Proofead. Poofread. Proofreed. Proofread!

Here's the link to my second article I wrote for 938Live's English@Work.

Unfortunately the linked site removes some punctuation marks (like apostrophes) in my article. Irony? I'm writing about proofreading!


Proofead. Poofread. Proofreed. Proofread! 

We spend a third of our time at the office writing emails, reports, letters and other documents. In our haste to meet deadlines, we inadvertently make spelling, grammatical and typographical errors. We’re also guilty of “cut-and-paste” jobs which show inconsistency in font type, size or colour.

Proofreading – or the lack of it – says plenty about our work attitude. We all know colleagues whose shoddy standards leave much to be desired and we end up correcting their mistakes. While we can’t always be perfect, we can minimise errors by proofreading our work.

1) Check the squiggly lines. Don’t ignore the red lines (spelling mistakes or unrecognisable words) and green lines (grammatical errors e.g. sentence fragments) as these help in editing the first draft. Be careful not to be over-reliant on them because they won’t pick out wrongly-used words that are spelled correctly.

2) Review on a hard copy. The glare from computer screens can be strenuous on our eyes, making it difficult to edit. Printing out your document and reviewing it on paper helps you catch errors you could have previously missed.

3) Take a break. Put away your work for a few hours, or even days, if possible. The rest will do wonders to your mental and physical state, and you will gain a new perspective to your document.

4) Get “a fresh pair of eyes." It’s tricky picking out your own mistakes if you’ve been staring at it for too long. Ask someone to review the piece. It helps if this person hasn’t read it before and may be able to spot errors which escaped you, especially when editing for content.

Acquiring proofreading skills isn’t just for writers and editors. It’s useful for anyone who understands the importance of producing and delivering quality work.

Written by Teo Yuan Ching
Temasek Polytechnic's Division of Communications & Media Management

Failure

I've failed as a wife and mother.

I can't seem to get my priorities right and get easily distracted by frivolous things like silly FB games, Twitter, blogging and now, PE2011.

The hub's furious. He's livid. And I can't blame him.

Xian's 3rd Term CA is on Monday and instead of helping her revise her work, I'm spending hours on end in front of the computer, trying to get little nuggets of information about PE2011 and playing mind-numbing games. Such an irresponsible mother. I cannot justify my actions at all.

Th hub's right about my addiction to social media and the constant flow of information I get inundated with. It's never been a more thrilling time, with changes happening in society and the birth of digital age. And I embrace this new era because I've suddenly found a little corner where I can creep to seek refuge from the harsh realities of life. In truth, I'm sick of my responsibilities - at work and at home - and I desperately need some time-out. But I can't just drop everything and run away. I'm just trying to look for an outlet to cope with my own stress.

It's getting ridiculous. The more upset I am about work and family, the more I just want to plunge into an alternative space where I can escape from everything. I'm literally struggling to keep my head above the water. Being a mother is the toughest job I've ever taken on, and I'm beginning to realise that I'm too selfish and ill-disciplined to ever be the right role model for my kids.

But this is my outlet - writing - and it's the most effective way for me to get my emotions off my chest. I usually feel a lot better after I've poured my woes.

Ironically, it's also threatening my relationships with my loved ones.

Right now, I'm lost. Hopelessly lost.

Letter to August

Hey August!

It's great to see you!

Your cousin July was a real pain and I'm awfully glad to see the last of her - at least for this year. She was terrible company and gave me nothing but trouble the entire month although I must admit that things got slightly better towards the tail end.

I'm looking forward to wiping the slate clean and getting back on track. With just 4 more months to go (and a long list of things to accomplish), I've gotta double up and crank up those rusty gears to get up to speed. Not an easy feat, especially when I'm edging closer to the big 4-0 in 3 years' time.

I know this sounds a little crazy but I'm going to start working on my novella. I've been writing since 15 and have kept my little collection of short stories - all handwritten, mind you - in the cupboard for decades.

And then last week, on my way to work, I was in a Katy Perry mood and popped in her One of the Boys album. While listening to Waking Up in Vegas, the closet writer in me snapped out of inertia and the words, ideas, characters just spun out of control.

So for the last few days, I've been formulating storylines, developing characters and creating images. That's when it hit me: perhaps it's time to relive the magic of words and weave them back into my life.

Honestly, I don't think I'll ever publish anything I've written. But I'd really like to preserve my works and  hand them down to my children so that when I'm gone from this world, they'll still have something to remember me by.

Just in case you're unfamiliar with Kathy Perry, I've embedded the Waking Up in Vegas video.



So yeah! I'm counting on you to inspire me, August! Don't let me down!

Cheers
EowYCn

More Movie Dates

We did it again.

Not once but twice in a week.

Before you start getting funky ideas, let me clear the air: the hub and I snuck out for another late night movie date after the kids went to bed.

Last Sunday night, the hub suggested watching Priest since we it was one of the two movies we'd intended to catch.

"But we've got work tomorrow!" I protested.

"So?" He shrugged nonchalantly.

"My teaching schedule's crazy on Mondays! 7 hours! Plus I've to give a short 15-minute talk to some Business Juniors on choosing their elective!"

"So? It's only a movie. I thought you wanted to watch Priest?"

"Ya but it's Monday tomorrow!"
"What difference does it make?"

So off we went on a Sunday night to AMK Hub. This time, we booked tickets online so we wouldn't make a wasted trip.

This Horror-Supernatural-Sci-fi-Fantasy-Thriller is ride up my alley. Set in a post-apocalyptic future, the comic-inspired film brings to mind the Underworld andBlade series. It stars Paul Bettany as the stoic vampire slayer who goes against his order to track down his niece's vampire kidnappers. Sexy, cool Maggie Q, a Priestess, joins in the fight against the vampires led by Karl Urban. Cam Gigandet rounds up the supporting cast as a young sheriff who's the kidnapped victim's lover.

Lots of slick, cool fights as Priest takes on the ashen creatures of the night which don't resemble humans. And when Hope seems lost, Good trounces Evil . All's well that ends well. As expected.

The film was a little too short for me, and somewhat a downer for the hub who expected a lot more action. But the teaser ending implied that we could expect a sequel and I'm already licking my lips in anticipation. ;)

Rating: ***1/2

Then on Friday afternoon, the hub sent me an sms about, you guessed it, another movie.

Yeah, my man is on a roll!

This time he was keen to watch Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides. I'd initially wanted to take the kids along but the 10.45pm show was a tad too late and way past their bedtime.

After several sms exchanges, we agreed that the kids will probably be better off watching Kung Fu Panda 2 the following week.

So off we went on a Friday night to - once again - AMK Hub.

I'm a Johnny Depp fan and love his movies, especially all his collaborations with my favourite director of ALL TIME, Tim Burton. His iconic portrayal of Captain Jack Sparrow never fails to tickle my funny bone and there's no doubt this talented and versatile actor is the main star of the show.

Geoffrey Rush reprises his role as Captain Barbossa, Jack Sparrow's arch-nemesis turned conspirator. Ian McShane is Blackbeard, the new villain of the High Seas whose name sends shivers down every seaman's spine. And then there's the beautiful Penélope Cruz whose Angelica manages to outwit even the charmingly devious Captain Jack Sparrow.

Depp's sizzling chemistry with Cruz spices up the screen - without overdosing the audience with mushy-love-goo that previous POTC films suffered from, courtesy of the Will Turner and Elizabeth Swan romance. There's no Orlando Bloom and Keira Knightley in this film (thank goodness) since their love story's completed. Instead, the love metre is upped a notch by Sam Claflin as the young missionary who saves the young mermaid played by Àstrid Bergès-Frisbey.

Ahhhhhhh. Young, innocent, pure love. *SIGH*

Although I still like the first and original POTC best, the 4th installment beats the other two hands down. It boasts a refreshing star-studded cast playing quirky characters and an uncomplicated fun plot.

Rating: ****

With the June school holidays round the corner and the unleashing of Hollywood's summer blockbusters, I'm quite certain I'll be visiting the cinemas again really, really, really soon.

GE2011: My Take

In a week’s time, Singaporeans will head to the polls.

And I fervently pray that history will be made.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m no heartless ingrate who mercilessly wants to bite the hand that feeds me. Neither am I a political academic who’s scrutinising every policy and law that’s been passed. But in my humble opinion and in my capacity as an ordinary citizen, I believe that we’ve been under the ruling party’s yoke for far too long.

Let’s be honest about facts: under the dynamic and visionary leadership of our current Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew, the founding fathers of Modern Singapore are undeniably the heroes who built and shaped our lives to where we are today. There is much to be grateful for despite deep sentiments that many laws were implemented harshly (even rashly) – all in the name of economic and social progress. Like docile sheep, we meekly followed the shepherds (and their well-trained dogs) whom we’d entrusted our lives to. It was a situation akin to the typical scenario where the boss says “jump!” and the subordinates asks “how high?”

That era, however, is over.

The current ministers of today lack the passion and fighting spirit of their fore fathers – with the political boundaries repeatedly re-drawn at every election (undoubtedly to ensure that their hard core People's Action Party (PAP) supporters will provide sufficient votes to keep them in power), the majority of Singapore’s Members of Parliament (MP) cruise to easy victories. The introduction of the Group Representation Constituency (GRC) means that the “weaker” MPs could ride on the tailcoats of a heavy-weight anchor Minister and this provided their ticket to Parliament.

The PAP may face their biggest challenge yet. with 82 out of 87 seats up for contest, this election also means that for the first time in decades, the ruling party has not been returned to power after nomination day. And the opposition parties have fielded credible, worthy candidates to give the PAP a decent run for its money. With no walkovers (save for 1 GRC helmed by MM Lee himself), many of the ministers and MPs have to roll up their sleeves and fight, some for the first time in their political careers, to win the hearts of Singaporeans.

The emergence of the social media also means that Singaporeans are no longer restricted in obtaining their news and information from the mass (read: heavily edited) media. As a media and communications lecturer, I can fully understand why objective coverage is crucial in this election. And also why the lure of social media is lustfully enticing many Singaporeans who turn their attention to online sources for the latest scoop.

The World Wide Web is really the old Wild Wild West: a cowboy country run by gun-trotting sheriffs or outlaws, depending on who calls the shot. Even the media gatekeepers have trouble controlling the influx of information flooding the web and this has opened up ample opportunities for the opposition parties to reach out to the public.

It's no wonder that GE2011 is trending. The real battle for voters is fought online - with Facebook, YouTube and Twitter leading the charge. It's exciting and fascinating (at least to me) because I've found many like-minded Singaporeans who share similar sentiments about the local political scene.

I used to believe that most Singaporeans are politically apathetic but this elections is proving to be an eye-opener. The posts, tweets and blogs signal an impending change to the mindset of citizens and a recurring theme that threads these discussion is one that heralds alternative opinions in our parliamentary debates. Voices that echo the sentiments on the ground and not based on "research" and "assumptions" by leaders who are too highly perched on pedestals to comprehend bread and butter issues faced by the everyday man.

To me, the main problem is that the ruling party has been too complacent for far too long. Many of the current MPs have never fought off political opponents and bank on the "sure-win" GRC ticket to Parliament.

Well, this year, they've underestimated the opposition parties and perhaps for the first time in decades, the ruling party may end up losing more than 2 seats.

If the huge turnout at the opposition rallies is anything to show, then I'd say that it's going to be a good fight and I'm right smack in the middle of all the action because I'm at Aljunied GRC where the fiercest battles will be raging.

Together with the hub, I attended the Worker's Party (WP) second rally at Serangoon Stadium on Friday night. Since we live in the area, we parked mid-distance from the site and walked to the stadium. After the huge turnout on Thursday night at Hougang, we knew traffic would be crazy and true enough the roads were crawling with cars and people. Granted, the turnout wasn't as intimidating as Hougang but we had to sit on the slopes OUTSIDE the fence as we arrived late (had to settle the kids first) and decided not to squeeze in with the rest.

It was a fantastic experience and I soaked up the atmosphere although the hub got a little bored midway through. He already knows who he''s going to cast his vote for so he's not affected by reports in the media.

As I looked around the crowd, I couldn't help but wonder if the people around me were ardent WP supporters, undecided voters or just curious folk who'd nothing better to do on a Friday night. The crowd were just numbers and they don't necessarily account for the number of votes.

In the end, Singaporeans could be "all talk and no action". It's easy to create "Hate" campaigns and Fan pages, generating traffic to the sites. It's effortless to create pseudonymous and post comments. But come 7 May 2011, can Singaporeans be trusted to do what they pledged to do in cyberspace?

Much is at stake since our 2 sole opposition MPs have upped the ante by leaving their wards to trusted party members while they boldly lead GRC teams to battle. It's a calculated risk: All or Nothing. And in the worst case scenario, PAP could win back these 2 opposition wards and all 87 seats will be theirs. A terrible blow to the opposition and a slap in the face of democracy.

A former JC classmate who lives in the next street (and in the same constituency) sent me a message on Facebook to seek my views. After several back-and-forth posts, I concluded with this:

"If you're not sure or comfortable with your decision, then you've gotta pick the one who's going to set your mind at ease. Don't be intimidated by what others say do (including what I've written to you). You have to think through and make a choice that won't eat at you."

I've made my choice and on Polling Day I know which box I'll be marking my cross on. I'm not telling of course, since my vote's supposed to be secret.

But you can bet your last dollar that I'll be up all night and glued to the TV while they announce the results. And I sure hope there'll be a celebration of sorts.

Life & Times of Mumsy

These days, my life is, quite literally, an open book.

With Web 2.0 tools so easily available, I'm spoilt for choice. My preferred channels continue to be blogs, Facebook (FB) and most recently, Twitter. It's fun to read the responses I get when I update my status either via FB or Twitter. Besides, you can tell quite a bit about people from the comments they make.

And because I like to express my feelings through writing, my personal favourite is still blogging because this allows me to delve into details. Twitter acts more like a headline or teaser so it's useful when I just want to post random thoughts without elaborating.

I know some people are uncomfortable about dishing out personal details about their lives in such a public sphere. To them, it's akin to washing dirty linen in public. But I do have some "rules" which I've put in place and I'm careful to reveal only certain bits and pieces of my life.

In other words, I practise self-censorship.

One of my main reasons for penning my thoughts is that I'm using this as a platform to express myself. I'm also using this as a way to document my own experiences for my girls so that when they're older, they can read for themselves what I've been going through.

Over the last few months, I've witnessed many situations in which parents and children suffer a breakdown in communication and this is usually caused by differences in thinking, i.e. the "generation gap". I know it's only going to be a matter of time that I'll fall prey to this natural phenomena when my children will start to drift away and resent my presence.

No matter how open I am, no matter how close our relationships are, I am sure they will start to retreat into their private worlds once they "come of age". I'm constantly reminded of this by reports in the media and also when I hear my own students talking about strained relations with their parents.

Perhaps this is why I'm trying to keep myself abreast with trends and new communication tools. I don't want to be outdated and lose touch with what's current.

Am I trying too hard? I have no answer to this. All I know is that I *refuse* to be a mother who's unreasonable and won't try to communicate with her kids in a manner which they're comfortable with. At the same time, I don't wish to spoil them rotten.

*Sigh*

I wish parenthood came with an instructional manual and a money back guarantee too.

Super Me!

Had a weird dream just a few nights ago.

I was a Superhero in an alternate reality.

Yup, you read it right the first time.

Only I can't recall what super powers I possessed. And I didn't wear garish costumes or donned colourful spandex tights. It would've been a god-awful sight if I was garbed in such striking attire, especially since I have all the curves at the wrong places!

Anyway, the most vivid fragment I can recall: I was a member of some superhero league (much like Justice League which was made up of Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Flash, Green Lantern etc.) in an out-of-Singapore modern day setting (e.g. Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight) and I was the only female in the group.

Strangely enough, I had a young daughter but was a single mum trying to eek out a living (as a teacher?) and keeping my double identity a secret. No details about whether Superhero Me was divorced, widowed or even married (ooooooo, scandalous!)

In a particular scene, I remember kneeling down next to my daughter's bed, stroking her head and watching her while she slept peacefully. Then I stood up and walked out to join the others for a mission. Blurry details followed and the next thing I knew, I was awake and my head was spinning. I immediately tried to go back to sleep so that I could continue dreaming because I was curious to discover how the "story" ended.

Alas, I wasn't able finish the dream so I really have no idea what took place. I did have some impression of combat moments and images of skyline nights. Typical superhero-crime-fighting scenes.

Why this dream even took place, I have absolutely no idea. But I suspect it's got everything to do with my Film Theory and Criticism class. For the past few months, I've been lecturing on topics like film form and narrative structures, stylistic elements like Mise-en-scene, Cinematography, Sound and Editing. And each week, I screen a film that best exemplifies the lecture topic. Naturally, I get to choose the films I like to watch so Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings and Tim Burton's Corpse Bride are definitely in the list.

Plus, I've been pouring over the students' film journals and read their observations, comments and analyses of various movies. A fair number wrote on superhero comic to film adaptions like Ironman, Hulk, Wolverine, Spiderman, Batman etc.

Perhaps that inspired my subconscious realm, jolted my imagination and transported me to another universe where I can *finally* have some power and control over my life.

Oh wait. Maybe THAT's my super power. To magically remove the cankerous influences and force them out of existence. Ha! That explains quite a bit :)

All I can say is that the brain works in mysterious ways. I'll admit that this lucid dream inspired and revitalised me, and awakened a sense of euphoria which had lain dormant in my soul for the last few years.

Now, if only I can go back to sleep and continue where I left off...

Modern Match-making Sessions?

The October semester began last Monday and as usual, I was up to my neck with last minute changes to my lecture notes and materials.

Although my Film Theory & Criticism lecture was slated on Friday, I had already revised my notes 4 times and only uploaded the latest addition (for the students to download) just before 5 a.m. on Friday morning.

Yeah, I'm extremely particular about such things, and even an additional space in between my words or missing punctuation mark will irk me endlessly. I admit that when it comes to my teaching material, I DO sweat the small stuff. :/

My current timetable for this semester mirrors that of my October 2008 version - approximately 3 full days of teaching with little pockets of breathers with just enough time for me to reach the next class. The good news is that I have no classes on Wednesdays - so I guess this means I can officially go on leave to run errands and enjoy a mid-week break. :)

Anyway, I'm glad I survived the first week of school (which is traditionally the most hectic) which means I can finally get down to the onerous task of clearing my mailbox. And while deleting the the tonnes of mails from my inbox, I found this hilarious gem which was sent to me by my colleague.

Technology has indeed changed the way we communicate. This clip made me laugh till my sides hurt. Enjoy!

The Hub's Simpsons Avatar

This is kinda fun.

My Simpsons Avatar

Just for the heck of it.

Now Generation

I am a Samurai Warrior wielding my red-tipped sword.

Translation: it's the marking season. Tests, assessments, reports etc. Next week there'll be another round of exam scripts to grade.

Anyway, I'm taking a quick break to document this. I was plugged into my iPod Nano while furiously slashing away on the students' work when this Black Eyed Peas song came on:

I literally stopped to listen carefully to the lyrics. I marvel at how TRUE the words are!

[Intro: Fergie]
We are the now generation
We are the generation now
This is the now generation
This is the generation now
I want money!!

[Verse One: will.i.am]
I want it, want it, want it
Fast internet, stay connected in a jet
Wi-Fi, podcast, blastin out a SMS
Text me and I'll text you back, check me on the iChat
I'm all about that H-T-T-P you're a PC I'm a Mac
I, waaaant, it
MySpace and yo' space, Facebook is a new place
Dip divin, socializin, I'll be out in cyber space
Google is my professor, Wikipedia checker
Checkin my account, loggin in and loggin out
Baby I, waaaant, it - NOW!!

[Interlude: will.i.am]
This is the now generation
This is the generation now
We are the now generation
I want, I want, I want it now
I want the... cold hard cash
I want, I want, I want it NOW!!

[Chorus: Black Eyed Peas]
And I just can't wait
I need it immediately
And I just can't wait
I want it immediately
Cause the time can't wait and I sure can't wait
I ain't got no patience, nah I sure can't wait
Not today

[Verse Two: Fergie]
We are the now generation
We are the generation now
This is the now generation
This is the generation now
I want money, I want cold hard cash
I'll take your dollar and your euro
And you'll have a blast
So take your day and your credit and stick it up your ass
And do it NOW! I want it NOW!

[Verse Three: Black Eyed Peas]
Big money, give me my money (Yeah I want it now!)
I need cash, girl I need it fast (I want it now!)
Quick in a hurry like yo' name was Flash (I want it now!)
You make me wait and I'ma whip yo' ass (I want it now!)
I want it now baby! (Now!)
I want it (Now!)
I want it (Now!)
Now!

[Verse Four: Apl.de.ap]
Fast, rapido
Really quick like torpedo
Need for speed is my creedo
You need to feed this negrito
Sender, buyer, brother boat
Rapid like a thunderbolt
Activated, rock the boat
Just ask Barack who brought the hope to NOW!
It was a now generation

[Chorus]

Expediate... no time for procrastination
Expediate... improve my situation

Black Eyed Peas Now Generation lyrics

That's one of the reasons why I absolutely love the Peas. Their lyrics are always real and raw. Doesn't apply to me though. I'm a Gen-Xer. Old. Heh.

Break over. The red pen is mightier than the sword.

The Twilight Series

Vampires. Werewolves. Dragons. Witches. Wizards. Elves. Goblins.

Stuff that nightmares are made of - for some folks. After all, one man's meat is another man's poison.

Not for me though. I'm a sucker for fantasy novels an all things mythical. Perhaps not many people know this, but I've always been fascinated by Gothic creatures, inspired largely by exposure to Gothic Literature during my NUS days.

So no one should be remotely surprised that I lapped up Stephenie Meyer's Twilight series which is all about, well, vampires, humans and the wolves.

I completed reading all four books in slightly over a week. That's an average of one in 2 days.

Did I really enjoy reading the series? Well, yes and no.

The novels were obviously written for teenagers - crushes, love, lust, identity crisis, dates, insecurities etc. I honestly wasn't too intrigued by the simple plot, but was curious about when and how the teenage heroine Bella Swan was going to undergo the transformation from weak, puny human to almost-invincible, powerful immortal. And all for the sake of everlasting love. It's another Romeo and Juliet vehicle with a twist.

The Twilight series spawned the movie which catapulted Robert Pattinson, who plays Edward Cullen, the extraordinarily handsome yet tortured vampire, to fame. (I guess having played the young wizard Cedric Diggory in the fourth Harry Potter movie The Goblet of Fire helped in his preparation for the role in another fantasy film). Naturally, the world now is abuzz with hordes of screaming young girls who're smitten with him.

However, the character in the book I enjoy most is that of Jacob Black: the second-finishing best friend who carries a torch for the heroine. Despite being continuously spurned and toyed with emotionally, the wolf-boy is angsty and fiercely loyal to his loved ones. Plus, I'm also a supporter of the under-dog. (No pun intended).

Although the movie adaptation of Twilight wasn't oscar-winning material, I found it a pleasant experience. Here's the Twilight movie trailer:

And here's the sequel, New Moon. The movie will be released in November 2009:

Looks promising. Having read the books, it's always interesting to watch how the script writers tackle the print-to-screen transition.

Maybe it's just me looking at the academic perspective of things. Especially since I've been hearing talk that I'll be teaching Film in the coming semester or the following one.

Michael Jackson: Gone Too Soon

By now, many people would have know that the King of Pop, Michael Jackson, died yesterday on 25 June 2009.

He suffered a cardiac arrest and paramedics were unsuccessful in their attempts to revive him.

Such a tragic end to the world's greatest performer and entertainer. The iconic superstar garnered numerous awards and many accoladesfor his music and dance. His signature "moon walk" was unique, and his creativity knew no bounds, especially his music videos.

Despite his waining popularity over the last decade and his infamous child sexual abuse scandals, marriages-of-conveniences and general weird behaviour, MJ still has hordes (millions) of die-hard fans.

Here's a song "Gone Too Soon" which he dedicated to Ryan White, a young boy who was infected with AIDS through blood transfusion. In an ironic twist, these very words would echo the thoughts of every faithful MJ follower.

"Gone Too Soon"

Like A Comet
Blazing 'Cross The Evening Sky
Gone Too Soon

Like A Rainbow
Fading In The Twinkling Of An Eye
Gone Too Soon

Shiny And Sparkly
And Splendidly Bright
Here One Day
Gone One Night

Like The Loss Of Sunlight
On A Cloudy Afternoon
Gone Too Soon

Like A Castle
Built Upon A Sandy Beach
Gone Too Soon

Like A Perfect Flower
That Is Just Beyond Your Reach
Gone Too Soon

Born To Amuse, To Inspire, To Delight
Here One Day
Gone One Night

Like A Sunset
Dying With The Rising Of The Moon
Gone Too Soon

Gone Too Soon

MJ, a million thanks for the music and memories.

Zac the Mac

Meet Zac the Mac.

That's the name of my new toy. :)

Zac's really cool. Not only does he look great in pristine white, he's really user-friendly too.

A pity I can only spend time with him after the kids are asleep.

MacHappy and Lovin' it!

After a month-long wait, my iMac *finally* arrived!

This is my first official blog entry using my new iMac.

After years of deliberation and persuasion, the hub relented and I bought my first Macintosh d uring the March IT fair. Since I wanted to upgrade my RAM to a 4GB capacity, I was told that I'd to wait for about 2 weeks - which I did, rather impatiently.

Unfortunately, the delivery was hampered by the Harvey Norman Warehouse Sale because all the trucks had back-to-back deliveries to make. So that further delayed the arrival of my new "toy".

Anyway, when they called to confirm that my iMac would be delivered today, I kept my mobile phone close to me the whole day. As soon as I received confirmation that they'd be there in the evening, I rushed home...

Was it worth the wait? Take a look:


Yup. Definitely worth the wait.

Every single second of it. ;)

Little Petals

After fiddling about with Windows Movie Maker, I decided to pull out one of the old vids to give it a makeover.
This is one of Xian as a flower girl. She was about 4-and-a-half years old then when I filmed her with my camera. She's turning 7 in May this year.
*Sigh* My firstborn's growing up too fast!

Flight of Fancy

Last Saturday I took some videos of Wei with my camera and decided to produce a short clip of her crawling up and down the staircase.

Enjoy. :)

Connexion 2009

Last friday I attended Connexion 2009 - it's a networking session for educators and National Education practitioners and the focus was on how new media and technology can be harnessed for National Engagement, especially among the younger generation of web and technology-savvy Singaporeans.

The full day event was held at Singapore Management University's Conference Hall 1 and the guest-of-honour for Connexion 2009 was the Minister for Education and Second Minister for Defence, Dr. Ng Eng Hen.

Following the keynote address by the G.O.H. was an interesting presentation by Dr Michael Netzley, PhD, (Assistant Professor of Corporate Communication Practice, Singapore Management University) entitled: Chalkboards, Whiteboards, and now the Internet: How Gen Y is Ushering in an Age of Digital Learning. The topic was adequately covered with relevant examples, and I enjoyed listening to his casual and relaxed manner of presentation.

The next speaker was Mr Raoul Le Blond, Head, Digital Practice, Hill & Knowlton (SEA) Pte Ltd. His topic, Harnessing Social Media for National Engagement, gave a glimpse of how various organisations in both the private and public sectors are actively using new/social media to reach their target audiences.

After the presentations, a panel discussion including the presenters invited many questions and comments from the audience (mostly teachers) whose concerns ranged from inadequate technical training for teachers, manpower issues, tight budgets, students' general disinterest in National Education matters etc.

the panel members

break time!

After the lunch break, several schools presented and shared their New Media and Technology NE Best Practices. This was when I realised how progressive the primary schools are in tapping new media and technology to liven up their lessons. Pretty impressive indeed.

Although I'm not part of the National Education Committee at work, I decided to attend the seminar because I'd really like to learn more about the new media and its effectiveness in reaching out to the Gen-Yers.

I want, no, NEED to know what makes them tick. It dawned on me that we're dealing with a whole new generation of learners, a totally different group of people who're alien to the traditional teacher-centred "I-talk-you-listen" instructional mode of education. And the session was an eye-opening experience for me as I realise how backwards we are in our teaching methods.

Yes, I do take my role as an educator seriously. I've been in education sector for 8 years now and I'm constantly trying to improve my own teaching style to benefit my students. Perhaps I've got a personal agenda in hoping to unlock the secrets of engaging the younger generation, especially now that my firstborn has stepped into primary one and I want to help her with her studies.

Don't laugh now, but that's why I'm inspired to channel my spare energies (not much left these days) in setting up a "serious" blog to help my students understand the importance of effective communication and how good communication skills can help them even after they leave school.

I know, it sounds like an incredibly boring and thankless project, but I think this experiment and is worth a shot. Will definitely update on the progress and status of my little assignment and would appreciate your suggestions and comments too. :)

In the meantime, wish me luck!

cook me a storm

it's the mid-term break and i'm buried in a pile of marking that's driving me crazy.

i've been reading stacks of resumes and cover letters (that's the assignment) and i'm appalled by the standard of work produced by my classes.

yes, of course there are the sparkling gems whose assignments brought smiles and gave me a glimmer of hope for the future generation of youths who'd be running the country.

but i can count these potentials with one hand.

the rest? i'm disappointed by their obvious last minute hotch-potch job cobbled together by flimsy threads of cliches and grammatically challenged sentences.

do these students really think that they'd land their dream jobs with a quarter-page resume, some written in point form and not even in full sentences?

*sigh*

anyway, i just needed to get away from the marking and decided to play my new David Cook self-titled CD.

and man, is he sizzzzzzzlin' hot!!!

the American Idol season 7 winner's rocker-dude attitude and gruff voice, combined with his smoldering good looks is a marketing dream: he's got the total package. the album's great (acoustic, alternative soft rock's one of my favourite genres) but it's a real pity that it didn't contain "Always Be My Baby", his rendition of Mariah Carey's hit song, which he performed "live" in one of the episodes:



he's a little off-key here, so i've included the studio version:

always be my baby - david cook

you can bet that i'll be buying his second album when it's out in the stores.

now that i've torn myself away long enough to write this, it's time to (regretfully) get back to grading the assignments...

*sigh*

The Graveyard Book

i haven't had much opportunity to catch up on my reading for several months since i got back to work. one of the reasons was partly due to the fact that nothing seemed particularly exciting every time i visit the bookstores.

then dev lent me his copy of Neil Gaiman's The Graveyard Book last week. as usual, i finished reading it over the weekend, in 2 days.

and i must say it was...excellent.

although it's supposed to be a children's fantasy novel, i thought it was a tad too dark and chilling for kids.

the first 3 pages of the novel produced an almost immediate tear-jerking response from me - i was completely caught unawares by Gaiman's clinical and matter-of-fact narration of how the boy hero became orphaned. and Gaiman never once used the word "killed" or "murdered" when describing the circumstances that lead to the tragedy.

nevertheless, i was hooked on to the boy's highly unusual but fascinating journey through life in the graveyard and his relationships with the community of ghosts and other gothic creatures: his forster parents, teachers, caregivers and guardian. in the book, the living are viewed as evil and dangerous while the dead are, well, the good guys.

being a fan of gothic literature, i lapped up all the details eagerly. i'm not giving anything away, but both the events at beginning and ending of the novel left me terribly upset. no fault of Gaiman's though. he's a masterful storyteller and i think the reason i feel the way i do is because i totally understand why the tale had to end the way it did: in a typical gothic-fantasy fashion.

dev asked me what i'm going to pick up next now that i'm done with The Graveyard Book. i've researched a bit and i think i'll try Stephanie Myers' Twilight series. it looks like a series i might enjoy. ;P