My Vision Board v1.0

Not sure how is the progress of the Vision Board setting up for the rest of the classmates in the positive thinking course, but I finally gave it enough thoughts during mu sunna sessions and finally took time to start constructing it today.

No time to go buy the proper board is not a legitimate excuse!!

This is the version 1.0 of my VISION BOARD: it contains the following dream items:




1) 2 weeks Taiwan Family tour in Dec2007.

Have not been there for 2 years, it's time to revisit and have some good times in some new places and maybe Ali-san mountain if weather permits.


2) 4D3N GT 2008 Jun BALI


I am really looking foreward to this and will try very hard to make this a reality. Will put in some effort to keep the itinary fun/compact/exciting anf yet keep the cost low. I hope the students / graduates will show their support in forces too.


3) Give public seminar in SIM.


I really have no idea how can this be done. But all I will do is to make my delivery better and better so that who knows, one day maybe this will come true.

4) Passion to teach even I turn wiser


After listening to my 5 mins presentaion, Elizabetta told me : "dunt ever let your passion die". I retrieve the photo I took with the most students, and purposely colour my hair white/gray and with white mostache too. It will serve as a reminder to me even if I go wiser, I must still kep connected and be passionate about teaching.

5) Happy family


Again I colour my hair white and added moustache to remind myself no matter what, the happiness in family is important, irregardless of the $$$$$ and other challenges in life.

6) Sentosa Cove apartment


Not really wanted to move into Sentosa....but as an investment and rental income...why not?...will be looking into Saturday's paper for the cut-out to reinforce my visualisation!!!

plan to get an Gratitute Stone tomorrow in Suntec...i think I should able to get what is suitable there.

Hey guys...dun just look at mine...it's about time u start do something n show me your own vision board too!!!

June School Holiday Over ...so fast?

After moving into the new home in Quintet, we never actually utilise the facilities much...


Son is studying in the afternoon session and each day when he finish school and come home and have dinner and shower and finish home work and pack for next day...it will be rather late around 11 pm already. Really no chance to enjoy the various facilities available.

James/Cody/Anna/Watermelon/cowgal and her little sis did visit us once and we go use the karaoke room. The system is soooo lousy in the end we end up playing settlers and dice and card sin the karaoke room.

Then there was this occassion where PL utilise my function room to host her 21st birthday party for 30 friends. Picture below are those from school who can make it that day.

Until this June holiday.

Since 4 weeks ago, me and my son have been utilising swimming pool, basketball court and jacuzzi every late evening at 9.30pm. I also visit the steam room rather often. Feel my fitness is definitely getting much better, being able to enjoy swimming afew laps comfortably. Yi Fan can swim around 14-15 without problem.


We also played basketball (mini size, which i bought during staff outing for captain's ball purpose). Watermelon and Cowgal visited me again on Fri and we played basketball and all graduated from the spot shots..except cowgal...she still stuck at primary 3.

Time flies and it now end of jun school holiday...Yi Fan will probabaly skip all these evening activities until next school holiday. I will try my best to continue the swimming /steaming routine and hope to start going to the gym too. this is my immediate goal and I will try to maintain the exercise frequency.


Also started handling out the 2007 graduation CD...SM/LT has got it...next week passing to Hua/Na/Mei/San. Too bad GL nv came for the basketball game...if not he would have got it by now...but nvm...still can get on Graduation day.

GT Kukup 2007

I believe Kukup trip will leave a fond memory in most participants' mind, as I myself had lots of fun and laughters in that 2 short days, especially in the night.

Meet up around 8.30am and proceed through customs and pick up Baorong along the way...then we finally get to eat Bak Kut Teh recommand by LT. It was the dark soup type (personally I really prefer the clear soup type) and i guess it's also has it's own special taste, the meat is soft and tender so really no complaints. (see below picture - if student S also likes it...u know how good it is).

Then we proceeded to enjoy the slow and easy tour to the orchid valley and fruit farm. Saw many rare plants and tasted some rare spices too. Then we eat fruits and enjoyed fresh coconuts (robbed from Wedndy) to refresh ourselves.

Then finally arrived at Kukup and had lunch. My restricted diet also started...

Next, we went for fishing farm visit..saw horseshoe crab, fishes, jellyfish (real one...not HuiNi) and spittinf fish, puffer fish and turtle (who send some girls screaming) and dogs!!! (Student S almost fainted).

Finally arrived at the chalet at around 3pm and settled down and went shopping for snacks and DVDs and guess what..FIREWORKS!!!

Refreshed ourselves and sang Karaoke for awhile and then it's eating time again at 7pm+!! The BBQ dinner was prepared for us and taste good and HOT!!

At 8.30pm we all went for fireworks entertainment. I bought 14 launcher (2 big and 12 medium) and got 20 small but still powerful crackers for free. Then the real fun begin...one by one we test our own nerve by lighting up the luancher and cracker. The bang were really loud and afew of the explosion were really spectacular and impressive. Had a close shave with Hui Ni turn as the chamber was hot and had a premature explosion...close shave!!

My proudest moment...of course...was when i throw the ignited but still unexploded cracker to the girls. I think all except LT were not expecting that. Only she knew I will ACTUALLY do such crazy thing. So of course all 18 girls went hysterical and run for their lives. And dare not come out to the yard after that....

I knew they were very angry with me. So when later on, when LT confronted me with a lighter and 1 last remaining unsed cracker, I was not surprised at all. But I was in luck...as she was more nervous than me and fumbled and dropped the cracker right in front of me. I calmly pick up the cracker and just wickedly smiled at her. Again that sent the 6 revenge-seeking girls wild and they all retreated to 1 room and refused to come out of that door for the next 2 hours.

Then we played cards in the courtyard and drink plain water as the forfeit. We played the change card game which I learn from my Jinzhou friend LZY and also Allen introduced the Indian poker card exchange game. We really had great fun and all were laughing wildly. In 2 hours we drank 18 bottles of water of 1.5L volume. Many of us were at our own high-high alarm limit (Allen / Limhan / Wendy)...but the 2 SLs actually activated their safety valve and went onto auto purge mode. Luckily they did it in their room and no one was at the receiving end.

During the period I also had 2 chances to send the 6 girls wild twice...once throwing the un-ignited cracker into their room and also knowing that they were telling goast story...I barge into the room with Allen without forwwarn notice...and the result is not difficult to imagine at all.

1am and the night is still young. fianlly make peace with the girls and chatted with them till 2.30am...contributed abit on my own experience on the irrie subject.

Then played mahjong (in place of GL as he looked rather tired) and make all players wake up. Got 10 flowers and 8 doubles and collected kang $$ 4 times in a single game..and the last game. This is the fist time I ever get such good luck with the flowers in my life. Calling very early but didn't game eventually, but surely it was a trule memorable game.

Woke up late the next morning and check out at 11.30am. Went for brunch and we went shopping in the local products shops and in JESCO till 5pm. Many of us are tried of walking and in the end playing Zhong ji mi ma at starbucks and ate extra strong mentos.

Soon it was another meal - the final one, and we have to leave M'sia for home at 7pm. Passing through custome were abit exciting for quite afew of us as we were wondering how best to keep our purchase of DVD with us safely. It the end there were some scare but nothing really happened. All were happy.

Abit short... for a gathering for 24 fun loving ppl together, as usual...but we enjoyed the process and live the moment to the fullest - that is the most importrant.

I am now using my positive thoughts again...knowing my next coming tour of GT 2008 Bali already. Goal set...and visualising it clearer and claerer. Will you join me?

Coures on Think, Act, Speak,Listen!

Wow - this course is content rich and contain some powerful materials.

I actually sign up for this course to improve more on my listening skills...but in turn pick up some very useful pointers in positive thinking instead. So much so that I have to take a step back and need to devote more time to digest the contents again before I see the real full picture.
I wrote in my course review and feedback : "This is the one of the rare course of which if you put your heart and soul into it, it will change your life."

Already in the steam room at 10pm I was thinking away and starting to have questions to ask the instructor again to clarify already. As soon as I hear from her on the e-mail, i will ask her to enlighten me and meanwhile all I can do is to watch the DVD "the secret" and try to understand more about the power of positive thinking.


It was an enjoyable 3 days together, inspired by true life stories of Elisabetta.




Just want to share some notes with you all now that I browse through my taken notes during the course again:

How much you get from this course really depends on how much effort you give. - How true. This principle applies to the classroom back in school too.


When I have Awareness - Then I have a Choice!! Many people claims that they are not aware, so it's important to creat that awarerness...once that they are aware, then what ever they do afterwards is actually their choice. They chooseto change..they choose to continue...


Playing abit of soothing music during break - Good idea, at times my breaks are rather casual...didn't really prepare anything...despite seeing afew instructors showing me the door....but this time I will start doing it for the 10 mins break during 2 hours lecture.


Being too much altruistic can be as damaging as being selfish!! when a certain strength is getting out of balance...then it is no longer a strength, it become an area of improvement!! the Art -- is finding a balance.


Failures and mistakes are fertilizers!! If you want to be successful - get as many fertilisers as you can!! JUST DON'T REPEAT THEM!!!


Goal setting - very important action. I knew already that already from previous training...but somehow are not motivated enough to act on it. This time the facilitation is simplier ..just write down " I want ...."...guess what..I wrote down I want landed property (half jokingly) in the course and everyone laughs.


After the goal setting then come the visualisation part. I have also learnt about this in playing golf...and I found that I am an amatuer in this. I need to put in abit more effort in this area.
So setting up the Vision Board is an immediate task when I reach office next week.


Five Steps to change to +ve thinking :
1) Awareness - rememer once u are aware, u can start making choice
2) Take responsibilty. I want / I think... rather than you...you...
3) FOUCS - live the moment now and enjoy it!! （活在当下！！）Focus on what u actually can do too!
4) Action!! Goal setting / visualise /commitment / practise practise practise
5) Discipline - simply belive it will change for the better and have faith in it. (I actually want to type dun give up but then it's realise that it's already an negative thoughts)


Use positive thoughts/words NOT negative thoughts /words - eg.
pro peace NOT anti war
pro abundance NOT anti hunger remember - What U resist - it persists!!


Time to rap up and prepare for my Kukup trip tomorrow morning...will definitely share more with you once I have the chance to go through the DVD in details later. Cheers!!

oh one more..important one too!! we must say : I have a anger emotion NOT I am angry.

The emotion you have IS NOT YOU!!! and once you realise that the anger is something you have,,,like something you can hold on..then you can also can easily let go!!! (But later I try to say I have a hunger feeling but realise that i cannot control this feeling much...so i guess i still have to say I am hungry. hahahaha)

Course on "How to bring to the best out of students"

Spent the last 2 days on course in Hwa Chong Institute. This was fhe 1st time I ever step into the old HCJC since 1981...(the year I completed my A level). I was in the new wings where the LTs and Lab are located...almost got lost if not for some old memories of local knowledge.

Got an early bird voucher of $50 and decided to exchange it for 2 books, one is "Laughing classroom" and the other titled "life's Greatest lessons". Quickly unrapped the cover and browsed through the 1st book and found 1 brain game I can play in the classroom next semesters onwards. Problem is ...where do I keep my previous records...gone through my home drawer and could not find the piece of paper...maybe have to go through my office drawer again...i swear I just saw that piece of work done previously about a month ago!!

(I think the rest of the games are more meant for primary school children so actually the book is more useful to cowgal than me).

The 2 day course is about dealing with students...particularly with teenage students. The class spend a great deal of time understanding the developmental needs of teenagers, as they are still trying to discover who they actually are...so many of them are still in the moulding / developing stage...some are lost.... I was told that most of the ever changing and developing brain will finally settled and become matured by the age of 20.

In a way that is very true. Many of the students are still somewhat playful in year 1 at CPT. by year 2 some have settled and year 3 many display maturity that was very satisfying to see as a teacher.

I guess in a way...we are lucky to teach students that are close to maturity. There seems to be "progress" along the way in the couse of study...we might think we actually did something good to them...but actually that may be just part of their growing up process.

Some of the good points that I read through and highlighted in the notes are :

- ACCEPT the students. You may not always acceot the students' beheaviour, but you accept the student.

Sincereity - teenagers can see through "phonies", they know when you care about what is going on and when you simply do not. They are exquisitely sentitive to the hype and can see what's fake right away.

They react well to your interests. They will appreciate your efforts and hard work.

Teeanagers actually realtes to silliness, humour and irreverence more easily...they are trapped in school all day dealing with serious stuff ...they don't get as many laughs as grown-ups.


Be honest, be consistant. If you permit, then you give them permission. (That's why I always pick on those who talk and disrupt the class...I simply cannot permit.)

Being interested, connected, measured (not emotionally attached) and plan-full is the key.

People feed off energy. If you are upbeat, they will respond to you. You will find you feed on their energy as well.

Many students have no role models. You may be fullfilling an important role and not even aware of it.

Be kind. Be kind. Be kind. Then they will trust us, then they will learn.

Take good care of your own self, if you are giving more energy more than the students, you will suffer from burnout....and anger...and resentment...and you will be no use to anyone.

Actions that I will do after this course :

1. start to introduced the "Brain bender game" in class starting nest semester...I will go hunt down that piece of paper for sure!!

2. Introduce the concept of letting students hearing from peers...and combined with praise from peers as well...that will also allow me to know some of the students better.

Will be going for another 5 courses in the next 2-3 months...shall summarise what I learn in each of them, to share also to reinforce / recap what's happening before I forget about them.