Sonnet 18.5

Shall I compare thee to a stomachache?
Thou lasts far longer than any pain may.
Such aches stem from a specific mistake,
Simple precaution will keep them at bay;
A past stomachache one wouldn't recall,
The mild discomfort, hardly an issue;
Even the most persistent of them all
Rarely stays after an asp'rin or two.
But memories of thee never subside,
Lacking a cure, day by day they accrue;
Ne'er has any ache spread so far and wide
To torment the heart, the soul, the sinew.

So long as men eat, and stomachs can ache;
So long thoughts of thee I can ne'er forsake.


[Credits to a mate in college who got tongue-tied in a failed attempt to be romantic, and came up with the first line by accident. But I do miss you guys that much.
Look, if we want a year-end class trip shall we start planning early?
Please put forward any suggestions. Let's get the discussion going.]

Something Simple

[Note: Forgive the cliche and the obvious lack of writing inspiration.
I love you guys ;) and Malaysia too, by the way.
Happy national day.]

3T's in a row

hey guys, just to share with you the Sunday Star's advert.

S5's pride- 3 consecutive S5-sians

5A's:

4A's

Heartiest congratulations to all who did well =) well done!

Foresight

The year is 2017. It is the Nth S5 gathering. 10 years after graduating, the first thing you say is…

Yun Wey: (shyly) Umm… is this… the place?
Yee Ern: (lost) Where are we?
Huan Ting: (waving with left hand) Hello! How is everyone?
Fang Ling: (waving with right hand) Hello! How is everyone?
Wygene: (eyes transfixed on video game) Who is it?
Zhen Xiang: (eyes transfixed on video game) Hi… whoever it is…
Lok Mun: Any good food?
Mun Teng: Any nutritious food?
Chee Yuen: Any shark’s fin soup? I need to brush my teeth.
Ching Jian: Actually, choice of food can accurately reflect one’s personality.
Yee Shuian: All you care about is food. Did you see the gathering banner I painted?
Seou Yuen: Or hear my newly-composed orchestral music blasting on the speakers?
Zuo Hao: Accompanied by my erhu students?
Jing Hooi: No doubt about it.
Tee Jin: It'sme,i'mhere!
Yi Ping: Aiyo Tee Jin ah why you like that one! Forgot to speak human is it?
Kesvick: And you accuse me of speaking German. Sie müssen scherzen.
Ter-Yi: Meet my blonde girlfriend.
Terence: Meet my SEXY blonde girlfriend.
Yee Hooi: Sexier than me?
Jeffrey: Sexier than ME?!
Jit Teng: Meet my 2000th girlfriend. I’ve lost count; I always round it up to whole numbers.
Chin Sheng: Meet my daughter. She’s seven years old.
Kiang Boon: My new book. Malaysian Politicians Say the Darndest Things, Volume 29.
Jie Hui: (on the phone) HOW MANY TIMES DO I HAVE TO TELL YOU- (turns) Boon, my name’s not in there right? (turns) -TO REPORT TO ME BY TONIGHT?
Melody: (on the phone) Yes darling love you miss you muah muah muah. (turns) Oh, that’s just my husband. Jay.
Wen Yau: (singing) 神啊救救我吧！一把年纪了，一个爱人也没有……
Vidthiya: (singing) Bole chudiya bole kangna, haye ho gayee teree sajna…
Vinoshena: (singing) Tere bin jiya naiyo lag da, main te margaiya…
Hemavathi: (all suddenly start dancing) Lejja lejja! Dil lejja lejja!
Jia Yi: (in a pink dress with pink frills holding a Chihuahua with pink sunglasses) What’s so funny?
Gui Sun: (holding an umbrella) What’s so funny?
Jing Xin: Hehehe nothing, nothing hahaHAHAHA.
Wooi Joe: Free trial massage, anyone?
Wen Zhen: Aaaaaaaahh fish you it hurts!
Han Yong: That’s not how you scream, let me show you. AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHH!!
Yoong Hsiang: Are you alright? I’m sure I still have my first-aid kit somewhere…
Ying Yang: Hey I’m the doctor! But first I’ll just take a colour-accented photo to emphasise on the blue-black…
Teresa: For goodness sake, let the Mother do it. First you must love the patient…
Zhao Ying: Follow me. Breathe in… breathe out…
Xin Yi: Think of clouds! Think of images of clouds!
Janez: Leaving early for a manicure appointment. Photoshop my face into the group photo before posting it up on facebook.
Kong Sime: Wait! You haven’t cleaned up!
Suat Wei: Wait! You haven’t paid up!
Suet Lynn: Wait! Else the balance sheet won’t balance!
Chor Yeng: Wait ah, wait ah…
Rong Sheng: You’d better be quick. I have more bodyguards than Jit Teng’s girlfriends.
Shu Qin: Class, these are my former classmates. Your homework today is to learn from them in order to ensure that you, too, will have wonderful times together like we still do...


[Note: All statements are made in good faith, no offense intended. Any resemblance is purely coincidental. P.S. I love you all.]

The Sculptor's Attitude

Author Unknown

I woke up early today, excited over all I get to do before the clock strikes midnight.
I have responsibilities to fulfil today.
I am important.
My job is to choose what kind of day I am going to have.

Today I can complain because the weather is rainy or...I can be thankful that the grass is getting watered for free.

Today I can feel sad that I don't have more money or...I can be glad that my finances encourage me to plan my purchases wisely and guide me away from waste.

Today I can grumble about my health or...I can rejoice that I am alive.

Today I can lament over all that my parents didn't give me when I was growing up or...I can feel grateful that they allowed me to be born.

Today I can cry because roses have thorns or...I can celebrate that thorns have roses.

Today I can mourn my lack of friends or...I can excitedly embark upon a quest to discover new relationships.

Today I can whine because I have to go to work or...I can shout for joy because I have a job to do.

Today I can complain because I have to go to school or...I can eagerly open my mind and fill it with rich new tidbits of knowledge.

Today I can murmur dejectedly because I have to do housework or...I can feel honoured because the Lord has provided shelter for my mind, body, and soul.

Today stretches ahead of me, waiting to be shaped. And here I am, the sculptor who gets to do the shaping.

What today will be like is up to me.
I get to choose what kind of day I will have!

Have a great day...unless you have other plans.


[Note: One of my favourite articles which I'd always loved to share. Forgive me for being unable to produce an original piece of work this time, and for probably taking a break from the monthly blogging for the next two months in preparation for the upcoming exams. All the best to everyone and take care always!]

Who Chopped Down the Cherry Tree?

Legend has it that George Washington, in his youth, chopped down a cherry tree with his axe and later famously admitted the truth to his father.

Now rumour has it that there used to be a cherry tree within the compounds of CHS until someone, hitherto unidentified, chopped it down with an axe...

LKT: Classroom notice boards are to be decorated with decapitated cherry trees in conjunction with the event.
Prefects: Awas! Pokok ceri akan tumbang. Para pelajar diminta lari mengikut arahan pengawas!
LM: What? You want us to carry the cherry tree to the hall?
QM: We take care of the grass on the field. Cherry trees are not within our responsibility.
LAS: AAAAAH@#*$&%~^$@**%!!
(Pencegahan) Jenayah: Whodunnit?
6th Form: The canteen aunty did it. Kuih talam tastes like cherries nowadays.
Polis: If anyone of you did it, the whole team will do pumping 200 times.
Bomba: We tried to rescue a kitten from the treetop, and the branches broke from our weight.
English: We wanted to bring literature to reality, so we had to test our Sound Machine.
Badminton: The shuttlecock was stuck between the branches, so...
Scouts: We were running short of wood for our campfire.
Guides: OUR campfire.
PBC: We needed the cherry blossoms for the Chinese New Year celebration.
Japanese: No, those are plum blossoms. Cherry blossoms are for ikebana.
Interact: Really? Then we'll represent Japan on IU day.
Wushu: We only have knives, sticks, nunchaku, and lion heads. No axe.
Taekwondo: Who said it was an axe? Bare hands would do.
Science & Math: But the angle of blow and the force applied exceed a normal individual.
PBSM: Paint-the-cut-with-iodine.
LPS: Include that in the school archive.
PRS: Counsel friends and family of the cherry tree.
Calyx: Cheer them up.
Sejarah: Such a pity. It has been there since independence...
Prostar: Such a pity. It might have been the ultimate cure for AIDS...
SLAD: For all that we care, it might have been an undiscovered drug.
YE: Maybe we can make some profit from selling cherries.
Koperasi: Too late. We're selling them.
UKH: Now we have enough stock for five years' worth of kerja kayu.
Creative: And a life-size model for still-life painting.
PBM: Let's propose Konserto Terakhir to be changed to Pokok Ceri Terakhir.
PMO: Erhu sounds sorrowful enough for the closing ceremony of the tree.
Choir: O cherry tree o cherry tree, you stand in verdant beauty.
Band: *drumroll* *funeral march*
Kadet: *salute*
Islam: May _____ bless the soul of the departed Cherry Tree.
CF: Amen.
Buddhist: Amitabha.
Ed Board: Who's going to interview the cherry tree?
Aquatic: What cherry tree?


[Note: Arranged in no particular order of preference. No offense intended. Apologies to all unmentioned.
Inspired by Vijay Kumar, whose cherry trees are by far the best.]

For Them

Don't gasp in horror.
Don't look so sad.
Don't sigh.
Don't feel bad for them.
Don't stare forlornly through the webcam,
Type mails with too many TT_TT's,
Or transmit suppressed sobs over the phone line.
Don't ask them whether they cry into their pillows
In the loneliness of the night.
Don't ask them whether they miss you.
Don't ask them whether they feel bad
For missing future gatherings
And all the potential fun you'll have without them.
Don't ask them how they cope with homesickness.
Don't ask them how much things cost,
University fees,
Living expenses,
Or telephone bills for the first month.
Don't ask them to come back.
Don't ask them when they're coming back.
Don't ask them whether they're coming back.
Don't ask them if they think there's no place like home.
Don't ask them if they realise that
The grass isn't greener on the other side after all.
Don't ask them whether they regret their decision.

Ask them how they are doing.
Ask them if they picked up a slang.
Ask them their initial difficulty in understanding the foreign accent.
Ask them about the gradual change in the colour of the leaves,
From green to yellow to a crimson red.
Ask them what course they are reading.
Ask them to spread the fish, the mangan,
The Malaysianised wait-ah,
And the tradition of singing birthday songs.
Ask them for a description of their current Math teacher, if any.
Ask them what time in the evening do streets become desolate,
When we have only known a world where the night is forever still young.
Ask them to upload on Facebook
Photos of their new home,
Photos of shop names without the need for a "Kedai Butik" at the top left corner,
Photos of their first attempt at what was meant to be scrambled eggs.
Ask them to buy frozen instant roti canai from the cold storage.
Ask them whether they're used to reading in the papers
About Parliament sessions without politicians cursing one another,
About judges and lawyers taking separate trips to New Zealand,
About traffic police who have yet to learn the meaning of "duit kopi".
Ask them their pleasant surprise
When for once,
A car slows down to a halt before them at a zebra crossing.

Laugh with them.
Cry with them.
Drop messages.
Prove to them that distance is not a barrier,
And neither is the passage of time.
Tell them that they make you proud.
Tell them that you're happy for them.
Tell them that
The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.
Support them in spirit,
Remember them in good faith,
And wish them all the best from the bottom of your heart.


[Note: Inspired by A Teacher's Poem by Lisa Lauritzen.
Dedicated to those who have left us in pursuit of their aspirations.
May joy and success follow your footsteps wherever you may go.]

Janez's Blog

Janez's blog has been removed by someone whom I call a hacker

She lost her blog as well as her gmail account

I really don't know how to help you girl..

I can only post this to let everyone know

If anyone is capable of reviving her account

Find her

NOW!!!

Reunion

Yo all,

This is my first attempt at a video with a storyline, created as an introductory video for the Chinese New Year celebration in my college. (If you're wondering, CCC = Chinese Cultural Club.) I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed being director/producer/scriptwriter/narrator/sound effects technician. ^^

Have an auspicious year ahead.

Miss you guys every day.