M.I.L.K.

Our Class, me and Siti Hawalia (my mentor) during Racial Harmony Day

Me and Kuan Bee

My former class 4 Patience girls, Nadrah and Jiahui

Siti's last day - me with the kids

Mainly I Love Kids

Not a cliche term i hope but these children really bring me much joy. I was asked to teach Primary 1 after having taught upper primary for quite some time and recently, I am going through another bad bout of trauma, which will be covered in another post.
As i started to teach the kids, I grew to love them more and more. Very apprehensive the first few weeks, you have kids who would come up to you and tell you that they had just peed in the library or poo pooed in the classroom.
I realised that my tone of voice would grow very high pitch, I talk much slower and certainly find chances to give praises to the kids and reward them with sweets, chocolates and erasers. Patience is another fruit of the spirit which is greatly trained when you teach young children. Their attention span is so short that you have to be really creative to catch their attention. Colours and pictures in your teaching are a must. Not to mention, zim-zam-zapping websites and flash animation.

You would also have to be candid. Your expressions vivid and childlike, your passion burning. The kids get all the vibes from the teacher. If your vibes are negative about the things that you would have to do likely the kids will get it too.
We are actors, we loudly proclaim under our skin, how much fun they would enjoy doing the worksheets or singing the particular song. We jazz up their excitement towards reading a new book or learning new things.

Today, is a very touching day and I feel that I must blog this down. There's this kid in my class with a suspected learning disability and he can't read and write a few months ago,and finally after my mentor's coaching and guidance, a miracle happened and it must be God! He got all his 5 spelling words correct and I stand by it that he was not copying!!! Way to go Syaz! I was so touched by that sight that I nearly cried! Always tell your children to NOT give up trying despite how hard it may seems...he did it and its such a great leap for him! They can do it too!

It's also my first day as a class form teacher. My mentor has left on no pay leave for a year plus. sigh...madness has begun.Been rushing to and fro settling stuff and clearing my "condominium" of marking...:P

This it the job for me. Where i see little lives being changed and impacted. It may not be through me but when they learn and grow I have this tingling sense of excitement that really warms my soul. :)Not saying that there are no tough moments but its through these moments that make me love them more...

Kids, they forget the next moment after you scold them and they never fail to greet you with their sweet voices every morning.. Your heart will just melt...

Gabriel Ng @ Esplanade

You know what dreams are? You have been marvelling at something for ages and know that its pretty impossible humanly to get tickets to watch someone that you admire for his musical talent and Viola! God comes into the picture and does that's right the impossible for you...:)

After my duty on stage on Sunday, this brother from the family group, Andy, came to me and said "Rachel, you are a violinist right? Do you know Gabriel Ng? I got these free tickets tomorrow but I can't go..."

I was leaping in my heart already!! WOW!! The ticket stub read "HSBC VIP" wow! Esplanade some more...my dream came true! I can really watch him in person!!
Next was me having a hard time asking people to go to the recital with me. Not many people appreciate classical music, asked like a few musios too but all can't make it.
Finally got Irene from Sound to go with me...! I was mermerized by his playing that night.

It's really like a dream, had caviar (my very first time) and white wine during the dinner reception. We saw the President SR Nathan, Irene saw her boss...Just as I was still recovering from the fine wine and dine. I was bought over by the amazing skills and talents in such a young boy of 12!

His fingers are like so deft over the violin and his bowing so fast and skillful that you would not think it comes from such a small frame of a boy.
Some writeup about Gabriel Ng...He was presented the HSBC Youth Excellence Award in 2006,recognition of his rare talent and pursuit of excellence in violin performance. And he was enrolled into Yehude Menuhin School for the Musically gifted in UK which offers on 3 foreign scholarships a year!

In May this year, he emerged first prize winner (intermediate cat)at the Andrea Postacchini Competition in Italy and was also the grand prize winner. :) First Singaporean to accomplish this feat wor...

You see? I can go on and on about him...but piece that touched me the most was his last piece that night, Carmen Fantasy Op. 26 by Pablo Sarasate. It was a mixure of fast and slow melodies and many musical climaxes that were so hard to play!!! The harmonics in the strings were so beautifully executed...wah me gushing and gushing..at the end of the performance. A lot of us gave a standing ovation to which he gave a two-song encore, finishing with Salut D'Amour with his own personal touch .:)

Impossible is nothing! Trust God for His Providence! Thank YOu Lord!! :D

Maybe It isn't ...I still haven't found what I am looking for...

On Love and Relationships - Janet and Xin Wen's Wedding 30th June

Was part of the 4 "jie3 mei4" gang together with Zhu Zhu on 30th June two saturdays ago.
My nth time being a jie3 mei4 but I am so glad to be part of this really memorable moment. Janet and Xin Wen are our coursemates in NTU Civil and it was like a gathering of all old CEE people.

Come to think of it, a few of us have gone through with the bride her ups and downs in relationships, the wrong ones and of course finally the man of her life. And to be able to go through with your friend this journey is rather significant and at the same time, go through a very important life lesson.

Love and Relationships, something that is constantly talked about by many of us. A few of us are bothered by it, some are driven by it and some others yearn for it.

Love - This word is like a double edged sword, it can bring me much joy and when it is abused, much heartache and pain. Having read books on relationships these past few years and having bad relationships in my student years, I believe that my heart could be very worn and beatened by this thing called love.

Many people asked me, you are nearing 30...why aren't you married, have boyfriend etc? I tell you this question bugs millions of singles EVERYDAY on the face of this earth so I am sincerely praying that one day, that as Bridget Jones puts it in her diary, the "Smug Marrieds" will please leave us alone. Hey married people, I still love you all, just please be more sensitive sometimes la...

It's not hard to find a boyfriend in this world but its definitely harder to find a husband. I got a feeling many people will shoot me for this statement.
It's easy to like someone, but to determine that person as your life partner and considerably able to lead and guide me spiritually and maturely...woah..that's a mountain to climb...maybe I got scales in my eyes la...ahhah :P

I have told so many people...there's NOTHING wrong with being a single. Being single at this season at this stage of life, I believe hold a great significance in my life, no matter how tough it is...no matter how much tears I have shed over the years sometimes due to the yearning for love and relationships. Hey, me human u know, I have needs too.

God chooses to let us be single at this time, I believe, for His own purpose. Imagine with me, as Paul has so aptly put it in the Bible, the single woman is single-minded about God whereas the married woman is concerned over her husband's affairs in 1 Corinthians 7:34.

I would not be able to serve God at this extend that I am in and enjoying every moment. I would not be able to experience this freedoom of fully being secured in Christ's love and care. I would not be able to have so much time for my family and friends. Not that a relationship will take away all this, but its really in this season of singleness, do I wanna choose to wallow in loneliness and yearning or choose to believe in God for the best?

I am also not saying that serving God draws me away from finding my life partner. It is just that I choose to wait at this point. Ruth waited for Boaz, Jacob waited for Rachel for 14 years, Isaac waited till he's nearly 40 before he married Rebekkah, to wait for the one true love IS bibilical. I put it down as easy as it is but I dun deny that the wait is long arduous and difficult, especially fraud with much uncertainty. Not just to say that I take a back seat in this aspect of my life and I'm okay, I am actively praying for God to prepare me well for marriage, getting to know more people better, prepare to be fully secure in God, and prepare me to really love and cherish someone.

Seeing my friends go through the bad bout of relationship problems was really disheartening. Seeing my pupils' parents filing for divorce just like that every now and then is very destructive on the poor child. You parents have NO idea how much the impact of your decisions to separate has on the poor kid in school. They are hurt, hurting and in pain! The thrill of getting into a relationship has no hold on a person anymore when it boils down to having the ability to maintain and to strengthen a relationship between two people supposedly in love.

Marriage is no game. Waiting brings a considerable amount of pain, but the joy of seeing the Lord work?

Priceless...




Groggy Rac and MZ wakes up to put makeup at 6am in the morning!!

Pretty Jie3 mei4's all ready

Me and the lovely couple!

The Jie3 mei4's final shot! :P

她来听我的演唱会 - 2nd July 2007

Finally, took a long awaited break to have lunch and accompany my mum.
A day that God has made so divine, first it was this old lady who came knocking at my door selling pork floss.I never opened the door to door to door salesmen, but something made me open the door to these sweet old lady full of praises to the Lord Jesus in Chinese. She was raising money for her brother and stays just next block. She told me that she believes in the Lord too and I just bought what she was selling me despite my mum's protests.

Then went to Coronation Plaza, my favourite haunt during my secondary school days, am a Nanyang gal mah...:P well had my favourite snack at the Poh Piah stall there, only to realise that its opened by a Christian too! Immediately took the chance to share about the things I do in church with my mum again...the songs we sing la etc.
She agreed to come to see me perform in the upcoming church anniversary!! Praise God! This is like her first, wanting to come and see me perform after me playing for so many years.

I am a performer.

You have no idea how much encouragement I draw from seeing people that I know in the audience seats. To see those familiar faces looking up at me. Besides God with me and His Holy Spirit, what really would uplift me is to see the people I love, people I care about out there..:) Believe me, I would always look out for all of you in the crowd. Sentimental la me...love language being quality time...your presence means a great deal to me.

Been listening to Jacky Cheung...hahah last minute "revision" before going to his concert next Friday ..:P

This is on of my favourites from his songs..

选自:『张学友活出生命 live 演唱会』
曲:梁文福词:黄中岳

她来听我的演唱会
在十七岁的初恋第一次约会
男孩为了她彻夜排队
半年的积蓄买了门票一对
我唱得她心醉我唱得她心碎
三年的感情一封信就要收回
她记得月台汽笛声声在催
播我的歌陪着人们流泪
嘿陪人们流泪

她来听我的演唱会
在二十五岁恋爱是风光明媚
男朋友背着她送人玫瑰
她不听电话夜夜听歌不睡
我唱得她心醉我唱得她心碎
成年人分手后都像无所谓
和朋友一起买醉卡拉ok
唱我的歌陪着画面流泪
嘿陪着流眼泪

我唱得她心醉我唱得她心碎
在三十三岁真爱那么珍贵
年轻的女孩求她让一让位
让男人决定跟谁远走高飞
嘿谁在远走高飞
我唱得她心醉我唱得她心碎
她努力不让自己看来很累
岁月在听我们唱无怨无悔
在掌声里唱到自己流泪
嘿唱到自己流泪

她来听我的演唱会
在四十岁后听歌的女人很美
小孩在问她为什么流泪
身边的男人早已渐渐入睡
她静静听着我们的演唱会


Just added Jacky's MTV..enjoy..:) 1:31am



It would mean the world to me to see you all supporting me...although I am serving on stage, you guys give me strength! heheheh...mel mood again...:)