.A lil' bit of adventure.

I've always thought of myself as being adventurous. I've traveled to the most outrageous places on earth, tasted the oddest delicacies and done many things nobody would've ever thought of doing. But yesterday, I got a taste of being anti-adventurous. I went out for a lil' bit of an adventure with my pal, Trevor a few days ago. He successfully made me do many things I have never done before- doing lil silly actions, going to places I've never dared to enter, walking halfway across the city etc etc. I can't believe that I actually hesitated doing all that although I've labeled myself as "adventurous" all this while. Maybe the time I spend on facebook and locking myself in the house has taken away the wild-crazy me. I still remember the time when I was so carefree I would try just about anything (with the exception of booze, drugs and the likes). But as I grew up, things changed... I changed. That's one of the reasons I have always been afraid of growing up. You'll never know who you are going to transform into. You can never see the future. Many plans might not work out. I'm glad I went out to the lil adventure with Trev. It kinda rejuvenated me in some ways. As I stood on top of KL tower, looking down at the beautiful KL city at the strike of midnight, I have made two resolutions: cut down on facebook and have more wild adventures! I gotta be me again!

=Happy New Year 2009=

yingoying

.Sacrifices.

This Christmas season, we remember the greatest sacrifice ever made- God sending His only begotten Son to earth to die for each and everyone of us. Thinking of this sacrifice, it reminds me of the many sacrifices we have to make in order for us to continue with our lives. When we were young, everything was so simple. We dream of what we want, we aspire to achieve it and then, we try to work so hard to get it. But as we grow up, reality begins to hit. We realize that we don't always get what we wish for. And to make it worse, we have to make sacrifices for things that we have never planned for. Sometimes, I just wonder whether these sacrifices are worth it. Is it possible that in 50 years, we would look back and sigh with regret, "Why in the world have I wasted my life in doing that?" By then, reality has already hit big time. The grave would be calling out to u. No more turning back. Full stop.

=yingoying=

::..Imperfection..::

Never discourage anyone...who continually makes progress, no matter how slow.
~Pluto

It has been quite a century since I've last updated this blog.. or any other blogs that I have. Sometimes it makes me wonder why I even have so many blogs when I don't even have the tiniest inkling of updating even one. Well, from my personal observation of .. myself, I have discovered that this happens all the time mainly because of the anti-social word, "Imperfection". It is not rare for me to suddenly think of a crazily creative idea of some sorts which is worth mentioning to the world, but before I could even take up the pen (or touch the keyboard), I got nudged. Not by the ever famous MSN nudge, mind you. But by a biological nudge that injects the guilt of imperfection into my very veins- in seriously large doses! My hands, as if programmed, stop me from making a fool out of myself by writing something which is not even tiny-bee-wit close to perfection. Nothing is better than imperfection.Talk about being a perfectionist!

A few days ago, while trying to doze off in the car on my way to Pahang, I happen to have nothing better to do, so my mind just drifted off to some thoughts to occupy the slowly passing time (FIY it was burning hot at that time!). It kind of amazes me how my unconscious mind specifically chose the topic "Simulated Teaching" when that is exactly the issue I have been avoiding for a long long time. Trust me when I repeated long. I wanted to write a perfect piece on my ST experience. If you have read any of the other posts concerning ST, you will know what I mean. Everyone has their unique experience on that course. To top that, they beautifully pointed out each and every moment of their ST experience in their own personal spaces. I didn't have that 'gift'. All I can be proud of is my short-term memory loss. The last time I met MR Lim at the 'bengkel', he asked me what I have learned from his class. I could only stare blankly at him. If there is even any blur cases in this world, I'm the most blur of them all. Everyone has their precious dignity. So, to protect mine, I have ruled out every chances of announcing myself as an imperfect blogger to the rest of the blogging community out there.

What I did not have the wisdom to realize earlier is the most crucial lesson I have learned from the ST course. It wasn't whether I was creative enough to create the most interesting set induction. It also wasn't whether I have the guts enough to try out a grammar activity to link the set induction to the 'while' stage through the 'pre' stage (although we spent a lot of time doing just that). Nor was it whether I was smart enough to carry out a 'while' activity which fits perfectly into the remaining time left after deducting the time allocated for the set induction, 'pre' and 'post' stages. I do not deny that all of the above are crucial for a real class, but they are not the most significant lesson I have learned from the ST course.

The most important lesson I have learned from all these lies in the word "Imperfection". Every week throughout the course, we kept on rushing (like hell) to try to impress our lecturer with the best lesson we could think of. It wasn't easy trying to stay up to the standard. We watched some being praised, while the others fell short of the expected glory. I wasn't exempted from the latter too. Many of us consciously or unconsciously broke down because of the imperfection that we assumed to be entitled to us. We started to feel nervous about the ugly monster in us, the monster which was threatening to break out into the world to show just how weak we were. Of that, I wasn't exempted from either. To be honest, I am a human being. And at large, I am a future teacher. As the saying goes, "Most (if not all) of the teachers are perfectionists" (if you are wondering where I quoted that from, I made it up). Week by week, we were given comments on the lessons we have conducted. There was never a comment perfect to the ears.

I would not have realized this important lesson I was talking about if I had not been blogging here. Unlike my ST classes, I have sooooo few comments here. Does it mean that my posts are too perfect for people to comment on? I don't think so. What I actually believe is that a lot of people just don't care enough to leave a line or two. So, what am I doing, complaining of the many comments I got from the ST course? "Check your grammar", "You are not teaching the language through this activity" and "This activity is very boring" are actually pointing out to me that I have not stopped learning. Yes, I am imperfect, but I am not lying dormant on the ground, wasting my life away. This imperfection has actually become my motivation for more progress. What better ways are there for me to see this imperfection than through the eyes of my lecturer and peers? Like our wise lecturer once said, "Teachers don't know everything". If everyone of us is perfect, what is left for us to learn from each other? Therefore, let this lesson of imperfection be a reminder for us to not stop encouraging each other as we step into the journey of teaching practice. Bon Voyage my friends!

xoxo YingoYing

Random shots of Singapore

This little work of art in front of the Fullerton Hotel has undoubtedly defeated the majesty of the magnificent hotel at its background.

A boat ride through a calm river in a busy city..

I just love this!

The famous Merlion and the infamous...Me..

3 crazy girls doing their thing at Bugis...

Wish I could post more pics but time does not allow it. if u guys wana see more pics of my trip, check out my album at facebook. Muaks!

xoxo

yingoying

Trying damn hard to get myself grounded on reality!

It has been a while since I've last said "hi" to anyone at all. So here goes... Hi everyone! I'm back! Well I wouldn't say exactly that I'm back heart, mind and soul coz I somehow think that I'm still not totally back here. I've been pretty far from reality these past few weeks. I so want to blame it all on the "end" of all my classes. To make an outburst, "This is so !@#$% great that I can start to enjoy myself!!!" Well, I did kind of enjoyed myself too much til I flew away from reality for a while. I wanted to start my blogs on my simulated teaching thingy but as soon as my last class ended, I started a movie marathon! A few days after that, I went on a vacation to Singapore. It was really fun! I felt totally like a new person there, without any worries at all. It's as if I was a spirit looking at people rushing here and there without any smiles on their grumpy faces. But I could for once sit there, look at them, and smile...wow. I was in heaven! One thing I will never forget bout this trip is one instant when a tourist asked for my mum and I to pose for a picture. lol. We were like holding an umbrella somewhere near Esplanade and this stranger wanted to take out pic! haha. I was there in Singapore for 4 days. And now here am I, sulking that I am back here facing reality-the exams coming up soon! gosh. I so don't wana study yet. I'm still in my vacation mood... but what can I do? This is life... I want so much to start my simulated teaching blog already but looking at my mood after raging through my notes on Confusianism, I doubt that it will be a wise thing for me to write it now. I will most probably just swear all my way through and that's so not my experience of the simulated teaching class! So for those who are reading this (I doubt there's any...LOL), I'll be getting back to u guys after my exams! Ciao!

xoxo
yingoying

Piano recital

Promoting a dear friend's piano recital. check it out!

UNIVERSITY OF MALAYA CULTURAL CENTRE

presents

Leong Siew May

Piano

SUNDAY, APRIL 6, 2008

8PM- 9PM

PANGGUNG DEWAN BANDARAYA KUALA LUMPUR

FREE ADMISSION

PROGRAMME

JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACH (1685-1750)

Toccata in e minor, BWV 914 10mins

JOSEPH HAYDN (1732-1809)

Sonata in C minor, Hoboken XVI: 20

Moderato

Andante con moto

Finale- Allegro 15mins

FREDERIC CHOPIN (1810-1849)

Polonaise, Op. 26 No. 1 8mins

CLAUDE DEBUSSY (1862-1918)

Prelude Book I: Voiles 5mins

Pour Le Piano- Suites: Prelude 6mins

Welcome...to myself!

A hearty welcome to myself! I have stopped blogging here for ages! Been posting up my blogs at xanga instead cuz i have no idea how to 'decorate' my page here..til like yesterday when I figured out it's not dat difficult to set things up here after all. I think it's somehow cooler then xanga. So going to start posting here instead. It has been a pretty dizzying week last week. Had to either pass up an assignment or present something every week! Phew! But this week is a lot better. I only have two more assignments to hand in and they are only due next week. And today's my last profi class! Hooray! Talk about freedom! lol. But the sad thing is the Listening Test on Wednesday. Sigh... I bet it's a sure flunk for me, but at least I gotta make it flunk nicely. :p But there are some nice things to look forward too though. Like, I'm going to start swimming again! (yeap, gotta start to slim down again. Not my new year resolution though). Basically, that's my week! XoXo

=yingoying=

....Miracles

WHY, who makes much of a miracle?

As to me, I know of nothing else but miracles,

Whether I walk the streets of Manhattan,

Or dart my sight over the roofs of houses toward the sky,

Or wade with naked feet along the beach just in the edge of the water,

Or stand under trees in the woods,

Or talk by day with anyone I love, or sleep in the bed at night with anyone I love,

Or sit at table at dinner with the rest,

Or look at strangers opposite me riding in the car,

Or watch honey bees busy around the hive of a summer forenoon,

Or animals feeding in the fields,

Or birds, or the wonderfulness of insects in the air,

Or the wonderfulness of the sundown, or of stars shining so quiet and bright,

Or the exquisite delicate thin curve of the new moon in spring;

These with the rest, one and all, are to me miracles,

The whole referring, yet each distinct and in its place.

To me every hour of the light and dark is a miracle,

Every cubic inch of space is a miracle,

Every square yard of the surface of the earth is spread with the same,

Every foot of the interior swarms with the same.

To me the sea is a continual miracle,

The fishes that swim--the rocks--the motion of the waves--the ships with the men in them,

What stranger miracles are there?

Walt Whitman (1856)