1. I am now supposed to be studying for my Final Theory test which is happening this Friday. I am supposed to be studying online because I've lost my book. But, as long as I have something else more important to do, the less likely I am to do it and the more likely I am to write in my multiply.
I intend to use this round of NPL to do lots of self-improvement works - becoming a better cook, getting my driving license, taking a few courses with British Council on the English Language and well, read read read.
I was about to sign up for driving classes with BBDC instead of private instructors this time round but when I wanted to do so, I was greeted with a screen that says my FTT has expired. So must take again lor. Which means I must study again. Which is not what I'm doing now.
My twin sister (so says taxi drivers but *ahem* this twin sister is a good 12 years younger than me *ahem ahem*) is also taking her FTT and she has the book but each time I go to my mom's place to study (supposedly), I simply don't. There are too many distractions - chocolate bars in the fridge, for one.
GAAAAAAAHHHHH!!!!! I just realised that Friday is the day after tomorrow!!! Oh. My. God.
(After a moment of panic, I'm back to my procrastinating self.)
2. Rohana, you were saying that we should screen our calls? Yes, perhaps we should. Huda's starting a bit too early.
Still, I think it's so cure how the boy is glaring at Huda like that, as if telling her, don't pick your teeth in public!
3. For me to go off for 2 hours weekly to learn driving, I've got to go get my breast pump fixed. (So that Farah can have an emergency stash of milk should she want some.)
I bought this Medela pump the day I was discharged from the hospital. (The post-pregnancy hormones must have wreaked havoc in my mind because I had problems with my first 2 Medela mini electric yet I still went on to buy a third one) And soon, the pump decided to act up. I will inherit an Ameda double pump in September from my sister (the older one) but 'til then, I have to make do with my Medela. Can people who are breastfeeding or intending to do so not buy the Medela mini electric, please? Spend more money and get either the huge Medela double pump (the one that costs some $600) or the Ameda Lactaline double pump (best value for your money) or the Avent manual pump.
4. The ants are back in the kitchen. The small reddish-brown ones. And they are getting more desperate. Yesterday, I saw them carrying a small piece of dried egg white which was stuck to the stove after it spilled out of the bowl in which I was stirring it. I'm feeling a bit more adventurous these days so I will look for their home and it will be goodbye ants soon! *evil laughter*
5. There's the eclipse today. If Huda were bigger, I would have wanted to take her to the Science Centre and observe this phenomenon over there. But, I don't think she would appreciate it for now.
This makes me wonder - when she's in primary or secondary school and when special events like this take place, will I dare to pull her out of school for a little while to observe such phenomena? This is what learning is about, isn't it? Wouldn't it be great to be able to watch things unfolding as they are happening and not through the TV screen? Reminds me of Twilight - I hate that movie; must state that for the record - the absence of the vampire kids on sunny days were attributed to the parents who take them out for trekking and educational stuff whenever the weather is good.
If parents were to do that here, will teachers frown? As a member (a non-active one, though) of the possibly-frowning-group, I think I will have issues if the students are weak and no amount of sun-gazing will help them do better in their studies. But, if the students are above-average ones, the teachers may not mind so much but to just roll their eyes.
What will be written in the official record to explain their absence? Absent without valid reason?
Hmm.
Okay. Must study for my FTT. Friday is not so far away. Sigh.
19 comments:
good luck on ur FTT! sure can one la.as long as u errm study. :P and read the questions carefully cos' if i remember correctly, FTT qns are trickier than BT.
abt learning, i think kids remember better through experiential learning and it'll be great to let them explore with their senses, memories are better created and hopefully they can retrieve it easily from their 'hard drives.'
i am especially intrigued about how boys learn and how girls learn. based on the books that ive read, girls are found to be more suited for classroom-learning while boys are more engineered for on-the-move learning, which explains why boys are almost always labeled as the 'trouble-makers' or the noisy ones in classrooms environment for the basic reason that they can't keep still, not because they are hyperactive or bcos they have ADHD (not all the time), but bcause their minds are not exactly designed to excel in a passive-sitting-down-classroom environment, at least not when they are at the primary-school age, not yet. And It's not really abt 'lacking discipline' either. but bcos they need to be on the move, in order to think better, in order for their minds to work better. and maybe tt's y a lot of times, boys seem to be more 'weak' (of cos' there are other boys who excel too but it's said that generally, this is how the boys' minds work) in primary school bcos' of this need to be on the move in order for their minds to work better. which means they need to be taken out of classrooms to reel them in the excitement of learning and hopefully they will be more receptive to learning and will grasp better?
I have a few suggestions in my mind for am oh ee. whether they will take my feedback seriously or not is maybe 20-70 in the yes-no proportion? (in the 1st place, i dun even know how to give feedback.suggestion to am oh ee.haha! :P). and maybe the possibly-frowning-group may spout expletives at me for giving them more work? or hopefully, not tt much work? ;)
this is what happens when a parent has a boy, and she reads as much as possible abt how to raise boys, how the boys' minds work etc etc etc. i wonder if other parents with boys are like me? :P oops..sorry panjang lebar pulak celoteh aku ni? heh..passionate katakan. :P
and oh, ur mom will help look after farah when u go for the courses that u mentioned? so inspiring la! i need to be inspired! :)
huda dah ader bf eh?
Nad, just the other day Sarah told me that there was a new boy in her class named Abdul Qaushar (I think that's the spelling). And u know what her following comment was?
"Sedap nama dia. Kakak (that's what she calls herself) suka dia."
Ewah ewah, mak nenek ni. Aku pon senyum la:)
I remembered when I met her teacher in school for parent-teacher conference, her teacher told me that a boy likes her for her tembam-ness. Budak2 ni pergi skola nak belajar ke nak cari pasangan...hehehehehehe
About pulling your kid out from class for educational purposes, why not? Provided kau masih SAHM la :) I would do that:) I would really appreciate if we were granted leave days like in the private sector and take them any time we want. So boleh la kita jadi mcm si Cullens tu, whenever the weather is nice or there's a rare phenomenan.
Talking about the eclipse, we were watching Channel U and Sarah saw the sun. So i explained to her la. She asked me, "Why is the sun behind the moon? Why is the moon not moving? Why is the moon black?" All these questions thrown at me. Klau ikutkan hati, mcm nak illustrate tapi takpe.
And the pic is so cute! Huda pakai baju jambu meletup, mcm mana budak lelaki tu tak tenung...heheheheh
And please pass the test and get ur license la girl
That reminds me that I should be reading such books too.
hi...
about the FTT.
1. there was research done that showed that memory retention is best within 48 hours of the event. i.e. study for the test within the 48 hours before the test. so you are not too late, i think. i read the book a bit lah a week before the test but my intense cramming is usually within 48 hours. anyway, products of singapore educational system should be used to the last minute intense cramming, no? maybe it was just me then.
2. you can still sign up with the school before FTT, right? i signed up with Ubi before FTT. So the morning before my FTT, I went there and used the computers for the trial tests. 10 sets of trial tests. Each test is 10 MCQ. Can do super fast and chances are 90% of your final test are sure to come from the trial tests. basically FTT ten-year series lah. as a result, during the actual test, i was either the first or the second to finish. i remembered we went to the machine at around the same time to pick up the result slip.
huda looks cute in the baju kebaya. is that her first admirer? not bad ar... hahaha.
in primary schools, you generally find that there are more girls than boys in the best class of each level. i think it's because the syllabus in primary schools favours those who are linguistically more proficient and this one, girls win hands down lah.
but, dont you worry. as we can see, boys do catch up later in secondary school and in life. so, dun need to worry too much about hazim. he'll have many opportunities to shine. :D
as for hands-on-learning - i think the am-oh-ee is doing more of that especially in the lower primary. ideally, there are more opportunities for hands-on-learning. i say, ideally. because realistically, there are 30 students (in p1 & p2, 40 of them in the upper levels) and time is really really limited. but, there are things being done to incorporate more non-pen-and-paper kind of assessment. so, the point is, your concern is being addressed by am-oh-ee. (aku ni macam pro-pakcik-moe gitu, eh?)
and yes, my mom will help look after farah. actually, now that you've mentioned it, i've not asked my mother to help me lah. i just happily assumed she will. hahaa! so tak malu!
the courses i'm attending - where got inspiring? they are just things i need to learn. you and your interests in hairdressing and sewing are inspiring! totally unrelated to what you are doing. i want to take a course on stress patterns at british council. boring like anything, right?
huda - chet! bf? pengsan bapak dia. both of them are the best-dressed winners in the racial harmony day celebrations in school. each class has 2 winners, a boy & a girl. the stranger thing about the photo is that huda's one of the winners in the best-dressed category lor. she also won during the CNY celebrations. do you smell kelong here? (especially knowing what a bo-chap dresser the mother is) hahaa!
i think, in the long term, i may be SAHM but in the nearer future (when i go back to work after this NPL is over), i'll be on half-workload or something.
if i were to do this pulling out, cannot be too often lah. that the weather is great and i want to take her to the beach cannot be an excuse! confirm kena cursed by the teachers. but, do you think it's possible to pull out the kids for a week or 2 to see the cherry blossoms in japan? hahaa! i think i'm really pushing it here.
and the eclipse - i'm not ready to do all the explaining that's why she went to school today. i would have to prepare her for it days and days before by telling her how the sun and the moon moves. she knows the sun and the moon but she doesnt know about the planets.
she asked me why her helium-filled balloon was no longer floating. after a 5-minute explanation, during which she looked interested, she simply changed the subject and never went back to the topic of the balloon. i'm sure the same would have happened had i tried talking about the eclipse to her. :)
ah ha!! this is great! i'm within the 48 hours. so i should start now? or maybe, later. as a 'product of the sg educational system', i am indeed an expert at last-minute cramming! heh.
actually, i passed my FTT before. but that was in 2007. so, expire oredi lor. now must study again. and yes, i could also sign up for lessons before passing FTT but my royal fatself was simply too lazy to make my way down to BBDC. i didnt know that even those who sign up for driving lessons can use the computers to do the trial test. aiyaaaaahhh.. never mind lah. i just must do serious cramming tonight and tomorrow. last time, i spent 3 days studying for it. hopefully, this time, 1 day is enough because i do have a bit of experience driving.
wish me luck!!
oh yeah! it's not your first time, so it should be a piece of cake!
as for the computers thing? at first, i didn't know either. but you see, i am married to a part time driving school instructor (he does it on some weekends) so he fills me in on these stuff.
but i haven't checked on the validity of this info, given that i did the FTT in 2005. for all i know, they might have scrapped it since not many pple know about it.
oh yeah!
GOOD LUCK!
lindah, where does your husband teach?
i've only covered less than half the book.
anyway, i called bbdc just now. they told me that if i want to take driving lessons with them, i must still attend the basic theory and final theory classes even though i've passed the tests! such a waste of time leh!!
is it the same case at other driving centres? do you know? or would your husband know? if that's the case, i will just have to take a pte driving instructor again.
oh come on Nad...its ok to take them out of class for a day! u do noe that nothing much happens on some days....*LOL*
Panjangnye cikgu tea & cikgu nad berbual!
All the best for yr FTT! Am sure you'll make a good driver. maybe during my 2nd round of maternity later, i'll brush up on my driving skills. terok betul. i can't even remember how to reverse park.
Btw, budak boy tu apasal tengok huda like that? kelakarnya! haha..and huda looks soooo cute!
my hubby teach at Ubi. it's really not fun when your own hubby teach you. they scold you more liberally then they would to a normal customer. *sighs*
i'll have to ask him when he comes back and let you know. i definitely did not attend the theory classes, but the registration fee at that time included theory classes, I think. So in a way I may have paid for them? i think it was $150 registration fee or something. but after that, i just went for the driving classes.
hi nad,
he said same as what i know. have to pay full registration fee to join the school. the registration fee includes the theory part as well but many students don't attend. they just register, then try the trial tests, and once they pass FTT, they go for driving classes.
anyway the passing rates for the driving schools are here:
http://learn-to-drive.spf.gov.sg/services/Learn_To_Drive/passingrates/class3.htm
Ubi is ComfortDelGro Driving Centre.
i believe the different centres are operated by different companies... so the procedures at different centres may all be different.
and the passing rates for the private driving instructors are here:
http://learn-to-drive.spf.gov.sg/services/Learn_To_Drive/passingrates/private.htm
so you can check if your private instructor is good or not! :). i was under this guy sabari - his students' passing rate is 27.2%. obviously it was a good choice for me to switch to the school. anyway if this is not the first time you are taking the practical driving test, you can ask the school if they have an express course. at ubi, if it's not your first time, and if you prove to your instructor that you are pretty good already, they can book your test slot earlier for you. and you only need to complete a minimum amount of 8 practical lessons. i din take that chance. i went for 18 lessons before the practical test. and i passed.
i prolly spent about 1K with the school - more than what I spent on sabari to take 2 rounds of practical tests under him (both tests, i failed). but no regrets spending the extra money lah. so sick of having to take practical lessons and practical tests you know.
i would recommend going to ubi if it's not that much further than bbdc for you tho. my BIL (bro-in-law) failed twice at bbdc and switched to ubi before he finally passed. my niece passed at ubi first time try, when she was 19 yrs old. she had less points than me! (if you can't remember, the less points you get during the test, the better)
*lol*
don't i know it.. hahaa!! but i dont want to kena curse by the teachers lor. especially if my kids have some teachers who are delusional about their level of importance in my kids' lives. *nervous laughter*
i'm searching the net for all those free ftt questions and trying to do them instead of studying the book from cover to cover. i am sooooo sleepy already lor so hopefully, something in my brain is actually registering all these things i'm reading.
as for driving skills - even though i failed the first time round, i think my parking skills were quite good then. but now, i may have to start everything again from scratch. i cant even remember what to look out for to get the half-clutch thing.
that boy - i had no idea what he was doing. i was just snapping away and it just so happened i caught one photo of them like that. hahaa!
i'm sure!! once upon a time, my dad offered to teach me. but, no way! he's not an instructor. just a regular driver. but, like u said, your own relations will scold you more liberally. and, the scoldings will not stop in the car. it will go on and on and on and on. i must probably will wake up to hear him scolding me some more.
anyway, those sites you gave are wonderful! my instructor is this guy called mr soh but for the test, i was registered under another instructor's name. can't remember his name. mr chua or chong or chee or something that begins with ch-.
unfortunately, ubi is way too far away from my place in woodlands lah. was thinking of going to the amk one but it looks like they have the worst passing rate.
if i fail my driving test again (errrr.. assuming i pass my ftt lah - looking at how i'm barely touching the book, i'm not too sure of that happening), i may just be desperate enough to go ubi. but then again, i'm not that desperate for a license. i only desperately want a car when i've been waiting too long for a taxi or a bus. heh.
but, for ubi, the students don't have to attend the theory classes, right? i really really dont fancy wasting my time there.
ah, we'll see, we'll see.. as for now, i'll just spend some time here: http://passyourdrivingtheory.blogspot.com
the last time, i got 34 points. when the tester beside me started ticking away, i thought i was doing fine. i didnt know what to expect then! hahahaaa!
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