

Today's the first day of the O levels for my graduating students. Folded paper cranes for each student in my form class to wish them all the best - they probably didn't think much of the cranes, but I actually took hours making them - my own little way of giving them support - and my fingertips are still aching from folding them! Anyway hope they did well today, and they'll continue to do well! =)

Post-Graduation.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009, 08:57 p.m. #1636.

A really heartfelt entry by a girl in my form class that touched me - posted with her permission:

I regret not cherishing my secondary school days earlier. And I feel this tug in my heart that I cannot describe, when I think of how I will no longer be going to school with WQ, wearing that "uncomfortable" uniform... I don't know why I didn't cry, but WQ cried like some crazy girl beside me.

I remember when I was in Secondary One and Two, I thought our class was the most fun class. And I remember all the bad things we've done, letting our parents, teachers and ourselves down. We flung vulgarities at each other and others like nobody's business, thinking it was SO cool, like what some of my juniors are doing right now. We even got ourselves into some silly mess - I remember my mother finding out and using her fist to break the mirror in the toilet - and how she bled. Those were the days when my results were atrocious and I did not know how I could comfort myself into thinking that was okay just because my best friend was like that too. Even though we had tons of friends then, I feel that those friends are not worthy of my time now. We spent our time like we had nothing to do, spending the night outside, rejecting every call that I received from my mother. We did many bad things that I feel ashamed of just by mentioning them. I want to say sorry to the friends that I've hurt, especially the ones who still continued to treat me as their best of friends later on.

Then I reached Secondary Three. I didn't know what caused such a great change in me. It took me a while to get used to the idea that I was going to study, to work hard and to cover up for the times that I had missed out and wasted. I got my very first encouragement from the Math test which I got full marks and I decided that I can do it. So, I worked hard. My new Secondary Four class was deemed as the weakest class in the level. But now, I realized it didn't really matter. Even though I was in the "weakest" class, at least we have the basic respect and values that I think some people don't have. Some people in the "better" classes are not even humble enough and think that they are very intelligent and can be proud just like that. But, no. What is the point when you are super-smart but you are also irritating and bossy? I'd drifted apart from many of these friends, but I made new ones too. My class in Secondary Four is the funnest and loveliest class that I have ever come across. I really cannot believe that we will not be able to sit in the same class and crack jokes anymore. I really miss all of you even though some of you can be quite irritating sometimes as well. :p

I really miss you all.

OMG.
Saturday, October 17, 2009, 03:42 p.m. #1635.

Some ridiculous answers from students' exam scripts:

Q: Why is digestion of food necessary?
A: So that they will not accumulate at the stomach or block the intestines.

Q: How can the spread of AIDS be prevented?
A: Wash your hands regularly and wear a mask.

Missing.
Friday, October 16, 2009, 07:29 a.m. #1635.

No more marking of attendance. No more collection of MC's and letters. No more nagging. No more of 4E1, 4E4 and 5N1's cheerful faces that greet me every morning.

First day without the graduands.

Graduation.
Thursday, October 15, 2009, 08:51 p.m. #1634.



Graduation Day. Found myself tearing up when I was listening to the dedications (even when some were not for me) and watching the graduation videos. (Luckily my seat was at a corner, I don't think anyone saw my teary eyes.) Got a few thank-you cards and some brownies (it was the girl's virgin attempt - and they were really good!)

Am going to miss these kids. Have been with them for two full years after all, watched them grow in maturity and gradually gain confidence in Physics... Really hope they'll do well in the O levels and make me proud.

Here's one interesting dedication from one of the classes:

"Mr Brainy - Mr Tan. The effort that you have put into teaching us is one giga newtons. Multiply that by the journey we have walked through together in Physics, and we have become as brainy as you. The examples you use in class are always exceptionally funny, and they will definitely be etched in our hearts. Thank you."

The Worms Under.
Sunday, October 11, 2009, 08:45 p.m. #1633.

"You know when you pick up a rock, and there's always disgusting bugs and worms crawling around under? That's what looking inside people's heads is like."

That's a quote from Season 1 of "Legend of the Seeker" - the sentiment of a little boy - a Listener who could hear his father's inner thoughts when his father sold him. The series turned out to be quite different from the usual fantasy series, with well-developed characters and storylines that are actually moving. Maybe because it's adapted from Terry Goodkind's series - the original books must be really good.

Caught up on a few other series. Season 3 of "Dexter" started off slowly but quickly picked up to regain the brilliance of the previous two seasons. How a series can be so consistently engaging for three full seasons is beyond me. It's really the best thing on TV that I'll love to recommend to everyone, if not for its controversial content (the protagonist is a serial killer who kills serial killers) and all that (necessary) nudity.

Season 5 of "Lost" had a few indulgent and confusing time-jumps but also some very important plot twists that made me look forward to its final season.

Watched "9" as it was produced by Tim Burton. (Yep, everything to do with Tim Burton has to be GREAT!) Besides the gloomy palette and dark visuals, I was actually quite disappointed with how the story was played out and ended. Probably had too high expectations.

Bar The Belle.
Saturday, October 10, 2009, 08:07 p.m. #1632.

When this young girl came to the busstop and sat in front of me, I thought she actually looked quite pretty, then she stuck out her pierced tongue and started toying with her barbell.

It was a totally revolting experience, watching her stick her tongue in and out, rolling the tongue obscenely like she was licking something, and pushing the barbell up and down through the tongue with her teeth. While I tried hard not to look (though it was hard as she was blocking my view of the approaching bus), she seemed to be wanting more attention as her "licking" actions became more vigorous. I have nothing against piercing, but the way she played with her barbell felt really deliberately suggestive and intrusive...

Was so relieved when the bus finally came.

Uneasy Reload.
Sunday, October 4, 2009, 04:30 p.m. #1631.

All those horrible experiences with the EZ-Link and EZ-Reload are all true. And I am one of those frustrated customers.

Many months ago when the new EZ-Link cards were rolled out, I had wanted to exchange my old card for the new one, but I was told that my card couldn't be exchanged as it was GIRO-linked. If I'd wanted a new card, I'd have to buy a new non-GIRO-linked one. If I wanted a GIRO-linked card, I'd have to wait for a notification letter. Decided to wait as I didn't think I could keep track of when to top up my card, and I don't exactly pass by those top-up machines very often.

And so many months later, I received the letter, telling me that I have to exchange for the new GIRO-linked card within two months, before my old card expires. That's quite a short period of time for us, I thought - not everyone passes by a ticket office often - people like me only pass by an MRT station during weekends! Anyway I went to a ticket office to do the exchange on the next Saturday - naturally the queue was quite long. But after the long wait I was told I couldn't get a new card because my card had just been auto-topped up through GIRO. A card can only be exchanged when it hasn't been topped up in the last five days. Hmm. I don't remember this being communicated through the media or my notification letter? And seriously, how silly is this system to have such a restriction?

So I dutifully waited for five days and went to the ticket office again. This time, I was told that I'd have to reapply for the link to GIRO (now known as EZ-Reload) - all this while when I was waiting, I'd thought that they'd needed a longer time to prepare the system to convert our old GIRO-linked cards automatically. If I am getting a new card that is the same as the other non-GIRO-linked cards and I have to reapply for the GIRO link, why did I have to wait for so long? Feeling really puzzled and grumpy (and not wanting to vent my frustrations on the person at the counter - after all she's just an employee), I nonetheless applied for the EZ-Reload on the spot, filled in the application form and chose the "reload" amount to be $50 - since there is going to be an administrative fee imposed on every reload, I thought I'd select a larger reload amount so that the card didn't need to be "reloaded" so often.

Another two weeks passed and I received a letter to tell me that my application is successful, and I have to go to a counter to "activate" the card before the EZ-Reload starts to work. I was already quite perplexed by then. Why did I have to go through so many steps to get my card working properly? Why couldn't they just send me a properly GIRO-linked EZ-Link card in the first place, when even credit cards could be mailed directly to our house? They'd rather send all these silly letters to make me go on multiple trips to the ticket office?!

In any case, I'd decided to stomach all that since I seemed to be just one step away from getting my EZ-Reload card. I noticed an error, however, on the letter - I had chosen the reload amount to be $50, but the letter stated it to be $30. So I went to the ticket office to "activate" my card and to tell them that there was a mistake. Then I was told that the first Reload application would always be $30 (then why did I have to make an option on the application form?) and if I wanted the Reload amount to be $50, I'd have to cancel this application and reapply.

This was it. Spent the next five minutes lashing out on the person at the counter on the ridiculously silly EZ-Reload system which is not easy at all. Then when I finally calmed myself down (realizing the queue that I was holding up behind me), I told the lady that I was not reapplying and she shall just activate my card at the reload amount of $30.

Then came the most exciting news of them all. The EZ-Link card number on the activation letter did not tally with my card, so she couldn't activate my card - there must have been a mistake somewhere. The lady then asked if I had more than one EZ-Link card - I said I didn't, and she said there's nothing she could do. I'd have to call up the company and tell them about the error if I want to get my EZ-Reload.

I give up. The ordeal is too much for me. Shall just top up my card manually.