ok...have your say.

so, my tagboard is up.

i liked not having any tagboards for a while. but i've been pining for attention during this brief tag-less period and it has been crying out for help.

so anyway, the already-not-so-big news is that i've given my word to xieshun to help him out for singout'09. not sure if it's good news or bad news (for me or for anyone else), but i guess i'll always have a soft spot for MS.

so these couple of days (or 2 weeks actually), while MS is having it's annual break, i've also been toying with the idea of returning to teach (*note: "toying"). i kinda miss parts of it, especially the little ones (and the littlest ones). there is some pain, yet an immense amount of joy in teaching kids, especially the younger ones. they make you so exasperated at times, but whenever i spoke of them, i would break out a little smile and glint. especially when shir and i talk about the little ones that we taught. we don't know to laugh or to cry sometimes, but we surely enjoyed the times.

that's not to say i don't enjoy teaching the older kids, youths or adults. it's different and gives me another kind of satisfaction. the thing with getting older, you tend to internalise ideas and situations more, and over-analyse at times. so it can be rather challenging at times, but the fun times make up for all the "pain" they put you through.

then, there are the times when you discover a gem or 2, and you wonder, how far could they go? it doesn't mean they have to win some competition or sign some record deal to go far. many times, the biggest achievement is taking that first little step, and then, another one. it's like watching a little hatchling learn to fly. it's not how high they fly, but that they took that first leap out of the nest and start to flap their wings so hard to just keep themselves alive.

but teaching can be physically, mentally and emotionally exhausting. it's not just the effort it takes, but also the time. i quite cherish my free time now, what little i have of it. =p it's not so much the money, or rather, it never really was much about money, at least for me. i can't say the same for others, but of course, that's because i have a full-time job.

but wait, even when i was working full-time at the then-MC, it wasn't so much about the money. i remember getting grieve from my parents about what i was doing, because they thought i had worked so hard to get a degree (and so have they), so it was a "waste" to work for minimum wage. i even had a pay-cut a couple of times. true, i barely made ends meet, compared to my peers who were easily earning almost double of what i was earning, but i think the experience was something money can't buy.

to be honest, it wasn't easy. it never was, and will never be easy. it's a true test of human character and resilience to take up that kind of responsibility (and laoshi sometimes said "power"), and not be swayed by all the temptations to abuse this responsibility/"power". do everything, but be nothing. it was, and still is, one of the toughest lessons in life.

but i like(d) a challenge. -wry smile-

ok, so anyway, back to the subject of singout09. i've been thinking about how to push the envelope a little, and give a little somethin' somethin' to the event and all. i'm not gonna say too much here coz i SHOULD discuss this with xieshun and jasmine. they are, afterall, in-charge this time round. i'm actually really happy for both of them, esp shunnnie. i think the last year has made him grow a lot, and as far as i'm concern, i think he'll keep growing (and i don't mean size-wise haha). *wink wink to shunnnie*

yeah, i don't usually praise people openly in a public domain, but i thought everybody should hear/see/think a positive thought once in a while. makes the world a happier place.

but i am really excited about singout09.

and for whoever is reading this, just food for thought...anyone needs some last minute coaching?? *wink*