eventful day

it was a really long and eventful day! started early in the morning as i ploughed to school, only to realise that the CTE experiences a massive jam every morning after 6:30am. the jam wasn't this bad when i was in JC...

school was alright... getting used to a new environment, colleagues, students and most importantly, the school culture. i've got 3 classes to teach: two secondary 3 (geog) and one secondary 2 (english). also got my own work station in the staffroom but had to clear it out because it was a temporary workspace for the other teachers.

at least i have a computer! so that means i do not have to keep lugging my laptop around. probably the reason why the other one crashed after school experience.

getting back on track, i left school at about 11:30pm to book my flat at Boon Keng. found out that the 'best' (and most expensive flat) was taken up by a couple assigned queue number 9. ours was 0066, so we kept our fingers crossed while waiting for our number 2 choice.

this is the artistic/artist's impression of the place - looks pretty impressive eh?

and this is the layout of the place. we are going to be at the blue corner.

so after making the selection (and signing the most heart-breaking cheque ever), we headed over to brewerkz! had a golden ale and the ipa.

still reeling from the excitement of the flat selection... but it's only going to be ready in 2011!!!... so we're effectively homeless come 080808.

another long week ahead! first week of school... in a long long time.

practicum!

time in nie sure does fly. tomorrow i begin a 10-week journey in a school which will determine whether i pass or fail the pgde course.

after having received some reminders and advice about the thrills and spills of blogging, i have been duly informed of the need to "maintain the good standing of the teaching profession", so to be on the safe side, i better not reveal too much 'confidential' information.

so if you... the nice and kind reader feels that the blog is touching on sensitive issues or treading on thin ice, feel free to drop me an email! i will remove or amend the post mucho pronto.

having messaged a couple of my geography classmates and future colleagues, it appears i'm not the only one who is having the pre-practicum jitters. i guess it'll last all the way through the 10-weeks. in the meantime, i have to reset my bio-clock... waking up at 6 plus again is really not in my system.

the only time i had to wake up at such unearthly hours?... hmm. army. bleh.

so... who's out there reading?

winning the HDB lottery

woohoo!

okay, first things first. i don't know what font size or type this post is going to be... it is afterall my second post. this time it is from home, the previous one was from the library, so i think the font will keep shifting.

(i generally like to keep things standardized)

i spent some time trying to edit the blog, adding links, a newsreel and other stuff. but my reverend fun newsfeed/rss doesn't seem to be working. i want an updated picture, not updated texts

anyway, returning to the title of this post. thank God! i struck the HDB lottery! to the uninitiated it is basically getting a queue position where you have the chance to actually apply for the flat. my condolences to those who have been applying but keep getting rejected. keep trying... that's all i can say.

so now it is about choosing how high, how big and most importantly... how much.

in the mean time, the donation booth has opened. =)

Genesis

Hello!

okay dear reader... this is the maiden entry for James' blog! yeah yeah... i have succumbed to the pressure, or simply the need to have a space or a place to call my own.

still trying to get used to all this. stay tuned for more!

a quick introduction about myself - at this point in time, I am a student-teacher (aka rookie/trainee/newbie) at NIE (aka national institute of education) where i am preparing to become a teacher. just a few more months and i'll be done - hopefully.

this blog commemorates a new year and a new chapter for me!