2009 CNY Gathering

哟哟哟！！！ 又过年啰！！！

Unsuccessful in booking the function hall in my EC last night at 12.01 am, last by seconds.....so this year CNY gathering will be in the afternoon rather than in the evening. (No XPY and Ah Meng to remind me at the critical moment...unlike last year :( ).

So here is the official announcement : 2009 CNY gathering is on 27 Jan (The second day) Tues from 11am to 3pm at my EC hall. Need 5 volunteers to come early to help...pls let me know in your comment if u can come abit early to help. Thanks.

Sorry for those Malaysian students/DT/grads that need to travel back to home town for home reunion. Hopefully next year timing is better. (Every year I say that...hahaha). But I am very sure you will have such a great time back home you won't miss any thing here. (I save some ang bao money also!!!)

As usual if you are coming, register in the comment area to let me know. Pls only register for yourself plus 1 extra maximum...do not register for your whole class hor... and kindly do so before 17 Jan so that i can plan for the food and packets properly.

P.S. - the address:- Quintet EC, CCK St 64, near Yew Tee MRT, cross the O/H bridge and cut across the HDB for 150-200m, and you will hit St 64. Turn left and follow the road and past Windermere EC, the next EC in Quintet.

Hope to see you then!!!

Taiwan Tour (1) Edited with videos

Day 1 - arrived at Taipei at 7pm, checked in and visited 2 night markets. First is the 南势角 中和 NM (1st time visit), have dinner there. Sleep early...nv sleep so early for a long time.

Day 2 - visited the town 石碇. This town is famous for its toufu production. Too bad it was raining in the morning so we did not stayed as lond as we like. Just bought some toufu pastry and enjoyed them. Then we proceed to 深坑..eat some stinky beancurd and sausages for lunch and noted a lot of things to buy when we come back later. (dun want to carry them around to other parts of taiwan).



In the evening, visited a new market near a university called 公馆 NM (1st time). looksee looksee and visited the 华西 night matket. Been there b4 but it seems to be better (more organised and clean now).

Day 3 - fly to 台东. First time taking Taiwan internal flight. Check in into taidong hotel and hired a local taxi for a 1/2 day tour along the coast attractions. The attractions are : 小野柳，水往上流， 三仙台。San xian tai is furthest we went but worth the journey. It's v v v v windy and cold too. Visited the 成功 fish port too.










Dinner is at tai dong local town...too bad we missed the big night market by 1 day :(

Day 4 - took a ferry to the Green Island (绿岛). It's winter and the sea was really choppy. We really could not stomach the sea sickness and throw our lunch out along the way. Once landed decided to take a plane back instead. Luckily there is still seat available the next day.

went for the round the island tour and then set for winter snookerling. Both yi fan and myself are doing this the first time...but it was really fun to swim and touch the fishes...too bad we did not bring enough bread with us...in the end 1 hour seems so fast!! In the end we both agreed that we are now hooked on the sport!!



Stay in the newly built home-stay and had dinner at the local eating house and played mahjong to entertain ourselves.

Day 5 - after breakfast (maggie mee) went for the hot spring. What so special about this one in green island is that it was 1 of the rere few in the world that is sea water hot spring. so 1 can watch the seawaves and watch sun rise while soaking in the hot spring.

take a 18 seater plane back to taidong. Tried this type of small propeller plane in canada b4 but it was the 1st time for the family....much much more comfy compared to the bloody boat!!

Once arrived, went for an tour to see the seneic 花东纵谷. visited the famous 初鹿 farm and feed the fishes on our way back to home-stay too.



day 6 - took a trian to KaoXiong after breakfast. Hotel is nice. went to the seaside for a short visit, too little time to try out the electric bicycle. then in the evening we 1st had a complimentary light dinner at a resturant then proceeded to the 新拙江 NM. had more things to eat there and walk and shop till 9pm.

hotel provide free inter service tt's y i can spend the late evening updating the travel diary now.
part 2 of the your to be uploaded soon...

14 days of different life

Will be flying off to Taiwan tomorrow noon, it's a once a year long long break and time to spend with the family together. No homework, no assessment to do, no tuition, no music / drawing classes, no ballet etc for the children and no evening coaching, no marking of their assessment paper and busy driving around to send the children to classes in the weekends...also...no housework!!! YEAH!!!

I still remember last year this time...after 14 days away...I kick off the addicting gaming on Hellgate London...but also in the same time give up on the touch typing...old single finger typing habit creep back during the 14 days break and win against the new skills.

This year...hopefully i can allow my albow to have a gd rest (too much computer gaming in a bad ergonomic position i guess) and also this is the time I can sleep early (after all the walking / shopping normally I fall flat and sleep at 11pm+...not like the 1am+ in S'pore lifestyle).

It's a rare 2 week break of relatively low low stress period too...just have to be alert not not miss any connection flight / train etc. Normally i exchange more than enough taiwan dollars and the aim is to use up all so dun have to bring back to S'pore again...so it's buying spree time for tibits / books / souveniors etc etc. Sounds like a shopping therapy trip too...hahahahaha

so you will not be seeing much update here for the next 2 weeks...merry X'mas and hopefully i will update this blog before the happy new year!! cheers!!

New award this semester

Just finished marking the common test papers...after 2 nights. Speed of marking is still OK but I guess I am no longer eager to finish the marking within 24 hours of the paper.

This semster I have a new idea to present the "joker of the semester" award to those who proide the funniest answer in the papers. For the common test, I have zoom down the possible canidates to 2 of them...or maybe will give a present to both when school starts. :)

Keep on reminding the class what is prevention and what is migtigation during the 1st term, even show them pictures of their seniors...tell jokes and the whole class laugh at the exaggerated "left glove / right glove / left boot / right boot..."

But still in CT i see inputs that does not reflect the proper understanding. Haiz....maybe they missed that lesson. All 4 of them come from the same class...maybe they study together and share the same ideas too...

At least they make marking more entertaining :)

Day trip to JB

Planned this day for more than a month. 17 ppl signed up and when it comes to the actual departure time...we lost 4 due to work commitment. Luckily there is a new addition JC who are back from her Australia uni break and back in JB, so perfect timing to join us!!

It is also the day the new Malaysian Iskandar Custom building was used. So we are the 1st few users to go through the building. Took us 45-50 mins to clear customs to finally enter JB, not sure how long is due to the new ysytem on the 1st day. Left NYP at 10.10am and when we eventaully reached the go-cart site it's 11.30am.

The reach there we also need to travel for about 3 km of mud path, luckily it was adry and extremely sunny day so all we have is dust on our cars.

YiFan was most excited about this trip. He was waiting for this trip since out GT tour to Macau, where he was rejected due to underage. Finally after 2 years' wait...he can try carting...on his own.

Cost was reasonable, $14/10mins, with reasonalble track (wide and there are afew patchy sectction in the circuit, and with reasonable cart, tyre grip was slipprier than expected, so can easily go into spin!!). Most tried 1 seesion. Me / Chrisrf/Allen tried extra and XPY sit out doing facial treatment in the shed.

Yi Fan has a 2 to 1 coaching session as it was his 1st try. Christof commented that he can see the wide smile on his face since he arrived at the centre.

CL has a minor knock on her thigh and there were a rather big patch of blood stain on her jeans. Nothing serious (abrasion ) and hope she recover fast. :)

After carting we went JASCO for lunch and shopping. Tried the new south american Indons Chicken...every 1 seems happy with the quality of the food...but I think chicken should be made abit more tenderer.

Bought my favourite totally shaved coconut in a box plus some tibits during shopping time. While others bought confectionaries. At 3.45pm it's time to go home!! Took us another 1 hour to clear custom to reach Singapore.

JC actually wanted to treat us to eat ice at Palangi area but too bad we need to rush off as long queues are expected after 4pm. Next time maybe...when she is back again.

next trip....1 day Batam in late Jan 2009 I would think....most likely with the current 3rd yr class. most likely yet another carting /shopping outing. :)