HeRoMaRiA

A New Year 2012

2012-01-20T20:41:00.000+08:00

The calendar new year has passed and Chinese new year is just around the corner or more specifically, next week.

So how has school been for me? It has been nice meeting up with my classmates again and I really enjoy the time I spend with them. On a different note, I realised that I am not particularly keen on what goes on in class. But since I already made a promise to myself I will be a great student this semester, I will do my best to focus on my studies.

What's coming up? 1. Volunteer training at NUH tomorrow. 2. Church on Sunday. 3. Visiting on Monday and Tuesday. 4. CCA meeting on Thursday/Friday. Not too bad, not too packed. : )

I'm feeling really exhausted now after running for 13 minutes earlier. That is a really big improvement, considering I hardly run these days and if I do run, I'll only run for about 7 minutes. So I'm really satisfied with my performance. Totally tired now..

That's all for now.

Maria xxxxxx

P.s. Stay focused! Press on! Chilling out tonight : )

Vietnam - Hanoi

2011-12-19T22:19:00.000+08:00

My 4-days community service trip to Hanoi has been a novel and impactful experience. If you're thinking, "Only 4 days? What difference can you make?" Well, read on.

Day 1: Arrival at Hanoi from Singapore. Discussion about our program schedule for the children for days 2 and 3. Went to bookstore to shop for stationery required for the activities and some of them were meant as gifts for the kids. Had dinner at some restaurant (famous for their mushroom). I'm not a fan of it but that's another story altogether.

Day 2: Greeted the children. There were story-telling, dance, balloon sculpturing and outdoor activities. Quite a fun-filled day. The children were very earnest to learn English and listened to our stories attentively and interactively. We hoped to cultivate an interest in learning in them as well as to teach them skills like the importance of team work.

Day 3: Roughly the same thing but we did origami instead of balloon sculpturing. Again, through our numerous activities, we exposed the children to a little bit of the outside world and of ourselves and our culture.

Day 4: Pack up and leave Hanoi for Singapore.

Take-away Points:

We hoped that what we did in the village over 1 weekend (when sustained every weekend from different groups of volunteers) would be the catalyst of spreading volunteerism, hopefully having Hanoi city people volunteering their time for children from the villages. In the long run (at least 5 years down the road), every weekend each group of volunteers spent with the children will have a small impact which accumulates into something that is visible/tangible. An interest in learning a foreign language like English doesn't happen overnight. Being able to work well in a team might not be immediately achievable. An interest in learning something different needs time to build too. I hope that, through each of our small individual efforts, the children living in the villages of Hanoi, will go on and build a better tomorrow for themselves and their countries eventually.

I'm really grateful for the experience. It allowed me to know how fortunate I am and concurrently, what I can do for the less fortunate global community. Even if my effort may not be tangible now, a continuous and cohesive effort from all volunteers will eventually make a difference in these children's lives.

That's all for now.

Maria xxxxxx

P.s. SIA had flight delays when going there and when coming back. Quite a disappointment.
P.s.s. Traffic there was quite bad with motorists (car drivers and motorcyclists) sounding their honks at least once every minute.
P.s.s.s. Learning a bit of Vietnamese Language would have helped me out a little more when interacting with the kids. But we've got a translator so it's not too bad.

End of Exams & Review of DSC1007 & BSP1005

2011-12-04T22:24:00.000+08:00

Exams are finally over on Saturday morning. However, there was no rest as I had to rush over to Singapore General Hospital (SGH) to visit my paternal grandfather. I drove there quickly and was glad to see that he was feeling all right. My dad and I had lunch before heading over to town (Bras Basah area) for my meeting. Then, we headed back home and picked up my mom following which we headed to Lot 1 for dinner. What a Saturday.

Today was no different. Equally busy. Day started early in the morning with Church in town area. After that, we walked around Raffles City shopping centre. Then, we drove over to Lot 1 for my vaccination before heading home to rest. After a few hours, I drove my parents to see my grandfather in hospital and then we headed to Botanic Gardens to see the beautiful Christmas trees and lighting. There weren't many people as it was drizzling. A wet day indeed. And a tiring one too!

Anyway, past reviews from me are here.

DSC1007 Business Analytics [25/11/2011]
Preparation: Minimal (remember that I was going through a religion dilemma and to exacerbate matters, I was down with a bad flu), about a few hours of revision which started on Mon till Thursday.

Continual Assessment (40%): Very mediocre or even slightly below average. Very hard to discriminate good and poor students. Project was not that good.

Final Examination (60%): Hard for me to focus as I was quite sick. Not really in the mood as my grandfather was already warded in the hospital. Moreover, the religion dilemma. Seriously, why did I get myself into this mess? Not a good paper. In fact, it was my worst paper.

Overall Prediction: B (Fingers crossed on this)

BSP1005 Managerial Economics [03/12/2011]

Preparation: Not much. Kept visiting grandfather. Brought my mom to Tan Tock Seng Hospital Medical Centre for check up. Big religion dilemma continues. Was in hospital anxious over my grandfather going for a critical surgery the night before the paper.

Continual Assessment (40%): Difficult to discriminate among students again. Group project quite messed up (due to us getting a hard question). Group assignments was average only.

Final Exam (60%): The only exam that was completely manageable. Quite pleased despite minimal effort put in. Now hope for no careless mistakes as I only finished on the dot and didn't check the paper. But I did 'check as I do' as usual.

Overall Prediction: A- (the bell curve for this module is very, very steep as their papers are easy)

That's all for now.

Maria xxxxxxx

P.s. Glad my grandfather is feeling better. Hope his condition continues to improve.
P.s.s. I signed up for a full day interview workshop at school tomorrow. A bit 'sian'.

A Tough Time

2011-12-01T22:33:00.001+08:00

It's not easy for me to be writing this now. There are so many thoughts rushing through my head. I looked through so many sources these past couple of weeks. Could I possibly have been wrong all my life? Or have I always been right in this aspect but got lost recently and now it's time to go back? Or perhaps there is no one right answer. But again perhaps I must choose the answer that is closest to the right answer.

In this world, we cannot agree with everybody on everything. But we must certainly agree with ourselves. If not, we would be in a dilemma everyday! And that would be really tiring! It's not about the religion your parents belong to nor is it about the religion your friends belong to nor is it about the religion the majority of the people in your country or in the world belong to. It is about the religion you feel most comfortable in and can feel it in your daily life. Of course, not everyday would be a good day but my faith in God has shown me time and again how He helps me in my daily life, keeping me safe and happy. I know because I have experienced it and I can testify to it. It's not a matter of chance. One thing may happen by accident. But all good things that add up in my life are then certainly no more a game of probability or chance.

I don't know what will happen tomorrow. Whether is it cancer, sudden heart failure, sudden death or injury by accident, but I do know one thing. God has made plans for me. Jesus is here for me. He is beside me. He is behind me. He is also in front of me, acting as my compass. And a simple prayer to Mary makes a world of difference no matter what others may think. One can only understand when one truly embraces it and experience the love and calm it brings.

I may not understand my religion fully. I may not even understand the other myriad of religions well in the world as well. But I am confident of one thing, i.e. God works in mysterious ways. He reaches out to us differently. There may be different paths to Heaven and I'm not here to dispute that. Today and for the past many days, it is a time of deep self reflection.

Do all these dilemma come at a wrong time? It interfered with my Buisness Analytics exam revision last week and this week, it interfered with my Managerial Economics exam revision which is on this Sat. Actually there is no right or wrong time. Because I know that through this experience, I become stronger, I understand myself better and I grow up.

That being said, I'm pretty tired so I'm going to call it a night. Maybe I should read a bit of Economics lest I don't do well on Sat.

That's all for now.

Maria xxxxx

P.s. Drove my mom to Tan Tock Seng Medical Centre for check up today. Hope she feels better in the coming days.

P.s.s. I'll continue to pray to make a right decision for myself. Everyone is unique and will respond to God's call in a different way. So here I am Lord, is it I, Lord...

End of School Semester & MKT1003 & LSM1301

2011-11-20T11:21:00.001+08:00

So 1 semester is over, in the blink of an eye. It's quite fast yet it's been busy (painful) enough so I'm glad it has ended. So how did my first two examinations go? Let's find out.

MKT1003 - Principles of Marketing [18/11/2011]

Amount of preparation: Reading through textbook and notes. Tried a few past year papers; mostly just MCQs. Moderate effort (in view that my burn-out still exists from Nov 2010).

Continual Assessment (75%): Class Participation (30%) Okay. I did raise my hand and speak around 2 times each week. Oral presentation was fine too. Individual Assignment (15%) I got an A so that's good considering the amount of effort I put in. Project (20%) We got A for presentation, B for report and B overall. Disappointing but accepted. Subject Pool (10%) Everybody practically scored full marks for this component.

Examination (25%): Between easy and moderate, i.e. manageable. MCQs (worth 40 marks) easy. Short answered questions (60 marks) average.

Overall Prediction: A

LSM1301 - General Biology [19/11/2011]
Preparation: The bare minimum - reading through lecture notes, understanding concepts and remembering key ideas. Did some practice questions. Browse through textbook (which turned out to be quite interesting especially when it comes to bioethics).

Continual Assessment (40%): I attained 36.9%. Quite disappointing as I can guess there would be people with 40%. Consists of 5 practicals, museum visit quiz, 1 lecture quiz, 1 online assessment.

Final Examination (60%): 60 MCQs. A, B, C, D, E. Do or die. Don't know then use elimination, followed by luck. Judging from the atmosphere, most people found the paper manageable. I thought it was just average. I had 5 circles but that doesn't mean I'll score 55. I just hope to get above 45.

Overal Prediction: B+ (I'm considering S/U this module if I do get this grade and anything below)

That's all for now.

Maria xxxxx

P.s. Had dinner at Marche and watched Tintin IMAX 3D with E.H. yesterday. : ) Had a good time with her! : )

F.Y.I. S/U means instead of counting to your CAP (Cumulative Average Point), it just ends up being Satisfactory or Unsatisfactory.

Projects and More

2011-11-01T11:29:00.000+08:00

All right! My next project is to go to Zoukout 2011! Haha, just kidding. Actually, I'm not kidding but I'm still thinking about it.

Anyway, back to school stuff. Projects are all about to end which is both a good thing and a bad thing. It's good as that means I don't have to worry about reports and presentations anymore. However, that also means final exams are coming! I hope that everything will be fine and I will do well. But before that, I've got to start revising.

I can't wait for exams to end because then, I'll get freedom! : ) I want to meet up with all my friends, chill out and just have fun. : )

That's all for now.

Maria xxxxxx

P.s. Motivated! All the way! : )

Unbelievably Fast

2011-10-13T23:20:00.000+08:00

Yes, that is just how fast time passes. It feels as though it has been several months since I last saw my friends (whether from secondary school or JC). I feel like I'm caught in a whirlwind and if I'm not fast enough, I'd be blown away. Well, that statement probably makes as much sense of my state of mind right now, i.e. tired but ready to go all the way.

I made some pretty nice friends in school and I must say that my classmates are a really nice bunch of people. I am thankful for that because I know that it is not always easy to find people who genuinely care in Business School. After all, most of us are in it for the money and prestige in future and I certainly won't deny I am one of the them. So who are the 2 cool people I usually hang out with for lunch? They are Marlia and Siok Hui. I wonder if they remember to come and visit my blog. Haha.

I'd just shoot random ideas and opinions for now. We are wearing business attire rather frequently in Business School. Guess that's a given. I don't mind but it makes me feel as if I've started working. My confidence have improved a whole lot and I'm glad for that. I am now a more confident presenter and I enjoy interacting with many different and new people. I take part in different stuff for fun. Although the school passes the information on competitions, activities and events to us, it's pretty much our initiative to sign up for them. I am part of BizConnect Club, a networking club within Business School. I'm really glad that I made it into their Management Committee. I like being a leader. This is supposed to be a good thing until now. Why? I am or was the 'consolidator' or 'compiler' for most projects ranging from Biz Comm PowerPoint Slides and 2000 word Report, weekly Economics Assignments and a presentation, Biz Analytics Report and bi-weekly assigned presentations to a Marketing Report. As you can see, this is probably life in Business School. Project work, assignments and more project work. But remember, as they always say, it's not only academics that matter, your CCA must be there, your community service must be present, your internships must be there and you must continually improve and update your resume, search for opportunities (e.g. trading/investing competitions, business case competitions, student exchange programme, international summer programmes, etc.). Oh and I just remembered about General Biology! The content is heavy even though it would ultimately be an open book exam. But if you bring in your book/notes without studying, you would confirm fail. Don't even talk about getting a B. But I still hope for an A. So I got to start working on it soon. So that's about it. I'm tired. Exhausted.

I really want to meet up with my friends soon. Especially E.H.. It's been a long time since we chatted. Hmm, let's do something crazy the next time we meet. Then and again, with a crazily high friend like me, our meet-ups are always crazy in one way or another. Hahaha. Meanwhile, all these will remain as thoughts and possibilities until the exams are over. So I'll be optimistic and continue to strive for an exciting Uni life with a great CAP. : ) Then, I can catch up with my friends during December. : )

Can't wait to go to a classmate's 21st birthday party on Saturday evening. It's only 7 minute walk from my home so I feel lucky about it! Hahaha.

I should go to sleep as tomorrow would be another long day. So energised! I'll fight on to live the life I want several years from now! : )

That's all for now.

Maria xxxxxxx

P.s. It's kind of strange when my friends/acquaintances from other faculties are not learning how to write resume, networking skills, having frequent presentations and class participation, etc. I am glad I made this choice to come to Business School and my Business School has proved to be a great experience for me thus far. I'm not putting down any other schools. Just saying that mine rocks and my classmates are cool! : )

Recess Week

2011-09-27T21:14:00.000+08:00

Hi all, recess week is over in the blink of an eye! From CCA gathering to CSS dinner and gathering to project meetings at Orchard, NUS and those frequent SMS-es to studying for Economics Midterms to just trying to complete my work and do revision, here I am today.

There is the Dean's tea and award ceremony tomorrow. I'm rather looking forward to the reception after the event. Come on, let's admit the fact that most of the time, we just want the good food. Haha! I hope this week passes smoothly and fruitfully. There's quite a lot of things on my to-do list and I need to find time to complete them.

All right, back to chatting with my parents! : )

That's all for now.

Maria xxxxxx

Thought I'd Never Be Back?

2011-09-09T20:01:00.000+08:00

Well, you thought wrong because I'm now back!

The reason why I've not updated my blog in a month is due to the hectic university workload. While I only go to school on Mondays to Thursdays, I'm saddled with a huge pile of work to do, ranging from readings to assignments to projects! Yes, it's those dreaded projects!!!

I've made new friends and I'm glad to have nice classmates. I supported Dr Tan Cheng Bock during the Presidential Elections a couple of weeks ago. Of course, I am underage so I couldn't vote. But I did try my best to influence my parents' decisions and I succeeded! : ) Back to school stuff. I have to submit a written report draft next Wednesday and give a group presentation for Economics on next Monday. There are things going on every week so that's why I've been too busy to update my blog.

I don't know when is the next time I'll update but I certainly hope that I survive and ace this semester. After this semester, I have one month of holiday!!! Awesome! : )

That's all for now.

Maria xxxxxx

Updates and More Updates

2011-08-05T13:39:00.001+08:00

First things first, I want to say that I really enjoyed the great class outing despite only spending a couple of hours there with my ex-classmates. It was fun and I liked the catch-up I did with my friends.

Next up, bidding and CORS. Basically, this went terribly. I was out-bidded by some seniors on Tuesday and Thursday. Today, it is sort of like my last chance. So what would I be doing for my 5th module? Not Physics anymore. Not Political Science anymore. Guess what? It's General Biology, that is catered for students who did not take A Level Biology. Reviews said it was interesting and fun, though a few seniors gave it a thumbs down and said it was difficult. I guess it depends on the individual. Anyway, I thought I could run away from Science forever ever since I got into Business but I thought wrong.

Back to Tuesday! I had fun hanging out with Rach at Plaza Singapura (Lunch), followed by an intriguing gaming experience at St Games (The Cathay). : ) After that, we headed to the Singapore National Museum for a short tour around. It's nice, especially a standing on a "bridge" and looking at the different facets of Singaporeans' lives. It'd be etched in my memories. : ) I wished I went along to visit SCGS on Thursday but I was held back by the silly bidding. Seriously, if I do not get the supposedly one of the easiest to get module (General Biology), I would be really agitated, irritated and exasperated. Nevermind if they kind of mean the same.

I enjoyed watching Fist of Dragon and chatting over dinner with a friend yesterday. It's great to gain some insights when you talk to others. : )

That's it, people! The weekends are coming right up and let us cherish what we have left before university starts. Yes, before University starts. Once it officially commences, things would go into a whirlwind mode again.

That's all for now.

Maria xxxxxxx

P.s. The Singapore Stock Market is plummeting. : ( But let us see the silver lining in every bad situation. In this case, buy another lot and be ready for the eventual upswing! Haha!

P.s.s. I just touched up my resume and it's time to retire and spend time with my bolsters. : )

A Few Nice Things

2011-07-31T12:49:00.001+08:00

That happened. Yes, I know that's not a sentence but I don't really care right now.

I designed my own timetable format with a Final Fantasy X background. : ) Fridays are off days which means I don't need to go to school. Great!

Yesterday, I had my Taekwondo internal grading and today was my actual STF (Singapore Taekwondo Federation) grading. I tried my best and managed to convince the examiner to award me, together with two other adults, a double promotion.

Things are look up, I guess! : )

That's all for now.

Maria xxxxxxx

P.s. I need to now master all the requirements of yellow belt (2 patterns, kicking, basic hand techniques, basic combination techniques, one step sparring, etc.) in order to be internally promoted to green tip belt. After that, I'd focus on my studies and other school commitments.

P.s.s. As I've decided not to go for O week (poor health condition recently), I would be able to enjoy the rest of this week! On a side note, university starts on next Thursday (after National Day) and I'd be attending my first Economics lecture with 2 friends! But Econs is so... Yucks.

P.s.s.s. Let's go! : )

What Can Actually Happen In 7 Days?

2011-07-26T13:30:00.000+08:00

Many things can happen and did happen. Well, how should I even begin? Anyway, the whole idea is that I was sick and am still sick. Like really sick last week.

At 11.20 pm on July 24, Sunday, I suffered for more than 1.5 h. The stomach pain was so excruciating that I cannot describe in words. The worse bit is that it was intermittent. It came, dissipated and came back in full force again and again. Can't imagine the pain? Don't. My whole body was trembling and I was biting my shirt so very tightly. My palm gripped on to anything I could get hold off. Suddenly, after repeated ordeals, my soul seemed to be sucked out from me. I was getting delirious and started to lose my head. I wanted to stop living. My past didn't matter anymore. My future didn't matter anymore. My academics and goals didn't matter anymore. Even my life didn't matter anymore. If you were to give me $10 million in Singapore Currency to go through that dreadful 1.5 h of my life, I would not go through it again. Anyway, back to the pain. Midway, I tried to drink some water and eventually, I vomitted. Red stuff. Some of it were probably blood or maybe not. But seriously, at a time like that, who cared? Several minutes later, I took Hydrosil in my last attempt to expel the gas out of my stomach. I continued to endure the pain. At about 12.45 am, it all ended with Diarrhoea. So much water/fluid just came out. What kind of experience was that? My whole body was still trembling even when I hold on to my cup minutes after the ordeal. Need I say more?

This basically concludes that 2011 sucks a lot. From a horrible (or unpleasant in general) internship experience to stupid but necessary medical stuff to all kinds of sickness to a whole list of worries, I really detest this year. Oh wait, there are goooood things that happened too. Mr Ivan (One of my favourite teachers of all time) said we must always give a balanced argument. So... From an internship which taught me to grow up and be more assertive and vocal to the demonstration of determination and perseverance in finishing all that medical treatments to all the outings with family and friends to being able to find opportunities in difficulties (I'm a very resourceful person), I guess I must say this year is not too bad? Yeah, right, whatever.

Oh and I got to drive a lot around this year ever since I passed my driving test. Is that a good thing or a bad thing? Getting to know the roads of Singapore. I still have much to learn. Driving skill. Hey, it's not too bad except for assistance requried in real life parallel parking.

So what on earth can happen in 7 days? I got matriculated despite the fact that I was so ill and lost my voice. I slept a lot hoping to feel better.

Ok, decision time, what things would I like them to occur in the next 7 days? Why should I bother to think? After all, sickness kills every plan right?

Bottom line. I detest 2011. Maybe not the Harry Potter film and scholarship (if I am even able to keep it at the end of the year) but still, the year hasn't been great.

That's all for now.

Maria xxxxx

P.s. I'm fine. Just wanted to shoot the * out on how I feel.

Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows - Part 2

2011-07-19T16:57:00.000+08:00

The movie (in 3D) was simply awesome. It's so good and left me feeling emotional after watching it. I wish a real Hogwarts exist! Then, I'll run into the wall at Platform 9 3/4. : ) Thanks Eng Hong for the great time spent! You're a nice and understanding pal!

Er... Then after Taekwondo on the same day, my parents and I went to Clementi to try their famous satay. It tastes good and I ate about 6 sticks. From all the fried and oily food and durians in the recent week, I am now officially sick. The flu attack came so sudden and I didn't expect it at all!

Anyway, it's a pity I won't be going for the outing with Rach and Perv tomorrow. Sigh... It was all planned and then this happened. I hope to be alive and kicking by Thursday! Matriculation fair at NUS is coming up too. Great! : )

Quite a number of things have occurred recently and I hope to learn from my mistakes and be emotionally stronger. Basically, I want to be a better person to my parents. : )

That's all for now.

Maria xxxxx

P.s. Sore throat, go away! Fever, stay far! Haha! It's near dinner time though there would be no more fried food for days. Healthy eating is imperative. And so is healthy living! : )

Outing with Secondary School Pals

2011-07-13T20:25:00.000+08:00

Today, I headed to Clarke Quay with Georgina and Liyee. We ate at their famous Ba Kut Teh (Pork Ribs Soup) stall. It was indeed scrumptious and the soup tasted great (and peppery). We talked and talked some more. It was an enjoyable outing on the whole. I hope to catch up with them another time. Despite the rather short gathering, I'm glad to know that they're doing well. : )

All right! I think I'm going to be relaxing for the rest of the week. : )

That's all for now.

Maria xxxxxxx

P.s. Yawn... I just came home from visiting my Grandfather with my dad. My dad is a filial son who visits his father (and push him around the neighbourhood in the wheelchair) almost everyday without fail. I hope I can be a good daughter to my parents too when they grow older. : )

And So I Say...

2011-07-08T17:43:00.004+08:00

It wasn't that busy but there were a number of things happening this week. There was post-camp group gathering (Pink Dolphins!), Medical Check-up at NUS followed by window shopping and today's outing with Chelsea and Nadiah. Of course, there is Final Fantasy X too! I've been wanting to say that I really enjoy playing this game due to its immersive gameplay environment, captivating storyline and wonderful character developments. RPG games all the way! : )

Ta-da! I'm being so random and incoherent by not organising my thoughts properly but I won't be too bothered about it now. University is starting soon and there is still a to-do list to be fulfilled before I go for Bizad 'O' Week (Orientation Camp). In fact, I'm looking forward to the last day of camp which they would properly end with a ultra cool party! Hmm... I can't wait for Project X and Jam and Hop too! I hope I can find friends who are keen on all these energy-filled night activities. I am totally not a night owl but somehow I really fancy those spotlights and loud, crazy music in the background when I enter a club (which is only a few times thus far). Everyone, let's get high! Haha, enough of that for now!

I strive to organise my thoughts better in the next post. Now it's time to go on YouTube and listen to some cool songs.

That's all for now.

Maria xxxxxx

P.s. I learned more about the complexity of relationships (especially boy-girl ones) during today's meet-up with Chelsea and Nadiah. Indeed, I wonder how would my relationship be like if and when I do find that 'right' guy. Well, let's not think too much about that for now!

Back from Penang

2011-06-29T16:41:00.000+08:00

I came back from Penang last Wednesday night at about 11 pm. It was a rather enjoyable trip I had with my parents. There were lots of delectable food like chicken satay and durian. The corn cup there tasted great too. I guess I can say I feel joy when I'm with my parents. I use the word "joy" because I know happiness can come and go. For instance, when we quarrel, we get angry with one another. However, we know that ultimately there is true joy in our hearts when we are together.

Tomorrow, we would be sending my paternal grandfather's domestic worker off at the airport. It would be in the morning. I suddenly feel sad when I think about the years she has spent with our entire family. However, for personal reasons, she has decided to head back to the Philippines. I wish her all the best and hope that perhaps one day, our paths might cross again.

Next week is a rather busy and eventful week. I hope things go smoothly. I hope that I have a happy, enriching and academically strong semester ahead in University.

That's all for now.
Maria xxxxxx

P.s. There are many 'firsts' this year and I think there might be more to come. Nevertheless, let us press on and prepare ourselves for a wonderful year ahead! : )

NUS CSS FOC 2011

2011-06-17T15:22:00.002+08:00

The theme for this year's NUS Catholic Students' Society Freshmen Orientation Camp is "Refresh". Indeed, I feel refreshed after attending this 4 Days 3 Nights camp from Tuesday to Friday.

I think I'd leave the details out but I'd like to mention about the following things that touched my heart. I met sincere and caring people. I made new friends who are caring, friendly and fun-loving. We went through great and memorable experiences together which included sharing sessions, games, Mass and Reconciliation Night. Most importantly, I want to thank God for allowing me to grow closer to this religion and be touched (literally) by Jesus during Reconciliation Night. I break away from my stubborn inclination towards secularism and once again embraced the Catholic faith. While I may never be that perfect Christian, I just want to be someone who shares Christ's values with others. I don't mean outwardly promoting the religion. Instead, I hope to show love, respect, kindness and graciousness to people.

This is a competitive world but Lord, let me not lose myself and my humanity in the rat race. I still hope to be successful, give back to community and touch the lives of my brothers and sisters when the time comes. The journey won't be easy and there would be much temptation, so I hope I remain grounded and humble in the years to come.
Next up... Father's Day Celebration Dinner (for Paternal Grandpa) on Saturday evening and trip to Penang with parents on Monday morning!

That's all for now.
Maria xxxxxxxxx

P.s. Tired from camp... Lethargic. Exhausted. Yawn..... But.... I'm still feeling refreshed in the love of Christ.

Family Outings

2011-06-17T15:09:00.001+08:00

I would like to take this time to share about some great family outings that I had with my parents. In the past few weekends, we went to West Coast Park, Robertson Quay and VivoCity. While I would not write out in detail our beautiful moments together, I still would like to say that we had a fun time dining and walking around these places.

Moments like those become good memories which we would cherish in our hearts as time goes by.

That's all for now.

Maria xxxxxxx

An Exciting June

2011-06-03T18:43:00.004+08:00

I have done many novel things this year thus far. There are many first experiences this year and there are probably more to come. University is coming up and I wish to make good use of my time before it starts and when it starts. : )

Coming up events: Singapore Flyer, Meeting up with friends, NUS CSS FOC 2011, Trip to Penang, Meeting up with friends, NUS Medical Check up, NUS Matriculation Fair 2011, Bizad O Week and the list goes on.

There are probably more things happening in between but they are still tentative. So let's have a great June, stable and peaceful July and enriching August.

That's all for now.

Maria xxxxxx

P.s. : )

Things Are Looking Up

2011-05-24T13:41:00.000+08:00

Yes, up! : ) I'm feeling rather happy recently and I hope that the following months would be even better. I would share more when I feel that the time is apt.

Currently, I continue to read my newspapers daily and I am busy with different issues each day too. I spent time with both my maternal grandparents and paternal grandfather recently and I am glad that they are doing fine.

I won't be going for College Day this Saturday but I feel that I have done my former school proud anyway. There is NUS Business School Tea Session this Saturday afternoon too and I think I'd be heading there with a friend. : )

That's all for now.

Maria xxxxxxx

P.s. Hopefully, I'd be able to give a more comprehensive update in time to come. : )

I Drove!

2011-05-15T13:22:00.000+08:00

Thanks to my aunt! She's really nice to let me use her daughter's car (my cousin) to drive around Singapore earlier. I went on the expressway from Choa Chu Kang to Orchard and Marina, following which I went on the expressway again to NUS Business School. Then, I went to Boon Lay area and then I was headed for another expressway back to Choa Chu Kang. What a great and novel experience! : ) Gosh, it was indubitably exciting!

Can I finally convince my father to get me a secondhand car? Hopefully. If not, I may need to keep relying on my aunt for the car (A nice Suzuki Swift).

That's all for now.

Maria xxxxxxxx

P.s. I'm feeling really exhilarated now! : ) And tired too... I still am a safe driver but this time round, I drove about 80 km/h to 90 km/h on the expressways. : )

Universal Studios Singapore Revisit

2011-05-10T22:13:00.003+08:00

I went there today with my dad. It was a pleasant trip which felt rather enjoyable. The only downside was my dad forcing me to take the rollercoaster Battlestar Galatica Human ride. I think I hurled my expletives throughout the entire ride. After the ride, I was still traumatised and my whole body kept shaking and I can't even walk properly. In fact, I walked as if I had drunk 3 cans of beer. My hands were trembling even after 20 minutes. I guess this is a joke to most people. But hey, I tell all of you now that I simply hate roller coasters. Yes, I am scared of them (excluding the mini ones).

Well, I bought Gingy the Gingerbread Man (soft toy). That made me happy. The food at Goldilocks Fried Chicken was good. That made me happy.

So all in all, you could say that I had a memorable and fun-filled trip with my dad.

That's all for now.

Maria xxxxx

P.s. Many things happened today and they leave me unhappy. I don't wish to talk about them in this post.

A Successful Driving Test and Other Happenings

2011-05-09T20:54:00.003+08:00

I passed my Traffic Police Practical Test! I did relatively all right and performed well within the circuit. Parallel parking and vertical parking were great. Now I hope I can do so outside the circuit too. I am now quite used to driving a car with manual transmission. I feel so elated and exhilarated about passing my driving test. This is awesome. This is wonderful. This is simply great! : )

I'm heading to Universal World Studios with my dad tomorrow. I hope we have lots of fun! : )

We celebrated my success at Jack's Place Restaurant earlier in the evening. The dinner was scrumptious. Grilled boneless chicken. Yummy! : )

All right, my thoughts are pretty incoherent right now and they are flying around my head. I don't think I'm getting my dad to buy me a secondhand car, or rather, he is not in favour of buying me one. If I had attained a scholarship, my bargaining power would be much greater. But it is fine, my dad still intends to let me rent car to hone my driving skills. : )

That's all for now.

Maria xxxxxxxx

P.s. On Saturday, I learned that I passed my taekwondo grading and I'm now a yellow tip/stripe.

P.s.s. The tester said I was a safe driver though he commented that I was driving a little too slow due to my nervousness.

P.s.s.s. Now, shall we go back to what I did early in January? Yes, I started to overcome my fear of swimming though I think it is now back. I hope to permanently conquer this fear before school starts.

P.s.s.s.s. I'm going to drink coca cola tomorrow as it tasted quite good the last time I went to the theme park with EH (last year).

Drama and Life

2011-04-25T23:11:00.001+08:00

For the past few months, I have watched a range of Korean dramas together with my parents. I find that each storyline is refreshing, the acting is awesome, the script is great and the drama series to be captivating. Yes, you may say I'm really into Korean dramas these days. Currently, I'm watching Dong Yi. It is drama with a beautiful and rich story.

Dramas teach us positive values at times. For instance, it may remind us about the plight of the less fortunate in society and how we can try to help them. Dramas also mirror the dilemmas and challenges we face in real life.

I hope this week would be smooth and good. : )

That's all for now.

Maria xxxxxx

A Failed Attempt

2011-04-14T18:02:00.000+08:00

Yes, I attained 14 points and 1 immediate failure. The immediate failure caused me to fail. If not for it, I would have passed. However, I admit that it was my fault and partly due to the horrendous weather. I do not feel like talking about it anymore. Thank goodness this is not the 'A' Level exams. Any failure pertaining to that would be many, many times more painful. I hope to do well in my next driving test, which is 25 days from now.

That's all for now.

Maria xxxx

P.s. Time for dinner.

What Happens These Days

2011-04-12T20:30:00.001+08:00

It has been quite some time since I last updated my blog. It is not because nothing much has happened but rather, I do not feel that I want to note down what has happened these days. In fact, my mind is now in a blank as I think back what I have gone through for the past few weeks since I came back from South Korea.

I was certainly busy doing this and that which I would choose not to elaborate. As for universities and courses, I am currently offered a place to study business at both NUS and SMU. NUS accepted me first for the matter. As for scholarship matters, let us just say my applications were rejected by two private organisations which I applied to. As for university scholarships, I am unlikely to get any too.

My driving test is on Thursday. The thought of the possibility of failing just scares me and makes my heart pulsate. Seriously, am I going to do something careless like striking of kerb or worse, mounting it? I certainly hope not and I have my fingers crossed. Well, then and again, if my fingers were crossed, I can't drive, can I? I'll just try my best. That is the bottom line.

Tomorrow is a rest day. I would hopefully exercise, clear up the mess on the table and familiarise myself with the test routes. Of course, I would read my Straits Times like I do everyday.

Have a good night/day people! : )

That's all for now.

Maria xxxxxx

P.s. Yawn... It's been a long day. Again.

Allure of Korea

2011-03-26T21:37:00.001+08:00

6 days and 4 nights. 1 day is for flying over to South Korea from Singapore on Sunday night. That is how long I have left Singapore for a holiday with my parents in South Korea (20th to 25th March 2011). I think it was a pretty good trip and I thoroughly enjoyed myself. For now, I would like to give a brief overview of my entire experience.

Day 2. 안녕하세요! I arrived in Korea early in the morning with my parents. Incheon International Airport is the World's best airport and I guess I cannot dispute the fact. However, I think Singapore's Changi Airport is great too. Anyway, our 17 member group met our tour guide, Li Ying, who started us on this beautiful journey in Korea. To kick start the tour, we visited Wolmido Gull Ship first to feed the seagulls. I didn't know what to expect and thought that the seagulls are going to grab the food in my hands. Soon, I realised that we need to throw the food in their direction and they would swoop over to eat it. Cool! It was chilly even though it was early spring. Then, we headed down to Everland which is Korea's popular theme park. The service there was awesome and made us feel extremely welcomed. I would not forget the cheerful faces and enthusiastic greetings of the staff at Everland. This good service lasted throughout my trip in Korea be it whether in Burger King or all the various shops I patronised. Wait, let me go back to my story in Day 1. After visiting Everland, we had dinner at a rather rural or sub-urban area. It was a typical Korean meal with rice, soup and side dishes. I guess it tasted all right. Not too fantastic but it was not that bad either. This is true for all my meals in Korea. Then, we headed to Sorak Daemyung Resort for a night's rest. Guess what? There was no mattress/bed. Instead, we slept a thick blanket and was covered by a blanket. It is quite hard to describe but just visualise yourself as being the ham in the hamburger. The pillow was hard. Really hard and small too. So I used another blanket and folded it to make it play the role of a pillow. Then, I yawn and slept after a while.

Day 3. I woke up to see that it was snowing outside. Oh my gosh, it was snowing in spring. Well, welcome ot Korea, where it is possible to snow at this time in certain areas closer to the North. The weather was cold and we had to wear the necessary winter wear. So I began the day by having breakfast with my tour group. There was both Korean and American breakfast. All right, let us fast forward and soon we were at Mt. Sorak National Park. It was a beautiful and captivating sight. I really love the scenery there. I made snowballs and threw them at my parents too. Gosh, I loved making snowballs and aiming at them. : ) We visited Shinheungsa Temple too. The infrastructure had an "ancient" like feeling and it was an eye-opener. After that, we took the cable car all the way to the top of the mountain too. The feeling was great when we were at the top. At this point, I want to say again that it was freezing cold! After lunch, we went to the Teddy Bear Farm and there were many nice teddy bears around. I took pictures with them and at them. It was a pleasant experience. Then, we went to Jeongdongjin Train Station to take a train (1 stop). It was a novel experience and the seats which face one direction can be turned to face the opposite direction. Let me share a funny incident which I can't seem to forget. Li Ying told my dad he could turn his set of chairs to face my mom and me. My dad said, "No need. Seen enough already." I kept laughing as it was directed towards my mom and then Li Ying laughed too. Haha. Anyway, it was soon time for dinner and our next accommodation for the night is at Oak Valley Resort. It was the same "hamburger" night with regard to the sleeping.

Day 4. It was even colder this morning even without the snow! I started to shake as I made my way from the bus/coach to the breakfast point. Cold, cold and very cold. We started the day by making Kimchi which would be eaten by children at the orphanage or elderly at the old folks home in the future. I put a lot of effort into making it as I hoped they would be happy when they eat the Kimchi I made. I am glad I could do something for them to brighten up their day. Next up is some photo taking where I wore a Hanbok which is a traditional Korean costume. Then, we headed to the fruit farm to pick some strawberries. After that, we proceeded to Aqua World for the hot spring. My mom did not go for it but my dad and I went for the hot spring. It felt good and I had a good time with the other ladies in the tour group. After that, we went to a beauty academy to learn how to manage our face (cleanser, peeler, toner, sunblock, moisturiser, etc.) Then, we headed to Dongdaemun Market and Insadong, both of which are shopping districts. However, I did not really like the shops over there. The day ended with dinner (ginseng chicken) at Best Western Premier Seoul Garden Hotel. Seoul Garden Hotel is a 5-star hotel and it lives up to its name. The room was a little small though. Finally, we had a mattress to lie on!

Day 5. We headed out to some Chinese restaurant for our breakfast. I did not find it palatable at all but it was nevertheless edible. We went to Ginseng Monopoly Showroom, National Folk Museum and Gyeongbok Palace today. The sightseeing was okay, though a little marred by the coldness of the weather. I shall not elaborate more because it is the typical sightseeing stuff. Then, after lunch, we went to a cosmetic duty free shop and Myeongdong. Myeongdong is another shopping district. I like this place and I would go there again for shopping! : ) After that, we went for the NANTA show. It was a bit of dancing and skill show. It is not easy for me to describe it and one can only truly experience and understand it only after watching it. The tour ended at the hotel today excluding dinner. My dad and I went up to our room to bring my mom along for dinner. She did not join us for the tour today as she was not feeling well. Dinner was at a nearby Western restaurant in Korean style. It was a very cosy and beautiful place. Moreover, it allowed us to take refuge from the rain outside. I enjoyed myself at the restaurant. It was, needless to say, good service as usual. I watched a nice English drama on legal and medical issues before going to bed. It was on AXN and it left an impact on me. Compassion and courage. They are important.

Day 6. The last day has finally arrived. We had breakfast on board a ship. It was quite a good one with a variety of choices. After that, we headed to a shop selling liver tonic followed by an amethyst factory. I can't really remember the order of visit except for the fact that none of us purchased anything from the two stores. Then, we headed to Shinchon Women Street which sold mostly women stuff ranging from apparel to accessories. I bought a few things here and there. I had a rather good time there. Oh, my parents and I ventured off to a nearby university called Ewha Womans University. Yes, only girls study there. : ) There are a few boys hanging around who I presume are waiting for their girlfriends. It is quite a nice university with beautiful scenery and infrastructure. Soon, it was time to leave Seoul for Incheon International Airport. Before we left, we bid farewell to our nice tour guide, photographer and bus driver. My parents and I took a picture with Li Ying and Mr Hong (photographer) before saying goodbye to them. Well, it is quite sad thinking back but let me put it this way. If it is fated that we will meet again, we will. After all, I am going back to Korea one of these days. Before I continue, I must add that I am really glad to have Li Ying as a tour guide. She is a really good, sincere, caring, honest and funny one. I like how she share with us the history and various aspects of South Korea as well as her personal anecdotes. It was interesting to hear about her family and her experiences in life. She told us that love and trust are important values which we must hold on to. I agree and I wish her well in the future. 감사합니다. 안녕히 가세요.

I had an enjoyable trip and I hope to be back soon.

That is all for now.

Maria xxxxxxxx

P.s. Exhaustion and fatigue kicks in. Time to rest.

Release of GCE A Level Results and Life

2011-03-07T13:57:00.000+08:00

Life goes on. I guess most already know my grades. But being who I am, I would just release my results here just as I have done so for the past few years. I have done quite well. I attained 6 'A's and 1 'B'. 6 'A's for Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics and Economics at H2 level and General Paper and Chinese at H1 level. The only B is for General Paper. I know I am supposed to be happy but nevertheless I cried so very painfully on Saturday night. Gosh, I even thought of retaking the GP exam because I knew I would attain an A. After all, I feel that I deserve it. Eventually, I decided that life has to go on and I have so many things that I want to do. Thus, I would not be changing that disastrous B to an A anymore because in my heart (after I write a timed P1 essay on Sunday morning), I had attained an A. So there, end of story with regard to my results.

Right now, I am pretty sure where I want to go in life. I would be happy getting into either one of my choices. Do not ask me what my choices are as of yet. I would rather apply, attain it and then talk about it. But I guess one thing is for sure. There is no way I am becoming a teacher because I do not enjoy teaching. So please, I beg of everyone (I hardly beg), stop asking me if I am becoming a teacher.

The Internship experience is coming to an end. In the subsequent months, I would be enjoying my life, picking up new skills and maybe do a little work (only if I am bored). I am still burned out after A Levels. Don't look at me and think there is something wrong because it has been extremely excruciating getting those almost straight 'A's results since J1 Mid-Year Examination. So I officially tell everyone out there that I do not want to have anything to do with those subjects I take in the months to come.

Well, that being said, I am trying to enjoy life now while balancing it with scholarship and university applications and future tests and interviews. All the best to me and my pals who are trying to take the first major step in realising our dreams in life.

That's all for now.

Maria xxxxxx

P.s. I am tired... Yawn.

Physics and Other Things

2011-02-22T14:59:00.000+08:00

Okay, so I'm not that creative when coming up with titles for my entry. Anyway, I enjoyed teaching Physics today because the students told me that they find my explanation clear and that they understand what is going on. I am really glad to hear that and this motivates me to take my teaching of Physics to a higher level. : )

The next thing on my mind is GCE A Level results, university admission, university courses and scholarships. Hmm, let us see how it goes then. But I am really excited yet nervous. My fingers are crossed and I hope for the best while preparing for the worst. I can't say, "Wish me luck." The fact is that the grades have all been determined and the certificates and result slips have all been printed. So the element of luck should not matter anymore. Hmm...

My birthday is coming! : ) Thursday! Yay! I can't wait to eat my birthday cake and hopefully do something fun too! ; )

That's all for now.

Maria xxxxxx

P.s. I talked to a student's father yesterday about her defiant and aggressive behaviour. I am glad I dared to voice out how victimised I was by his daughter. I am also touched by his sincere apology on behalf of his daughter. I do not understand why she chooses to behave like that but I can only hope that she changes for the better.

Life goes on

2011-02-15T13:03:00.001+08:00

CNY holidays are over. Life goes on as per normal. I have been really busy for the past week and this week is going to be no different. Yet I'm happy for most of the commitments I have. I don't think I'll elaborate why I have been busy as it will just take up too much time.

I wish March Holidays would come soon. It's imminent. Well, there are 24 more days till my internship ends. If we take away the weekends, it means that there are only 18 more days of teaching. In case you are unaware, observing Normal Technical/Academic lessons feels really bad. You just here expletives hurled all over and watch students go wild. I guess we could say this is an intractable issue. On my part, I kind of have enough. Yet I have committed myself to 1 Term in school. As I value commitment and pride myself as a responsible individual, I shall go on with this.

Hmm... If we talk about days till GCE A Level results are out, it is around 17 more days. Aren't we all excited about it? Hahaha. I think I don't sound excited of all. To me, it feels as though I have finished the exams years ago and everything that happened in JC now feels so surreal. The only thing which makes me feel somewhat nostalgic is Mr Ivan's GP lessons. I really miss those days.

Well, I am really living quite good right now. I enjoy my weekends. There is family, fun, games, sports, driving, friends and other activities. Anyway, I hope to have a good week ahead.

Maria xxxxx
P.s. I hope the weekend comes soon! : )

Chinese New Year 2011

2011-02-07T08:37:00.000+08:00

It was a blast! Well, it was not that bad at all! In fact, it was great! The sequence of events is illustrated in the subsequent paragraphs.

First Day: Church, visiting maternal grandparents, visiting paternal grandfather, lunch, playing Final Fantasy X, visiting maternal side relatives for dinner, drinking with cousins, aunt and dad at Timbre at Old School.

Second Day: Lunch at paternal grandfather's home, playing a bit of Final Fantasy X, visiting E.H.'s home, dinner followed with clubbing with E.H. at Zirca.

Third Day: Trip to JB with dad, lunch and shopping

Fourth Day: Church, lunch, shopping for chairs with parents, playing Final Fantasy X, dinner, walk with dad to Yew Tee and back to Choa Chu Kang (It was rather tiring.)

Well, it's now Monday again. If you're wondering why I've been playing quite a bit of Final Fantasy X, the reason is that it is a great game and it is a shame I haven't completed or played it for the past 4 or 5 years. Thus, I have a goal before entering University which is to finish all my games. This includes Final Fantasy VIII, X, X-2 and Bully. In addition, I aim to built up my fitness level during the several months too. Moreover, I hope to learn new skills and/or try out novel things in that period too. Lastly, I just want to feel that I have all the time to do what I want and I want to keep it this way even in University and in my career subsequently in life. There is more to life than getting excellent grades. So I will just stick to attaining good grades. After all, in almost 90% of the time, studying a third or fourth round for a test or exam is just being 'kiasu' and I would have still gotten the same marks/grades even without the extra revision.

I worked harder than I played for the past two years and I do not believe it is fair. Hence, I strive to work hard and play equally hard in this year. Wish me all the best and I'll let you know how things go again.

That's all for now.

Maria xxxxxx

A Pleasant Start for this Week

2011-01-31T13:35:00.000+08:00

I helped and showed concern for a middle-aged women in the morning today as I walked out of the lift with her. She told me, "谢谢你，你真是一个好人." In addition, she repeated it again. Her words left me dumbfounded yet a little shy too. My act of kindness was small (waiting for her to get the bicycle out and telling her to ride safely as it was raining). Hmm... This is quite a strange feeling and I think my actions are rather out of character too. Personally, I've never seen myself as someone who expresses my feelings a lot and I'm more of "actions" than "words" when it comes to showing concern for others. Oh well, I guess it's good that I can show such active concern for a stranger today. I'm glad it happened. : )

I had a busy weekend again. Yes, every weekend is busy for me. But I like it the way it is. However, I must admit that I yearn for the day I pass my driving test. I cannot stand manual transmission yet I don't have a big problem with it or anything like that. At times, I even feel professional when I keep changing the gears up and down. Anyway, something good entails if I pass the test (hopefully in March/April). Hahaha. : )

Yes! Chinese New Year is coming! Awesome! I can chill out and do things that make me happy. In any case, I do things that make me happy often but during longer holidays like CNY, I just do even more things that leave me elated. I'm exhilarated, are you?

That's all for now.

Maria xxxxxx

P.s. Fight for it and don't give up your dreams. You will succeed eventually. You just have to believe that. I dream of success, happiness and good health (that includes a good 2.4 km run timing). What about you? Remember, fight for it and don't always wait for things to happen. Chances are, they won't. Go get it! : )

Time for an Update

2011-01-27T14:37:00.000+08:00

Perhaps it is best for me to not mention about my school life anymore. Sure there are ups which include students greeting you, students being respectful and grateful when you help them and funny students who put a smile on you face. But there are some at the other end of the spectrum being defiant and all. The worst thing was that I was with a relief teacher in a class yesterday and I was both physically and verbally abused by this girl who behavior was akin to the way a gangster behave. I tried to talked to her but it only got worse. To exacerbate matters, the class was already rowdy and there was certainly no proper behavior. Forget it, I don't want to rub shoulders with such a teenager. There is no way I would complain. If you know me well enough, you know that I'm not nice to mess with but I'm more action than words when I'm angry. Hence, I rationally deduce that I should not say or do anything in this situation.

So lessons apart, I seem to be busy with my personal life too. Maybe I asked for it in terms of the volume of commitment to various things. But to be honest, it's all going to be over soon and if I want things to end well, I should just persevere. This pertains to my time in school, driving matters, etc.

On a lighter note, Chinese New Year is going to arrive and I'm happy that I can finally have some free time to do what I want. It'd better stop raining in the evening. I strongly dislike the rain. It deprives me of my right to exercise. I hate being unfit. Again, if you know me well enough, you'd know that I value physical fitness to a substantial extent. Yet I can only look at my deplorable physical fitness level now and sigh.

Okay, I will stop complaining. I hope things get better.

That's all for now.

Maria xxxxx

My First Week in School

2011-01-16T15:40:00.000+08:00

It was all right. I met nice interns, Cheryl and Jingyi. I am supervised by good and sincere teachers. The only downside to all of these is the proximity of the school from my home. It takes 45 minutes to reach there without peak hour. It escalates to an hour during peak hour. Hmm... The thing is that the school isn't really accessible to begin with. Oh well, let me just zoom into what happened. I was not given much work but I saw all sort of things. The next part of my post will just contain the random stuff that I had experienced in school this week.

Students bowing to me as I walk around school. Students greeting me. Students quarreling with each other. Students hurling vulgarities at one another. A student holding a pair of scissors threatening her classmate. Students talking back to teachers. Students engaged in bullying and being bullied physically and verbally. Students running all over the place in an attempt to have a great CCA open house. Parents watching their children perform during CCA open house. Students who ask me questions in class. Students eager to learn. Students. Yes, I guess they are the most important focus for the school.

I have an ultra busy weekend too. I'm heading out in half an hour when I just reached home 20 minutes ago. Tired? Indubitably so. All right. Charge up for the next part of the day. : )

That's all for now.

Maria xxxxxx

P.s. Decisions. Decisions. I know what I want. Lord, give me strength. Amen.

Happy New Year 2011

2011-01-08T10:27:00.000+08:00

Okay... This is a little bit late! I've been pretty overwhelmed with things lately. So the new year came and there was the usual family gathering. So this happened and that happened and finally it's Saturday again. : )

Oh my! I'm so good at summarising what happened! Kidding. So let me try harder. Events that happened: Spending time with my parents, family (relatives) gathering, driving lessons, teaching internship training, final theory test, lunch with newly made friends, discussion over lunch with (key personnel) the secondary school I'm posted to. Today, I'm going to be doing facial for the first time in my life. I've gone for massages but have never tried facial. Maybe it's because I never had the time to do it. Then, I'm having something in the evening as well. I'm spending time with my parents again. Yay! This is because I spend most of my Nov/Dec holidays with my friends so I thought it would be good to be hanging out with my parents. Tomorrow is Church and driving lessons again.

Oh, I forgot to mention that we went shopping for weird stuff last week. For example, a casement air-conditioner for my new room, a dressing table with mirror for my new room, a new water heater for my old toilet, a bed frame for my new room. I think I'm good at spending, just like I'm good at Elementary Mathematics. Haha! I figure out that E Math is the only subject I like best in my life because I don't need to put in much effort and I always achieve high marks. : ) I'm being random. Anyway, I'd be observing then teaching Physics and Chemistry at the secondary school. Gosh, I should have just chosen Physics and Math. Oh well, never mind! : )

Oh, so there are New Year Resolutions which I have made. But I won't share it here because the experts say that I reduce my chances of succeeding if I let people know. Also, things are clearer now for me. I only hope that my results in March can help me realise my goals/dreams. I dream to be successful. Yes, it has always been that word. However, over the last few years, my definition of "success" has changed way too many times. Well, it's more or less there now.

Stick to the end. When you make a decision, stick to the end. This is because when you have decided to make that decision, you have considered the pros and cons and have decided to fervently pursue that goal. So that is why you have to stick to the end. I'm saying this to myself as I do not want to keep being that girl who is a Jack of all trades and master of none. I don't want to be the girl who tried archery, bowling, shooting, running, piano, guitar, roller skating, soccer, cycling and other activities only to be better than the average person yet do not continue to become a pro at any of them. But I guess that is just me. Sometimes, I understand that I'm the sort who wants to have a hand in everything. Okay. But this canNOT happen for my academics and career. Once I choose the course to take in University later this year, I will not change anymore. I will stick to the end. If not, it is not success I am pursuing but it is failure instead. So I must choose success over failure.

Stay healthy, people! With health comes energy to do things that we hope to do! So take good care of your health!

That's all for now.

Maria xxxxxx

P.s. Hmm... I wonder how does trying two new things in a day would feel. Well, I hope today is a good day.

Time Flies

2010-12-30T20:39:00.000+08:00

It is almost the end of year 2010. In brief, I have been rather busy the past few days doing different things. Well, Christmas lunch with my paternal side relatives turned out to be all right and I rested at home for the rest of the day. So now let us zoom to the present day.

Today, I was learning to drive as usual. It's good that I had an observant instructor for today as he managed to point out all the mistakes I was making and areas for improvement. I certainly learned much today.

After that, I met my father at our club house, HomeTeam NS. I went there today with one sole mission. I visualised myself carrying out that successful mission last night before I slept. I kept on telling myself today that it is within my control to undo this fear inside me for the past 12 years. Maria, it's now or never. Let us make it a good end to 2010. This mission of mine seemed to be almost impossible to execute. Why? In my whole life, I have only overcame it once a few years back. But fear came back and conquered me. Besides, I had so much training and practice back then. Now, after 2 years of JC and hardly, if any, contact with it, how can I expect myself to suddenly be calm and overcome this fear once and for all? But my success today is an apt illustration of how mind over matter works. I believed that I can do it. This belief in myself was so strong. And I did it. I did it. Pure exhilaration and joy surrounded me. It has been 12 years. I hope this mission is permanently complete and I will embrace this for the rest of my life. No more fear as I bid goodbye to 2010.

If you're wondering what I'm talking about..... Well, do ask me personally the next time you see me. : ) Or maybe I would write about it again in time to come.

That's all for now.

Maria xxxxxxx

P.s. Days like that don't come by everyday. Success through believing in oneself and overcoming one's fear feels so good. It just feels so good. : )

Christmas Party with S25 and Flu

2010-12-24T17:35:00.000+08:00

What a sad way to start this post. Okay, let me start off with the good things that happened yesterday. I managed to feel well enough to attend the Christmas Party at Zandra's home for a few hours. I had fun playing Monopoly Deal and interacting with my classmates. : ) Oh and I was super happy when I opened my gift and saw that Cheong Tat had given me a Care Bear and Doraemon pen! Hehe, the girls must have given him a hint! : )

Oh and then disaster struck when I reached home later. Flu. My nose and throat killed me. Sigh... There is not one day in December that I relaxed at home in serenity. This is unless you count the day where I spent 7 hours painting my room and had much muscle ache for the subsequent few days. So there, I have finally and sadly fallen ill.

I was slightly better in the morning today. I had a buffet lunch at Concorde Hotel with my parents. : ) It turned out that my suggestion a couple of weeks earlier was a good one!

Then another disaster strike. My flu has escalated in terms of its severity. I guess it will be an early night for me today (though I just woke up from a 2 hour nap) and a quiet Christmas for me tomorrow.

Sigh... Okay, this is life. Ups and downs.

That's all for now.

Maria xxxxx

P.s. As of my second lesson, I can start and stop the car. I can turn around bends, round and round the circuit. I can change from 1st gear to the 2nd gear. Okay, I can't wait to go to higher gears next lesson. : ) Maybe this is what makes Manual more fun and much more challenging than Auto transmission. But it is going to take a longer time to master.

KL Trip

2010-12-23T11:59:00.000+08:00

My trip to KL with my parents from 18th to 20th Dec was fine. It made me feel exhausted, though. Yes, it was shopping, shopping and more shopping for my clothes and shoes. I still feel tired. Oh, the massage was not bad too. Overall, I enjoyed myself there.

I've been busy the past few days. I've been tired ever since exams were over. This is an irony but it is the truth. I've been having a cold which goes on and off. So I have to trim down on my activities. Maybe I should take a nap for now.

Maria xxxxx

P.s. I like things to progress. I get bored doing the same thing again and again.

Sentosa Beach Outing

2010-12-17T21:46:00.000+08:00

I went to Siloso Beach with Liyee, Georgina and 3 of Liyee's friends yesterday. It was a fun outing as we flew kites, walked on the sandy beach, played games and chatted with one another. Indeed, it has been two years since I last since the both of them. I am really glad to be able to catch up with them after such a long time. It is great that they're doing fine too. : )

Well, I had something on again today and so it was another busy day for me. By the way, I would be flying off early tomorrow morning to KL with my parents for a short trip. I hope to buy all the stuff that I need. : )

That's all for now.

Maria xxxxxx

P.s. Relax and try to calm down. Stay focused and you'll be all right. You can do it, Maria.

Universal Studios Singapore

2010-12-15T20:02:00.000+08:00

I had a great time with Eng Hong yesterday! Gosh, it was a fun day indeed! Well, there were the rides, the shops, the food, the sightseeing and of course, the great company!

Hmm... Maybe I should leave out the details or maybe I could just ride down random stuff that come to my mind. I like hanging out with E.H. and she's cool, just like me! That is a compliment. Haha. I'm so looking forward to the things we plan to do. Well, I think Canopy Flyer is such a great ride. I had lots of fun just "flying" in it. It is a mild roller coaster. The Jurassic Park Rapids Adventure ride was not bad too. Shrek 4D is good as ever (same as the one in US). The fried chicken for lunch was palatable. The dinner was great too! To sum it all up, it was an awesome day and I hope to see E.H. soon and have more fun the next time! : )

My legs still hurt from the painting and yesterday's outing. Sigh, I still had to go out for something earlier. Well, it's picnic time tomorrow so I hope I recover in time! I'm looking forward to another great day tomorrow.

That's all for now.

Maria xxxxxxx (for yesterday)

P.s. I will upload the photos on Facebook. Soooooon!

Non-stop Painting

2010-12-13T18:12:00.000+08:00

Can you imagine yourself painting a room by yourself about 6.5 hours? If you can't, it is all right. One cannot understand the amount of pain I am in right now unless you've ever been given a room to paint. It was physical and mental torture. Well, the only plus point of today is that I have a ocean sky blue room now. For the rest of it, let me just say I don't want to remember that today ever existed. I feel so dead right now. Am I still alive?

On a different note, I'm going to go check my weight now. Maybe I've lost weight from this traumatic experience.

That's all for now.

Maria xxxxx

P.s. Pain, pain and pain. Argh.

Rock Climbing

2010-12-12T18:01:00.000+08:00

I went rock climbing with Rachel on Saturday and it was fun! : ) Okay, maybe fun is not the best word so let us say that I enjoyed the challenge and felt accomplished. That is the thing about rock climbing which makes it rock. Haha. After that, we head out for lunch, had a good chat, hanged out at Timezone and walked around City Square Mall. Yeah, it was a great day. The downside is that my cold is not completely treated and I still need to rest more.

Sunday. Well, you know, the usual family and Church day. : ) I went out again in the afternoon for something. Right now, I just feel exhausted after ironing my pail of clothes. Yes, it filled to the brim of the pail. Haha.

Okay, I look forward to a healthy, exciting and fun week ahead.

Maria xxxxx

P.s. I wonder what I should eat of dinner soon. : )

Variety

2010-12-10T19:14:00.001+08:00

Sometimes, I think that it is just so hard to think of an apt title for each post. Well, I did a variety of things on Wednesday and Thursday.

Wednesday. I went with my mom to visit my maternal grandmother. Wow, a range of topics was brought up and I listened to their conversation attentively. I mean, I tried to but I am not able to understand the dialect well. Anyway, after that, I went to Macs to have lunch and waited for Chelsea. I helped her with Math for about 2 hours and we chatted too. AP/GP. Can you believe that I actually remembered how to do this crap? Anyway, it's probably goodbye and good riddance to all these damn subjects or maybe Economics may still be useful in the long run. After all, it is the most relevant thing in the real world out there. Oh well, go ahead and dispute it. It's just my opinion. For the rest of the afternoon, I read my nice and engaging novel, House Rules, which I reserved and borrowed from the library a week ago.

Thursday. I went out with my younger cousin, Grace. It turned out to be a pretty good outing after all. She did not insult or ridicule me as much as I thought she would. So, yeah, that is good. She seemed to be somewhat troubled these days, though. But I guess we all go through this phase as we mature into the realm of adolescence before taking a great step towards adulthood. In the evening, I had something on again. I felt so tired already. Anyway, at 10 pm, I checked my email and found out that my interview had been successful. So I'd be in a secondary school for term 1 next year then. I have mixed feelings actually. I'm pleased because there are some interviews which you just cannot mess up. So this is my first step of confidence. I'm pleased because I'd get paid for my work next year (though it's a meagre sum). However, that being said, I'm generally not too hyped up about the fact that I'm teaching either Physics or Chemistry next year. Do not, for goodness sake, tell me that secondary school Science is easy. It's somewhat different from JC and I've forgotten most of it already. So I'm damn pissed that I have to waste my time reading through again. I think this is such a bloody waste of my time. But what can I do? It's too bad that a few months ago I was crazy enough to think that I wanted to have anything to do with academics after the rigorous and energy draining A Levels. To be honest, I want nothing to do with the Sciences and Math right now and maybe, even for the rest of my life.

Today was a rather peaceful day for me and I get to finish reading my novel without being distracted (by spring cleaning) too much. Ah... I just like the feeling of lying on the bed to rest. I mean, seriously speaking, this is my holiday. I'm entitled to relax and just have pure fun. Yet, reality strikes and I better stay focused on my goals and for once, I hope to be decisive, determined and daring to take that big step I once dreamed to take. Because I can do it.

That's all for now.

Maria xxxxx

P.s. I just found out that my mom threw away my sports shoes (the grey ones I always wore to school). How great. And I happened to be rock climbing with my friend tomorrow.

Surprisingly Busy

2010-12-07T17:17:00.000+08:00

I like the fact that I go out everyday. But I certainly do not fancy the fact that I am currently not in the pink of health. My flu goes on and off. I need to recover. But that means not going out everyday. Haha, am I being incoherent? Hmm... I'm generally a sensible, logical and mature young person. Agreed? Hahaha. : )

Well, I'll leave the weekend out as it was the usual Church, dining and shopping with parents. On Monday evening, I met two of my friends, Nadiah and Chelsea and we had a blast of time chatting. : ) Oh, I must add that dinner was yummy too (fish fillet with salad cream and rice).

On the same note, I'm having a scrumptious dinner tonight too! Lotus and pork rib soup with rice. : ) I'm hungry already.

That's all for now.

Maria xxxxx

P.s. I can't believe that I'm actually busier right now than during A Levels. Yes, A Levels and Prelims were pretty much the same for me. Steady pace and no late nights at all. Gosh, I feel tired these days. But now.... Poof! I must hurry to do other things! : )

Nothing Short of Feeling Tired

2010-12-04T13:55:00.000+08:00

Thursday. Spring cleaning in the morning. Karaoke at Zandra's home in the afternoon. Dinner and rest in the evening. It was fun! But yes, it was tiring considering how late I slept last night.

Friday. Mr Ivan's movie screening with us and another class. I'm disappointed that only 12 out of 16 confirmed names turned up. It is important to be responsible. I mean, why say you will turn up when you don't bother to in the end? But it was a great last 'lesson' with him. He told us about journey, destination and the people who are with us. : ) The lunch was super yummy too. Gosh, he must have spent quite a bit to cater those delicious array of food for us. : ) I also had a nice group chat with Mr Ivan. : ) Ah... Super happy!

Friday evening. It was my outing with E.H.. We had dinner, watched Easy A, headed down to Clarke Quay and had fun. Haha! It was quite fun, indeed. Well, although it did not turn out the way we expected, it was still an eye-opener for us. : ) If there's a next time, we go in later, ya?

And to think about it, I feel so tired these days. Still, I want to have more fun this December before I start work next year. There are pros and cons about getting the internship. And to be blatantly honest, I don't give a damn about revising secondary school Physics. Why should I? Why would I? Life is so short so why should we waste it on definitions, formulas and concepts when I have already finish my A Levels? It's a rhetorical question by the way. It's time to move on.

I'm game for better days ahead in this December.

Maria xxxxxx

P.s. Yawn... I woke up like super late at 10.25 am today. Latest in like maybe a year?

09S25 Gathering on Dec 1, 2010

2010-12-02T08:43:00.000+08:00

It's not everyday that you get to sit in a nice restaurant and enjoy chatting and eating with your class. It's not everyday that you get to go high with your classmates and head down to a bar to have a good drink. It's not everyday that you get to enjoy an awesome time for free because you have a super awesome teacher who pays for everything. It's after 'A's and we've all been waiting for this class gathering to chill out and celebrate the end of the 'A's. So it's not impossible that something awesome like yesterday has happened.

The day started off with us meeting at McDonald's waiting for Stacy to arrive. She's the birthday girl! We celebrate her birthday several days early as Jasmine is flying off on Friday. Fly fly fly... haha! Anyway, we all ordered breakfast! Though that was my lunch!!! : ) We played Monopoly Deal, made Stacy open her presents and took loads of photos! Gosh, I had a pretty good time and I hope Stacy enjoyed this mini celebration we threw for her. : )

Next in line was my interview at HQ at Buona Vista. I hope I do get the internship. By the way, I was in the same group table with Tiang Yun. It was an interesting interview that made you realise people with really colourful college background are all interested to be teachers. It's getting more and more competitive, which I believe it is a good thing for the education sector in Singapore.

Then I rushed back home by MRT, changed out, rushed out in a cab to Holland V to meet my class people! It was craziness for me. So tired by the time I reached... I tried to make my entry as inconspicuous as possible. It was good that the girls sat at the side. We had a good meal, a fun chat and a great laugh. Hahahahaha! Okay, I should stop laughing. Next, we headed to a bar. It's where my dad and I usually go to anyway. It felt a little awkward initially because it was the first time I am here with my classmates. Anyway, I went for my usual and the girls tried Hoegaarden. I don't like that so I didn't follow them. Hmm, I hope they're feeling fine after a night's rest. Well, I only sleep at close to 1 am as I wanted to kill the hangover effect before I sleep. No way! I don't want to wake up with a hangover. So I drank like 8 cups of water. Yes, it's a great way to make me sober and kill my headache. Oh did I mention how I started to shoot out Physics definitions and laws to keep me awake... By the way, I took a cab home with Jasmine. : ) Okay, so we left after 10 pm and headed to the taxi stand only to board after 10.30 pm. With loads of photos, lots of smile and nice and high moments, that basically sums up my class gathering last evening/night.

Well, let the week continue to be awesome! : )

That's all for now.

Maria xxxxxxx (for last night)

P.s. My nose is getting the better of me. Stupid spring cleaning and the whole "moving out of the room" thing which resulted in much exhaustion in my parents and me. It's so damn dusty that it robs my nose of its sanity. Now it's running like a loony.

Birthday Celebration

2010-11-30T13:09:00.000+08:00

For Yiting! : ) I'm glad she enjoyed the surprise Chelsea and I planned for her! Hahaha, well, I had loads of fun too yesterday!

On the same note, I think this week is going to be interesting and fun. Let us see how things go on Wednesday and Friday! I'll post my experiences up at the end of the week!

For now, back to spring cleaning! Zzzzzzz....

Maria xxxxx

P.s. A Levels are over! Oh yeah, simply awesome! I'm someone who works hard and plays hard. So watch me play very, very hard! : )

Retail Therapy Like Never Before

2010-11-27T20:17:00.000+08:00

I'll leave the more than half a thousand expenditure on shopping out. I'll also not talk about the nice food and drinks. Hahaha.

Oops, I way exceeded my expenditure. When I head out to shop with Chelsea in December, I'll keep my budget below 50. I'm still left a couple of things to buy. Must control!!! After all, I can still shop in KL in mid December. : )

My father accompanied me today. Hmm... We talked about random stuff and important things too. I'm clearer of how things go now. Yes, more often than not, we must ask ourselves what is more important to us in life. Of course, I now hope for the best and I also hope I'll quit my 3-weeks career choice nonsense. I must stop 'career hopping'.

I'll try to do a bit of Physics tomorrow. Or maybe on Monday. Haha!

So exhausted... Time to rest.

Maria xxxxxxx

P.s. : )

Radomly Being Not RaNdoM

2010-11-26T11:16:00.003+08:00

Haha, what a title! I'm going to watch Harry Potter with my friend later! Hope it'll be fun! Ah... It feels as if A's are really over.

Reality strikes. I'm going back to school for Physics consultation later too. Truth be told, if I've not book this slot before the A Levels started, I would not have bothered doing those Physics MCQs. My rationale is that I've done a lot of Physics MCQs since March. When people were having fun, going out with friends, watching movies, slacking, playing computer and doing all sorts of things during the weekends, I kept on working on Physics MCQs. So... now it's my turn to have fun!!! : )

To think that I never really bothered to do that much for any other subject. Physics, you owe me an A the most.

Oh back to Happy Potter. So, oops, I mean Harry Potter. But who cares? Hahaha. I'm going to have fun today, tomorrow and Sunday. Then mug on Monday morning. Or... who am I kidding? Okay, I promise I'll spend at least 30 minutes revising on Monday. : )

Then, it's time for our long-awaited freedom. : )

Totally invigorated.

That's all for now.

Maria xxxxxx

P.s. Not randomly being random.

It's Unofficially Over

2010-11-24T16:04:00.002+08:00

Yes! Econs P2 was mediocre. Physics P3 was good. : )

Let us hope for the best! Can I have the "A"s? Oh well, we'll find out next March, 2011.

Hmm... I'm quite busy these days with many different stuff. I can't wait to go out with my friends soon! : )

That's all for now.

Maria xxxxxx

P.s. : )

Relaxing yeah

2010-11-22T12:50:00.002+08:00

Chemistry P1 later. Hahahahaha! Did I study at all today? Nope! Yesterday? A little. I was being distracted yesterday by something else. Haha. : )

Okay, I'm going to just try my best later. Please let me get above 30 out of 40. I didn't get it for 07, 08 and 09. Haha, I can't wait for Tuesday evening! : )

Hmm... Why am I getting so high right now? I must start being mentally prepared for a tough set of MCQs later.

That's all for now.

Maria xxxxx

P.s. These days I can't seem to focus much as I feel I've worked hard enough for 2 years. If it's not going to get me an A, then so be it. I've done enough.

A great night out

2010-11-20T15:12:00.002+08:00

I had gastric 5 minutes before Econs P1 ended. How not great. I had a proper lunch and I cannot believe I have gastric during the exam. So it must be Econs fault since it takes my brain cells away. Okay, I think Econs is such a waste of time. Hahaha, guess you can see how much I detest studying for this subject. As a matter of fact, I did not really study on Friday morning, nor was I doing anything very productive on Thursday night. So how was Econs P1 for me? Hmm..... Mediocre! Hahaha, somehow, my exams have more or less been average.

I went home immediately after the paper and headed out to Holland V for dinner with my dad! Awesome! We went to 211 Roof Terrace Cafe for dinner since we had some 1-for-1 deal. The food tasted great and I wish I can post the pictures of the desert we ate online but I'm too lazy for now. After that, it was walkabout before heading down to Wala Wala. There is live music after 7 pm on Friday evening. How lucky are we? : ) So I just sat there, ate fries, drank my drink and watched them perform. Ah... It feels like 'A's are over! And somehow, I do not feel an inch of guilt at all. Perhaps I have reached the stage whereby I just want it to be over. It's not a game of 7 As anymore. It's a game of "Just go in there, give it your best shot and be glad that it's over".

I'm so going to enjoy myself for a bit after next Tuesday evening. Chilling out with my dad is nice. Chilling out with my friends is great too. Just chill out. : )

That's all for now.

Maria xxxxx

P.s. Oh my, what have I been doing today? I'm supposed to be revising Econs but here I am relaxing... Ah... It's a boring old Saturday.

Chemistry P3

2010-11-09T17:56:00.002+08:00

I don't know why I'm blogging this. Perhaps I just need to get something off my chest.

The paper was so mediocre. I've asked around. Some found it easy, some found it tough. But then and again, it depends on one's criterion for an "easy" paper. For some, it may be a clear cut A. For others, it may mean a B or a C. Well, it was mediocre for me. When I use the term "mediocre", it means a paper that is slightly below my expectations but it doesn't mean my hopes of getting an A (for this particular paper) is over. So there, 50-50 chance. Yet one cannot help but acknowledge that A Levels is not one's own game. It all depends how others find it too. If most people found it easy, then 70% would not be an A anymore. So with all my fingers crossed, I will try my best to ace P2 and P1.

Tomorrow is GP. It's really anybody's game. So let us just hope for the best!

Maria xxxxx

P.s. I'm feeling tired now. I still can't get over the mediocrity of the Chem paper.

P.s.s. It's just part and parcel of life. It's over. So move on with life.

Last Official School Day at PJC

2010-10-15T15:35:00.002+08:00

I'll be back. Definitely.

Listing down... Reached school with a friend at 7 am for consultation. Then, it was time exam briefing. Last Math tutorial. Mr Kum gave us each a card which contains a personal message. It has impacted me. : ) He also bought lots of yummy chocolate treats for us. Chocolate potato chips! It's so tasty. Ahh!!! Then, we bid farewell. Hopefully we'll all receive a call from him early in the morning next March. Want to do him proud. Want to do all the teachers proud. : ) Last Physics Tutorial. Haha, it's fine. Ms Tan gave us each an eraser and pencil lead. She never fail to surprise us with her presents! : ) There's also a name tag with our full name on it! It was only later that we realise that there is a personal message at the back of the paper in the name tag. : ) Pizza at the canteen. So yummy! Then, Keith gave us each a marker from Mr Chu. I took a purple one. : ) We had about 45 minutes left and we played Monopoly Deal card game. Well, I learned a new game today! Great! It's good to learn new stuff. : ) Farewell assembly. Performances and motivational and concluding talks by various individuals and groups. I certainly enjoyed myself! Oh and we sang the full school song two times! That's great! : ) We took class photos after the farewell ceremony was over. With our class jackets and the hood on! : ) My Chinese teacher asked me to go to the staffroom to look for her. She's got something for me. I was touched to see a beautiful pen with my name (Maria) engraved on it. I thought I've always been "rui yi" to her. So she knows my English name too. : ) My CCA teacher sent down an encouraging CCA relay too! : ) Thank you to all my classmates and teachers for the wonderful gifts and moments we've had together. : )

Hope we'll see each other again after 'A's and have loads of fun! Till then, I think I would update this blog only after the exams. Let us work hard and stay focused. It's now or never. So make it "now". : )

That's all for now.

Maria xxxxxxx

P.s. I love today. It's not the best day of my life. It's not the most memorable day of my life. But it's certain a good and meaningful day in itself. So yeah, awesome! : )

Thoughts

2010-10-14T17:22:00.003+08:00

I feel that it's important to trust others. I mean, most people we know (e.g. friends and family) tell the truth and can be trusted. So why do some people make their own lives miserable by constantly doubting the true intention of others? I mean, some things are just not meant to be said. Yet, there are always those few who want to make absurd speculations and illustrate a ludicrous storyline. No point. There's so much more to life. I want mine to be happy and meaningful.

Well, the farewell ceremony is tomorrow. Hope it'd be a nice day.

That's about it.

Maria xxxxx

P.s. Was my day productive? Hmm... Hopefully it'll be by the end of today! Hahaha!

Recently

2010-10-09T17:40:00.003+08:00

Wow, this week is over in the blink of an eye. Okay, I'm exaggerating but you know what I mean. Haha.

I'm hungry now and I'm waiting for my fish and chips to arrive. Hmm, that's digression. But when I'm hungry, I can't think straight. Hahaha.

Oh, yesterday's alumni sharing (Pioneer Alumni Circle) was great. I actually approached the alumni members to ask them about university courses and scholarships. : ) Haha!

On a different note, I'm really hungry and tired now. Oh no! I'm going around in circles! Haha, but that is life at times! : )

Randomness. To measure the degree of randomness, that's entropy for you! Hahaha.

Okay, where's my food?

That's all for now.

Maria xxxxx

P.s. It's here!!! I'm so happy! Bye!

Frustrations

2010-10-05T16:55:00.004+08:00

Stop making these stuff compulsory. Opportunity cost = not doing anything for the rest of this afternoon and night

Okay, I've finished venting my frustrations!

On the same note, despite the seemingly good grades I've gotten for my subjects, I know that it'd be hard to replicate it in the actual A Levels. This is because I feel that somehow my foundation is not solid enough and I tend to make certain unthinkable mistakes in exams. So, all fingers are crossed for at least 3 H2 distinctions. : )

That's all for now.

Maria xxxxx

P.s. There's a long list of work to do.

A Quick Update

2010-10-02T22:05:00.002+08:00

There were several things that happened this week, which included the returning of most exam papers and other personal issues. The only ones that have yet to be returned are Physics P3 and Econs P2. Other than that, it's more or less done and I think I know my overall grade already. It's average but considering that I scraped a B for GP, I won't complain. : )

Today, I slacked the morning and afternoon away. Yes, you'd be surprised how I can just stare at the questions blankly, lie on my bed, walk around the house. Haha. I went out with my dad in the evening for dinner and I had a scrumptious meal. It was expensive, though.

I must stay focused and motivated. How many times have I said that and how many times have I failed to do so? Perhaps many times. But now, I need to find back that sense of purpose. I need to confirm my passion and direction in life.

That's all for now.

Maria xxxxx

P.s. I'm perspiring outside my air-conditioned room. So I'm zooming back in!

Mixed feelings

2010-09-26T21:27:00.003+08:00

I'm disappointed with Econs. Forget it, I've lost motivation to study for it. This may not exactly be a bad thing, considering how my grade does not change when I study.

On a different note, I've had so much fun the last few days. It wasn't an extraordinary experience or something. But I certainly did things that surprise myself. I shall not elaborate here! : )

Had a good time out with EH on Saturday and Yiting today! Yay!

That's all for now.

Maria xxxxx

P.s. Perhaps I'd try to do a bit of work tomorrow.

Words

2010-09-24T21:47:00.002+08:00

I don't know what to say now. I'm looking forward to tomorrow's meeting with EH. : )

On a different note, I don't understand why must certain news be let out. I heard something which I did not expect to hear today. I mean, come on, give me a break. What is the point of telling me I did well for x and y and then telling me how I under-performed for z? I would rather wait till school reopens to hear those news.

I'm feeling exhausted. I think I've got to sleep more tonight! : ) I certainly want to be energetic tomorrow!

That's all for now.

Maria xxxxx

P.s. At least I accomplished a few things today. It's fruitful to some extent.

Prelims are over!

2010-09-23T22:04:00.002+08:00

Finally. Physics P1 gave me a lousy feeling but that's all right. It's finally over! I cannot over-emphasise that.

I had a great time out today and I feel totally exhausted now. Fatigue is kicking in.

Today really rocks! Need I say more? I am hopeful that the subsequent days would be just as good!

That's all for now.

Maria xxxxxxx

P.s. I can't believe I'm predicting this but here's probability for you.

AAAA (5% chance) AAAB (30%) AABB (50%) ABBB (15%) It could be worse, but hey, it's officially over!

Prelims Update

2010-09-21T17:11:00.002+08:00

Physics P3 on Monday was good. Hopefully, that would pull up my grade to an A. The last determinant of my grade is the P1 on Thursday.

Chemistry P1 and P2 earlier this morning was good. I have mixed feelings about P2 and I did not enjoy doing it. However, I believe that has got little to do with my final grade for Chemistry.

I just returned home from my Economics P2 (Essay) paper. It was okay. I answered every question to the best of my ability. Of course, I would write more if I were given more time. Haha, that's me and Econs, I guess.

Mathematics P2 in the afternoon tomorrow. Statistics revision is only half done. I'm in for a tough time tomorrow unless I manage to complete all revision by 12.30 pm tomorrow. Must rest before a 3 h paper which starts at 2 pm! Haha.

I'm so going to relax and have fun over the long upcoming weekends! : )

That's all for now.

Maria xxxxx

P.s. I still hope to see the 'A's... I guess it's everyone wish to see a column of that on their result slips!

H1 Math P1 (Prelims)

2010-09-17T12:32:00.002+08:00

It was surprisingly okay. Throughout the entire exam, I felt like giving up. I felt like walking out. I guess this is me and Math. But somehow, I think I fared better then MYE Math P1. So, it's going to be a "yay" mood for me for now. I just need to keep this standard or improve a little more for P2. : )

I'm going to read my newspapers. Hopefully, they would wow"ify" me further.

That's all for now.

Maria xxxxx

Prelim Tragedy

2010-09-16T17:01:00.002+08:00

Yes, Physics P2 was a big flop. I think I would fare slightly lower or about the same as I did for MYE P2. Need I say more? Time management and inability to comprehend the planning question totally killed the paper. I mean, Paper 2 started off all right but I got stuck at a 1 or 2 points and this took up some time (5 to 10 min). I read the planning question about 5 times. I do not know what they want. To put it in another manner, I think what they want was explicitly mentioned but apparently, I just couldn't identify the dependent and independent variable. Biggest flop? I used the G-M tube wrongly. It's supposed to receive the radiation but I used it as an emitter. How bad is that? It's 0/12. Data-based was half as bad as there was not enough time left. Another 6 marks gone. Strategy? Gotta work on my P1 and P3 to some how salvage the situation.

The earlier Econs P1 (morning) was mediocre or average. I wrote what I could for each case study question and now I can only hope they accept what I wrote. Gotta work on my P2 over the weekends.

Tomorrow is Math P1. I feel very jaded right now. The last time I touched Math was... (I can't remember). Perhaps I would do something about it later.

That's all for now.

Maria xxxx

P.s. Now that I've written this, I feel more relaxed.

No Classmates Online

2010-09-06T17:08:00.003+08:00

No Pioneers in my MSN list are online too! I can't believe this! Everyone must be mugging for Prelims. Opps, what am I doing? Haha!

Must relax. Must strive to achieve a balance. Dinner time soon! Yay! : )

Maria xxxxx

P.s. What's up lately? Went to Holland V with my parents on Saturday evening to eat ramen and xiao long bao at Crystal Jade! Yummy! Okay, fine, since I like to eat, as long as the food tastes fine, I would exclaim, "Delicious!"

Prelims H1 General Paper

2010-09-03T17:03:00.003+08:00

I did an essay question on health. I didn't have any evaluation. But somehow, I feel quite satisfied with the work I had produced (even if the teacher ends up commenting "out of point" or "lack of evaluation" or "not addressing the key terms"). I have confidence with what I can write.

P2 was another thing altogether. Haha, it's such a killer. The short answered questions were all right. But the summary and AQ are tough. So, I just hope for the best for this P1 and P2. For now, let us focus on having a thorough revision during the September holidays.

That's all for now.

Maria xxxxx

P.s. I had Physics consultation directly before the GP exam. Well, I took the risk and it turned out that I was right, that is, I was not distracted.

Teachers' Day 2010

2010-09-01T17:25:00.002+08:00

Happy Teachers' Day! Yesterday's Teachers' Day celebration was a blast and I'm glad it went well. I managed to give most of my teachers their cards personally. : )

I'm starting to lose my fitness. Well, maybe it's already lost. I got to start exercising!

That's all for now.

Maria xxxxxx

P.s. Yawn... Should I run later?

Tired

2010-08-28T22:03:00.003+08:00

Went to Church with my dad earlier. Headed down to Holland V for dinner. Just came back an hour ago. Tired...

That's all for now.

Maria xxxxxx

P.s. I need to stay very focused. I know that. But the question is, can I do it?

Sick

2010-08-25T18:01:00.002+08:00

Hmm, I'm sick... Gastric since 8 am in the morning, thought I'd get better by eating some food. But here I am still sick. Headache. Gastric. Impending flu. It's the pain in my stomach that made me pretty low in spirits the entire day.

Here's a song I like:

High by Lighthouse Family

When you're close to tears remember
Some day it'll all be over
One day we're gonna get so high
And though it's darker than December
What's ahead is a different colour
One day we're gonna get so high

And at
The end of the day
remember the days
When we were close to the edge
And we'll wonder how we made it through the night
The end of the day
remember the way
We stayed so close till the end
We'll remember it was me and you

'Cause we are gonna be forever you and me
You will always keep me flying high in the sky of love

Don't you think it's time you started
Doing what we always wanted
One day we're gonna get so high
'Cause even the impossible
is easy when we got each other
One day 'we're gonna get so high

And at
The end of the day
remember the days
when we were close to the edge
And we'll wonder how we made it through the night
The end of the day
remember the way
We stayed so close to till the end
We'll remember it was me and you.

'Cause we are gonna be forever you and me
You will always keep me flying high in the sky of love (x2)

High, high, high, high.(x2)

And at
The end of the day
remember the days
when we were close to the edge
And we'll wonder how we made it through the night
The end of the day
remember the way
We stayed so close to till the end
We'll remember it was me and you.

'Cause we are gonna be forever you and me
You will always keep me flying high in the sky of love (x3)

That's all for now.

Maria xxxx

P.s. I may not be in school tomorrow. I think I need to recuperate/recover at home.

No Boundaries

2010-08-23T07:05:00.003+08:00

I know where I am headed. Somewhat. Quite clear. Let's all work hard towards our dreams. : )

Photo taking (for both CCA and class) last Friday. Yeah! It was fun! At the same time, no more photo taking anymore (formal shots) for now.

Nothing much happened during the weekends except that I went out with my parents for dinner over the two days.

It's the time to push forward. And not give up. And not give in. Fight on.

Maria xxxxxx

P.s. Time for school! It's such a long day today (until 5.30 pm). Physics day. : )

P.s.s. Singapore boys, you fought well! We should have won but it's okay, we tried our best! Talking about yesterday's football match against Haiti.

Birthday and YOG

2010-08-15T18:49:00.002+08:00

Here's what happened on Saturday. Went out with my parents for my mom's Birthday Dinner at Crystal Jade at Holland Village. After that, we went to some NYDC restaurant for Ice Cream and Cake. Haha, I don't think I want to check my weight for the time being. Then, we went back home and I was thoroughly impressed by the YOG Opening Ceremony. I stood upright to sing the national anthem. Pride and honour. I am really happy for my country for its remarkable progress through all this years (especially in this decade).

Today was my mom's actual birthday! I spoiled the surprise for her. Ah... But she was really touched that I rushed out of school to order her cake on Friday and then rushed back to school for Physics Make-up lessons! Yummy cake. Just came back from West Mall by the way. Had dinner at Mayim Restaurant.

That's all for now.

Maria xxxxxx

P.s. Persevere! : )

Efficiency

2010-08-10T18:05:00.002+08:00

Hmm, I think I am marginally behind time but that's all right. I'll catch up with my schedule tomorrow after school.

It's been a great long holiday. I went for a family gathering (lunch) yesterday. It was delicious! Haha! Happy National Day too! The National Day Parade 2010 was awesome. It is by far the most exciting/least boring one. Hahaha! To all the performers, organisers and helpers: Good job!

School will reopen tomorrow. I feel somewhat re-energised! Well, I have the QSE (Quality of Student Experience) Survey tomorrow. It seems pretty interesting since I'm the type that let to do surveys that let me express my feelings.

That's all for now.

Maria xxxxxx

P.s. Just had a crazy run around my neighbourhood. 10 min 30 s. Exhausted...

Tired already

2010-08-08T15:55:00.003+08:00

School ended late for me on Friday as I had to attend a talk. The minute I came home I rushed to get ready and head down to Orchard Road or more accurately, 313. Met up with my good old pal E.H. and we had a good time chatting and dining. Tried finding me a pair of shoes but couldn't find one that I like, haha. Reached home quite late at 9 pm and was half dead by then.

Saturday was all right. I met up with Chelsea at Lot 1 for dinner and we talked for quite a bit! Catching up with each other and all. Well, I certainly enjoy meeting up with friends and having a nice chat with them. : )

Today, I got up early (as usual) and went to Church with my parents. After that, we head down to Lot 1 for lunch (the same old thing). As I did not eat much, I feel exhausted and hungry right now. I don't want to leave home for dinner so I might call home delivery instead. My dad is a lucky guy. He gets to go for some YOG event at ITE College East. So if you can picture it correctly, it's just me and my mom at home now. Feeling bored? Yes. Homework completed? Far from it. Homework equals boredom? Most of the time (there are exceptions once in a while but not today).

Yawn... I hope I've bored you not too much reading this post. Hahaha. Somehow, I derive pleasure from that.

Maria xxxxx

P.s. Be energised, Maria! There are many things to do!

Heavy

2010-08-01T20:56:00.002+08:00

I woke up today feeling slightly heavy in the head which can be attributed to the lack of sleep. Let us go back to Saturday evening.

On Saturday evening, I headed down to Orchard with my parents. We had dinner at Crystal Jade Hong Kong Cafe. The food tasted all right and its desert was unique. I would certainly recommend going there to chill out. After all, if you look down from such a high level at Orchard Central, you could see youngsters pulling off skateboard stunts at the park. After which, we shopped for close to 1.5 hours before finding a suitable schoolbag for me. Okay, I'll admit I was being picky yesterday but I don't want to just grab any bag and go home. As we were shopping at ION Orchard, we came across a Korean actor (famous, I guess). He was obviously guarded well. But guess what? As I was so focused on finding my bag, I did not notice that we crossed paths. My mom was pointing and eagerly telling me about him. Oh well, that's just being me, I guess! Missing out on stuff like that (including my GP teacher's amusing "oh yeah oh yeah" actions). Haha. It was close to 10 pm then when I suggested that we head down to a place for a drink. We went to Harry's. When we got home, it was 10.30 pm already and I felt so exhausted. I didn't sleep until 1 am.

Thus, I woke up today feeling heavy in the head but it got better as the day progressed. I also got heavier! I'm so angry with myself. I've been eating way to much and I really need to watch my weight now. Furthermore, I need to do more exercise to keep fit.

I'm so tired right now. Guess I'd go sleep soon.

That's all for now.

Maria xxxxx

P.s. Always wear a pair of comfortable shoes when shopping. Lesson learnt.

P.s.s. Oh, I did manage to find a nice white bag in the end. : )

Calmness and Relaxation

2010-07-30T16:45:00.003+08:00

How am I supposed to find repose in this busy weekend? Suddenly, it feels as if the teachers are out to test my efficiency or productivity. Well, somehow, I feel challenged and I will do my best to finish all the work in the shortest time possible. This is just a game to me, hahaha.

Okay, that being said, I'm still idling around as I'm waiting for dinner to be ready.

By the way, today was a good day. This can be attributed to the really cool weather, a few fun lessons, a nice time with my classmates, a delicious lunch (Western food) and yes, the cool weather again. Go ahead, you can fault me for being repetitive but I don't care much for now!

That's all for now.

Maria xxxxx

P.s. Something is on my mind. I can't seem to focus. But I guess I will worry about that 8 months from now.

Friday as Thursday

2010-07-29T15:40:00.002+08:00

Today, my college ran Friday's timetable. I've got nothing much to say about it except that it was really tiring.

Maybe it's just me. I really do not think doing one more or one less Mathematics worksheet is going to make me get a B instead of an A. I mean, can some people be more reasonable? If I were a teacher, I'd never give homework and expect students to complete it by tomorrow. It's not about the quantity of homework. It's about letting students know in advance (at least 2 to 3 days before) the work they need to prepare. This is true even if the homework consist of only one question "What is 1 plus 1?" This is called being reasonable and fair.

I am working towards a goal. It's not that clear but I can still see its outline. Yet at the same time, I don't think I will sacrifice my time for some homework which will not determine my grade anyway. Even if it does, I'd just laugh it off as it can't be helped (it'd be too late when you know you flunk your A Levels).

I know people are staying back at our college's Night Study Programme until 9 in the evening everyday. It's good that they're doing that. Well, I'm not and will never do that. Yes, that's an absolute term.

I'm now going to read the newspapers and derive some form of enjoyment from doing so. Sometimes, the forum letters are just so trivial or ludicrous that they make me want to laugh.

That's all for now.

Maria xxxxx

P.s. Rock climbing for PE was fun. It's just too bad that I was not given the opportunity to climb the more challenging uneven rock wall. Yeah, it's just too bad.

Holland V

2010-07-25T13:49:00.002+08:00

I wonder why I suggested to my dad to go there yesterday evening. Oh well, it turned out to be all right, though there wasn't much to see. But the crowd was good and the atmosphere felt pretty laid back too. The dinner at an Italian restaurant was tasty, albeit a little costly. We also went to Wala Wala. Last time, I used to question, "What's the difference between Tiger, Carlsberg, Heineken, Budweiser and all other beers?" Well, I used to think that they vary in terms of their bitterness. But when I drank Leffe Blond followed by Heineken yesterday, I could tell a big difference. The transition from one drink to another felt weird. But still, I had fun experiencing two different brands of drink consecutively.

That basically sums up my Saturday evening. : )

Today is basically Church and lunch and homework. So I guess you wouldn't want me to elaborate on my unfinished homework or how I have not studied for the Chemistry and Math test this week. Hahaha.

What should I have for dinner later? I mean, I should go on a diet. Been eating way too much lately and not exercising much. Haha.

That's all for now.

Maria xxxxxx

P.s. Lychee Martini. I'll try that next time.
P.s.s. Just bought a trackpants earlier. I'm feeling tired now. I'm signing off.

Treasure hunt

2010-07-23T16:18:00.004+08:00

Yes, I had so much fun with the girls playing treasure hunt during PE lesson today! : )

I submitted my PQ today! I feel so relieved that it is all "done". Well, hopefully, my CT won't cut it into half or something. Haha. I didn't really 'inflate' myself that much.

There workload for this weekend is quite heavy. Yet I'm determined to get out of my home to go out and have some fun. It's been 1 week. Where should I go?

I'm still feeling that way about something. Not sure how long it would last. And please do not start guessing. Anyway, I don't even think you will get close to the answer! Haha.

I'm tired. Studying for tests these days are really secondary in nature. Completing the homework for class is more important. There are certain subjects one cannot afford not to do the homework, e.g. GP (I'm the GP rep), Physics (Scolding), Economics (Sarcasm and maybe even extra homework).

Newsroom. Argh. I hate this. I've just written an essay yesterday for class assignment. And now? I have to prepare for next Thursday's presentation. Should I do an essay? Or should I do an AQ? But how do I present an AQ answer to the class for a completely new comprehension passage they have yet to read? This is so confusing. I think I will think of something or I think I will be in trouble. Haha, too much thinking, too many thoughts.

That's all for now.

Maria xxxxx

P.s. Have a great weekend everybody!

An awesome Saturday

2010-07-18T16:39:00.003+08:00

With my dad! Haha! : )

I will leave your imagination to flow, okay? This means I'm too lazy to upload photos or elaborate too much. Haha. Here it goes: Lunch at 313, Watched Inception at The Grand Cathay, MBS Skypark, Took a wrong bus and ended up in Tanjong Pagar, Went over to Liang Court for dinner, Walked down to Clarke Quay and sat in an Irish pub watching a live rugby match between the Panthers and the Eels. We reached home quite late. I think my mom felt lonely being alone at home the whole day. But then and again, it's good that she did not join us as she does not like to watch that type of movie or go to a pub! Hahaha.

Wow, I totally enjoyed myself. And yes, words cannot express it so I don't have to type out my feelings! Hahaha, another one of my excuses for not writing in proper sentences my emotions. I'm listening to No Boundaries (Adam's version) now. It's a really great song. Let's hold on to this.

To my parents (doubt they even read): Don't think too much... Although I keep saying that I don't want to study and the fact that I do everything but study these days, I'm actually keeping track of my mental happiness. I cannot push myself anymore because my academic life is very fragile and is on the verge of breaking down completely. Ultimately, I will work when I grow up, so don't worry. I won't live off you two, ya? I'll work hard even if I can't study hard. So I'll always keep my stomach full and yours too.

I hope my awesome Saturday will see me through this week smoothly. It's not going to be easy. I have to constantly think of the fun. Of course, Church today was good too. So this means 1.5 days of relaxation and goodness. I have to keep that in my mind.

So where should I go for dinner later?

That's all for now.

Maria xxxxxxx (for yesterday)

P.s. I made my father buy me a novel to reward me for my 'good' results. I mean, it's not too bad... Haha, oh well, I can't wait to read it!

About there

2010-07-15T15:14:00.002+08:00

My results are average. I mean, considering my lack of effort and the number of quality grades I've been getting, I'm indeed surprised. However, I do not wish to post the exact grade or marks for this MYE. Did I tell you that sometimes when I say I do okay it means I don't want to elaborate on the details such as the grade and mark?

I'll 'camp' outside the staff room tomorrow in my bid to find all the teachers to verify the information. I'm so not looking forward to this.

That's all for now.

Maria xxxxx

P.s. Why are some people just so hard to reason with? I shout. I lose. I keep quiet. I lose. To be honest, sometimes it's so much better to quarrel with people who think.

Brain Draining

2010-07-14T16:48:00.003+08:00

Yes, I never knew how writing paragraphs for one's Personal Qualities and CCA Achievements can be so painful. It's certainly draining the energy of one's brain. I've finally finished writing my CCA and Achievements Section of the SGC. Now, I'm left with the finalisation of my PQ. I've read it 5 times already. I'm sick and tired of it. Yet I cannot rely on others (e.g. teachers) to find the grammatical errors for me. This is my PQ. I must take responsibility for its standard.

I cannot proceed to do anything else until the PQ is settled once and for all. It's been a worry in my head. Oh well, come to think of it, maybe the Hypothesis testing taught during Math lecture today is of a greater worry.

I did all right for my MYE. Surprising (in view of the lack of effort). But I would take it in stride. I must stay grounded and bounce back up soon. As of now, I'm in the "finish my PQ and get everything verified by the teachers" mood. Hopefully, I find all of them to verify my PQ in time!

That's all for now.

Maria xxxxx

P.s. Today's house meeting was pretty much of a joke. With the exception of push ball, the other games for the sports carnival next Wednesday don't seem too attract much participation at all. Well, as I don't fancy push ball (I'd rather kick a football), I'd be taking part in the J2 girls 8 x 100m relay. I hope I won't let my team down too much as I'm really not that fantastic at sprinting these days.

P.s.s. Hey! I'm not saying that I'm old. I'm just relatively older then I was a few years back.

A long day

2010-07-11T20:18:00.002+08:00

Hmm, I wonder how many posts have this title or are centred on this topic. Haha.

It was quite a good day. Let us be concise. Here's what I did in chronological order: Church, lunch at Lot 1, went home, read newspapers, download Cabal and played, got a headache and rested (those graphics), played my iPod songs (using music player), sang and dance along with the music, went to IMM Secret Recipe for dinner, shopped around at ESPRIT (almost bought a nice blouse but the button dropped off, sigh), went to Popular to look at new titles (fiction), took a cab and came home (with my nice parents). Deleted Cabal (not my type of game). Here I am blogging. Yawn...

Oh my, perhaps I should do up a better summary next time. As for now, I'm just exhausted.

Maria xxxxxx

P.s. I just ate some onion rings. Yummy! I must eat less...

Thoughts

2010-07-10T16:30:00.002+08:00

To teach or not to teach? No, that's not the question. Ultimately, my dream is to be able to teach one day. Hence, the question should instead be "To apply for scholarship or not?" Actually, I know the answer deep down in my heart. But I also know that I might one day be the person whom I was months ago. So, as of now, let us allow nature to take its course. On my part, I will do what I can do.

I just came back from MOE scholarship tea session with Shing Shyan. It's informative, insightful and enjoyable. The food was good too. Totally exhausted. It's a Saturday. I had initially wanted to just kick back and enjoy today. Well, we'll see what I'm up to this evening, that is, if I'm even up. Hahaha.

That's all for now.

Maria xxxxxx

P.s. I like to help. I like to teach. I love life. Work hard Maria, work smart, you can one.

A Pleasant Surprise

2010-07-09T18:26:00.002+08:00

I didn't do as badly as I have expected. Chemistry P1 and Physics P1 were within expectations. Mathematics was slightly below expectations but it is all right, considering the lack of effort from my side. General Paper was the best!!! I feel so happy. Even though it's not an A, it's a great improvement! Yes!

More papers to get back next week. We shall see. Meanwhile, it's time for more fun and games!

That's all for now.

Maria xxxxxx

P.s. I'm feeling slightly tired right now. Can't wait for the weekends to start! : )

Post-Exam Activities

2010-07-08T16:34:00.002+08:00

They are so not worth mentioning or elaborating on. Still, I enjoyed chatting with the girls in my class today. It was so fun! We were laughing and I even laugh till I cry. Yes, I usually have tears when I laugh too much. Haha.

I'm off to play my online games now.

That's all for now.

Maria xxxxx

P.s. I'm tired after a long day. But still, I can't wait for the weekends to chill out. : )

H2 Physics and Lunch

2010-07-07T15:19:00.002+08:00

H2 Physics P1 and P2 are so not worth mentioning. For the planning question, it is one big joke and I refuse to draw any diagram (I can't draw for goodness sake). Yes, the sad truth is that I am bad at drawing. But if you ask me to memorise a drawing and reproduce it, perhaps it would not be this bad. But hey, who cares? It's over!

Lunch with the girls at Ajisen Ramen. Yummy! : ) Then, we shopped a bit for a while.

I'm feeling a bit exhausted now. There is this Chemistry Planning worksheet on my file. But after all the terrible exam papers I have taken, I so don't feel like doing any work! Oh well, it's time to relax and have fun! Superstar racing.

That's all for now.

Maria xxxxxx

P.s. Yawn... Haha!

H2 Chemistry P1 and P2 and HP Games

2010-07-06T12:25:00.002+08:00

That has gotta be the weirdest title of all time. Anyway, Chemistry went all right. Paper 1 MCQ was good. Paper 2 was slightly better than mediocre. Please let me get that A...

HP Games for now! I realise my computer has this myriad of games waiting for me to play. They are from a wide range of genres too! Haha, game time! Physics can wait till 2.5 hours later.

That's all for now.

Maria xxxxx

P.s. I just had lunch. Burp. No, where's my burp, I can't find it.

2 months

2010-07-05T13:08:00.002+08:00

It has been 60 days or so. Where am I? Performance curve? What crap is that? I've gone way down that curve and it has somehow plateaued. Exams? Is there even a sense of urgency in me?

It has been 2 months. Perhaps it is time to wake up? Or perhaps I have already woken up. Perhaps I believe that studies are just peripheral. Maybe I have come to realise it forms an extraneous aspect of my life.

But what if I want to study? What if I want to do well? What if I want to be that motivated and high-achieving self that I once was? Is that still attainable? Is that even possible? When I slam my notes against the table this morning (don't get me wrong, I haven't been studying much this entire 2 months), I feel that things don't really matter anymore.

I met Stacy at McDonald's today. She was buying takeaway lunch and so was I. I felt slightly better after seeing her. It's always nice to run into a friend. I ordered an apple pie and a cup of ice lemon tea. To be honest, this is the first time I have lost my appetite. "Are you on a diet?" Stacy casually asked. I don't really remember my answer. But the truth is that there is school tomorrow and there is an exam tomorrow. If I stand up midway through the paper and just walk out of the exam venue, I will probably never forgive myself. Yet when I think of all these crazy possibilities, I don't really care anymore.

I'm likely to succeed in life? Oh my, once upon a time, it was a "full stop" standing tall and confident in the place of the "question mark".

That's all for now.

Maria xxxx

P.s. On a lighter note, I can't wait to have non-stop fun after MYE. I'm a much happier and carefree person when I am being who I am, that is, a person who wants to get the most out of her life.

P.s.s. To be honest, even staying for hours in the library reading non-fiction books on all sorts of topics is fun. Learning is my passion. And it will always be.

Something is wrong

2010-07-04T17:50:00.002+08:00

Yes, there's either something wrong with the weather or there's something wrong with me. It's really, really warm. My head feels really hot too. Okay, I just had Kimchi-flavoured cup noodles but that's besides the point.

I just hope I'm not falling sick. If not, that's a 'good game' for my remaining papers. But I can't dispute the fact that even if I am healthy my performance will not be that fantastic either. Oh my, what a sentence! There are double negatives. Haha.

That's all for now.

Maria xxxxx

P.s. Very full. Hmm, where's my burp? Gotta find it. Gotta wait for it patiently. Haha!

A short break

2010-07-02T13:04:00.003+08:00

A short break for now. Monday is a holiday. : ) Extra time to salvage my Chemistry and maintaining my Physics.

Economics P1 was quite all right. Surprisingly! I'm so happy I studied for it for 3.5 hours yesterday. So did my effort pay off? To a certain extent, yes. : )

So would I get at least a C for Economics after all? I would say, "Yeah, why not?" What about a B? "Hmm, maybe... Anything is possible (just like the World Cup)." Then, an A? "Give me a break, I hardly studied for this entire Economics Exam, I'd be more than satisfied with a B. If I get an A, I'd be complacent, so no thanks. I don't want and don't deserve an A for this MYE."

That's all for now.

Maria xxxxx

P.s. After the exam, Mr Chu made an announcement that they will focus on the bottoom 10% to help them improve. They will also help the middle range people get their As and Bs. But they will leave the top 5% alone. Suddenly, I wish I have studied properly for the MYE. Sigh.

Ways

2010-07-01T18:17:00.002+08:00

There are many ways to success. But I guess in this country, studying hard (and smart) is the most common way of attaining your goals in life.

Nope, I am not going to ramble on about life and success. It's always in my head. I tend to engage in self discussion and debate with myself in my head since I was a young kid. These days, it gets a little intense and complicated. Still, let's go back to MYE.

I had my Mathematics P2 a few hours ago. The good thing is that it is over (haha, it's like that for every test and exam). The not so good thing is that this Math paper was fraught with uncertainties. I don't mean the Heisenberg position-momentum or energy-time Uncertainty Principle. Haha. I just hope I didn't make to many careless mistakes and secure an A. Possibly and probably my only A in this MYE.

Tomorrow is Econs Case Study (P1) exam. I desperately need to get at least 36 out of 60 to secure that C. If you see me 3 months ago, I'd laugh and think you're crazy talking about such scores. But right now, totally unprepared as I am, I fear that even this 36 is unattainable. Oh well, we shall see. And yeah, I do need lots of luck on this.

That's all for now.

Maria xxxxx

Disappointment and even more

2010-06-30T10:54:00.002+08:00

Portugal lost to Spain. I watched the highlights. In terms of quality of the players, Spain was better. But Portugal did their best and they fought well as a team. For the rest of this World Cup, I will root for Brazil. Still, I must say I really admire the Portugal team (all of them, not just C.R.) for their great team spirit.

Second disappoint. Chemistry P3 was a big flop. I did not manage my time well. Period. There are no further excuses. Since P1 and P2 are on next Tuesday, I shall gauge my chances of scoring the following grades. A: 10%, B: 70%, C: 20% The ball is round. Anything can happen.

On a lighter note, my Mathematics P1 went all right yesterday (that means A, not full marks for goodness sake). Since P2 is tomorrow, as of now, I feel that there is a 70% chance of scoring an A and 30% chance of getting a B.

I like to give these statistics but truth be told, I dislike Statistics in Math. Haha. All those distributions and permutations and combinations give me a headache. So probability of liking them? Almost nil.

That's all for now.

Maria xxxx

P.s. O esplendor de Portugal! : )

Physics P3 and Economics P2

2010-06-28T17:15:00.002+08:00

Haha! Thank goodness Physics was in the morning. If not, I might just flunk both together.

Hmm, I got what I had hoped for, that is, passing both Economics and Physics. If I do not do the rest of the papers too badly, it's likely to be a D for Econs and B for Physics.

Tomorrow is Math P1. Will I get that A? I don't know. The effort I put in is quite little. I didn't do all the papers they put online. I didn't try many questions as I revise each chapter. And my revision took place 2 weeks ago. The irony or the sad thing is that the human brain retention rate is at best 7 days unless one constant reviews what one does (which I don't). Okay, let's stop complaining and enjoy for the time being!

That's all for now.

Maria xxxxx

P.s. I promised Mr Kum I'd read Math tonight. Okay, I just waved goodbye to 2 hours of my night.

Time and Exam

2010-06-27T14:36:00.002+08:00

Yes, the MYE starts tomorrow. But here I am, unprepared. I thought that since it was the last week, I would make good use of the time and start studying properly. Well, I just know I spend hours flipping pages, staring at the wall and going out of home.

It's tomorrow. I hope my sense of urgency remains as it is. There is no point in worrying right now. I should go save my Physics, right?

That's all for now.

Maria xxxxx

P.s. Wednesday morning 2.30 am - Portugal's match against Spain

P.s.s. Should I get up and secretly watch it? Opportunity cost - Chemistry Paper 5.5 hours later

Portugal's Stellar and Extraordinary Performance

2010-06-21T22:34:00.003+08:00

Portugal! All the way! It was a superb match against Korea DPR. I'm feeling so happy, elated, excited, exhilarated, invigorated and all other synonyms that convey my joy and the thrill I've had watching the match.

Yes! Today, Portugal has proven to me that it stands a great chance of winning this World Cup. They have what it takes. I'm really proud of the team and their excellent teamwork. Haha, Ronaldo scored his goal too. : )

Yesterday, I watched the movie, "The Karate Kid". I thought it was a great show about how a young boy learned the art of discipline and self defense. I certainly enjoyed it! Oh, the pizza my mum and I shared tasted great too. : )

Today, I couldn't go for Math Mock Exam in the morning as I did not feel too good in the morning. I guess I need to watch my health. Still, I hope my father recovers from this horrible bout of flu he is down with. He recuperated at home today. Today is a really special day for him...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY PAPA! : ) I love you! You're the greatest dad on Earth. Yes, mummy, if you're reading this, you're an awesome mum too (a bit naggy but it's good for me)! I made him a nice card (I hope so... My artistic ability is kind of bad. I can't draw well) and gave him his present too. Ah, it's a good day today.

Okay, I've got to rest now. I don't want to catch a cold again. But I will still support Portugal and their late night matches. Either through reading the live words online or going down to the Community Centre for free viewing. By the way, I sat at the first row today! : ) I went there 40 minutes earlier. Just like the common adage, "The early bird catches the worm."

That's all for now!

Maria xxxxxxx

P.s. 7 goals! Can anyone believe this? It's a spectacular performance! : )

P.s.s. Oops, I just remembered about my to-do list and revision. But as I have said, it's time to rest! Good night!

Running

2010-06-18T18:30:00.002+08:00

That's what I did yesterday and I ran again an hour ago. Exhausted. But I guess it's a good form of exercise. Actually, to be frank, I coerce myself to put on the pair of running shoes and get out to run. I think it's important to keep fit and not just indulge in online activities, watching World Cup and of course, studying for MYE (hahaha, how does one even indulge in that I wonder...).

I went to school earlier in the Morning to clear a few doubts in Chemistry. I saw Zandra and Zongli too. Nothing much, except I manage to 'escape from studying Econs'. Hmm, my plan was to do Econs today but it turned out that I've only completed like 10% of what I set out to do today. Haha! It's so amusing and ironic (since I usually tick of my to-do list quite on time).

Hey! I'm going off-topic. Ah, this is like GP (my GP tutor thought I went off-topic for the last essay I did and barely passed me but I disagree with him)! I'm supposed to talk about running. So where were we? Oh well, the bottom line is that running is more fun than Econs until I have run quite a distance. At the maximum point, every part of your body will ache and you just want to stop. It just fails so terrible and yet so good at times. It's usually those painful times when I wish I'm at home staring (I said staring, not studying, as I usually stare and watch the time tick by) at Econs. Haha.

That's all for now.

Maria xxxxx

P.s. Yawn...

World Cup 2010 and Portugal

2010-06-16T18:31:00.003+08:00

I support Portugal. All the way! Fight! : )

I watched their first match where they were up against Côte d'Ivoire. It was a draw but I felt they could have and should have done much better. Hmm, come to think of it, McDonald's was really crowded yesterday night. After the first half, I went home with my dad. He went to sleep first while I watched the live MatchCast online. It is basically a live summary (in words) of what is going on in a match. I felt disappointed and exhausted by the time it was all over.

Next Monday, Portugal will be up against N. Korea. I hope Portugal wins. It's a very important match to determine whether they stand a chance to qualify for the next round.

Oh, MYE is coming. I just realised. It's all right, World Cup is like once every 4 years and to mug and not follow it is quite ludicrous. This is my own opinion. So it's cool if you think that mugging for mid years is more important than World Cup. For me, I just hope with all my heart Portugal will win! : ) Of course, I hope to pass my mid years too!

That's all for now.

Maria xxxxx

P.s. Haha, I hope I can do some productive revision tonight from 7.30 to 9.30 pm. If not, it's going to be a "good game" situation.

A fun day

2010-06-13T19:17:00.002+08:00

Today was a rather fun day. I went out with Chelsea to Raffles City and Esplanade and we chatted quite a lot. : ) Then, we headed to Lot 1 where I met my parents for dinner at Delifrance. Totally exhausted.

That's all for now.

Maria xxxxxx

P.s. Tired...

Another day

2010-06-11T16:58:00.003+08:00

Of a rather futile revision, I must say.

I know I've said this many time, "I'm not going to do well for my exams. I'm not going to score 'A's. Stop looking at me, I just hope to pass Econs." Yes, I also know that for the past 3 major exams from J1 till now, I've done quite well, if not, really well. Well, the thing is, I've got to be completely honest, that is, I can just stare at my notes blankly these days. Minutes were and still are wasted on the same page (or even on the same sentence). I'm just not interested in pushing myself to the limit like what I have always attempted to do. Maybe it's because I've reached the maximum limit as of now and thus, I have decided that it is better to flunk MYE then Prelims. And it is better to flunk Prelims than the actual A Levels. I don't know what excuse I'd be giving after Prelims but yes, I want to be true to myself. I've been going out with my parents (and sometimes, friends) for quite a bit and I totally enjoy myself. Gosh, I've been a miserable person from like more than 1 year and 4 months (we started school in Feb 2009). Finally. Life means a lot more to me right now.

The above-written paragraph is of a mediocre structure and the sentence structure is certainly far from being superb. But I guess those are just random thoughts for you!

That's all for now.

Maria xxxxx

P.s. Today basically is dead boring. Still, I'm happy I managed to revise 2 Physics chapter. Looks like I'd made the right decision to shelve Econs revision till the later time of the day. If not, I would not have complete any chapters at all.

P.s.s. It's always Econs fault. I strongly dislike studying this particular subject and revising for it is probably the bane of my life right now. So guess what? I've decided to just scrape a pass and see everybody's response.

Pre-University Seminar 2010

2010-06-05T14:23:00.002+08:00

Hi all! I've been back since yesterday. Hmm, this seminar has been simply awesome and fun but it'd take forever if I were to type out all the nitty gritty details. So... I'd just cut and paste my reflection that I'm supposed to give to my school.

My journey in Pre-University Seminar 2010 had been a whirlwind of insights and fun! From the engaging Keynote Address by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong to the intriguing Parallel Presentations and Panel Discussions to the eye-opening Learning Journey to MediaCorp, this seminar has presented me with a myriad of enriching learning opportunities.

Prior to the seminar, my peers and I had put in much effort so that we could do our college proud by giving a great presentation during the Parallel Presentations. Finally, the day came for us to head over to the 5-day seminar at NUS. It was there that I made many new friends with my counterparts from other institutions. We shared our views on current issues with one another enthusiastically. Not only that, we had a fair share of fun when we went on our Learning Journey, dined together and seized any free time to chat and understand each other better. The highlight of this seminar was my visit to MediaCorp as it provided me with much insight on its various sections and I was glad to be given to opportunity to meet the artistes and radio deejays in action.

To sum up, I would like to say that words alone can never sum up my awesome and enriching experience in Pre-University Seminar 2010. It is an experience which I would hold close to my heart as I edge closer towards adulthood. Perhaps this quote by Mahatma Gandhi best sums up what I have gained from this seminar, that is, “Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.”

Now, ain't that really cool? : )

I think I've recovered from my burn out and could be back to my motivated self again. But it may still be too early to say since I've not done any work yet!

Today, I went out with my mom for her medical appointment and even asked her doctor for advice for young adults aspiring to pursue a career in medicine. Then, my parents and I headed over to Triple Three for a buffet. Yes, it was supposed to be 1-for-1 buffet but even after the discount was included, the bill came up to $170! Oh my gosh! And my mom ate 8 roasted potatoes. -.- Always eat the most expensive food in buffet. That's what my dad always say. Well, I tried almost every cake they had to offer and that was like around 10 different slices? Hahaha. I'm still feeling very satiated right now.

That's all for now.

Maria xxxxxx

P.s. Yawn... Still sleep deprived. Guess I'll sleep early tonight. Now, what should I eat for dinner? Gosh, I should stop eating for a while. I've certainly grown fat after this seminar and today's buffet. -.-