So Near Yet SO FAR!!

My parcel arrived ahead of its delivery schedule of 2 September! :) However, my new maid refused to open the door for the DHL delivery man saying that no one was home. Argh! :(

It was so near yet so far!! I almost had my hands on it and its accessories. Now I have to wait for another day. DHL will make the delivery again tomorrow night.

Tracking

My parcel is on its way. Soon, soon, I will get it. :) I can't wait. :)

Mad Scramble

Last minute, Marieann decided she wanted to get presents for her teachers. She had initially wanted to make presents for them. She started on the second one when she decided it was too much work. Sigh.

Thank goodness, we managed to buy all the presents at the first place we went to. Phew.

Ippudo Tao

For the second weekend in a row, we were back at Mohamed Sultan area for dinner. :P
We decided to try Ippudo Tao tonight. It was crowded when we arrived at 8pm and had to wait for about 25 minutes before we got a table. But for the ramen, it was worth the wait. :)

We decided to get a couple of dishes to share. We ordered Ippudo Shiro Tamago ($15): tonkotsu soup with chasu, cabbage, black fungus, spring onion and egg; Ippudo Shiro Chasu ($16): same as above and with simmered pork belly instead of egg; Tao Matsuri Meshi ($5): rice with chasu, lettuce, shredded egg omelette and mayo; and Buta Kakuni Onsen Tamago ($12): pork cubes simmered in Japanese soy sauce with hot spring egg. The ramen was great and the soup was really delicious. Flavourful yet light. :)

Free Day?

I just realised next Wednesday is Teacher's Day. That means I will have no counselling. Yippee, a day to do my things! :) Which means working on the revision of my dissertation. Sigh. :(

YOG

Today is the official closing of the YOG. It has been an eventful 12 days. There was laughter, there were tears, there was happiness, there was disappointment. Each and every athlete is a winner, regardless if he/ she won a medal or not, as they have all gained at this inaugural YOG 2010 in Singapore. They have gained experience, they have learnt of a new culture, they have gained friendship.

My Brother

My brother is a person of few words. However we have learnt over the years, when he speaks, we better listen up. I listened when he mentioned that Stargate Universe is worth watching, a bit like Star Trek: Voyager but darker and better.

My brother is right. After Monday's episode, I can't wait for more SGU. :)

Disturbance

My peace, my quiet is no more.
My sanctuary has been disturbed.
I will not go down without a fight.

Relaxation is Home Sweet Home

Relaxation Feels Like Home to You

You believe that your home should be your sanctuary. Life is stressful enough in the outside world. You take it easy when you're at home. It's the place where you feel like you can truly be yourself. If I can't relax at home, then where?! You are the type of person who has deep hobbies and interests. You treasure your alone time. You could spend all day at home if you had to. You always can find plenty to do around the house. Yes, I am most protective of my alone time which is usually late at night. Absolutely, I could spend all day at home reading or sleeping lol. :)

What Feels Like Home to You?

Changing Habits

I don't know if it is because of age that one changes his/her habit. I discovered recently that I have avoided going to crowded places, such as shopping malls if possible. Somehow the crowds get to me, and I feel stifled. If I do go to shopping malls, it is for a specific purpose, either for a meal or to buy a particular thing and after that I would want to leave ASAP. I just don't want to linger around...

Maybe with age, habits do change...

The Tavern

I have seen The Tavern whenever we travelled along River Valley Road. Tonight we finally got the chance to try its Swiss and Continental cuisine in a relaxed Swiss Chalet-inspired atmosphere. :)

We started off with soup - Mushroom ($12) for the girls, Lobster Bisque ($13) for me and French Onion ($12) for the girls' father. The soups whetted up our appetite for the main courses. (Sorry, no photos for the soup) The girls shared a Spaghetti with Half Lobster ($38) which came in cream sauce. The spaghetti was al dente and tasted fantastic with the cream sauce. It was rich but tasty. :P
I had the U.S.Kurobuta Pork Chop ($38) which came with mashed potato and vegetables. The pork chop was succulent, juicy and tender. It went well with the apple sauce. To me, the fatty bits were the best part haha! :P
The girls' father had a Boiled Pork Knuckles ($27) which was quite good, different from the usual crispy ones.





We didn't have any dessert as we ran out of stomach space lol. Maybe next time. :)

20,000

I have gotten 20,000 views on my blog! I am amazed that my blog would actually be read by other people, other than my family and friends. Thank you to everyone who has visited my blog and took the time to read about my thoughts and my feelings.

A big THANK YOU to all (my family, my friends, my ex-students, my followers, my readers). Love you all. :) Keep coming back to read my blog, ok? Haha. :P

YOG: Singapore...To Date

YOG volunteers = Sub-standard food + Food poisoning
YOG athletes = Food galore
2 Bronzes in Taekwondo
1 Silver in Swimming
Fallen roof repaired
1 Bronze in Archery

Good Luck

The Primary 6 students will be having PSLE Oral on Thursday 19 August and Friday 20 August. My P6 counsellees are really nervous about their PSLE Oral. The most I could do for them was to tell them to remember the tips their teachers have given them, to have a good night's rest the night before, and to keep their cool.

Good Luck for your PSLE Oral.

Live Life Splendidly

I accidentally saw this particular segment from China's Got Talent. A 23-year old young man was playing the piano with his feet because he lost his arms in a freak accident when he was 10 years old.

I am full of respect for him. Although handicapped in body, he is definitely NOT handicapped in mind. In fact, he is living life to its fullest than most able-bodied persons. I love his words of wisdom for himself which I personally feel can apply to all of us, "Either die quickly or live life splendidly!".

Hideaway

Do you have a hideaway where you can retreat to
for solitude,

for cognitive work,

for quiet reflection?

Your hideaway is

Starbucks,

the library,

McDonald's,

your study,

Coffee Bean,

your bedroom?

I have found a new hideaway - a cafe in a certain place of education.

...

Peacefulness...

Quietness...

vs

Emptiness...

Nothingness...

Youth Olympic Games (YOG)

Today's the official opening of the inaugural Youth Olympic Games 2010 in Singapore.

"Citius, Altius, Fortius"

May each and every athlete gives his/ her best at the games.

Only One

There were three in 2009. In 2010, there is only one Friday the 13th. Going back the last ten years, it turns out there is one Friday the 13th every year and three is the largest possible number of Friday the 13th in a year.

1 in 2010
3 in 2009
1 in 2008
2 in 2007
2 in 2006
1 in 2005
2 in 2004
1 in 2003
2 in 2002
2 in 2001

According to a table in Eric Weisstein's World of Astronomy, 13th is slightly more likely to fall on a Friday than any other day of the week. Unlucky or lucky? It is only Mathematics lol. :P

The Climb by Miley Cyrus

I found The Climb by Miley Cyrus a very nice song, meaningful and inspirational.



I can almost see it
That dream I am dreaming
But there's a voice inside my head saying
"You'll never reach it"

Every step I'm taking
Every move I make feels
Lost with no direction
My faith is shaking

But I gotta keep trying
Gotta keep my head held high

There's always gonna be another mountain
I'm always gonna wanna make it move
Always gonna be a uphill battle
Sometimes I'm gonna have to lose

Ain't about how fast I get there
Ain't about what's waiting on the other side
It's the climb

The struggles I'm facing
The chances I'm taking
Sometimes might knock me down
But no, I'm not breaking

I may not know it
But these are the moments that
I'm gonna remember most, yeah
Just gotta keep going

And I, I got to be strong
Just keep pushing on

'Cause there's always gonna be another mountain
I'm always gonna wanna make it move
Always gonna be a uphill battle
Sometimes I'm gonna have to lose

Ain't about how fast I get there
Ain't about what's waiting on the other side
It's the climb, yeah!

There's always gonna be another mountain
I'm always gonna wanna make it move
Always gonna be an uphill battle
Somebody's gonna have to lose

Ain't about how fast I get there
Ain't about what's waiting on the other side
It's the climb, yeah!

Keep on moving, keep climbing
Keep the faith, baby
It's all about, it's all about the climb
Keep the faith, keep your faith, whoa