ariel on the swing. isn't she adorable?


ekklesia's latest bag: a supermart basket!


christian with his favourite toy character: Transformers


a photo of the crocodile that christian took at the zoo


part of the sandcastle that we built @ east coast beach


christian's drawing on the white board


fireworks from the top of the building during NDP 07


fireworks from the top of the building during NDP 07


fireworks from the top of the building during NDP 07


401 trying the group skipping game during NDP celebrations (notice theodore?)


some good buddies of liting's coming over to my place to bake a birthday cake for her!


christian taking his own self protrait

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i'm now dedicating most of my afternoons, helping my students for their coming exams... so I'm pretty saturated with physix questions nowadays... numerous groups and individuals have been booking my time slots to ask questions... I'm already booked for all my week days next week and some are thinking of booking a time slot with me during the weekends too! :P overwhelming response indeed! but I must say that I am really glad when they are able to benefit from the time that we spent together and it's really enjoyable laughing with them and catching up with how they are doing... i realised so much had happened since i last talked to some of them... how long i have not had such great time of interaction with my students!

some of my sec 2 students cried during my lessons when i returned them their common test papers. they did not fail, just did not do as well as they expected i guess but it's really "shocking" to me when i realised how much the grades actually mean to them. Just want to tell them (if they are reading this) that I'm really proud of them for doing their best and that's really all that matters! :D cheer up!

I saw a full circular rainbow in the sky this afternoon (i think it's called a halo)! it was really beautiful although the blazing sun was really blinding... :D

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firstly, I would like to thank steph, aaron, lixuan x2!, 2centsworth, rachel, kahswee, dorothy and shana for tagging and giving your advice.

choice 1 is out for sure although some of my colleagues and students are persuading me not to leave...it's sad to leave but i know i have to...

choice 2 is most probably the one at the moment.

I will most likely be giving part-time tuition for physix and maths (still love to teach on a 1 to 1 or small group basis)

I will most likely be taking up a part-time job as a real estate agent (want to learn to be comfortable with talking to strangers and also to understand the real estate market for investment purposes)

I will most likely set up a small business selling electronics products with GREAT discount for people i know (or anyone whom you recommend to me). I managed to find a reliable wholesaler and will be selling
* APPLE products (Macbook/Pro, iPods, iPhone) - My Favorite Computer Brand: All I need is 2 minutes and I can convince you why Mac is better than Windows (try me!)
* SONY VAIO notebooks - A Mac alternative if you really can't part with Windows
* NOKIA and SAMSUNG cellphones
* Game Consoles (Wii, PS3, Xbox) - I don't game but I guess some of my friends do!
Basically, products that I find are good enough to buy for myself!

choice 3 to 5 are possible too but i felt that they will come later.

meanwhile, I just want to concentrate in helping my students to ace their coming exams! :D

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Today is Singapore's 42nd Birthday!

We did not get the tickets to watch the parade live this year but we will be hanging around in town, near to the water front to see the fire works tonight.

As for my choices, i will definitely be leaving my service as a school teacher at the end of the year.

So this year's sec 4 will be the last batch of students I will be preparing for O levels physics and this year will be the last teacher's day for me :(

btw, my ex-student, Christina Gao, won the First Prize and Best Literature Award for a National Blogging competition! My heartfelt congrats to her! Go to the link below to read her entries! it's in Chinese though!

http://iblog07.new-media-arts.com/singaporelah/

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i think i have reached "mid-life crisis" earlier than usual.

at the age of dec1976 to aug2007 = 30y 8m to be exact.

people often said that you are at your peak when you are 30.
the next 10 years are the prime-time of your life.
it's the most precious part of your life.
your best years.
how you want to spend it will determine how you will turn out as you begin to slow down and wear off after 40.

I am now at this junction where the choice i make will affect me for life.

choice 1
remain as a teacher for the next 10 years and
*continue to drain myself dry physically and mentally every day because of certain requirements in the education system?
* rushing through to teach academic contents (due to the lack of time during school term) that are only useful for answering exam questions but not really useful or relevant in life?
* having to do some things that i find meaningless and superficial so that i won't lose my paycheck?
* can only provide minimum support and encouragement to students because there are too many to help and too little (me) to do the job?
* offering only leftover time and energy to my wife and my kids?
* forcing myself to give students a wrong impression about life? e.g. mistakes are penalised and misunderstood to be a bad and wrong thing when they are valuable part of life where we can learn more
* sound likes i am all ready to quit isn't it?
* i am holding on because of my students, especially the sec 4.
* i guess i want to see them through their O levels for the last time

choice 2
* take up a few jobs with different natures so that i can gain exposure to experiences and skills that can help me to equip myself in setting up my own business so that it may eventually lead me to financial freedom?
* lots of uncertainties here
* do i have enough faith to go on an adventure with God and trust Him on this?

choice 3
* rent out or sell my apartment and move to another country to adapt a simpler lifestyle at a slower pace?
* is it really as simple as it sounds?
* i kinda like living in Singapore (all our friends and families are here)
* where do we go if we really go?

choice 4
* rent out my apartment and bring my whole family to travel on board the MV Doulos to serve with a multi-cultured community around the world?
* will we get used to life on board of a ship with people around the world?
* will we get seasick or homesick?

choice 5
* become a full time worker in my church community and rely on free-will offering?
* is this really my calling?
* which area should i be serving?

choices that tears me apart.
what should i choose?
can anyone tell me?

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Today is my darling daughter's birthday!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, ARIEL!

you are 3 years old now!

When i asked her what she would like to eat on her birthday, she replied that she likes white rice! LOL! she is so easily contented! :D

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