Irsyad's Birthday

Today was irsyad birthday celebration. I had a role to play in it and I was proud about the roles too. Beside the usual errands that I have to do, I was also roped in to do the filler activities. It was fun doing it and it sure was fun watching myself on the video. Maybe, if I could convert the clip to quicktime, i'd guess I would put it up. Overall I guess I enjoyed the party. I can assure you that Irsyad's mum and grandmother did do a hell of a lot of preparation. The games they played was basically things to do with balloons with vouchers for prizes inserted into them. There was also a game for mum's and preschool children. My son, Adam, came in third though and there were prizes for only first and second... Sigh

Tomorow, my wife will be having her convocation. She'll be receiving her master degree. I'm really proud of her. I wish I could live up to the standard she has set. I think I'll wear a tie tomorrow.

Can't seem to finish work!

Aaaaargh...Can't seem to finish them. There is always some more lurking around. Anyway was on MC yesterday. Got a cold and my body ache like crazy. It still does today.

Completed a workshop on English Oral Communication today.

Driving License

Me wife just got her driving license today. She drove the car to and back woodlands, my in law's place. Not bad. A bit slow, but not bad. I a lot of screaming though. My bad...
Did I mentioned that she is going to be awarded the STU gold medal for outstanding student in her MEd course? Cool huh?

Desaru

Just uploaded some pics when we were in Desaru. I think this was December 2006.
1.51 pm

OSS

...that mean open school syndrome. A phrase coined by my friend, colleague, Jamey. In a few hours, it'll be back as per normal for me. Pupils, reports, the very mundane life of a teacher. Never thought I'd say it, but I feel as though I've lost it.

Sigh...

Anyway, here are more pictures of our trip to Genting. The picture was taken while I was in one of those gondolas. We were on our way down. In the background, you can see one of the hotels or apartment blocks. The ride took about 25 minutes one way. Although, its not as quiet as the ride in Langkawi, it sure was scarrier. At the bottom end of the ride was a bus station. I was told by my neighbour that many would take a bus from Larkin to the bus station at the bottom of the hill and then take the cable car up.
To get to the cable car station from New World Hotel is not difficult. The cable car ride is called Skyway and you just need to follow the many sinages. The route to the cable car station is covered.

O.k got to end here. Can't go to sleep.
0023, Monday 25th June.

Genting part 2

O.k, today is the last Friday of the hols and my leg has swell up again. Sigh.

Anyway, just to continue, the rides in Genting are nice. It seems well taken care of, the queue was manageable and the staffs were strict on safety requirments (minimum heights etc etc). O.k here is photo of the indoor theme park. It shows the Mary Brown restaurant where we had our first lunch.

10.07 am

Reports of Genting

Its was my, er well all of us, first time to Genting Highlands. It seems odd but Genting Highlands must be the oft visit site by Singaporeans. Everybody I asked has been to Genting, at least once, while some has been there so many times, that they provide interesting tips while you are there.

Anyway, this is our first time and there were 8 of us.

Transport there: We went there by bus and we booked our return trip plus the hotel room from Grassland. Here is a tip: go to the Golden Mile Shopping Complex and book your trips there. You'd have more choices, in terms of hotel rooms and also the type of buses. I'm not saying Grassland's buses and services wasn't good, but it's better to have choices.
Anyway, we paid $148 per person except the kids who paid only $83. $148 or $296 will give you two return bus tickets to and from Singapore and a hotel room with a hotel room with two twin beds.

Accomodation: Just so happened that our hotel is called the First World Hotel and it is one of the newest hotel. We stayed at level three with our three rooms next to each other. Me, Su and Adam had one room, while Wan, Irsyad and Yan slept in another while Risa and Tini slept in another. The hotel is the colourful building in the background in the picture at the top.

Food: Food is so expensive! There are the usual fast food restaurants, and some specialise restaurants plus a food court. Personally, I did not go to the food court but a packet of chicken rice there cost about Rm$10.00. Phew! What about eight McDonalds hash browns + 2 coffees? It cost me some RM$32! Wow. Here is a picture when we bought our last lunch during our last day. Hmm, if I remember correctly it was a chicken foldover meal, three cokes, three kids meal , a mc chicken and a fillet.

But believe it or not, I enjoyed my self. The ambient temperature was around 19 degress Celcius. Which I thought was quite cool! But it sure was very cold at night.

O.k will include the highlights in my next post.

1.33 am

1st Of June

Today is my birthday. I'm 35 now. Its been a short 35 years. How I wish I could go back in time and re do the things I've done. I've so many fond memories of my 35 years. Perhaps the most fond memory that I have would be the first day I started teaching. Yup! That was in April 1996. I was teaching a primary 22 in Groffiths Primary School. That was when i was a young punk...ever so impatient...I'm still enjoying myself. It has been a long but fruitfull 11 years of teaching. I remembered the day of the solemnisation of my marriage. I lurve that day. I lurve the night more! heh heh...

Now I'm happily married, a father to a son, an owner to a hyundai trajet, a five room flat in punggol and am still teaching, albeit now in compassvale primary. Made many new friends and love every single one of them....Oh well. Love life, live it!

Salman
friday 4.58 pm 1 june 2007.

I can't understand this

As any of you readers might already know, I'm a teacher and have been enjoing it for more than 10 years. I love doing it and I love love doing it all this time. But something happened today that really rocks my world and make me fel flat!

Today is Wednesday and as in any other Wednesday, its either Staff meeting or Departmental meeting. So today, it was the later. Now during today's meeting, we have to update each other on the progress of the programmes that we are in charge of. So we had to go round table... I was fine. No problem except with some of concerns raised about seashore life program.
It was fine, until my no2 came and told us about the upcoming workshop for parents this coming Saturday. I thought, hey, thats great. What a wonderful idea! It was wonderful when one of my colleagues opened up his mouth and asked if they could include parents from the P3 as well. Gawd! What was he thinking? And so the inevitable response came... My No 2 look at me and ask me to look into it! O.k fine..it is still a good idea but something not right here...

And then, we were back in the staffroom... I had a minor conversation with that esteemed colleague of mine...I ask him to elaborate more on his idea, which he did until, I asked, "do you think we really need this talk for the parents?" And he replied," Actually I'm only doing this to increase my portfolio!" WTF? I love teaching, and damn if I'm going to let this chosen profession of mine be tarnished with people who do things for the sake of just doing it... So I advise hi, if he think that there are more that he could do, why don't he approach other members of the committe and offer his assistance. His reply astounds me..."I think I'm expected to lead." So I invite him to lead and his responds, dumbfounded me..."no lah, why don't we share the credit?" Aargh!!!

So tomorrow, I'm calling a meeting to see what the other teachers in the level would say...

11th April 11.51pm (time from my pre-own mac dual g4s)

Science Center

Went to science center just now. They have a new exhibition hall, titled iSpace... Very nice! Highly recommended. There's an exhibit where you can be Tom Cruise as in Minority Report...LOL

did it...finally

Did the Science supp worksheet...two days in advance...Hooray, one of the first things that I manage to complete before I actually need it..

Today, I'm going to pick up a leather office chair which I got for $28 at yahoo auctions. Also getting a pair of computer speakers. And then I'm going to look forward in getting the power mac dual g4 1.42 thingamagertz...Will cost me 1.5k but it'll be the start of me having and using a mac...

Wish me luck...

25th March 2007
12.21 pm

I'm soooo not ready

Today is Sunday, thee last Sunday before school starts tomorrow. Sheesh... I am so not ready for it.

Anyway, just got back from Ubin in the afternoon. Stayed at Ubin MCC resort. This would be my second time there and I love the place. True, it looks really run down... but its a nice safe type of run down. Stayed at a double storey room, the gang(family) booked 4 of those rooms. The room came with two bedrooms, one hall, two toilets and shower. Not bad. Air conditioned!

We went there specifically to fish, and we did caught quite a few. But because there were swimming pools, my son and wife went swimming too. As for me, I tried fishing with my son $8 rod. Managed to land one, a small one though...

Here are some pics...

This is a pic holding one of the larger fish that was caught on that day. If you need more information, the website is http://www.marinacountryclub.com.sg/ubinresort.html

Although, I have to tell you that there are no more snooker tables and the food sold in the restaurant is certified halal.

More pictures ...

Langkawi Part 3

Many would think that I would be going on to Langkawi by now, but I could not. Cuz there are so many things I would like to say about MINES resort. For one thing, MINES has this unique boat ride which I find to be very expensive but it's worth at least half the amount. But to make the best of it, make friends with the boatman, and he, possibly would give you a very personal tour. The people on our boat managed to feed the fishes in the lake.... The picture on the left shows the boat that we took. In the foreground, the building with the blue minaret is actually a place where business is being done. I thought it was a hotel!
Anyway, just in case, on the left is a picture I took at Pantai Cenang, Langkawi. A place you should go just for the sunset. I met a Singaporean family and they say that Pantai Cenang is alot like Pat Phong in Thailand. I have not been there so I can't say.

O.k, back to Mines, the next picture on the right shows the view we have from our room. Not bad eh? Our room was on the third floor. We went to one of the jetty, that belongs to the Beach Spa Hotel and we love the scenery. That's the next picture on the left. Next I'll post pictures of what we did at the Mines Night Them park. If you do go there, don't miss the ice palace. It's a room where the temperature is almost close to zero and its where they display ice figures. Enjoy...





Oh by the way, the entrance fees was included in out hotel bill.

Have a hapy new year everybody!
1 January 2007...
2230

Langkawi Part 2

O.k... now that I'm home and my wife is busy setting up her Palm... more pictures! Hooray! Anyway, these are pictures while we are at MINES resort. Not very good though I must admit but definitely keepsakes for the memories. The pic shows an image of the swimming pool. O.k for some info. The official website is www.mines.com.my. From Novotel hotel we insisted on taking a metered cab to Mines which cost less than RM$20. But we paid the cab RM$40 for being very chatty. Nice guy. Anyway, if we book a cab, it'll cost us around the same amount. It was nevertheless a harrowing ride. Traffic was er, nightmarish!. We left novotel around 6 in the evening and reached mines closed to 8. We checked in the beach spa hotel and realised that the shopping center was only less than 5 minutes walk. We love the shopping center. Food, food and food and plenty of sensible shops. Sensible would means, non boutiques, non expensive stuff. These boutiqueys and expensive stuff can be had at KL sentral itself. There is even a Tanjong Golden Village cinema there and we managed to catch Eragon for RM$9 a ticket. It was an experience watching a movie there. For one thing, the audience is much more responsive. And the reacted even before the actors had finished speaking their dialogues. I gather, it must be the subtitles. O.k, it lunch time. Need to eat. Will continue.
Oh, have a Merry Christmas.
25 dec 2006
1400 hrs.

Langkawi Part 2

O.k... now that I'm home and my wife is busy setting up her Palm... more pictures! Hooray! Anyway, these are pictures while we are at MINES resort. Not very good though I must admit but definitely keepsakes for the memories. The pic shows an image of the swimming pool. O.k for some info. The official website is www.mines.com.my. From Novotel hotel we insisted on taking a metered cab to Mines which cost less than RM$20. But we paid the cab RM$40 for being very chatty. Nice guy. Anyway, if we book a cab, it'll cost us around the same amount. It was nevertheless a harrowing ride. Traffic was er, nightmarish!. We left novotel around 6 in the evening and reached mines closed to 8. We checked in the beach spa hotel and realised that the shopping center was only less than 5 minutes walk. We love the shopping center. Food, food and food and plenty of sensible shops. Sensible would means, non boutiques, non expensive stuff. These boutiqueys and expensive stuff can be had at KL sentral itself. There is even a Tanjong Golden Village cinema there and we managed to catch Eragon for RM$9 a ticket. It was an experience watching a movie there. For one thing, the audience is much more responsive. And the reacted even before the actors had finished speaking their dialogues. I gather, it must be the subtitles. O.k, it lunch time. Need to eat. Will continue.
Oh, have a Merry Christmas.
25 dec 2006
1400 hrs.

langkawi pt 1a

I know I'm suppose to update the blog on the Langkawi trip but I'm at home at the moment. Anyways, just for your info, after staying at NOVOTEL, we went to Mines Resort. Nice place but three nights is just enough time to stay. Any longer, we would have been bored. We stayed for two nights, however.

Anyway, bought for me wife the PALM Tungsten T/X yesterday. Will update with a review although it does not look as nice as my Palm T5. Got it for $498. Got a 1gb mini sd card, leather case, screen protector for free. Also bought infra keyboard (original Palm) for $80 and got a stylus thrown in for free. Bought for me a sd wifi card for my palm t5. Don't know if it'll actually work but will try. Got that for $90.

Palm T/X
http://www.palm.com/sg/products/handhelds/tx/

24th December 1410hrs

just got back from langkawi part 1

Went on a holiday with my family to kuala lumpur and langkawi. I intend to show of the pictures on the blog. So this is the first entry.

Anyways, to start of, we went to Langkawi by way of Kuala Lumpur.
We took a bus there, aeroline, and it costs us S$47 per adult one way and S$35 for a child (adam and sara).
You may want to try https://www.aeroline.com.my But a word of advise, try booking the return ride in KL itself, you can save quite a bit.
Anyways, the ride starts from HarbourFront and ends at Corus hotel in KL, which is about 10 minutes walk from KLCC, the shopping center and KLCC, the MRT.
Met up with my sis who is staying at the novotel hotel. We got a room there for RM$178.20 before tax. You may want to try http://www.novotel.com/novotel/fichehotel/gb/nov/6324/fiche_hotel.shtml. Although the address states that it is at Jalan Kia Peng, it is actually nearer to Jalan Chu Lan something like that. We took a cab from corus hotel to novotel and it costs us less than RM$10. When we finally checked in, it was about half past eight in the evening. We finally retired at amround 11 pm.

In hindsight, we don't really like the hotel that much. The rooms are small but they are adequate. Anyway, we stayed there for only a night and we set off to MINES resort the next day.

bought some stuffs

Hello...today is the first time I felt like I am on a holiday. Actually my official hols start yesterday but I still have some unfinished work to do. And since my wife is not going to the office today, I thought of not going to school too.

So we went to Popular at Bras Basaht. I have not been there for quite a while, at least 10 years, and the first impression I got was that there wasn't alot of changes. But when I stepped into Popular, I was very pleasantly surprised! It was bright, cosy and the staffs were so friendly. Perhaps we were there early.
I bought 3 cds, Taufik Batisah, Hady Mirza and Il Divo. Hady's album was a let down but Taufik's one is a nice one. No wonder he won the MTVasia award... Have not heard the content of IL Divo yet but I'm hopeful.

Next we went to Kinokuniya at Ngee Ann City. Parked at the 7th floor and took the lifts down to the 3rd floor. Saw Kino's dinky entrance but was very awed when I went in. It is like a never ending tunnel with book as far as the eye could see. If I were to compare Kino with Borders, I would say Kino got more class. My wife bought a book for SOTA. Whatever it is, it is nice to be in town in the morning. A priviledge I would cherish as a teacher...

December 5th 1535 hours.

Oh Adam is enjoying himself especially with Irsyad around.

Dead tired

Today is, gosh, what day is it today? Oh, its Friday. No wonder I'm dead tired. Just came back from in laws in Woodlands and my wife and son has already zonked out!

Went to Sing Expo today. Wanted to go to the adidas sale but the queue to get in was so long. In the end, I brought my son and maid to Popular sale. Not bad. Met my ex colleague and his wife there. Bought a foldable mattress and left it in the car. Just in case we need it. Cost me $25. Then had to join a snaking queue which took me almost an hour to pay for the items. Yup, it was a long queue but it was a moving queue.

Went to NUS after that to fetch my wife who, I think, is administering the talent academy for SOTA You may want to try here.
Or try searching for the event in www.channelnewsasia.com

Was on MC today, knee was hurting and was nauseous...

Anyway, I went to National Library on Tuesday for CIP and it was an eye opening event. We were given the grand tour and we actually went to the tallest floor in the library. It was way cool!!

Here is a pic. Oh by the way, thats not me in the pic...

O.k lah... its 23 Nov 2006 and its around 2200 hrs.

Today is the 17th. My school had its 8th, prize giving day. I finished around 12 after photo taking...
Went back, with the intention of going to the motor show at Suntec with me son, but could not find parking space. Went to mustafa, at least to look for Tante's present and again no parking space. Ended up at Tampines Square with Adam. Bought him a basketball (buy 1 get 1 free( for $5.95 ). WOW!

O.k its 2250hrs.