It's rare, but I do feel somewhat regretful now.
I should not have accepted this advanced diploma course in information & communication technology that is currently ongoing right now in school.
This intensive course has taken away precious training and resting time from me. I need to do all those because this Sunday's the big race - the Standard Chartered Marathon.
In fact, just thinking about it sets my pulse racing.
I think it's because it'll be the hardest thing I'll be doing this year. I think my body isn't going to forgive me so easily for putting it under such punishment.
And so, while I am seated in front of the desktop, while the instructor rants on and on about the power of Excel and Word, sometimes my thoughts drift away. Suddenly I get transported to the remote Marina area, or the empty streets of Shenton Way, running, running and running in the Marathon. I'm already mentally preparing myself.
To the basketball boys, just to share with you that training is now in full flow. The coach and I have big plans for you all. We are committed towards training you all in improving your skills and team play. We need absolute commitment from each and every one of you. I'm talking about attendance and giving your 110% during each training. That's how you improve. That's how Fajar will improve.
We need to make the school proud of the Basketball CCA.
A special word of thanks to the players who have been very helpful to me - Haoming, Zhi Cheng, Vincent and others who have been so willing to help. That's the spirit guys. Keep up the good work. We still have so much more to do to strengthen the team spirit within us!
This computer course that I'm going through has prevented me from being with my basketball boys. I thank God then, that I have reliable players and a good coach who can help me to keep the CCA running while I am busy. Let me be very clear - I always want to be with my boys whenever they train. The reason is very simple. I am responsible for these boys and they are important to me.
Another reason why I am stuck to the computer lab is because there is an exam on Friday morning, which we all have to pass. I certainly do not want to fail. I am targetting a pass and I want to lay my hands on that certificate. So I have been paying attention to the instructor. Though he can be somewhat queer, I have to say that he has taught all of us plenty of tricks with Excel and Word and I am very grateful for that. I am very glad to be able to learn something new.
Once the exam is over, I have the Peer Leaders' Meeting to look forward to. That's going to be on Saturday morning. Sunday's the big 42km race and I know I'm going to be hitting the bed all day long after that, once I drag my body back from the Padang.
And the best thing is - I get to return back to school on the very next day for Basketball and other work. How exciting!
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
About doing things - my way
A conversation with a colleague left me contemplating a little bit more than usual about how I have been making conscious decisions about my career.
After spending 5 years in this job, my heartfelt opinion is that I have got one of the best jobs in the world. Nothing is surely more exciting than being able to interact with youths and mentoring them into leaders of tomorrow, through education, sports and outdoor adventure.
I could never imagine myself in a desk-bound job, or a job that required me to meet sales quotas. I don't think God made me that way.
So I am always thankful that I have found my purpose. Doing what I do has been satisfying. The students who have come into my life (from my very first class in Fajar - 3T1 2002) till the ones today - they have been very good and I have been blessed by them.
But the dilemma is: is job satisfaction more important than career advancement?
I think I have been very choosy in accepting offers or job titles that take me away from students. Sometimes, friends have told me that I'm a fool for doing so.
I disagree.
I know what I want in my life.
I'm very particular about what I want to achieve. Even if it means stepping on somebody's toes or crossing my superiors, I will still decline and say 'No' to that task or that job if I feel that it doesn't suit me or if it is something that I know I cannot cope with.
I will not always say 'yes'.
Maybe it's the way I've been brought up. Maybe it's how God has been gently guiding me through my career. But I get very sensitive when my personal time is affected. I get very sensitive when my family time is affected.
My family, my time, my community projects, my students, my church activities - all these I hold high in my list of priorities. Notice that my work is not in the 'list'.
How can it be? Does it mean that I do not give my all in my work?
Nay.
I very strongly believe that if I have a blessed private life, with a close relationship with my wife and our parents, then I will wield even greater power to do well in my career.
And I can testify solidly that in the past 5 years, praise God, I have succeeded in achieving both. I do not wish to be a public success, yet fail in my private life.
So, even though there have been some murmurs of me being choosy and what not, I do not care about what others think.
I am answerable only to my God and my family. They are important to me, and I make sure I save my energies for them. I will not fall into that trap of depleting my youth into the bottomless pit called work.
After spending 5 years in this job, my heartfelt opinion is that I have got one of the best jobs in the world. Nothing is surely more exciting than being able to interact with youths and mentoring them into leaders of tomorrow, through education, sports and outdoor adventure.
I could never imagine myself in a desk-bound job, or a job that required me to meet sales quotas. I don't think God made me that way.
So I am always thankful that I have found my purpose. Doing what I do has been satisfying. The students who have come into my life (from my very first class in Fajar - 3T1 2002) till the ones today - they have been very good and I have been blessed by them.
But the dilemma is: is job satisfaction more important than career advancement?
I think I have been very choosy in accepting offers or job titles that take me away from students. Sometimes, friends have told me that I'm a fool for doing so.
I disagree.
I know what I want in my life.
I'm very particular about what I want to achieve. Even if it means stepping on somebody's toes or crossing my superiors, I will still decline and say 'No' to that task or that job if I feel that it doesn't suit me or if it is something that I know I cannot cope with.
I will not always say 'yes'.
Maybe it's the way I've been brought up. Maybe it's how God has been gently guiding me through my career. But I get very sensitive when my personal time is affected. I get very sensitive when my family time is affected.
My family, my time, my community projects, my students, my church activities - all these I hold high in my list of priorities. Notice that my work is not in the 'list'.
How can it be? Does it mean that I do not give my all in my work?
Nay.
I very strongly believe that if I have a blessed private life, with a close relationship with my wife and our parents, then I will wield even greater power to do well in my career.
And I can testify solidly that in the past 5 years, praise God, I have succeeded in achieving both. I do not wish to be a public success, yet fail in my private life.
So, even though there have been some murmurs of me being choosy and what not, I do not care about what others think.
I am answerable only to my God and my family. They are important to me, and I make sure I save my energies for them. I will not fall into that trap of depleting my youth into the bottomless pit called work.
Thursday, November 15, 2007
About graduation
Thanks for the memories, 4e5 and the graduating students of 4E4NA4NT5N.
It was great to see so many of you come for Graduation Day, in spite of the wet weather. I think it's a good idea to come for a graduation event (even if it's not a prom night) because it is a rite of passage, a necessary piece of a teenager's adolescence years. It marks the start of young adulthood - of greater responsibilities, and more opportunities to make bigger decisions independently.
It was fantastic when some of you came up to speak to me. Thank you for your kind words.
I want to thank you too, for being having a heart to serve and to lead, to have a heart to learn and to be taught. You have all grown up right before my eyes!
So Graduation Day, for me, is a bittersweet affair. Sweet, because naturally I am proud of you all, that you've come so far, and will be embarking on the next stage of your lives; bitter, because I know I am going to miss those times we've talked and chatted with each other. I will miss teaching you all PE and English. I will miss seeing you all eating and chatting happily, when I make my rounds around the canteen next year.
To 4e5, I hope to receive 40 wedding invites from you all, a few years from now! When your baby is one month old, throw a party and get all of us together!
To my beloved 4e5 and to the graduated students, take good care. Remember to have a vision of your future. Think big. Get onto the shoulders of giants (successful people). Stay away from lazy and corrupt people. Be persistent. Be anchored on the right values (sincere, kind, generous, hardworking, honest, faithful etc).
You will then go far in life.
Of course, even though you've graduated, we still can keep in touch, isn't it!
"To laugh often and much,
to win the respect of intelligent people
and the affection of children,
to earn the appreciation of honest critics and
endure the betrayal of false friends,
to find the best in others,
to leave the world a bit better,
to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived.
This is to have succeeded!" - Emerson
It was great to see so many of you come for Graduation Day, in spite of the wet weather. I think it's a good idea to come for a graduation event (even if it's not a prom night) because it is a rite of passage, a necessary piece of a teenager's adolescence years. It marks the start of young adulthood - of greater responsibilities, and more opportunities to make bigger decisions independently.
It was fantastic when some of you came up to speak to me. Thank you for your kind words.
I want to thank you too, for being having a heart to serve and to lead, to have a heart to learn and to be taught. You have all grown up right before my eyes!
So Graduation Day, for me, is a bittersweet affair. Sweet, because naturally I am proud of you all, that you've come so far, and will be embarking on the next stage of your lives; bitter, because I know I am going to miss those times we've talked and chatted with each other. I will miss teaching you all PE and English. I will miss seeing you all eating and chatting happily, when I make my rounds around the canteen next year.
To 4e5, I hope to receive 40 wedding invites from you all, a few years from now! When your baby is one month old, throw a party and get all of us together!
To my beloved 4e5 and to the graduated students, take good care. Remember to have a vision of your future. Think big. Get onto the shoulders of giants (successful people). Stay away from lazy and corrupt people. Be persistent. Be anchored on the right values (sincere, kind, generous, hardworking, honest, faithful etc).
You will then go far in life.
Of course, even though you've graduated, we still can keep in touch, isn't it!
"To laugh often and much,
to win the respect of intelligent people
and the affection of children,
to earn the appreciation of honest critics and
endure the betrayal of false friends,
to find the best in others,
to leave the world a bit better,
to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived.
This is to have succeeded!" - Emerson
Friday, November 02, 2007
About knowing what you really want
Many thanks to my colleagues who teamed up with me to conduct the Peer Leader Selection Interviews.
We are aware that many students who sat through such Interviews would have been almost paralysed with fear and anxiety. I think that this anxiety is excerbated by the massive Conference Room table and the freezing air-conditioning in the Conference Room.
However, the Interviews fulfil a crucial task, and that is to sieve out those students of genuine quality and those with the potential to go far. Obviously your academic performances and daily conduct in school are essential factors in determining whether you get a shot at the Interview or not.
And so, it was extremely perplexing to us when a few students seemed to be overtaken by a spirit of muteness. They seemed incapable of answering simple questions.
No. Do not say that it is just a matter of that student being too nervous.
You must understand that in any Interview, it is your one chance to leave a positive impression on the board of interviewers and make an impact on them. Answering our questions capably and elaborating on them would go a long way in helping you progress beyond Round 1.
For those who had froze, you most likely lost your chance. You have to show us that you really want the job.
To the Peer Leader trainees, just remember, you are one step closer towards a life-changing milestone in your life. I am not exaggerating.
Becoming a Peer Leader opens up a multitude of doors in your life. These doors lead to greater opportunities for personal development and community service. Your life won't be the same, if the School deems you as worthy to be a Peer Leader.
Looking at the big picture, whether or not the photo of the PLs appears in the school magazine is an issue that pales in comparison to their deeds and acts of services. The School knows about the hard work that you have done all these years and deeply appreciates the difference that you have made in our school.
There will be tonnes to do next year, PLs. Just make sure that when school resumes in 2008, you are all set to serve.
At the moment though, I will soon be organising a meeting with all you Sec 3 PLs to discuss about your duties and responsibilities for this year's edition of the Peer Leaders' Training Camp in mid-December. We will be meeting once you are all back from OBS.
It's time for us to raise up a new generation of Peer Leaders. Are the Sec 2 trainees ready to rise up and step into bigger shoes?
We are aware that many students who sat through such Interviews would have been almost paralysed with fear and anxiety. I think that this anxiety is excerbated by the massive Conference Room table and the freezing air-conditioning in the Conference Room.
However, the Interviews fulfil a crucial task, and that is to sieve out those students of genuine quality and those with the potential to go far. Obviously your academic performances and daily conduct in school are essential factors in determining whether you get a shot at the Interview or not.
And so, it was extremely perplexing to us when a few students seemed to be overtaken by a spirit of muteness. They seemed incapable of answering simple questions.
No. Do not say that it is just a matter of that student being too nervous.
You must understand that in any Interview, it is your one chance to leave a positive impression on the board of interviewers and make an impact on them. Answering our questions capably and elaborating on them would go a long way in helping you progress beyond Round 1.
For those who had froze, you most likely lost your chance. You have to show us that you really want the job.
To the Peer Leader trainees, just remember, you are one step closer towards a life-changing milestone in your life. I am not exaggerating.
Becoming a Peer Leader opens up a multitude of doors in your life. These doors lead to greater opportunities for personal development and community service. Your life won't be the same, if the School deems you as worthy to be a Peer Leader.
Looking at the big picture, whether or not the photo of the PLs appears in the school magazine is an issue that pales in comparison to their deeds and acts of services. The School knows about the hard work that you have done all these years and deeply appreciates the difference that you have made in our school.
There will be tonnes to do next year, PLs. Just make sure that when school resumes in 2008, you are all set to serve.
At the moment though, I will soon be organising a meeting with all you Sec 3 PLs to discuss about your duties and responsibilities for this year's edition of the Peer Leaders' Training Camp in mid-December. We will be meeting once you are all back from OBS.
It's time for us to raise up a new generation of Peer Leaders. Are the Sec 2 trainees ready to rise up and step into bigger shoes?
Thursday, November 01, 2007
About a mournful reunion
Yesterday I had a brief reunion with several of my JC friends.
It's been years since I've last met some of them.
We got together at a quiet corner of Bukit Timah, and we weren't celebrating.
One of our JC mates have passed away, and we were there to take a last look at her.
She was a classmate of mine. One vivid memory I had of her was at the tennis courts of the old NJC. Together with a few others, we had a merry game of tennis during PE. She was quite a mean player. She was certainly a cheerful and confident lady.
After years of suffering from an illness, we know that she rests in peace now, free from all her struggles and sufferings.
We will always remember you, Jacqueline.
It's been years since I've last met some of them.
We got together at a quiet corner of Bukit Timah, and we weren't celebrating.
One of our JC mates have passed away, and we were there to take a last look at her.
She was a classmate of mine. One vivid memory I had of her was at the tennis courts of the old NJC. Together with a few others, we had a merry game of tennis during PE. She was quite a mean player. She was certainly a cheerful and confident lady.
After years of suffering from an illness, we know that she rests in peace now, free from all her struggles and sufferings.
We will always remember you, Jacqueline.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
