夜空

最近日未落 月已升

念乡有余 情绪升温

交错、复杂 好比繁星

然则天空是空的 冷冰冰

该如何排除

顿时茫然无所从

愿 偶日商房踪

                                                                   16Feb2008， 屋子前院的月亮

Hikes at White Tank Mountain, 2 Feb 08,Arizona

Went for a short talk on venomous snakes and insects by a mountain ranger, very refreshing. Then did 2 hikes with Honnie and family, one is at night which is rather romantic and the trail is lit by candles in paper bags! The other one is the waterfall hike, though the waterfall is not that fantastic though. The campfire is nice too, accompanied by a soothing voice of a cowboy singer with his guitar, free marshmallows too skewed and bbq over the campfire. First ride on a hay ride pulled by a truck too.

Touring in an RV at Lake Mead, Nevada

RV is like high class camping and you can drive anywhere you like and stop as it is an all-in-one mobile house. Though it is winter and dry lands, Lake Mead is deep sea blue colour which is a contrast to the dead lands around it. The carps there eats popcorns, no wonder they got super thick lips. The trails are easy but fun because we saw 4 bighorn sheeps which were chased by a leash-less dog!

My first ice cream in arizona after a month!

only 99 cts!

Didn't know that 'dove' ice cream can be so tasty and it is so cheap to eat ice cream here! Have a feeling it is going to be very difficult for me to cut weight here with such cheap and fantastic ice cream temptation.
P.S. Btw, it is only 99c for one!!

明天开学啦！

感觉太奇妙了！教了那么多年的书，这是头一回在自己家里授课，说是亢奋也不言为过吧。刚才翻阅了以往在这里教学的同事的资料，发觉她们的确帮了我不少，至少在准备过程中让我争取了更多看电视的时间，嘻嘻。然而我发觉比起她们，我今年的学生至少多了她们一倍。怎么我们的国防部队如此效忠国家，果然是响应号召，多生生多？话说回来，要不是他们的后代，这个偏僻的沙漠地带又怎么能多添了个我呢！算起来这些宝贝加在一块儿还少过在道南的高年级班级人数呢！那我还有什么可挑剔的呢？如今我真正能好好批改学生的作业，因材施教不是许多老师梦寐以求的事吗？而我教不上十年书的生涯里便可碰上如此稀贵的机会，老天可说是对我不薄了呀！或许将来可以正式开个补习学校，过过当校长的隐。

Are we really TEACHERS!!!

TEACH - MOULD THE FUTURE OF OUR NATION....
 
 Once there was a man named Nathan. He wanted very much to
be a teacher.So he went to seek the advice of the wisest, most
highly respected counselor in the land.

"Wise counselor," Nathan began, "it is always been my
dream to be a teacher. I want to stimulate the minds of the young
people of our land. I want to lead them down the road of
knowledge.

Please tell me the secret of becoming a teacher."

"Your goal is a commendable one, Nathan. However, it is also a
 very difficult one to achieve. First you must overcome
three  major obstacles." 

"I am ready to meet the challenge," answered Nathan
bravely.  "First you must swim the Sea of Children," directed the
knowing counselor.
 
Nathan started off to swim the Sea of Children. First he 
had to learn their 38 names. He had to send the line cutters to
the end of the line. He made the paper throwers stay after school
to clean the room.He commanded the name callers, pushers, and
punchers to apologize to their victims. He gave M&M's to 
those who finished assignments and stars to those who were
sitting  in their seats quietly. Nathan checked passes to see how many
children were in the bathroom. And he tracked down students
who were gone longer than was necessary. He arranged the desks 
in alphabetical order, then boy-girl, boy-girl, and finally  into
small groups of four. He lined his children up for physical
education and music and library and lunch. Then he stifled
a cry when the secretary came into the room with number 39. 

Tired and shaken but still undefeated, Nathan returned to
the counselor for his second task.  
"You are a very determined lad," said the advisor.
"However, now you must climb the Mountain of Paperwork." 
 Nathan set out at once. He wrote objectives and drew up
lesson plans. He made out report cards and graded papers. He
filled out accident reports, attendance reports and withdrawal
reports. He completed inventories, surveys, and request forms. 
Finally, he made dittos and more dittos. He ran them off until he was
purple in the face. But the courageous boy's resolve never  dwindled.

He went to the wise counselor for his third task."You are  indeed 
very strong, Nathan. But this third task will take all the courage you can muster.
You must now cross the country of Duties
and Committees."
  
 At first Nathan was hesitant. But his convictions remained
 steadfast. He began his long journey across the country of
 Duties and Committees. Nathan took lunch duty, bus duty, 
and  recess duty. He was on the social committee, patrol
committee, and the faculty advisory committee. He was the adult
supervisor of the student government and ranthe United Fund and
Easter Seal drives. He went to MTP meetings, WITS meetings,SEM 
meetings, Dept meetings, and in-service workshops. He organized
bicentennial programs, talent shows, and book drives. Finally,
he was elected the building representative of the union.
At last Nathan reached the outskirts of Duties and Committees. 
Exhausted  but happy, he returned tothe knowledgeable counselor.
  
"I swam the Sea of Children. I climbed the Mountain of
 Paperwork. I crossed the country of Duties and committees,"
 Nathan proclaimed. "Am I not worthy of the title of  Teacher?" 
  
"Why, Nathan," began the counselor, "you have been a
teacher all along."
  
Nathan protested, "But I have not stimulated any minds. I have
 not guided anyone down the road to knowledge, I have not had 
any time to teach"

"Oh, you say you want to TEACH! I thought you said you
wanted to be a teacher. That is a completely different story!!"
 

And so many of us are on this track! Yeap, I asked myself how many have i truly inspired! It isn't as bad as it sounds in this story and all these years of teaching, I know for sure I have once inspired an EM3 boy who went to ITE but took Chinese lessons in a private tuition agency. Yes, at least there was one! Alas, i failed to recall his name.....

 

Grand Canyon- South Rim 2007-12-20

To Desert View from the entry is about 25 miles. Along the way, we stopped at the main views like Mather Point to take photos. 宏伟既壮观！

Flagstaff, Arizona

On our way to Grand Canyon, we went through the route that bypass Flagstaff and it was snowing there. It is really beautiful, we stopped to take photos of the scenery along the road.

Prescott and Sedona, Arizona

Just a touch n go thing but i am satisfied cos it's my first nature outing since i arrived.

Bringing sailors to sail

2007 Nov. Sailors- En yee, charlene, ian, thomas,etc Was my last time involvement in the TNS sailing club.... mixed feelings, happy to leave and sad to give up for i had given and sacrificed so much for this club.

My Arizona House

it is alot smaller than the master one but it is nearer my bedroom

This house is huge enough for 6 persons! It is cozy and have the basic amenities but i will have a hard time doing housework. It is a pity no swimming pool or gym around...

Billeting apartment within Luke Airforce Base, Glendale, Arizona 6 dec

Has all the necessary amenities and it is like a hotel. Subway is just across the road. This place is really desert like but i don't have the mood to enjoy simply becos i am here to work. Temporary lodging until the new apartment is hand over to me.

待飞的心

扪心自问，现在的教育制度也不完全是毫无可取的，至少它造就了我，引发了我现在的思想，懂得质问这个制度吧! 再过三个月我就能暂告这个恼人的教育制度，随心所欲，为所欲为，放浪无忌！随心所欲，为所欲为，放浪无忌......咳！我是痴人说梦话，自欺欺人啊！到了美国，我还是得向新加坡人报到，改变得了个鬼制度！最值得安慰的是，我真的能摆脱批改大批大批的作业和作文。上天果然在保佑我.....

什么鸟不拉屎的地方，我偏要到那拉拖大屎去，而且是人屎！越是泼冷水的家伙，嘿嘿，肯定是吃不到葡萄，吃我的甘醋！傻人有傻福，我不就是个例子吗？我就活得好好的，他日发光辉，让你们跌破眼镜！

有好些人说我笨，说我悲观，我默认，我的确不聪明，然而我就是不可能释怀，不知时间久了，我这个常得失忆症的家伙可否随即而淡忘呢？不，我可以原谅但不会忘记！纵使再好的朋友难道就有权利这么批判我吗？ 阅览了好几个老师的blog，我觉得他们更悲观！这或许是我这个傻人的个人见解吧，因为真的很难见到所有的postings全是有关快乐的经历或事。 若是这样，这便不是人生！

smses

顾客：“老板，这些月饼是不是进口的？“老板不耐烦地回答：“当然是进口的啦！你有吃过月饼是进鼻子的吗？”提早祝你中秋节快乐！”

-------------------------------
青春是瓶里的鲜花，友谊是天上的云霞，眼泪是人生的代价，奋斗是幸福的归家，水流不会因石而阻。朋友不要因远而疏！祝你每天开心快乐。

One Week in Beijing

Before this trip for the exchange programme, i felt so relieved that i managed to get out of teaching in the beijing school. I was positive that i will foster a better relationship with my supervisor, liping. Never did i expect it to turn out otherwise.

My goodness me! She actually commented and passed sarcastic remarks about me throughout the whole trip. There was not a moment that she will not pass any critical remarks about everything i did or say. All the time, she was practically 'glued' to another colleague, Michael. I don't deny he is a more seasoned traveller and smarter person than i even though i was the one leading the group when we were touring Forbidden Palace as even the Chinese teachers were not sure how to get there. i felt that this is no way to treat another colleague when i had done nothing wrong against her. What's more she actually mentioned at least thrice that i should take more '葱‘ so that i can be smarter! She had no qualms implying that i am stupid. i have to keep telling myself that '大人不计小人过' and that i have to be cool and calm so as not to fall out with her. Guess she had been 'boss' for some time thus that bossy behaviour seems to be rooted and 'expanded' over time.

Gosh, i really wonder how michael felt when she is practically buzzying over him and trying to get him to be interested in whatever she is doing. What is irking me more was that she knew he is married to a highly capable wife and she herself got a hubby in Singapore. I felt it is really not right, hence i tried to avoid being closed to them at all. Besides, liping is giving me the cold shoulder all the time anyway. It is really pressurizing when she needs everything to be fast and efficient for which i thought i am the only one feeling it. My sixth sense tells me that michael kinda felt it from her too towards the end of the week. Her worst behaviour was that she seemed to feel that everything she did and said is correct! Woh, i could feel the 'displeased' atmosphere displayed by a few of our Chinese counterparts (teachers)!

Does status really change a person over time? I can't imagine how i used to admire her so much for her capabilities and resourcefulness. Or was it just me who is lacking self confidence that gives her the leeway to be rude and demeaning towards me... ....

If it hadn't been for her, the trip would have been real wonderful. The weather is cool and the shopping is great. Fnally, i got to tour ' 天坛' temple of heavens which i missed last year due to the constructions for the year 2008 olympics. Lucky for me too are the wonderful girls that we had on the trip and i never imagined that i actually enjoyed the company of these kids!

Well, for the least. it's over now. I will have to be on my toes with liping now and beware that i won't tread on her blues. Sigh, this trip seems to be sounding off to me that it is time to say goodbye to tao nan...

Penang Spa Trip 2006

Laosai , food poison, sigh....

Manado Diving Trip

Manado, Indonesia.

Learning journey 2006

Redang Diving Trip

2004 Tao Nan School Sailing Team

Usual training