All I have to say about mangrove replanting is its dirty and muddy! To the extent that when we were finally back on concrete clean dry land, I was so glad that we have clean air to breathe, hard ground to walk on.
But it was good work. Like one of the GVN people said, a few decades down the road, we can tell out grandchildren: That tree over there is planted by your grandmother!
I learned that not all trees you see in nature parks are really "natural". Human beings have to replant some of them. I think its because while deforesting to create the boardwalk you usual walk on when visiting nature parks, they overdid it and killed too many plants. It is rather ironic that to create a nature park, alot of litter is left around (by the construction workers, who have no sense of basic respect for the environment) and there had to be this group of chung cheng high students to clean them up (but some of them were not genuinely there to help clean up so they sort of got sarcastic remarks from Grant). Still, they helped us with the transportation of the mangrove plants to be replanted which reduced the number of trips we had to make across the stretch of mud in the mangrove forest. One of Pei Ling's friends, I think a cousin, who had volunteered (totally not for CIP hours) to come along, was unlucky enough to fall into the muddy water (estimated to be about 30cm deep) as her boots got stuck.
My hands stink of mud so much that I had to wash them like 5 times to get rid of the smell. Fortunately we were told to bring extra clothes so we changed out of those that smelt of mud and had mud stains on.
Anyway, basically, what we did was to transport the mangrove plants (some were heavier than your usual school bag! and the mud caused some to be so slippery we had to grab them with the aid of our fingernails), dig holes with hoes, put the plants into the holes (the mud holding the roots, not the shoots of course) in the right direction, fill up the rest of the hole. Sounds simple but its hard work considering the pungent smell (got da bian smell.. ewww..), the muddy uneven landscape with pools of muddy water and the litter around.
Janice was telling us that there's going to be a St. Andrews Village at Potong Pasir 'cause SAJC would to moving over to where SA Junior n Secondary are now. I was asking her how the MRT station at PP was like but she had difficulty comparing the pre-MRT station PP and post-MRT station PP then I mentioned that the PP in my mind is the PP my dreams created. I can't even differentiate the real PP six years back that I had in my memory and the virtual PP of my dreams. I dream so much and remember them such that my memory of my dreams seems similar to the type of memory of real-world events (which I often forget so I think that's why its brought to the same level as dream memory).
After that, I went Marche for dinner! I bet I was the dirtiest and most awfully dressed person around. *argh* but the food was great!
I did CIP with kids from Hougang Student Care Centre yesterday and I must say its the most enjoyable CIP I have done so far!
I am really fortunate to be attached to those four kids! Initially, Sandra and her friend, Priya, wanted to be with them because Justin is such a cute little boy! However, Sand went over to Joanna then there was Yuxian and Justine so I thought they would join Priya together but Jus joined Sand so Yx and I got the best group! Priya got separated later as the kids spoke mainly mandarin.
haha, everything seemed to turn for the better for me. The original plan was to go to the Botanic Gardens but just before we were supposed to set off from Hougang, the coordinator over at the Gardens called to inform Mr Tay (the in-charge for the outing) that it was raining rather heavily at the Gardens so we changed plans and went to the Science Centre instead. This made everything so much more convenient for me =) since I had to go to NIE in the evening. The only bad thing was this giddy spell I had which I think is either due to lack of sleep or the heavy bag I was carrying because I had to return Bo Yang the Chem textbook I had borrowed. (He kept asking me when I was return so I couldn't return later) Just imagine carrying a - erm.. - 6-kg bag and following kids around for three hours.
ohya! Lionel told us a piece of good news - Mr Yong might continue taking our class next year! He smsed Lionel after going to the class chalet that he realised the bond he has with our class is too strong for him to leave us so he is appealing to the HOD to take four S5 classes! Yay!
Mdm Low is posted to ACJC next year so she won't be taking us. I'm not saying anything! *tries to look innocent*
k, back to the CIP. I learnt that I have to take the initiative to be friendly to build a good relationship within a short time - because I started to get to know them on the bus so, soon, they were telling us alot of things. Then Yx played with them too.
There's Jasmine, 10, Jocelyn, 8, Justin, 5 who are siblings and Shandy, 8. Shandy's the most talkative one, bringing lots of life to our group. At the beginning, she was telling the others about her parents' cars and I was rather amazed when she was talking about their models - what Honda Matrix (??) etc. She took most of the photos with my digicam (I must say her photo-taking skills are very good for someone her age!) - would have taken all if I didn't 'mediate' and get her to let jocelyn have a chance. Fortunately, Jocelyn isn't the type who will fight it out for things she want. Actually, it would be great to have kids like the three siblings - one's cute (Justin! especially when he grins!), one's sensible (Jasmine) and all are rather obedient, especially in today's Singapore. heez.
It's great that they love taking photos, otherwise I would probably have less than ten.
The 3 girls were holding my hand leading me around to see things they discovered - made me feel closer to them than I am to some of my cousins though we merely knew each other for less than a few hours.
Then there was this thing which I could figure out what it was for. Yx found out that one of the computers that had a digicam attached to it could print out the photos in the format of the frontpage of a newsletter (one free page per ticket). It was then that I realised that 'thing' was a printer! haha, I feel so silly, I had been looking at it as if it was another unusual exhibit in Science Centre.
Jocelyn thought that Nicholas looks over 20! haha.. Joce n Shandy were chasing him around to take photos of him. Later on, they chased Russell but didn't succeed. haha, nian ji xiao xiao jiu zhui nan hai zi.
Then I broke my boycott of Macs, 'cause the kids were eating and there was nothing to do so I rather eat.
Most of them went back to Hougang in the chartered bus while Yx n I went to JRL 'cause she wanted to borrow some books and I had more than 3 hours to spare before band practice. Then I toured around JRL and did a bit of work in between. Wow, its really one of the best local libraries - the entire top level was made specially for teenagers and there were comfortable sofas and vending machines selling snacks. There were also tables to do work and the aircon wasn't as senselessly freezing cold as WRL. The new system for searching materials was also more user-friendly.
I met half the band at the interchange before proceeding with them to NIE. I was the only female clarinet player from NJCSB despite the fact that our section has 5 girls. haha.
Swee Peng's instructor sent us (Sp, Jun Hao and me) home. It was very kind of him since he stays at Serangoon while the 3 of us live in Sembawang. Along the way, he was asking what we intend to take in university and giving us advice. I told him I am considering business courses but I can't do public-speaking and he said that it's a very important skill because you have to talk to your colleagues/ employees/ clients etc. Hence, if I want to do business, I have to pick up the skill like for him he can easily talk to us thought we don't know each other. That's a very important skill for people who do business. If I can't do it, I have to go into jobs that do not require PR skills.
sigh. My skills and interests are different. How am I going to choose which course to do?
For the rest of the past week, I was stuck to the computer slacking most of the time... even till past midnight...
It seems that once I start playing, I can't get back into working mode...
wishing; 11/27/2004 11:56:00 PM
Have Read
'04 year-end holidays (highest number of books read in a long time)
-The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom (gd read)
-Princess Diaries: Third Time Lucky by Meg Cabot (fun read)
-Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom (must read - inspirational)
-Slab Rat by Ted Heller (full of office politics and R21 stuff - not for kids)
-The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown (makes u want to finish it)
-A walk to remember by Nicholas Sparks (simple but meaningful)
-The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie by Muriel Spark (can identify with)
-The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks (romantic love story with too much R21 stuff)
-Message in a Bottle by Nicholas Sparks (even more R21. ugh)
-The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint Exupery
-Unstrung Heroes by Franz Lidz (autobiography about his four uncles and father)
-The Rescue by Nicholas Sparks
-The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon (very unique POV of an autistic boy)
-The Summerhouse by Jude Deveraux (love the breadth of the plot, one of my favourites)
-Wild Orchids by Jude Deveraux (alternating between two first persons' view - unique, but don't like e plot)
-Sophie's World by Jostein Gaarder (philosophy tb in a story; gets abit dry though plot saved)
-forgot what i read...-
-Working Wonders by Jenny Colgan (story of an urban planner)
-Angels and Demons by Dan Brown (impressive intelligence with bits of great humour)
-Just between Us by Cathy Kelly (thickest bk i've ever read-600+pg, too long for me but not bad)
ha, started a few bks but didn't enjoy them enough to read more.
'06
-Life of Pi by Yann Martel (novel based on true story; a lot to learn from the book - animals, religions,
survival, appreciation of simplicity; marvelous descriptions of both the tangible and the intangible,
such that I could feel their realness; bits of very enjoyable humour; a must read)
-The Complete Analects of Confucius, Volume 1 - Asiapac Comic Series (some good teachings.
didn't read everything though)
-The Parable of the Pipeline by Burke Hedges (lent to me by Shujun; like she said, its a short version
of Rich Dad Poor Dad - good financial tips)
-The Alchemist by Paul Coelho (simple story with deep meaning)
-Fish! A Remarkable Way to Boost Morale and Improve Results
(hai, doesn't seem to be working for me - cos im not applying..)
-haven't been updating from Jun'06 to Jul'07-
'07
-Take a Chance by Sarah Webb (very interesting twist towards the end)
'08
-A Child Called "It" by Dave Pelzer (very saddening. made me realise how significant family is in how a child behaves)
-Whatever You Think, Think the Opposite by Paul Arden (refreshing book with many pics)
-The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Rui Zafon (amazing how people can think of so much plot to pack into one book, wld b a gd tv series)
-The Time Traveller's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger (the story is interesting but i think the ending cld hv been better written)
-This Book Will Save Your Life by A.M. Homes (a bit thought-provoking on relationships but i didnt like e abrupt ending)
-Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything by Steven D. Levitt & Stephen J. Dubner (gd knowledge but partly qte repetitive)
-For One More Day by Mitch Albom
-The C Words by Mark Mason (made me keep wanting to read on. light & funny)
'09
-Return to Summerhouse by Jude Deveraux (another good read from Deveraux)
-The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini (gosh such vivid descriptions! very well written book. i liked d theme of friendship and the realness of the story)
'10
Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro (a must-read!! i love the expressed thoughts of the protagonist, esp those about friendships, and the writing style - it seems like she's telling me her story specifically to me)
How to Save Your Own Life by Michael Gates Gill (an inspiring read, for emotional liberation and greater joy in life)
Reading
on hold
The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals by Michael Pollan
Waiting for chance to get hold of
The Little White Car by Danuta de Rhodes
Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy
The Heart is a Lonely Hunter by Carson McCullers
A Brief History of Time by Stephen Hawking
Le Scaphandre Et Le Papillon or The Diving Bell and the Butterfly by Jean-Dominique Bauby
My Left Foot by Christy Brown
Gotai Fumanzoku or An Unsatisfactory Body (Translated into English as No One's Perfect) by Hirotada Otatake
Kafka on the Shore by Haruki Murakami
Other Recommended Readings by Marc
The Origin of Species by Charles Darwin – Few books have had as significant an impact on the way society views the natural world and the genesis of humankind.
The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell – Gladwell looks at how a small idea, or product concept, can spread like a virus and spark global sociological changes. Specifically, he analyzes “the levels at which the momentum for change becomes unstoppable.”
David Copperfield by Charles Dickens – This is a tale that lingers on the topic of attaining and maintaining a disciplined heart as it relates to one’s emotional and moral life. Dickens states that we must learn to go against “the first mistaken impulse of the undisciplined heart.”
Lolita – This is the kind of book that blows your mind wide open to conflicting feelings of life, love and corruption… and at times makes you deeply question your own perceptions of each. The story is as devious as it is beautiful.
Getting Things Done by David Allen – The quintessential guide to organizing your life and getting things done. Nuff said.
How To Cook Everything by Mark Bittman – 900 pages of simple instructions on how to cook everything you could ever dream of eating. Pretty much the greatest cookbook ever written. Get through a few recipes each week, and you’ll be a master chef by the time you’re 30.
Honeymoon with My Brother by Franz Wisner – Franz Wisner had it all… a great job and a beautiful fiancée. Life was good. But then his fiancée dumped him days before their wedding, and his boss basically fired him. So he dragged his younger brother to Costa Rica for his already-scheduled honeymoon and they never turned back… around the world they went for two full years. This is a fun, heartfelt adventure story about life, relationships, and self discovery.
Self-note: Tip for my future business =D
give employees reasonably high pay to keep them- otherwise they are unlikely to stay loyal.
treat employees not according to how well they treat me but how conscientious they are at work
(of course, musn't expect them to only do work throughout the entire working hours -
give some breathing space too, we are humans, not machines) Movies watched(listing started on 6jan08)
in cinema from VCD/DVD
1Sep07: "Hairspray" w TK, GH & SH
14Sep07: "Ratatouille" w mom & extended family
28Dec07: "The Pianist" w Jus & Pam (heartbreaking but good lessons; i recommend!)
2Jan08: "I Am Legend" w Sherm (scary! but good acting; thought provoking; i recommend!)
5-6Jan08: "A Good Year" alone (excellent show! i like the acting; funny; good lessons; touches my heart; i recommend!)
11Jan08: "Le Grand Chef" w WLing, JT & Irene (good! funny, very touching, :) nice; watch if like humour+meaning+food)
7Feb08 (CNY 初一): "Ah Long Pte Ltd" w parents (pretty hilarious - but u gotta understand dialects, some teary parts. wells typical of jack neo movies but with diff content)
11Mar08: "The Leap Year" w Sherm (so sweet! :) and apart from couple relationship it touches the theme of mother-daughter and best friends too)
6Jun08: "P.S. I Love You" w Sherm (don't know if its coz we watched it on laptop, coz it didn't impress me as much as it did for him in cinema)
8Jun08: "The Forbidden Kingdom" w Lisa, Karen & Sandy (ums..guess i'm really not into kungfu)
8Jun08: "What Happens in Vegas" w Lisa, Karen & Sandy (simple,relaxing show)
7Jul08: "我和狗狗的10个约定" w Sherm, his ma & sisters (very simple,touching but actually not my type of show)
10Jul08: "Before Sunrise" w Sherm (hmm maybe watchg on laptop really affects appreciatn of movies..)
30Sep08: "Vicky Cristina Barcelona" w Sherm (i didn't like it as much as i thought i wld when i saw the ads)
31Dec08: "Yes Man" w Mom (inspiring and funny)
11Feb08: "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" w Mom (not as impressive as i thought it wld be)
1Jul09: "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" w Yumei, YY & Matt (the best thing was the soundtrack. heh.)
14Aug09: "GI Joe: The Rise of Cobra" w Joyce (it was awesome! best action movie i've ever watched)
17Aug09: "Food, Inc." w SYL & RuiQ (learnt some stuff abt the American food industry but it was a bit boring and not worth the $10)
22Sep09: "The Time Traveller's Wife" w WB, VanD, WLing, CHL, Irene, VanQ, Mf, Pg (i liked it. having read the book really helps w udsg)
21Nov09: "Gokusen" w Mf, Eva, Tony, Sarah (funny inspirational movie)
24Dec09: "十月围城" w Tony, WLing, VanQ (action action and a bit funny? tony criticised the plot. my fav scene was the running n jumping through the crowd along the five-foot ways w/o cuts)
30Dec09: "Sherlock Holmes" w Irene, Tony, Sweetee (my favourite genre of books made into a movie - what else can be more cool? acting effects humour excitement suspense all in)
12Jan10: "Avatar 3D" w Mom (didn't appreciate the digital effects which everyone wowed about. content etc was so-so. cathay's 3D glasses were too heavy for me)
8Feb10: "The Truman Show" w Ky n sis n Yuhshin (a must-watch. very thought-provoking, funny. reminder to be spontaneous and create your life the way you want, instead of falling into a typical routine
14Feb10: "New York, I Love You" w Mom (I loved it! a good couple movie with meaningful pointers to keep it going. but i think some stories could be more developed)
16Feb10: rewatched "The Pianist" (still find it good, tho i still feel first viewings are the best)
17Feb10: "Valentine's Day" w CHL n WB (laughed throughout - a feel-good movie; liked the fact that the various stories binded tog so well with the little surprises here and there, vs NY ILU in which each story was separate)
20Feb10: "赤壁二" w Addy, Karen, Sharon, SJ (should have watched the first one first cos i ended up not knowing who's who and what's happening and had to keep asking :/ and couldn't pay attn.. if not i think it should be a pretty good movie..)
4Mar10: "Alice in Wonderland 3D" w Mf (i found the 3D effects of this @ CCK Shaw SO much better than Avatar @ The Cathay =/ and the movie was much more enjoyable too! - cheered a sad me up :)) favourite quote - the Mad Hatter: “You used to be much muchier before. ... You have lost your muchness.”)
18Mar10: "Nodame Cantabile" w Irene, Mf (i thoroughly enjoyed some of the orchestra pieces - SO impressive! the expressions of the actors were really amusing :D)
23Apr10: "Ice Kacang Puppy Love" w Mom (funny, touching and meaningful - about love between friends and family. i cried 3 tissues! cos some touching parts i could really understand the feelings of the characters involved)
Inception
Letters to God (very simple Christian movie)
22Nov10: "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" w Ame, Irene (they loved it. pretty good, i guess the main problem i had was that im not familiar with HP :X)
13Dec10: "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader" w Sj (not bad, could follow the story unlike HP. like the meaningful teachings, too long - in a post)
2Mar11: "The King's Speech" w Ame (hilarious, inspirational, tho it doesn't impress me that much to understand why it's the Oscar winner)
Mar11: "10 Things I Hate About You" very funny. silly sweet high school romance. just right for having breaks in between doing homework
23May11: "Pirates of the Carribean: On Stranger Tides" w Wb Yl Ame Pg (pretty good - scenery, freakish parts, fighting scenes, dressing, humour, bits of Christianity like when the Spanish said "only God gives life")
6Jun11: "Xmen First Class" w Wb Ame Pg (i was very keen on watching it and it was really good! intellectual, makes sense, cool action, some humour)
9Jun11: "Legally Blonde 2" w Irene (seems like some dumb blonde movie but kind of meaningful too - speaking up for yourself and what you stand for)
17Jun11: "Something Borrowed" w Sandy Lisa (quite funny, somewhat meaningful wrt friendships. they didn't like the lack of sense for one part tho)
16Jul11: "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2" w Irene, Sweetee, Kw (not bad. i didn't understand some parts again but the humour and effects were pretty good)
Aug11 "Horrible Bosses" w Ma (she fell asleep! gosh. the movie was very crude i must say but there was the humour)
25Oct11: "The Three Musketeers" w H (i would rate it 3.5 for humour/intellectual language and 4 for action. it's by the same producer or director as Sherlock! but a bit less awesome albeit a good chill out movie)
5Nov11: "Real Steel" w Hl (action packed but not too hardcore for me. i liked that there was the father and son element and how the father eventually softened his heart and especially the part when charlie was having trouble telling max sth and max was so understanding saying "Don't worry. Your secret's safe with me." touching and demonstrates true fighting spirit)
12Dec11: "50/50" w L (adopting her words - a heavy topic put across in a lighthearted way, but not taking away d meaning. most of it was rather hollywood-ish trashiness but there were a couple of punch lines "u can't change ur parents, but u can change d way u respond to them.")
25Dec11: "Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol" w KY (ultimate action packed! super tense almost throughout the movie, and interesting Tom Cruise made it such that not everything happened smoothly - he would jump and misland and get all sorts of injuries..it's really the courage to jump without hesitation even though you are not sure you'll be alive after that. KY loved d movie and said she would watch it again!)
3Jan12: "Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows" w KY (i love mystery (: and the witty sarcastic dialogues. good level of excitement with the action. didn't understand some parts as usual. i like Holmes and Watson they depict such a true pair of buddies ;D)
23Jan12: "You are the Apple of My Eye" w mom (now i understand why guys like this movie so much - the anxiety of chasing after a girl and the acts schoolboys do to get the girl's attention and hopefully affection. the initial fluttering and the subsequent quarrelling)
22Mar12: "The Iron Lady" w KY (really love Thatcher's sharp words. inspiring and thought-provoking, tho i was still left uncertain of what to do with my life, the movie is definitely an encouraging one)
29Mar12: "Barney's Version" w SJ (a funny movie of a screwed up life of a man who had 3 wives, smoked and drank but very heartwarming at the same time, the relationships with the dad and the 3th wife - quotable quotes!)
27Apr12: "The Hunger Games" w Mom
4May12" "Avengers" w MF n PS (funny, action-packed)
7Jul12: "The Amazing Spiderman"
21Jul12: "The Dark Knight Rises" (fantastic depth, loved the twists)
20Aug12: "ParaNorman" w Mom (simple funny animated movie, heartwarming support)
Performances watched (listing started on 25Apr10)
20Jan10: Patrick Marber's Closer by outoftheBLUE, NUS Science w Pam (
13Mar10: The Rain Came Down Like Pearls the Night I Died... The New Musical - Sing & Tell by Mark Chan w Addy & Jy
21Mar10: Quintessence by NUSCO w CHL
