Accumulated Updates...

It's been a while since I last blogged... Last week, it was quite hectic and I was just so tired out after each work day. But I am glad that it had ended and all ready to tackle the coming one.

Exams are coming in another week's time, and I can't wait for the term to end (30th June... one more month).

I don't think I had written this, but after almost 2 months of having an easy life in this school (basically taught non-core subjects such as Social Studies and PE, and took care of 3 Primary 6 pupils in the Math Support Class), I was given a Primary 3 class and became its Form Teacher. There is a long story behind this, but the gist is that the ex-Form Teacher of that class left the school and since I am the "excess" teacher around, guess who had to take over the class.

Just to highlight - I was told to take over the class at 5pm on that "fateful" Tuesday and start my new duty the next day, without any textbooks or idea of what the pupils are like. Frankly, I hate to take over someone else's "mess" but what to do... So on that Wednesday, I became busy after a long time of R & R. Actually, I think it has got quite a lot to do with the fact that I told D repeatedly that "I am bored" during the initial months. And D thinks that God heard that loud and clear and decided to "unbored" me. Sigh...

But I have grown to like this class of 23 boys and girls, and am glad to say that I have "trained" them quite well... Will miss teaching them if I don't teach P4 the next academic year. May teach higher grade levels instead.

As for now, I am keeping as low a profile as possible, and be contended with doing the thing I enjoy most, i.e. concentrate on teaching and being with the kids. On the other hand, I am keeping my eyes and ears open for a job which will pay me well, allow me to sleep till 10am and come home early... hee hee. Anyone hiring?

Bo Bice Didn't Win

Sigh, I was rooting for Bo. How could he not win? Even though I somehow knew that Carrie Underwood is the more deserved winner, she who is so young, nice smile, great voice and good character.... sigh. But he has the ATTITUDE. I have this soft spot for rock singers who have long hair and can be so taken in by the "rebel" attitude that these rock singers have, even if their singing is just lots of screams, shrieks and the occasional proper pronunciation. Sigh...

Spiderman & Clumsy Gecko Dragon Boating

Slightly after 5pm, we started our first Dragon Boat practice. We were supposed to have this lesson 2 weekends back, but due to the thunderstorm, we had to postponed it to today. The venue was at Ap Lei Chau, which was quite near the school that I am teaching in. Around us, there were numerous boats moored alongside each other, most of the boats were old wooden ones. The entire place is quite cluttered, and there are small shipyards nearby. Thus the water isn't exactly clear or clean... as long as we don't get into the water, that would be fine.

There were 3 coaches, one of whom seems to be in his sixties but in absolute good shape. They spoke to us about the way to board the dragon boat, the proper way to abandon ship and techniques to hold the oar and row.

After the initial 30-45 mins of "lecture", we finally got the chance to board the boat... it wasn't the actual dragon boat, but a simple-looking one which was used for training purposes. I reckoned the important thing is the boat can take all 18 paddlers and 3 onboard coaches (one who handled the steering, another to hit the drum and the third who gave instructions in English) without sinking.

Along the way, we broke into the Hawaii Five-O theme song and created a racket. I was in the middle section of the boat and was responsible for scooping up any water. We had decided to call ourselves "Rainbow Warriors" and well, later during dinner, we discussed possible ways to "doll" ourselves up for the race on the 11th June... possible ideas include wearing tees to represent the different colours of the rainbow, multi-coloured Afro-wigs, headbands with dyed feather and painted faces that resemble the Maoris. Gee, I hope we don't have to perform a Haka for that day if we decided to look like imitation Maoris.

As each of us gingerly made our way to our seats (free seating, first come first serve basis), we listened to the drum beats and tried to paddle. At least our boat moved. We rowed to the granite breakwater, some 500m away and was told to rest. The coach then told us it would be time to refresh ourselves, and all of us wondered what that could mean... but of course, it had to be the 'nice' cool water that beckoned us each time we row. Afterall, we wouldn't know when our boat would overturn and it would be sensible to just try it once, even if it's in the dirty water.

After more paddling and a little competition between us, a 7-women team and another 4-men team, we finally called it a day at 7pm.

Tomorrow, there will be another training session from 1-3pm... sure hope that we would not need to abandon ship again.

Spiderman & Clumsy Gecko @ Tung Lung Chau Part 1 (Getting There)

Sunday morning, 8am, I jumped out of bed, feeling much better than the day before. My nose was still stuffed and throat parched, but no lethargy or muscle aches... a good sign. Tung Lung Chau (TLC), here we come... D and I met Ah Jun and other friends at the Sai Wan Ho MTR station at 9.30am, and walked/ran briskly to the ferry terminal, some 500m away, to make the 45 min journey to the island. It was a smooth ferry ride and a great feeling to be out of the hustle and bustle of HK. When we reached the little pier at TLC, it was hot... summer has definitely arrived and temperatures will rise even further. We walked on a narrow concrete pathway that weaved through some dense foliage for about 10 mins and reached a small local eatery for some breakfast. Different variations of instant noodles with dumplings, chinese sausage, ham, egg. More of Ah Jun's friends joined us for breakfast, and these were the real local expert climbers, whom D & I had seen in action at climbing competitions and demostrations. I suppose the HK climbing community isn't too big, given that I do see the usual faces. But in my mind, it's good to get to know more locals, rather than simply hanging out with fellow singaporeans. After breakfast and quick toilet visits, we plodded on to the climbing area. Actually, D and I had no idea where it was, we just followed. All we know about TLC is that it is the premier climbing area in HK and has lots of different climbing spots. Took some scenic pics of the island while we walked... D commented that he was already tired from the walk even before the actual climb... in a way, I was also quite worried of how things would turn out as I am actually doing my first outdoor climb, away from the thick safety mattresses and sheltered gyms. Now, I know the climbing spot that Ah Jun took us to is called Technical Wall . To get to this crag, we had to negotiate numerous granite boulders of various size, just off the pounding waves. Being in flip flops didn't help much, as I was totally not confident to climb up and down the boulders or jumped across some treacherous gaps. Numerous worst-case scenarios raced through my adrenaline-pumped mind - I could slip and suffer some bad cuts on my head and arms; sprain or break some bones; meet Mr Death as I fall into the open sea. Ok, I am very KIASI... Anyway, I survived that, with lots of help from David who had to carry my Adidas bag so that I would not blame it for any possible injuries or death. It is by far, one of those scary things that I never thought I would do... but I am glad to have done it... imagine that, since I usually take awhile to psyche myself up to cross a darn uncovered drain. We finally reached the Technical Wall, which is at least 10m high, but the great thing about it is, we were just on the huge bedrock with the pounding waves behind us. The sun was on us for a few hours, but after 3pm, it was behind the crag and so we had a breather from the heat and nursed our already burnt skin. According to Ah Jun, this bedrock we were on would usually be flooded during high tide in winter, and the Technical Wall will be exposed to strong winds. Hence climbers would usually climb there during summer. Some distance away, I saw this huge gaping cave, only accessible to kayaks and boats I suppose. Actual Climbing next on Part 2...

Spiderman & Clumsy Gecko @ Tung Lung Chau Part 2 (The Climb)

So here we were at Tung Lung Chau (TLC) ... our first outlying island visit, first outdoor climb, and first sunburnt in months.

"Just arrived - Dan (D's colleague) & D on the bedrock" As I watched Ah Jun and the expert climbers prepare the ropes and quickdraws before doing the lead climb, I could only wonder at the huge crag that loomed before me. On my far right, the waves were crashing into the rocks which dipped into the sea. A distance behind me, I could hear the sea roaring and later in the afternoon when the tide was up, we could feel the sprays of seawater when those waves really did their thing against the bedrock.

"Ah Jun preparing the rope" Frankly, this was a good learning experience as I saw how lead climb is done, and the various techniques used by the climbers on the different routes, which varied from the tough to the horrendous.

Ah Jun and his girlfriend, Sandy (who has been climbing for the past 1 and a half year) prepared 2 routes for us... the first was the easiest of all the routes there (which was still a toughie to me) whilst the 2nd was a more technical one.

"Ah Jun preparing the route via lead climb" "The Experts tackling the tougher walls" "More expert-climbers" As usual, D managed to climb both successfully the very first time, and subsequently did it more smoothly. As for me, I was still proud of the fact that I had tried to climb to a respectable height for both routes before giving up.

In a way, I agree with what Sandy said to me and that is confidence plays a crucial part in climbing. I may know what techniques to use on different holds or have the necessary muscle power to climb, but without confidence in stepping on the miserable narrow ledge or crimping on the smallest of holds, I will give up sooner than I expected.

And that was what had happened to me... the body may be willing, but the mind is weak.

Besides unlike D, I tend to do things better with practice... I may not do as well or be successful in the climb at first, but after a few tries and reflection on things gone wrong, I usually manage to get it done. What to do, slow and cautious learner... kiasi...

It was a day well spent, and although I have never felt such bad cramps in my quadriceps (having problems walking up and down stairs now), this experience to TLC is just ... WOW! I can't wait to go again, and frankly, having done an outdoor climb, it is intoxicating. I felt like I had cast out some height-phobia demons of mine on that crag, while I had the waves and sea below me.

Things never look better up there...

Sick, Freak Accident and Still Sick

I hate being sick, 'cos I can't do loads of stuff and I feel like crap. Besides I don't exactly suffer from slight ailments, when I am sick, I am very sick.

Maybe it's the change in seasons, now that the temperature has been rising, the heat is something that my body is having problems adjusting to.

Or maybe it's the air quality and human congestion in HK. The pollution here is bad, sure miss S'pore's clean air though. And the human traffic here in HK is really scary.

Or maybe, just maybe, it's my immune system... I haven't been eating much fruits, just been drinking loads of fruit juice which isn't exactly the real thing (even tho' the label states "Make From Real Fruits").

Sigh... I have been suffering from flu since last Tues. Then it became worse during the weekend, when I was sniffing and feeling most irritated due to my sore throat. I was so worried that I would not be well for the 1st Dragon Boat training on Sunday, but it was cancelled due to the heavy thunderstorm we experienced. Just as well...

Survived school the next day, but had to call in sick during the night. Saw the doc who gave me MC for Tues and Wed. I practically slept throughout the morning, and only woke up around 1pm during those 2 days of recuperation.

Just when I thought things would not be worse... a silly accident occured on Wed. I got up of bed and went to make myself a coffee. As I bent to get a packet of sugar from the lower cabinet, a sharp pain rang through my lower back and I was like... oh my God, this is bad...

I remembered shuffling slowly to the chair, set down for awhile, willing the pain to go away. All the time, I thought it was just a silly muscle strain, but the pain persisted and I couldn't even move my body.

Dang, this is not good...

Later in the evening, when the pain still did not go away, I saw the doc again and was told I had sprained my back. Possibly due to the fact that I had coughed and sneezed too often and too hard earlier.

Actually I didn't tell him that I hurt it while I was making coffee... D definitely had a great time poking fun at me though.

So I had 2 more days of MC for my sprained back, but I had to return to school since I was away for 2 days already. Exams are coming, and I still need to complete the syllabus... I dunno why, but I do feel guilty about staying at home when I am sick 'cos I will think of the lessons and work that will pile up.

My back was still sore while I was in school on Thurs and has healed now.

Just when I thought I was getting better, I felt like sh** when I woke up this morning, in fact, it was so bad that even though I continued to rest till 1pm, I still felt like sh**. My throat was burning up, my nose was unnaturally stuffed, all my muscles felt like a ton, and my joints were so stiffed and painful.

Dang, the virus is back...

I popped more panadol, went to bed around 4pm till 7.30 pm. So far, I am feeling better and hope I will be well enough to go to Tung Lung Chau tomorrow for some outdoor climbing.

D was so bored today, we had plans to go out actually, but 'cos of this patient, he had to stay at home too. In the end, he played Forza Motosport on the Xbox, watched some TV, played Swat 4 on the PC, and back to Forza again. When I woke up at 7.30pm, he had vegetated the entire day, and boredom had gotten into him. Felt sorry for him actually...

Sigh, I need to be well again, it's the long weekend this week, and it will be such a waste to spend it at home... sick.

Teaching Vs Prison

This is just in case you ever got the two mixed up. This should make misconceptions a bit clearer. IN PRISON: You spend the majority of your time in a room with one other person who doesn't want to cooperate. AT SCHOOL: You spend the majority of the time in a room with 20-30 children who don't want to cooperate. IN PRISON: You get three free hot meals a day. AT SCHOOL: You only get one meal, you pay for it and you get to wait in line for the microwave to heat it, so you can have about 3 1/2 minutes left to eat it. IN PRISON: You get time off for good behavior. AT SCHOOL: You get more work for good behavior. IN PRISON: The guard locks and unlocks all the doors for you. AT SCHOOL: You must open all the doors for yourself while balancing all the papers you took home to grade. IN PRISON: You can watch TV and play games. AT SCHOOL: You get fired for watching TV and playing games. IN PRISON: You get your own toilet. AT SCHOOL: You have to share your bathroom with some idiot who tinkles on the seat. IN PRISON: They allow your family and friends to visit. AT SCHOOL: You can't even speak to your family on the phone because you are usually too busy taking care of someone else's family. IN PRISON: The taxpayers pay all expenses with no work required. AT SCHOOL: You get to pay all the expenses to go to work and then they deduct taxes from your salary to pay for prisoners. IN PRISON: You must deal with sadistic wardens. AT SCHOOL: They are called administrators :)

*Got this from a fellow teacher-friend... laughed my head off ;) Good one.*

More Duh Fotos in HK

D took this when he was out for lunch one day: Last Sunday just after 5pm, we had dinner at this really popular Jap restaurant off Granville Rd, TST. It was our 4th time there, and we knew we had to be there b4 the dinner crowd. While there, I was puzzled by its opening hours. Anyway, it is so crowded during dinner time that we once had to wait for 2 hours and didn't enter the restaurant till around 9pm. Subsequently, we were there thrice, but were put off by the long queue. The food is really good there, but we learn to be at the restaurant latest by 5pm to ensure a short wait.

New Climbing Gear & Rock Rings

D and I bought our new harnesses for our climbing lessons, which have been postponed till later in May. We had a whopping 22% discount and yet another confirmation why shopping in HK is so much more enjoyable than back home in S'pore. We got ourselves the Black Diamond's Iris for Women and Momentum for Men.

D had fixed the Metolus Rock Rings some weeks back and pasted the Training Guides right next to them. He is doing much better than me... I still can't do pull ups, but my fingers are definitely stronger than before as I can do the dead hangs longer and more knee lifts than before without slipping off the rings.

Fireworks

Was negotiating the bends near IFC (HK Island) trying to find the silly Star Ferry Terminal when we looked up and saw this eerie sight... Ten minutes later, the fireworks display began, with all that flares and lights being thrown into the night sky from the tops of these skyscrapers: IFC, HSBC Tower etc... really cool.

Lizard Woman Poster

Was walking along Mongkok last night and saw this horrible 3-D moving head of a horror movie poster... Scary siah...

Duh Fotos...

More "duh" fotos around HK: 1. Singing "Tenor" Loan? 2. Hy-phen? 3. Disable or Disabled? 4. Hawkers beware...