We recently had a teacher who actually did not mark his exam scripts and did not come to school for a day or two. He probably felt a bit stressed, I guess. Well, I think one has to be ready to take a lot of stress if one wants to be a teacher.

I've encountered one breakdown case in BNSS, one slightly psycho case in VJC, and one of my friends who broke down while at NIE and failed the practicum. There must be a lot of psycho teacher cases in Singapore. That's what they said last time: teachers constitute a sizeable proportion of patients at IMH and Adam Road.

I've been too busy in recent months. Recent developments in my life...

I watched Kill Bill Vol. 2. I've been looking forward to it, although I know the story already.

I changed my car wheels from the stock 14" steels to 15" lightweight alloy wheels. I am quite happy with my purchase. I got 5.2 kg Advanti rims with Falken 512 tyres at $832 only! (And my brother spent $1600 on 6 kg rims!) My Advanti rims look like one of the Rays Volks racing wheels. The ride comfort decreased a little as expected, but the increase in performance and safety is noticeable.

I'm on course these few days, so I'm feeling a lot happier. Then again, I know that when I go back, there will be a lot of work waiting for me!

I realise that many secondary school teachers aren't very good in their Physics content! But I did not see any teachers from good schools -- perhaps they are better. Luckily I was a JC teacher last year, so my content is still there. I wonder how they would guide the new teachers going to their schools if their content was poor... I sure hope I don't become like them!

You know, the government always says that the leadership of the country is important. That we should concentrate all resources on the leadership of the country for they are the ones responsible for the success of the nation in the future. But I guess they have simply forgotten about the rest -- the majority of the country who ARE the future of the nation. Can you imagine that these students who don't want to learn or develop their thinking are the ones who will be the main workforce of the country? These students who can't even do the simple O levels now. No wonder the country is going downhill. And the government's current solution is to depend on foreigners. I think that is not the solution. If the quality of our people are not good enough, we should do something about it!

The problem is also caused by poor parenting, I guess.

I have been very busy in school recently, as can be seen from the date of my post! I leave school before 7 pm everyday, which is actually earlier compared with my average day at VJC (10.00 pm). But back at VJC, we do read the papers everyday. We do have 25 minute lunches and 1.5 hour dinners. And we do take a nap to rest as and when required. And we do have 1.5 hour exercise sessions. And we work long hours at VJC, but at a moderate intensity.

But here at Damai, I work a solid day from 7.25 am to 6.30 pm. 10 minute lunches are the norm. I try not to do any work at home as usual -- but I usually do half an hour of low-key work just not to feel guilty. I have very little time -- I would like to do more for my students but I really don't have the time. In any case, they're not good students anyway -- little discipline to do their homework or to revise their work. English marking saps up whatever free time that I have... As a combat reservist, I am supposed to exercise 3 times a week, but I simply don't have the time!

No wonder teacher recruitment is so high -- the turnover is high too. It is a job that is simply not worth the pay -- you have got to have some passion to work 55 to 59 hours a week. The average grad civil servant works 40 hours a week. Why do you think we have longer holidays? Not that long actually. On paper, teachers have 12 weeks of holiday a year, but realistically, it is just 6 to 7 weeks, or 30 to 35 days.

I sure hope my passion lasts...

Quotes from LOTR...

"Arise! Arise! Riders of Theoden! Spear shall be shaken! Shield shall be splintered! A sword day! A red day! Ere the sun rises! Ride now! Ride now! Ride! Ride to ruin, and the world's ending! DEATH! DEATH! DEATH!"
-- Theoden King's battle cry during the battle of the Pelennor Fields

"Now is the hour. Riders of Rohan! Oaths you have taken, now fulfil them all! To lord and land!"
-- Eomer at the muster of the Rohhirim.

"Sons of Gondor, of Rohan, my brothers. I see in your eyes the same fear that would take the heart of me. A day may come when the courage of Men fails, when we forsake our friends and break all bonds of Fellowship, but it is not this day. An hour of wolves and shattered shields, when the Age of Men comes crashing down, but it is not this day! This day, WE FIGHT! By all that you hold dear, on this good earth, I bid you STAND! Men of the West!"
-- Aragorn, with the host at the slag hills near Cirith Gorgor before the charge on the defenders of the Black Gate

"Where is the horse and the rider?
Where is the horn that was blowing?
They have passed like rain on the mountains.
Like wind in the meadow.
The days have gone down in the west.
Behind the hills, into shadow.
How did it come to this?"
-- Theoden King, before the battle of Helm's Deep

"Fell deeds awake. Now for wrath! Now for ruin! And a red dawn!"
-- Theoden King at the battle of Helm's Deep

"A cage. To stay behind bars until use and old age accept them.
And all chance of valor has gone beyond recall or desire."
-- Eowyn

I had my first reservist Open Mobilisation yesterday. So the afternoon was entirely wasted.

I went for watch night service yesterday night at BRMC. (No, I'm NOT from the AC family. My friend brought me there last time...) It's only my 3rd watch night service, I don't always go.

As I was leaving, I saw that the stars were visible in the night sky! It's so rare to be able to see stars in Singapore!

On New Year's Eve, the ships at the anchorages fire off their flares at the stroke of midnight of the new year. I see this every year if I'm at home.

School starts tomorrow...