笑傲江湖 (削凹浆糊?) 2006

Sunday, May 31, 2009

My Geography Teacher

2 days ago was RVHS open house. I brought Yi Fan to the Alexsandra campus to have a look...thinking also maybe to know abit more about their DSA program. Hopefully he can have a realistic chance of either using his PSLE score or his music talent to enter the school.

While going through the various stalls of exhibition, I caught a glimpse of a somehow familiar yet different image from my view. After about 1-2 seconds, I finally recognise him...and proceed foreword to greet him. He, is my Sec 3 geography teacher in Chinese High School...Mr. 陈建存。

Was he was my teacher 30 years ago, his is taller than me, hair was still black. now, I am taller than him by 2 heads, and his hair are all white...that is why it took me about another 2 seconds to reconfirm the person I saw is the person I used to know.

Its not easy to remember someone for 30 years...yet of course MrTan is no ordinary teacher, to us. Who would imagine Geography is our favourite lessons in school in a science stream class?
His lessons were funny, witty, full of laughters...so much so that teachers from the next door have to come over and see what so funny about Geography and the student made so much noise...by laughing.

Not only he is articulate, he is also surprisingly artistic. His most famous showpiece : Drawing the China country outline in details - including the big slump near Mongolia, the protruding peninsula of northeast, the big belly of the south cost guang zhou area and finally wrapping it up with another protruding land of the east - all these in great details..and ALL IN 1 STROKE OF THE CHALKSTICK.

I think he set the example for me how one would conduct lessons and get the students to learn...in a joyous environment. 20 years later, I met Micheal Podolinsky and he also inspired me alot with his teaching style. In both of them...they mould me to what I am and aspired to be.

Mr Tan did not remember me straight away, after some help of recollecting some of my class top students...he finally know which class I came from. "Oh yes!! oh yes...i remember!! you are from the very special class of 高手班. Of course he was not referring to me but my brilliant classmates.

We had dinner outing for 3 times, then my overseas assignment for 7 years on and off broke the contact. Now I knew where he works...I can find him easily. :)

He made a difference in my life....and I have to say this to him...谢谢你, 陈老师。

Tuesday, May 19, 2009

Go Cart Singapore outing

I have visited Go-Cart circuit in many places I travelled to...including Shanghai, Bintan, Macau, Johor Bahru, Batam and Phuket. The prices there are reasonable, at about $15-$22 for a 10 minutes session. At SHA I even bought the season tickets which reduce the ticket price to about $7 only. So when ever I have visitors in SHA and I will invite them for night cart sessions....better than visiting clubs.

So far I would say the ones in Macau and Phuket are 2 of the best we have tried and tested so far. Wide tracks, good engines maintenance and there exist a sharp U turn for "drift" overtaking those not so comfortable with sharp corners.

I have brought my son to the S'pore circuit to watch for a few , but somehow never try it myself. Due to the space constraint, the circuit looks like the Monte Carlo F1 Roads, very narrow lane, very difficult to overtake, must have real patient to wait for the right corner to appear for the speed up.

Cost is the S'pore circit is double the overseas too!! so that is why I always prefer to wait for the overseas trip rather than trying out locally.

However, a fellow colleague who is also ago-kart enthuisiast is leaving us for good. So rather than worrying for the cost, we have decided to go for a kart outing before he left. That would be a nice and memorable outing.

so join us in Jurong circuit near the old tang dynasty KFC if you can.

Date : 15 Jun Mon
Time : 2-6pm
Attire: Long pants / covered shoes
Cost : $40 round of 10 mins (i think so...pls visit the site if u can...i really not too bothered by this)

1st 5 ppl who register get $10 discount!!! Hurry hurry!!

Bonus: The 1 who can beat me : FULL Refund!! No joking just ask those guys in Batam!! (sussage / yong yi / Landy and Aug !!!I remeber you all!!)