Teach A Man To Fish

Teen hacked in front of crowd at Downtown East

2010-11-01T16:04:00.000+08:00

Nov 1, 2010

By Mavis Toh

This area of Downtown East was cordoned off by the police after Darren Ng Wei Jie, 19, was attacked by a group of youth. It is believed Darren?s attackers produced choppers and slashed him several times. According to witnesses, the bleeding teenager and his friends tried to escape by running towards a row of indoor restaurants (seen in background). -- PHOTOS: LIANHE WANBAO, SHIN MIN DAILY NEWS

HALLOWEEN horror became real on Saturday night at Downtown East.
A 19-year-old youth repeatedly hacked by a group of youngsters in full view of a crowd died in hospital hours later. The violent attack and subsequent attempt by the youth and his friends to flee left a 500m-long trail of blood at the Pasir Ris resort and amusement park.
No one has been arrested and police have classified the case as murder.
Darren Ng Wei Jie was with two friends when they got into a 'staring incident' with a group of about 10 teenagers.
Witnesses The Straits Times spoke to said the encounter started with angry words, but this deteriorated into a brawl on the lawn just outside fast-food restaurant McDonald's.
It is believed Darren's attackers produced choppers and slashed him several times. The bleeding teenager and his friends tried to escape by running towards a row of indoor restaurants and shops called The Alley.
The Straits Times understands the two groups did not know each other and were not guests at the Downtown East resort.
A witness manning a pushcart stall, who declined to be named, said she saw five men - two holding choppers - chasing after Darren and his friends.
Another witness, the owner of a restaurant, said she did not pay much attention to the youths at first, thinking that they were just fooling around. It was when she saw the bleeding boy crash into a glass panel in his rush to get away that she knew something was amiss.
She said: 'He crashed into the glass and fell to the ground. That was when the group caught up and kept bashing him.
'Then I saw them use two choppers and hack him several times. Blood was gushing everywhere.'
The Straits Times understands that Darren suffered multiple cuts to his limbs, back and, most seriously, his abdomen.
The attackers fled towards a foodcourt in the direction of an open carpark near Pasir Ris Drive 3 and disappeared in the crowd taking shelter from the ongoing heavy downpour.
Darren's friend, who was cut in his upper lip, was afraid that their attackers would return. Thus he dragged Darren into The Alley. The pair staggered from Popeyes restaurant down a row of shops and up the stairs to Sakura International Buffet restaurant on the second floor, leaving a trail of blood.
Restaurant supervisor Iman Noor, 35, said Darren collapsed outside his premises, and that a medical student who was there tried putting pressure on Darren's wound, but could not stem the bleeding.
A Downtown East spokesman said they were alerted at about 6pm that someone had sustained a 'serious injury' in its premises.
Darren was pronounced dead at Changi General Hospital about five hours later.
The young man's parents and friends, who turned up at the mortuary yesterday morning, were distraught and declined to speak to reporters.
His father would only say between sobs: 'Let justice be done.'
Darren is believed to have been in his third year at Republic Polytechnic and also in its water-polo team.

Mum of ACS boy who was hit lodges police report

2010-04-20T08:45:00.000+08:00

Mum of ACS boy who was hit lodges police report

A true winner is someone who is humble in victory and gracious in defeat.

3Feb Morning Sharing on Independance

2010-02-23T12:52:00.003+08:00

Independence, as we have learned from previous day’s sharing is about “freedom”. It can be “personal”, affecting only you. However, “independence” could also apply to a group or community of people, even nations. Many people think that independence means “I have the freedom make the decision for Myself. It’s only Me, I and Myself.” – a very self-centered attitude. However, we shall see from the following story that one man’s selfless actions can determine the fate of a whole community of people.

All of us know who is Minister Mentor Lee Kwan Yew, without whom Singapore will be not be what she is today. Imagine what would have happened if we remained with Malaysia? – Racial tensions.

Have you heard of Winston Churchill? He was the Prime Minister of Britain or England at the time of the 2nd World War. What if he had not led the nation to resist the Germans and fought to save the independence of Britain? The outcome of 2nd World War may turn out differently and Singapore may still be under Japanese rule.

Today I will introduce you to this person called Gandhi. Do you know who he is?
There is not a single country in the whole world where the name of Gandhi is not known. Do you know why Gandhi became so famous? What did he stand for?
Gandhi dedicated his whole life to the service of his motherland India. He was an advocate of using non-violent means to resist or protest injustice, and lead India to independence from British rule. However, he paid the price for holding on to his what he believed in – he was imprisoned 4 times in 1922,1930,1933 and 1942, and spent a total of 7 years in jail. While imprisoned, he also undertook many public fasts to protest against injustice. There was even once he decided to fast unto death to fight for the rights of the oppressed class of citizens called the untouchables in the Indian society.

How did Gandhi develop his strong ideals for independence and justice?
It all began when he was only a young lawyer practicing in Africa.

At that time, all the power in Africa was also in the hands of the British people. They considered themselves superior, and treated the Indians and the natives in a most insulting manner. Gandhi represented a native businessman in a court case against a Britishman and won. However because of this, he ruffled the feathers of the British people. Wherever he went, he had to face insults and rudeness. At times, he was even physically assaulted. One day, when he was travelling in the first class compartment of a train, a Britishman boarded the compartment. On seeing Gandhi, the Britishman got furious. He called the Railway officer, and both ordered him to get out of the train. Since Gandhi had purchased a first class ticket, he refused to do so. However, they paid no heed to him. Gandhi refused to budge. Finally the police were summoned. They pushed him out of the compartment and threw his luggage out of the window. Gandhi had to spend the whole night on the platform. This was only one of the many humiliating experiences Gandhi had to face. He had wanted to return to India on the completion of his work in Africa, but the plight of the Indians there disturbed him greatly. For everywhere there was discrimination. There was one set of rules for the Indians and natives, and a different set for the British people. So he resolved to stay, and fight the unjust and inhuman laws that were imposed on them.

Today, as we listen to the example set by Gandhi, let us examine and reflect upon our own motives and actions in life.
Whenever we want to exert our rights to independence, are we doing it for the greater good of others, or does it come from a selfish motive?

For example, in class, we have the right to speak our mind. But in doing so, are we disrupting the class? In our private lives, we have the right to go out late and have fun with our friends. But are we making our parents and our friends’ parents worry excessively that we are hanging out with bad company?

Let us now bow our heads and be still as we reflect on today’s sharing. I will close this time with a word of prayer.

In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Dear Heavenly Father,
As this day begins, we praise You and thank You for whatever this is in store for us. We trust in Your grace to help us endure the difficult and to rejoice in the blessings.

Teach us, Father, to use our rights to independence in a godly manner that is pleasing in Your sight.

Use us to touch each other’s lives with your gifts of love, joy and peace.

All these, we ask in the precious name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Students overseas: Don't worry about jobs when you return

2010-01-20T10:21:00.001+08:00

by Saifulbahri Ismail

05:55 AM Jan 20, 2010 Today Newspaper

SINGAPORE - There is no need for Singaporeans studying overseas to be paranoid about their employment prospects when they return, said Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports Vivian Balakrishnan.

At a forum here attended by about 300 Singaporeans studying in Australia, he addressed their concerns about the competition from local graduates for jobs here.

Case in point: IT graduate Terence Teo, 25, who returned to Singapore last month after studying in Brisbane, Australia for a year.

Though it is still early in his job search, he is worried: "I think employers in Singapore would prefer graduates from local universities ... They might not even look at my resume at all, knowing I'm an overseas graduate."

But Dr Balakrishnan assured the students that Singapore is a meritocratic society.

"We will select the best person for the job based on his or her ability, and performance and it doesn't depend upon your race, religion, gender, wealth, social class or where you happened to have studied in, whether it's in Australia or Singapore ... You will be judged on your own merits," he said.

He observed that many overseas graduates have returned and been offered opportunities because of the value employers saw in them.

But he also reminded the students to manage their expectations - they should not expect and demand success to be delivered to their doorsteps.

Last year, some 7,800 Singaporeans enrolled to study in Australia.

Porn, sexual abuse make for teen sex

2010-01-20T09:40:00.003+08:00

by Alicia Wong

05:55 AM Jan 20, 2010, Today Newspaper

SINGAPORE - Contrary to popular belief, watching sex scenes on screen or listening to songs with sexual lyrics does not make teenagers here go out and have sex - at least, it's not a strong contributing factor.

Also not linked to premarital sex: How much factual knowledge one has about Aids or one's academic performance, a local study has found.

Rather, the strongest factor that seems to account for premarital sex in local male youth is pornography, and for young females it is a history of sexual abuse.

This is what researchers from the DSC Clinic, the National Healthcare Group, the National University of Singapore and the Singapore General Hospital found, after interviewing 500 sexually-active teenagers from the DSC clinic and 500 non-sexually active counterparts from a general practitioner clinic between 2006 and 2008.

This survey of teens aged 14 to 19 is the "first rigorous study" here on factors for premarital sex, said DSC's Head and Senior Consultant Tan Hiok Hee.

Among the sexually-active boys, about 95 per cent had watched pornography, compared to 79 per cent of those not sexually active.

And 22.5 per cent of sexually active girls had a history of sexual abuse, compared with 3 per cent of non-sexually active girls.

What's especially worrying: 43.6 per cent of the girls and 29.5 per cent of the boys said they did not intend to have sex - but were unable to control themselves, lacked skills to say no, or were under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

"It's a real concern," said Singapore Children's Society director Carol Balhetchet of the findings.

"(Pornography) may promote aggressive sexual behaviour and violence to obtain what you want." And with sexually abused girls, "the language of love has been miscommunicated by someone they trust and respect".

So, what implications do the findings have for existing sex education programmes and approaches among Singapore's youth?

For one, the results point to the urgent need to identify the high-risk groups - such as sexually-abused girls - early on "for interventions on life skills and sex education", said researchers.

And beyond the obvious step of curbing access to porn - which Net-savvy teens are bound to find ways around, if they really want to view explicit material - parents and healthcare personnel need to talk openly with teens about sexuality, to "help (them) develop a more critical attitude towards pornography", said researchers.

Dr Balhetchet suggested counselling them on the dangers of what they are watching. But to what effect, when - as the study showed - knowing that Aids is incurable did not have any significant impact on teenagers' inclination to have sex?

TV characters deliver the message

That's where the facts-based approach of sexual education needs to be supplemented with more effective delivery.

The media, ironically, could be one answer. It has had little impact on teenagers' choice to have premarital sex, and this could be due to Singapore's ban on scenes of explicit sexual intercourse in public-access movies and TV shows, the study said.

But conversely, having characters with /Aids or sexually transmitted infections (STIs) portrayed in the media could help teenagers decide to say 'no'. Teens who heard of or watched such characters were about four times less likely to have premarital sex.

As such, researchers called for facts about HIV and STIs, together with life-skills education, to be "woven into television dramas to contextualise sexual risk, so teens can relate to it".

Said Dr Tan: "The advantage of story-telling is this additional ability to illustrate the ordeals a person has to go through and perhaps, this curbs teens' curiosity."

Dr Balhetchet believes further studies on secondary school students could improve sex education curriculum material. For instance, she feels it should focus on the "social and emotional components", beyond just the factual information.

For both genders, the study found that adolescents who had dropped out of school, drank alcohol, smoked and lived in low-cost housing were more like to have engaged in premarital sex.

Latest figures from the Ministry of Health showed the STI notification rate for those under the age of 20 had more than doubled - from 61 per 100,000 population in 2000, to 133 in 2008.

***
Seven in 10 sexually active teenagers had viewed pornography. Their main sources were:
- Internet (59 per cent)
- Videos (19 per cent)
- Mobile phones (14 per cent)
- Magazines (8.1 per cent)

Why boys had sex:
- Curiosity (58 per cent)
- Love (37.1 per cent)
- Unable to control themselves (21.2 per cent)

Why girls had sex:
- Love (49.2 per cent)
- Curiosity (38.6 per cent)
- Do not know how to say no (20.3 per cent)

Children Full of Life

2010-01-02T16:45:00.001+08:00

In the award-winning documentary Children Full of Life, a fourth-grade class in a primary school in Kanazawa, northwest of Tokyo, learn lessons about compassion from their homeroom teacher, Toshiro Kanamori. He instructs each to write their true inner feelings in a letter, and read it aloud in front of the class. By sharing their lives, the children begin to realize the importance of caring for their classmates.

Batam Combined UG Camp Reflections

2009-11-17T12:12:00.000+08:00

It's humbling to know that extreme poverty exists at our doorstep. The very rich and the very poor are living next to each other, but in our pride and worldly pursuits building our own kingdoms, we can be blinded to the sufferings around us.

Ever considered the possibility that the more wealth we accumulate, the poorer we are in our spirit? The higher we climb in our social ladder, the lonelier and less satisfied we become? In contrast, you can see the genuine joy and gratitude in the faces of those who are materially poor - even if it's a simple gift of toiletries they are receiving.

On the contrary, isnt it true that we are often upset that the salary/performance bonus we receive is less than what we expected? Nothing wrong with wealth creation/accumulation, because wealth itself is a resource to improve ourselves and others. But the attitude towards handling wealth as a resource is what matters.

Remember: Godliness (together) with contentment is great gain!

National Service - SOC

2009-11-15T13:19:00.001+08:00

Standard Obstacle Course (SOC)

More videos

Cheaper, Better, Faster

2009-11-12T15:57:00.001+08:00


	Lim Swee Say

SINGAPORE: The labour movement, NTUC, will be working towards helping put on track a "Cheaper, Better, Faster (CBF)" economy in the next two years.

The CBF strategy will help drive Singapore into the next phase of growth.

"We want to create early successes in all sectors to demonstrate how the CBF concept can be implemented on the ground," said labour chief Lim Swee Say.

Mr Lim gave examples of companies that have already taken the CBF strategy to heart.

The wafer fabrication sector had launched a national framework for skills upgrading in August. ST Microelectronics began training 7,000 engineers this year, to be followed by 3,000 technicians and operators next year.

Making his closing address at the NTUC Ordinary Delegates' Conference, the labour chief was also encouraged by the strong endorsement given by union leaders to the CBF concept.

However, even as they pledged their support, unionists raised concerns over how it would translate on the ground and impact workers. Some delegates at the conference were worried that the CBF strategy might lead to job cuts.

Mr Lim said: "They feel that it's very important that the management has the same understanding of the CBF because the CBF economy is not about downsizing the workforce.

"It's not just about applying them to manufacturing sector, it's not about just including the younger workers, better educated workers, but instead it should be inclusive for all workers - young and old."

Mr Lim pointed out: "Which country, which tripartite partners will want to work together to become cheaper, better, faster, to improve productivity so that every one per cent improvement in productivity will lead to one per cent rise in unemployment rate?"

He added that the end result will be stronger economic growth, more profitable companies, and higher wages.

Mr Lim also said that older or less-educated workers will not be left out in the drive to be cheaper, better, and faster. Foreign workers too, will be given training.

Over the next two years, NTUC will be working with companies to raise worker productivity.

It will also work closely with the Singapore National Employers' Federation (SNEF) in the months ahead to ensure that both businesses and workers are on the same page regarding what the CBF strategy entails.

The three-day conference, which ended on Thursday, was a time for unionists to take stock of their progress and to raise issues on the ground.

Some said more could be done to get women back to work, and to provide better support for working mothers. Others suggested ways to make training courses more accessible.

- CNA/sc

Principles of Engagement in Religious Sphere

2009-08-17T07:38:00.004+08:00

We must preserve racial and religious harmony.
We value our diversity and are determined to stay a united people.
~ National Education message #2

PM Lee speaks of principles of engagement in religious sphere
By Asha Popatlal, Channel NewsAsia | Posted: 16 August 2009 2142 hrs

Special Report - National Day 2009

SINGAPORE: Singapore's religious harmony must never be taken for granted. This was why the Cabinet had decided that Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong should speak on this unusually sensitive subject for the National Day Rally and spell out clear directions for engagement between religions, Mr Lee said.

It has been almost 20 years since Parliament passed the Maintenance of Religious Harmony Act. But Mr Lee noted that from time to time, the issue must be sensitively but honestly discussed to remind Singaporeans to do better.

Singapore has done well in the past 40-odd years. Contributing to the peace is the work of religious leaders who respected one another and made practical compromises. Still, there has been rising religiosity in the world - from the US to Malaysia.

And Singapore is not immune, with mosques overflowing on Fridays, churches filled on Sundays, Buddhists reaching out to youths and Hindus celebrating more religious festivals.

PM Lee said: "In itself, (there's) nothing wrong with people becoming more religious. But at the same time, stronger religious fervour can have side effects which have to be managed carefully, especially in a multi-racial and multi-religious society."

Mr Lee related the story of a Malay wedding and Chinese funeral that was meant to be held at the same void deck of an HDB block of flats.

Initially, both parties stood firm but after mediation, the Malay family decided to move to a nearby void deck and the town council decided to waive charges for it and so there was an amicable ending.

PM Lee added: "I cite this example not to criticise one group or another, but to point out that such sensitive incidents are bound to arise from time to time in Singapore. They're very rare - maybe one incident in 300 funerals.

"But if such an incident had been wrongly handled and you have a case that escalates into a racial or religious incident, then one case is bad enough. To solve such problems, to live peacefully together, we need good sense and tolerance on all sides, and willingness to give and take."

This issue also came into sharp focus during the leadership tussle at AWARE, a non-governmental organisation focussing on women's issues. Mr Lee said what concerned the government here was the attempt by a religiously motivated group to enter civil space, take over an NGO it disapproved of and impose its own agenda.

He noted that there was a risk of a spillover into broader relations between different religions but for the statements from the National Council of Churches of Singapore that it did not support churches getting involved and also from the Catholic Archbishop.

While the government stayed out of the tussle, Mr Lee said he spoke to the religious leaders after the dust settled so that everyone understood what was needed to maintain racial and religious harmony.

Going forward, Mr Lee pointed out three risks:
- aggressive pushing of one's religion onto others, which can cause offence
- not respecting the religious beliefs of others, sometimes within the same family
- segregating into exclusive circles

He added that some basic rules have to be observed to maintain racial and religious harmony.

Firstly, all groups must exercise tolerance and restraint. Secondly, religion must stay separate from politics. Thirdly, the government must remain secular and fourthly, the common space that all Singaporeans share - whether at mealtimes, at work or in school - must be preserved.

Mr Lee added: "You may ask 'does this mean religious groups cannot have any views on national issues? Or that religious individuals cannot participate in politics?' Obviously not.

"But they should respect other people's views and in the end, the debate and final decision must be based on a secular consideration of what is best for all of Singapore."

Ending on a positive note, he said while Singapore was in a good position, care must still be taken to strengthen this harmony and to never forget what being a Singaporean means. - CNA/vm

Class Photo: 4N1 Year 2009

2009-08-06T08:16:00.003+08:00

Click here for larger file size versions.

OB Markers Over Sexuality Issues

2009-05-07T08:56:00.005+08:00

Reflecting upon the AWARE saga, and the Ministry's stand which I wholeheartedly agree with, I concluded on the following principles to guide me when I am called upon to teach on this sensitive topic.

1) Uphold the acceptable societal norms.
Family as a core unit. Marriage as a basis for forming a family unit.

2) Refer to family values of individuals
Encourage students to find out and fall back on the values that their family wants them to have.

3) Educate on the consequences of alternative lifestyles.
At appropriate ages, present factually the existence of alternative lifestyles and their medical/emotional/social consequences.

4) Respect and allow students to draw their own conclusions and make their own choices/decisions.

In my own opinion, too much is made of the pro-conservative group fronted by the ousted AWARE president, trying to push their "hidden" agenda. If we read between the lines in the following article, the pro-liberals are also pushing for their own aims.

As a gatekeeper for my students, my role as an educator is to allow my charges to make informed and sound choices based on values that their loved ones (family) ascribe to.

MOE suspends sexuality education programmes by external vendors
By Pearl Forss & Hoe Yeen Nie, Channel NewsAsia | Posted: 06 May 2009 1835 hrs

SINGAPORE

: The Ministry of Education (MOE) has decided to suspend the engagement of external vendors running sexuality programmes in schools, until it completes the vetting of their content.

The move came after it investigated feedback received on the school sexuality education programme conducted by women's advocacy group AWARE, and other lesson materials not by AWARE.

For the past few years, schools have been allowed to engage external vendors to supplement their sexuality education programmes.

The ministry said it has reviewed schools' internal processes for selecting and monitoring vendors, and found that it can be improved.

It said it will put in place more stringent processes to ensure that training materials and programmes delivered in schools are in line with MOE's framework on sexuality education.

MOE said its framework reflects the mainstream values of Singapore society, where the social norm consists of the married heterosexual family unit. It added that schools do not promote alternative lifestyles to students.

On AWARE's sexuality education programme, the ministry found some aspects of it positive, while other parts did not conform to guidelines.

It cited as positive - examples such as role-play practice for students to say "no" to sex. However, it found other instances - such as some suggested responses in the instructor guide - explicit and inappropriate, as they conveyed messages which could promote homosexuality or suggest approval of pre-marital sex.

In response, AWARE said it was "disappointed", as instructors were trained to use language appropriate to their audience. It had also offered on Tuesday to meet with ministry officials, but have yet to receive a response.

"I hope it doesn't mean they are going to discontinue using such comprehensive programmes as ours. And I hope it doesn't mean they are going to bring sexual education back a couple of centuries," said Dana Lam, AWARE's president.

The ministry is also reviewing ways to provide parents with more information about sexuality education taught in schools.

It added, however, that parents are ultimately responsible for inculcating values to their children, and that MOE's sexuality education programme aims to complement parents' role in helping students make informed, responsible and values-based decisions regarding sexuality.

Separately, the MOE also said it has investigated feedback on materials used in junior colleges' General Paper (GP) lessons which carry information on alternative lifestyles, not provided by AWARE.

The ministry said GP lessons are meant to promote critical thinking and discussion on contemporary issues. It added that the teachers had used these materials to initiate discussion on family structures and not to promote alternative lifestyles.

It will, however, remind school leaders and teachers to exercise greater professional discretion in guiding their students when such topics are discussed, and that they should adhere to social norms and values of mainstream society. - CNA

Paradox of Our Time

2009-04-14T14:43:00.004+08:00

Time for reflection.

***

Written by George Carlin (comedian of the 70's and 80's):

The paradox of our time in history is that we have taller buildings but shorter tempers, wider Freeways , but narrower viewpoints. We spend more, but have less, we buy more, but enjoy less.

We have bigger houses and smaller families,more conveniences, but less time. We have more degrees but less sense, more knowledge, but less judgment, more experts, yet more problems, more medicine, but less wellness.

We drink too much, smoke too much, spend too recklessly, laugh too little, drive too fast, get too angry, stay up too late, get up too tired, read too little, watch TV too much, and pray too seldom.

We have multiplied our possessions, but reduced our values. We talk too much, love too seldom, and hate too often.We've learned how to make a living, but not a life. We've added years to life not life to years. We've been all the way to the moon and back, but have trouble crossing the street to meet a new neighbor.

We conquered outer space but not inner space. We've done larger things, but not better things.We've cleaned up the air, but polluted the soul. We've conquered the atom, but not our prejudice.

We write more, but learn less. We plan more, but accomplish less. We've learned to rush, but not to wait. We build more computers to hold more information, to produce more copies than ever, but we communicate less and less.

These are the times of fast foods and slow digestion, big men and small character, steep profits and shallow relationships.

These are the days of two incomes but more divorce, fancier houses, but broken homes. These are days of quick trips, disposable diapers, throwaway morality, one night stands, overweight bodies, and pills that do everything from cheer, to quiet, to kill.

It is a time when there is much in the showroom window and nothing in the stockroom.

A time when technology can bring this letter to you, and a time when you can choose either to share this insight, or to just hit delete...

Remember:
Spend some time with your loved ones, because they are not going to be around forever.Remember, say a kind word to someone who looks up to you in awe, because that little person soon will grow up and leave your side.Remember, to give a warm hug to the one next to you, because that is the only treasure you can give with your heart and it doesn't cost a cent.Remember, to say, 'I love you' to your partner and your loved ones, but most of all mean it. A kiss and an embrace will mend hurt when it comes from deep inside of you.Remember to hold hands and cherish the moment for someday that person will not be there again.Give time to love, give time to speak! And give time to share the precious thoughts in your mind.

AND ALWAYS REMEMBER:
Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.

Crossword Puzzle

2009-01-12T01:40:00.002+08:00

Create puzzles to amuse my students and revise with them certain topics.

Teach To Inspire, Inspire To Teach

2008-09-09T13:07:00.003+08:00

I happened to pick up this publication "Teach To Inspire, Inspire To Teach", a collection of personal testimonies by winners and finalists of President's Award for Teachers 2008.

I was surprised and encouraged to find the mentor teacher who guided me during my practicum (teaching practice period) being shortlisted.

Trainee teachers with our beloved (very wise, and very beautiful) mentor Mdm Tay

Below is her inspiring story of how she grew as a person, together with her students.
[to be scanned]

Thank you Mdm Tay for inspiring me! :)

Little Foxes

2008-09-03T13:28:00.003+08:00

King Solomon, the wisest king that ever lived, once wrote:

"Catch for us the foxes,
the little foxes
that ruin the vineyards,
our vineyards that are in bloom."

Are there "little foxes" in your life?
Small indiscretions?
Minor character flaws?
Some unhealthy habits?

Isnt it time to catch them?

Hi, I'm 14. Can We Have SEX?

2008-08-26T09:33:00.004+08:00

Thought provoking questions as I read this article in NewPaper
1) How much do you know about sex?
2) How ready are you to handle sex?
The word "CHOICE" came to my mind as I reflected on this article.

In life, there are many choices we have to make. Each choice has its own consequence.
In all these choices, we have to bear full responsibility for the consequences of our actions.

SEX comes with RESPONSIBILITY.

We can enjoy now, and suffer later.
Or we can choose to delay gratification, and spare ourselves the heartache and pain, while waiting for the right season of our life to enjoy.
Marriage is the only season of our life when we are fully able to handle the responsibilities of sex.

Are you willing to wait?

Read about the true life stories of 2 girls who engaged in teen sex.
Read about the thoughts of the reporter from the perspective of a potential parent.

Let's Get Married & Make Babies!

2008-08-19T09:19:00.002+08:00

Stayer or Quitter?

2008-08-16T13:26:00.004+08:00

"Has the younger generation of Singaporeans gone soft?
Look yourself in the mirror and ask:
Am I a stayer or a quitter?
Am I a fair-weather Singaporean or an all-weather Singaporean?"
~ Mr Goh Chok Tong, 2002, on stayers and quitters

On Servant Leadership

2008-08-16T13:22:00.003+08:00

"We could have lead peaceful, quiet lives. Why were we doing this?
This is an act of conviction."
~Mr Lee Kuan Yew, 1989, on how he and his team has built Singapore with passion

Responsibility of Leadership

2008-08-16T13:19:00.002+08:00

"Even from my sick bed, even if you are going to lower me into the grave, and I feel that something is going wrong, I will get up."
~Mr Lee Kuan Yew, 1988

Biting the Bullet

2008-08-16T13:13:00.003+08:00

"Everyone likes to be a friendly, nice, pleasant, charitable, helpful minister, particularly the Prime Minister, and everyone will say: "Nice man".

But to be kind to you and your children, sometimes we have to take a very sharp knife and go through the movements and say: "Look dont do that or I will have to - you know, this will have to be used."
~Mr Lee Kwan Yew, 1971, on the need for unpopular policies

I am Legend

2008-08-03T18:32:00.005+08:00

Amid all the obscene figures being bandied around swelling the pockets of soccer personnel, the player who used to plunder vital goals for United has one immediate new goal - to help children in Africa.

After 11 years service to United, the Norwegian was forced to retire last August after years of knee problems at the age of 34. He will have an Old Trafford testimonial match against Espanyol on August 2. But a substantial portion of the potential £3m jackpot from that pre-season benefit match against the Spaniards will be going towards building schools in Angola, Uganda and Mozambique.

"You affect people's lives as a footballer because you create memories and happiness. But if you build a school you can change a whole life. You have something concrete, not just in your head."

"You can see kids getting out of the poverty they are in and maybe becoming doctors or teachers themselves."

"When I was granted my game I thought I can either do it quietly and give the money to Unicef or I could try and create something to help generate as much money as possible to this project."

"I wanted to use this opportunity to help others. I just felt doing this was right."

***

"Form" is temporary; "Class" is permanent. But a "Legend" goes down in history.

A person become legendary not only because of what he achieved, but what he stands for.

A sampling of some local "legends" came into mind:
1) Sim Wong Hoo - CEO of Creative Technologies. Singapore's first technoprenuer. A poly boy made good. Yet he did not forget his humble beginnings and is active in philanthropy.

2) Fandi Ahmad - Singapore's most famous soccer export. A humble man who graduated from kicking soccer balls in kampung fields when he was young, to being the first Singaporean soccer player to grace European's UEFA Cup competition. Currently imparting his experience as a soccer coach.

3) Ang Peng Siong - Singapore most famous male swimmer, who once held the world no.1 ranking in the 50 m freestyle. Currently Team Singapore's swimming national coach.

All these men, are not only dedicated to excellence in their craft, but exemplary in their conduct, serving as role models for us to follow.

Would you follow their footsteps to be the next Singapore Legend?

亲子关系(Parent-Child Relationship)

2008-07-31T23:36:00.009+08:00

One of the TV drama serial dialog caught my attention today.
Context:
Uncle Tao's eldest daughter left home when she was very young, as the relationship was very strained due to Uncle Tao's overly oppressive parenting style when he was a young parent. In this episode, the daughter decided to come back to work at her father's flower nursery due to her lover and 2nd sister's encouragements. However, the 3rd daughter who had the impression that her eldest sister's real motives in coming back is to grab a share of her father's inheritance, passed very hurting remarks that she's back for the money. And succeed in driving her away.

Uncle Tao, in his fit of frustration, admonished his 3rd daughter:
钱是身外物。生不带来，死不带去。
亲情，才是无价！
(Money is an external possession. You dont carry it into this world when you are born, neither do you take it away when you die. Family relationships, that's what is priceless!)

Well said indeed!
钱是身外物，命是风中烛
喜乐常知足，有情才是福！
(Money is an external possession, life is brief like a candle in the wind,
Joy with godly contentment, and experiencing love, that's blessedness!)

Rather than chase the materialistic 5Cs of the Singapore dream (Cash, Car, Credit card, Condominium, Country club), let's focus on the 5 key areas of Singapore 21 vision.
Of which one of them is
Strong Families: Our Foundation and Our Future

Live Each Moment

2008-07-30T14:04:00.007+08:00

A famous saying goes:
Yesterday is history; tomorrow is a mystery.
Today is a gift. That's why we call it "the present".

Indeed, every moment is a gift given to us.
It's a matter of whether we choose to receive it or not.

For those who receive it, they will treat life as a race:
Forgetting what is behind (learning to deal with the hurts, pains, disappointments, unforgiveness, failures etc),
and straining towards what is ahead (be positive and proactive),
we press on towards the finishing line to win the Prize that life has in stored for us.

Have you treasured today's Prize and Present?
Take this time to appreciate the people around with some kind words or a smile =)

We'll See

2008-07-24T20:13:00.002+08:00

~Author Unknown

Once upon a time, there was a farmer in the central region of China. He didn't have a lot of money and, instead of a tractor, he used an old horse to plow his field.

One afternoon, while working in the field, the horse dropped dead. Everyone in the village said, "Oh, what a horrible thing to happen." The farmer said simply, "We'll see." He was so at peace and so calm, that everyone in the village got together and, admiring his attitude, gave him a new horse as a gift.

Everyone's reaction now was, "What a lucky man." And the farmer said, "We'll see."

A couple days later, the new horse jumped a fence and ran away. Everyone in the village shook their heads and said, "What a poor fellow!"

The farmer smiled and said, "We'll see."

Eventually, the horse found his way home, and everyone again said, "What a fortunate man."

The farmer said, "We'll see."

Later in the year, the farmer's young boy went out riding on the horse and fell and broke his leg. Everyone in the village said, "What a shame for the poor boy."

The farmer said, "We'll see."

Two days later, the army came into the village to draft new recruits. When they saw that the farmer's son had a broken leg, they decided not to recruit him.

Everyone said, "What a fortunate young man."

The farmer smiled again - and said "We'll see."

Moral of the story:
There's no use in overreacting to the events and circumstances of our everyday lives. Many times what looks like a setback, may actually be a gift in disguise. And when our hearts are in the right place, all events and circumstances are gifts that we can learn valuable lessons from.

As Fra Giovanni once said:

"Everything we call a trial, a sorrow, or a duty, believe me... the gift is there and the wonder of an overshadowing presence."

http://www.938LIVE.sg/MCR/938LIVE/Common/Channel Info/eNewsletter/A Slice of Life/July08/23July2008.htm

Love Can Move Mountains

2008-07-21T20:15:00.004+08:00

He is a hardcore drug addict, ex-convict, gang leader. A life cruising the highway of pain and heartache, not only to himself but also the people who care about him.

江山易改，本性难移。A leopard cannot change its spots. Prison, caning, Drug Rehabilitation Centers had no effect on him.

She was a childless divorcee, introduced to him through a mutual friend. She wasnt impressed with him at first, seeing his tattoos. But she gave him a chance. But came to a breaking point when she witnessed first-hand his gang-fight.

"I screamed at him. I told him that I was not going to be part of his life if he wasnt going to change."

And he changed.

She remembered his oath on their wedding day.
"He told me to forget about his past if this relationship was going to work. He wanted to start over."
"I saw how sincere he was about changing."

But before he could carry on with his new life, he was diagnosed with terminal stage cancer.

Today, I read this article, touched at this poignant story of a repented man and how love changed him.

Everyone makes mistakes. "To err is human", so goes this saying stating the fallen nature of mankind.
But sometimes what gets us to pick up the pieces of our life is when someone get tough with us, and yet loves and accepts us.

Love finally won in the end.

A Singapore Quilt

2008-07-19T00:24:00.003+08:00

Next Monday is Racial Harmony Day.
My school is encouraging us to come in our traditional costumes.
I am planning to come dressed in a 中国少数民族 (China's minority tribe's) tradition costume.

But beyond the superficial act of admiring the diversity of the culture in Singapore, I am reminded that we need to appreciate the journey that we have gone through as a nation to achieve the racial harmony and integration we are enjoying now.

Yet this social fabric can be easily torn. Racial tensions can be stirred up in an instant, as we can see from our neighbouring countries.

I recall a video that I saw in NIE.
I tried my luck and actually found it on the internet.

It's a good video to remind us not to take each other's identity for granted, and to take the pledge we say every morning in assembly, seriously.

A Singapore Quilt - Threads of Peace - more free videos

Till ____ Do Us Part

2008-07-16T23:53:00.006+08:00

It has been reported that the marriage statistics in Singapore is on the rise.

But before we put our hands together to applaud the news, I need to clarify that it is due to RE-marriages being on the rise.
That also means divorces are also on the rise, since you cant re-marry (legally) without first divorcing.
This really makes me wonder why people marry in the first place, when they have a mindset that divorce is the easy way out of their problems, instead of working on the conflicting issues in the relationship.

Now, I agree I may be overly simplistic because I am not in their shoes. But I wonder if people have an end in mind when they make such important "life changing" decisions like getting married.

Of course, the other extreme is accepting that there can be no end in mind, so cohabitation is the best arrangement. Since there is no guarantees, there need not be any commitments:
Happy? Stay.
Not happy? Go your own way.

How does it relate to us?
Plenty.

How we (young people) approach courtship and marriage in the future, we learn it during our BGR (or lack of)... now, in our adolescence.

If changing girlfriends (or boyfriends) is as frequent as changing handphones (for lack of better comparison, assuming that most youths I know change handphones rather often), then we never learn what is COMMITMENT.

If we get into BGR early without considering the appropriateness of the season (ie your age) and the consequences, we never learn to WAIT and rush into relationships TOO CLOSE, TOO SOON, with little self-control. Only to regret it later that you have not taken time to know the other person's character deeply enough. Or not allowing yourself time to develop your character and know other people of opposite gender in a healthy friendship setting.

We carry all these attitudes into our adult relationships.
Little wonder why things dont work out right?

Hmm... what are your thoughts regarding this?
Do you think young people nowadays lack commitment and self control in relationships?

Just Do It!

2008-07-16T13:14:00.007+08:00

I like the NIKE tagline.

Today I was forwarded an interesting article which I hope will encourage you to embrace NIKE instead of JAVA.
(Java, a programming language, uses the Just-In-Time concept).
不要“临时抱佛脚”！
（抱 Mr Lam 的臭脚，还有得考虑. Haha! ）

By the way Mr Lam likes NIKE a lot and detests low-quality JAVA coffee. And I am referring to grading of projects! ;-)

Read the original article here.

Marshmallow Test

2008-07-14T23:05:00.007+08:00

Saw an interesting article relating to self control in New Paper.
It talks about delaying gratification in terms of building discipline in finances, but I thought it applies to other areas of our life, like BGR, having fun, computer gaming etc, that young people always like to have, and have it instantly.

From wikipedia:
Deferred gratifcation or delayed gratification is the ability to wait in order to obtain something that one wants. This ability is usually considered to be a personality trait which is important for life success. Daniel Goleman has suggested that it is an important component of emotional intelligence. People who lack this trait are said to need instant gratification and may suffer from poor impulse control.

The marshmallow experiment is a famous test of this concept conducted by Walter Mischel at Stanford University and discussed by Daniel Goleman in his popular work. In the 1960s a group of four-year olds were tested by being given a marshmallow and promised another, only if they could wait 20 minutes before eating the first one. Some children could wait and others could not. The researchers then followed the progress of each child into adolescence, and demonstrated that those with the ability to wait were better adjusted and more dependable (determined via surveys of their parents and teachers), and scored an average of 210 points higher on the Scholastic Aptitude Test.

Another famous impulse control test is the "gift delay," in which children were shown a nicely wrapped gift but told they must complete a puzzle before opening it. Researchers then calculated a "delay score" based on how long the kids hold out. When independent examiners interviewed the test subject years later, they found that boys who had not delayed were "irritable" and that the girls were "sulky." In contrast, the patient boys were "attentive" and the girls "competent."

Hmmm... do you think you can pass the marshmallow test?

A New Hope

2008-07-14T22:23:00.000+08:00

In this new season as a teacher, I am starting out afresh.

My old blog was written with other intentions and for another audience.
In a new role, there are new expectations.

Hopefully, I can be as inspirational online as I try to be in the classroom =)