Be Safe, Little Ones

with the K2s, showing me their "brave face"

Below: their space shuttle - before take-off and after. the brown shreddy thing is the fire.

D has been with us since the first Taking It To the Streets at Circuit Road.

He is a precious child, very endearing, sweet, yet destructively mischievous.

When we first knew him, he was in Pri 2 (or 1?) He had a learning disability, (we think it's dyslexia). And, he had water-logged brain. He had to go for an operation, and he was frightened. I remember the Saturday before the operation, he kept coming up to me and telling me that he was going for operation, "maybe will die". After worship, all the kids prayed for him to have a safe operation and that he would not be scared. =) Later he said he knew that Jesus was with him.

When he believed in Jesus, he went home to tell his parents about Jesus. His mom came to know Jesus too. He even told his dad that he doesn't want to offer incense etc.

At HS, he set the toilet bin on fire. That was the period of time where we found out that "gangsters" had been making use of him, calling him "Big Brother" to make him feel accepted and cherished, making him their lookout when they committed crimes. We heard stories about fights. He got into trouble in school and home as well.

But he's someone who's really sincere when it comes to worship. you can tell, coz he can be angry and destructive before worship, but after that he'd be singing the songs long after worship ended, and once in a while just like... cheer for jesus..out of the blue... hard to explain...

Now that he's Primary 4, he still can't do the alphabets. When he comes for Kidz Club, we let him come to Gems instead of Blaze. Last Saturday, he looked strange when he got here. very tensed and angry. i spent some time with him during tuition and i realized the extent of his academic problems. no wonder yp was so worried! Yet he tried so hard. We spent an hour learning 6 words (from Psalm 119: Lord I give praise to you), using makeshift flash cards. and he really couldn't read at all! not even "to". but he kept at it, memorising the sequence of the phrase in order to remember the words. each time we got a word right, we celebrated, gave each other Hi5's, and sometimes he'd just clap spontaneously with joy, gleefully... like a child should! How dare those gangsters taint and make use of a child!

Later i asked him to draw pictures (hp and my secret plan: find out what he's good at and encourage him to excel in it), and after a picture, he secretly tried to write me a letter. ...

He read it to me, "To Teacher Shuyan. I Love You. From Derrick"

i love you too dearie.

If this is his reading standard now, he certainly cannot keep up with what the rest of his class is learning! Then, that'd just lead to restlessness, which leads to mischief, which leads to scolding by teacher, which leads to more retlessness, discouragements... is it any surprise that he hangs out with older boys who seem to accept him and give him "important jobs" to do?

and that's what i'm appalled by! have those guys no heart at all? He's a child for goodness sake! He's have enough difficulty coping with school, and later on in society, without you making use of him and leading him astray! Getting him into more trouble, making him go down THIS path before he's old enough to decide with wisdom!

God, you can keep him safe... let your wisdom guard his heart and mind. send your angels into his path. let him remember the joy of being safe in your presence, and never settle for anything else. give us the wisdom to know how to help him and love him. let him experience your love through us.

Dreams

Been dreaming the past 2 nights.

DREAM 1: Who am i marrying?

Saturday night, i dreamt it was less than a week to my wedding. As i was tying down details for my church wedding, i suddenly got cold feet. i was worried and panicky coz i felt that i didn't know my groom enough - which, strangely, wasn't munch!!! it was a malay guy, who looked like hady (weird! i'm not a fan at all!!!)
so in my anxiety and regretfulness, i tried to console myself, that well, it's kinda like a dream come true since i always had a soft spot for malays, and that at least i don't have to convert to islam (coz i was planning for the church wedding)
But i was still very anxious so i went to look for my mummy.

me Mum, i'm worried leh... actually i dun really know him very well.

mum How come you dunno him very well? Isn't he a nice person?

me I knew about a year ago, and he seems quite nice. So we decided to get married, then we've been so busy with other things and we didn't have time to meet up again, until the weding next week...

mum Then it's your own fault! Always so busy. Now so close to the wedding already, what do you expect me to do? Haiya, at least he's nice la!

me ya... he's nice, i think... at least those few times we met last year, i remember he was nice... but what if after we get too familiar, then he's not nice anymore?

mum ...

Seeing that my mummy wasn't gonna offer me any solutions nor comfort, i started to ponder how i got myself into this mess

...how could i have decided to marry him? ... yeah, he was quite nice... but i dun really know him... didn't i pray about it?... he is christian meh?.... but i don't feel that i like him!... so i just have to die-die commit to be faithful to him forever? ... is he my favourite guy?

Then while pondering, i suddenly realized... HEY! I'm NOT marrying him, i'm marrying munch! =)

Then i felt very relieved and happy and the dream ended.

my Conclusion:
think this must be because
1. i was watching "Full House" while marking the prelim papers. the 2 lead characters entered into a silly marriage contract.
2. the wedding's soooo close!!
3. idol finals was near (and why is that my business?? i dunno)



DREAM 2 (Sunday night)
I was taking students for learning journey or something. At this huge construction site place. Somehow had to run around coz there were BadGuys chasing us. Then i saw Sarah! she lost a lot of weight and looked very stressed. We hugged and she told me how tired she was, and i felt very sad that she's so stressed. then the dream ended.

my Conclusion:
1. i miss sarah and am worried about her.
2. maybe God wants me to pray for her more.
3. i was planning some NE things during the day.
4. I tried to watch Tom Yam Goong just before i slept (bt gave up coz i dun understand enuf Thai, and couldn't read the chinese subtitles fast enough)
5. i need to meet up with sarah soon!
6. i need to meet up with sarah soon!
7. i need to meet up with sarah soon!

"you have a great team!"

lloyd said that about about the ne comm.
huiping talked about that regarding the Kidz team.
it is true. the bulk of the ne commers are willing to go beyond the call of duty. they are great to work with, cooperative, fun.
and the kidz team - all i can say is that they are the best you can find. people who would think dream eat and sleep God, Kids and Ministry. People who are so faithful, even when the world crashes, they stay on. People who would take time to assess the club, come week after week, tolerate inefficiencies, because they love God and believe in this work. And people skilled by God in such a complementary way, that as a team we have a great gift-set. And people with such hearts that are full of love and foregiveness and grace, that after almost 7 years of working together, there is no resentment, bitterness, impatience. It is obvious we have been called together by God. It's obvious that God wants to do THINGS thru us.

but why aren't we soaring? there could be many things, but i realized one thing. i have not played MY part, my role properly. And if i don't, the body is less effective, not because of unwilling members, not for want of gifts and talents, but because with my apologetic and lazy leadership, i have set the ceiling for the team.

So enough of weak, apologetic leadership. Like what lloyd said, jesus wasn't an apologetic leader.
and i will stop looking to assess what is wrong, and what has fallen short of past glory, or who is mia, or who is down, or how hard things feel. i will pray and believe and ask, until his kingdom comes, his will be done. Until the Pentecost i have been yearning for comes, and dry bones come to life.
God, let us shine with your glory and for your glory.

Great Ways to Irritate people

1. Leave the copy machine set to “99 copies” and chide the unfortunate victim for wasting paper.
2. When you get your food at the canteen, peer at the food with a concerned look and keep telling the stall owner, “oh my goodness, it’s still moving.”
   
3. Stomp on little plastic ketchup packets.
   
4. Reply to everything someone says with "in YOUR opinion" and a smirk.
   
5. Practice making fax and modem noises and pedestrian-crossing light noises.
   
6. Highlight irrelevant information in scientific papers/ newspaper and pass them to your boss/principal with a secretive look.
   
7. Make beeping noises when someone moves backwards, or walks too quickly.
   
8. Finish ALL your sentences with the words "write it down, it’s important.”
   
9. End a conversation by clamping your hands over your ears and making a high-pitch screech.
   
10. Call out random numbers while someone is counting.
    
11. Adjust your TV/ computer so that all the people are green, and insist to others that you "like it that way."
    
12. Staple pages in the middle of the page.
    
13. Publicly investigate just how slowly you can make a croaking noise. Challenge busy passersby to beat your record.
    
14. Pull out earphones from others and sample their music.
    
15. Decline to be seated at a restaurant, and simply eat their complimentary mints at the cash register.
    
16. TYPEINUPPERCASEDONTLEAVESPACEANDDONTUSEPUNCTUATION.
    
17. Buy a large quantity of orange traffic cones and reroute whole streets.
    
18. In the middle of important meetings or conversations, repeat the following conversation a dozen times."DO YOU HEAR THAT?" "Never mind, it's gone now."
    
19. Skip, don't walk. Then pause suddenly in front of someone, point upwards with a gleeful grin. Repeat.
    
20. Ask people what gender they are.
    
21. While making presentations, occasionally bob your head like a parakeet.
    
22. Sit by the road, pointing a hair dryer at passing cars to see if they slow down.
    
23. Sing along at the musical. Try to see if your voice can overpower the lead singer.
    
24. Go to a poetry recital and ask why each poem doesn't rhyme.
    
    
25. At the exam hall, “Tsk” loudly whenever any one makes noises. (guess where this came from?)
    

More Ideas? Add a comment! =)

Mexico here i come! ( i hope...)

From Visite Mexico site...

CANCUN

Cancun is Mexico's most important tourist destination and one of the world's most well-known resorts. ...with average temperatures ranging between 27º C (81º F) and 35º C (95º F) and sunny days throughout most of the year. (GREAT! i won't freeze to death!)
Cancun offers the unparalleled beauty of the Caribbean Sea's turquoise-blue water and white-sand beaches. (Woo HOO!!!!!) During your stay, you can do water sports or other activities: snorkeling, scuba diving, (yeah! gotta replace license tho...) parachuting, (yayyyyy... SkyDiving!) or you can take a spin on a waverunner. You?ll also find plenty of time to relax and enjoy the fine services offered in the hotel zone. Along the hotel strip, which spans more than 30 kilometers (nearly 19 miles), you?ll find everything from villas and five-star hotels to exclusive resorts and spas =) . You?ll also find modern shopping malls, more than 500 restaurants offering the best in national and international cuisine, and numerous bars and discos where the parties =) rage all night long.

... Finally, you'll want to visit Isla Mujeres and Cozumel to live the unforgettable experience of snorkeling and scuba diving along the coral reefs. =)

On the downside, the reason why munch is reluctant...Shhhh... make small small, dun let him see.

"Crime in Mexico continues to be of concern to travellers, particularly in Mexico City and in beach resort areas. The incidence of violent crime and, more specifically, sexual crimes against women, is increasing. Taxi theft, armed theft, pickpocketing, purse snatching, credit-card fraud and ATM robbery are frequently reported. A spate of recent kidnappings have targeted travellers in the Nuevo Laredo region of northern Mexico." (lonely planet)

safety aside, i haven't really done the budget yet, so i dunno if we can afford mexico,($16k per person according to the article Chris gave me, but i can travel cheap and stay in cheapo hostels) ...

well... but if nothing else, PLAN B!!!

i'll settle for a weekend of partying at Tijuana!
First a stay in San Diego at this hostel
http://www.lonelyplanet.com/worldguide/destinations/north-america/usa/san-diego?poi=136275

and take their weekly trips to tijuana!
http://www.lonelyplanet.com/bluelist/index.cfm?fa=main.viewList&list_id=4360

i'm going to mexico i'm going to mexico i'm going to mexico i'm going to mexico i'm going to mexico i'm going to mexico i'm going to mexico i'm going to mexico i'm going to mexico i'm going to mexico i'm going to mexico i'm going to mexico i'm going to mexico i'm going to mexico i'm going to mexico i'm going to mexico i'm going to mexico i'm going to mexico i'm going to mexico i'm going to mexico

Pearly, u wanna join me? =)

SMS-ing KY

SMS-ing KY is like Blogging.

You can pour out eveything you want,
And be quite sure that someone reads it.
You can never count on getting a reply,
But somehow you'll still feel better.

She must have prayed for me =)

as year end approaches, i'm reminded of how we used to dream together, pray together, sleep together, retreat together, cry together... and just as we get desperate, God shows us the plans for the kids.

will anyone do that with me this year? will God give me strategic wisdom? and all the skills and foresight that i lack? and help me back into passionate love again?
i feel weak, but he is strong. my wisdom is his foolishness.
and i won't let my inadequacies get in the way.

God, help me please?

God Told Me to Be An Alien.

In the midst of my unstillness, i heard a distinct word from God... Alien.
I know which passages He wanted me to look.

Peter 2:9-12
But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul. Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.

Heb 11:13-16
All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance. And they admitted that they were aliens and strangers on earth. People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own. If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. Instead, they were longing for a better country—a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.


Indeed, i am not to live as if i belong to this world. i am an alien and stranger on this earth.
it is so easy to become so comfortable and at home with this world. It is so easy to get immersed in wedding preparations, with shopping, with hobbies, with trying to look good n looking at good-lookers.so easy to settle for sub-standard integrity. So easy to take offense and harbour grudge. So easy to pursue earthly goals. It's so easy to love money.
Perhaps God made me read these 2 passages to remind me to keep my focus right. was reminded of what tiak said.

Money is just like toilet paper in NS, it's important to have it, and in NS, it's like a precious, scarce commodity. But would it make sense for anyone to spend his enire 2 years in NS hoarding toilet paper? Collect a pile of it? No... of course not! Coz once the 2 years end, he enters a world that has plenty of toilet paper!

So this is why i don't need to hoard money in this life. Sometimes we may be so caught up with what everyone else is doing and just "follow suit". "They're trying to make as much money as they can? Well, i better do that too!"
But me, being no earthling, but an alien and stranger, will look forward to my country which is yet to come.
Not that people who make bigbucks are wrong, i believe God's called us all differently. this is just me. So D, KY, R etc etc... do continue making your big bucks and loving God wholeheartedly! i admire them, coz they are able to love God wholeheartedly, and even though they earn tons, it doesn't get to their head nor their heart.
But perhaps to me, money is potentially a trap, so i'd rather flee and keep loving God, then tempt myself and lose my salvation and relationship.
And i'd be lying if i say that i have permanently overcome my desires for money. Recently quite a few of my frens who left audit to become a teacher went back into audit again (bond ended, economy picking up. ha!). Actually, i enjoyed audit. it was interesting, and kinda fulfilled my childhood dream of suits-car-party-shenton way-big money. i liked the lifestyle - even during those weeks when i had to work overnight continuously (... coz i had a cute senior. ha! )
Then 2 days ago read that auditors were getting abt 4 month bonus this year and i did a calculation of how much i would have gotten if i didn't come into teaching... wah, just with the bonus, can pay for the entire wedding AND honeymoon to mexico AND california.
Tempting...
When i started to consider it, God said "check your heart, are you doing it in pursuit of pleasures and wealth?" I checked... the answer was yes. So the answer is NO. Not going back to audit. for now.

Well, i'm assured by God that i'll have enough toilet paper.
So, don't make money, then do what? Ha... without fail, every class i teach would ask me, "Cher, if auditors/ accountants can make so much money, then you be a teacher for what?"

I am Alien, see.
I have a country beyond this earth. I do things that will mean something in my Real Country.
Like loving people, loving Jesus, loving children. These make my King happy. So i'm gonna work on them, work on getting rid of the selfishness in my heart, work on improving myself so that i can love and help more people at the same time.
Is money important? Yes, and God knows i need it, so he promised to provide. and i have enough.

It's just toilet paper anyway. Next time.

Happy Birthday!!!!

Today is Lee Kuan Yew's Birthday.

More importantly,

today is KorKor's birthday!!!

Happy Birthday Kor!

(pic coming soon)

and yesterday was Mum&Dad's 29th Wedding Anniversary!

Happy Anniversary Daddy & Mummy!!!

Dad n Mum @ SaltWater

Dad n me, his princess/ little duck 4ever! He spoils me, and i love it!

Mum n I...

Amused by her funny advice, touched by her sacrificial love...

And...

Since we're talking about my family, how can i leave out my lil bro!

He's nice, has great character and personality, funny, fun,

smart, cute, great bod (check out his abs when u have the chance man!)

Lookin' a lil sad in this pic coz he didn't get wine... i forgot he was already 18...

Random nonsense...

Sure you're safe?

i live amongst people who believe they are going to heaven.
me too.
i read john bevere's latest book, and i was reminded that i need to work out my salvation with fear and trembling.
i can believe all i want that i am God's favourite. i can believe all i want that i'm gonna get to heaven no matter what.
but if they are not true, that's just self-deception, and it won't do me any good, no matter how earnestly i believe.

in the book he used an allegory, where 3 professing christians didn't make it.
one, Double life. He taught one thing but lived another. Kena worst judgement, coz he's a teacher and caused others to stumble.
two, Faint Heart. She was a true believer, but because of unforgiveness and bitterness, she drifted away from God. And when the day came, she was out. she actually LOST her salvation.
three, Deceived. He believed so much in "grace". He believed so much that whatever his sins, God would forgive him because of Love. So he practiced a sinful lifestyle. When the time came, he was out.

You know what's scary? They were all convinced they were going to heaven.
But this wrong assumption can be so costly. too costly. for eternity, it's hell, fire, worms, darkness, loneliness.
Can you imagine? I tried to imagine what i'd feel if like them, on judgement day, instead of hearing, "well done, good and faithful servant", i'm told,"away from me, you who practise evil". And that's judgement - not a test anymore, but judgement. Final. Decides rest of eternity. No time to "repent later"

A lot of horrible thoughts and fears came to me.
Confusion, lies, arrows...
While i can do nothing to earn salvation, but once given, i do have to work it out with fear and trembling.
who are those called sons of god? "as many as are led by the spirit of God". Not by sinful desires.
Holy spirit is given as deposit guaranteeing our inheritance - does it mean this deposit will never be forfeited? does it mean once saved always saved?
yet, to those who drove out demons, prophesied, healed with HS's power, yet at the last day, Jesus said to them, "i never knew you."
"evil-doers".
“grace”

i wanted to have faith, yet feared being deceived. i believe in grace, yet i know it can't be taken for granted. i wanted to feel the same security i always had, yet feared i was delusional. Some stupid southpark episode kept coming back to my mind, about how it was like a gamble choosing what to believe, and end up “mormon” was the correct bet… Mad.

then God prompted me to practise what i taught the children last saturday. when you hear lies in your minds, cover your ears and stop listening. And then He told me why the attacks came, why i could be "intimidated" by those lies.

Mind not renewed by the word, not illuminated by the spirit. Not keeping my armour on.

The kingdom of God, the gospel... these are things of the spirit. and if i persist in thinking thru all these with worldly wisdom, no wonder the fears would start.
And it's amazing how God again spoke to me about this thru yesterday's sermon
http://www.brighton.org.sg/
(go to "come hear our sermons" - 10 sept)
And thru His word, which answers EVERYTHING!
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?book_id=52&chapter=1&version=31
(read Romans)

And how do we beat Satan at his own game? Let God change everything to good. So for the fears that attacked me, i let them propel me to dig deep into God's word. and i resolved to let the Spirit illuminate truths that human wisdom can never understand.

To God:
I will be still before you and let your spirit bring understanding and truth and real comfort to me again. And let you search my heart and bring all sins to light. So that Jesus' holiness be manifested in me, and every trace of sinfulness get scrubbed off. So that i will have a pure heart that loves God.

Enemy:
Ha, want me to be scared? want me to give up on the race by telling me there's no hope at the end? that the goal is unattainable? that everything could well be in vain? HA! BAH to you! Fat hope. you'll never win me over.

i love jesus. My master is Jesus.
and while it's true my heart may go hard, my love may grow cold, i may still sin because i am still work-in-progress, i hereby eternally resolve to belong to jesus.
Forever.
And He HAS given me the strength to turn from wickedness.
And with his grace, i shall keep my heart eternally tender towards Him.

And what does this mean for me? i will work out my salvation with fear and trembling. i will not take his grace for granted. i will stay close and abide in him. i will spend time in the word so that i will not be deceived by false teachers.
just as importantly, i must be careful what i teach the kids. the sinners' prayer is not a magical chant that transports us from hell to heaven. they need to be disciples of jesus, truly follow Jesus, obey jesus.

And, this is long overdue.
There was someone who posted a comment, inviting me to visit a website that quotes verses from the bible and presents an evil god.
i understand where you are coming from. i understand that many christians may appear very delusional/ mad to you. i did take a brief look at the site, but truth is, the verses were taken out of context, and, with due respect to a fellow human, the author of the site doesn't know God, and has not yet understood the bible.
i appreciate your cordiality and would like to explain why i cannot approve the comment. it's not that i cannot tolerate a different viewpoint, but imagine this.
if your girlfriend has enemies, and someone set up a hate-site for her, and sends you a comment with a link to the site, i'm sure you won't approve it. in the same way, i couldn't approve it. not just because i disagree with what the site says, but also because i love God. i have a relationship with Him, an affection for Him.
So, more than intellectually disagreeing with the contents, i cannot be "objective" about my feelings for God, and link my site with a site that misrepresents Him.
But you are welcome to continue sharing your views with me! =)

Oscar and the Kurse of the Klutz

No papparazi, no taxable goody bags, but OSCAR NIGHT nevertheless! that's the theme of this year's teachers day dinner.
And it marked the start of THE MISS CONGENIALITY CURSE!

YESH YESH. Blame it all on Sandra Bullocks. During the teachers day dinner, i was given the Miss Congeniality "Award" for being smiley and the Klutzy Kurse kicked in the very next day.

We had to go for the Teachers Day Rally, and I left my Teachers' Day Rally Invitation card at home. Edwin n nora started saying, "hey, i've never noticed it about you before... but really hor, you are quite... errr... miss congeniality hor?" Agh. And they started joking about the miss congeniality curse. ok... it WAS quite funny. but so poor thing rite? only sharon pitied me and fed me some chocolates. =) so...i ended up spending $30 on cab rushing around looking for the silly card. And YES IT WAS PEAK HOUR. DARN. I'm gonna get sacked from SSCB...

Then i queued half an hour for the loo .. when there was another one in the Expo Hall! By then my colleagues were all seated in the audi... and somehow i couldn't find them when actually i walked RIGHT PAST them and they were calling me. (Aloy had to run to get me, and he asked "how come you couldn't see us? We were all calling you!" i sensed the amazement/exasperation in his voice) And the Miss Congeniality jokes continued.

After the rally, we had to walk to the bus and i walked as carefully as i could, watching out for all those knee-high barriers (see, they're out to get me!) and congratulating myself for not bumping into them, or tripping over the curbs in my platforms. Brainspeak * ha, think you're gonna get me again? no way man! i won't give em one more chance to mention the Miss Congeniality joke again!* And i kept my eyes on the ground all the time. Except for about 3 seconds. And i stepped into a puddle of water. And whadyaknow... the jokes started again.

Now i do NOT believe that curses will work on me. Hey, i claim every promise in Psalm 91! but just for that evening... it was Agh-ifying.

i've never considered myself a KLUTZ. i mean, i danced, wakeboarded, inline-skated and played hockey, and those aren't exactly for ppl with two left feet rite? So let me make that clear, I'm no Klutz! oh... ok...sometimes, i'm a klutz, but only once in a long long long while.

Ha, like almost walking into a bin on my first date with S.K.C.
Or when i almost fell down the stairs the first year i taught and ripped my fav purple skirt.
Or when i walked and my platforms forgot to follow my feet.
Or when i bumped into my computer tray in office and got bruises all over my thigh.
Oh, and that time at Orchard outside Wheelocks... gosh, THAT was embarrassing.

Hey... wait a minute................

D=

shoots!

Funny, Mature, Weird, Cute, Wise, Silly, Caring, Manly, Childish.. all at once.

wow.. they're gonna graduate soon. it's hard for me to put it in words, but they're special. heh.. when i hear complaints about them, i'm always surprised. perhaps it's just like how a mother always feels her kids are the cutest and bestest, and can never believe anything bad about them. to me they're lovable. Why?

• sometimes they sing. like... in the middle of class/ along the corridor/ anywhere. something triggers them off and they start a chorus together... ALL HAIL MK... ALL HAIL MK.. ALL HAIL MK... Weird rite?!
• they're more sensible now. sometimes (SOMETIMES) during poa lessons, when i see all of them so engaged in the questions, all trying so hard, and the only conversations they have are about the questions, i feel so proud of them. so grown-up rite? i wasn't so sensible when i was in sec school. it's hard to believe some of them used to break-dance in class/ refuse to sit down/ bully teachers...
• they're MEN. gosh, dun get the wrong idea, i have no weird interest in them. I once told them, babies do whatever they feel like doing, eat whenever they feel eating, but real men have learned to discipline themselves. i think most (some?) of them are men now! at least they stand smartly during assembly. and in spite of personal setbacks, problems etc, they still do their best to be responsible, strong. it must be tough sometimes, but still they try to cope and that's admirable.
• Caring.. i appreciate the way some of them carry heavy newspapers up to the 4th floor, run up and down without grumbling, offer to help me with my heavy bags, make friends with difficult ppl, ha, and even clean up puke. It's one thing to do it when asked, but these boys, they do it on their own accord, and it's wonderful, to see them grow and care for others.

Some are from my very first form class, and that's 3 years together! some of them are from the very first class i taught when i first started teaching. which means we've known each other for almost 4 years! In the words of one of them, they've "watched me grow up". Ha, it's true. I still remember sitting on the floor to teach a group of 6 students becoz the rest weren't interested in the lessons. =)

we've had conversations about aliens, God, shared about my love life (?!), their love lives, friends, sorrows, happiness, family, stress, girlfriends, church... i think that makes them more than just POA students to me.

Yeah, so for all the pay raise MOE can give us, or the additional manpower, or promotions, i think at the end of the day, what i really want is to see generations of youths living their lives well, becoming people of godly characters, people who will be a blessing to others, making a stand for truth and righteousness even where their previous generations have failed.
Though i wouldn't mind getting a pay raise or a promotion along with it... =)