We Don't All Love Barney

Not Barney Stinson. Everyone should love him. He is LEGEN...wait for it...DARY! *grins* I am talking about the purple dinosaur. Yes, I cringed too.

WARNING: This is not for the faint-hearted or the immature or the easily influenced. Some of you may get offended with the contents of this entry. I just want to say that you have been warned and I shall not be blamed for the effects of what you are about to read may cause.

I will first share with you a video. It at first seems harmless; I mean IT is teaching not to let the water from the faucet run when one is brushing the teeth. But focus on the actual action of the brushing and what the poor boy was made to mime. To be more specific, how he mimed the action. If I were him, I'd join a witness protection program and dye my hair. CLICK.

Then there's this (below) which I don't find to be funny at all but it is obvious that whoever "discovered" the finding has no life. Yes, I use the word discovered very loosely. But I am generous, so I will share it with you, nonetheless.

1. Barney is well-described with the following phrase:

CUTE PURPLE DINOSAUR

2. The old Latin alphabet used the letter 'V' in place of 'U', therefore the above phrase is modified to:

CVTE PVRPLE DINOSAVR

3. Letters that do not represent Roman numerals are removed:

CV-- -V--L- DI----V-

4. Add up the Roman numerals of the remaining letters:

C + V + V + L + D + I + V

100 + 5 + 5 + 50 + 500 + 1 + 5 = 666

Yea. Whatever *rolls eyes*. Now what I have to share with you next, will keep you entertained for hours on end. I know I was.

(sung to the tune of the original)

I hate you, you hate me,

Let's all go and shoot Barney.

With a gunshot, BANG BANG, Barney on the floor.

No more purple dinosaur.

I love you, you love me,

Homosexuality.

With a great big hug and a kiss from me to you,

Don't you know we're lesbians too?

Don't take it to heart. This is meant to be light-hearted and I am just poking some (more like "alot of") fun at the creature. I take no credit for the above songs, they're like campfire songs I heard from the day.

Check with your BFF (Google) and you'll find tons more!

A Gentle Reminder

One of my parents sent this email. If you don't tear, you have no heart.

A Message by George Carlin:

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.

George Carlin

It's Easy to Be My Friend

You must

• love durian... not like / I'm okay with it... but LOVE
• NOT listen to one genre of music... unless it's rock
• be able to quote random lines from Star Wars & LOTR
• be able to laugh at me and at yourself quite often
• NEVER speak to me when we're watching a movie together in the cinema

This is obviously a work in progress.

Looks Like It Could Be A Good 2010

We have Green Day and Imogen Heap coming down next year. Best Friend is a fan of both, just like me, so we're going to have a smashing good time at both concerts, I'm sure.

His sources tell him that the Foo Fighters are coming down sometime in June 2010. I searched about almost everywhere and turned up with nothing. I've signed up to so many sites so that I'd get notified when they list a new concert venue.

If they do in fact come down HERE - TO SINGAPORE - next year, I will die die catch them, and then I can die a happy person. True story.

*edit Happy birthday, Dude. Enjoy your trip!

Beauty and the Beast - What a let-down

Guna, Sharon and myself saw the above pantomime last night and it was unanimous that it was a disappointment. Considering last year's Snow White and the 7 Dwarfs was a massive hit, we had high hopes for this one. Alas, we left feeling unsatisfied. Personally, I was geared up to be intellectually stimulated but there were minimal jokes and the few jokes that were incorporated into the script, were Ris Low-themed. I felt it was overdone especially since the jokes have been done and re-done in YouTube and where ever else. I expected something more or at the very least, something different. We ALL know the blunders Ris made, so what? Why rehash them? Still, those jokes garnered quite a few laughs from the audience.

Unfortunately, the sisters stole the show away from both the Beauty and the Beast characters. They were drag... so their characters were exaggerated... even more so than what a pantomime would entail. I still think drag is overdone in local theatre. You see a drag character come on stage, you know what to expect. Again, so what? I want to see something different. It is a pity though, that the leads did not have the chemistry needed to tighten the show and the numbers that they did together. They could sing, I have to give them that. However, that's about all that they could do. The sisters, couldn't sing but they were very animated and kept the audience engaged and entertained. All the other characters were forgettable. Pity.

I felt like I was watching Beauty and the Beast. The original version, with not much change to the plot. In other words, the pantomime was not creative nor was it a memorable one. The songs were not catchy, smart, thought-provoking or well-written at all. The lines were very cliche, I felt. Any amateur could have written them, not trying to sound arrogant here but truthfully speaking. Also, the whole playing on racial stereotypes is also overdone - the accents, the mannerisms... it was all too predictable... and some were used in Snow White as well. Thus adding to the lack of creativity in the latter script.

All in all, it was a mediocre production in my opinion. We're catching Animal Farm next year. That promises to be brilliant. So I can't wait!

Customer from Hell

I finally managed to find the time to visit City Square Mall today. It is huge! It took me approximately under 3 hours to cover every level and about every retail outlet they have. I didn't need to enter any food outlets and I barred myself from entering any shoe outlets. I don't need to explain further for the latter. On a side note, I bought these killer white heels (2 pairs, thus "these") from DMK and they are fabulous! How fabulous, you ask? Bless you to those who asked and to those who didn't, a big PPPFFFTTT to you. They are so fabulous that you can pair them with practically anything and they still can jazz up the outfit. My favourite is of course, a short dress, full black leggings and the heels. I feel empowered with the heels. Sigh. The number to SAA (Shoe Addicts Anonymous), anyone?

New shopping mall and all I bought was one blouse. Everything else was just bland. Who shops at Giordano anymore? The prices at Metro are crazy even with the member card, so I just waltzed through the 3 levels. The one store that I got the blouse from... now, the sales assistant was just trying to get me to buy everything from the store. I was alone so I didn't have any back-up. I like shopping alone, not because I don't have any friends, but I find it to be more efficient and I actually spend less. Plus, shopping alone allows me to really look at the clothes on display. That is a tad impossible to do when you're out with your friends. You'd be chatting with your friends and not glancing into the stores as much, thus possibly missing out on great deals. My point is that I like to shop alone.

As I was making my purchase, she proceeds to throw on the counter the inner piece of the blouse (which comes at a separate charge) and I immediately told her that I have a similar one at home (I of course, do not) and she looks at me bewildered. Her colleague comes along, they have a discussion and I hear something like she doesn't want to buy this... you talk to her... so she tries to convince me that the inner piece is the latest design, very sell-able, it's the last one left blah blah blah... I tell her that I've a similar piece and she's smarter than the other one, she calls my bluff. Oh, you have one? Is it the same length? I'm sure yours is shorter.

This broad is not giving up. I wanted to flee so badly. I felt so cornered. I just shook my head and waved my hand away, probably expecting to use mind control on her. Then they try to get me to purchase another dress in a similar style and they kindly provided a few belts that would go really nicely with the tops. Again, I tried to Jedi mind trick them. Their minds were not weak enough. I did manage to eventually leave the store with my one purchase though. But not without the dejected looks on their faces. This time, walking away, I didn't feel any guilt at all. I am a hardcore shopper.

The Real World Is So Tough To Live In

It is not easy maintaining 2 blogs. I either neglect one or the other. I do try to update this often, believe me. Sometimes when I'm out, I get this really good idea and I key it into my iTouch. But when I get home, I question if you would really bother reading it. So I scrap the idea. Or, I have a conversation with a friend, we start debating a topic and it's got my mind racing and I want share the opinions with you, then when I do start on the entry, I question if it would bore you with its heavy content. Then there's always some crazy antic that I get myself into and I know you would love reading about it but there's no way I can censor the content (the people involved read this blog / the people reading the blog know the people involved / crazy is an understatement etc) so I again, scrap the idea. Which leaves you with reading my ramblings most of the time.

I promise to have better material the next time! It's just that, life's pretty smooth sailing right now. Nothing is bugging the hell out of me nor causing me enough grief to lament about it over here. Plus, I am too involved with tending to my virtual fish tank to bother about the outside world. Yes, my virtual fish tank. I started playing FishVille about 3 days ago and I am an addict. I wake up at odd hours in the morning just to feed my virtual fish. I am a sad case. I'm so glad people are getting married / engaged or I'll never leave the house!!

You're Like Poison

Brother finally told Mummy why he's been ignoring me. Yes, for the past 2 weeks, my brother had been ignoring me and I had no idea why. I am not one who initiates conversations and I refuse to budge and ask him for myself. I started to notice that something was amiss when he seemed to not respond to me when I spoke to him. I didn't think much of it at first but when I straight out asked him something and he spoke to someone else instead, I knew he was ignoring me.

So I entrusted Mummy with the simple task of investigating. What she found out made us both laugh out loud! Not the LOL kind of laughter, but the real guffaw kind. You'd be amazed at what a married 30-something professional, with a kid, came up with as reasons as to why he felt the need to ignore me, his only sister.

I refuse to allow this to affect me. It's so silly it's not even worth wasting another breath mentioning it.

The Saddest Movie Ever

It's in Tamil but damn, for an old film, it's one of the best I've seen from Indian Cinema. It's based on The Godfather so you're torn apart morally and can't decide if the protagonist is a good guy or a bad guy. It's tragic and yet so touching. I cried throughout the whole bloody film. Trust me when I say it's tragic. The hero dies in the end in one of the most "poetic justice" scenes I've ever seen. The scenes are decently choreographed and the dialogue exchanges are poignant and quote-worthy.

It grossed $12 million in the box office and it made it into TIME's top 100 movies along with Lord of the Rings, Schindler's List, Star Wars etc... so you know it's bloody good.

Nayagan (Tamil pronounciation but spelled as Nayakan). Check it out.

I'm still sniffing and blowing my nose :(

I'm Such A Retard

There I was with Mum, watching Menopause the Musical. At the end, the guy next to me looks at me and smiles. Out of politeness, I smile back and then I look away. He continues to look at me.

Him: Are you Parveen?

Me: Uhm. Yes. (Looks at him quizically)

Him: Parveen Begum?

Me: Yeaaaa.... (By now a million thoughts are running through my mind)

Him: It's me! Justin!

And that's when it hits me. A million thoughts were running through my mind and yet none of them stopped to ponder if I actually knew the dude. It was Justin! My Justin! We were best mates back in secondary school! Same class... same CCA! We were inseparable. There we were, seated right next to each other! What are the odds of that happening?!

But ditzy me could not even recognise him! I looked him in the eye and smiled at him and yet I didn't recognise him. Sigh indeed. I can sense you shaking your head at me. Did we have a good laugh at that... me still smiling at strangers after all these years. Guess some things don't change.

But bloody hell, it was just marvellous to see him again! We literally hugged the air out of each other. I miss him so bloody much. I hate him for leaving the island and for leaving me :( I didn't think I'd ever see him again and there we were... after so long, we sat through an entire musical together, not knowing we were right beside each other.

That can only happen to me.

Even the Strong Do Falter

Hearing her cry her heart out today was not only a shock to me, but a humbling experience as well. I've always thought of her as a strong individual. Too strong for tears, in fact. It just goes to show that it isn't always about giving your best. What does that matter if your best isn't good enough? You can still fail to meet your own expectations.

I do know that she will pick herself up and move on. She will not allow herself to be judged based on this one moment but rather on how high she bounces back. Now, that is true inspiration.

I'm So Predictable

I just re-tagged a bunch of my posts... have to differentiate between Them Boys and Deux. Whilst looking through the posts, it struck me that I have the EXACT same title for 2 blog posts - I Won't Let This Build Up Inside Of Me.

It gets freakier. The posts are about the SAME person... mentioning the EXACT same thing.

*cue horror theme* The posts are 3 months apart... to the EXACT SAME date!

I shit you not, dearest readers.

Check it out, if you refuse to believe me. CLICK.... and then... CLICK...

Or... I just need new material. Heh.

I Won't Let This Build Up Inside Of Me

I got it bad. I've been playing the songs he used to sing to me, on repeat, the whole day.

Daddy's Girl?

Mummy found a photograph of me in my dad's wallet. *giggles*

There were laminated photographs of the brothers around the house and in Daddy's shop la...

BUT, but who's the one in the wallet, which is carried around daily? MEEEEE!!!!

Subject Transfer

Anything concerning my dad's condition will be updated in my other blog. Find it yourself. This blog will not be neglected though.

Do You Have the Time to Listen to Me Whine?

I decided to go back to school today and it was a bad decision indeed. Nothing was done during my absence! I thought since the GO called me repeatedly while I was at the hospital, they surely must be aware of the situation and would at the very least cover some of my duties for me. Alas, I was mistaken. I returned to school only to find my desk cluttered with consent forms, notes and what nots. It took me 4 periods to organise that mess.

I am so frustrated! I overhead some of them complaining that my result slips were incomplete and that they were not signed. How the hell can I sign the slips if they're given out when I'm not in school? I do have a co-form don't I? MY DAD'S IN THE HOSPITAL! HE HAD A STROKE! HAVE SOME COMPASSION, YOU ASSHOLES.

Only the attendance was not keyed in; everything else was done the week before. Is it too much of a hassle to do that for me? I can't believe how many people from school bugged me concerning the keying in of attendance!! Of course when they first answered they were all like, "Oh how's your dad?" Then, "By the way, you've not keyed in your attendance." *hurls curse words* And you ask me why I'm unhappy. I leave my dad to go to school and have to deal with all of that. Like, wow, major calamity - no attendance on the results slip. I hate it when I'm frustrated, I get so incoherent.

I'm amazed really, at the lack of compassion and understanding. Or could it be that they just don't care?

When Reality is Worser Than Any Nightmare Experienced

The past couple of days have been gruelling, to say the least. Dad's condition is not improving. Aside from this present state which we are in, we also have the future to think about.

The family dynamic is sure to change and the future doesn't look bleak but it doesn't look inviting either. Compromises / sacrifices have to be made and dreams have to be put on hold.

This ain't no rainy day, my dear readers. It sure feels like a monsoon season to me.

I Amaze Myself

I can be so stupid I amaze myself sometimes. I can't believe I told the dude (mini dude) about the day I helped a certain friend. I promised said friend that I will never ever mention it to the dude but I CANNOT lie to the dude. It's the dude! I love him too much. If he were to ever find out, I'd much rather he find it out from me and not from some other source. I hope he's cool with what I told him. He claims to be cool with it but it's not something one can get over so easily without some form of therapy.

I still stand by what I said; my only intention was to help out said friend and nothing more. No regrets. Maybe perhaps for being stupid enough to tell the dude.

Sigh. Mum left this morning and I've to fend for myself till Sat. I've been bugging my friends to go out with me so that I would not be alone and bored at home. Dad only returns home after 7 so I have time to kill after school. Today, the dude boarded the same bus I was on! What are the odds, really! I could tell he was just as ecstatic as I was. We had lunch together and I walked him to his church. It was great just being with him and not having the others around. They can be such a distraction sometimes and the dude either takes a step back and tries not to dominate the conversation or he tries to outdo the others just to get my attention. Boys will be boys, after all.

After church, he decided to drop by my place and we were just chilling; it was very low key. He's the only one I've allowed to see me without my make-up on and in my pyjamas. That's how comfortable I am around him. I shan't get mushy. Well, not yet anyway. So while waiting with him for his bus, that's when I decided to spill the beans. Well, I started my confession but the bus was approaching so the rest had to be conveyed over the phone.

I'm glad I told him and I'm sure he'll get over it. But I really pray that things have not changed between us. Plus, I hope he doesn't decide to beat up said friend.

*edit The dude just asked if we can meet tomorrow. Die.

On Day 2 and then some

I had to hitchhike during the lunch break today. There was no way... NO WAY I was going to join Senior for lunch but the people at my table were from the school and they ventured off in their pack, leaving me behind. I walked out, saw a friendly bunch and asked if I could join them for lunch. I'm such a loser. I can watch a movie by myself, I can shop on my own (I prefer to anyway) but I just can't, absolutely CANNOT eat outside alone. I need company when I'm eating outside. It could be psychological; the food tastes better when I'm dining with others. Eating is not a solitary activity. You can quote me on that.

Day Two was not any better. As compared to last year, this time it's really a drag. I mean, CL Paper? Seriously? I believe it's a conspiracy. Considering I enjoyed myself tremendously during the marking last year, this could be my retribution. I am dreading every single moment I am in that room.

I try not to partake in the conversations. Why? What do teachers talk about when they get together? School. Their pupils. Work. They start comparing notes and seem genuinely captivated by what you have to say. They lie. It's all just small talk. A means to an end. Those mind-numbing conversations are purely silence-fillers. I'd much rather the silence than sit through a forced conversation. I need to find a synonym for conversation.

Why are you so petrified of silence... Here can you handle this?.....

I conducted a little experiment of my own. Yes, I was that bored. Whilst waiting for break to be announced, I made a mental list of posible conversations that I will eventually have with these people (teachers). It had to generic and light-hearted yet intimate enough to be a convincing story. It went something along the lines of...

I'm teaching P1 in all-boys school. It's my first posting and the first time I'm teaching that level. My practicum was at IJTP and when I got my posting to my current school, I thought MOE was playing a practical joke on me! *cue laughter* Then someone will ask how it is like to teach boys and I would provide a simple We have our really good ones and we also have those that can't seem to get out of trouble. *cue laughter*

Armed with my story, I tried it out on 3 different groups / packs. The results did not surprise me. In each group that I went to, their reactions were the same and they asked the same series of questions. It was as if I was in a play and had to perform my piece multiple times. It was intriguing, to say the least.

This is the very reason why I despise social gatherings. You have to repeat your bloody story all the bloody time. It gets on my nerves. It's not as if they care about what you have just shared. Having that piece of information is not going to get us any closer. Nor are they going to know me any better. I respect an individual who does not ask me about my bio-data but would rather join me in a discussion or a tete-a-tete.

Opinions matter more to me than personal information. I dare you to disagree with me on this. You remember a person better if they provided an intimate detail about themselves rather than some random piece of biodata. If you are at a social gathering and you want to leave an impression... well, IMPRESS! Don't spill out your resume and rave about your profession. Give a generic story then move away from the topic. Your life does not revolve around your work.

A Time for Truce? I hope not.

Gah. I'm in the same room as Senior. I don't mind the fact that we will be in the same centre for these 4 days but what are the odds of us being in the same room!! Someone's playing a practical joke on me. Hey. Hey, you up there! It ain't funny!!

Oh well, I can be civil if the need arises... only if the need arises. Which means I won't initiate any conversation nor will I put myself in a position where we would need to converse with each other.

I lie. We did converse. Thinking about it, he was way more civil than I was. Thinking about it some more, it could have been me who made things awkward between us and not him. He initiated a conversation even when he did not have to. He has been cordial towards me whereas I have been rather standoff-ish.

Hmmm. I still prefer not to have him be a part of my life. It was messy before and it will definitely be messy now. Do I miss what we had? Not really. Perhaps not even at all. Here's to simplicity!

Credibility

• capable of being believed
• worthy of belief or confidence; trustworthy

Being credible is subjective. Does being more senior / experienced make you a credible person? Does being charismatic or adamant to a point of annoyance make you trustworthy?

I think not. Show me that I can trust you. Show me that I should trust you. It is common knowledge and especially after our chat, it is pretty evident that you are in fact, an idiot. Besides telling me that you don't know and that I should find out for myself, you've not given me reason to trust you or to respect you even. Yet you demand it. Don't we teach our students that in order to gain respect they have to show respect to others?

How can I respect someone who obviously takes sides without finding out the truth? Even when the truth has been presented to you, you choose to dismiss it. Then you turn it around and claim that I am too sensitive and should be more hardy.

I find all of this very amusing. It is stupid to get so worked up over such a small matter. It feels like playground banter to me. Let's all try to grow up, shall we?

Take this as feedback and not a complaint.

The Little Things Give You Away

Dear Diary,

I don't believe in coincidences but rather I am from that school that believes things happen for a reason. Be it a lesson or a warning, things don't just happen.

A girlfriend sent me this text message this morning:

Parv, I dreamt of you! Dreamt that you left teaching for good and life was rather blissful for you! Haha. Do you happen to have such thoughts? (the rest of it is not relevant to this post)

I can't help but ponder... are these all signs? Is someone up there trying to lure me onto a different path?

The Morning Where All Was Revealed

Let me tell you a story.

My duty this morning was to confirm the attendance of the P1 level. The Form Teachers will mark the attendance during assembly when the boys have already assembled and give the files to the General Office. My duty is to then collect these files (of an assigned level) and to go around to the classes confirming their attendance. I will then report my findings back to the office who will then have another teacher assigned to call up the absentees to enquire as to why they are not present in school for that day.

A bloody waste of time if you ask me. I do not believe THAT is part of our job scope. A free period is not for us to be forced to do work that we did not sign up for. Then you complain... no, provide feedback that we are inefficient or cannot seem to make deadlines. Bah.

So... on my rounds, I could not find 1 class. I literally searched high and low for the class - walked up and down levels. I looked at the timetable and saw that it was EL so I listed out the possible locations that the teacher could have taken the class to. It was 3 periods so it had to be a comfortable venue. Strange. All my options turned up nil. I went back down to the class and found 3 boys inside. Here's our exchange:

Me: Hey boys, do you know where your class is?

Them: Probably in the Dance Studio.

Me: What? What lesson is it now?

Them: English.

Me: And they're in the Dance Studio? Do you normally have your classes there?

Them: Yea. Sometimes here. Sometimes there.

Me: Okay. Do you want to follow me up?

Them: No. We usually stay here and do our work.

Perplexed, I was. A state of disbelief I was in. So I made my way up to the Dance Studio and all was revealed. Yes, she had her Modern Dance boys rehearsing AND she had her English class seated in the corner... not doing work, but watching the rehearsals. My my my... from the 3 boys' response, I'm guessing this isn't the first time either.

Glad that I've finally found the class and that I can go back to the staffroom to do some REAL work, I made my way to the General Office. I bumped into management and reported my findings in the most diplomatic way possible. Oh, you know *** ***, I had a tiring morning today... I lost a class... Had to walk all over tha place.... laughs.... I told everything as how I saw it. Management's response? I take it that this is feedback and not a complaint. That was very biting and I was slightly taken aback. Management was neither angry, upset nor baffled but seemed annoyed at me for a reason. I even was told off for not bringing the boys up to the Dance Studio!

Hey bitch! That ain't my class and it ain't my responsibility. I'm doing my rounds under your command. Plus, I did ask the boys to go up but they said that they were told to stay in class and to do their work. Seems to me like they're used to this system of things. Why don't you ask the subject teacher who's at this moment conducting CCA instead of a lesson. Of course, what I said was much more streamlined and coherent than that.

Management's only other response was that she'd have a word with PE HOD and the teacher's RO. I was dismissed after that.

My my my... the things that people can get away with... now, imagine if that were me... I would be sacked if I attempted a stunt like that brave but well protected teacher.

I am so jaded and Kravitz's Fly Away is playing right now. Heh. I love my shuffle play; it has never failed me.

Bright Side

This first week of school has been a real killer. It's only the first week and I already feel like I'm dying! I can barely keep my head above the water. The work has yet to pile up and thankfully I'm on top of my marking but it's the mad rush of trying to keep up that's going to get me into a cardiac arrest. This is a very short term, with all the holidays and the PSLE marking and what nots. Plus we end 2 weeks early.

My to do list ended up being 2 pages long with close to 30 items for me to do. I planned out the term calendar to see how much work I can allocate to my boys to prepare them for the final year exams... trust me, it did not look good at all. It looks good on paper but it means that I must sacrifice my social life for this term :( I've to clear my marking daily just to keep up with giving them daily homework.

Gah.

On a more personal note, having dinner and then coffee with her was such an eye opener. She's such a nice person to be around. She's frank, not so street-smart but not gullible. She is truly a visionary leader. She'd make a good girlfriend. I do hope we can keep in touch once we're both out of this hell hole.

I'm still in school coz it's our P2 Speech and Drama (night) Performance. Which means another late night for me this week... hopefully not till past midnight again!!

To The Girlfriends!

I miss my girls. They're the best thing to have ever happened to me. They truly know me and they understand me better than most. I daresay even better than my family. Kudos to Zahara for organising the dinner. It was great seeing them and catching up on lost years.

I didn't have any intention of sharing too much information about my work or personal life but like I said, they know me. They could sense that I was burdened and it only took one simple question and a squeeze of a hand for me to start pouring my heart out. The dams were broken.

I shared about my unhappiness and frustration at work and how I was so close to giving up... for good. They listened to me, without interrupting me - now that's great friendship. I hate it when people interject my stories with stories of their own. I'll be like what's up with that? It's my story now... chill, I'll give you time for yours...

Anyway, I couldn't lie to them and tell them that everything's alright. I tried but they saw right through me. They're amazing - gems... truly gems. It was good though, getting all of that off of my chest. I've been meaning to share my woes with someone but I've lost the one person I could really talk to and everyone else has their own issues to sort out. So Zahara's dinner couldn't have come at a better time.

They gave me the strength and support that I needed and the promise that they'll be there for me whenever I need them. I love you guys so much!

Junior Returns

Ryan informed me that Junior was looking for me today.

I admit, at one point of time, I was really into Junior and loved the attention that he was giving me. Then I realised that things between us were getting a tad too weird for my liking and I decided to stay away from Junior. I deleted his number, blocked him from Google chat etc.

When I did text him months ago, there was no reply so I didn't give much thought to it. Now he's missing me? Hmmm... I admit that I am tempted to contact him... he is so charming... sigh... trust me to get involved in a mess like this.

Perfection

Family Day was wicked as usual! It's my favourite school event in the whole year! It's a great time to chill, let loose and really have a ball with the colleagues and the boys. I did Shift C which pretty much means I'm down the whole day (8:30 - 3:30 pm) but being in the organising com means coming early to help out and leaving late to... help out. Not that I mind of course. I mean, I was exhausted beyond belief but like I said, Family Day's the bomb!

So what was I up to? I went around impressing my colleagues with my bargaining skills. I managed to play loads of free games, get free food and great discounts etc... courtesy of my ex students from the pri and sec side. My form class put up a performance but once that was done, I was free to roam the carnival. It was much smaller and far less appealing than last years' and Them Boys did not drop by but as you know, I'm self entertained...

After the carnival was over, the organising com stayed behind to count coupons. We didn't add up the total of the individual stalls but I really doubt that we hit our target of a quarter mil. It was nearing 7pm once we were done and I was starving so I headed down to Sakae Sushi at J8 for some take away. Only 45 minutes later did I manage to walk out with my order. Geez. I could have just eaten in and would have been done with my meal by then.

But as luck would have it, guess who I saw just as I left J8!! Da Weng, Earnest and Ivan :) Honestly, I was contemplating calling out to them - We hung out twice this week already and it was Saturday night, I didn't want to impose on guy time. Plus, they must be sick and tired of seeing so much of me! And I was smelly, exhausted and hungry. But I did call out and I'm glad I did. It turned out to be the perfect end to an already perfect day :)

We stood by the taxi stand, catching up. Hmmm... Can you call it catching up if we've already met twice that week? Anyway, we were catching up and I kept on mentioning to them that I didn't want to hold them back nor impose on their personal time but being the darlings that they are, they assured me that I was doing no such thing and that they were glad we bumped into each other. The only thing they had planned was to order in and chill at Da Weng's place. Then I had a brilliant idea; I told them that if they didn't mind, we could all chill somewhere and feast on my Sakae take-away. There were grins a plenty :)

They immediately helped to carry my handbag, the food bags and this bag filled with letters / cards / notes from the boys in school. We walked to Bishan Active, sat on the floor and started feasting on our sushi spread. Imagine, they felt guilty about "stealing" my food and they made sure that I had my share before they had seconds and kept on promising me that they'd take me out sometime soon. Come on now, saw awww....

It was a beautiful night and I had delicious food and amazing company. Our conversations ranged from school / office politics, to relationships, to reminiscing our 2 year friendship and even to sharing of crazy-cannot-be-mentioned-here antics. Oh, the 3 of them had a wild time reading the letters from the boys in school. You know how Lower Primary boys can get... Ms Parveen I love you... You are my favourite teacher... You are so pretty... Thank you for teaching me... I want to marry you... I want to buy a house for you... etc etc... True story, even the house-buying one. The kid actually drew me a picture; my house was in between his and his best friend and we were a stone's throw away from Bishan Park.

Time flew by so quickly and I didn't want them staying out so late... turns out it's a normal affair for them. Sometimes they'd be up till 4 in the morning hanging with each other. Once they even ordered McDs' for breakfast at around 5-ish! But I needed my sleep so I took a cab home while they headed to Cheers to quench their thirst. It was a quarter to midnight by the time I reached home. Calling it a great night would be an understatement.

Someone's Looking Out For Me

Chuan Shen visited today :) I'm glad he's taken a keen interest in religion; it's really put him in the right path and he has changed for the better.

After checking out the hall for this Sat's Family Day, I planned to head home and snooze but when CS and Yi Rong dropped by, I decided to hang with them for a wee bit. Little did I know that they decided to call up Avery and Ivan as well. How could I resist not meeting my darlings ;)

So what planned to be a short appearance turned out to be a full 6 hours (4pm - 10pm) hang with Them Boys. Man, time flies when you're having fun. Cliches do have some truth in them after all. It was freaking awesome reminiscing with them and hearing their stories. They've grown up so much - so matured and far-sighted and not forgetting so dashing too. They've really turned into such fine young gentlemen. Speaking of which, the one thing I am thankful for about this place is Them Boys. They've made my stay here bearable and seeing them twice in one week have been the highlight of my week. True story.

Coincidentally, I received a letter that I wrote to myself during a Teachers' Conference some months ago. Before you think I've lost it... we were told to write a note to ourselves, including bits of what we've learnt / seen / heard / shared at the conference. They told us that some time near Teachers' Day, they'd mail the note to us. Here's what I wrote to my future self:

Dearest Parveen,

I want you to remember that Teachers are full of themselves. They say much but act very little. Remember this so that you will not be like them. Remember that you are approachable, kind and compassionate. These are good values to have. Never ever let anyone tell you to change who you are. You can make a difference. You have inspired and you will continue to inspire. Believe in yourself.

Love, Parveen

I swear, this could not have come at a better time. Just when I was on the verge of quitting, Them Boys paid a visit and lifted up my spirits, reminding me why I love my job so much and then to receive this letter... it further reinforces that reminder. Coincidence? I think not.

Teachers' Day Celebrations

The celebrations sucked - 2 hour picnic followed by the boys WATCHING teachers / students / parents play Captain's Ball. But the follow-up to the celebrations was FREAKING awesome. Them Boys came to visit!!!

At first, just very few ex-boys came and we chatted for a wee bit then I thought I'd head home early but they somehow persuaded me to stay on with them a little longer. They even offered to carry my bags of gifts for me... I was won over, obviously. I'm glad too. Them Boys started streaming in bit by bit and I was overjoyed. Many I've not seen since they were P6 while the rest I've lost touch with. They were teasing me because I was grinning like a total retard when I saw them... they know the effect that they have on me and that boosted their ego a tad too much!

In the beginning, we sat, chatted and bonded. I made new acquaintances as they introduced me to some I never took notice of before. Then more streamed in and the group got bigger. I loaned them my soccer ball to play with and that was a big mistake! They reminded me of the times when I used to play soccer with them and we all started laughing hysterically at all those painful memories. "Painful" because they always made me goalie and... well, their aim got better as they were always aiming for me and not to put in the goal *pouts* Needless to say, some reenactments were played out and I kept on using Jaben as my human shield. Shrieking whenever Nicholas got the ball; his kick is painfully deadly accurate...

Bored of sitting around doing nothing... well not exactly nothing... they kept on misplacing my stuff and got me thinking that I was such a scatterbrain that I forgot where I left my stuff... but anyway, they decided to play soccer for real at the plaza. I was nominated as designated cheerleader [self nominated... I didn't want to be goalie again :( ] And more of Them Boys appeared! I was ecstatic so drinks were on me. What made my day was that I got to see Ivan after so long! Gosh. We had such an amazing bond and he really looked up to me but after a disagreement we couldn't really see eye to eye anymore and that particular group and I parted ways. It broke my heart not to be able to hang with them.

But he came today and it was as though he had put all of what had happened between us behind him. Even his friends came up to me and spoke to me. He loves soccer but he chose to sit and chat with me instead. Aaaahhh... it was turning out to be a fantastic day.

Soccer didn't last long. They decided to have lunch while Avery and I chose to chill in the comfort of the staffroom. Oooh... Avery wrote me THE sweetest letter. I literally teared when I read it... he always knows what to say and give to get me all sappy and mushy. That's why I love him so. Oh and guess who decided to join us? Ivan :) The 2 clowns decided to play with my war props and put on a pretty wicked jackass-like demonstration. I have to admit, it was bloody hilarious. But it was nice to know that things were normal between Ivan and I.

Even that got boring after awhile so we decided to join the rest and I'm surprised at their level of energy. They were playing basketball. Shirtless. Them Boys are getting handsome-er and hot-er... am I allowed to say that? :p

The sweet thing is when I decided to leave, they all decided to make a move too. Eh, MP (Ms Parveen) going already. Let's also go... not fun already... It was a total awww moment for me! I followed Avery back because he goes to the church near my place so he suggested we hang till it was time for mass. He was carrying my bags of gifts, so I didn't complain :) He went up his place to bathe and change. He came down looking dashing and we took a bus back to my place. I was starving so we ate at KFC before he walked me home and made his way to church. Here I am now. It was truly a freaking awesome day for me.

Lost in A Control Station... L-O-S-E-R

It's amazing how childish some people can be... nay, annoying. I mean seriously, who gets lost in a control station?! So I gave you the wrong exit, try another. Or ask one of the control station staff; that's what they're there for - to give directions. Wandering aimlessly for thirty minutes in the same location will not make the block appear. Walking by the same bus stop three times will not get you to your destination. Plus, you knew you were on the wrong end when you checked the map and yet you still stood there?

But what really got to me was how you treated me after; like I should be the one apologising to you! Geez... grow up. You're in your mid-20s but you act like an infant! Crying and sobbing because you were frustrated at having to walk so much. HOW BIG CAN A CONTROL STATION BE!?

I'm disgusted at how you behaved that day and your mum took your side and totally gave me the cold shoulder. But hats off to my mum and aunt who stood by me :)

Bittersweet

When I stepped into class today, my boys sang me a birthday song. It took a lot for me not to tear in front of them. I'm such an emotional wreck around my birthday la... Oh, speaking of which, there was drama in the household but to make up for it I FORCED everyone to sing me a birthday song, even my second brother came up with a rendition of his own. Food was fantastic of course - mum cooked.

I'm not looking forward to this week. It's the second last week of Term 3, so it'll be a mad rush to clear our workload. Plus, the holidays are nearing so no one's in the mood to do anything! On top of that, my cousin's getting married on Saturday but it's a 3-day affair starting fron Thursday night. I'll be so SO shagged.

On Day 2 of The Best Days of Our Lives

It was a spectacular performance! The Day 2 cast did a fabulous job. I'm so proud of them :) Plus, the response from the audience was much better than from the night before. Probably because they're older, I guess.

I'm really going to miss the musical. I'll miss the cast - teachers and students and I'll miss rehearsing for days and nights on end :( Oh, I know who the mystery bouquet is from! Hee hee... that would make my bouquet count to 3!

I have to admit, I do miss being on stage. I miss everything about it; the lights, the stagefrights and especially the applause... Sometimes I wonder to myself, why didn't I pursue that career in theatre...

Enough about that, today I intend to have a quiet day in and a simple drama-less family dinner tonight. Sigh. Like that's ever going to happen. I hate birthdays.