Novo: April 2007

Novo

Monday, April 30, 2007

STUDENTS' Council

It's 10:42pm and I am supposed to be jogging.

Thanks Shawn for the 'motivation'. Hahaha. I guess I was skinny at 18. The operative word being was.

I feel like just going to bed. It was a long day filled with teaching (duh), a really *arrrgh* kind of meeting, and finally seeing a friend getting fined $200 for an 'offense' by the NEA.

Who are these NEA guys anyway? Nuts.

It's tough dealing with authorities (of all sorts) sometimes. Doesn't it seem they are simply out to catch you for any little reason whatsoever? When you were just being careless, ignorant, or forgetful.

But I forget.

Even as a student - I remember clearly there were times I flouted my authority, being big headed and all as SC President. Although I remember the good/fun times, I do remember a time when I shouted at my councillors for not being enthusiastic enough during a cheering session. In the past, cheering for the school teams was a BIG BIG BIG thing, especially during my tenure as P.

I didn't realise my councillors were actually tired after a *arrrgh* kinda meeting I held with them in attendance and a ton of tests and homework (what's new?). I guess I realised way too late. But at least the mistake was realised, and I gave them a real nice break and a pat on the shoulder. Should have saved my voice for the cheering instead.

This was me. Big head and all.

posted by Ben Tan @ 10:41 PM 0 comments

Sunday, April 29, 2007

What I used to blog about

I used to blog quite a hefty bit. I remember writing 'prolifically' when I was doing my honours thesis, and the blog served as a sort of appertif to actual writing.

Reviewing my blog archives recently, I realise I probably wrote better on my blog than my actual thesis, which was a marginal disaster anyway. I have my favourites... and here's one of them. This was written just before a road trip to Australia with my closest friends while we were still undergrads, hence the reference to poverty and killing kangeroos.

"I hope I don't endanger the kangeroos while I'm there.

And I hope I don't blow the backpacking budget there, if not I'll come back and probably resort to selling Kau Lak at my void deck.

Oh. I don't have a void deck.

Have you ever wondered WHY "VOID DECK"? A "deck" that is "void"? Duh. A Canadian friend of mine, when told to meet at the "void deck", thought we were going for a cruise on a ship.

Why can't it be just "Level 1", "Ground Floor", or "Empty Space"?

Void Deck.

Can you imagine the Kau Lak fella selling his Kau Lak in the "void deck", and that he has never known the meaning of both of those words?

"Hey I'm going to sell my roasted chestnuts in that arbitrary level of nothingness".

I guess when I come back I will be the first to know. My Kau Lak will be quite Zen. Roasted Nuts from that Plane of Nirvana."

posted by Ben Tan @ 12:37 AM 0 comments

Saturday, April 28, 2007

Objectivity

Why blog again? I'm not totally sure. Perhaps in part, a collection of my thoughts, and another, a way to communicate and converse for the sake of teaching english. On a deeper level, I guess blogging is a funny mix of self-expression and a performance for others to see. But very few (perhaps too few) things in life are not so.

I think this time, I will blog for myself alot more. Say the things I want to say without the bell threatening to ring at the wrong time in class. Without the press of syllabuses and exams. Without the expectation of achieving some objective in terms of exams and competitions.

So, yes, I will blog for myself.

I MUST say that the more I teach in AHS, the more I miss being a student.

The old days....

posted by Ben Tan @ 12:33 PM 0 comments

A New Beginning.

Hah. I'm blogging again. It's been 3 years.

Question is - am I too old for this? and do I have the time?

Tut tut.

posted by Ben Tan @ 9:54 AM 0 comments

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