Best Before...

I was at a supermarket to get a bun for breakfast before catching the train to work in the morning. To my surprise, the "Best Before" date on the first bun I pick up was 29 June 2015. Hmm, that's yesterday. Pick up the next bun, it was still "Best before 29 June 2015". In fact, the whole batch of buns was "Best before 29 June 2015". :( Looks like someone didn't clear this batch on time. I brought a pack of the bun to show it to the cashier, not to complain but to alert them to clear the "expired" buns before the crowds start coming to shop. The cashier was appreciative. 
Glad that I made someone's day.  

School Again

It's back to school again for the new term. Hopefully the girls will engaged their time more meaningfully during the new school term than they were during the holidays. They were watching the Charmed tv series. Ok I used to watch it too. :) Wondering why they are not watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer t series... :P

Updating Seoul Trip 2015

I realised that I have only been back in Singapore for a week! But it feels like my Seoul holiday was a long, long time ago. Guess that is how overwhelmed with work I have been since I came back. :( Sincere apologies that I haven't updated on my Seoul Trip 2015. I have started re-organising the photos I took in Seoul as I tended to take 100-200+ photos per day. I shall strive to update my blog on the rest of my Seoul Trip 2015 by the end of the coming week. 
Thank you for your patience! :)

Stepped Down

Our estate had its AGM (Annual General Meeting) in the afternoon. I wasn't feeling too well, don't want to risk it in a room full of people, so I didn't attend it. I decided to step down from being a council member in the estate's management council. I have been a council member and an office bearer for the past few years. It is time for new blood and for other residents to volunteer their time and effort for the estate. I have done my duties. 

Student Self-Assessment Workshop

I was invited to conduct a workshop (8:30am - 12pm) on Student Self-Assessment at a secondary school during their Staff Training Day on 26 June 2015. The first half of my workshop was a mini-lecture on the what, why and how of self-assessment. The second half of my workshop involved the teachers crafting self-assessments for their students and a presentation of their self-assessment to their colleagues. The workshop ended successfully at 12:15pm. The school leaders are really appreciative because I did the workshop pro bono. Well, it is my way of giving back to the teaching community. :)

Teachers hard at work in crafting student self-assessment

Teachers presenting their student self-assessment

Group photo with two departments

I felt great that I could share my knowledge and experience with the 80+ teachers. I hope that I have made some small impact to the school, the teachers and ultimately, the students! :)

Summer Colour

How I miss the summers in Brisbane!

You Are Sky Blue

For you, summer is all about freedom - even if you don't feel as free as you were when you were younger, you try to capture a bit of that feeling. You love a summer day with no plans and no agenda. You'll find the fun just by being out and about. Summer is the one time where you feel like you can be a bit impulsive in your life. You are all about good little surprises. You love the energy of warm days with everyone out and about. You just never know where a little summer adventure will take you.

What Is Your Summer Color?

Pre-workshop Session

I conducted a pre-workshop session with the key personnel and the principal in a secondary school prior to my actual workshop on Friday. I am really glad that the session went well and the discussion was productive. I think there is buy-in from the key personnel. :)  

Not from Me!

Just heard a colleague with whom I had meeting with at MOE yesterday is down with flu. 

Don't look at me! Yes, I just came back from Korea but I won't be able to infect anyone within so short a time even if I am infected! Incubation period for MERS is between 10-14 days. I took all the health precautions when I was in Korea. I am feeling fine.  Actually, I think I am in more danger of catching the flu bug back home as there are plenty of coughing and sneezing around in the office. :(

Back to Work

Back to work today. Had a meeting in the afternoon at AST, MOE. It's funny how people suddenly become very nervous around you when they heard that you just came back from Korea lol. :P 

Seoul Trip 2015 Day 9/ Home

Our last few hours in Seoul. We are going home today, with much reluctance. :(
We woke up early and took our last walk at Insadong around 9:30am. We got a few more last minute souvenirs and our Starbucks fix - Iced caramel chocolate. :) I accidentally discovered the rice cake snack shop which I have been looking for and it is right here all these time in Insadong! Bought quite a number of rice cake snacks!

Lovely blue sky

The only Starbucks in the world with its name written in Korean language

Bizeun cafe

Rice cake - all kinds!

The backyard of the apartment - a fountain and a pavilion

Building 101 with 7-11, a restaurant and a few shops

Our apartment building with a number of offices here

The lobby area

The rice cake snacks I bought

We went back to our apartment for a little rest before heading to the airport shuttle bus-stop at 11:25am. The airport shuttle bus-stop is just 5 minutes away, opposite the apartment block and it's really convenient. The bus came on time and we were off to the airport at 11:43am.

We arrived at Incheon International Airport just before 12:50pm and by 1:15pm, we completed our check in. We went looking for food at the Concourse 3F and the first food place we saw was Bizeun, my favourite rice cake snacks! :) After stuffing ourselves full with rice cakes, we realised there's a Paris Baguette just a 100 metres away! Darn, should walk a little more haha.

More Bizeun rice cake snacks, some to eat and some to take home

Paris Baguette!

After we cleared the immigration, it was almost 2:30pm. We skipped all the duty free shopping as we weren't interested and went straight to our gate. On our way, we saw the Traditional Cultural Experience Centre and decided to check it out. Juliane ended up making her own traditional Korean mask while I ended up buying a pair of earrings. :P In between, there was a cultural performance of traditional instruments and we saw the Walk of the Royal Family. :)

At 3:15pm, we headed towards Gate 49 to wait for boarding at 3:40pm for our 4:10pm flight. We boarded on time and took off on time. :)

We both watched the movie, Into the Woods before we were served our dinner at 5:30pm, which came a little earlier than the rest because ours were special menu (diabetic meal for me and child meal for Juliane). Juliane's child meal was amazing - bread, tuna salad, chicken meatballs with minced meat and pasta in tomato suace, yoghurt, chocolate cake, drink, etc. Mine wasn't bad either, salmon salad, broiled chicken (very tender and juicy) and boiled vegetables. 

In our seats, one for the memory

The two Korean airlines passing each other on the taxi way

We are in the air!

Love the colours of Asiana against the vibrant blue sky

Snacks not long after we took off

A coke just for me - Mom!

Juliane's child meal

My diabetic meal

After dinner, we watched more movies and I think we both fell asleep as well. We were woken by the smell of food haha. A snack was served just before 8pm, one and a half hours before we land at 9:30pm. For once, we both thought the others' snack _ pizza slice looked and smelled tastier than our sandwiches. :P 

The flight was a very turbulent one, with the "Fasten Your Seatbelt" sign kept coming on all the time. We usually keep our seatbelts on when we are seated so it didn't bother us. But we both loved the turbulence, like on a roller coaster ride and we were giggling constantly. :D 
We arrived in Singapore on time and by 9:45pm, we were at Belt 47 to collect our luggage. The first time we did once we stepped out of the immigration was to buy a drink, a Korean brand lol.

We are glad to be home but we are also missing Seoul badly, especially the cats. :) We are definitely going back to Seoul again with Marieann! :)