Sunday, November 28, 2004

lyrics of 我也很想他

Have been hearing this song through my colleague's iTunes recently. Quite a touching song. Guess I will write something abt it when I started another new blog.



我也很想他

曲：彭学斌 词：彭学斌/APRIL
歌手：孙燕姿

那时我们总有好多话 什么事都可以讲
我的爱情比你早 却一直放在心上
后来你们之间的变化 我不想再多说话

经过了相遇和挣扎 我还是无法将他放下
那是多久后的事了 有一天你突然问我
在那个时候 是否也爱着他

我也很想他 我们都一样
在他的身上 曾找到翅膀
只是那时的他 是因为你他开始飞翔

我也很想他 在某个地方
我少了尴尬 你少了肩膀
而夏天还是那么短 思念却很长

还记得 那年我们三个许下的愿望
星星骗了我们 我们却因此上了一课
成长必修的学分
我们都一样

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Saturday, November 27, 2004

Jay Chou's Concert-- for 5 mins

* note:lazy to type in Chinese here. so figure out that song name yrself*

Just as i though there'll be no posting for this week, something worth mentioning happened.

Just received a call from my colleague Reb, was suprised that she called me at this hr as I know this Jay Chou fan is at his concert. Haha, she called me just to let me hear him sing "Dong Feng Po". So i kinda heard him sang "live" for 5 mins. Haha Reb is so funny.

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Thursday, November 25, 2004

Posting for Maxim Readers Party, 18 Nov

Yeah this is quite late. Cos it's not an really important event to me.
Maxim Readers party is mainly for the Maxim readers(subscribers & those who write in Readers' letters).

Venue: Double O
Time: 7-10.30pm.
Theme: Casino ( which was why the invitation card is in a form of a Spade of Ace card.)

Was asked to help out at the reception again. Though can join the party at 8.15pm, but by then had missed out the games where guests gambled with the colour chips which we handed out.

Some "eye-brow raising" incidents

1) The first in the queue were two very kiasu middle age women (auntie-style, not Tai-tais style) who made sure they got everything (chips, poker card. lucky draw coupons). Wonder how did they get their invitation passes, perhaps from their sons? Hmm , won't they feel so left out from the crowd of guys? Later, heard from my collegue that he saw two very aggressive aunties who took the gambling games very seriously. When they found out that no price winnings are given out, they were like shouting "What! No Money involve?". ( Hey, who they think we are, private gambling organisers arh?)

Most likely they are the culprits, for I had only seen two middle age aunties passing our recept counter



2) Witness the dark sideof the celeb (well if you consider the Cover girl of Dec issue a celeb. Won't bother to mention her name).

She came with a male friend (who gave up a snobbish galnce at teh recep counter) without passes. By right, this party is strickly by intation only, one party pass admits only one. We could have call the editor to come down with her passes, but knowing he had to mingle around, my colleague and I being flexible, took out the stack of the extra invitation cards we have. As we about to give her two passes, she quickly added that Four of her friends are coming along.
Then she say " Can I have Six? "

And quickly changed her mind again "No, no. Seven ".

Apparently, she must had taken avantage of this situation and busy counting in her mind how many friends she can called up to attend the party.

so gave her NINE passes .
But that's not the end of the story.
Later when one of her friends came. She refuse to let us collect back an invitation card, saying she got one more friend coming.

...............

(a good example to explain the meaning of 得寸进尺, or what my colleague commented " So Cheapo.")

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Tuesday, November 16, 2004

Massive overhaul of Chinese teaching

Yesterday, while I was at my neighbourhood stationery shop waiting for the shop assistant to photocopy my documents, he suddenly commented: " 这样改, 以后干脆不要考华文. ". Then, I realised he was refering to the news broadcasted over the radio regarding the change of Chinese teaching.

If you do not know what I mean, I had attached the news from today's Straits Times at the end of this post.

My feelings abt this: If the government thinks that this new way of teaching is to makes learning Chinese much easeir for the English speaking students, I don't think it works for all. I have seen many of my ex-classmates and my tuition kids who don't converse well in Chinese, yet can get a pass and up to an A in their exams by working hard. That is, memorise all the words and defination, and even 造句 from the 词语手册. Now the panel is moving away from testing vocabulary and memory to giving more marks to how they speak and use the language in the right way. So these 'ang-moh 派' students can't depend on 死背 their 手册 and 课本 to score anymore.
their marks will dropped and they tend to dislike learning chinese even more. Possibility of this right?


Massive overhaul of Chinese teaching

Focus will move from rote learning to effective communication
By Ho Ai Li and Sandra Davie
THE teaching of Chinese language is in for its biggest overhaul in decades, with a new focus on getting children to speak read the language confidently, and to use it even after they leave school.
The starting point for schools will be to know their students and put their needs first, depending on whether they come from English-speaking homes or start Primary 1 with some exposure to Chinese.

With more Singaporean children growing up with English at home, a government-appointed review panel has proposed wide-ranging changes to the teaching of Chinese, and the Education Ministry has accepted them.

Releasing its 64-page report to the media last Friday, Education Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam called the changes 'fundamental' and said that they will 'allow each Chinese language student, regardless of home language background, to enjoy learning Chinese language and gain confidence in using it'.

Big changes all round will be phased in from next year: in what is taught, how lessons are tailored to children's ability, and how teachers will do more to engage and motivate students in fun and creative ways.

Helpful electronic dictionaries that provide a short-cut to writing Chinese characters and phrases will become standard equipment in class and even for examinations, reducing the need for children to memorise long lists and practise writing for hours.
The aim is not only to make the learning of Chinese less of a turn-off, but to get students enjoying their lessons and wanting to use the language for more than passing exams.

Primary school is where the action will be, because that is where many now run into trouble, discouraged by doing badly in tests or overwhelmed by rote-learning and repetitive drilling.

The way children are tested and assessed will change too, to move away from testing vocabulary and memory to giving more marks to how they speak and use language in the right con- text.

The Primary School Leaving Examinations and O-level exams will change from 2006.

With the revamp come new targets for students of varying ability and interest.

All should leave school enthused enough to have an abiding interest in Chinese language and culture, but the most proficient should be able to proceed furthest, specialising in the history, culture and contemporary developments of China.

The Chinese Language Curriculum and Pedagogy Review Committee, headed by veteran educationist Wee Heng Tin, carried out a survey of 10,000 students, parents and teachers and met a variety of interested groups.

Its recommendations, to be rolled out in stages from next year till the end of the decade, mark the biggest overhaul of the bilingual policy since it was put in place in 1966.

Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew, who revealed the main recommendations last month, has said change was necessary given the rise in the number of English-speaking homes and the fact that few people can master both English and Chinese.

A key feature of the revamp is a modular system at the primary level, to be introduced in 2008, which will let children proceed at their own pace.

All will do a core module taking up 70 per cent to 80 per cent of curriculum time. Those who need more help will have lessons designed for them, while children who are more able have enrichment lessons.

A second key thrust is to focus more on speaking, listening and reading, so children learn to communicate effectively.

They will learn to write too, but the emphasis on intense memorising and drilling will end.

Textbooks, learning resources and teaching methods will be revised to make learning more flexible, varied and relevant to everyday life.

Songs, choral reading and recitation - and even comics - will add fun to lessons.

With flexibility at the core of the changes, schools that want to devote more time to Chinese in the lower primary classes may be allowed to do so, taking time away from other subjects.

The review panel's adviser, Minister of State for Education Chan Soo Sen, hoped that the Chinese community would see the gains to come and support the changes.

The review panel found that children lose interest in Chinese as they grow older, not least because of the way they are taught and tested.

With the changes, Mr Chan said, they will learn to use the language in real life well after leaving school.

The committee's recommendations will be put before Parliament later this month for debate.

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Monday, November 15, 2004

carefree life

Had a carefree life from last Tues to last evening. Cook whatever I want to cook, can’t watch TV until midnight and listen to pop music.
The best thing is: no one scolding me for no reason.
Why?
Cos my parents took my brother to Penang and Ipoh. Left me alone at home (with sis occasionally coming home).
Actually, they are suppose to return tomorrow morning, but due to the peak season, they can’t manage to buy return tickets for Tuesday, so have too choice between returning early or return on 18 Nov.

Have been doing Christmas cards for the past few days. Yeah, had made around 36 cards. Haha. Yessssss!

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Tuesday, November 09, 2004

Bye Bye one wisdom

Yeah , said bye to my top right wisdom tooth yesterday evening. The dentist (not the one i had mentioned previously) had scared me by saying if she can't pulled out the tooth by normal extraction, will have to perform surgery.

Weird, my regular dentist had told me that it'll me a normal extraction, yet this dentist, after looking at the x-ray, said that my wisdom tooth roots are quite thick. Might not be easy, and 95% of patients have their wisdom tooth extracted through surgery.

Blah Blah Blah. I simply told her I wasn't prepare for that. And prayed that my wisdom tooth "Guai Guai" come out.

In the end, she extracted my tooth, time taken less than I expected.

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Wednesday, November 03, 2004

Say Hi to me

Okay this may sound a bit harsh.

To those who's reading this blog, could you please introduce yourself by dropping a note in the comments box?

My blog posting are true reflections of my thoughts. I don't pretend to be Miss Goody-Two-shoes or having a perfect life here. For more personal stuff, I'll keep them bottled up. Hence I don't mind strangers reading this blog, but if you happen to be someone i know, and i never inform you abt my blog (or I denied having one), chances are:

1) I don't have the chance to let you know abt yr blog , OR
2 ) I don't even want you reading it.

For those who falls into the latter (2), you know you are not welcome here.
Even if I see you often, yet I don't wish to even let you know simple things like where I go out to eat. I'd rather let strangers read it than you reading it. Get it?

For my friends, I may be starting another blog for personal stuff (that means having 2 blogs). Will keep you update.

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iTunes

SUPER SIOK!
After hearing Stefanie Sun's new album and especially after this song "慢慢来(Man Man Lai)". Yeah, that Tango style song, really different.

Nope, I didn't buy her new CD. And I am not listening to pirated copy.

All thanks to this I-Mac I've got in the office, which was upgraded to OS X operating system. so all those using Mac in office can share songs with one another using this iTunes program.

Yah, "Share only (can listen to the songs but can't copy).

Wonder when Sun Yanzi's new album VCD will be released. I prefer looking at lyrics, watching MTVs and hearing songs at the same time.

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