//Main
Tuesday, November 29, 2005
This is my baby cousin Yanfeng at 8 months old. This was taken at East Coast Beach in June. We had makan at Lagoon Food Court also. My all time fave-satay bee hoon! Ha ha. Doesn't he look like a hamster? So cute right?
enlightened apvunsoul- 11:50 PM |
0 comments~
The Straits Times Friday, November 25, 2005
People should forgive kids for their behaviour
Still in my eyes, my children can do no wrong, and I expect the public to understand, if not forgive, everything they do.
Boon Chin Aun
Kids Learn from mistakes
Most people would help any kid who falls in their path rather than think, “Don’t blame me if I trample on the kid accidentally.”
In a nutshell, keeping the kid at home means that he’ll never learn how to behave in public.
Kayley Ang Yan Ching
After reading the response to Sumiko Tan’s “Suffer the Children” column, I feel very disturbed. Disturbed at how parents can hope to think that their children can be forgiven for everything they do. For one thing, I do not believe that children are completely innocent and unknowing beings. They are capable of the emotions and patterns of interaction that govern any of our lives.
I feel very strongly about issues concerning children as I enjoy working with them in my previous church ministry with the toddlers as well as my four months’ working experience at Chevrons SAF Childcare. Therefore, reading the news on children-related affairs, especially last week’s news sadly reminds me that many parents are incapable of balancing love with discipline.
My toddler cousin Liling is one very good example of what I mean. She understands perfectly the meaning of sibling rivalry, as demonstrated in her occasional outbursts of violent blows on her baby brother Yanfeng’s body. The more her parents tell her it is wrong to hit her brother the more she does it. When her mother makes any attempt to carry the baby, she creates a scene by crying as loudly as she can. It does not help that her parents have failed to socialize her adequately into the acceptance of another family member.
Therefore, in response to Boon Chin Aun’s statement, “Still in my eyes, my children can do no wrong, and I expect the public to understand, if not forgive, everything they do”, I feel this statement is incomplete. This statement can hold if parents have successfully done their parts by being role models for their children. This includes being firm with them and practicing firm discipline when needed. It is said, “Spare the rod and spoil the child”. This statement is so true. The bible says, “Train up a child in the way he should go, so that when he is old, he will not depart from it.” Sadly, parents in Singapore believe doing away with caning and scolding for fear that these will cause trauma in their children. How many of us have gone through canings and yet have survived to tell our tales? So many of us! Have we turned out to be psychologically damaged beings beyond repair and in need of tender loving care? NO! On the contrary, we remember the stinging pain of the cane strokes and remind ourselves why we got them in the first place. We learn our mistakes through the pain and the punishment. It is the same with learning how to cycle, or lose weight! No pain, no gain! If parents are not willing to let their children learn the hard way, they will come to experience the pain of bringing up cocooned and self-centred beings who will care for themselves only.
What is the ministry of the children? Why do they exist? Children are a blessing, a heritage and a gift from the Lord. Jesus says in Mark 9:37, “Whoever receives one of these little children in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me receives not me but Him who sent Me.” He said this in the context of debating who is the greatest in heaven, to which His reply was a servant is the one with the greatest honour. Children are the littlest of us all. Jesus held a little child close to Him as He spoke these words. He loves little children and so should we, so we ought to welcome these little ones by serving them. Do not get me wrong when I say serve…Service flows out of love. Jesus came to serve us by dying for us so that we may have a relationship with Father God. By serving us, he lost His lifer, but He also gained many fruits. He had the apostles who carried on ministering and telling the world about Jesus. When I say serve the children, it does not mean waiting hand and foot on them. It means doing whatever it takes to bring forth good fruits by teaching them to grow up in the fear of the Lord. This cannot be done if we choose to foolishly put them on the altar and worship them by spoiling them and closing one eye to their mistakes. Let’s all learn something from Eli’s poor parenting. Let’s choose a different route. (1 Samuel 3:11-15)
enlightened apvunsoul- 10:55 PM |
0 comments~
I CAN'T BELIEVE I BLEW 500 bucks on facial treatments and products today at MTM Japan. This skincare centre boosts custom blended products specially suited to each individual's needs. I've been really bothered by the outbreak of acne as well as major irritations and pain on my face when I wash my face everyday.
The verdict-I always thought I had very oily skin, esp in the T zone area, but this is not the case or so the consultant named Serina told me. She diagnosed the problem as very sensitive skin and I actually had dry skin. If I did not do anything about my sensitive skin type, I would eventually get a ful outbreak of acne on my face..I suppose I do not mind paying as long as I see results..Sure hope this works.
enlightened apvunsoul- 7:00 AM |
0 comments~
Monday, November 28, 2005
I went on a choc cream craze the past 2 days. On Sunday, my aunt, Jes and Jac and myself headed to Esplanade for a fondue at Max Brenner Chocolate Bar. The fondue was satisfactory but we wished that more fruits could have been served instead of more marshmallows. Speaking of fruits, I remember there was this session in one of my ECA meetings back then that we were taught how to cook in a campfire. One of the items that could be cooked was the apple, where one can cut out a dice in the centre and fill the empty space with raisins and honey. Wrap the apple in aluminium foil and roast it in the fire for some time.
Ta da! You get a really nice dessert! Roasted apple with honey and raisins! Another delicacy is the orange-flavoured egg. Scoop out all the orange pulp and leave behind a whole and complete orange shell, crack an egg and pour the egg into the shell. Leave it in the fire to cook! Ha ha. Yes I am sure there are more of such recipes but I have forgotten most of them. Sobz. Must go dig up the past again.
Yesterday I headed for Haagen Dazs for another choc craze hunt. I ordered 7 scoops of ice cream and finished all of it!!!! The new panna cotta delight is worth a go if you are into raspberry. I loved the tiramisu and midnight choc. Toffee cream was not bad. Although I love green tea, it is better as a beverage rather than an ice cream. It tastes so bland as an ice cream I thought I ordered oolong ice cream. I'm ready to head for HK next week with my Haagen Dazs card in hand! And wulf down all the lovely flavours!!!
Went to Party World with Dear and Brion on Sunday. Was disappointed that they did not have the latest Jay Chou songs yet save for the Yi Lu Xiang Bei. Even then it looked like some chiong version of the real thing.. Sigh. I love ktv but finding the right one to go to can be a problem!
enlightened apvunsoul- 6:44 PM |
0 comments~
Thursday, November 24, 2005
After bumping into Lishuang on msn, alot of unsurfaced thots suddenly come back to haunt me. Alot of what ifs. What could have been in my life..perhaps I should have worked a little harder and went on to honours. As Dear puts it, I graduated with (dis)honours. :x He's joking of cos..but still, perhaps alot of things will change.
How I wish I could be smarter, more intelligent,but on many days I feel like a fluffy bimbo, to quote beanbud.. IQ, EQ,AQ...I score peanuts on all types of intelligences! Sigh..regrets are not good for me..they cause me to look backward and not forward..I feel like I'm wasted!!!!
enlightened apvunsoul- 6:32 AM |
0 comments~
Wednesday, November 23, 2005
This is dedicated to all my kc babes..ha ha. Enjoy! I wrote this as an assignment in my JC 1 days and those who remember it will remember how I feel for KC..and what it is like to strut in a pinafore. :P This poem was written in JC1, expressing my thoughts on how I felt about entering junior college..Not a very positive experience for me but oh well..I survived..
I am a schoolgirl dressed in blue
These are the actions I must do
To come to school to learn and play
And maybe sometimes try to pray
The teachers drive us up the wall
When they start talking in the hall
Of rules designed to break our hearts
So then i thought I'd go nuts
I am a schoolgirl learning fast
To 'ppreciate the recent past.
enlightened apvunsoul- 5:10 PM |
2 comments~
Where has creativity gone to? Down the drain? Let me CLARIFY AND RE CLARIFY if I frigging have to. I created this blog with the name apvun as a shortform for apathetic and vulnerable, the exact state of emotions that characterize me as a person now, in the past and always. Yes you have it, I am the apvunsoul, the apvun girl, the apvun babe..whatever you wish to call me.
This is my private blog. Not everyone has access to this blog..so this nic should have been kept under wraps. But now someone has taken it and called it his own, which is pissing me off. I do not mind the fact that he uses it, in fact I am honoured and flattered. But to take something and pass it off as your own without giving credit or mention to THE CREATOR is NOT COOL. It is a sucky feeling. I shall update more later on after my bible study.. I am an angry apvun girl!
enlightened apvunsoul- 1:53 AM |
0 comments~
Sunday, November 20, 2005
Jes asked my aunt and me to go down to TM to see her sashay in a beautiful gown. That girl is a vainpot in the making! Ha ha. No lah, she just wants to look her very best for an upcoming wedding dinner in dec. We went round the whole of TM and shopped and shopped. Ha ha. I bought a lovely skirt and 2 nice tees. Haha. Just as vain as Jes.
The gown cost around 70 bucks, but it looked really nice on her. My cousin has a lovely figure. It goes very well with her dress. I attended a wedding dinner at Ah Yat yesterday with Dear. His SHATEC friend was the bride, and she looked so pretty and demure in her wedding gown. This has been one glittery weekend for me. Oh well..let me reveal something about myself..I actually refused to turn up for Prom Nite in Sec sch cos I did not want to spend money on buying a gown when I had not even graduated from uni! Ha ha so old-fashioned hor. That's me all over again. I really should have gone for the Prom nite..oh another reason-I did not have a date! Ha ha. No one to chauffeur me there! Ha ha. Call me pampered but i think every lady deserves to be treated like a queen.
For my JC prom..it was at Marina Mandarin, and my friend and I checked into a hotel room and partied away after the prom. We headed for Clarke Quay and had some drinks there. It was one cool nite. I even saw a few drunk ppl heading for the rooms! I hope they were ok.. No more proms for me. Sobz. Grown up liao.
enlightened apvunsoul- 9:39 AM |
0 comments~
Thursday, November 17, 2005
Daren, Liyan, Junqiang and myself went on a little outing to Labrador Park today. This morning drizzle and breeze left not much to be desired for with muddy grounds and very wet people. Ha ha. Daren was especially wet! Wet has many meanings I see. The 4 of us were not in role at all..Who could tell we are chers? Not with our crazy antics of seeing who gets to kick the fallen fruits into the sea. Oh well, luckily for us, we all scored one goal each! I cheated of course… I used my bottle to steer the fruit into the sea instead of kicking! Ha ha.
We took photos by the jetty area and managed to catch a glimpse of what looked like 2 Chinooks from the sky. These helicopters looked so huge that we stood in awe (perhaps suaku-ness?) as they zoomed past us. We then made our way to the Long Ya Men or Dragon’s Tooth, a resurrected attraction, as Liyan tells us. I did not even know such a place existed! Actually, it is like some piece of extremely huge rock jutting out of nowhere. It kinda reminded me of the Singapore Stone, something I had learnt about in my geography module at NUS. Yes call me a suaku or mountain tortoise! There are so many things I do not know yet about Singapore! Everyday is a new discovery!
After our fieldtrip, we headed to a market nearby for makan before trooping to Daren’s house for some mahjong session. I do not know how to play mahjong of course, and Daren taught us the basics. We did not play with real money of course, but we played for the fun of it. We also played bridge and dai di, but I really cannot make it sia.. Ha ha, always the fun to lose. That’s me. I also got to know my classmates a little better after today’s chilling out session. These are the classmates whom I have come to know in the cherz academy, and with whom I will embarking on a trip to Vietnam with in December. I am looking forward to more hours of fun and non-stop laughter with them! I am sure these are wonderful memories that I will take away with me when I graduate and go on to my teaching career.
Although many people may not agree with me, I feel that every friend who becomes a good friend to me is really a gift from God, clichéd as it may sound. Without God, I will not have come to know so many wonderful colleagues cum friends in the cherz academy! I will be sure to update on the Vietnam trip when we return. Oh ya, for now, to settle Liyan’s present! I hope she still does not know what we have up our sleeves.. Ha ha. The naughty, mischievous Jan is back at work! Full of mischief and bright ideas waiting to be unleashed!
enlightened apvunsoul- 6:33 AM |
2 comments~
Saturday, November 12, 2005
This may be a good time to pen down my thots..all alone in my little coop at home..Met Jes online just now..She seems so happy in her busy life, going for a taekwondo demo in the evening and partying out with her class on Monday. Sounds like me…back when I was her age. Completely bent on having fun. The age of 15 is a great age to be.. You don’t have to shoulder the burden of the impending Os yet, and yet remain carefree for a while.
I remember the time when I was 15.. I loved hanging out with my frens.. We would write each other silly letters and give one another presents and flowers for Friendship Day. This was a special day for the KCians. We would celebrate friendship by bestowing gifts on one another. I could walk into class and see many sweets and chocolates and cards/notes on my desk. What a nice way to kickstart my day! My class was cool. We had class spirit. Ha ha. I remember also the day we all wore our class jersey to the school hall for assembly and got told off by Cikgu Rathia. She called us bo dohs for wearing the jerseys and we had to strip there and then. Ha ha. It was embarrassing but hey it was class spirit man. Me so proud of my class. Sec 3/5 rocks. :P
Then I went on to jc.. Honestly I didn’t feel exactly happy to be where I was. I could see the disappointment written so clearly on my family’s faces when I told them I made it to so and so jc.. You wanna know you go check out my friendster.. Sigh. Anyway… The only thing that came out of my jc days was the fact that I knew people cared.. Emily and Weicheng were my classmates back then. They were so sweet..They wrote me letters and notes to encourage me in the faith. I remember one day I fell violently sick with asthma and couldn’t go to school at all. To my surprise, Cheryl and Lena came over after school to visit me with a big sunflower. I was just so embarrassed that I had to greet them in my Garfield pyjamas. Ha ha. The sunflower was so big but it was so sweet! My friends had a better time laughing about me in pyjamas I guess. J I made it thru my jc years.. with pride.
Now in the cherz acedemy… I tell myself that I’m going to emerge and be okay, just like I always have. Despite the very cold atmosphere here, I make up my mind to be a coffee bean! I’m going to change the temperature around me. World watch it, here I come! And I am pretty sure that I have changed some people’s lives too.. They are going to look at life differently because of me. And I hope it is for the better.
enlightened apvunsoul- 9:08 PM |
5 comments~
Friday, November 11, 2005
I guess I feel like an idiot now. Why do I seem to be the only one who is concerned about my practicum..My whole class like not bothered about collating resources..everyone just wants to have fun..Understandably..but still, I don't think it is too much to give some thot to what we may need for our practicum..
Went back to ahs with ben today..Alot of memories came flooding back. I miss the really supportive staff there, like Mrs Mary Chan who is like the motherly figure to all of us. She still remembered me, and she had done so much to help me in my appeal then for primary. I guess I owe them too much. She asked me about how things were like for me at nie. I was honestly touched by her concern, and at that time, I just felt so blessed by her care. I thot about the day i walked into the vice p's office almost like going to cry liao..but she was so nice. Ms Cheong just put aside her work to talk to me and sound me out on my problems. I felt so touched. She is a Christian too. I felt so comforted there and then.
I think God has really been very good to me by putting me in such a supportive environment. Even Sophie also offered to pray thru things with me when I broke down in school. Thinking back, I think my time at AHS was memorable. To my CTs, Mrs Rodrigues and Mrs Koh, thank you for being my guide and mentors. Both of you have taught me what it takes to teach with passion and how to show concern to students. Thank you, because of you, I begin to take my first few steps towards becoming a wonderful and inspired teacher.
enlightened apvunsoul- 8:49 AM |
0 comments~
Tuesday, November 08, 2005
Having survived one semester of stress and sorrowful days in the cherz academy..I can only say, Jan, I am so damn proud of you. You actually made it thru dunno how many years of freaking education and finally graduated with a piece of paper. Well done. When I entered the cherz academy, all I could think was, what now?
Let me begin with my content upgrading daze. I had to attend the lit content upgrading classes, and had to write a freaking 2500 word essay even during my sch attachment. My goodness. The last thing I wanted to do then after graduating from NUS was to write essays and what freak is this to make us write essays..Anyway I didn't know I managed to ace my lit test also. I really liked my lit content upgrading class, all made up of such talented people. My tutor was cool and bright. I admired her for bringing the message of gender issues so clearly in our study of lit with her.
I got to know evelyn in the lit class. She is one of the sassiest babes I have ever met. Evelyn is so many years my senior, but her very bubbly and affable nature made me feel so at home in the cherz academy. Thankfully she is in my lit class again after sch experience. However, the cherz academy became a nightmare after the lit content upgrading. The ppl in my lit class were mostly the historians and only 3 were geographers..incl myself. However I was not close to the other 2 geographers anyway..They had probably known each other from day 1..and now this class suddenly felt so different.
Sigh..coupled with other issues that cropped up along the way, I honestly felt suicidal for some time..Really bad. Anyway, my stay at the cherz academy is coming to an end..I am quite glad. Have made some wonderful frens here, and yet have also been exploited here. I guess I am slowly settling into the working world..by tumbling in and stumbling along the way. Heck..I can at least crawl now..
enlightened apvunsoul- 7:18 AM |
0 comments~
Friday, November 04, 2005
Yet another crazy night of hanging out with the crazy babes from sec sch days. Von, Dan, Maria, Cindy, Michelle, Denise, Angel and Ya Xian were there. We had a pig out at Marche and hopped over to esplanade for some fantastic views and photo taking sessions. It was great to meet all of them again. We all have been friends since sec sch days, but in spite of not being close and work schedules clashing and all that, we all return to the point of friendship.
It is our friendships with one another that keep us recharged and we always look forward to the next kc reunion, and the next. Yvonne may be getting married next year, it is so fast! Sigh, I think we all need to book for AirAsia to fly over there for the wedding. Haha..
Feeling very sombre now...Just fell out with my mum over money matters..It sucks. I just don't understand why I am in this family..I envy my cousins and friends who have parents who care for them, and not demanding to get money and borrowing..Even I have to fend for myself...I pay my own uni fees..My parents won't give two hoots. All they know is that I have become a part-time ATM machine at home for their convenience..But I am so angry and frustrated..I earn PEANUTS already and yet this must happen. At the end of the day, I wonder why I work..The money doesn't come back to me anyway. Sucks.
I'm thinking, Hello God? Why did you put me in this family? Why???With parents who don't look out for our welfare? And a retarded sister literally-she is intellectually disabled.. I think I cannot ask for a more PERFECT set up for disaster.
enlightened apvunsoul- 10:21 PM |
4 comments~
Wednesday, November 02, 2005
I dun understand why we come back to this place..the point of no return? We get stuck in hurricanes after hurricanes...And for what. Honestly I don't feel like turning up for the meeting at sch tmr..a waste of my time if you ask me. If we cannot vote and the Boss die die want to go ahead with phase 2 which I don't want of course..then go for what. Mad.
I like MADIN. I like the people I have come to work with. Then why do we seem to never get out of the hurricanes? Is there no other amicable way of settling things?
enlightened apvunsoul- 6:31 PM |
0 comments~
I just got myself a copy of Jay Chou's album called November's Chopin. I love it lots...he's like one of the few artistes I have followed from day one faithfully till now. Why do I like him? I like his music, to be exact. I find his type of music super appealing and soothing.
A really rare respite for me after any bad day at work. Music keeps me intact. It calms me like nothing else. There are so many things I want to do now. The top of my priority list is to catch that Harry Potter movie! My favourite of all the books so far, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. I can't wait to see Cho Chang, the reputable Ravenclaw Quidditch player. What kind of a Yule Ball will it be for Harry? Ooooh I just can't wait any longer. Just need to get past my own dragons now-my geog and lit assignments! Then I can hop over and conjure up my own Triwizard Competition. Ha ha. I need to get a life. Away from the cherz academy.
Have I mentioned before that my former student from AHS remembers me? This will touch any cherz heart to know that students are not an apathetic and spoilt lot. I hope to be the best cher I can be. For God's glory.
enlightened apvunsoul- 7:05 AM |
0 comments~