Take care, Miss Audrey Tan.

This post is dedicated to a hardworking, caring and responsible Geography teacher.

Dear Miss Audrey Tan,

I got really worried when I heard that you were out of school, due to some illness months ago. I had you in my prayers.

I wanted to organise a trip to pay you a visit with some other friends. A few days ago, I decided to call you, because I wanted to ask if you are alright, and also if you wanted to go diving. I called you thrice, but no one picked up the phone.

Today, North Vista Secondary School had an early Teachers Day Celebration, because tomorrow is the actual day. You weren't here today, so I called you again. It was a missed call again.

I checked with the others how have you been, and I heard that you were hospitalised with an infectious illness for a few months. Having listened, I really got worried.

Just now, I received a call from your handphone.

A man picked up, who is probably your father, and we had this conversation:

Man: Did anyone called Audrey?

Me: Yes I did.

Man: May I know who are you?

Me: I'm one of her students.

Man: Why are you looking for her?

Me: I haven't see her in a long time, and she didn't turned up for the Teachers Day Celebration, so I decided to ask.

Me: Did anything happened to her?

Man: No, she's alright. She will be coming back to school by the end of the year.

Me: Ok, thanks alot. Bye.

Man: Bye.

You are really a good teacher. I could still remember when we're in Secondary 1, the class was famously notorious, and we had no form teacher. You were the only one who took us, though you knew it was a difficult task.

I was taught by you again in Secondary 4 and 5, and you gave us plenty of notes, and ask us to do lots of ten-year-series questions, in order to get us prepared for the final lap.

I really appreciate what you have for all of us, and I still cannot believe you got that illness. God is really unfair to you.

As the official day of Teachers Day approaches, I would like to sincerely wish you a very Happy Teachers Day. Teaching is your passion and will forever be. I will pray that nothing will happen to you.

As I end this post which I feel is futile, I hope that you will get to read this someday although you're still in the hospital as I type.

Remember this Miss Tan, we love you and hope you have a speedy recovery!

Your student,

James Ho Zhao Lun

5N2'06

Doggies!

I haven been updating lately, and that's because I'm working.


I have a phobia of feeling extremely dirty when touching dogs' fur or skin, and I would wash my hand whenever I touch my relatives' dogs.




But still, I think I would like to have one!



The first dog I liked was Jack Russel.













And then I like Dalmatians, after watching the Disney movie, Dalmations 101.









But now I start to like white furry dogs! (I know it sounds contradicting to my phobia!)



I start to like Eskimo dogs, because they're awesome and look great!











They're so nice!




I think I like dogs better, though it still cannot be on par with my interests with fishkeeping!



Oh and I would like to wish Liang Zhi a very happy 18th birthday!

A dose of reality.

Seriously, I'm so disappointed with Leo Club, which is a club that I joined. Months passed, and there aren't even one event that I've been to. And I'm not seriously interested in folding paper cranes.

I would like to help people, because it gives me an injection of reality, and how fortunate I am.

I signed up for going to childrens' home, where malay kids are abused, and put in that shelter.

I wanted to share their pain, and I wanted to teach them new stuff, and give them sweets.

That never happened. And now that I'm busy with work, it's impossible for me to participate in the club.

Sigh, forget it.

Speaking about reality, I'm sure Singaporeans will definitely have their daily doses of it.

CAN-COLLECTION

We're talking aluminium cans here. Everytime I eat in a coffeeshop or food centre, there will always be old people who collects aluminum cans as a living. They crush the can, and can be sold for 5 cents each.

I thought: Aren't they suppose to be enjoying life in their golden years? Why are they still earning a living?

On a sidenote, some of them can be irritating, because they force you to finish up the canned drink and pass it to them. Worse still, while you're eating, they just walk towards you and take the canned drink, giving it a light shake to see if there's still content inside. If there's still content, they'll walk away.

SCAVENGERS

I don't know if this word is abit too harsh, but I've seen such a person scavenging before. It's still emotionally-disturbing to me up till this day.

My colleagues and I were eating, and we saw this old lady feed herself with leftover food which other consumers did not want. She took the spoon, scoop it into a plastic ware, and TAKE AWAY the soup. I couldn't believe my eyes, because I thought it was impossible for it to happen in Singapore.

BUSKERS & BEGGARS

These people either beg for money, sell things or do some stunts to try and ask for money.

These people are probably either mutes, deaf, blind or have some parts of their body amputated.

Everytime we see one of these people, we either give them money, or just walk away.

For beggars, don't ever give them money easily. Some of them are able-bodied, and they might spend the money on cigarettes and continue to ask for more money.

After this post, I do hope you look at the enviroment around you, and whatever problems you have, you need to know this.

There WILL and ALWAYS be people who are less unfortunate than us.

We seriously need to appreciate ourselves.

Working.

Wow, I am working at Isetan at Shaw House, and I'm glad that so many people came to visit! Tomorrow's the last day and I'll be transferred to Takashimaya from Tuesday onwards.

The retail experience is fresh, and it broadened my perspective. Colleagues there are nice, and they taught me quite alot of things. I'm still learning though.

I managed to sell off some products, and I'm really pleased with myself.

And SITTING DOWN IS A BLESSING.


My main aim is to earn money. Yeah that's it.

The quest for job.

Ever since the holidays, my quest for a retail job kept delaying and delaying. My friends tried to help, but to not much avail.

I got really irritated as each day passes, because it means money. I'm not blaming anyone, but one person really irked me is the guy from Philips. I sent him a message and he didn't even reply. Terribly incompetent.


I really hope to gain some experience through this job, and that everything will be well. It's my first job experience, and I will be working till the end of September, in which I will quit after that, to pursue my 2nd semester.

I'm still thinking really hard if I should buy a digital camera, which will set me aside with a maximum of $700.

I was speaking to a fellow dive buddy yesterday, and HOW MUCH I WISH TO GO DIVING AGAIN!


Sigh..I want to earn and save more money for weekend dive trips after the holidays.


I will be missing calligraphy classes which is held every Tuesday, and I feel kinda guilty not attending it. It's a new skill, though I'm not really interested in learning it, I hope it don't affect much on our later projects..


I miss everyone..

10 weirdest things about me.

Okay, I've been tagged before by Lynette to do a quiz, about 6 weirdest things about me. It seems that I've been tagged by 3 people recently to do this quiz again; Shirley, Khai Theng and Zi Cai (Justin).

Here is the post which I did about the 6 weirdest things about me.

However, this quiz has its brief changed, to 10 weirdest things about me. I'm going to type about the 10 weirdest things, but I am not going to tag anyone. Wonder if anyone is interested:


NEW 10 WEIRDEST THINGS OR LITTLE KNOWN FACTS ABOUT ME

1. I like to take food all at one go and consume them, rather than taking a piece one at a time and eat it.
2. I like to sing in the bathroom. REAL LOUD.
3. I like to look in the mirror, and try to pose a muscular look.
4. I prefer to study all by myself during the night.
5. I like scuba diving, but I have a fear of deep sea water.
6. Girls with long hair always catch my attention first.
7. I'm a scaredy-cat, with no guts.
8. I sometimes like to bite my lips when I pose for a picture.
9. I'm someone who can forgive, but might not forget.
10. The most important thing that must be with me 24/7 is my N70 phone.


Yeah that's all about it. I think you people won't find them astonishing though.

Job..

Ok, I've managed to find a job, and shall be working till the end of September, before I fully enjoy my 2 weeks, and then the 2nd semester starts.


Before I continue, I wanna thank Chee Wei, Han Wen, Edmond and Zi Cai (Justin) for their help.

Ah, I was going out with Jeremy a few days ago, when he said something which struck me.

The topic Want vs Need.


You see, Want is something that you would like to have, and that it is not necessary for you to have it. Need is something that you need to have, in order to survival.


I need to earn money. As much as possible. So after I earn money, where should I spend the money? After giving my parents some money, I'm left the money which I can choose to spend.
Therefore, with the Want vs Need, I've decided to compile a list.


MUST-PAY LIST (No. according to importance)

1.Pay $132 for my Accutane pills.
2. Scuba Diving.


WANT LIST (No. according to desire)

1. Digital Camera
2. Scuba Equipment
3. A watch
3. Shoes
4. Clothes



Unlike other people who yearns for a Playstation Portable (PSP), I prefer to spend the money on scuba diving. I think I'm going to be hooked on PSP if I really buy it.

List might change anytime.


Something is weighing heavily on my mind, and that is to maintain a good relationship with the full-time employees in the job. I just wish everything will be smooth, and that the people (except my friends working there) will be as good as the people I met in Avida Logistics, though that seem kinda impossible.


Hmmmm...

2 months break.

Yay, finally a 2 months holiday break! It is definitely a well-deserved break, because the mounting assignments have brought to an end.

I'm the only one that has the privilege of having 2 months break, because I'm in the School of Design, and they don't have exams! My friends are having study breaks and mugging for exams. All the best guys!

It's time to do some soul-searching, and I need to work! I haven't found a job yet, and it's getting kinda desperate. I have like 9 weeks of holidays! I NEED MONEY! And I wanna go diving!

Anyway, I'm going to talk about my class. So far, I think VC0701 has been really great. Generally, people are friendly, and they like to laugh etc! Unity isn't there yet for the whole class, but I'm sure as time passes, we'll know each other better!

I guess I'm going to meet some of them soon, while others will be 2 months. I really hope that the few months with VC0701, I didn't offend anyone. :)

VC0701- with an awesome lecturer, Mr Ransome Chua.

See you guys in 2 months time.

Hungry Ghost Festival.

Yeah yeah, I'm blogging in the middle of the night, and the Hungry Ghost Festival is here, where the gates of Hell are opened, and ghosts roam freely around Earth for 1 month.

I really have this phobia of ghosts. Everytime I reach home at night, I would see if there is anybody near the stairs or something.


Just now, I had just finish another piece of assignment, which I was drawing myself. I was listening to the radio through my earpiece, as everyone has slept except me. The DJ then talk about ghost stories. I still don't know why I was so glued to it, and the more I listened, the more afraid I got.

I was so afraid that I thought the portrait of myself look straight back at me, and I thought it looked really scary.

Speaking of which, I think I really cannot draw my own face. It constantly reminds me of my scars, and the uglyness of my face. Guess low self-esteem will not leave me anytime sooner.


Anyway, ghosts are all around, so I think it's best not to loiter out too late, and remember this.


NEVER turn back if you hear someone calling your name in the middle of the night outside.

Criticism.

I had such an unpleasant day today, but luckily I was calm enough to talk to the lecturer.

She saw one of my artpiece and asked if anyone helped me, and thought some relatives helped me. I gave her my mum's number if she don't believed it.

She then compare my paintings with others. (Of course mine sucked)

She then proceed to say I'm the lowest in class. (Though currently I'm not)

She continue to say I didn't put in enough effort etc..

My brain sensed utter absurdity in every single point she mentioned, and I could rebutt so many points, but I don't want to. I think she's a nice lady, but I just going to say this:

I don't really care whether you think I put in enough effort in my assignments or not. I have done my best, and I can answer that to my soul, my body, my hands; simply myself. But by questioning the integrity of my work, I believe, is showing disrespect, humiliation and insult to me.

Bah, don't wanna go any further.

I went to Suntec City today, and I went to the area in the middle of the Fountain of Wealth. I felt better and happier after that.

Missing the sea...........

I know I've been ranting alot in my posts recently. I shouldn't have, because everyone has their own problems. Perhaps others have even more than me.

Someone guide me through please..

Happy National Day!

Happy National Day to all, and wishing Singapore a 42th birthday!

Feeling contemplative..

Recently, I've been listening to Angels by Robbie Williams. It kept repeating on my stereo speakers. The more I listen to it, the more I thought how meaningful the lyrics is, and how contemplative I felt about life.



The song Angels means alot to Robbie Williams, because it is the song that revived his career.





I was first introduced to this song by my English teacher Mr Malvin Lim a few years back, when he sang it in piano accompaniment in front of the whole class. The performance was good, and I really liked it.





Here are the lyrics:









I sit and wait

Does an angel contemplate my fate

And do they know the places where we go when we´re grey and old ´

Cos I´ve been told that salvation lets their wings unfold

So when I’m lying in my bed thoughts running through my head and I feel that love is dead

I’m loving angels instead





And through it all she offers me protection a lot of love and affection

Whether I’m right or wrong and down the waterfall wherever it may take me

I know that life wont break me when I come to call she wont forsake me

I’m loving angels instead





When I’m feeling weak and my pain walks down a one way street

I look above and I know ill always be blessed with love

And as the feeling grows she breathes flesh to my bones

And when love is dead I’m loving angels instead

And through it all she offers me protection a lot of love and affection

Whether I’m right or wrong and down the waterfall wherever it may take me

I know that life wont break me when I come to call she wont forsake me

I’m loving angels instead







This song has been with me through my emotional and hard times.

It somehows calms my soul, and it makes me ponder about certain issues.





When I watch Robbie William sang Angels in some of the videos in Youtube, I was deeply touched, and I even teared. He sang Angels way too soulfully.



The crowd were singing 'And do they know the places where we go, when we're grey and old', it makes me wonder how life is so mysterious, and that every single one of us will die eventually, but what really happens to us after death is something which no one knows.





I love this song totally, and just in case you never heard of this beautifully-composed song, here are the links to the song:



1. The song's MTV

2. The awesome concert clip (MUST WATCH!)

3. Another awesome clip (MUST WATCH TOO!)





Thank you Robbie Williams, and I guess...

I'm loving angels instead..

The show must go on.

Great, the lecturer which I have complained about in my previous posts (No, I'm not picking on him.) decided to cancel and postpone the class today because 1/2 of the class were absent.

I seriously don't understand why he must cancel the class. Some of us made the effort to come early to school for his lesson, and it's not as if no one turned up for his class.

I abhors this kind of reason, probably because I was a performer before. Allow me to give you an analogy. If a concert/movie/event is scheduled on a certain date, it must go on no matter how many people there are. Similarly, the class must go on even if there are only a few of us.
I think it makes alot of sense.

(I suddenly remember how my chemistry teacher Mrs Corinne Teo could even teach with only 1 student in the class when people didn't turn up for her remedial.)


I shall lament further.


I CANNOT VISIT MY BELOVED SECONDARY SCHOOL ON NATIONAL DAY EVE!

I've got a test tomorrow, but it lasts till only 10.30. But the lecturer's lesson (Yes yes, it's the one above.) pushed the whole time from 10.30am to 4pm tomorrow!

But thankfully, it's the last lesson we have with him, before the assessment day next tueday.


Still, drawing and rendering will still haunt me, and the thought of it makes me cringe like a slimeyball.

Concentrate on others.

I think it's high time I stop worrying about the stupid 12 portraits and do my other important work.


Damn it, I'm not in the right frame of mind, and to make matters worse, my beloved congo tetras and flying fox (these are fishes) died. I still cannot figure out how they die. Some have been months while the flying fox has been with me for more than 1 year.

Sigh.. I think they're probably in their own heaven..



On a different note, I sometimes wish I have a girlfriend, but I guess I'm feeling way too low about myself. A friend of mine named Wei Qi had a surprise (actually a group of us had a surprise) when her boyfriend suddenly appeared with a bouquet of flowers and presented it to her for their anniversary. IT'S SO ROMANTIC!

I also want to do some romantic things for my girlfriend too! I wanna bring her to an island like Pulau Dayang where we watch the starry night in awe together. Or propose to her in Maldives underwater where the fishes, crustaceans and turtles be our witnesses! Then, we'll use a heart-shaped surface marker buoy (if there's any) to mark our everlasting love!



Guess day-dreaming is up. Back to my relentless assignments..

When will I be breaking free?

Hanging in the balance.

My mood has improved slightly better, but the assignments aren't.

Next week will be the most hectic week of my polytechnic life. I've got 2 tests, and 4 assignments to hand up. The following week will be assessment day and another test, before the approximately 2 months holiday-break kicks in.

The only consolation I got from being so depressed, stressed and sad is that I got a distinction apart from Marilyn for my 1.5k report on an art painting, according to Mr Ransome Chua.

Speaking of him, I think he's a really great lecturer. He told me if I had any problems, I could find him.

I think I should treasure everyone. I've got great friends, family and even lecturers which I can talk to.

On an irrelevant note, I thought I look like a retard in the following photos:

P.S: Angie, I promise to draw you a Doraemon once the school is over okay?

The eye of the beholder.

Can you see the pain, anger, depression, through my eye?