when i was 22 years old, i joined a Youth Expedition Project (kinda overseas CIP) to Myanmar and was one of the younger members in the team. Hon Wai, this 27 year-old guy shared something about how he was starting to feel numb about travelling, a sentiment which (obviously) stayed etched in my mind

xiao ah le: huh? u onli 27 leh. how can? (and solemnly, silently expressed hopes to myself that i would never lose my wanderlust)

of course, life has a funny way of coming full circle. i am 27 years old now and hasn't been feeling excited about my upcoming trip to Laos, try as i might. can't deny that i am getting old sia

fortunately, as i am typing this, i am feeling the adrenalin rush over the trip.

I AM GOING TO LAOS! I CAN"T BELIEVE THAT I"M DOING THIS!

it seems so unreal.
me, a barely 2 year-old sensei, going to National University of Laos to impart teaching strategies to wannabe teachers???!!
me, exploring a foreign land for 3 weeks?

i don't know why i am feeling so excited now but thank god i am. i think that's the beauty of youth: that the unknown is precisely what stimulates you

~~~~~
went back to Chong Boon for her band concert, Metier

okay, i did try not to bring up the topic but....

ah le: so, are you moving on to Sec 5?
eric: wah, why is everyone asking me this Q when they see me?
ah le: (in a serious tone) this is guan xin

sighz, i am such a nag.

alas, i never got an answer because my friend nudged me to return to the staff room for a visit (lol) and he was chatting to some friends.

anyway, even if he chooses to drop out, that's nothing i can do about it. haha. but i guess i need reassurance that he roughly knows where he is headed.

zhao fa, the reason why i purchased the ticket in the first place, has grown so tall! %$$@@#%&^! great presence with the drums, dude

chia hao was showing me some spongebob squarepants videos and was generally lame. (no offense, dude:p i like you the way you are). kenneth was frowning away because his eyes felt itchy. melvin was yakking away. kian en was being quiet. adrian was trying to pass some snide remarks now and then

at my age, one often laments how mercilessly time flies but just now, i didn't really feel that a year has transpired.

now i understand why people say that teaching keeps one young. haha

finally, i feel compelled to blog.

today was results release day. sensing the rather palpable anticipation and anxiety in the air, i'm rather glad that i didn't have to go through this when i was 17/18.

attempted to give a short and sweet pep talk before i released their results. well, just one of the things i feel die-die must do as a CT even though i also know that the kiddos are not in the slightest mood to listen to me. felt particularly eloquent during delivery of the pep talk but feels silly now

i hope they understood what i was trying to convey?

this is the first time i saw so many of my students break down in front of me.

this gal was speaking to her mum on her handphone. then, upon seeing that her classmate wanted to leave, she asked her mum to wait and went over to hug her. i mean, she wasn't feeling too good herself.

or this guy who shook my hand quite earnestly before he left. well, i wish i have done more to deserve such a handshake

i pledge to be a better CT next year.