About the gift of weekends

Here I am inside the sanctuary of Miss Clarity Cafe at Upper Thomson, and I'm sitting next to the cake counter. The cheesecakes looks irresistable and it takes some willpower not to fall for my craving and order one of those delicious-looking Oreo cheesecakes.

Nothing could ever beat the alcohol-laced cheesecake in Big O Cafe, or the unforgettable tiramisu cake in a shady joint in New York City's Italian quarter. Now that was one hell of a cake, completely overwhelming your senses.



The best bit of this busy week was having a lovely dinner with my beloved wife in a quiet corner of Seletar Camp. This bar and grill is renowned for its buffalo wings, where they are differentiated into various levels, according to the intensity of its pepper and chilli seasoning.

At first I was not so sure about how to find this restaurant. This place is highly secluded, located in a dark corner of this sprawling camp that dates back to the British era. There were no signposts. The roads were uneven, street lamps were in disrepair, and there were rows of abandoned white houses as I drove into the deepest recesses of the campsite. It's just perfect for my Toyota RAV4 4x4. Anyone with lesser courage would not want to spend any moment in those houses. They look hauntingly eerie. There's not a soul in sight.



Having been there only once before, I could only rely on my memory and directional instincts, so it was with great relief and pride when I saw the pretty lights that lit up the restaurant. We found it!



Needless to say, dinner was fantastic. If only we could have a heineken's to go along with it. Dinner with my wife is always a celebration of life and love. But of course, alcohol is a no-no, especially since I was the driver. So a glass of warm water each was just as good.




Another feel-good moment (many of them, in fact) happened, just yesterday, during the CCA parents' night. In the frenzied interior of the Hall, where a cacophony of cheers, screams, trumpets and chatter filled the air, I was glad to be able to meet familiar faces. I could not remember some names but it's was nice when they came up to me and said hello. Congrats Farhan, for getting a place in the polytechnic after your ITE studies.

I had a lovely chat with Syahirah. Goodness, she is very articulate and I was just drawn into her sharing about her customers at the make-up counter, where she works.

It's great to meet Farhan, Suhaimi, Jasman and Howe Zhong after such a long time. I'm glad that they came to support their CCAs (or his girlfriend, for one of them!). Nice chatting with you, Suhaimi.

The 4T1 folks - Kailing, Joey, Qiu Yue, Bao Hui, Thurga, Azzurah, Munir and Fauzee - brought a wide wide smile to my face. I sure missed their voices. You guys were fantastic and really funny. Munir - you can't run away from Kailing forever!


To Irah and Shahrin, chatting with you both in the canteen was a great experience. It was a very wholesome and engaging chat, wasn't it? And Shahrin, no, I don't think it's a good idea to get a motorbike! You guys make a beautiful couple.




To 4E3 and 4E4, I'm looking forward to next week's lessons in the AVA Room. Remember what you need to bring for the double-period lesson.


Thank Jesus for weekends. It really allows me to take a break from the massive work that lies in store for me.

And I'm excited because next month, there's the Vertical Marathon organised by NTU. It's time to start all those physical training again!


Lastly, as I was driving past Singapore Chinese Girls' School (a premier girls' school in Bukit Timah), I saw this banner that caught our eyes:

"From a face in the crowd, to one the crowd faces."


To my students - your individual value drops when you associate with people of questionable character and values. By persistently sticking with bad company, you will lose your individual sense of identity.



Conversely, choose your friends carefully and stay with the right company. At the same time, be independent. Achieve your goals. Have a dream, live your dream, work on it, and be anchored on the right values. Assuredly, you will shine.