Where is my holiday?

This has got to be my busiest holiday ever. I have not really had much time with my family in a proper holiday. The first week was spent in Thailand and recupering from the trip. And my kids were involved in a church programme for kids right after I came back from Thailand. All the while I was also busy trying to get enough cheerleaders for the Monsoon Cup in Terengganu. Monday 2nd week, I was in Putrajaya for a workshop. Then we got the news that we are not going to Terengganu. The plan just didn't work out. Some of my cheerleaders will wonder why. Basically people cannot wait for us if we keep stalling. This is a costly lesson to be learned. We could have earned enough money for Cheer 2009 expenses just from the Monsoon Cup gig. Too bad.

Then I have to go to school for SPM duty and next week again to check out my Pintar Cerdas results to send to Kementerian. Such a hassle. Next week will be busy with the conditioning camp. I've had to call up people to help as well as to attend. The timing is just off. I wish it could be rescheduled to maybe first weekend of school next year. Everyone is on holiday or busy with something.

Well, today was good though. I attended a wedding. One of my colleagues got married to a friend's son. The bride looked radiant. I wish the newly-wed a wonderful lifetime together. I met some of my former colleagues at the wedding. It was good to see some of them. They looked happy and relaxed, esp since they are already retired.

Next weekend I will be attending another colleague's wedding dinner. I am looking forward to it. Only hubby and I will be going and it'll be a nice date together. Speaking of date, we'll be having a lunch date courtesy of Traxx.fm at The Ship! Jealous???? And I will be watching Quantum of Solace also courtesy of Traxx.fm!!! After Hari Raya Haji, I will be without my maid .... until my new maid arrives. So I will be busy playing maid soon. There goes my holiday.

Window of time

I cannot help but to thank God for the fact that we were in Thailand during the window of time that had peace. The few days we were there, there wasn't a hint that there would be protesters causing a closedown of the airport. There wasn't a hint that there would be political trouble. And so I am thankful that we are all back safely, that we were not stranded in Thailand or at the airport. Now I pray that the political situation will get better and there will no longer be a stand off and that the army will not be forced to take extreme measures. May the leaders of the country strive to calm the people of the country and do what is best for their people.

J card day

So yesterday was J card day at Sunway Pyramid. This is the first time I had been so crazy about shopping. Not that it was really shopping in the real sense of the word but ....
The day started with me getting to Pyramid at 8:15am in spite of the fact that Jusco only opened at 9am. I went ot California Fitness and went on the net until 8:50 and then off I went to wait for Jusco to open. YES I WAITED OUTSIDE JUSCO!!! When the place was open, I went shopping and bought mainly Christmas gifts for my kids and some other kids. Bought a few things for myself, couldn't justify shopping for myself after all the shopping in Bangkok and Pattaya. Bought something for my mum. And then it was time to go to school for SPM duty. It was the last day of SPM for the science students. After the paper finished, I went to Pyramid again. YES! AGAIN!
I went to the groceries this time. After what was a horrendous time carrying all the stuff in a basket, I found a TROLLEY! Bought all those heavy stuff that I had wanted to get but could not carry. All in all, J card day was a mega spending day for me, though it was buying things I would buy anyway, necessities and Christmas presents. Yes, I know Christmas is 1 month away, but then I would have bought the things and not get those shopping vouchers. Am I ever going for J card day again next time? You betcha!

No more photos for now

It takes quite a long time for the photos to load here, so I am not going to post anymore photos for now. If you are my facebook friend, you can go there and view the photos.

Thailand trip - version 2.2

This is obviously ME. On the background are students studying in the library. They were doing something like our NILAM programme. The yellow shirts are actually their PE uniform for the lower secondary.

This is one of the computer labs.
That's some of us with Danny Lynch, an American teacher from California. He teaches English. Don't get any ideas. He's expecting a grandchild soon.

The girls wear this kind of shoes.

The lower secondary students wear brown shoes.

They have a swimming pool!!!! But then swimming is compulsory for Grade 7.

That's our Form 1 equivalent.

This is Min. He was one of our tour guides for our tour round the school. Nice boy.

The green uniform is for their uniform unit. Scouts or Guides, I think.

The teacher teaching English.

The students went for a competition in Japan this year. This is a poster of them.

Boys and girls making costumes

Blue shirt - PE uniform for upper secondary. These students were having a language class in a media room.

See the basket? They were playing netball /captainball using the basket to shoot.

This is actually a science lab. No experiment in progress though.

The boys were actually doing craft, making wooden paddles for a boat. These would be used in their performances eventually.

These students are learning to play the Thai traditional musical instruments. Yes, along the corridors.

Thailand trip version 2.1

Lest you guys thought all we did in Thailand was learning about culture and animals, here is the first installment of the pictures of the first school we visited, Rayong Wittayakom School in Rayong, situated about an hour's ride from Pattaya.

Our first view of the school.

The notice board featured pictures about the King's late sister who was about to be cremated.
Pictures on one of the notice boards

WELCOME!

In the meeting room with the Rayongwit teachers and director

We were served by BOYS and girls.

The entrance to one of their classrooms

The library

A feature in the library - a stone with writings on it

This is the staffroom for the Maths or Science teachers. They have different staffrooms for different departments / subjects. IMAGINE SRI AMAN ENGLISH TEACHERS HAVING A ROOM TO OURSELVES!!!!!

Pictures of the students doing cultural performances

The headgears and other cultural performance costumes are well-kept.

The ping-pong tables are always there for the students to play when they are free.

This is a kiosk for photocopying. The students pay, of course.

This is another staffroom.

The construction of a new block. Looks big and very functional.

The staffroom for language teachers. The 2 caucasian males are actually foreign teachers who teach English. One is from England and the other from Canada.

This is a resource room for English.

MORE TO COME ....

Thailand trip - version 1.3

We went for a musical show in Pattaya. Here are some pics that were taken. Others were either not clear, too dark or ......!!! We have to give these people credit for such fantastic costumes and backdrops. They were elaborate and you can see a lot of work and effort put into them.

Korean dance

Vietnamese dance
Dancing to "Please, Mr Postman"
The king and his concubines perhaps.
Thai dance

Thailand trip - version 1.2

On our way from Bangkok to Pattaya that first day, we made a stop at Sriracha Tiger Zoo. This is the entrance which has several white statues of tigers. We didn't spend that much time here but managed to catch quite a few sights.

This is the schedule for a show, which we managed to catch.

Below is a pic of a tigress nursing piglets dressed as tiger cubs. Yes, I kid you not.

Below is a rather blurry pic of a pig living with 2 dogs and a tiger.
This is a close-up pic of a scorpion.
This girl is covered with said scorpions. You have to admire this PIG. It can count.

More pigs! Don't think we have seen more pigs before, those that are alive.

Two orangutans which had finished their work of posing for cameras.

This girl had her head in the croc's mouth!

Didn't go in there. Just took a pic outside. The carving is nice.

Camels in enclosures.
Cute caps sold as souvenir.

Crocs big and small

MORE TO COME ...