John Yeo

Failure

2011-02-24T06:59:00.000-08:00

on my Bday, i think i am a failure ...

F1. i inspire others to write narrative inquiries of their teaching practice and beliefs... but yet i can't even write a book for those I have inspired;

F2. i train others and design research on creativity... but yet i can't even find answers to my fundamental questions on creative thinking;

F3. i encourage principals to empower teachers with authentic assessment ... but yet this particular P just kept insisting the teachers must still give a defining grade with the use of rubrics;

F4. i help teachers recognise the importance of Lesson Study... but yet i can't even lead those i have partnered for months to understand what it means to 'see' learning from students' point of view;

F5. i bring educators to understand the liberating power of constructivism and learning by inquiry ... but yet my wife purchases packs of exams papers for my P1 son;

F6. i desire teachers to appreciate that education can be imaginative and exciting ... but yet my son's P1 form teacher sends weekly email to us parents on decontextualised modes of assessment- test, spelling and 听写;

F7. i demonstrate to Singapore teachers how to maintain a healthy lifestyle from my video in MOE OLIVE... but yet for months I have been walking with a limp;

F8. i exclaim that technology can transform the way digital natives learn and interact... but yet i kept editing and self-sensoring my own private thoughts for fear of backlash someday with my digital footprints;

F9. i tell others its important to help children know that its ok to be themselves ... but yet i dont even dare to share the contents of this entry for fear i stumble i others;

F10. i give creative parenting talks to other parents ... but yet i had to succumb using the cane to discipline my daughter;

F11. i long to carry my son the way i used to... but yet each morning he refuses even to say goodbye to daddy;

F12. i love my parents my deeply ... but yet i do not have the courage to say "I love you";

F13. i really want a loving relationship with my wife ... but yet I never seem to match up her standards of keeping my study room tidy;

F14. i (used to) teach others the harm alcohol does to the liver as a bio teacher ... but yet I drown my sorrows in wine;

F15. i lead worship in church ... but yet my own relationship with God is...broken.

In short ... i am a failure. F!

o ... one more F.... i have done well to help some local ministries and govt agencies take on innovation to a new level both locally and overseas.... but yet i detest the idea that i need to be back in green undergoing 20th C regimental training next few weeks for a force that claims to develop 21st C 'warriors'. So much for assessing performance indicators of success for NE!

A 'scholarly' disappointment

2011-02-23T12:26:00.000-08:00

Its been so long since i have submitted any blog entries....been just so busy. At this moment of time, I am feeling a little adverse to words like 'reflection' or 'narratives'. Yet, I just need to 'pen' this down after the past 5 hours of toss and turn, on the morning of my 36th Bday. I am not sure how I will react to this entry years later but at least, I like to capture a glimpse of an important (failed) 'scholarly' aspiration.

I had this wish for this new 'beginning'- to accomplish some good academic writing so that I can grow towards being more than a good teacher-educator but really to step onto path of being a scholar. But the email below from someone I respect was somewhat... devastating. Not sure why but this really seemed more painful then I can bear.

Subject: Your understanding and support please!

Hi John,

I had an appointment with XXX to consult her on my application for XXX and XXX. She went through my files with me and pointed out to me that she found most of my XXX, especially the major ones, were co-authored with others, mainly with my XXX as the XXX in them. One important advice she offered to me was that I need to have more single-authored publications by myself to demonstrate by this year that I am capable of producing mature scholarship independently. My XXX under way this year are mostly around XXX to be co-authored with XXX and others. So I am writing to really seek your understanding and support in my editing alone the XXX as a token to show my capacity of independent scholarship. See the XXX that I finished as attached. I will definitely be supporting you to finish the XXX with you as the XXX. I cherish our wonderful and productive XXX year dearly. Hoping you understand my current urgent need for XXX for securing my XXX as I am finishing up my XXX in a few months' time.

I just feel a terrible sense of ... disappointment? I have been very driven since end of last cohort as XX and I have had shared this vision of writing this book compiling some XXX from earlier classes and started our discussion and editing work. I do admit it's been hard to squeeze more time with the heavy XXX and preparing with the new course. But... To me, that vision was an important academic milestone. Something I have worked hard and really looking forward to.

Many questions in me... Yes, perhaps academic writing is really not my cup of tea. But then, who am I to ask for anything given I am just a seconded staff and I really ought be grateful for the opportunity to learn, grow and be mentored? I feel this extreme sadness within, though I really sincerely wish XXX well and success.

XXX XXX XXX

Some private thoughts on your final paper..

2010-11-14T04:53:00.000-08:00

Dear 811 friend...

Yanping and I had a good time discussing til very late Fri night on how wonderful it was reading each of your NIs. Well, I went home to focus on my next 'presentation'.... well, side-track a little… I have been invited to speak to a group of 800 teachers on an area- creativity in education. Not to boast of how 'good' i am but to share on how 'weak' and scared i really am feeling right now. Somehow the fear of speaking to such a large audience has never been more overwhelming than this. Yet, somehow, just when I am still 'stuck' with thinking… what do these teachers want to hear on creativity… what would be helpful … what would be inspiring so that we can all be more creative teachers to inspire that creative difference in our children.

This tenuous thinking process strangely led to the question I asked you 2 weeks back- “What is a GREAT teacher?”

I revisited the flipcharts and then my Facebook postings. Truth of matter is, I don’t have a 'model answer'. (and I so apologise esp if I have misled u to believing there is..) Yes, Kok Leong's group rightly pointed out Fri night that there will always have politically correct answers while with some hidden truths. Michael was upfront to say, "perhaps John was not satisfied with our politically correct replies that’s why he posted on his facebook..." Sorry but yes, I wasn't convinced that your answers were a clear distinction between Good and Great. I suspect one attribute of a great teacher is one who dares take risk- especially in our highly conformist system. I am not implying that having the courage to take risk is necessarily the best way... but from your all your NIs, I learnt that RISK THROUGH PERSONAL COURAGE is when you dare stand up for your students when others look down on these ‘losers’, risk is when you dare admit that we are not perfect teachers yet we need to live up to the expectations of others, risk is when your students (esp to the more 'challenging' classes like NT) make excessive demands upon your time and resources, risk is when you dare admit there are times we as teachers feel scared with what you have started, but gone ahead anyway.... risk is when, you know others will turn their back against you...

I am also ashamed to say that I myself have never written a complete 18 pages NI before. Do you remember I asked you- Does winning some school or national award make you a GREAT teacher? Fact is, such awards do acknowledge your hard work. But yes,,, we give honor to the many other unsung heros. I was once awarded several awards too for a particular project on Service Learning... where I in my leadership position took the risk to give special 'rights' to do something that is different from all the other classes. I was questioned for my intentions by other teachers… but I went ahead nonetheless. This was a Sec 1 class that had MSG head over heels compared to all other classes. Yet, as the form teacher, I was saddened with this ‘high ability’ students who dare tell me in my face don't waste their time with unnecessary projects. Parents who say, let my child take a CCA take require minimal involvement as their are here to excel academically. In class, though a little fun loving, they lacked the camaraderie of other children. This was a class with an 'Attitude'! I wanted them to experience more important life lesson of humility and learning to work tog and CARING for others. I wanted them to experience that there is more than just academic excellence. I wanted this class to work on a mega-project work on Service Learning. They chose to raise funds for the Children Cancer Foundation (then, 'housed' under NKF) They worked hard to organise themselves, interacted with the cancer children and brought them to Jurong Bird Park and used their works to make into artifacts to raise funds through auction. Everything well as I planned and kids grew closer, genuinely caring for the less priviledge. In June, the NKF's TT Durai golden tap case was blown out and different ministries got involved. MOE gave a stern warning to stop all fund raising for NKF. My P called me to stop the project even though it was towards the end- right before the actual fund raising segment. I had to gather the kids and explained to them and of course to recognise their hardwork. Yet, magically, during the post SL reflection, the boy who once told me to don't waste time on non academic related project work matters, stood up and reminded the class why we did what we did. He said that while he was assigned to be Hafiz's buddy (the patient who needed to carry an oxygen tank everywhere he went) over the two days of interaction, he realised that he was so much more fortunate. This once proud and arrogrant boy said "Its not pity he wanted from us, its friendship" these words still etched in my heart til today. It was these words that got the whole class to tell me that I should not just stop this project so abruptly. I was beyond my wits. While the kids were crying becos each of them remembered the interaction they had with the patient buddy over the two days, I too was touched …but really I was beyonf my wits. After that sobbing session, the boy came to apologise for what he said at the start of the year… he shared that he was abused by his step father as a child and was often branded ‘useless’ by this step father. He told himself since than that he will work hard and not be looked down upon. He reminded so much of myself. If u remember I once shared that as a child I was violated physically near school compound and no teachers believed in my story becos I was a ‘bad boy’ who often fought with school prefects- I vowed to be a good teacher one day… and since then worked myself up both academically and in behaviour and rose to be a prefect… his convictions reminded me of who I was and why I wanted to become a teacher…

AnywAY, the class by consensus said they will take over since they know that my P did not allow this project to carry on. As 13 year old sec one students of the top class, they secretly called for a Meet the Parents Meeting and asked the P along as they presented their revised plan so that they could finish what they wanted to do. They coerced the parents to gather permission and to convince the P they will finish up their project by a month and not let their grades drop at all. Scary to say, their revised plan was even more grand than what was initially planned for... I know I couldn't support it along and yes, poitically speaking, i should not. Some of colleagues heard about it and volunteered to help and gave their time over the weakends to be involved. Even other classes (both upper and lower sec classes volunteered to support this 'grand plan'). I really couldn’t do it at all and was fearful of the repercussions every step. Yet, in the end, it was the class, the volunteers- parents, other classes and my colleagues that showed me that it was possible. In the end, this story was featured in the papers, it won awards but the credit was not mind. Minister Vivien Bala… on stage whispered “you must have been a great inspiring teacher…” but you know, I knew in my heart, perhaps it was just a brief moment of greatness with a lot of risk at stake- for which I could have been suspended or sacked from MOE for defying higher orders. But intuitively, I think I knew i just had to do it even with the risk at stake. In that lesson session for 811, one of the things I was hoping, for which none of you said, but was reflected by someone else in my FB, was the need for group learning- peer development. You know why teachers segment work from friendship- why cant departments grow becos they want to see the best in students- and are willing to unpack what defines ‘best’? I tell you… with all the work in LS that I do in schools… I outright reject schools that say, help us to show that LS can improve results…. I m sorry… improving results is a by-product. John Yeo loves John Dewey … ok perhaps I am getting overboard and pls great teachers should not get runk... This is not my NI…

The crux of the matter is….Why do you really need to bother about the final paper… let me explain from a personal perspective… I did my masters in US… I wanted to really learn how to be a great teacher (even though we are all created different) to inspire teachers to teach more creatively (because teaching is really sometimes a ‘wicked’ job)… and till this day, why I choice to b seconded to NIE even though I was given option to eb a school leader…. Becos I think teachers to recognize that their work is not in vain, tat we need to have research to encourage Singapore teachers to continue the good work we are doing. I was offered a teaching position with full scholarship in a US university… this to an Asian is a rare opportunity. To b reallllllllllllllllllllllllllllly honest, I miss being a classroom teacher, but I am clear why I m here. I believe strongly that research informs practice and we have so much good work going here in SG… I m jealous of the good work you are doing in the classroom but I know God put me here for a purpose… you know,,,, I lost my second child due to a miscarriage when I was in US… yet my good wife told me, if you believe in what you hope to do, then persist. It was a difficult decision then to stay on, I was a top student in my cohort and my research project was gaining so much traction yet…. I believe sincerely that the way this final paper was crafted…. with all my heart that this VISION paper will be something that its all worthwhile as you truly seek for your own navigator. Look beyond the grades and write it ONLY FOR YOURSELF.

I feel sad. I feel sad that this is the last sem I am teaching 811, that I will miss the wonderful learning from each of you. Perhaps, unlike other modules where there is plenty of 'know-hows', just like Borko (2009) says a wicked problem has no one correct answer, that its contextually bound, dynamic and interrelated. May your time invested in the group project and final paper be a personally meaningful and fruitful learning experience. While I continue to think about how may I challenge these 800 teachers to greatness (I m not proposing that creative teaching as a mainspring of greatness)... yes, this was also part of my own vision paper- to inspire teachers to be more creative educators. I just like to thank each and everyone of you for such a wonderful learning experience for me in 811.

Before I close and perhaps to sober up to think about my 800 teachers presentation… teaching is an emotive work… why did you think I trick you into opening up and talking about the emotional labor of teaching in session 3… o my goodness…. Before I regret doing what I m doing…. Pls know I sincerely looked upon you as my friend n teacher in 811….

Sincere thoughts and blessings

JOhn

P.S. in Chinese… they say.. jiu hou tu zhen qin… after wine, is where find the most ‘real’ you. I know it’s a risk, but hey… I don’t really care… I just wish for each and every one of you to aspire greatness in what you can do and will do as a teacher and school leaders…. To me… there are just too few great teachers around. May 811 take you along for your journey of your Greatness..

What has God got to do with Chicken Rice?

2010-09-27T17:41:00.000-07:00

I was talking to a close brother in Christ- Edmund Nai on prayer and I found it easy to ask him why I often felt so 'distant' from our heavenly Father. He asked me in return- "What do you teach about when someone asked you how to communicate effectively?" Interesting as I could sense where he was leading me with this abstraction exercise. I listed the following: Need to be honest and real, genuine interest to discuss, keep an open mind, active listening, waiting, pacing, body language, willingness to accept no response, not be judgemental, etc. The logic than became a clear fit for me- have I practiced the above if I was genuinely communicating with God. Wonderful points of reflection! Hearing God's voice was something we desired and he shared the need to have a strong desire and pure heart, laying aside our pre-conceptions and focus on communicating honestly with God as a process for spiritual growth.

Before we closed, Edmund invited me to close my eyes and ask- "What does God FEEL towards me?" I clarified- 'think' OR 'feel'? Yes FEEL was the focus. In order to 'feel close' as that should be nothing that can hinder us from the love of God since the redemption has already been paid on the cross. I was excited and ready, but was I really ready? I prayed and asked but somehow, was unable to clear the ~~olfactory, tempting,~~ distraction- wonderful fragrance of chicken rice that someone was dining in a nearby place. Quite shamefully, I opened my eyes and confessed that I was distracted .... by the smell of chicken rice. Edmund in that instant shared that he actually felt the urge to remind me while I closed my eyes that sometime God uses the immediate images to speak to us- and this had nothing to do with the chicken rice then. He indicated that since what he felt was exactly how I was 'stuck' in that moment- perhaps that 'smell' was so distinct and it really did not happen by chance. And perhaps this was also God's creative way of speaking. I closed my eyes and asked again, "God how do you feel towards me?". This time, the smell reminded me of how much I delight in food and that immediately connected to how God delights in my happy giving- giving to others, to enjoy fellowship or simply being who I really am- a happy and creative individual. I found peace in this strange yet comforting sense of understanding and chose to accept it. The next moment I opened my eyes, the guy eating the chicken rice had already left.

This unusal yet powerful experience was a timely reminder that we serve a very creative God. While I often teach others to use the Visual Connections as a creative strategy to find new ideas, little did I know that God can use the same trick to enlighten me too! If God places in me a desire to seek for novelty, than the Father of all Creation can use this same disposition to creatively connect with us- in a way that is most easy, comforting and close to our hearts. Unusual yet, beautifully meaningful at a personal level.

Creativity is the ability to look at the ordinary, and see the ... extraordinary.

Dewitt Jones

An interesting Facebook conversation from something so seemingly trivial

2010-08-06T19:43:00.000-07:00

I posted this on Facebook last week after a conversation with Joshua.

On my FB wall, I wrote- Son just asked me-" 爸爸, u r a science teacher, can u tell me why my teacher say when we put our underwear in the freezer, it can help save the earth?" I m trying v v hard to defer judgement.... What should I say ????

- Frederick Chong Tell teacher,"My daddy tried but he's no superhero still.."
  Thursday at 10:45pm · ·
- John Yeo Good one Fred... Thanks for reminder. Now to go look for my red cape. Maybe my old and torn crocodile undies be helpful too...
  Thursday at 10:54pm · · 2 peopleLoading... ·
- John C Lim i really would like to know what is the teacher's answer to that remark. If he/she cannot give an acceptable answer, MOE should need to answer parents what kind of teacher they had employed to
  Thursday at 11:24pm · ·
- Loo Kang Lawrence Wee not everything people say is true. Decide and verify yourself the validity of that hypothesis
  Thursday at 11:40pm · ·
- John C Lim
  allow me to rephrase. "kids are kids. they are in a learning mode. They will absorb what their teachers teach to be true. It is good that Josh will ask Teacher Daddy, but not all parents pay extra attention to what their kids learn, and for... some when parents ask, they simply do not respond, so, the children assume what they learn in school is correct. My daughter will came home one day and argue with me about 'rain rain go away', because the tune was somewhat out of rhythm, i corrected her. Her reply was, 'no, teacher teach me is like that'. so, kids accept what their teacher teach to be the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. Of course if we are talking to a secondary school kids or jc student, they are already at the stage where they know how to judge whether the teacher is teaching or joking. but at early childhood teaching, for me, age between 2 up to, even primary school, primary 3-6, we cannot expect children to judge accordingly. So, if there are teachers who teach such things, we as responsible parents should be ask what kind of teacher is that? and we should also ask, whether Singapore is really in a state of shortage of teachers, when we should take in 'tom, dick and harry' to teach our children? (of course, i had known good responsible teachers but this one is a black-sheep among the white ones.)"See More
  Yesterday at 12:38am · ·
- John Yeo
  Wow... Thanks for the very thoughtful comment guys. Interesting it's all the daddies staging this discussion. I think it's a matter of perspectives. Firstly, from a child's perspective, did he interpret what the teacher said accurately? At ...the very least, the teacher was highly successful in helping the child inquire about some scientific principles. There is a high level of logical reasoning involved here and I sincerely celebrate that the teacher was able to stir the curiosity of the young mind. Hypothetically, what does it mean to 'save the world'? Look at the quick connection Fred made immediately in his first comment. Rather then passing off as thinking it was a silly joke, is there value in verifying that question? Digging deeper, could there be certain excretory substance that contain some catalyst that can be activated below zero degree c? Ever wondered how Viagra, penicillin, or post-its came about? From a parenting perspective, I am more curious to ask my wife why she wanted Josh to ask me that question- was it stemming from an intent of ignorance, of wonder (and amusement) or of (loving) trust that the scientific father may know better??? Now I am really curious ....See More
  Yesterday at 4:43am · ·
- Frederick Chong
  I can't help but think everyone is over-analysing this simple statement. 1. Cold gonads, less thinking of reproduction, hence less over-population.
  2. Cold gonads, prolonged sensation of feeling cool, hence less need for air-conditioning (think electricity, heat, fossil fuels)See More
  23 hours ago · ·
- Allan Yeo wow i need to hang out with all of you more. Science out of my area and after reading this post, i've already learnt so much more about my freezer
  13 hours ago · ·

Sometimes you really never know what social media platforms like FB can do in terms of knowledge co-creation. From the above discussion, there was so much to learn about critical and creative thinking and more importantly, how people can read/ misread information. All said and done, I am lurving it!

The Brick

2010-07-06T19:01:00.000-07:00

The following story received was an encouragement during days where I felt constantly 'heated' while roving on the roads. I was 'hateful' of so many different drivers- those zooming past recklessly, those far too slow-and-steady type, the lady drivers who don't seem to give a hoot of external road conditions. I always ended feeling angry. I may only drive a humble red Honda jazz but this still serves as a timely reminder.

A young and successful executive was traveling down a neighborhood street, going a bit too fast in his new Jaguar. He was watching for kids darting out from between parked cars and slowed down when he thought he saw something. As his car passed, no children appeared. Instead, a brick smashed into the Jag's side door!

He slammed on the brakes and backed the Jag back to the spot where the brick had been thrown. The angry driver then jumped out of the car, grabbed the nearest kid and pushed him up against a parked car shouting, 'What was that all about and who are you? Just what the heck are you doing? That's a new car and that brick you threw is going to cost a lot of money Why did you do it?' The young boy was apologetic. 'Please, mister...please, I'm sorry but I didn't know what else to do,' He pleaded. 'I threw the brick because no one else would stop...' With tears dripping down his face and off his chin, the youth pointed to a spot just around a parked car. 'It's my brother, 'he said 'He rolled off the curb and fell out of his wheelchair and I can't lift him up.'

  Now sobbing, the boy asked the stunned executive, 'Would you please help me get him back into his wheelchair? He's hurt and he's too heavy for me.'

Moved beyond words, the driver tried to swallow the rapidly swelling lump in his throat. He hurriedly lifted the handicapped boy back into the wheelchair, then took out a linen handkerchief and dabbed at the fresh scrapes and cuts. A quick look told him everything was going to be okay. 'Thank you and may God bless you,' the grateful child told the stranger. Too shook up for words, the man simply watched the boy! push his wheelchair-bound brother down the sidewalk toward their home.

It was a long, slow walk back to the Jaguar. The damage was very noticeable, but the driver never bothered to repair the dented side door. He kept the dent there to remind him of this message:'Don't go through life so fast that someone has to throw a brick at you to get your attention!'   God whispers in our souls and speaks to our hearts. Sometimes when we don't have time to listen, He has to throw a brick at us. It's our choice to listen or not.

Its so hard to say Goodbye 2

2010-06-08T21:51:00.000-07:00

From a very special group of fun loving yet hardworking students, the poster and the shirt were some of the most sentimental farewell gifts I received many years ago. Unfortunately, the poster needs to be taken down from my study room after all these years. Thank God for technology and how Blogs can help preserve memories....

Sigh... This was indeed a very special class to me. The unforgettable 2N1. They were initially a pretty tough bunch to motivate them to learn Science during Sec 1. However, getting to know their interest better, I realised that the best strategy was simply to find wacky themes that were related to the topic I was teaching.

I can vaguely remember some of the topics:

Using Super heroes on learning about the physics topic of Forces (yes, I wore a red underwear outside my pants to class);
Frying Chay Tow Kway on learning about Heat Changes and
Playing with Lego bricks to build sperms and eggs to learn about sexual reproduction.

It was definitely pretty wild to teach science back then with such crazy ideas. Thankfully, I managed also to 'wow' them.

Shortly after I left the school, the class appeared on the local news ...
http://www.gazotube.com/pN0zS9XgWoQ.html

BUT little did I realise, I was also 'posted' onto youtube ...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vNHrrvoGxE4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hjj912yQpSE&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RNrDEi6Dd54&feature=related

As the students have all graduated and moved on in their lives, I can but only cherish such fond memories of the days I was still a classroom teacher! 2N1 rockx!!!

From Super Yeo... presenting my 2 little Super Heros!!!

Its so hard to say Goodbye 1

2010-06-08T11:51:00.000-07:00

Torn between NOKIA and IPHONE

I loved my Nokia-s!!!

Was deleting Air Supply's "Goodbye" from my list of ringtones and the lyrics lingered. After more than 15 years of sticking faithfully to Nokia, I have decided to abandon ship for a new found love- iphone.... (now waiting to lay my hands on iPhone 4). However, with my last Nokia E63 I had a habit of collecting some of the more meaningful/ interesting/ crazy/ encouraging/egoistic sms-es. Here's my attempt to re-capture them before I bid these memories a final sayonara..then re-adjusting to the new sms interface in iphone.

My Favorite SMSes - Stored Memories in Nokia (in nearly chronological order-bkwds)

From my wife- On my ups and downs from June 2009 to May 2010......

"Pls also honor your work by doing well too. Love you"

"Hubby, you got 2 lots of dbs@ 15.30 and 1 lot @15.02"

"After what u did, I m falling very much in love with you again"

"We are alright. Yr son didn't want to speak with you. I guess he is upset and misses you. He told me he feels like crying in school but didn't. Then he told me he's a good boy."

"You are most welcome. I stayed up to wait for you although sleepy. Because I missed you and your supper... ha ha"

"Don't be. Whatever difficult times and impossible, we (with our helper) have coped through those times. There is no mountain too big to move. You can do it and will be bk to SG next wk. Why don't you go out and hav some fun... lonely and freedom days for you going to b over soon. We love you. Joanna is better already. Thank God!"

From F* (NIE MLS student, I/2010)- On my teaching style ...

"I've always thought u have your unique ways of connecting with people. And beyond the intellectual facade, you are a very interesting fellow- a very real person with good witty humor."

"You are amazing. What you shared in class earlier was so enlightening. Thats what made you stand out as our tutor! Oh... $ the big flashy smile... how do you keep that smile when you are teaching a half-dead class from 6-9pm???"

From L*, MEd student in 811 (HOD, Sports School, I/2010)- Writing his Narrative Inquiry ...

"Thanks for the email encouragement ..."Overwhelmed by complexity" is what I'm facing now...it is much easier to comment on pedagogy or critique research than to confront myself (and back it up with literature)"

From Z*, MEd student in 811 (LH, B** Pri, I/2010)- Drawing courage to confront a professional dilemma ...

"It has always been a privilege to be challenged by you... thank you for always provoking us to think in so many more dimensions. After yr class last night, I realised that my students are the ONLY reason left for staying in the service. I may decline the promotion but at least I am clearer why. Thk u John"

From K*T*, MEd student in 811 (Dover ITE)- Just a random question I guess...

"If d bottom line for bizs is profit, what is d bottom line for public schs?"

From M*, MEd student in 811 (Pre-school business owner) - Her reflection of the class...

" Definitely its a learning journey we take together. But self-disappointment is somethg th needs to b addressed in the process. It was a pleasure to cook for you all. Won't take up any more of yr time... Anyway, ur feedback and post essay thoughts gave me some ideas on how to further my business. Thks...Sleep tight"

From T*, (MLS student) ... (something i can't really remember) ....

"Refer to the tree metaphor you drew in class. Maybe u r at a stage of deciding whether u shd grow a new branch?! Or graft another species?!"

From J*, MEd student in 803 (Nanyang Poly lecturer) -Group's presentation ...

" Thank you john for being sensitive. Honestly, I realised thgs didnt turn out as we planned. The grp spent many hours trying to find our how we can put our journey together. I enjoyed the process n realised my own gaps in my professional learning, n d gifts i brought to d grp learning. Just a qn, my ideas about a future curricula i admit is radical, bt i wake up every morning knowing deep in my psyche that this is my purpose in life. I just dnt know whr to channel this belief towards. There are far too many challenges leading my dept... I wish you can be our advisor, can?"

From Siew Huey - How CPS revealed some deep 'Ahas'...

"Oh I also wanted to thank you for the insight - that we should focus on creating solutions that we have direct control over rather than attempting to change our clients. I'd been taking that latter approach and frankly, it has been very exasperating. So basic yet so easily overlooked!"

From Helen, student I taught 10 years ago in Temasek Poly- Hopelessly 'jia lat' at work ...

" Dear God, bless uncle john with extra grace to go thru this, extra productively to faster complete the work, extra strength to carry on, extra rest to feel refresh and extra joy to replace any depressive feelings and extra dose of your presence too! In Jesus name we pray, amen! :) Jia you... ha3. I'm also saying tat prayer for myself as well, while tearing hair liaoz..."

From Kay Yen (NUS buddy, Zoo-mates, my best man, Josh's presch P) - Joshua-my son...

" ... and so Joshua said, "Are you strong Mr Kayne?". "I think I am.", I replied. "I think I'm stronger, because I'm wearing power ranger cloths today." :)

"Your boy has yr creative streak, and shows consideration for others too. Think he got good alleles man. Good job dude. I believe he can rise to the occasion."

From Carol, Godly sis since MOE 07- Our 'unofficial' marriage and family counsellor ...

" You can pray! There are many things we cannot do but only He can! Esp when it comes to issues dealing with the hearts of our spouses. Have faith! We can move mountains if we hv faith as small as a mustard seed. Speak to the mountains of hopelessness and hostility and command them to be removed in the name of Jesus. U r the spiritual head of ur home, and u hv been given much power by God to lead ur family. Ur children need ur spiritual covering. This is spiritual warfare at work. Visualise a peaceful morning at home- Everyone waking up with a smile. U praying for each one after breakfast. It may involve u being more involved with the morning routines. Or there may be children's christian music in the bkgrd to help build energy into the kids and the home atmosphere. Or reward the family with a treat when there is peace. Many creative ways to set up the home to achieve the outcomes u want. It all starts with prayers and vision :>"

"Remember to PUSH... Pray until Something Happens, my fren."

"Hi John and Van. It's always a pleasure to hang out with ur family. U r blessed with great kids. Its a huge milestone when our kids enter P1 and I had my share of anxieties. I was reminded that my kids are not mine, but His. We r but stewards, specially picked by Him to raise the kids. He entrusted into our hands. So, he will give us wisdom and guidance on how best to raise His kids. He will plant the right pp in our paths and open the right doors at the right time. So long as we stay close to Him and lean on Him. He has blessed me in my parenting journey and He'll bless you too. Cast yr cares on Him."

From Carol - Parenting Talk on Creativity...

"I m planning for another parents meet-up at Grace Kids. Is there anything in ur heart tt u wish more parents should know and tt u cld share with them on? Nurturing creativity? Thinking skills?"

From OTT (ex-colleague in CPDD) - Review on creativity workshops & Apple-s...

" Bro, how r u? Just 2 let u know that the creativity workshops were well received. I did 2 runs. Btw, this message was sent from my new iPhone, impress? Thinking of getting a MacBook now, leaving the pc camp, middle age crisis, I suppose...."

From Vara (ex-colleague from LL1) - God's blessings for my new job...

"As you begin a new season of yr life I pray for you God's blessings. May you find favor with oyur leaders and your peers and may you grow to be a blessing to others in yr new workplace."

"Psalms 84:10-12. If God has said no, He has a good reason. Trust Him :)"

From Martin (ex-colleague from LL1)- 'OP' during a CPDD seminar...

" Fluency: ME- Clearly comfortable with language but some mumbling and slurring at end of sentences. Awareness of Audience: EE- Excellent eye contact, appropriate hand gestures, effort made to scan and address whole room, friendly, and confident. Dullness of content not his fault"

From Cindy (ex-colleague from LL1)- Challenges in Action Research...

" I've been struggling with same qns. I think like what we agreed, motivation to succeed (leading to hardwork on students' part) is the basic reqmt w we hardly can observe from lack of commitment to task. WE team works cos the blending of diversity needs boys to hold onto their beliefs, views, and bring them to gp. That's why we even hardly observe friction due to difference in opinions cos this lack of creative abrasion may b necessary to bring about productivity n that may lead to creative products due to synergy from interaction. Th said, it illuminated for us some essential reqmt for WEteams for education n this ripple effect observation in itself is results for our initial hypothesis."

From Lyvenne (ex-colleague from CPDD) - Missing me?!!#! ...

"I think you and yr team did such a great job your presence was sorely missed. Thank you for re-energising the whole CPDD... you sure kept Ms Ho dancing and leaping..."

From a G* (P of a eastern top sch) - Managing teachers and credibility...

"This is my pet peeve... I will be like "Do yr job well b4 we talk about welfare. Cos those who r great relationally in my sch tend to suck at credibility! One reason why sending me bk to *** is not a grand idea cos I have a reputation as the empress dowager even as a HOD. Anyway I v stressed... am curious abt upping my social part. Those are some of the issues I struggle wif w is y i tend not to place emphasis on social when the so called 'core' isnt done. But then again, you are somewhat correct- to others, the 'core' might be the social aspects."

From Mark (SH, St Gabs Sec)- Stoning....

"If no pebbles, cannot appreciate ripples. Somebody has to be the stone. I kinda fit that description well. Today I super stone."

From JJ- Thoughts creativity and brainstorming ...

"Visuals serve as powerful reminders of basic trigger point- explicit about its edge. Celebrating the experience rather than product (high touch) invite clients to experiment n create their own experience. Cold stone ice cream- this is where u get to invent yr ultimate indulgence. Same raw materials but mixes in somthg original n memorable... co-creation and empowerment."

"Changing the behaviours of small parts of experience can make big difference- So what r we generalising about behavioural preferences? Eg. Turning public toilet exp inside our- see thru 2-way mirror. Defining element is the experience."

"What's the big deal w style over substance? Selling a mood n sensibility wrapped with design, story telling and humor. Results- market appeal proved its point. SO what's dull? Its only as dull as yr imagination."

From Ai Noi (ODD)- Thoughts on Workshop...

"ha3.. can see dat u were tired after the workshop. :) U gave new light to the common tools, thats my greatest takeaway. Dat there is more than 1 ay of using and lookg at these tools. Also discover we share some similar perspectives towards curriculum and pedagogy. Many of folks commented that you are highly reflective person and yr experience really was v helpful to all of us.. thanks!"

From Peggy (TN)- Joint consultation with SCGS...

" Thanks John.. I leArnt so much just watching u in action. I particularly like yr composure n professionalism. I think i m ADHD type of tr. U r v reassuring to e trs. Good content knowledge and if since u could use so many strategies of engagement, u got all the lady trs go ga-ga over you. U win liao."

From Edwin (old old friend and creative collaborator) -Library book...

"Can you pl help me borrow a book 'Curriculum Theory: conflicting visions and enduring concerns' by Micheal Schiro. I can come to Punggol to get the book from you."

From Moses (my other creative collaborator)-... I can't remember ...

" Was riding on the shoulders of giants. Or maybe as they say, great minds think alike. And fools seldom differ. Ha3!"

From Dianna L (old dancing partner in Synergy NUS)- Secret research ...

"What r u, edwin and moses plannin- sounds mysterious and exciting. Anways, be awesome! Vincent is holding a health talk, come if you can"

From Yan -On something v interesting but I can't remember the context ...

"Btw, I told ed abt yr wish to have another kid. He says u dun hav to wait 40yrs or when u r 40. Just wait another 40days."

From George Lim (Crusade bro in NUS) -Temptation ...

"Its not easy, and we have to keep trying. There are 3 phases to temptn: 1. your heart desires. 2. you try to rationalise whether or not to yield to it. 3. you test it out... once pass phase 2, chances are there is little turning back. So, once you recognise you're in phase 1 or 2, quickly curb it. No temptation has seized us except what is common to man. God will not let us be tempted beyond what we can bear. Lets FLEE from Temptn tog!"

From Carol - .My struggles during my studies ...

God is stretching u and thru the process strengthening u. Its also a chance for everyone in family to grow and better understd their capabilities. Be assured that everything is under HIS control. He has a good plan for you and yr family. Stay the course my fren. "

From Weixiu - More on struggling abroad during my studies...

"Be strong k? He will take care of u - Josh will grow up to be a man like u taking care of mum and sis"

From Hong Li - Family disputes...

"A word for both you and me. Deposit your love bank, not withdraw. Van love john for God. John, listen to your wife for God. Not easy for both of you. But I know God's miracle will happen in your marriage. Let your marriage work out in Christ. Pray for one another and the children."

From Ban Heng (Friend and colleague in RVHS)

"I guess relationships take time to build. I am learning to let God take the centre focus, and direction of our lives. Treasure all that you have and hav that total dependency upon Go to have real contentment and peace and rest."

Being a Christian parent

2009-12-28T20:34:00.000-08:00

As my ex-preacher (now a missionary) shared her struggles with bringing up her adopted baby in China, I am again tugged in my heartstrings for parents with similar challenges. Below is my reply to her capturing some of the recent thoughts on this issue.

Hi LK...

Last week I tried something you wrote in your last letter. I bought a Christmas cake so that I could bring some cheer to my Joanna and Joshua. Like what you wrote, I shared the Christmas story again before we sang the Happy Birthday song to J.ith the kids. That said, that night was good as the kids were attentive. Sadly, I was not able to move on... to the growth and development of J. Several reasons really- I was away the second night to continue the story, third night kids were 'sick' of the cake and perhaps the story part II and III. sigh. But thanks to you, I am glad it was a start that I could take the opportunity to keep talking more about J. with my two precious little j-s. HOwever, I think the kids got it that Christmas is not about only presents and party, cos at least for my Joshua, he was quite 'in-tune' during the church's Christmas celebration.

Your two recent letters spoke to me as well cos little joanna was quite ill last weekend and it always strikes the heart of any parent with such instances. Didn't help that I was praying for a friend's son who was born on 12 Dec but had to be hospitalised since then. I am thankful God answered prayers cos baby Aden finally went home on the 28 Dec! Reason I am sharing this is that I am thankful God brought you on this journey of parenthood. Its never easy and when you shared about how you felt like the Israelites unhappiness in the wilderness, that really spoke volumes of our humanity and how often I personally struggled to hold onto our heavenly Father's hands. As Wenwen continue to grow, I know that the many surprises and joy will fill your heart just as it does sparkle that love for Vanessa. Right now, she is undergoing the phase of the kids' "stickiness" to her.... (makes me wonder too how not impt the role of papa is). I think thats where the test of motherhood is while the kids are still young. Am happy too to read of your alibi's fellowship. Maybe its an age thing but this sort of company and just knowing that there are close friends whom you can bond with in terms of exchange of parenting tips sure helps. Be grateful for them just as I am always grateful to the 'mother club' in our service. At least it keeps my wife sane for a few precious hours! You know, its a bit hard to remain 'Christian-ly' in our fits of fury and frustrations (and now I know why God kept giving us chance after chance). I completely (and helplessly) empathize with Van on the moments when she just needs to let 'steam'.

On Christmas morning, my cell group planned for a get-together. I was both looking forward to the event not only for the fellowship but also to draw near to our Father that morning. In fact, on the way there, I even told Joshua in the car that God spoke to me to encourage Josh to seek him as J said to do unto those who need help. Alas, on the way, I knocked into a motorbike and the instant of being caught with my car plate noted by an on-looker left me frightfully running away after shifting the bike back in position. So much for getting ready to worship God and leading the rest into a time of fellowship. While strumming the guitar, I felt so 'unreal' and the topsy turvy feeling was very distracting. On the way back, after praying with Van, we decided to do the right thing and go back to put a notice on the bike to ask the driver to call me. We prayed for a 'kind' driver and true enough, God again answered our prayer and the driver returned call and was kind enough to settle with some repayment. We were glad we did the 'right' thing.

Anyway, welcome to the parenting club and don't despair in your parenting journey ok. Fact that you are doing all these in PRC is already something deeply admirable and highly respectable. Praying for you and your family!

Blessings
JOhn

Was it my procrastination that led to a lost opportunity?

2009-10-18T19:08:00.000-07:00

I was very disappointed with myself last Saturday. An idea that I have been conceiving for months to create a Facilitation Tool kit and market it commercially went 'Boomz' upon realisation that a similar product was released very recently in US. With the past few sessions of workshops for different clients and schools, I realised that there was immense power with non-verbal visualisation that I harness during brainstorming with groups. That said, I was ready to collaborate with a SK who is a pretty cool photographer. We brainstormed several ideas to make this kit a holistic package for various purposes and were excited with how we could develop this commercially. We were ready to submit our joint proposal for a entrepreneur award with funding to prototype our concept. Over the weekend, I felt that my months of excitement and ideas just went down the drain when I read what the newly released package had to offer- the same ideas that I had. Can I re-focus to develop something better? How might I work on the new idea now that I know what are the various resources I have?

Thanks to Kerry Flowers- for your timely dose of humor.
I guess I just have to wait for Noah to come back to pick me up...

Know thy style

2009-09-28T19:31:00.000-07:00

One of my personal highlights of 2009 was to be invited to speak in a Global Brain Summit in Vail. After the last couple of workshops/talks in China, Hong Kong and Malaysia, I was wondering if God would be stretching me further in this new role. Yet, I know that with every single presentation I present, the amount of pre-work invested was tremendous. Take for example this talk in Vail. As I recalled, the 5 days prior to arriving in Vail, I was up every single night working and re-working on my slides while giving up on a much needed sleep, not to mention overcoming the jetlag from the 24 hours of flight from Spore to Denver. That said, I knew that my hardwork did payoff afterall as the social red brain was gleaming with joy from the feedback of the participants. Yet, I was searching for something deeper, if God will is for me to bless others with the words I speak. I needed to find an alignment: Who am I really onstage and offstage? What do I have to offer- more than inspiring others with my passion and my ideas?

As I was seeking an answer, a friend offered some insights. In an email conversation, we talked about several issues and learning points. Here's an excerpt from my conversation with a dear friend, Edd Brown (thanks EDD!):

You are a great and enjoyable spirit. Your zest for life is infectious.

You have a great presentation style. Let me quickly say that what I liked is that you took who you are in regular life and put it right up on stage. You were not a different person on stage as many presenters are. You have a natural gift that draws people to you off stage- and you were able to carry it with you on stage.

Off stage, you project a joie de vivre while simultaneously projecting confidence, warmth, competence, passion, respectfulness for others, and a belief in what you are doing. You are able to convey that on stage as well. That is so rare!
(Brothers-in-arm: Joshua, Colin, Edd, Perry, and me)

As I continue to ponder on my style, regardless of the format, I always seek to teach creatively. And what is more important to me is to plan my delivery to not only keep the participants' attention but to design in such a way to cause learning and retention of content to take place.

"Don't just throw the seed - grind it, bake it, slice it, and put a little honey on it." - Charles H. Spurgeon

A prayer of His Fatherly Protection

2009-09-16T03:42:00.000-07:00

Before I left for US, I was very anxious and sad that I will be leaving my wife alone to care for the two kids, especially when my domestic helper was granted her well-deserved Hari Raya leave. Yes, I was the undeserving one actually, but the opportunity to speak in an international conference was too good to resist. Yet, as the days drew closer, I was wondering if I was really irresponsible to have accepted the invitation while leaving my dear wife to fight her own battle.

This prayer was from a fellow sister-in-Christ from MOE. It reminded me that our heavenly Father will be there, in whatever circumstances.

Father, I want to thank you for the Dads out there like John. His heart is for his wife and children. Purify him and deepen his love for them as you so often do for Dads when they are away. May he he be faithful to take the time on the plane, in his hotel room to be still before you and hear Your guidance for him.

Be Vanessa's strength. May there be many joyful moments of extra closeness as she takes over the usual tasks done by their helper. May she and her mum draw closer together as they care for the little ones. May this be a chance for Vanessa to increase in ideas and confidence in caring for the kids as is so often the case when there are stretches of 24/7 with them.

Please protect the little ones. Please, by the power of your Holy Spirit, teach John new ways to pray for them as he thinks about them from far away. Please keep them from illness and injury. Thank you for Joshua's spirit of helpfulness and his parents' wisdom in giving him this washing uniform task. May he and his mei mei grow in wisdom, in stature and in favour with You and with people.

In Jesus' Name,
Amen

To Lucy, thank you so much for speaking the prayer straight to my heart. It not only affirmed me then, it also encouraged me to continue to be a good husband and father, for the rest of my life!

Wise words from a poetic friend- Joe Moreira

2009-09-03T20:00:00.000-07:00

The following emails from a new friend- Joe Moreira, managing editor of Ocean Geographic, are truly uplifting and amazingly pierced directly into some of my innermost thoughts and emotions. Reading them over and over again somehow mysteriously renewed some aspirations and ignited some of my deepest reflections.

3rd Sept. 09

Hi John!

How lovely to hear from you! Was a tad disappointed when I did not hear from you, for you certainly aren’t from the common ‘civil service’ mould; it’s not flattery bro, it’s the truth and you know it, for you struggle with this ‘mould’ whenever it makes its pass every now and then. Anyway, it was my desire, not your failure and indeed ‘late’ as it were, it is still infinitely better than never. Thank you John

Well you were a refreshing change; no airs, what you see is what you get, full of earnest enthusiasm and not caught in the brownie points syndrome. Well my good man, I’m no sage but perhaps as my dear late mom used to say, ‘like a dog you slog around the clock, but with little to show at the end of it all.’ (in malayalam of course)- and I would respond, ‘for it is not the end yet mom’!

Don’t worry unduly about remembering all the ‘magic’ that we convey with the greatest of sincerity to the world around us. If we do, then we will need to stop at the first ‘magic’. Life I suppose Is about living, not the fear of failing or forgetting. Nature is so kind and well programmed, that when we deviate or falter, she has a way of waking us up or pulling us back, without ever restraining our freedom! Such a wonderful working model given to human kind, but for want of power over another, we keep ignoring or rejecting this natural model of excellence for our own fallible ones of comparatives and competition.

Am in the middle of editing our next issue which must go to print by Saturday – and thus this reply so late in the day. Was working out my talkset for China Airlines which I will record later at 1030 hrs and chanced upon Lou Pearlman, the guy who became the boy band mogul after his success with the Backstreet Boys – responsible for so much ‘success’ and discovering talent that the world would have completely missed; and yet it all started in the evil heart and fraudulent mind of Lou Pearlman! History is littered with such anomalies, but nature judges not. It simply goes on, and evolves. However, humans do.

Being involved now in the ‘environment’ scene I am amused as I’m equally irked sometimes with all these ‘causes and campaigns’ that sprout like mushrooms everywhere. Veiled in goodness, but sourced in mindless fear. Yet to publicly decry this would be equally foolish, which I do declare from personal experience. Being ‘right’ need not necessarily be right. But pragmatism without morals is no better either; then the end will always justify the means however ruthless or cruel. This is not new to you John; I’m merely echoing what I sense in you. We will fail by our own rules; but nature never punishes us; it’s but a perception. She is there to always to redeem us if we will let her; guilt is an alert for the moment inviting us to lift from fear to love, not to live in eternal damnation.

You are good man John with a good head on strong shoulders with a big heart in the right place. Your children will teach you more than you would’ve learnt from scholars and paragons; another one of nature’s quirky gifts. I wish you great joy being the parent.

Cheers mate!
Joe

4th Sept 09

My dear John,

Despair not, your very kind words have redeemed you from my earlier disappointment! Ha x3.

Was rather bushed last night and decided to rest my tired and aging body; and awake this morning to a lovely email from you. Thank you John.

That we allow the greatness within each being, human or otherwise to manifest in our lives is perhaps the fundamental secret of the child that escapes the adult; and we were all children sometime in our lives. Fortunate then you are that this secret has not escaped you.

My congratulations on your new post at the NIE. Rick Warren's (Purpose Driven Church/Life) interpretation of Moses' calling to the burning bush, and God bestowing upon him the powers he needed for the given mission through what he held in his hands....the shepherd's staff, comes to mind. Often while we pursue and strive to reach the glittering stars above, sometimes we forget the beautiful flowers at our feet. Well at least that will not be your folly, for you know what you hold in your hands. My best wishes John!

I came with nothing into this world John, and will probably leave with nothing too; i own nothing. You are free to take and use anything as you wish John; that you have found purpose for my rambling thoughts, i'm honoured as i'm humbled. Enjoy the blogging. In his book, The Element, Ken Robinson's interesting observation of the 10000 hrs or more chalked up by the paragons in any given field, does bear some truth. An erstwhile pathway then to your writing endeavour.

Well my dear friend, before i ramble on again, it leaves me to wish you well and enjoy the gift of parenthood, which is no accident. Much awaits, and it starts with the little act of recognising the greatness in everything around us. The great day ahead awaits the great person who chooses to live it. Live it bro!

Cheers
Joe

Vanessa's 34th Birthday disaster

2009-09-02T09:02:00.000-07:00

The cake above looks like it went through quite a bit of knocking and slamming. Thankfully for the plastic wrapper around it, the shape is still pretty much intact.

Vanessa needed to visit her client in KL and attend the client's company function on her 34th Birthday. Joshua and I decided to follow her to KL, to celebrate her birthday. And to give her a surprise. In the end, it was more of a surprise to me than to her really.

While Van was busy meeting her client and preparing for the dinner, Joshua and I were enjoying ourselves in a movie marathon in the cinema beside the hotel. It was definitely much cheaper to watch movie in KL than in Singapore. We watched Harry Potter first followed by Transformers 2. In between we had Kenny Rogers for dinner and my, have the standard dropped so badly in KL that will be my last Kenny Rogers in Malaysia. (interestingly, my first ever Kenny Rogers was in KL more than 10 years ago and I will always remember the first taste of the fantastic corn muffins) After dinner, Joshua and I bought a cake and ordered to a bouquet of flowers for Van. Now, the disaster began when he fell asleep during the second movie and simply refused to wake up. Poor me had to carry him and pick up the cake and the flowers. Alas, luck was not on my side. The door that linked the hotel and the shopping centre was locked after 10pm. Man, I never felt more burdened then that evening where I had to carry both my son as well as the gifts. After walking round and round to find the next shortest route back to the hotel, I even pondered whether I should throw away some of the baggages, yes, even Josh. LOL....

Finally I found the exit and was so thankful for a moment when I saw a cab. However, that idiotic taxi driver simply refused to drive us back to the hotel as he claimed that it was only right behind. Man, who says CASH is KING??? Rubbish! Although deceptively close by, the two buildings are not exactly well connected and I had to make such a big detour. Finally, I was so exhausted I had to halt a car in the middle of the road to beg them to drive us round the corner.

Strangest thing of all was, Joshua throughout my agony refused to wake up and the moment we alighted at the hotel, he opened his eyes. I felt like strangling him in that instance.

Of course, the rest was history. And from the photos, you probably guessed that he was the 'shiokest' of us all.

A confession: Trapped in a world of Self-Deception

2009-06-22T14:40:00.000-07:00

This entry is dedicated to a special Angel- BH.

Dear me

The Petronas Twin Towers of in KL. 4 am on a cold Tuesday morning. A cluttered mind.

Think God has put this work trip for a greater purpose- not so much to mediate the tension at home but for you to take time to reflect, and plan how you should be a better person. You have been terribly 'lazy' and an irresponsible soul have you? You do realised that the you have unknowingly fulfilled the lust of the flesh. What has gone into your mind, resulting in not looking after this body- yes, lazy and self-indulgence.

Mo Mo wrote about his attempts to reach out to the lost souls. You were humbled in your deepened understanding that love and forgiveness go hand in hand. Thanks to an Angel- BH, you realised (and thankfully admit) that you have long forgotten the sweetness of truth- God's words. Face it, for the past months, you have lived a lie- a self deceiving illusion that you still know the truth. Honestly, the indulgence of your life- internet, food, sleep, and even work, have made you become more estranged from the word of our heavenly father.

BH's sharing of his divorce led you to realise that you need to start taking charge again. You don't need an Adam Khoo- you need to go back to God's words! The growing pride so silently creeped into your life that you thought everything was fine. But wait, your family relationships took a strain, and you even lost consciousness of watching your eating habits. These were clear signs that something is not quite right- something inside you. The little sins that so easily slipped into your life had become a heavy burden. For example, the slip of the tongue with an easy curse coming out were granted an OK. That led to conveniently finding more excuses to "fulfil the lust of the flesh" (Gal 5:16)

You yearned once again for the promise of being able to "Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with teh yoke of bondage" (Gal 5:1) At the heart of it all, you are humbled to know that the Father beckons to draw you back, to enjoy his forgiveness, and restore the relationship with Him.

At the departure gate on Sunday, the tearful beast in you was shouting out WHY IS IT THAT EACH TIME BEFORE I TRAVEL, THERE WILL BE SO MUCH UNHAPPINESS AT HOME? Think, it all started with a major breakdown with your father when you left for Hawaii in Sec two. Then the spiral cycle seemed to repeat thereafter. Perhaps, the emptiness of leaving home and stress of being all alone accounts for part of the reason. You felt so upset that you felt hypocritical to profess that you miss your family. Yet, you were really a good husband and father, the least you could do was to be a better help to your tired companion.

Right... so you questioned the value of LOVE. Rightly so. What should love really should be? Did you really "walk in love, as Christ also hath love us" (Eph 5: 2) Thank God you were humbled when you challenged your 'loving' assumptions - by the benchmarks spelled out in 1 Cor 13, clearly you were in a state of self-denial.

Love is patient; love is kind and envies no one. Love is never boastful, nor conceited, nor rude; never selfish, not quick to take offense. There is nothing love cannot face; there is no limit to its faith, its hope, and endurance.

At first you blamed SA Tan. You claimed it was his way of disrupting my preparation to lead worship. (thank God you didn't give in and walk away that Sunday morning) The blame game is always so easy- just point your fingers. But the Spirit was gentle to rebuke and used the song 'People Need the Lord' to remind you that - YOU need the Lord. Interesting too that the sermon reminded you that when God binds a man and a woman in marriage, the Word remains in them.

As the sun is about to rise, you realised that you do cherish this moment. May you always remember that just as our Father extends his arm of forgiveness, may you never forget Paul's invitation to "Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh." Gal 5: 16

Thank you for being honest and courageous

yourself

p.s. The pic was specially selected as a reminder that the sting of hurt to your vain ego during YOGOC wkshop. LOL!

My Paper Presentation "Incorporating Thinking Tools to Enhance Facilitation of PBL"

2009-06-13T15:44:00.000-07:00

Friday 12th June 09-

Random Thoughts on my very First Paper Presentation

In preparation:

First paper presentation- Incorporating Thinking Tools in PBL. Republic Poly's PBL conference on What are we Learning about Learning. Revisited the slides at 3am in the morning. Added TLLM's PETALS to provide context. Helps a little to add some credibility to mention that this was a refined work building upon my Masters project.Re-capped what Irene and I have envisioned to do with our paper. Included thoughts on future steps with currrent research projects with NHHS on metacognition. Irene's lovely slides saved the day.

Stress and Tension:

Very mind boggling experience presenting to a sea of researchers. Attending the earlier concurrent sessions were not exactly most ideal in preparation for my own session. Indications by senior management of Temasek Poly's, RP's SPAS, Australian's school administration attending my session of course, added to the stress level. Was highly critical and skeptical of some presentations. Validity and Reliabilty issues. Rita Roop was definitely one good cheer and a good dose of encouragment! Other presenters' weaknessses = my strengths/ For fear of 'difficult' questions- maximise my 25 min sharing so that less questions could be asked? Almost freaked out when I only prepared 40 copies of my presentation handouts. Student assistance helped print 30 more. My tag with the following - Ministry of Education, Singapore - definitely did not help. A Bishan Park Sec principal said, "I have been waiting for your presentation so that I can use it with my teachers". Glad that the two presentations before me were not too bad. Glad that I inserted a nice photo of me and josh with my email address to 'cushion' any difficult questions at the end. Doesn't help being the final presentation of the day. Encouraging email from Sue: "It will be great! Enjoy!!!!"

The Moment:

Took to the stage - trying to look confident. My jokes went "plapped" - prob too 'localised' for an international audience. Could not understand what the Indonesian was asking. Intended some long pauses during the presentation just to see the reactions of the Think my energy and enthusiam helped to wake up some of the sleepy heads. Was wondering: what on earth was she busily writing even though she had my slides. Glad that I pre-empt with statement: these are my thoughts as a practitioner with much room for further research. Plan to maximise my sharing was great. TIMES UP placard was flashed repeated when I was on slide 20 out of 28. First comment from audience: "Thank you for the very rich sharing...." Question One: Would you use all the tools in one go (my immediate thoughts: was that a trick question?) Question Two: Does your tool give everyone a fair chance to contribute. (glad I gave an anecdotal reply with how the affinity diagram gave a introverted student a chance to tell of his story) One of the toughest questions: Can your thinking tools be used for RP's 'One Day, One Problem' model? (definitely food for thought)

Thereafter:

People rushed forward to ask for a copy of my soft-copy slides. To give or not to give? I wished they engage me with more "tell me more about your ideas" question. The Australian P asked, are there more tools? The Malaysian presenter asked, how up-to-date are your tools and which of these were more business related? Another comment: "it would have been even better if your session was for a longer workshop so that we can learn more about the tools." Natasha- An old long-lost classmate came forward and waited patiently for me. Sue commented ang mo asked "so where is the control group" (my response: ??!!*)@I#@)$)_@). A fitting compliment: A very thought provoking piece with some nice contemporary ideas. Felt a sense of "lost" and "wonder" Got a sms from Irene: How goes?

Wasn't it a delightful experience?

The Dragon is Thirsty

2009-04-18T09:26:00.000-07:00

With my usual gung-ho spirit, I innocently accepted the assignment early this year to speak to different key personnels of various enterprises in Hong Kong and China. Before I left, I told Joshua and Joanna that daddy is only gonna be away for 5 very short days, yet deep down, this verbal assurance left me wondering if that was really so.

A very humbling learning experience indeed, a friend commented that I was flying in aeroplanes and taking trains as if I was taking a cab ride from Buona Vista to Punggol. Indeed, I arrived Hong Kong by noon on the 16th March and delivered my maiden presentation on 'Innovation and Creativity: Unlock the Creative Potential of your Company to Overcome Economic Challenges' by 2pm. The challenge of addressing a group of senior executives from companies like 3M, China Aeronautical, Sky Technology, Fujikon International, etc, was simply mind-boggling. That said, in my opinion, it was a good start basing on the responses and feedback of the participants. The other comfort, it was delivered in English. By 7pm, I was rushed to the Hong Hum train station for a 3 hours journey up to Guangzhou. The journey continued with rushing from airport to airport on a daily basis from Chongqin then to Beijing and Tianjin (both cities in one day) and then to Shenzhen before rushing through customs back in Hong Kong 5 days later.

That said, I must admit, it was a good stretch, in more ways than one. Not least of which, it has at least afforded this wide eyed 34 year-old a ringside view of China's rapid changes. Compared to my previous trips to China, the landscape has very much changed in a short span of 5 years. It was no longer so much a culture shock as a business shock, particularly in their strong business models and quality management matters. Today, the business environment in the cities I spoke in has advanced so rapidly, it left me wondering how long would it take for the whole of China to advance beyond what Singapore has accomplished in the past 40 years.

The biggest (and most horrific) challenge is to speak fluently in Mandarin. Thank the good Lord that ACS had kept C in the Anglo-CHINESE School, despite how ACS-ians are infamously known for our competency (or lack of) in our mother tongue. Thank God for a wife who knows my every weakness and thus got me a Bestas electronic handheld dictionary on the birthday this year. Everywhere I went, I felt like it was the most precious 武功密集. I was religiously translating and rehearsing my talking points every waking hour, especially after some vehement feedback. With all honesty, I value 'honest' evaluations like "老师有时用中文不能完全表达意思", or some even more blunt 'request' to "改善语言表达能力". Apart from the fact that the Chinese speak speak Putonghua, I struggled constantly to un-learn translating words from English phrases.

The consultancy firm that hired me assured me that the task would be an easy one since we Singaporeans are highly regarded for our "law-abiding-ness" and our strategic East meets West approaches. I was shortlisted for the task primarily because of my Masters from US as well as my other business ventures and experiences. Yet, during my in-depth discussions with the participants, it was obvious that the knowledge I had may not be directly applicable when dealing with the mainland businesses (less resistance though from HK). The 'stretch' here takes on a new level where I need to constantly adapt and adjust to meet the local needs and their expectations. In addition, acceptance did not come automatically even after "boasting" about my credentials and experiences in businesses. Some outrightly pointed out that my my young and boyish looks (o Lord... do preserve my youth) was an instant disadvantage and one even jokingly commented that I ought to dye my hair white the next time I return.

Jokes aside, I thank the good Lord for the opportunity to witness how Singaporean needs to open our eyes and be less complacent of our achievements. What we achieved in the past decade, in my opinion can be easily superseded by a double or even triple jump with how fast the China's gates are opening up to the rest of the world. I have not ready solutions to how we can even try to 'catch up'... new innovative programmes/models? Education as a fast way to build capacity? Government to take the lead to make bolder political moves for further partnerships? A friend I confided in even suggested that it may even come a day where we are imported as 'foreign talents' to be chauffeurs, tutors, nannies to the Dragon babies.

For now, I thank God for the an overall positive feedback considering my many fears and weaknesses. On a scale of 1 to 10, the report card says it all for the following seminars. (Shenzhen had a different feedback form)

Course applicability 内容适用性
Hong Kong- 8.09
Guangzhou- 7.47
Chongqin- 7.5
Beijing- 8.63
Tianjin- 8.00

Content organization 内容编排
Hong Kong- 8.27
Guangzhou- 7.31
Chongqin- 7.94
Beijing- 8.75
Tianjin- 7.71

Activities, Discussion, Practice & Case Study 活动、讨论、练习及案例
Hong Kong- 8.55
Guangzhou- 7.5
Chongqin- 8
Beijing- 8.75
Tianjin- 8.41

Further Comprehension 对内容有深入认识
Hong Kong- 7.91
Guangzhou- 7.06
Chongqin- 8.38
Beijing- 9.00
Tianjin- 7.35

Presentation Skill 表达技巧
Hong Kong- 8.81
Guangzhou- 7.83
Chongqin- 8.00
Beijing- 9.00
Tianjin- 8.06

Ability To Simulate Participants' Involvement / Interactivity 促进学员参与
Hong Kong- 8.45
Guangzhou- 8.25
Chongqin- 8.19
Beijing- 9.25
Tianjin- 8.94

Applicability to Business Needs课程适合工作需要
Hong Kong- 8.09
Guangzhou- 6.97
Chongqin- 7.06
Beijing - 8.00
Tianjin- 8.53

And since it was a seminar conducted in Chinese, the following feedback were really very heartening....

- 觉新颖但广告意识强

- 创新的灵感来自于身边的任何细节，善于思考

- 很适合目前创新型发展的理念，建设细致的工具和技巧

- 通过互动引出结论，道理应让人留下银翔

As my good old school motto says it best...The best is yet to be

愿一切荣耀与赞美归给上帝！

(just wondering when I will ever be able to start blogging in chinese.... LOL)

My EQ... on Facebook? QUite accurate indeed

2009-04-03T20:58:00.000-07:00

Facebook has a certain magnetic appeal in getting people to respond online... the frightening thing about it- to share (or more explicitly-to make public) private personal information. Yet, highly intrigued to find out whats my EQ- its an easy trap to 'play along' ????

John took the quiz What is your EQ (Emotional Intelligence Quotient)? and the result is Your EQ is 128

You usually have it going on emotionally, but roadblocks tend to land you on
your butt.On an average day, you're quite happy, together, and content. You live
your life well.Your emotions aren't always stable, but you can go along with the
ups and downs pretty well.You tend to be motivated, energetic, focused, and
level headed.You see the world pretty rationally, and you don't tend to over
dramatize things. When things are bad, you know they eventually have to get
better.

Whats ahead?

2009-03-28T00:51:00.000-07:00

I am at a new crossroad of my life... stuck in search of new directions, nothing to propel me towards any specific doors of opportunity (especially in times like these), I lay in silence praying to my Father who has guided me faithfully all these 34 years of my life.

The following paragraph from the http://parallelmind.wordpress.com/ touched my heart as I thought of what would essentially be considered of value years down the road.

The new paradigm is one of individual creativity and freedom. Creativity
and freedom cannot exist inside an environment of fear; they can only grow
inside a matrix of love and openness. The new paradigm will not have the kind of
security that comes from amassing great stores of money, or from building a
fortress against unseen enemies. Instead, we will find security in our
relationships and the quality of our lives. Our assets will be counted not in
cold hard cash, but in the measure of our integrity, in the health of our
children and society, in the quality of our goods and services, in the
inventiveness of our ideas, in the consistency of our friendships, and in the
honesty of our partnerships.

The story of a pen...and ugly people

2009-03-02T12:38:00.000-08:00

I held up a pen ... about to write.

Suddenly this pen remnded me of a story: one that illustrated the many facades of man's thoughts and the complexities around what kindness means.

Recently I witness something that was very disturbing in a hawker centre. A crippled and slightly autistic young lady was moving around slowly in Kovan selling pens for a dollar each. I bought a pen and continued to observe her and her interactions with others around.

Fact is, I got increasingly upset with how some unkind people simply shoo-ed her away, the way you would react to an irritate fly. One lady even turned her son's face away as the child wondered how they ought to respond to her. Did the girl deserve such a degrading response as even she suffered from leprosy? In her quiet ways, she was not persistent in selling her products and she simply walked away, expressionless. In my weak attempt to help her, I intentionally stepped forward before that mother and tried to donate some money to the girl. She surprised me with the rejection of the donation and pushed a pen into my hand. Was it blatant ignorance to my act of sympathy or a deliberate act to preserve her pride? None-the-less, I respected her decision.

Upon reflection, I only wished that even as there may be black sheeps among us, the kind hearted Singaporean spirit will prevail to discern and reach out to those who are genuinely in need. Yet in my heart, I was wondering if we still understand what makes our society a gracious one.

Out of curiosity, I decided to text some friends by sms to hear their point of view. Below were their replies:

My wife: Don't be sad. Just help within our own means cos maybe they have met so many to determine who's genuine.
Mr GY: Good on you that you cared! Take it easy. I guess those people are stressed by current climate.
Ms CL: She wants to do real work and so will not want to take money without selling her product. Yes, people are ugly and they need to know God. I would say buy pen if that gives you peace. Meeting people's needs is the first step in sharing the gospel in a practical way.
Ms SN: John, you encouraged me with your act. Ugly Singaporeans are everywhere. Even we are guilty at times. We just dun c the underbelly of S'pore enough. At times, I feel so lost too that I realised I am so unreal. Can't take the mask off, I am ugly too...
Ms YH: Despite her handicap, she is making a honest living. Well, you can't change those who rejected her but at least you did make a difference in her life.
Mr CH: What makes you think she really needs your $? Maybe she is part of a big syndicate? How much can a selling a pen, or a packet of tissue help her? Sometimes kindness does not pay. Maybe the people saw your act and may think otherwise about your intentions. Is that girl pretty?

The above responses were simply overwhelming. Not only because of the contrasting range of emotions and thoughts, but how a single situation may provoke very different perspectives. Indeed, this is a case of how natural checks and balances are already in place to maintain the core of our social fibre. Perhaps thats where individual creativity of making new connections can better our society as a whole.

Visionary thinking

2008-12-10T17:10:00.000-08:00

My morning quiet time led me to reflect the importance of vision. Hybels (1994) offers 3 definition of vision as an important character quality.

Vision is

a God-given ability to see posible solutions to the everyday problems of life;
the ability to see beneath the surface of people's lives
the ability to catch a glimpse of what God wants to do through your life if you dedicate yourself to Him. (Hybel, 1994, p.23)

Indeed, it was refreshing to study the biblical context of vision through the conversation of Jesus with the rich young man in Matthew 19:16-30. Questions that triggered me to think about my vision include:

Do I see myself obeying all of the commandments?
Am I willing to give up everything, i.e., my earthly possessions, to bless the poor and/or to submit to follow Christ as he beckoned with "Then come, follow me"?
At what cost?
Do I put my faith in God and fully surrender to the hope of "with God all things are possible" (Mat 19:26)?
Am I willing to be the last as Jesus reminded the disciples that the "many who are first will be last and many who are last will be first" (Mat 19:30)?
Does Jesus see me as a potential heir of the eternal life?
How do I honour God in the way I live my life?

Hybel provided an interesting analogy that if we fix our eyes on our problems, then its like spending our whole life spinning our wheels and cursing the mud. Conversely, if we cultivate vision and explore ways to deal with them, then "not only will you avert all sorts of discouragement, but you will also discover how much creativity and wisdom God wants to give his children who look to Him for help." (1994, p.23). Praise be to God for allowing us to come to Him and trust Him to open or close doors as we follow the vision He plants in us.

The promise that Jesus provided points towards a simple formula- Create the vision by claiming that all things are possible with God. Ask Him for wisdom and head out in faith.

Reference:

Hybel, B. (1994). Character: Who you are when no one's looking. England: InterVersity Press.

Tipping the Balance of Time Management

2008-10-06T17:52:00.000-07:00

The encouragement below is from Stavros- my room mate back in Buffalo. A remarkable young chap who joined the program right after his marriage and straight off his honeymoon. I shared with my Stavros my recent dilemma of finding a right balance with work, family, masters project and time for personal reflection. Stavros rightly pointed out how creativity is needed to manage this turbulent state of doubt and insecurity. For lack of a better picture, this is one of the most memorable moments we shared with Nate in your parents' place and the wonderful spread of great Italian breakfast... Thanks Stavros for your constant blessings!

When I'm feeling sad i think of a lesson I learned from Tony Robbins. He says that at any given point in time we are making 3 decisions;

What am I focusing on?
What does it mean?
What am I going to do about it?

If you find that you are feeling overwhelmed and focusing on that, then you must decide what that means to you. Maybe it means that you are in the process of making great strides in your career, or maybe it means that you are making a sacrifice of your time for other priorities like family. So what are you going to do about it? will you remember that it it is all worth it and give your self a boost of energy. Will you determine that you need more reflection time and take it for yourself?

Just remember, it is all up to you. You make your own reality, the universe is merely conspiring to bring it to you. Choose wisely and consciously. you deserve the best.

At times I also feel a little overwhelmed by this transition. It is sometimes daunting to think i have no car, no job, not even a bed right now. But for the moment I am choosing to focus on the challenge at hand and the rewards it will bring. the fact that i'm scared only means that i'm scared and that it is perfectly normal. So what i'm going to do aboout it is keep winning small battles. Get the cable to work. Find a car. Make a few phone calls about work. Keep making progress on my school work.

I hope i can keep a strong mind about it. I pray for your & my best outcomes and journeys.

Reply to my blessed friend: Thanks for the timely reminder. Yet, if you may allow me too to encourage you...you have a supportive wife, great parents and a lovely Bungalow on St Thomas Island! Wonder why my thoughts drifted into seeing you as the Next James Bond! LOL

Will I become too distracted to Listen

2008-09-09T11:52:00.000-07:00

Perhaps the pace of society goes by so fast, we sublimely loose some of the most valuable things around our lives. One of which I notice is that we rarely give or recieve the gift of truly listening. Yet, if we claim that 'time is the new currency' then does that mean that both time and money are precious in our sight? I think its not about the money, but rather about the time commitment required.

I recieved a call recently from an ex-student's mother. Over the phone she cried bitterly on how she failed as a mother. She struggled as a divorcee to do her best at work so that she could provide the material needs for her son. Her struggle led me to recall another online conversation with a dear friend in UK. I quote: "Yes, communication in families and now across the world (facilitated by the Internet) should underpin the change that is coming. Market forces alone will not fix things and adequately respond to those societal ills to be found across the globe." (http://thinkx.ning.com/profile/JohnYeo#chatter-2083458:Comment:5233)

As I heard my inner voice fearing a future where I myself may blindly become estranged to my children, I stopped to reflect what are the interventions I can proactively take to prevent that from happening today. The birth of 'Structured Fun Learning' (see entry of 28 Aug in http://joanna3117.blogspot.com/) with Joshua was in my opinion successful with him looking forward to the time we spend together each evening.

This came about I started asking myself from the pespective of a repentent father who had been uninvolved in my children's growth. The questions I postulated led to deeper thoughts..

How has the gap between me and my family widened?

What went on in their lives and who are those they choose to confide to?

HOw often do I spend one-on-one time together?

What were some of the best conversations I've had with them?

Did I help them to understand the critical issues/dilemmas of thier lives?

What will I say 10 years later when we step out of the house in the morning?

What are some of the best conversations I've had with them?

What did I learn about them from the small talks and did I "hear" the deeper issues that could have been on his/her mind?

What was unique about that time together?

Why was it easy for me to talk?

How can I create an atmosphere appropriate for parent-child bonding?

How can I proactively plan for interaction time together?

How can I be more responsible and how do I push for accountability?

I am glad I pondered upon the above questions. The rules, though seemingly simple, are fundamental in shaping work-life balance. The harsh reality of survival, tends to tip this balance to a side that may bring about irreversible consequence. May the wisdom of the Holy Spirit lead us husbands and/parents into daily knowledge of the importance to just stop and listen.

My Vision, Mission & Anchors

2008-09-04T21:01:00.000-07:00

“… the creative person also is a self-actualized person – a fully functioning,
mentally healthy, forward-growing human being who is also using his talents
to become what he is capable of becoming.” Maslow, 1968

My vision is to spread the cause of creativity to empower myself and others to live a more purposefully driven life!

My mission follows for the next five years to enjoy the liberation and fulfillment by explicitly thinking out of the box to create greater fulfillment and meaning through building strong connections with God, people, education, parenting, and blogging- deeply centred on values.

Having articulated my vision and philosophy, I have encapsulated them into the following 3 states of personal ‘mindfulness’ (Boyatzis & McKee, 2005):

• Consciousness- Self-actualization: To enjoy the process of deliberating, working through challenges, and building small steps of successes by bringing ideas into fruition;
• Connections - Synthesis and meaning making: Through collaborations and co-creations by strengthening relationships and driving new directions of work both within the Ministry as well as in personal areas by helping others to see ‘new meaning’ of common interest;
• Communication- Simonton’s 5th P of Persuasion: To be the catalyst that help other discover “ideas that are so good that they change the ways others think” (Runco, 2007) through networking, curriculum partnerships and blogs.

Salt & Light of the World

2008-07-17T15:21:00.000-07:00

Matthew 5:13-16 (NIV)
You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses
its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for
anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men.

You are the light of the world. A city on a hill
cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl.
Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.
In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good
deeds and praise your Father in heaven.

A friend shared this with me ..."me pp may think that i am very stupid to let my bosses know where i am gg...and even shared with one of them abt my depression last yr and it was through God's grace tt i recovered. XX once told me tt she's very surprised tt i could be very open cos she no longer can trust anyone......i just felt tt by sharing i can also proclaim my faith, let other pp know how God has worked on and healed me...... "

I was encouraged by her trust in God. This was my reply to some of her concerns. I know I went through this phase of struggle just a few days back and God sent my own wife to encourage me too.

" Its a heavy rain cloud over your shoulders and I know that though the storm will come, once passed, you have grown as a person with what adversity will do. Think about a cup half full or half empty.... you may currently be filled with water. But only half full. What if I pour in another half cup of concentrated hot healing herbal fragrant tea. The analogy is how I see change especially to that of an uncertain future. There are just too much unknowns in life and thats why God never leaves us alone to bear all these heavy decisions- and thats why u have ** and us.

About being open as a person, that is how you -and even myself- our preferred way to engage the world, where our energy naturally flow to associate with people. Look at how Joseph the dreamer goes around to tell his family about his dreams. Yet the outcome was a betrayer by his brothers. But that was his immediate future. We may be hurt like others and *** is absolutely right. Yet, God honoured Joseph's faithfulness and used his talents -after many times of "failing" in life- and rose him to be a Pharaoh. Thus, we can only ask God- what is his plans for us. Trial and temptation may come, and we sure will fall, but thats where our faith will take us to a place where He knows whats best for us. And with each step, as we celebrate the small successes of experiencing His grace, we can testify his victory in our lives. Yes, I am looking forward to coming back.

Two days back, I sms Van to tell her how overwhelmed I am with all the assignments. She replied "Don't give up. Whatever difficult times and impossible it is, we have coped for the past 7 weeks. There is no mountain too big God cannot move it. (though I felt my paper assignments were even heavier than mountains). YOu can do it and will be back next week. Why don't you go out for some fun (I am not sure if she understands what this "liberation" can do to me...hee hee) Lonely and freedom days going to be over soon. (interesting how she paradoxically juxtaposed the two...hmmmm... sounds like what I will think to myself on the eve of my wedding day) We love you. Thank God Joanna is better already."

Our God is Jehovah Jireh.

A poem of quiet comtemplation

2008-07-08T19:57:00.000-07:00

Surrounded by the beautiful majestic buildings built in the 1800s
o did my spirit sailed as I sat quietly by the Hudson River.

The stillness of Hudson river beckons me into deep thoughts

as I wondered, why did it have to separate two cultures-

of the old town of Troy and the clamor of Albany.

Yet as I lay ashore my dreams of yonder days

like the river, my heart was quiet, lonely, and pained.

A deep longing desire lingers....

Above photo from http://inkbluesky.wordpress.com/2007/02/10/river-calm-wallpaper-immigrant-painter-thomas-cole-madness-and-intelligence-linked/

Historically, Sir Stamford Raffles- founder of modern Singapore, was also part of the East India Company.

Interestingly read from the net a story of the Hudson river- extracted from http://flickr.com/photos/91454858@N00/2337508954 (beautiful shots of the river in this page too)

"It is named for Henry Hudson, an Englishman sailing for the Dutch East India Company, who explored it in 1609....The Hudson River, called Muh-he-kun-ne-tuk in Mahican, the Great Mohegan by the Iroquois,or as the Lenape Native Americans called it in Unami, Muhheakantuck, in Tuscarora, is a river that runs through the eastern portion of New York State and, along its southern terminus, demarcates the border between the states of New York and New Jersey. The Father of Waters would seem to have been known to many tribes by names more or less similar to that which it bears to-day. It is no doubt true—happily true—that very many of the streams of North America bear Indian names. But these have very generally been given to them by the whites, and were borrowed from the tribes living on their banks at the date of the discovery. The waters received the names of the clans hunting on their shores. The red people had no doubt names of their own for some of the streams in which they fished, but it is probable that these were applied to certain reaches only of the rivers most familiar to them. For some of the important lakes the Iroquois certainly had names of their own, for instance, Caniaderi-Guarunté, or, The lake gate of the country, for what is now Lake Champlain, and Andiatarocté, or, Here the lake closes, for Lake George. These significant phrases, as applied to those waters, have been clearly ascertained.When explorers and colonists crossed the ocean they gave, as a rule, the names of the wild tribes to the rivers on which they met them. Very few received European names. The exceptions on the Atlantic coast number just half a dozen; the St. Lawrence, the Hudson, the Delaware, the James, the Ashley and the Cooper. Of these only one, the Hudson, recalls, the discoverer.Strictly speaking, however, Hendrick Hudson, could not claim the full honors of a discoverer”…………….

Ultimate Greyhound Experience

2008-06-27T04:51:00.000-07:00

I have been in US since June 8 and what happened yesterday would probably have been the most memorable incident for this trip (thus far!). As I made a detour to Denver to visit some friends down at Emergenetics Int., I decided to stay on to fully immerse myself in the Rockies experience of my life time.

I was back in Denver after travelling with the Harold, Vice President EG to Branby and Steamboat to conduct training for the leaders in these districts, I was ready to embark on my own to head up again to the mountains, by myself. And then, the excitement began. To be as factual as I can, this was what happened on the 26/6.

11.00am : Bought ticket to proceed to Glenwood Springs. Bus was to leave Denver station at 12.01pm and arrive at my holiday destination at 3.30pm (so I hoped).

11.30am: I placed my luggage in the queue and sat beside a new friend- Chen Bo, 陈博. He is 22 years old, just completed his college with Brown University (one of the Ivy Leagues)- with a scholarship by Oracle, he came from China to study Computer Science for the past 4 years. This young led had quite an adventure as he was tugging 3 huge luggages- of which he shared that he kept a DESKTOP and belongings of the past 4 years, as he travelled around US for holiday.

11.35am: Then came a dainty old lady who sat beside us and kept talking, singing and chatting-with herself. I volunteered to help her put her flowery 2 wheel bag so that she could reserve her place behind mine. Her bag which I handled has a interesting link later so let me call her 'Mdm Y'.

11.45am: Chen Bo rushed to see if he could get himself up the bus heading for San Francisco (oh yes, its a total of 19 hours of bus ride from Denver) I was glad he managed to get a last minute ticket. I quickly helped him to pull his luggage to the bus. However, as he only had one bus tag, he needed to run in to request for another. As I overheard a Mexican lady running in to buy that ONE last ticket too, I decided to help him push his luggage into the cabin first ... being a typical kia-su Singaporean, I do know whats best in that dire situation. Just as I was about to succeed, that lady ran forward and shouted, "I got it, I got it" Immediately the bus driver pushed out Chen Bo's bag and exclaimed, "I am full". Poor Chen Bo was still at the counter behind as the bus left the station. My heart went out to him when he ran back and all he could say was " What the F@#*...." He then realised that as the last ticket was 'open' for purchase, both counters proceeded to sell it at the same time to Chen Bo and the Mexican lady. They then got him a ticket on my bus that will head to Los Angeles thereafter he needed to change to San Francisco. I was filled with pity thinking it would be quite a ride for him.

12:05pm : Back to my queue, I helped Chen Bo join me as the line was getting realllllly long. I introduced him to my 2 new friends. Jacob was this fabulous man from Florida as well as this Chinese Filipino. Jacob is really one of the most friendly Americans I have seen so far. Our early conversation led me to admire how he gave up a 10 years post as a manager for Continental Airways and decided to rough it out by travelling around US and took on odd-time jobs to travel and earn a living. The Chinese Filipino worked for a company that service hotels and manage their servers. At the same time, Mdm Y-the old lady behind me sat on the floor and pulled out her bra from under her shirt and threw it straight into a nearby bin. I caught it and frowned as I quickly looked away.

12.30pm : The bus had not arrived. I continued to chat with my new group of travelling buddies. Jacob who has worked with the American transport system mourned that we should be glad if the bus can arrive within the next hour. He shared of his experience when the bus was full of passengers but at the transit with change of drivers, the other driver never turned up until 12 hours later. In my mind, my first response was , "Lord, have mercy...."

1.20pm : The bus finally arrived. Driver looked friendly. Passengers were relieved as we boarded the bus. After we were nicely settled, up came a big size man with long beard and long hair. He made his first impression as he called out while walking down the aisle "Who is the lucky one to sit beside me".. my eyes darted him as he moved to the back and sat with the rowdy group of teenagers. They loved him instantly as they were swearing and talking aloud. He was THE lead character so let me call him 'Mr X'.

2.45pm : Out of nowhere, Mr X shouted out from the back, "This is one of the most beautiful part of the Rockie mountain..." the driver reminded him to keep quiet as passengers were resting. Mr X continued and proclaimed his great love for America. Driver pulled over at the side at highway 70 and Mr X walked forward and called out "Whats your F*#$*ing problem..." The rest of the bus kept really quiet. I was scared.

3.10pm : Mr X shouted again, "Does anyone have gums... the children here have popping ears" No one responded and he continued shouting til someone offered.

3.30pm : Driver made a surprise announcement- he had to pull up at Frisco. He informed that the belt for the air conditioning was broken and had to call for the mechanic. A mechanic needed to drive all the way from Vail to repair and may delay for another 1.5 hours. The bus all mourned then in unison. Pulling up at a gas station with Wendy's, my buddies and I decided to dine. While waiting for rest to get off the bus, Mr X walked past and commented to this Korean lady who was travelling by herself, "Hey pretty, you wan to have fun with me?" She ignored him and he sneered.

4.00pm : We heard some quarrelling across the store next door. Apparently, old Lady Mdm Y made some racist remark to the Afro-American and I was told in her feat of angered, she....bared her saggy breast. She was then chased out. At the same time, someone came over and told us that the driver has called in the police to handle Mr X.

4.10pm : Police came and interrogated Mr X, with Driver and some others surrounding. We watched the drama from inside the store. We were told that Mr X was drunk, with his liquor kept inside the coke bottle that he was holding throughout the trip. When he opened his bag, to my horror, there was a PISTOL in there. Imagination ran wild with "What ifs...." Finally Mr X was gone.... to my great relief.... so I thought.

4.45pm : The bus was repaired and ready to go on. At this moment, I saw Mdm Y's purple sweater outside lying on the rock and I called out to driver that Mdm Y was missing. At the moment, someone spotted Mdm Y in a far away spot. She called out to Mdm Y but Mdm Y just walked on, in the direction away from the bus. "What the heck ..." I thought and I got off the bus to run after her. I was glad I caught up... half panting half shouting, I called out "Hey madam, the bus is leaving, ... come on, lets go" She took me by surprise by hiding behind a trunk and called back, "I heard you.... get lost... I am not going back... go go ....." Momentarily, I was at a lost, "Should I stay or should I go?" If I were to grab her by force, I could be arrested for sexual harassment. The earlier scene with Mr X and the police was not what I want for myself. "This is America.... " and Michael Buble's song of 'Home' came into my mind, so helplessly, I ran back to the bus. Everyone greeted me outside and asked what happened. I only could recount what she said. People started speculating what could have happened, as they recalled what happened to her in the store earlier.

5.10pm : After discussion, they formed yet another search party that consisted of a tall Canadian man, a young American lady and two bouncy teenagers. After 10 min, they returned with no news of her. My heart sank, and I happened to catch a piercing glare from another passenger. She must have thought I murdered her and threw her body into the swamp. "God.....save us" The funny thing was some of us started wondering if this whole episode was filmed or were we part of 'Lost- season III'. This was far more dramatic than we could anticipate.

5.30pm : Another police car arrived, and they proceeded to search for her. Ten minutes later, they returned and told the Driver to proceed. I then took her purple sweater and put it back where she left. Driver assigned me to bring her flowery bag to the Glenwood station.

6.45pm : The air con belt broke again and the driver decided to continue driving. The tall Canadian man volunteered to push open the top ledge to allow the cool mountain air to flow in. Another mishap.... his finger got stuck by the ledge and he yupped in pain... ah....

8.00pm : I finally arrived at Glenwood Springs. Deposited Mdm Y's bag and started to find how to get to the hotel. Jacob my good friend was a fabulous chap. He helped the 2 Norwegian ladies (one a teacher, another a grandma who runs some big company) find their long lost friend whom they met 30years ago, just by looking up the yellow pages. Amazing. He then helped to call the hotel and I realised it was about 2 miles away. I was exhausted and there were no cabs around. Thankfully, an American boy came along and told me of the free bus service that runs into town. God bless him... good begets good. We waited for a long while but it was a good chat. (photo of me, Jacob and the 2 Norwegian ladies)

9:15pm : 6 hours later than planned, I am sure glad I got to motel, safely in one piece. Anxiously, I called up Vanessa and told her the story.

27 June- 7.25am: I just completed this entry....and was looking forward to tell my son Joshua over Skye the adventure.... til then, I am heading later for the rafting experience down Colorado River- if class 5 was the worst, maybe class 4 would be just nice for me. Sure look forward to a SAFE experience across the Shoshone Rapids and Glenwood Canyon.

Rick Warren's Purpose Driven Life

2008-05-23T15:13:00.001-07:00

I was thinking about what my friend shared with me about how I need to start planning for my future- how I need to plan for my children's university fees which would increase annually by 6% and how it is my responsiblity to provide for my family's needs. However, I realised that much of it though in a practical sense is true, God's provision will always come in a way that we cannot fathom.

PURPOSE DRIVEN LIFE
By Paul Bradshaw
May 9 2008

Short Interview with Rick Warren, (PURPOSE DRIVEN LIFE) You will enjoy the new insights that Rick Warren has, with his wife now having cancer and him having 'wealth' from the book sales. This is an absolutely incredible short interview with Rick Warren, 'Purpose Driven Life' author and pastor of Saddleback Church in California.

In the interview by Paul Bradshaw with Rick Warren, Rick said:

People ask me, What is the purpose of life? And I respond: In a nutshell, life is preparation for eternity. We were made to last forever, and God wants us to be with Him in Heaven. One day my heart is going to stop, and that will be the end of my body-- but not the end of me. I may live 60 to 100 years on earth, but I am going to spend trillions of years in eternity. This is the warm-up act-the dress rehearsal. God wants us to practice on earth what we will do forever in eternity. We were made by God and for God, and until you figure that out, life isn't going to make sense. Life is a series of problems: Either you are in one now, you're just coming out of one, or you're getting ready to go into another one. The reason for this is that God is more interested in your character than your comfort. God is more interested in making your life holy than He is in making your life happy. We can be reasonably happy here on earth, but that's not the goal of life. The goal is to grow in character, in Christ likeness.

This past year has been the greatest year of my life but also the toughest, with my wife, Kay, getting cancer. I used to think that life was hills and valleys - you go through a dark time, then you go to the mountaintop, back and forth. I don't believe that anymore. Rather than life being hills and valleys, I believe that it's kind of like two rails on a railroad track, and at all times you have something good and something bad in your life. No matter how good things are in your life, there is always something bad that needs to be worked on. And no matter how bad things are in your life, there is always something good you can thank God for. You can focus on your purposes, or you can focus on your problems. If you focus on your problems, you're going into self-centeredness, 'which is my problem, my issues, my pain.' But one of the easiest ways to get rid of pain is to get your focus off yourself and onto God and others.

We discovered quickly that in spite of the prayers of hundreds of thousands of people, God was not going to heal Kay or make it easy for her. It has been very difficult for her, and yet God has strengthened her character, given her a ministry of helping other people, given her a testimony, drawn her closer to Him and to people. You have to learn to deal with both the good and the bad of life. Actually, sometimes learning to deal with the good is harder. For instance, this past year, all of a sudden, when the book sold 15 million copies, it made me instantly very wealthy. It also brought a lot of notoriety that I had never had to deal with before. I don't think God gives you money or notoriety for your own ego or for you to live a life of ease. So I began to ask God what He wanted me to do with this money, notoriety and influence. He gave me two different passages that helped me decide what to do, II Corinthians 9 and Psalm 72. First, in spite of all the money coming in, we would not change our lifestyle one bit. We made no major
purchases. Second, about midway through last year, I stopped taking a salary from the church. Third, we set up foundations to fund an initiative we call The Peace Plan to plant churches, equip leaders, assist the poor, care for the sick, and educate the next generation. Fourth, I added up all that the church had paid me in the 24 years since I started the church, and I gave it all back. It was liberating to be able to serve God for free.

We need to ask ourselves: Am I going to live for possessions? Popularity? Am I going to be driven by pressures? Guilt? Bitterness? Materialism? Or am I going to be driven by God's purposes (for my life)? When I get up in the morning, I sit on the side of my bed and say, God, if I don't get anything else done today, I want to know You more and love You better. God didn't put me on earth just to fulfill a to-do list. He's more interested in what I am than what I do.

That's why we're called human beings, not human doings.

Food Glorious Food...

2008-05-18T19:18:00.000-07:00

Reported in Straits Times (May19,2008) 'People are making more money and are eager to try other tasty food,' said associate professor Chai Weizhong, who studies public nutrition at Peking University. How true indeed! Adding to the better choice of food, I think people are spending increasing amount of time deliberating on food- what to eat, where to eat, how to eat and even when to eat.

I am saying this because I am putting myself through a 3 days detox program. Started yesterday, it was such a pain that I ended up feeling so weak, all over. It doesn't help pumping in 12 tasteless capsules of 'donno-what' in the morning and evening- suppose to sustain the energy to continue in the daily affairs. What makes it worst was when my family was dining in the food court of Great World City. Joshua's left over egg prata, pasta and Vanessa's pepper hot plate were far too tantalising to my senses. I confess, I did give in. The sips of Joshua's creamy mushroom soup had never so delicious in my lifetime. I could taste the richness of the soup, the succulence of the sliced mushroom and the aroma that simply filled the buccal and nasal cavity. So sinful.

Now that Van just finished her morning prata and I am half suspecting she slipped out on pretence to buy groceries, but in my wildest imagination to buy more snacks, chendol, kwa chap, etc. While I am musing over my self-imposed hunger strike, this need go on til tomorrow. She affirmed that I am doing well, knowing how easily I give into temptation, this was a real challenge. Just as bad as the Subaru challenge.

One thing is for sure, I realised that we spend many waking hours thinking, eating, shopping and even planning for food. Now that I am on total abstinence, it suddenly felt a sense of 'lost'.

Attitude part 2

2008-05-16T19:58:00.000-07:00

After posting my thoughts on the previous workshop, I guess God wanted me to teach me another lesson on tenacity.

Yesterday, I helped out with yet another school with the training. On the way down to the school, I was told that the last session only had 2 non-English speaking teachers attending the session. It made me wonder, what are some HODs doing- was it to create training sessions so that they could clock it for their own KPIs? I was told that the HOD would get the whole of his mother tongue department down this time round since 'facilitation is key' to their program. The first teacher arrived into the training room, and immediately declared to the HOD that she needs to go and see a doctor. Some encouragement indeed. However, after realising that not many teachers arrived, she decided to stay on. Subsequently a few more came along, including the old guards from the last session. We were then informed later that the malay teachers weren't able to make it last minute, and that left us with 6 very dedicated chinese teachers.

After initial check-up with them, we decided we will do something that was totally unprepared and never done before- thats right, to conduct the workshop for the very first time in chinese. The teachers were more engaged, I supposed since Mr Mar-ting and Mr Yue Han (John in chinese) were both comically and oddly entertaining with our direct translation from the powerpoint. During the tea break, I was reliefed to hear that the teachers enjoyed the session, especially since they could not really follow the last one that was conducted in chinese. Moral of story- right attitude to listen and to adapt.

Attitude - its all that made a difference...

2008-05-13T15:03:00.000-07:00

The ultimate human freedom is the

ability to choose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances.

Vikt Frankl

Its so easy to succumb to the negativity of situations and circumstances. I was pretty upset with how things were moving at times with working with teachers. It could be frustrating to draw out the "let loose" and work it through components of ideation and allowing room for people to fail-safe to experiment. After couple of weeks of partnering with the school below, I gained little encouragement from how things were moving.

The morning before the talk, the coordinator called to inform that perhaps taking small steps would be safer since its the first time they are testing the new pedagogy. It was even more disappointing to hear that teachers may not be most excited with the idea of training in the middle of their marking of mid year exams. Yet, it was a directive from management to carry on with the training. That was a huge blow considering the amount of consultation and discussion- but the customers always right. As I was driving, I prayed that I continue to provide my input as professionally as I can and to put their needs in the centre. I think the spirit led and changed my attitude as I saw that the teachers, though tired were open to learning and that inspired me to be honest with how they would like the session to be beneficial.

In the end, it was not the materials that mattered. It was the connection with like-minded educators that allowed the fruitful discussion. Isn't this the same when we are in classrooms as a teacher- to be MINDFUL of the students' state of mind of learning? Thats one of the core values as a facilitator. The letter below is a testimony that being professional also means that we need to be true to what we can truly offer.

Dear Simon,
I would like to put on record my sincere thanks and appreciation to Mr John Yeo for the successful workshop conducted for my teachers on Thurs 8 May.
Through the workshop, he has inspired my teachers to become more effective facilitators of project work which we are embarking on next week. In particular, his ideas on PBL and use of questions to provoke deep thinking amongst pupils were refreshing and have equipped my teachers with new ways to challenge our pupils' thinking. He was well-prepared for the workshop and able to engage the teachers effectively.
His advice for our unit plan on ways to make the tasks and questions more authentic for the pupils have also helped to enhance our unit design. His commitment and generosity in sharing and working with my PW coordinator is commendable and worthy of mention.
On behalf of my staff, I would like to thank Mr Yeo and CPDD for the assistance endered. I look forward to working in consultation with CPDD officers again in the near future in our TLLM journey.

Best regards,
Principal, XXXX School

所需要的力量你天天賜給我，你恩典夠我用

2008-05-05T14:05:00.000-07:00

禱告 I Pray
讚美之泉 Stream of Praise
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v5hwJL5fCvY

禱告，因為我渺小；

禱告，因為我知道我需要明暸，你心意對我重要。

禱告，已假裝不了；

禱告，因為你的愛我需要；你關懷，我走過的你都明白。

有些事我只想要對你說，因你比任何人都愛我；

痛苦從眼中流下，我知道你為我擦。

在早晨我也要來對你說，主耶穌今天我為你活；

所需要的力量你天天賜給我，

你恩典夠我用。

This song spoke to me twice this week. First time was on Sunday, when I was repenting on how I have fallen short of God's grace for me. Second time, as I watched the youtube and was so touched by the video- of how the boy and girl missed their father when he left the home. I recall how I used to hold back my tears each time I call home to listen to my 2 year old Joshua for 2 weeks then. THis time round, its double the whammy with both Joshua and Joanna and away for 2 months.

I guess, its His way of teaching me on reliance not by my strength and might, but by His grace.

E= mc2: Emotions of Mathematical & Cognitive Challenge

2008-05-05T12:16:00.000-07:00

Was pretty frustrated with getting Joshua to learn how to count. Trying not to express in a negative manner, I tried to design games to help him understand simple additions. What went wrong? Why did he kept adding 5+1= 4?

In my desperate search for enlightenment, I recalled: Alan J. Rowe's book on Creative Intelligence- Discovering the Innovative Potential in Ourselves and Others

I was humbled by the apparent disconnect of what I always knew of my own son (his strong reasoning skills and creative nature) and what I believe is important as an educator (that every child is creative and intelligent in different ways).

Rowe clearly wrote that as educators, we rarely consider how everyone has different Creative Intelligence that affects how we view various subjects in school. A review of Winston Churchill’s life showed that he was largely self-taught because he had no interest in certain subjects. It is also frightening perhaps to acknowledge the inherent problem- that teachers focus on the students’ ability to do well in class rather than on other abilities. Rowe pointed that we can improve education, but we need new ways of “explaining” subject matter so that it is understandable by all. (p12)

David Perkins (Harvard University) co-director of Project Zero, studied the cognitive skills of artists and scientists. He believes that personality and personal values have a significant role in determining an individual’s creativity potential. A timely reminder of how much Joshua has inherited the "poor in maths" genes from daddy. Sigh.

I was even more struck when I realise that even though I have been conceptualising a research on profiling and differentiated instructions. I am keen to study how the application of Emergenetics (a profiling tool on thinking and behavioural attributes) on teachers and students could translate to better differentiated instructions in different classrooms. Yet, I was not able to even testbed the idea with Joshua. (Picture from http://www.amplitudetraining.com/emergenetics.php)

Now that I re-connect, I wonder, what could I do to help Joshua enjoy learning Maths? Perhaps, the more correct perspective should be 'how can I re-teach myself the concepts or principles behind maths.'

From the article: CREATIVITY, CULTURE, EDUCATION, AND THE WORKFORCE
Ann M. Galligan, Northeastern University
“Kids catch fire differently.” They learn at different rates, and often learn best through different means. The challenge for educators and policymakers is to find ways to engage each and every student with
appropriate avenues and opportunities to grow, as well as to monitor and measure their successes. While there is no question that numeracy and literacy are skills schools should develop, these in no way exhaust
the means through which humans reason, nor do they exhaust the means through which humans make sense of the world. "

To close, even in US, the stir on brain based learning is even highlighted as a religious issue. The following is an excerpt from Reverend Jeremiah Wright address in his NACCP address:

"Dr. Hale showed us that in comparing African-American children and European-American children in the field of education, we were comparing apples and rocks."

And in so doing, we kept coming up with meaningless labels like EMH, educable mentally handicapped, TMH, trainable mentally handicapped, ADD, attention deficit disorder."

And we were coming up with more meaningless solutions like reading, writing and Ritalin. Dr. Hale's research led her to stop comparing African-American children with European-American children and she started comparing the pedagogical methodologies of African-American children to African children and European-American children to European children. And bingo, she discovered that the two different worlds have two different ways of learning. European and European-American children have a left brained cognitive object oriented learning style and the entire educational learning system in the United States of America. Back in the early '70s, when Dr. Hale did her research was based on left brained cognitive object oriented learning style.

Let me help you with fifty cent words."Left brain is logical and analytical. Object oriented means the student learns from an object. From the solitude of the cradle with objects being hung over his or her head to help them determine colors and shape to the solitude in a carol in a PhD program stuffed off somewhere in a corner in absolute quietness to absorb from the object. From a block to a book, an object. That is one way of learning, but it is only one way of learning."African and African-American children have a different way of learning."

They are right brained, subject oriented in their learning style. Right brain that means creative and intuitive. Subject oriented means they learn from a subject, not an object. They learn from a person. Some of you are old enough, I see your hair color, to remember when the NAACP won that tremendous desegregation case back in 1954 and when the schools were desegregated. They were never integrated. When they were desegregated in Philadelphia, several of the white teachers in my school freaked out. Why? Because black kids wouldn't stay in their place. Over there behind the desk, black kids climbed up all on them.

"Because they learn from a subject, not from an object. Tell me a story. They have a different way of learning. Those same children who have difficulty reading from an object and who are labeled EMH, DMH and ADD. Those children can say every word from every song on every hip hop radio station half of who's words the average adult here tonight cannot understand. Why? Because they come from a right-brained creative oral culture like the (greos) in Africa who can go for two or three days as oral repositories of a people's history and like the oral tradition which passed down the first five book in our Jewish bible, our Christian Bible, our Hebrew bible long before there was a written Hebrew script or alphabet. And repeat incredulously long passages like Psalm 119 using mnemonic devices using eight line stanzas. Each stanza starting with a different letter of the alphabet. That is a different way of learning. It's not deficient, it is just different. Somebody say different. I believe that a change is going to come because many of us are committed to changing how we see other people who are different."

Bravo, Reverend Wright. Bravo, Mike Huckabee.
http://www2.nysun.com/article/68832

As to Joshua, dad promises to be more patient and creative to bring the joy of learning in all we do together!

With each passing week

2008-04-13T04:48:00.001-07:00

My heart gets heavier and heavier. Counting down to my 2 months away from home. Though its good to be studying back in Buffalo, I know my heart was so torn 2 years back when I was there alone. THen I decided the family will come along. However, the difficulty of bringing both Josha and Joanna onto the plane single hnadedly for 20 odd hours is no simple feat for Vanessa. Doesn't help that I am aiming to complete rest of the modules over 2 months. Aryna offered to "adopt" me in her home in Florida during the break.... but how can I enjoy the disneyworld and all the theme parks I longed for since young, alone?

How heavy is my heart....

48th Coy Boys Brigade

2008-04-08T02:43:00.000-07:00

Today, as I am thinking about my role and contribution in CPDD, received an email for Kok Keong, a fellow BB officer who attached a document for an ex-student's application to be a primer. What Jame's wrote really nailed my heart as an educator.

3. Relate any significant experience or Officers that you had with the BB that has touched you the most or taught you something valuable you will never forget.

James wrote, "Although the BB has been memorable to me, there is one person that remains etched in my mind. Mr John Yeo had been my officer, and later Biology teacher in my four years as a boy. Even though he has left to “spread his wings”, I am sure that no boy under his charge will ever forget him. As corny as his jokes may be, he was always fun to be around. He was like a mentor to us in his Lifeskills Workshop, and never ran out of faith in God. His faith fuelled him and guided him to continue inspiring us, always the role model, ever the leader. He is a part of BB that I cannot forget, nor will I ever try to."

Made me wonder, have I been flying without wings here?

LOST....about my future? In God I trust.

2008-03-25T21:58:00.000-07:00

Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path. Ps 119:105

YOu are my refuge and my shield; I have put my hope in your word. Ps 119: 114

One Space, many paths

2008-03-25T04:04:00.000-07:00

I woke up at 3am today. No, I am no longer jet-lagged, but cringing in fear of what is it in my future. I pondered: One space- one person, one soul, one family; Many paths- two kids, several options, many aspirations.

One God.

Dear God, as I sit staring at the screen, wondering if by chance of a divine intervention, I could see clearly a sign that indicates my future for next year. This evening Chitra asked if I would consider staying on to helm Pri/Sec PW. The possibility of having the space to "fill the gaps" for PW Pri/Sec just suddenly clicked. I know after what I have done for the mime, that I needed this "space" for me to innovate. Wasn't this why I stayed on in the system- to put PW in its rightful space in the curriculum? Yet what is holding me back? OPtions and opportunities are aplenty. DCPD suggested SST, yet the "outside world" is increasingly becoming a stronger lure (though the PB in MOE is also a factor that I really ought not to forget). Wondering aloud, what in the past year have I not gained the job satisfaction I so desire? Was it simply just the constraints of the PreU PW, the ambiguous nature of PW in Sec/Pri schools, or too much an open playing field that no one is really playing a proper game on the field? Or could it be that I was happily 'distracted' with the work IDM taskforce, or business development team of DE, or SWAT, or Innolab, or even TLLM ignite?

Two weeks back, exactly this hour- Wed 8pm in Copenhagen, you led DCPD to clearly identify for me over dinner that my heart is still that of an educator. I know that this was not of coincidence, but the works of your hands. TO hear from a woman that I have so much respect means a great deal to me. At least, I was clear that in education, this is where I am "truly free"- sincerely passionate, and highly innovative. My HQ stint has allowed me to appreciate the system- that more could be done to increase the competencies and capacities of teachers, to strengthen the "thinning" of school leaders especially on curriculum instructions, to add colour and diversity to the education landscape.

Yet God, you know the dilemma that I am struggling within. That I would like to have more focussed time to spend with the two kids. I want to nurture my own kids to be individuals who are well grounded in values, having the space to be creative and adventurous, to experience the beauty of this world beyond the confinements of a 5room HDB flat or a early childhood education trapped within 4 walls. I wish I have the ability (and support) to bring the kids to travel around. To see what is truly nature, to hear what the grass says, to talk to people of different skin colours, to have to learn what it means to be really poor.

Show me the way Lord.

My Dream School- realised in Bangkok!

2008-03-24T19:32:00.000-07:00

In Copenhagen, after the visit to Hellerup Skole (check out my other blog-http://create-teeth-buzz.blogspot.com) I shared with DCPD the concept of my dream school-
1) Parents need be part of nurturing process in tandem with the school and the teachers collaboration
2) Students are assigned to projects based on their interest- whereby talents and skills are also evaluated on the same level of academic excellence
3) Students are able to chart their own learning progress, identify the skills, are able to reflect and evaluate own learning and style.
4) Different ways of learning- from books, to internet, to fieldtrips, to self-initiated projects, to service learning- pervasively across all subjects in the curriculum everyday.
5) Teachers to co-create the curriculum with students and community.
6) Teachers as mentors, facilitators and coaches.
7) Leadership starting from self, driven by choice, capacity, curiosity

The Funny (scary) thing is, the exact details I listed all appeared in the school below: Foreign Media Coverage on Education Issues (15 Mar 2008 - 20 Mar 2008)

A school for multiple intelligences; Vanessa Race discusses why it is important for a curriculum to address the many talents and areas of
intelligence of young students (Nuttaa Mahattana, Bangkok Post [TH], 18/3)

According to Vanessa Race, the school's first student and now its
academic consultant, the Vanessa School's curriculum is created with
the vision that future generations of its students should be able to
find their place anywhere in the world while showing compassion for
others and enjoying innate happiness.

The school was founded 23 years ago by Vanessa's mother who wanted to
create a unique learning environment for her daughter, which consists
of: An environment where children are free to ask questions; a place
where adults and children learn together in a friendly atmosphere; and
a place where freedom and versatility create a happy learning
experience. Two decades later, the objective of the school remains
unchanged.

With the master's degree in Mind, Brain and Education from Harvard
University, and being the only Thai student advisee of Dr Howard
Gardner - founder of the Multiple Intelligences Theory - Vanessa
returned to Thailand to share her knowledge and experience with
students in her school and to maximize their individual potential.

Why MI?

The theory of Multiple Intelligences (MI) answered a lot of questions
in my mind, says Vanessa. I used to wonder why my friend is better
than me in ballet, and why I'm better than her in academics. Why do
people label students who are good in academics as "competent", but
usually ignore many others who might be good at music, sports, and so
on?

The Multiple Intelligences theory sensibly explains what already
exists in human nature. While IQ exams measure only a person's
mathematical, logical and linguistic intelligence, MI evaluates all
aspects of human intelligences. Everything we can be and become is
taken into account. It provides a place for everyone with special
skills and talents.

According to Dr Gardner, the MI theory includes Linguistic
Intelligence, Mathematical-Logical Intelligence, Spatial Intelligence,
Bodily-Kinesthetic Intelligence, Musical intelligence, Intrapersonal
Intelligence, Interpersonal Intelligence, and Naturalist Intelligence.
It is believed that, given the right environment, the human brain can
develop each of these intelligences to its maximum potential.

Begin with the end in mind

Asked how to bring the theory into practice, Vanessa says she designed
her school's curriculum with the end in mind. Although Vanessa School
includes kindergarten through the primary levels (Prathom 6), she does
not think her job ends there.

When designing the MI curriculum for my school I imagine the farthest
my students could go on their academic path. That could lead to
becoming a student at Harvard or becoming the prime minister of
Thailand. Then I think about what skills it takes to get there. You
need to be able to work under tremendous stress; to work within a team
and share information; to maintain your work-life balance; to have
leadership skills and at the same time to be humble and respectful of
others. All these elements plus a few other theories comprise the
curriculum at Vanessa School.

Theory into practice The school is located in the Rangsit area where
students learn through a variety of activities. They develop their
Naturalist intelligence through activities like the Nature Walk.
Kindergarten students are thrilled to see that things change in the
garden of their school every morning. They learn to love their natural
environment and at the same time learn basic science through what they
see and touch.

Music and physical activities are also applied to maximize brain
potential. Brain Gym, for example, is the physical exercise in which
two sides of the body move through the center of the body. This helps
both sides of our brain to work well together, Kru Oh, a kindergarten
teacher, explains after the school's morning class, which is filled
with dancing, singing, and a stage play that teaches the youngsters
basic discipline.

The Messy Activity is one of the most popular among the students. The
outdoor challege is divided into a few stations. Students use sand,
water tubs with balls, food, water colors, painting and cooking
equipment.

Students play with the equipment in whatever manner they wish. Through
this fun and quite messy activity, children learn to develop their
bodily-kinesthetic, spatial, and interpersonal intelligences through
sharing and playing together.

For older students, Mind Map and Project Teamwork are introduced.
Through various assignments guided by students' interests, they learn
to understand each other, apply creative thinking, share ideas, and
practice linguistic intelligence through project presentations.

The most important skill is Intrapersonal Intelligence or the ability
to understand oneself, says Sutamas Autchin, a Thai language teacher
in Primary level.

In the room is a big mirror for students to observe their reflection,
draw a self-portrait and talk about what they think is superior and
inferior in themselves. This helps them think and understand
themselves better, which enables them to excel in what they are good
at and to work on areas that need improvement.

Right environment

The school, teachers and parents work together to nurture the child.
Vanessa believes that parents should not forfeit the power to impact
their children's education at school. The child's school and home
should empower and support each other in educating the child.

We start at the selection process, she explained. I believe that there
is no best school for every child, only the school that best suits
your family. If you are an authoritarian parent, you may not be happy
with a school that uses the democratic approach with your child, and
vice versa.

It takes the right combination of teachers, staff and students to make
an MI program work best for the students.

After the school selects students based on the parent's questionnaire
and interview, the parents' role continues. At home, we ask parents to
create the right learning environment for their children. This
includes the student's food that their parents provide. The school
advises parents on what kind of food is good for the brain - brown
rice, for example.

As in the school, at home brown rice is served; and white sugar and
soft drinks are banned. Parents should talk politely with the child
and at the child's eye-level. The idea is to make the child feel that
she or he is a person, too, and is worthy of attention and respect,
just as an adult. All parents are encouraged to read bedtime
storybooks to their kids and to take them out on weekends to broaden
their horizon.

We discourage parents from buying expensive toys because the best
"toy" children can ever have is their parents. Vanessa School teaches
parents that either the father or mother - preferably both - must
spend quality time with the child every evening.

It is interesting to note that video games - which many fathers love!
- are banned from the home by the school. According to Vanessa, video
games stimulate the same part of the brain as heroin. Accordingly,
says Vanessa, no parent should ever want their child to be glued to a
video game for many hours.

Parents in the school

Parents also play an important role within the school structure and
influence the direction of the curriculum.

A parent who is a business owner once complained to Vanessa that, "My
employees earned bachelor's degree, but they can't think at all. They
cannot even do what they are told!"

From this parent's comment, Vanessa organized a brainstorming session
to find out what skills parents expect their children to have.
Qualities befitting a CEO were added to the list.

Parents want their children to have good skills in leadership; active
listening and team work skills; creative thinking, analytical
reasoning; and reading, writing and public speaking skills, among
others.

With this vision in mind, the school transformed the way students are
evaluated during their final examination.

A theme will be given to all primary level students. They will then
have to work together in a project to visualize and later to realize
the theme. At the end of the project, parents are invited to the event
and give scores to the students.

Students' scores are based on how well they utilize multiple
intelligences in their projects.

This year, the theme is "Thanks to Life and the Environment". Students
decided they want to organize a fun-fair event called "Tales in the
Garden" and have invited teachers and parents to share a good time as
a way of saying thanks and to show respect to the surrounding
environment. Students from Prathom 1 to 6 work together as a team
applying their individual skills to organize the event.

In real life, Vanessa says, there will not always be a boss to tell
you what to do or where to go. Students must learn to think, evaluate
and get things done on their own.

As promoters of the Multiple Intelligences concept, Vanessa continued,
our duty is to create an environment that enables a child to achieve
whatever they want and to be whatever they want in the future;
function well under stress and be a happy person.

Nuttaa Mahattana has a bachelor of arts degree from Chulalongkorn
University and presently works as an assistant director of
communications and customer service at the British Council.

My resident photographer/s

2008-03-24T13:53:00.000-07:00

Joshua can really be a very creative photographer. He really takes quite amazing amazing photos. These 2 are some his best work-
a) photo taken using my new phone (last yr) when he was only 3yr old
b) photo taken this Feb when his favorite uncle Daniel was snapping our pictures

O yes, talking about Daniel, he is finally getting married on Feb 28, 09.
And I have agreed to be his bestman (yes, finally can sabo him liao) and Joshua to be his page boy....

A silly me...

2008-03-21T19:52:00.002-07:00

Every trip sure has some interesting stories to tell. Well, I was amazed by the "flow" of the creation of the new blog http://create-teeth-buzz.blogspot.com that since I was jetlagged (or was I not??) I started creating this blog to journal the inspirations and thoughts from day 1 of the trip. However, I spent so many night hours to wake up to call Vanessa and the kids (but mostly in vain) and thereafter to blog every night for 3-4 hours. However, IT finally came. On Thursday morning, I went to bed finally at 5am and set the alarm for 7.30am. Alas, phone rang twice and finally I picked up, and realised it was 8.20am. Bus was set to depart at 8.15am.

I jumped out of bed still in my boxers, wore my shoes and jus popped in a mint to rid the morning "freshness". One hand grabbing the shirt, pants, jacket, Throwing in socks in bag, I decided to use my other hand to pluck a pud of hair gel. I really thought I could do it. Rushed out of the door, I heard a voice in a distance... worried, I decided to pull up my pants. BUT, realised then that my shoes got stuck in the pants and I was on the ground... rolling. NOt wanting to dump the gel on hand, I struggled and tried to kick out the shoes. Such a joke.It was comical that all of my belongings were all over, wanting to shout out for help, but yet super embarassed. Stupidly, I decided to just smear that pud of gel on my hair and free my other hand to help. I was almost in tears then....

Moral of the story, WAKE UP EARLY AND BLOG ONLY AT THE RIGHT TIME. Ha3

Singapore brings Sunshine to Copenhagen

2008-03-12T00:23:00.000-07:00

Check out my new blog on Immersive Creativity and how Innovation is rocking the world of New Design and Education in Denmark....brand new blog with daily entries started just becos the air here is so inspiring. http://create-teeth-buzz.blogspot.com

In this entry, allow me to tantalise your taste buds with the goooooood food we had (but trust me, things don't come cheap ;)

Life Purpose and Future Directions

2008-03-07T14:20:00.000-08:00

Last night, it was odd that Edmund made us do our incomplete "homework" together to answer the question using Matthew 6:19-34; and 22:34-40. It was timely as we just had round of sharing on our future directions.

AS I struggled to ponder upon what should I do next yr, I was reminded that I need to "seek ye first HIs kingdom". I am wedged between two realms, unable to find a comfortable equilibrium and conscious of the struggles of wanting to be a better dad. Whether be it to apply for the Science and Tech school OR to take one to two year to spend more time with the kids as I seek for opportunities to deepen my practise, either as a consultant with psychometric profiling or to work with institutions on Project Based Learning or the Creative Problem Solving Thinking Skills model- of which I am very very keen to facilitate action research.

Choice A)
My experience with some of the earlier future schools gave me some deep personal insights. That many of the schools that were initially selected were based on their existing programmes. I was disappointed that some of these school leaders lacked the vision of what to them is a future school. It was even more painful to have them describe how they thought technology would change their schools, without much thoughts on how their new curriculum would distinguish them from the rest. In fact, with my work as curriculum partner supporting schools on the TLLM ignite PBL cluster, I am increasingly clearer that it would be quite a arduous journey for schools to truly rise to the awakening of what it means for engaged learning to take place. One of the saddest questions I hear principals ask is "Would we be able to measure the effectiveness of the programme by comparing these classes results with the rest?" In my heart, I wish most honestly to ask them- "Would you rather your students enjoy the process of learning and thereby change the way they would learn in the future OR would you rather gain immediate gratification by seeing a 10% increase in test scores and then get more classes to use PBL just because it works?"

At times, it even irks me to hear of so-and-so boasting of how they have transformed their schools with their knowledge of curriculum design. My sense is that the heart of true curriculum innovation would require the school leader or the teacher to boldly create a learning experience that is not just solely based on single pedagogical approach but to customise the experience to reap the best means to help the child enjoy learning. Yes, I am unashamed to say that it is my deepest desire to run a school of my own- somewhat independently- so that I could work work with a selected group of teachers- of diverse interest, passions, personality and learning style types- with just a common goal to change the way learning works. Its a school of fun-where kids chart their own learning, have the autonomy to plan for how they want lessons to take place (who says UbD is good only for teachers??), teachers to be well skilled as faciltators so that deeper discussion and debates could take place on a daily basis. Who says Project Work needs be a subject in silos? It was somewhat funny to answer a call few days back when a teacher called to ask "Should PW have a grade for in the report book?" I am just wondering if this teacher lives in age of isolation- in this day and age, i wish teachers are great networkers- to tap on the communities of eager folks willing to share ideas and knowledge on the web or jut be linking up and talking. One of the deepest questions I wish to raise to the C2015 taskforce is "would we dare to challenge the notion that Structures ie. exams Drives Behaviour?" The heart of matter is it takes more then just knowledge to make transformations. Michael Fullen inspired me to believe that purposeful and courageous leadership is the heart of change. I want to build a school where the behaviour changes structures. Wrong, behaviour puts new structures in place.

Ms Ho questioned about my point that the curriculum of 2015 may arrive to level where students are ready to co-create this learning experience iwth their teachers. I believe it is possible to a large extent. If the school leader is ready to foster the right learning culture in all teachers and students. It is only with lack of passion and knowledge that many are not ready to embrace the power of co-creation-where new meaning is synthesized- that to me is true learning. During one of the Innolab meetings, DGE once commented on my point that schools lack the courage to change the education system. She said "What stopping them?" Huh.. my personal take- lack of vision and courage. NOw that the education landscape is transforming- with strong senior leadership who dares make the difference- do I still choose to abandon that dream which I publicly declared back in 2002-on my wedding?

Choice B)
Torn on the far end of my inner world, God allowed me to come to realisation that I am not such a superman afterall. (yes, 2N1's A1 size poster of Super Yeo still stands tall) In December last year, I realised that much as I love my work so much and I love my family so much, which I do love more? Action speaks louder then words, I believe its near impossible to balance both. It was ironic that as the staff welfare champion last yr, on one hand, I encouraged colleagues to go home early to spend time on own or with family, yet on the other hand, I am the culprit that frequently works til 9pm. What is work life balance? Or could it be more of work life integration-of either bringing the work home to do? Recently a principal friend shared that many of her Pri 1 parents flustered to resign from their jobs just to be a better parent. She opined (much as I hate this word) by the time the child reaches P1, it may just be a tad too late. As an educator at heart, I knew the truth in this and it sure has disturbed me quite a bi, sufficiently enough to get me make some serious actions.

Next, Vanessa told me that I really ought to spend more time teaching Joshua since he listens to me more and enjoys the "classes" we do together. She made this comment last night- "Her life purpose is that to be a helper to people" So real. Little does she realise her pivotal role in helping her man make the many life changing decisions. How she "forced" me to resign from BMG- the first job I held, which could bring in as much as $8k with commisions- but to what cost-she asked, and how we prayed together for the Zoo Curator post which I spend some good 2yr that I truly loved, and her green light for me to take my Masters and her courage when we had to abort the second child. Last Sunday, I jokingly said that I ought to resign and be a better dad and explore taking up the couple of offers. I was shocked when she said "GO ahead". I guess she knew how my perspectives have changed, and she knows where my heart and my gifts are. This is the most practical woman I ever knew and yet, here she is ready to nudge me to take the big plunge. To resign or take 1 or 2 years no pay leave or .... heaven knows.

I am clear that unless I make parenting my primary focus and career or professional development my second (rather then the other way round) life will just go on til the day, I realised that I am but the absent dad.

Where should I go from here? I promised wabbit that I will stick til the end of the year. I have many unrealised hopes that I have in CPDD. For sure, i wanna see that the TLLM schools would do well in their research projects. And for sure, I wish to build my community of practice from the 200 or so teachers I trained in creativity tools and to get them onto the next phase of creativity tools in CPS. Anyway, I am so indebted to the great learning in CPDD I just want to give back.

Finally in response to Edmund's question, I wrote: 1) To entrust EVERYTHING to God- my family, my career, my passion, my life 2) To immerse in a life being a child of God Upped the game,I have, all right.

MIME

2008-03-04T14:29:00.000-08:00

Having left the theatre with my performance in 'I Have a Date with Spring' since 2001, 'Family@doors' is the most challenging piece I have personally scripted and directed. Doors is a metaphor of the two doors in life- one that GOd receives us with His loving open arms and, the other-that man creates as an innermost thirst to feed his rebellious need to seek for freedom and power.

A modern day story of the prodigal son, presented as a Mime by a 20 strong cast from 6 to 55 years old, with a dose of abstract videos, be prepared to be blown away and torn apart by the harsh reality portrayed in this powerful mime.

Providence Presbyerian Church (Orchard Rd)

celebrates our 40th Church anniversary with this Gospel Rally during Good Friday.

21st and 22nd March (Fri and Sat). 7.30pm.

Contact me for more details

The gift to be a Father

2008-01-21T19:20:00.001-08:00

The struggle of modern day fatherhood is so real. No matter how many great ideas I have to be a better father, the exhaustion of work itself simply drives home the need to just chill out upon stepping into the comforts of my lovely home.

Yet, the desire to spend quality time on the other hand is so real too.

Last night, I am glad I took Joshua down for a walk. Even if it was just a 5 min playing at the void deck, I felt it was time well spent.

Make believe game of spider man climbing up the wall, garang guni selling Joshua away, or having him on my tired back, ... sweet moments that I cherish.

Thank you Father for giving me the responsibilty to be a dad,,, its a challenge I need thy grace to help me live the moment

"Serious side of playing around - Experts lament young are being denied interaction" by Liz Gooch, South China Morning Post [Hong Kong 12/1]

They jumped, ran, slid, fought, squealed and screamed. In short, they played.

It was the classic scene of children doing what they've always loved to do when almost 1,000 of them descended on a sports field at Polytechnic University on Wednesday.

Child's play it may have been, but what these children were doing represented a crucial part of their development.

Experts have long recognised the importance of play in children's social, psychological and physical development. But in today's fast-paced world, concerns have emerged that children are missing out on childhood's greatest asset.

Researchers and practitioners at this week's 17th International Play Association World Conference at PolyU laid the blame on a number of factors - from the lack of open space in urban areas to the parental concern that keeps children tucked up inside, cocooned in a world where television and computers have become surrogate playmates.

The realisation that not all was well with today's children came to writer, broadcaster and consultant Sue Palmer as she encountered countless teachers who were concerned by disturbing changes in students' behaviour.

They told the former primary school teacher that children were becoming more easily distracted and impulsive, less empathetic and did not get along with each other as well as previous generations.
Addressing the conference in a pre-recorded speech (illness prevented her from leaving her home in Scotland), Ms Palmer said there had been an "explosion" in the number of children suffering from learning difficulties in the past three decades.

Ms Palmer, whose research is published in her book Toxic Childhood, said behavioural problems had doubled in the past 30 years among British children while emotional problems had increased by 70 per cent.
The increase was particularly evident in those diagnosed with attention deficit disorder, dyslexia and autism spectrum disorders. In the early 1980s, one in 50,000 children in the United States had such disorders, compared to one in 144 now, according to the American Academy of Paediatrics. Ms Palmer said it had been estimated that one in 58 British children suffered from these types of disorders.
"We've had 50 years of peace and prosperity ... Things should be getting better for our children, not worse. I think it shameful and we should be looking at why it's happening," she said.

While some of the rise in behaviour disorders can be put down to increased diagnosis, Ms Palmer believes there is more to it than that. Thanks to technological developments, the pace of life has increased dramatically since the days when kids spent their childhoods exploring the local neighbourhood.
With tasks that used to be laborious now replaced by the flick of a switch, Ms Palmer believes we have become impatient and are trying to transfer this hectic pace onto our children.

"Unfortunately there are some things that can't be rushed and one of them is human development," she said. "We really can't accelerate psychological growth but at the moment we're trying to." "We are trying to rush children forward through the first years of their life and I believe that's why we're getting these developmental problems."

Ms Palmer said there was a disturbing trend in countries like Britain and the US for children to start school at a younger age. "It's very much worrying developmental psychologists because children simply aren't ready to start learning in a formal way until they're about six or seven," she said.

The pre-primary years should be dedicated to learning through play rather than formal education, according to Jaap E. Doek, who was chairman of the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child from 2001 until last year. Although the right to play was enshrined in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, Professor Doek said countries rarely reported on this aspect of children's rights.
He said it was important not to lose sight of the child's right to play when early childhood education was introduced.

"As soon as you call it education or school it becomes something that is linked to targets, things you want to achieve through activities at preschool," he said. "The pre-primary school shouldn't be school. It's really an instrument to strengthen certain elements of the psychological and also physical development of the child, to engage them with other children." Parents are often keen to see their children begin formal learning at a young age, but Professor Doek said the aim of pre-primary education should not be to put them in a competitive position for primary school.

While education often focused on the individual, the emphasis in the pre-primary years should be on learning to interact with others. "If you do pre-primary well, children have learnt to engage in play together, to discover things together, to get into a fight, to negotiate over things," he said. "All of those things don't happen in an education system where the focus is on the individual."

Professor Doek said Hong Kong and other places with competitive education systems could consider allocating specific time for children to play. But it was important children were given freedom when playing.
"If the activity is enforced, it's not play anymore," he said.

In addition to teaching children how to interact with others, share and learn language, playing active games outside has also kept generations of children healthy. With children free to run around the neighbourhood there was no need for such things as "fat camps" and diets designed specifically for youngsters - until today's generation, which Ms Palmer described as the least physically active generation in the "history of the planet". She said Scottish researchers had found that two-year-olds were now as sedentary as office workers.
"This is against nature and it means they're not learning through movement, which is the most basic way you play," she said.

Ms Palmer said there were various reasons for children's inactivity - children were becoming afraid to play outside, parents had become frightened of letting them out and there was now an abundance of screen-based entertainment available indoors. She said while there were no more child abductions now than in previous eras, a culture had developed where "parents are not good parents if they let their children go out to play".
A survey conducted last year by the Good Childhood Inquiry in England had shown that the average age people thought it was safe for children to play outside on their own was 14.

Ms Palmer said "screens", as she referred to televisions and computers, had invaded family life. She cited 2005 figures from the National Literacy Trust that show 40 per cent of British children under the age of four have a television in their bedroom. There were also television channels specifically for babies, despite recommendations from paediatricians that children should not watch television before the age of two. She said children's DVDs, such as the Baby Einstein series, had evolved into a multimillion-dollar industry but claims that these programmes were educational were "nonsense".

"Damaging babies' brains is now big business," she said. "If they tune into screens rather than real life and people then it becomes their default activity and it's much more difficult to convince them that they do want to play and get outside.

"I think if we try to push our children into a screen-saturated world before their brains have developed in the natural way that brains have been expected to develop for millennia, we may be doing them a disservice."
Ms Palmer stressed that technology was a great resource if used wisely but said society had not recognised what media saturation could do.
"Our technological evolution has been profound and rapid ... but we've got to give our children time to develop first," she said.

what do u do with a baby at 4am in the morning?

2007-12-28T14:11:00.000-08:00

Tonight as I lie awake wondering what can I do to while putting joanna sweetheart to sleep in the wee hours of the morning, I came up with this idea of creating a blog for her. So much for creative parenting. Check it out.
http://joanna3117.blogspot.com/

Women are from Venus and Mars...

2007-12-27T22:16:00.000-08:00

I thought I knew women. yes, esp the one at home

Sigh... I must admit, perhaps it was the flu bug or perhaps the knock-out over Christmas, I was not at all feeling well the past week. Physically, emotionally, etc. I knew SHE was upset with me. The fact that I knew she was upset that I am not much a help, especially when joanna cries at night or when my wife needs a good rub. I knew that I wanted to be there for her but its just that I am a dead log when I sleeep. God forgive me. On Christmas afternoon, after a long 4 hours sleep (yes, as all good men would blame it on the drowsiness of the pill) we got into a small argument. She was sobbing as she felt just so disappointed. I sure was afraid that she may conveniently transit into PNB- figure that out on ur own. The last B- is a colour!

And out she uttered: "Don't ever tell me you want another kid.... thats the last!!!" Oh how my heart goes out to her. Like a good obedient boy, I sheepishly replied, "Yes, of course, ..." AND she continued..."and you are really not at all a dependable husband... I can't trust you!" O...how my heart aches. In my mind, I don't see myself going for flings, or late night supper or beer, ,...I am but an honest loving hubby who comes home right after work. And by THE way, I also cook too you know... But well, just let her be.... But that kind of spoiled my week. Past few days, I have been wondering, how would life be like if I have no kids, not married or even unattached. But of course, I knew being married to HEr was one of the best things that God has done for me.

The soap opera continues with a few days later, she revealed. "I hate going back to work. " Ah ha... so that was the answer to her misery "You are undependable = I hate going back to work"!!! Now that makes sense... I smiled secretly It was odd though cos she loves her work, or more correctly, she is highly committed to her work. So it really ought not to be an issue. As a well trained facilitator, I probed a little more... "I understand how you feel... why not tell me about it..." I soothed her... and the truth came out. It was not about me, it was not even about the work... it was her worries that she may not even breastmilk for the little one.

Ah yo yo .... yes, women are really wired very differently. As for terrible husbands all there who share my plight, this is for us :"No women is complete until she takes a husband- only then can she be considered finish"

A long three months ago...

2007-12-27T22:00:00.000-08:00

Didn't realise that it was exactly 3 months ago that I last put an entry into my own blogspot. Interesting how I created new stuff through multiply- www.yeojohn75.multiply.com . Liked the interface very much cos its simple and compact. Pity, not many subscribers to mutiply so will park it for the time being. Got a little crazy with Facebook. Yes, the WORLD is in it. Interesting how I have been connected to so many networks. But it really frustrates me big time with the so many redundant applications.... maybe thats why people are on it... a simple outlet to "live" out of their boredom.

Joanna's a beautiful baby. I remember the week that she was born, so many things happened at home. Parents quarrelled, dad went missing, etc. I must say, Satan really wacks hard where it hurt most. Nonetheless, our good good God really answers prayers.... the night Joanna was about to be born, my dad came back. Its a testimony cos thereafter I asked him, being uncontactable for so long, how do you know when to return. His reply, "I felt something happened at home and thus I returned." Simply amazing how God works.

With a couple more days to 2008, I can't articulate anymore resolutions, with fear of yet another unfulfilled promise.

But I do know for sure that God wants me to draw closer to Him and lean less on my own strengths. How, I don't know. Many challenges lie ahead: the mime, my studies in June and July, my work, etc. But I know Joshua and Joanna would want to have a better father.

Our God is watching

2007-10-28T21:01:00.000-07:00

Dear friends

A lovely colleague shared this with me. Amidst little Joanna arriving anytime, a church play waiting to be rescripted, parents who are struggling with ageing, new work scopes.... so much uncertainty. This story just touched my heart ... that God is watching. Jehovah Jireh...

In September 1960, I woke up one morning with six hungry babies and just 75 cents in my pocket. Their father was gone. The boys ranged from three months to seven years; their sister was two. Their Dad had never been much more than a presence they feared.
Whenever they heard his tires crunch on the gravel driveway they would scramble to hide under their beds. He did manage to leave $15 a week to buy groceries.

Now that he had decided to leave, there would be no more beatings, but no food either.
If there was a welfare system in effect in southern Indiana at that time, I certainly knew nothing about it. I scrubbed the kids until they looked brand new and then put on my best homemade dress, loaded them into the rusty old 51 Chevy and drove off to find a job.
The seven of us went to every factory, store and restaurant in our small town.

No luck.

The kids stayed crammed into the car and tried to be quiet while I tried to convince who ever would listen that I was willing to learn or do anything. I had to have a job. Still no luck. The last place we went to, just a few miles out of town, was an old Root Beer Barrel drive -in that had been converted to a truck stop. It was called the Big Wheel.

An old lady named Granny owned the place and she peeked out of the window from time to time at all those kids. She needed someone on the graveyard shift, 11 at night until seven in the morning. She paid 65 cents an hour, and I could start that night. I raced home and called the teenager down the street that baby-sat for people. I bargained with her to come and sleep on my sofa for a dollar a night. She could arrive with her pajamas on and the kids would already be asleep. This seemed like a good arrangement to her, so we made a deal.

That night when the little ones and I knelt to say our prayers, we all thanked God for finding Mommy a job. And so I started at the Big Wheel. When I got home in the mornings I woke the baby-sitter up and sent her home with one dollar of my tip money-- fully half of what I averaged every night. As the weeks went by, heating bills added a strain to my meager wage.
The tires on the old Chevy had the consistency of penny balloons and began to leak. I had to fill them with air on the way to work and again every morning before I could go home.
One bleak fall morning, I dragged myself to the car to go home and found four tires in the back seat. New tires!

There was no note, no nothing, just those beautiful brand new tires.
Had angels taken up residence in Indiana ? I wondered.
I made a deal with the local service station.
In exchange for his mounting the new tires, I would clean up his office.
I remember it took me a lot longer to scrub his floor than it did for him to do the tires.
I was now working six nights instead of five and it still wasn't enough.
Christmas was coming and I knew there would be no money for toys for the kids.
I found a can of red paint and started repairing and painting some old toys. Then I hid them in the basement so there would be something for Santa to deliver on Christmas morning.
Clothes were a worry too. I was sewing patches on top of patches on the boys pants and soon they would be too far gone to repair.

On Christmas Eve the usual customers were drinking coffee in the Big Wheel. There were the truckers, Les , Frank, and Jim, and a state trooper named Joe. A few musicians were hanging around after a gig at the Legion and were dropping nickels in the pinball machine. The regulars all just sat around and talked through the wee hours of the morning and then left to get home before the sun came up. When it was time for me to go home at seven o'clock on Christmas morning, to my amazement, my old battered Chevy was filled full to the top with boxes of all shapes and sizes.

I quickly opened the driver's side door, crawled inside and kneeled in the front facing the back seat. Reaching back, I pulled off the lid of the top box. Inside was whole case of little blue jeans, sizes 2-10! I looked inside another box: It was full of shirts to go with the jeans. Then I peeked inside some of the other boxes. There was candy and nuts and bananas and bags of groceries. There was an enormous ham for baking, and canned vegetables and potatoes. There was pudding and Jell-O and cookies, pie filling and flour. There was whole bag of laundry supplies and cleaning items. And there were five toy trucks and one beautiful little doll.As I drove back through empty streets as the sun slowly rose on the most amazing Christmas Day of my life, I was sobbing with gratitude.

And I will never forget the joy on the faces of my little ones that precious morning. Yes, there were angels in Indiana that long-ago December. And they all hung out at the Big Wheel truck stop....

THE POWER OF PRAYER. I believe that God only gives three answers to prayer:
1. "Yes!"
2. "Not yet."
3. "I have something better in mind."
God still sits on the throne, the devil is a liar.
You maybe going through a tough time right now but God is getting ready to bless you in a way that you cannot imagine.
My instructions were to pick four people that I wanted God to bless,
and I picked you.

Let's continue to pray for one another. Here is the prayer:....
Father, I ask You to bless my friends, relatives and email buddies reading this right now. Show them a new revelation of Your love and power.
Amen.

On a personal note, I like to thank an angel. Was not sure where I could find a stage manager to assist for the play. Prayed about it. Still lost, an angel from church came forth if she could help. She was the perfect help as she is meticulous and big picture person. Someone I know I can trust and make things happen. A Godly woman. Though none came forth to audition yesterday, I received a call again from my angel. That's God's assurance that He is Jehovah Jireh

God is just so good, and He's good all the time.
Remember, prayer does change things!

A tree with two trunks at Orchard Library

2007-10-27T17:18:00.000-07:00

Rambling Libriarian reminded me that Orchard Library is shifting....real soon. Though only been there about 4-5 times, I love the design of the library.

When I first visited the library, I was woo-ed with the music stations by the sides. I am not sure if we are the only library in the world that offers this but, it sure is a very cool idea. Also the very distinct "open" concept of how the space is utilized, how the shelves are so well spaced out, and the huge number of books on art and design is simply just an arts haven.

I dropped by yesterday to look for books on directing plays. Last checked, White Sands library does not offer much of a choice. Yesterday, I picked so many wonderful books I wished I could use my family members' cards to borrow more. (NLB should do a research or test indicator on the "culture of Singapore library users: HOw kiasu are we")

The pleasant treat was, there was a manga awards ceremony -Mangaka (very interesting twist to how the Tekka market is pronounced in hokkien/teochew- very SingApor-ian). Otto Fong, a teacher in RI, was the guest judge. I like his point about how even manga art needs be innovated. He shared on how the girl drew the manga gal version of the merlion, how imagination led this kid to draw a monster manga pic out of a make up artist imagination. I loved the manga in the open category- very beautiful. WOnder if NLB will be showcasing them online too?

Time to meet my wife. Before I left, I dropped my Library books chit in the box that may allow me to win a book. I was certain I got the closing date correct: 30 Nov. Very clever way to engage readers! Along the way out, I asked the librarian at the entrance, "Is the rambling librarian working here today?" Jokingly she replied, "He doesn't ramble on Saturdays!"

I caught the photo of the lovely graffiti on the glass. Can you see the "tree"? Look carefully, a tree with magical white leaves. Can you see the short stumpy blue tree trunk? Look again. Is the trunk blue or is it black and longer?

Einstein said "No problem can be solved by the same consciousness that created it". Use a different lens to see the creative world around us.

A very lost blogger

2007-10-27T17:02:00.000-07:00

Woke up somewhat angry with self for how silly I am in not being able to be more IT savvy (very clearly a digital alien trying to step into zone of at least a digital immigrant) and sad. Sad that I am beginning to love blogging more but not sure how I can better use this to "communicate"

So if there are any kind souls who happen to read this.... please help....

1) how do I created a forum like what you have done for people to "talk" to me?? The reason why I started to blog was to use blog as a platform to continue the friendship with my students. Somehow,,,, after changing the skin, I lost the "code"

2) HOw do I get into a "community of bloggers"? How can pp read and share on my blog or I can do likewise for others?

What I can do during a boring seminar

2007-10-25T23:54:00.000-07:00

Though here to get some fresh ideas for Digital Exchange, nothing seems to excit me. Man, its tough to sustain my attention through talks on digital content, standards-compliant courseware, etc.... ONly thing I thought was good was on the alternative of copyrights. COPY LEFT!!! Useful insight and wonder how rapidly the world is changing through the participatory culture. What I like is the idea on how people enjoy sharing, how people find it fulfilling to adapt, modify. or co-create. Altruism. Throughout that segment, I struggle with asking myself.... So should I copyright or copyleft my Emotional Intelligence Game? Tough question...

Had an interesting conversation earlier with one participant on need to continue learning....even til old. As a son, I often feel a little uncomfortable when my dad starts talking.... is it just bad attitude on my side or is he not conscious of how others feel about what or how he talks. Mum complains of his bad temper but a son, I know that he needs to talk... is he really falling "sick" mentally? What can I do? Talk more with him? Tough. Encourage him to take courses.... perhaps. Perhaps hooking him up to a computer course would be useful.

The unfilial son...

Gift to be Simple

2007-10-15T09:50:00.000-07:00

Its odd why I felt delighted this afternoon with just barely half an hour cleaning up the Level 12 pantry. As the SWAT chair, how can I not lead by example. Initially I thought it was silly to clean up while there were tons of more serious work to be done at my workstation. But as I started filling up the glass bottles with biscuits, I could see in my mind the happy faces on colleagues when they walk into the pantry and see it sparkling clean with biscuits all filled to the brim. I wanted people to be proud of entering into a special place that they could feel a personal touch. Someone who made it special just for them. That made me happy.

Sometimes, greatness is not in the acts of doing big things, but just the simple act of making someone else smile. I know that cos I know from the weary face of the cleaning uncles and aunties in food courts who I heard are only paid $2 per hour to clean the table. It doesn't take much to just do our small parts and always lend a "thank you" or a "xie xie" to show our appreciation. Sadly, these are the good folks that many take for granted.

I want to make the world a better place. It doesn't have to be a big move. Just start with a smile! :)

The 7 Cs by Cresswell

2007-10-11T15:38:00.000-07:00

To the heavy hearted,

I met a friend recently at the Facilitator's Network and we were engaged in good thoughtful exchanges. Cresswell shared the following with me and I like to share with you. I hope it encourages you. Cress angled his 7 Cs from an organisational point of view. Here, I pened (typed) my thoughts on the wisdom from a more personal perspective. ANyway, my inspiration for my songs has always been drawn from looking out to the sea. Yes, I really love the analogy of C to sea.... all aboard!

The 7 "C" Success Factors behind Extra-ordinary business:

1. COURSE: Ship-wide alignment to a common course

Before you embark on your noble journey, helps with clarifying your personal vision. "Course" alignment is essential especially in personal leadership.
Greatness of a leader may then be measured then subsequently by your vision and values.
Exploration of your inner territory
Finding the strength through your style. For example, if people know that your ability to charm others through your personality, and your credible charisma simply makes things happen, synergise that to become your charming charisma to stir new directions in your life.
"I am driven by concerns for the legacy I am leaving for my children." Gail Mayville

2. CHOICE: Everyone acts as a 'captain' of their own ship

Outstanding individuals all share a common trait: they live and die by their initiative and creative capacity that flow from th proactive engagement of everyone.
Choice shifts an individual from reactive to proactive stance, from passive to response-able voice, from delegation to others to trusting others and trusting self.

3. COURAGE: Go to sea, despite your fear, risk and do right things, right

Courage carries the day in crisis, floods work with passion and purpose
Amidst heightened uncertainty, take the right risks
Do the right things!

4. CAPACITY: Keep ship-shape and build sea-worthiness in all 4 compass quandrants

Maintainance of equilibrium- health (body), learning (mind), culture (emotion) and higher purpose (spirit)
Growth requires reaching beyond current limits, expending energy, then resting and building

5. COMPANION: Get the right crew onboard, in the right relationships

Success of your leadership is highly dependent on the sum of the people you build and the relationship between those people.
Get them into the position that employs their gifts and the creating and sustaining empowering, co-creative relationships.
People first! Its worth making the first connection... then soon, compassion and collaboration.

6. CURIOSITY: Cast off, explore new territory, learn and renew continuously

Continous learning and renewal keeps you afloat in the sea of change.
It is the key to inner transformation i order to adapt and expand your capacity to produce results

7. COMPASSION: Sail for the king and country

How do you build a heart that will woo your people to buy-in and give their best and stay by your side.
the unspoken code that drives good to extraordinary.

I like to add to Cress list 2 more Cs:

Contemplation?

- Need for reflection, journey out to the sea as a way to express separation from the environment;

- A renewal process that will require opening the doors you shut previously, or walking in dark spaces that are frightening, or touching the flames that will burn. BUT the end is, truth.

- from looking within then to looking out before moving on.- A practice is finding greater resonance within self and the activities you set forth (for e.g. Peter Senges book - [The Fifth Discipline]:The Art and Practice of the Learning Organisation)

Creativity?

- Ability to modify your self imposed constraints and to make connections where none existed before.

- Enjoy the imagination that drives that need to change and seek that desire to experience self fulfilling success!

- Creative people would enjoy a sense of ownership, empowerment and spirit

The broken heart of a teacher

2007-10-08T13:18:00.000-07:00

The best gift that a teacher can ever receive is when they know that they have made a difference in the lives of their students. One of those most memorable program that I facilitated was produced into a video and uploaded on youtube. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-JdMDi91g64 Each time I revisit this video, dust gets in my eye.

1. A Service Learning project that went through so much from conceptualisation to preparation and 'painfully' implemented. Yet, it reaped many sweet returns with intangible lessons learnt. It really made such a big difference in many, including mine. I enjoyed seeing how a class of very intelligent students driven to get the As transformed to be caring, creative and responsible individuals. This too was one reason that held me back from resigning in Oct 2005.

2. A reflection of much heart break: these two videos were mostly filmed, edited and produced by one single kid. Yet, in 2006 this kid was sent to a home for thief and several other crimes. In one instance, he had even stolen a laptop from school and had it sold at the cash-mart. I know him. A clever boy. A kind hearted child deeply gentle within. A very tech savvy boy. Yet, it saddened me tremendously to hear of his misdeeds. I counselled him when his parents broke up in 2005. His dad abused him. His mum from a foreign land knew not how to manage him further but to eventually report him to the police... because she loved him. He knew not her love for him. While he left school and ran about doing odd jobs, I tried to look for him. Each time he promised to turn over a new leave, it became yet another broken promise. I too was at my wits ends. I pondered, how can society give this 17 year old boy another chance. Can't we use his talents and make him a better man... Pehaps I failed him as a teacher.

Perhaps I did.

The broken hearted teacher,
jy

Photo from http://www.pbase.com/imagine_nation/image/71755481

2007-10-02T16:02:00.000-07:00

Saturday was a good morning.

Good becos Joshua and I went to Lim Choo Kang jetty to do our part to clean the beach. International Coastal Cleanup 2007 for SWAT. Initially was worried for the low turn up but surprise surprise when we got there, it was a good number that came forth including other volunteers who lent a hand.
Whats more meaningful was a morning where people mingled together for a common cause. TO rid the beach of stuff that are not eco-friendly. Stuff like rubber materials (we dug out a wheel of a truck), metal( rid of some screw drivers and shovel), glass and plastic stuff (plently of plastic bags, broken glass bottles, ball, etc) and plenty of interesting stuff like wheel can, clothings, fishing nets, styroform boxes that perhaps dropped off from fishing boats, etc.
Personally I always wish that I could start little Joshua off on some community projects and what better way then to get in touch with good old Mother Nature. We got really "stuck" and became the swamp thing when Josh and I ended up in the sticky gluey mud that trapped our sandals. Thank GOd for good old Oliver who came to our rescue. O, Oliver is one of the coolest people I knew way back in NUS Biological Sciences dept where he was also my tutor for some modules. I missed the days we went to Malaysia for field trips where he showed us how wonderful nature has to offer with his shapr senses and expert knowledge. Then we met again last year where I helped to review the Bio textbooks for CPDD. And guess where I ended up after that! LOL

I am proud of little Joshua who constantly asked to wash his muddy feet; helped me pull up stuck fishing nets (and almost pulled down my pants too) as well as did his little part in digging up the huge wheel.

Check out more photos of the event: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=748497641

GAMING generation 2.0

2007-10-02T15:39:00.000-07:00

Well, Joshua is so into guns and arcade games that I have decided to just purchase a FUNStation for him to enter "officially" into what marc prensky calls the age of digital natives. Man, how he loves the shooting and fighting. We started playing yesterday and I just love how he ask me "We both die already?" Thank God I "died" with him else he will start having teary eyes again.

Than again, wonder who will be th one who will be hooked onto gaming. At least I knew the last time I play tetris, I played it all night looooooooooooooooooong.

Lets change that from the start. Least what I did was to set an alarm clock that will remind us 15 min is up. LOL. Ya right, I say to myelf.

Lost Lost Lost.

2007-09-30T10:06:00.000-07:00

Attended a talk on Blogging and New Media by 'Rambling Librarian' super cool chap who is just himself sharing on the goodness of blogging. That was 2 weeks back. But somehow the RI teacher case was kind of scary.....

I know its tough to maintain esp with my last posting up in January...LOLLLL... man I probably lost all the online students. Bet they gave up on me liao. Sob sob. anyway its been a terrible terrble week....
Just a sense of being LOST i my life again. (and not becos I just watched Lost)

I sure miss teaching and I miss my dear dear students. My darlings in 2N1, 2E6, 4E1, 4E2, of the past 3 years, and the many many young/old friends in zhss. Yes, friends. THats why I feel so terrrible. U know, for the many wonderful things my students have done for me,,, I reallly realllllllllly missed them so terribly, and I told myself that I woud want to buy them something special on Childrens Day. Well, children s day is here BUT I got nothing but my sorrows.

Do i hate my new post? Actually no... not at all. Its just that I miss my students- they are really why I came to HQ. Cos I saw and believed the greater calling. Calling to make a bigger difference. At least that was what wabbit said I could do and inspired me to do just that last Oct. Yes, that fateful week of just about to resign. She is one cool cool boss. The best really. One who could see the potential and gave me all the room to learn and grow. And I did. I want to be just the leader that students and teachers will look up to. I want to be a Principal one day (at least thats what I said in 2002)... one that will inspire teachers to teach from the heart. One that people will say... "woo hooo... lets just do it". I am sure wabbit was such a P. I could imagine the day she left each of her previous school... how kids would aspire to study for her. For me, I just aspire to be that leader that can inspire teachers to inspire students to be the best they can be..for themselves... and happily learning and having in school. THat education is not about learning to get grades but one that allows ALL to live the dream of Lets Build A world that believed in just the best for all. O yes, grades will then just be so chicken feet. IDeal school...? why not... If I had the balls to declare that aspiration back in 2002, then whats stopping good teachers to aspire that "forbidden track"? 2007.... all the more I see that we need schools to be like such. Yes, end of 2006 was a dreary burnt out, disillusioned by the many initiatives of the "grandfather"... til my mentor came along and showed me the waY.

People are more complex here. THere are more people that seemed to always double guess others' good intentions. Then there are just some others who are so held back by the institutional "rightness" to safe guard much BUT... I just missed days when Thiam Seng, Chye I, Siew Yen and all the most wonderful colleagues helped one another. I remembered, how they celebrated with me when my class did well in the national service learning project. They too was a turning point cos I saw the better side of the selflessness of teachers. We had "the Lets do it for the students sake". When it comes to youth performances, who cares about being laughed at with Mdm Pok POk,,, its all becos we loved our students... and I just am so grateful for those days.

Now that the person I respect most here is leaving, I feel kindof so lost. She wrote, don't let me leaving derail you from becoming a P one day. Well, what can I say but LC, I am grateful for the faith and trust in me. Jabbit has still lots more to learn. I never regret that. And I am happy for her. Happy that she will bring about one of the most dramatic changes to the education in Singapore. Its too selfish to want her to stay on but as an emo subj, I can't help but feel lost.

Can an emo subj ever be a school leader? I just suddenly felt its tough. Wife having body aches cos the baby is coming out soon and I can't do much to lighten her load, friend whose birthday just broke up with partner, LC leaving, a cell group that don't seem to even want to grow, Cell members resigning from their jobs or having bad time at work, .... so much that I can feel lousy about. How about not able to think of a name for my little one, ... or having to work on church 40th anniversary script that I felT so lacking of inspiration.

Lost lost lost.........

I know there are good things I can give thanks for... lets name them!
1. Thank God that my son almost pulled my pants down yesterday when we were cleaning the beach at Lim Chu Kang. I pray he will be an environmentalist too! NO SHARKS FIN pls.

2. Thank God for seeing the delighted face when we took the Dark Tours...LOL I meant DUCK. Talking about Duck tour...man, i so glad met Michelle today. And my girl was holding a boy's hand... U ve grown up and I m so so proud of you too. Wonder if yours will be my first Wedding Invite. LOL....

3. THank God for the wonderful dinner my faithful and loving wife prepared. Man tend not to seem appreciative of the wife's efforts... but one day if u chanced upon this, may u know how much i so lurve u for the Sunday breakfast that u painstakingly prepare for me. I really do.

4. Thank God for being able to join the Innolab team. Thats grace!

5. Thank God for the little one coming on Nov 9... God knew how pained we were when we lost our Last. God is merciful.

6. Thank God that I saw Zixun writing a hello note. Yes, Zixun, Mr Yeo never forget about you and am glad that I heard you are doing better in school. Remember Zixun, don't let your "evil" self get the better of you. I always respect you for the goodness I have see in you.

7. Thank GOd for Yingwen... my 'fav' student since Sec 1. This was a little girl whom I thought will never speak up in class. So I thought. Then she ended up speaking up in another way. LOL. Yingwen, Mr Yeo did you proud. My second article in the PS21 magazine 'Challenge' was also published. hee hee. NOt bad eh.... how can your teacher lose to you. HOWEVER, may I remind you my friend, do well for your As first before you continue writing ok.

8. Glad that I could just talk to Henry today. My dear students, uncle Henry was Mr Yeo's best friend since Sec school and I am just so so proud and glad that he recently got married to a beautiful lady. I always believe that when we honour God, God will honour us. Treasure your friends. Do unto others what you hope others would do unto you.

9. Glad that I just watched the farewell party by 2N again on youtube. It sure brought tears to my eyes. Thank you for making me, just your unique Super Yeo.

10. Thank God that I could stay up tonight to blog. Wabbit said I should write more professionally... man, either I really can't write at all, or I write so much... sigh sigh sigh.

Miracles 07

2007-06-18T17:57:00.000-07:00

My "dad" mysteriously disappeared for a week after a quarrel with my mum. After a police report, then I knew he left the country. I so terribly hoped dad would be back to carry my daughter on the first instance. When I knew that Joanna was coming out one week in advance, I thought that hope was gone. However, miraculously, dad returned the very night my wife went into a labour. When I asked him why, he said he felt something happened back at home two nights before joanna arrived. That's a great miracle right?

While my wife and daughter were still in the hospital, my elder son Joshua got into a very high fever (39 degree celcius) on Sunday night. He was even shivering and went into fit. I had to bring him to KK hospital alone that night at 3am in the storm. It was indeed a frightening experience as a dad. At 5am, we managed to drive back, still in the rain, and singing Christian songs along the way.

We went to the pediatrician, and after a blood test, realised that Joanna had very high level of jaundice and we were strongly advised to send her into hospital for photo therapy. I was not comfortable with the idea as my wife is still not well and she would be worst if to stay by daughter side in the hospital. I prayed to God to stop the rain so that I could "sun" her. Miraculously even though it rained for past 3 days n even this morning, the rain, did stop at noon.

What you do when you don't know what else to do

2007-01-29T16:59:00.000-08:00

I hope to live LIFE TO MY FULLEST

Almost impossible when you grow older>@#@*($^$#$

I was driving and kind of feeling sorry for self.... ya self pity, stupid morning jam, unfinished work, not having enough time to b super daddy, more meetings and minutes to type, the list goes on.

Its also tough to do QT each day, once you plonk your bums onto chair in office and on the computer... the craze and race begins

Suddenly as I read about Our daily Bread, about the Disneyland being the Happiest place on earth, I can't stop but ask... What am I going to do on this earth... listening on to the audio bible on John yes, JOhn, images conjurred of how Jesus was ministering to the people, I can't help but ask... He too was a very busy man... but he knew His purpose.

Taking a step back, I can't help but find it silly to squeeze in the jam to fight for a smoother lane. Give the man a break, I say. Others may find it a lost to let unwillingly another car squeeze in. What is there to lose... face... hah.. the man behind can't see ya unless I stick my head out and make a fool.

Sometimes just going against the "norm" and looking at big pictures and doing it differently, does help to settle your heart and mind.

If Jesus can do it, so can I!
Why..
1. Maximise potential of each day
2. More meaningfully engaging each day
3. Feel more shiok
4. MOre focussed
5. Greater zest
6. Inspire others to b jus as passionate or even more
7. Fire in my eyes
8. Being creative in how I can fun with each day
9. Look back 10 years later and say, I did it!
10. Go to bed each night with a smile

2007-01-10T11:31:00.000-08:00

Finding INspiration within is such a beautiful and liberating experience!

After a week of info-loaded induction in my new job, sleep was my ony past time during the weekend. Interestingly, I woke up on Sun, caught the news and heard about the mysterious streak of light across the normally unexciting dull Singapore skies. Going back to sleep shortly after dinner, I dreamt I was riding on the light....

I sensed the sorrow of people who lost their loved ones, I sensed the fear of people living not knowing when the bomb will next blow on them, I sensed the loneliness of people who lost their job and wonders why the papers brags on the economic turn of the year, I sensed the pain of mothers who seemed so near yet so far to their child they loved.

It was such an awed dream and the feeling I had was "why". With the rush and buzz of the past 2 days, I was fortunate to look across my window and saw the gardeners tidying up the bushes of the lovely slope of the Biopolis and suddenly I found the key to unlock the dream. How often I lived my life rushing from moment to moment, day to day, year to year. The dream revealed of people I know and chatted with in Dec. A friend who was suddenly retrenched, a student's mum who just could no longer connect to a son who was fighting for his freedom, the people I watched on TV crying when they hear of the crash of the Indonesian plane.

How have I lived each day of my life? How have I made a difference in someone's life? When was last time I stopped to pray for a stranger in need of help?

I realised once again, we are called to live with a purpose. To seek our individual purpose is a journey that is interconnected with the people around us, the events that are happening around us. Counting my blessings, I know life must not only still go... but how I want it to go on!

As for my darling Joshua, if only you understand why I take on this job because I am compelled to want to make your education a better one for you one day. Yes, 21st century skills is BIG but whats the big deal? Its not just a vehicle to make you a better person but somehow, to help you chart your own dreams into reality. None-the-less, I have also neglected you.... thank you for waiting for me everyday by the door shouting "ko ko ding". I wish you will remember how endearing this title is to us. Its stupid to just wish for more time to spend together. Remember how much I would love to read to you bed-time stories, how we fight as shark and dolphin, how I became dong dong chang for you, may I never look back again and say "if only I had more time with you"

At the centre of my heart, its about angels that God placed in my life to challenge for growth, to just give a big smile and sing them a happy song, to just stand up no matter how exhausted I may be to offer a seat, to give a pat and say "Well done", to lend a shoulder to cry on and just shut up, to not say anything but just act upon a need, to speak when no one dares to challenge, to stop and just let others win, to inspire and tell them they too can make a difference,.....

Count my blessings.

Hope Awaits All Ye Faithful

2006-12-13T13:46:00.000-08:00

God really has a great sense of humour.

ODB talks about 'Money Talks' (13 Dec) and interestingly, I was invited to a fabulous game of Cashflow at one of board games cafe-Settlers. The verse of the day "The love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness- 1 Timothy 6:10" Put to the test, I was reminded how often, I could stinge a little here and there but the Bible says that it is NOt money that is evil but the Greed of it. Pray that this reminder will be always at the front of my head. People who knows me that I can be worst treasurer ever. Since Primary School I always miscalculate the class funds, worst misplace them. Thank God my vocation is little to do with $$$ else I may long have been on the papers. LOL.

TOmorrow I will finally be departing for my a well-derserved holiday to Perth Australia. Looking forward to refreshing time with family especially as Joshua who will be starting nursery next year. Its funny how people say that children of teachers should be the best. An irony as we often see often kids of teachers , pastors, etc are the more "challenging" ones in schools. I pray that as God has given me a wonderfully child, that I may bring him up and help him grow in stature and wisdom and as the name of Joshua suggest- to be a God-fearing leader who loves his people- one day.

As to my dear members of E-sixism, I missed all of you. THank you for your well-wishes and lovely posts. Keep them coming! God bless you

Love
Salt & Light

Carpe Diem- Sieze the Day, Live your Day

2006-12-12T10:31:00.000-08:00

121206: Today is a magical day .... THANKS 2 Johnny's Angels, I am prepared to conquer my world with Blog. It is my desire to share with friends my

Vision: to live a life worthy of God's Calling making a difference to people around with what God has blessed me with;

Mission: to impact Singapore's education a future of creativity & passion!

Ephsians 2: 10
For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

2006-12-11T23:28:00.000-08:00

Glorious ORchard Road Light Up!

My sudden Operation

2006-12-11T23:14:00.000-08:00

Dear friends

As some of you may have heard by now, I had an emergency operation two weeks back to remove appendix. The excruciating pain and the emergency need to operate immediately made me realise how precious life is. It was so sudden I did not even have a chance to tell many.

An reminder of how precious the gift of life is and more important the gift of salvation that in my pain, I could still thank God to say "I can do all things by the grace of God". Despite all the many things I have gone through recently that has happened to me, my wife, my family and all, I could see God moving in my life. To God be the glory great things He hath done.

The strength of God is so beautiful that He kept and preserved me. TO my dear friends and students who have yet to know how wonderful Jesus is and how miraculously Has turned my life round, I tell you two things. 1) God is real; 2) God loves you.

I will be glad to tell you more on His goodness and you know what, He loves us enough to bring to us the reason for Christmas.

I read this recently and would like to share with you
"If God brings you to it, He will bring you through it. Happy moments, praise God. Difficult moments, seek God. Quiet moments, worship God. Painful moments, trust God. Every moment, thank God."