With every word that came, enveloped in enthusiasm, confusion and excitement, I cringe, inside with a wide smile to patch the bitterness.

"For everyone who has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him."

Oh I see it, feel it even clearer than I have ever been before.

But why should I complain? If it landed on my lap, would it be any different? Perhaps not. It's just the swelling off my heart I want to tend to, something I have not felt for a long time. The want to be treated like a woman, not just another friend.

Just that and simply that, besides the fact that there's a shadow over me, constant and more appealing than the very self of me. That's why I hate that piece of paper, the only box which I shine in. Just a box.

I comfort myself with the thought that in this vast and everlasting sea there is one fish who will come to me. Only one and only for me. Comfort is rare and slow, but comfort nevertheless.

Reflection - 'cos I hear it so often.

Reflection on your essays, reflection on your week, reflection this, reflection that.

This is my reflection over the past sem.

1. Friends

I got to know the ones I knew better and not necessarily liking all outcomes. I got to know new ones who will now have a permanent place in my heart. I think we bruised each other, and got ourselves chipped all over. This is a good thing, everyone needs to shake down. Some are bad processes, some are not that bad, but in the end all is good-for now. My roomie is awesome. She reminds me of my grandmother, not in the physical sense, but some of the things she says, her life lessons and her day to day goal. I live with a motivational speaker. I can't thank God more.

2. Studies

I am finally doing something I love. Bullshit of the century. Even in Uni, you have to do courses you don't want to like BM and Entrepreneurship and stuff like that. My year is also the guinea pig year for a new course, I would say that it is a helpful course. To be honest, I can't wait for the next semester. I really want to take a chunk off my major, see what the tough meat is all about. Excited much.

3. Location

There is a tendency to forget that I live on an island because I hardly see the sea. Despite the amount of outings and such, I still forget. Occasionally, the breeze comes to remind me that there is this vast amount of salt water surrounding me, the clouds at night do the same.

4. Weather

Needs getting used to. Nuff' said.

5. Church and CF

Is pretty cool, I think I need time to get attached to it. I think everyone does, naturally.

6. Myself

I think I have gotten a bit more headstrong, a lot more self conscious, somewhat lazy and maybe a bit more adventurous. I have now the opportunity to do everything I want, it's called freedom. However, I don't feel like I accomplished anything. I am yet to stretch myself and do things differently. In a way, I feel like my whole personality and character has not been structured yet and set into stone, not that I want to make myself incapable of being malleable by humility and what not, but I can't help but desire to be stronger in quiet sense and somehow more in control of myself. This is probably my future goal.

Next sem, here I come. :)

The Phone: How to be an Effective Caller and Answerer

This post is for all the idiots out there who do not know how to make or answer a call. Today I will shed some light for you and educate you on how to be a courteous and not so imbecilic person-on the phone, of course.

Lesson 1: Introduction

Upon answering the ringing phone, answer with a salutation, appropriate to the timing of the day. For example: Good morning, good evening, hello.... etc etc...

Situation 1:
kring kring...

Answerer: Hello?

Situation 2:

kring kring...

Answerer: Good evening?

Get the picture?

*Note: Never answer the call with 'good night'.

_____________#______________

Lesson 2: Whoissit?

It is natural for the Answerer to know who the Caller is, so....

YOU CALLERS JUST STATE YOUR FRIGGIN' NAME. DON'T YOU EVER EVER EVER EVER DARE ASK THE ANSWERER WHO HE/SHE IS. OKAY?

phew*

Now that that is settled, let me give you some situations...

Situation 1

Answerer: Hello?

Caller: Hello. Who is this?

The above conversation is NOT COOL! NOT COOL, GOT IT?

How the conversation should be:-

Situation 1 (The Proper Version)

Anwerer: Hello?
Caller: Hello.
Answerer: Who is this please?
Caller: My name is Educated Caller.
Anwerer: Blimey, my name is Educated Answerer.

Caller: Jolly good, ol' fella!

The above conversation is more or less the way it should be in reality. You may, of course have a different name.

There is however one situation where you should be able to avoid the name giving game. That is if the purpose of the call is to find out about a person who called you but you have no idea who is the person.

Situation C0mplicated:

Answerer: Hello?
Caller: Hello.
Answerer: Who is this, please?

Caller: I received a call from this number a couple of hours ago and I would like to know who called me. Who owns this number please?

That is the only situation where you shouldn't reveal your identity first, if you are the caller. There are probably a host of other situations like a complicated, dramatic, life or death situation but my temporary lack of creativity prohibits me from being specific.

_____________#______________

Lesson 3: The Main Content

This portion of your conversation entails the purpose of your call. It may be:

- an informative call

- a nagging call

-an angry call

-a flirty call

-a social call

The point is, whatever it is, it is up to you.

_____________#______________

Lesson 4: The Conclusion

Many people like to finish the call with a grunt or absolutely no indication that the call has ended. This is very unprofessional, rude even. The next situations will give you an example of what it

sounds like:

Rude Situation 1:

Caller: Alright dude, bye.

Answerer: *grunt*

click.

Rude Situation 2:

Caller: Alright dude, bye.

click.

That's not very nice, is it? Be courteous, try some of the following examples:

Better Situation 1:

Caller: Alright dude, bye.
Answerer: Bye dude.

click.

Better Situation 2:

Caller: Alright dude, bye.
Answerer: Goodbye, Mr Watson.

click.

Better Situation 3:

Caller: Alright dude, bye.
Answerer: No, don't leave me, please don't, I can't be alone, I can't. I'll die... please... please... he's coming, the boogeyman, he's coming!

click.

Answerer: Dude? Dude? DUDEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Okay, perhaps not the last, but the two previous ones were just fine.

_____________#______________

Now that you're educated, I hope you make this a practice in life, so that you will not be a pain in the buttocks for people like me.

Thank you.

It's that time of the year again, the moment where we clean up old slates and write new promises for ourselves to be either fulfilled or broken.

This year, I got lazy. I didn't make resolutions because I know me, and 'me' doesn't keep 'em. But with recurring dreams and being shipped off to an island, I got myself thinking. Hard.

I need to do something different. This new phase of my life requires something proactive, something unique.

Resolutions:

1. Every two months, I must try to travel to a part of the island.

2. I must try to complete two books a month. During term break, I'll have a separate book list.

3. I must draw, paint or sketch once a month.

4. I must blog once a week, to keep the journalistic juices running.

5. Exercise is a must.

6. Fast food, once a month.

7. Maggi mee once a week, only.

8. NO MORE PROCRASTINATION!

9. Make up with a specific person.

There, 9 suffices.

:)

Happy New Year peeps!

The Education Center: Episode 1, "Good morning class."

The first day I started work at the Education Centre was the day I passed my interview there. The interview was swell, I believe my boss-to-be was trying to intimidate me and raise the bar then plonk it on my head so as to make sure I knew what I was signing up for.

Truth is, and I am not being cocky, I knew what I was signing up for. And what I signed up for reared its ugly head at me when she called me up for Part 2 of the interview, the mock class.

The class consisted of three primary school kids, 2 12 year-olds and an eleven year old. A girl and two boys. I stood at the doorway, one of them looked up at me and said;

"An Indian? NO! I hate her."

Boy, the class hadn't even started!

And so I started, I played nice. I completely ignored the greeting and the other two students quickly condemned him for being racist. Though my boss did try to explain, I guess I understood why he reacted that way.

We did simple things, basic grammar. I thought we were going on fine until the boss walked in. The jittery, pesky butterflies attacked my tummy and I missed out the first person references for plural and singular verbs.

She reminded me, "What about I and you?"

I muddled it, having no idea how to simplify it. She then jumped to the situation and explained it, incorporating 'asses' into it. She then told me sometimes 'horny' explanations helped.

I didn't know whether I should be relaxed, surprised, disgusted or be in fits of laughter but you know what? It worked.

The bildungsroman.

I thought of opening a new blog. One with no name, no mark, no tag that bears my identity. I wanted to be anonymous so that I could blog and be rude about it, so much so no annoying relative's commentary or annual report will find it's way to my parents' ears. But then I realized, starting on a clean slate would be completely contradicting the very word.

Bildungsroman.

It refers to growth of a person or a character. Growth:- not only physical but mental, spiritual, in character and thought.

This blog is my bildungsroman. It is proof that I have (don't cough now) grown. Not just in size but in character and (laziness) and thought.

Hence, I shall begin again, with a new voice. One with aspiration and dream. To teach.

Muahahahaha.

This is my series of "The Education Centre".

Greetings and Salutations.

I miss blogging. My mind needs to work. Write good English. I feel somehow I have forgotten half the words I usually use, since I started to work.

I only seem to know phrases like these;

"Be quiet and do your work."

or

"Hey, can't you keep quiet for a second?"

or

"Where's your book? Why didn't you bring it?"

Somehow, working as a tuition teacher has made me realize several things:

1. I do not want to work in a city. City kids are rude and ungrateful.

2. A teacher's job can be mundane if you are forced to work according to the status quo.

3. Teaching acquires perseverance. If you can buy it in bulk, it's a done deal.