有生以来第一双名牌鞋

虽然比起人家的名牌这是极小儿科，但我还是有那一点花钱像流水的感觉。得意 ：）

感动三次

感动（一）The Lovely Bones
整部片子拍得很美 but the story is just too suffocating, 害我一直 take deep breaths，喘不过气。我是有点害怕看这种有离别情景的电影，比看恐怖片还要可怕。那种扣人心弦的压迫感会让我晚上做恶梦。电影看到最后面，我得到了一个启示：心要放开，世界才会变得美丽，心灵才能自由 。

感动（二）Hachiko: A Dog's Story
在飞上海途中看了这部电影。我一向都不是对狗很有兴趣，所以也没有对这部片子有多大的期望，只是觉得Richard Gere 应该不会随便接片子来拍，所以是看演员多过看戏。那里知道后来竟哭得稀里哗啦，真的很感动。对白也没有几句，但就是可以一看就明白。我想买给学生看。

感动（三）SSA Youth Musical: Spreading Humanism, Opening the Way
男主角有一张挺舞台剧的脸，和一把很诚恳的声音。虽然咬字不是很清楚，但也把台词背得一字不漏。严格来说，演得最自然的只有那个穿西装,比较高的男配角。无论神色或肢体表情都恰到好处，没有给人那种刻意在努力要把戏演好的感觉。但是看这样的演出不应该严格。这是一场诚心的表演，应该用心来看。

音乐好，舞蹈好，灯光音响也好。但是最叫我感动的是这些台前幕后的，都是不拿分文且尽心尽力地在努力，在身体力行宣扬爱与和平。演出结束后我没有即刻离去。我呆坐地在想是哪一股力量让他们这么棒，这么积极，这么谦虚，这么有礼貌，这么热情。其实答案很简单。在他们心中，也就只有那一个答案。

dinner with ben

"Hi teachers, are you free in March? I would like to bring the three of you to either lunch or dinner, depending on your preference."

"There's no need for a call for special occasion to treat you guys. Been wanting to do that for a while. Have long regarded you as people who matters in my life. Till today, I'm still very thankful for the effort you have put in which asked for nothing in return."

"Hello teachers, remember the treat that I mentioned? Just checking if you have any preferred dates? I have in mind The Line. Is that okay with you? Hear from you soon!"

"Shangri-La. Is that too far? I can't think of any other good buffet in the east."

"I have not been to The Line but read from reviews that the food is quite good. What's the per head price at Rose Veranda? If it is too cheap, I'm afraid I'll have to give that a miss cuz I'm not saving for a treat on you guys. Really, don't have to save for me, it'll be money well spent."

"I really look upon you guys as important people."

"This is what people mean by 'you don't have to be rich in order to be blissful'. It is also my principle in life to remember the people who have been nice to me. Though the period was really short, you guys did nurture me into a better person. I only regret not scoring well for my 'O's but I realised that I'm not really study material. However, that does not give me any reason to forget you guys. Your thoughtfulness and generosity has struck me and I'm really thankful that I've met you guys."

Ben, compared to my peers, I'm probably one of the poorest money-wise. With an accounting degree I could have gone further but I've never once regretted the switch. Sometimes I do feel like I could have given my family more if I were richer. So I give all that I have now. I do not keep for myself, except for maybe the occasional pamper :) Other times, I feel that if I had more money, I'd be able to help more people. So now I do the little things within my means to help, one by one. We can't change the world, but we can certainly do our single best. What makes me happy and keeps me going are people like you who make the world a little nicer.

I did not teach Ben when he was in school. I taught him after he left school. He was trying to do the 'O' levels as a private candidate and needed some help. A few of us packed his schedule and took turns to tutor him in the evenings. We thought that if a kid really wanted to learn, the least we could do was to be available. It was natural for him to struggle as he was jumping from N(T) to the 'O's. What I liked about him was that he was always on time and diligent. He even brought the cup to the kitchen and washed it before he went home each time. Really, education cannot and should not just be about results. 'Kids' like Ben taught me that there is more to school and learning. Ten years down the road, should the kids in my classes now do more than okay, then I must have done something right.

Thanks Ben for dinner, and for crossing my path. Next one's on me.

三月的上海

有点冷，但是我喜欢这样的旅行。

这次去上海，没有上次去感觉到的那种繁华。没有南京步行街，没有东方之珠，就只是几个好友吃吃喝喝，走走看看，暂时把工作抛到九霄云外。短短的四天，感觉像是过了两个礼拜。虽然冷，但是晚上睡得很舒服。

又是火锅又是北京烤鸭，这些都是好友诚意的安排。买了我从来都不敢妄想的名牌皮鞋和两件外套，这些是心情轻松，意外的收获。在杭州看印象西湖，脸都被冻疆了。张艺谋真的了得。那些在表演的更是一流。我们坐着看都冷到发抖，他们还得在水上耍功夫，真是要命。

出国旅行不外就是要给心情放假。其实不管去那里，去多久或是跟谁去，要打开心门才是旅行最大的意义。

家後

歌名:家後
附註:民視「世間路」主題曲
語言:台語, 曲長:4m9s
作曲:鄭進一, 編曲:戴維雄
監製:曹俊鴻, 填詞:鄭進一


有一日咱若老　找無人甲咱有孝
我會陪你坐惦椅寮　聽你講少年的時袸你有外賢
食好食歹無計較　怨天怨地嗎袂曉
你的手　我會甲你牽條條　因為我是你的家後

阮將青春嫁治恁兜　阮對少年隨你隨甲老
人情世事已經看透透　有啥人比你卡重要
阮的一生獻乎恁兜　才知幸福是吵吵鬧鬧
等待返去的時袸若到　我會讓你先走
因為我會不甘　放你　為我目屎流

有一日咱若老　有媳婦子兒有孝
你若無聊　拿咱的相片　看卡早結婚的時袸你外緣投
穿好穿歹無計較　怪東怪西嗎袂曉
你的心　我著永遠記條條　因為我是你的家後

阮將青春嫁治恁兜　阮對少年隨你隨甲老
人情世事已經看透透　有啥人比你卡重要
阮的一生獻乎恁兜　才知幸福是吵吵鬧鬧
等待返去的時袸若到　你著讓我先走
因為我嘛不甘　看你　為我目屎流

胡夏唱家後

看第二次的时候，还是哭得稀里哗啦。其实我也不太听得懂他唱什么，只是大概知道歌词的意思。这小子说他要替他的妈妈唱给他的爸爸，我就失去控制。想想老爸病重的那段日子，妈妈一定很难过。有些事情我不一定能够明白，但是心痛这一关，我是常常都过不了。

the 29 people i met in 15 hours

It was MOE Excel Fest on 6 March 2010 and we were at Suntec City for the Innergy Award Presentation Ceremony. Met most of my former Ps and VPs - Mrs Chia, Mrs Rathi, Mr Puvan, Mr Loh and Mr Koh. When Mr Loh saw me, he told the others that I shared at his new school what we're doing at NLS now. He seemed quite pleased :) Ms Quake, who taught me History in sec 2 and is now a cluster sup was there too. Also said "hi" to Mrs E Neo and Mrs Tan, both I worked with briefly.

GOH Ms Grace Fu was exceptionally kind. She did not "grill" me with too many questions :) All award recipients had to attend the tea reception with the GOH to "mingle" with her. I thought I'd just walk around (preferably away from the GOH but within the "VIP Zone"), eat and try to look intelligent. But the official brought me to introduce to Ms Fu! Thank goodness our project was simple and real enough for me to explain and impress :) Ms Ho Peng, Director-General Education, stood next to Ms Fu the whole time and kept nodding. That was very reassuring. Thanks, Ms Ho.

Also bumped into Chew Lee, who saved me $14 for parking, Ghee Han, Qinyu and Lestin. It is nice to bump into old friends unexpectedly.

After the ceremony, Mrs Chua, Hai Siang and I went for lunch at Imperial Restaurant at the Fountain. For some reason, this lunch was not awkward at all. I am so lucky to have them as my P and VP now. The only other P I had lunch with previously is Mrs Rathi. She coached me for the HOD interview and lent me a thick file and then drove me out to have lunch. How nice and sincere can an ex-boss get?

Caught up with Soraya at Raffles City for coffee after that. We chatted, grumbled and laughed.

Next, to Paragon. My kind aunt has booked a massage appointment for me there. She often pampers me and I could really get used to that :) The massage did not turn out too great. The strokes were not hard enough and the room was a tiny bit too warm. But nonetheless, it was a relaxing afternoon I had.

Then it was off to Great World City to have dinner with Daniel Fan and Mun Mun. This was the celebration dinner for Daniel who has just completed his ACCA Degree. He is with IRAS now and would like to look for a tax job in the Big 4 or some other big companies. They were both excellent students in my class, diligent and polite. They're getting married next December. When we said "goodbye", I said "It is very nice to see both of you tonite and it is very nice to see both of you together. Stay together."

Last stop, Paradiz Centre. This is the first time I'm meeting these "kids" after they left school. This is my first form class, from 3A1 to 4A1 to 5A1. How did I survive those three years? :)

Sani, Kor Han, Sophia, Ci Hui, Bing Qing, Terrence, James, Fauzan and Danny. They have all grown up :) By this time of the day, I was pretty tired already but still enjoyed the company tremendously. Kor Han is back from Switzerland where he is doing his Masters. He is taking part in a furniture design competition on Monday. Good luck, Kor Han. James and Fauzan were there with their wives and Terrence turned up with his wife and son. We stayed at the Cafe till we were told to leave and that's almost midnight.

Danny asked the table what constitutes a good class? How can you tell that a class is a good class? He popped this question out of no where and the table fell quiet. I asked him if he had an answer in mind. I had one: A clean classroom. Before I could say that, Danny said, "A class that can still meet up after 10 years could be an answer." And I couldn't agree more.

Thanks Sophia for getting us all together for the evening and thanks to you lovely 5A1 people for turning up. I wish all of you happiness and good health.


By the time I got home, mum was already sleeping. But you were still there, of course. And that completed the day. Perfect :)