Unwell

I have been unwell since last weekend. Not sure if I caught a bug or if it was an allergic reaction caused by my "spring cleaning" during the Christmas weekend. 
My throat is sore, my nose is semi-blocked, my coughing is bad, my voice is husky... 

Top #2 Article

I am really honoured that my article, How to Stop Bullying is the 2nd most popular article in SingTeach despite it being published only in late September 2015. I am really happy as it meant that my article is of use to teachers (and perhaps parents too). However, it also meant that bullying is still an issue in schools. We must remain alert to the signs and all of us - teachers, students, parents, counsellors, school leaders - have to work together in order to stamp out bullying. 

https://www.facebook.com/SingTeach/posts/921933654557974?fref=nf

Fight Song by Rachel Platten

This is going to be my fight song when I am feeling down, when I am beaten down, ... 
Fight Song by Rachel Platten (uploaded by RachelPlattenVEVO)

More Colouring Books

Good things must share. Since I am doing the colouring book, I also bought colouring books for my girls. Haha. :D Hopefully colouring will give them peace and make them more patient.

Secret Garden

The Secret Garden I am going to talk about is not The Secret Garden, the novel but the colouring book. :) Yes, adult colouring books is the trend, the craze now. 
I have the Secret Garden colouring book for a while now but never found the time to start on it until now. It is supposed to make me calm but I have a perfectionist steak in me so you can guess what happened haha. :P

Boxing Day "Spring" Cleaning

Once the cleaning bug bits you, you can't stop cleaning lol. It's Boxing Day (not that I have much to do anyway) and I continued with my "spring" cleaning. Today's target is my book cupboard. I started in the late morning and didn't finish until 9:30pm! You would think that one cupboard is easy peasy. Oh I was so wrong. I am either a hoarder or I am just sentimental. I kept lots of things in that cupboard from my SCGS-NJC student days until my MOE HQ working days (spanning from 1984 to 2003). All totally forgotten until today! 

I was in ELDDS in NJC lol

Assignments and course notes from UQ and NIE

My beloved Battlestar Galactica books and comics!! KEEPING! :)

I realised today that I have lots of memories hidden away in the cupboard from my SCGS-NJC days, my UQ days, my NIE PGDE days, my NIE MA(Applied Psy) days, my teaching days, my MOE HQ days - lecture notes, assignments, photos, meeting notes, etc. Amidst the taking out of books, files, notes, etc, the cleaning and the re-organising (including deciding what to throw and what to keep), I was also reminiscing and sharing my fond memories on Facebook haha.  
In the end, I had to harden my heart and threw out all my lecture notes (if I haven't look at them in the last 10-15 years, I probably won't look at them in the near future). Now my cupboard looks a little better, not so crammed. :)

Christmas "Spring" Cleaning

I took the opportunity on Christmas Day to do "spring" cleaning of my room in the afternoon and night. I managed to clear out a huge bag of papers and cleared some shelf space for my books. Maybe I should look into tidying up my book cupboard too and donate the books that I no longer read. Perhaps tomorrow?

Merry Christmas 2015

Here's wishing my family, my friends, my students, my colleagues and all their families, both overseas and in Singapore, a Merry Christmas and a Bright New Year! 

Smiles, Warmth and Friendship

Thank you, colleagues/ friends for keeping me in your thoughts. 

Simple gifts but bring a HUGE smile to my face and fill my heart with warmth and friendship. :)

Lunch Theme: Vending Machine

The NIE canteen was closed. I was too lazy to walk all the way to NTU to have lunch. Instead I bought my lunch from the vending machines! Really convenient for lazy people like me hahaha. :D

Vending machine selling sandwiches!

My Chicken Kebab sandwich came out really hot! Surprised. 

My vending machine theme lunch :)

This is Your Fight Song by The Piano Guys

The scenery of Scotland is simply beautiful! The bagpipes add an alluring note to the piece. 
This is Your Fight Song (Rachel Platten Scottish Cover) (uploaded by ThePianoGuys)

Happy 45th Anniversary!

It's my parents' 45th wedding anniversary today. 
Happy Anniversary, Ma and Pa (Grandparents)!

Memories of Korea

These mandarins reminded me of Korea. I miss Korea. Never thought I would be saying that lol. :P

The X-Files 2016!!!

The X-Files is making a comeback in January 2016!!! I am ECSTATIC!!!

Here are the trailers (uploaded by FOX)

The X-Files- Ask Yourself

Coming Soon

I have been busy once back in Singapore. I will update my Hong Kong 2015 trip as soon as I can, by this weekend I hope. Thank you in advance for your understanding and patience. :)

15.12.15

Imagine checking the date and time at the right moment to see 
15.12.15, 15:12:15
:)

White Winter Hymnal - Pentatonix (Fleet Foxes Cover)

I really like this song, White Winter Hymnal by Pentatonix. (uploaded by PTXofficial)

That's Christmas to Me by Pentatonix

That's Christmas to Me by Pentatonix (uploaded by PTXofficial)

My Holiday Drink is

Cider. :) I loved the apple cider from Dr Cafe but I think Dr Cafe is no longer around. :(

You Are Cider

Your holiday personality is cozy. The holidays are your favorite time to stay home, stay warm, and spend time with those you love. You don't need a lot to make you happy over the holidays. Seeing an old relative or favorite holiday film is enough to make your day.

What Holiday Drink Are You?

Happy Birthday, My Brother!

Happy Birthday, Yaw Ming!

(Source: http://101happybirthday.com/2015/01/happy-birthday-wishes-for-brother.html)

Lots of love, Your Sister! :P

Hong Kong Trip 2015 Home Sweet Home

We finally arrived in Singapore at 12:25am, Thursday 10 December. A delay of 30 minutes.

By the time we arrived home, it was close to 2am. It is really good to be home. 
I couldn't sleep immediately as I had to sort out the clothes for normal wash and for dry cleaning as well as sort the gifts for family and friends, and for ourselves. :)
It has been an interesting and unique trip for Juliane and I, exploring the cultural and historical aspects of Hong Kong. :) Sitting in the rain on the upper deck of the topless bus has been a most unique experience haha. For this trip, we bought mostly souvenirs such as stationery, postcards, magnets (and from unusual place like HKU lol) and my Kipling bags. We didn't buy a piece of clothing! We are not the usual shoppers haha. We arrived in HK with 20 kg and left with 27 kg with the additional 7 kg consisting mostly food items! We didn't even utilised our 60kg available! Maybe going to HK in summer, may be different? Who knows? :P 

Hong Kong Trip 2015 Day 6

It is our last day in Hong Kong. We woke up to heavy rain, akin to the kind of heavy downpour we have in Singapore. :( Since it was raining heavily, I took my time to pack up the last bits, e.g. the toiletries and our pajamas, hoping the rain might let up soon. However by 11am, it was still raining.
We had no choice but to venture out for our lunch. There is a cafe which Juliane is really interested in. We walked to Moomin Cafe at Ocean Terminal. :)

Heavy rain in HK

The exterior of Moomin Cafe :)

There are Moomin plush toys seated at most tables at the cafe! :) It's really adorable, almost as if we were having lunch with a Moomin character. The food is pretty good too.

The interiors of Moomin Cafe

Juliane's Pork Chop plate which comes with salad and drink

My Moonmin Cafe plate, with salad and drink

After lunch, we shopped at the Moomin shop next to the cafe. Both of us bought Moomin keepsake, post-it notes for me and a pencil case for Juliane. :)

Xmas decor at Ocean Terminal

A last photo of HK in the rain

It was still raining heavily when we headed back to the hotel as check-out was at 2pm. After I settled the check-out and stored our luggage with the hotel, we went out in the rain again to buy food snacks which needed to be hand-carried, such as Lao Po Bing (老婆餅), etc. Since it was raining and we couldn't walk around much, we decided to return to the hotel to wait for our 4:30pm airport transfer.

Our favourite dessert shop 

Snacks for the road :)

Gifts

More snacks for the road haha

Our transfer came on time and by 6pm, we have arrived at the airport and cleared immigration. We had dinner at Cafe de Carol lol. I think it is becoming our favourite fast food restaurant in Hong Kong. :P 

We were waiting at Gate 16 when the announcement was made that SQ 871 was delayed and would only depart at 8:05pm. However, by 8:30pm we were still in the plane waiting for take off. Sigh.

Dinner was served to us close to 10pm, earlier than the other passengers because of our special meal orders lol. Juliane's dinner looked so much tastier than my diabetic meal.

Juliane's child meal

My diabetic meal

Dessert! :)