IF~

Sth interesting to share
Sth I came across while packing my room..among all my old sec sch notes..
Finally I am throwing them away as I just couldn't bear to part with these Cedar notes in the past..
Attachment has clouded me for way too long tat these notes end up wasting precious space in my tiny room...

If... ...

If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you;
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too;
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or being lied about, don't deal in lies,
Or being hated don't give way to hating,
And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise:

If you can dream- and not make dreams your master;
If you can think- and not make thoughts your aim,
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same;

If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build 'em up with worn-out tools:

If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breathe a word about your loss;

If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: "Hold on!"

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with Kings - nor lose the common touch,
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,
If all men count with you, but none too much;
If you can fill the unforgivin minute
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And- which is more- you'll be a Man, my son!

~ Anonymous

Teaching from Within

Teaching from WiThIn...
A Call to Renewal...

I will not die an unlived life.

I will not live in fear
of falling or catching fire.

I choose to inhabit my days,
to allow my living to open me
to make me less afraid,
more accessible,
to loose my heart
until it becomes
a Wing,
a Torch,
a Promise.

I choose to risk my significance:
To live
so that which came to me as seed
goes to the next as blossom
and that which came to me as blossom
goes on as fruit.

~ Darna Markova

20.06.2006... ROM of dearest Shy

Rings of Matrimony... Union of Yin n Yang...

~~DAY:20~~MTH:JUNE~~YEAR:2006~~**~~**~~**~~20/06/2006


Congratulations to Mrs Cheong...aka Shy!!!
The prettiest bride of the day @ ROM to me...
Esp in her gorgeous white floral gown.
Our Snow White without her seven dwarfs :)
Hmm..too bad, CNA didnt interview u two, lovely couple
on tis special day of such nice numerals..
20062006.. Once in our lifetime...
Haiz, If not, Singaporeans viewing CNA "Singapore Tonight"
can give a glimpse of our beautiful princess and her knight...
What a pity though..

So my dear frenz..moving on to the next phrase of life..
To b a virtuous, loving wife to ur darling YWei...hehe..
All ze best.. Oops.no choice ah..now both of u are legally bonded.. :)
But dun u forget us, our sisterhood leh..hehe..
more of gal friendships lah..
May the union be blissful always,
just like this special day of joy and love...



This was the 1st ROM ceremony I have ever attended in my life,
I had only been to wedding tea-ceremony, banquets, reception of relatives etc but never before to the Registry of Marriages for such cermony..
Been an eye-opener..
Joining in the fun and joy of watching dear Shy n YWei in action
saying their wedding vows n exchanging rings in the matrimony/signing ceremony.
It was a heartwarming moment for all
when the bride was moved to tears during the wedding vows...
:)Thank god, her pretty makeup n mascara aint ruined..
Tears of Joy indeed...
The day she find true love... Her Knight...
the 1st n one n only love to be by her side eternally..
Happiness always to this newly-wed couple..
Till Dec 10 shall we meet again
for majestic wedding ceremony/banquet @ Oriental...
Part II of the fairy tale of Princess Shy n Knight YWei...
To be continued...

Stay tuned for
more photos n juicy news coming up very soon.... :P

Happy Fathers' Day !!!

(To my dad)...Thank you so much for raising me up...
All the efforts, blood and sweat..tears were shed too esp when I almost let the whole family down..during the darkest period of my life...With your unwavering support and care, I have woke up and moved on since then to where I am now...
Thank you, Daddy!

I know that I may not be any famous celebrity out there, any successful sportswomen nor any gifted individuals who have countless accolades, achievements to bring glory and fame back to our family. Nonetheless,bcos you are my dad who love me so dearly..
though in a more traditional Asian way of ( oops, often more of scolding and strict warnings rather than hugs and pats on the back...), I suppose tis's the older generation way of disciplining and caring for their children..I dun blame you for this is how you are brought up back in your time..nor do i blame u for the very simple home and the long family saga...Everything happens for a reason..A lesson for all of us to learn and develop..I have realised tis finally after a personal crisis...

Now that I have matured much, I noe that all the 3 daughters are your pride..
in term of our distinct features..big eyes..haha..esp for my "goldfish" eyes..
Okie..at least our above average looks in the Asian standards...(Although 2 of us had fallen hard b4 but we both had since stood up again, moving on though in different comfortable pace n the youngest being the most materialistic and rebellious ) Patience and Perseverance is what we need to hold on strongly to now,Dad... I believe that we can survive through with our combined efforts... When ther's a will, there's a way...

I can feel that deep down in your heart,
as long as I am safe n sound, sensible, mature and responsible educator,
a filial daughter n useful citizen to our homeland as well as the world...
You will always be proud of me... your darling daughter...
the one and only Mi'Chelle aka "Mee Siam" in our family.

I am glad that we have had an enjoyable, sumptuous dinner treat by law n sis @ Bottle Tree Village.. a coolz n beautiful, undisturbed place @ the west...
The scenic view of the sea n JB over at the other side of the horizon..plus the beautiful sunset n fine weather..Breathtaking scenery..at least to me..
Exclusive Photos coming up soon

Once again, from the bottom of my heart...
Thank you for everything:)
Loving u always...on behalf of your 2 other darlings
~~~~~~~ HAPPY FATHERS' DAY~~~~~~~

The Search is Over..

This's the song that struck a chord in me...
One which I have simply fallen in love with
since the very 1st time I heard it over the radio..FM98.7
...some time ago when I was still studying @ TP...

By the twist of fate,2 yrs later...
the search is now over...
So now I finally know that it is actually sung by UK Band,The Keane...

~~~~Everybody's Changing~~~~
Album: Hopes and Fears
Artist: The Keane

You say you wander your own land
But when I think about it
I don't see how you can
You're aching, you're breaking
And I can see the pain in your eyes
Says everybody's changing
And I don't know why

So little time
Try to understand that I'm
Trying to make a move just to stay in the game
Trying to stay awake and remember my name
Because everybody's changing
And I don't feel the same

You're gone from here
Soon you disappear
Fading into beautiful light
Because everybody's changing
And I don't feel right

My Favourite Song of All Time

... Down the Memory Lane along Cedar Avenue...
... My mind wanders to...
... Whenever I hear this song...
... Full of emotions n fond memories...
... The Camaraderie... The Love Fun n Joy ...
... ... Once a Cedarian, Always a Cedarian ... ...

Now Training to be a full-fledged educator soon
to join all my Cedarian "sisters" in this meaningful profession
of unconditional love, patience and dedication...
Perhaps, it's indeed in the blood of Cedarians
that 8 out of 10 Cedarians i know are in the teaching profession.
This is our calling...

Faith Hope n Truth is what keeps me going now and forever...
in tis Journey of life...
A long Marathon of indefinite distance and time
to be savoured and not dashed through..
One where I shall share with
countless young impressionable minds in near future..

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~~*~*~


If We Hold On Together (Land Before Time)
By Diana Ross

Don't lose your way
With each passing day
You've come so far
Don't throw it away
Live believing
Dreams are for weaving
Wonders are waiting to start
Live your story
Faith hope and glory
Hold to the truth
In your heart

If we hold on together
I know our dreams
Will never die
Dreams see us through
To forever
Where clouds roll by
For you and I

Souls in the winds
must learn how to mend
Seek out a star
Hold on to the end
Valley, mountain
There is a fountain
Washes our tears
All away
Words are swaying
Someone is praying
Please let us come
Home to stay

If we hold on together
I know our dreams
Will never die
Dreams see us through
To forever
Where clouds roll by
For you and I

When we are out there
In the dark
We'll dream about the sun
In the dark
We'll feel the light
Warm our hearts
Everyone

If we hold on together
I know our dreams
Will never die
Dreams see us through
To forever
As high
As souls can fly
The clouds roll by
For you and I

Listen with Heart n Soul

At the heart of each of us, whatever our imperfections,
there exists a silent pulse of perfect rhythm -
a complex of wave forms and resonances which is absolutely
individual and unique and yet which connects us to everything in the universe.

~George Leonard

The ART of LISTENING...the long lost skill to master and perfect as we grow up in this world of communication..people-to-people..
Listen with your Heart n Soul..
I am learning too..every day of my life...even right now..
Listening to Music...People...
As a listening ear to lonely old folks, a supportive friend,
a daughter, a mediator in times of heated arguments...
Every experience is a challenge and learning opportunity for you and me...

LISTENING

Listen...
We are continually hearing information from the world
around and within us
Minimise distortion by turning down the volume of your internal dialogue.
Imagine that the universe is about to whisper the answer to your deepest questions..
and you don't want to miss it!

Listen...
Simply, and without analysis or commentary
to whatever sounds enter the sphere of your awareness.
Don't label the sounds.
If you start thinking, remind yourself to just...

Listen...
Effortlessly to sounds.
Let them come to you.
No need to terse or strain.

Trust.
Let go of control. Be at ease.
Still...
Quiet...
Receptive...
Alert...

Listen...
Notice how sounds arise...
and fade away...
Melting into silence or into other sounds.
Don't try to hold them,
allow them to flow...

Listen...
Where do the sounds go? Listen...
Where do the sounds come from? Listen...
Experience how the space of your awareness
effortlessly accommodates an interpenetrating
symphony of sounds, thoughts, sensations, feelings,
and visions simultaneously.
Allow your body-mind to relax
into unencumbered clarity...

Listen...
Allow the answers to those questions to
come as understanding, not as thoughts.

Listen...
And reflect...

What is listening?

(Adapted from: pg 98-99
Levey, Michelle and Joel;
The Fine Arts of Relaxation, Concentration,and Meditation:
ancient skills for modern minds, Boston: Wisdom,2003)

World Cup Fever

It's that time of the soccer fever again!! World Cup 2006 :)
Exciting world class matches played out by 32 teams from all part of world..
Definitely something to look forward to every 4 year
... The much anticipated actions...
... spectacular goalshots,
... excellent teamwork,
... skilful tactics,
... nimble footwork,
... dribbling expertise,
...n not forgetting the bonus draw to the match-watching..hehe..
...the eye-candies... hunky cute JPN, KOR, ESP, ENG, GER footballers etc..
so tell me why should i give World Cup matches (Where legends are born...hehe..sounds familiar right? STarhub TV ad slogon..) a miss...


Hmm..Perhaps, getting my beauty sleep sounds like a good convincing reason for me..in my 20s.. Also to some, they may argue that it is pretty dull spending 90++ mins to watch 22 guys chasing after a ball..
However, to a plain Jane like me,also the only sporty daughter grew up watching soccer with dear daddy in a family of girls..
I guess watching soccer has long infused into my life since i was young.. In my blood , perhaps..So To a stubborn ger like me, missing these exciting matches is definitely a No-No for now.. My beauty sleep shall wait...

As for now, all ze best to the teams esp to my fav..Brazil..Jpn..Korea..
Congrats to all the scorers who had done well..esp to Aust Super Subs..
Tim Cahill..Impressive man!!
May the best team win!!
Ole.Ole...OleOleOle...Ole.Ole ;P

My 1st Guitar Lesson with Shifu...Debbie :)

After so long, I am now finally learning to play the guitar,from dear frenz, Debbie..My Shifu..:) Yesterday, I went to her hse @ Serangoon North and had a close to 2hrs of guitar lesson on manual tuning of guitar..Hmm..Spent quite some time on tis cos if U aint able to tune your guitar, you can forget abt playing sth decent n pleasant to hear.. Much physics on frequency, 440 Hz..etc.n Sound waves n the Pitching etc was clearly taught by my musically-inclined frenz.. At least, I found her explanation clear n easy to understand. So , Well done, Debbie!! Esp since she claimed that she learnt all ze chords and strumming of guitar on own just 1-2 yrs ago.. Indeed, I am impressed by her! Oh yah, Heng heng, she has 2 guitars n so as for now, I am borrowing her older one to use 4 practice til I am ready to buy my own.

Hoepfully, in many mths to come, I will be able to strum and sing with frenzs n future students..as well as entertain those elderly @ ASH in the weekend.. Hopefully tis wont take too long cos mind u, I have no musical background..My most familiar instrument is the common recorder everyone of us used in sch..Honestly.. My greatest dream is to learn to play piano and immerse in the music etc..But I guess due to my time constraint and work commitment in the next few years, Guitar will be the most feasible choice as compared to Piano..Maybe Playing the piano shall be my next goal after guitar..after 4-5 yrs time i supppose..unless i can juggle tis well with my job

Hmm..Am I now metamorphosing into a more musical ... cultured ger..not just tat sporty, tanned rough ger? Hahaha..Watever..We shall see..;P There I go again...Me n my nonsensical thoughts again..
Wish me luck..
Time to do my homework ( Practising Cmajor, Aminor and Eminor) tonight...

ASH Volunteers in Limelight? Hehe...Photo Galore

The Prim n Proper Group Photo of my ever-friendly n helpful lot of Volunteers..hehe..Barbie doll lookalikes too..in Black leh.. hehehehe..


Introducing..the All Saint's Home Volunteers...Guys n Gers...
Our Cheeky pose.. :P..Hmm..me in my new retro specs...


Yoz..So here u go..the look of satisfaction n joy after a fruitful and heartwarming day of Dumpling Festival Celebration last Saturday, 03 June with our dearest Ah ma and Ah gong..( hehe..our weekend grandparents ah..)Although no dumplings were allowed to be shared with the elderly due to healthy reasons, we substituted with an ingenious Dry DragonBoat Race..ideal for the aged to train their motor skills even when they are wheel-bound..
Thanks to our creative senior, Edumund's bright idea..the game was well-received!!

All the efforts n time spent was worthwhile!!
Esp in the case of sing-along practices for our final performance and efforts( oops..though kinda of lastmin cramming ah..) put into memorising lyrics.
OUr singing turned out to be not too bad..hmm..quite melodious, entertaining too for the old folks..perhaps we can consider joining SuperBand2 if there is to be..Wahaha..


The most rewarding of all was to see the smile on the elderly as we interacted and sang along with them.. Nothing can beat tis sense of fulfilment n warming of our heart..Bringing happiness into their lives.. n we feeling good n happy too..

Check out http://asvolunteer.blogspot.com/ for more sharing of event...

A Coolz day of Bridal tryouts ..4 me?

The Shop Display... So Classy ..hmm..


Beautiful..Gorgeous gowns...


Cyn..Best Frenz n I
..2 of the 4 jie mei of our lucky princess, Shy..


Dreaming out...


Haha..so a day of trying out pretty, sexy, elegant gowns one after another for me on my big day? Nah..of course not..Who's the lucky guy leh? Haha.. only time can tell..
As for now..I am adjusting well to my newfound freedom..
Me a swinging bachelorette who simply loves her carefree days leh. Then who's that lucky princess? Ah..if u r a regular reader of my blog, then can u relate n link it to my dearest pal, shy..aka Mrs Cheong soon..Come June 20..her ROM..then Dec 10 her Big Day..the Majestic, magical day of her lifetime @ Oriental..

So apparently, Cyn n I accompanied Shy n Captn Cheong..(her Beau) to a stylish, coolz bridal gown shop, DioGo for her tryouts... Oh mine, so many outfits to try..No wonder..the bridegroom certainly need much patience waiting for their beloved to try and pick up the one they like most out of the many dazzling, wow- beautiful attires..Evening gown, Tea-dress? Prom dress? Bridal Ivory satire gowns..etc..the list goes on n on..Been a great learning experience indeed for me..a mountain tortoise of such event.. Oops..a great photography skills refresher/crash course too..hehe.playing with Cyn 's cam..while we explore the shop for interesting shots..

Coming up soon ..our artistic fotos.. while waiting..Self-entertaining wat..:)

Gal Bonding!! Shiok :)

Yippee!! Kaisheng is back in SG again.. Oh yah, if u r wondering who's tat, it's my HK buddy :)since tj days...
It was like a great reunion once again for Kaisheng, Debbie and I..threesome..hehe..in full force..
Three unique, modern bachelorettes with a mind of their own...
So guys out there, so dun u dare mess around with us ah..hahaha...
Had an enjoyable gal chat over food and of course gossips,not really..updates on our school mates by concerned old friends like us..Hehehe..sounds more like kaypoh ...

Anyway..more juicy updates plus..

Photo sharing too... :)Coming up next

Inspiring Talk By Ajahn Brahm

Gone is Melancholic May!
Hmm..a great way to sum up the sad mth of May with an inspiring talk I attended
May there b FAith, Hope and Love in this brand new mth..Joyous June awaiting us..:)

~"~'~"~'~"~'~"~'~"~'~"

Managing the ups and downs of life... the title of talk held at Kong Meng San Monastery on Tues evening, 30/5..
This was my 1st time attending such talk that turned out to be enriching, enjoyable n not tat religious as I often mistook them to be..Not much of the sutra was quoted or to be exact, none of it was mentioned..Instead, it seemed more like a life empowering talk rather than religious one.
I came across the ad of this free admission talk last week but put aside any thought of attending initially cos I doubt anyone I know would b keen on attending right after a busy day of work.

So how did I end up still going for this talk eventually?
Thanks to my buddy cousin who asked me along on Mon night.. I didnt know that she was referring to the same talk until she showed me the newspaper ad..Hehe..perhaps great minds think alike, I suppose..though oops..fools dont differ either..

Been an eye-opener for me esp the overwhelming turnout for the talk even on such "bad" timing of 745pm..The hall were packed, with audience at almost every inch and corner possible for one to squeeze in and sit. Many were late cos of work,judging from their formal attire. Hmm..It was a surprise to us as we didnt expect so many people. Ajahn Brahm is indeed famous and a distinguished guest speaker..Hmm.. so eminent that though he is merely an Australia Buddhist Monk( on surface it seems), he had actually been invited by John Howard to impt function with Queen Elizabeth II as he shared during the talk. A great master indeed with wisdom and enlightenment...Humorous as well as he spiced up the talk with his experiences and anecdotes.

The take-home messages
To savour life when you are in the good/"up" phase of life.Not to waste such happy times by worrying about how short-lived it will be or how to sustain it. By doing so, you miss out all the fun and happiness. Remember, Happiness brings about Success in you.. Not vice versa..

When you r down, learn from the mistake or fall n never to find something to blame. Be it your destiny, bad karma? Bad luck etc? Nah...This is just the way of life..the part and parcel of our journey on Earth as Humans... Bcos we are often too caught up with our negative feelings towards ourselves n others, we tend to overlook the beauty n lessons learnt and this leads onto the prolonging of our "down" time as we just choose to find something to blame or self-wallow in misery or self-bashing.

As when you are helpless in a difficult situation,it is like a dead-end for now.. Then Do Nothing but just to wait and see..Relax..Rejuvenate yourself to prepare for any opportunity that may arise..Only by doing so and not self-pity can you not miss out on the rare chance that may just come once and never again.

Adversity brings out the strength in you. So you ought to be thankful for all the trials and hurdles of life you have for only through such times can you grow and mature into a better being...

So above was the essence of the talk,most relevant to me.. esp in my current plight..
Managing a family crisis..Tough indeed esp after I had just tided over a personal issue in my life..Finally moved on, thks to my gal frenzs' warmth, care n support