Book Affair: Bad Luck and Troubles

Troubles and Bad Luck

by Lee Child

Recommended by a friend, this book proved to be more than enjoyable, but tremendously addictive, so much so that one is likely to seize every free moment one can possibly squeeze out of his already tight schedule, to read the book.

I reckon most readers, like me, faced the dilemma of fighting off the urge to turn the pages too quickly for the the fear of looming end, while trying to whet their unrelenting appetite for more.

Even though the ending was somewhat predictable: the triumph of the good over the bad, the victory of right over the wrong, the meandering road leading to its definite end is an enjoyable and worthwhile journey.

The story adopts a third-person narrative and centers mostly around Jack Reacher, or simply Reacher, a former leader in the most promising special investigation team the US army has ever had.

It begins with the most ordinary happening in mundane city life that will only rings an alarm bell to Reacher's unerring eyes : a unjustified deposit of $1030 into Reacher's bank account. A call to the bank confirmed his fear and sent him off to a journey with no return, a journey of putting back the old team for the investigation of a teammate's mysterious death. As the mystery was unveiled, Reacher and what was left of his team discovered a bigger scam threatening national and global security.

The book praises and worships comradeship, camaraderie, a spirit enshrined in several catchphrases, one of which the readers would not have missed would be "You do not mess with the special investigators" The spirit was best displayed by the seamless cooperation between Reacher, Neagley, Karla and O'Donnell, in their `pursuit to crack the case. They knew one another's natures so well that nothing could stand on their way to resolve their friends' deaths.

Besides the larger theme, there is a sustained subtle attention paid to the painful process of ex-army retirees adapting to feed themselves in a civilian world. None but one of the old team was "making it". With marvelous skills and incredible agility of the mind and body, as the author has accredited to his characters, it inevitably evoked a sense of revered sympathy. However, I believe this is not the writer's keenest intention. His attitude, best represented by the main character itself, is one of indifference and nonchalance.

Reacher is a apparent misfit in the civilian, standing conspicuously apart from all the mundane and ordinary components that constitute life that we all are so familiar with. But nowhere in the story suggested his vulnerability. In fact, as an isolated individual refusing to accept the norms, a conspicuous derail from the other teammates,he is more focused than anyone else, sharper and faster than they ever can be.

The story is action-packed, testing the author's ability to pen an accurate portrayal to a great length. I must say it is a job well done and I haven't seen anyone who can do it as good as Lee Child. I was literally watching the actions and fights unfolding right in front of me. The accomplishment of which is only attainable with both knowledge and experience in the security industry. In this respect, readers like me can be forgiven. Besides, Lee Child cunning employment of techniques in flaring up readers' appetite for more leave them totally defenseless. He used short sentences for impact and never failed to end the chapter with one, just at the climax of chapter.

Well, Lee Child has his own consideration for the readers The brief interjection of romance between Reacher and Karla brings momentary relief from the intensity of the team's pursuit and the suffocating mystery blanketing the the death of their four closest friends. What's more ingenious about Lee Child is that the "breaks" are well-paced to bring the much needed relief while maintaining a sense of urgency and a degree of intensity.

It is not, therefore, extravagant in saying that Lee Child can tell a great story, and he tell it good.

Roses and Broken Leg

Library Club Project Rose for Love

Just last week, while talking with Ms Yu, the teacher-in-charge of library club, I discovered that the Library Club is in need of manpower, as one of the teachers-in-charge is pregnant and Ms Yu needs assistance in managing the weekly programmes.

As Valentine’s Day is coming up, I thought of organizing a handicraft workshop for the librarians. It was an exciting idea and I did not hesitate for a second thought. With all the necessary materials at hands, I had the librarians seated around the table and conducted the workshop by showing them the process of making paper roses in a step-by-step manner.

The kids were interested, especially the girls. Just then, Ms Yu pointed out that the roses can be sold for charity purpose. The library club is visiting an old folks home in the upcoming weeks and Ms Yu thought it would be a good idea to donate the proceeds from rose-selling to the elderly. Our librarians liked the idea very much and became more motivated.

Basically, due to man power shortage and time constraint (as the students were just beginning to learn rose-making), we decided to set a realistic target. We should only target the teachers as, they can better afford the roses, and more willing to fork out the money. (Some of them with spouses or partners may even feel obliged to buy). That allowed us to set the price higher than our expectation and raise more for the elderly.

Meanwhile, I scuttled to message all my contacts about our impromptu project and there came our first order of bouquet. Ms Yu and I also advertised the roses among the Mother Tongue Department teachers and several other teachers I met at the Secondary Two campsite last Friday. The response was encouraging. This demonstrated how successful the project could be if given enough time and planning. Nonetheless, it was a valuable lesson and Ms Yu and I both agreed that it could be made into a tradition of the Library Club-selling roses for charity every Valentine’s Day!

Secondary Two Camp

Besides the premature charity project, the highlight of the week had to be the Secondary Two camp. It exposed me to other facets of a teacher’s life—their responsibilities and duty outside of the school compounds. The entire P.E department camped there overnight, plus the respective form teachers of all the participating classes, to make sure that things fall into place and the various programmes and activities installed by the camp instructors could be carried out smoothly. Besides cooperating with and assisting the camp instructors, the teachers had to be part of fun, literally.

During that short period of break time before dinner, all the teachers gathered and racked their brain for ideas in preparation for the “Teachers’ Show” later as a key event of the camp fire.

It was a challenging task.

The teachers tried their best to infuse valuable lessons and reinforce the key points emphasized during their Civic and Morals education lessons, such as the “Seven Habits”. On the other hand, they wanted to avoid preaching and make the skit as enjoyable as possible. That was where the difficulty lie.

Nevertheless, as it turned out, the skit was a successful one, winning applauses and cheers from the student crowds as they watched their teachers pitch in the fun. It was truly an unforgettable night where a lot of bonding took place.

It was also a revelation, as I witnessed how teachers took the initiative of fulfilling parental duties. They woke up earlier, slept late, ate alongside the students and helped answer their every need and problem. I witnessed how Mr Emery Lim, the P.E teacher messaged the thigh of boy who strained one of his legs during a soccer match, slowing spreading the ointment and helped the boy to stand, and ultimately, walk. I saw how Ms Xiu Mei, the Chinese Language teacher waited patiently for the students who needed to go home, and made arrangements to drove them home after a long and tiring day. By the time she should reach home,it would have been after twelve at midnight. Even our principal Mrs Mary Bay had to ferry one of the students home, as Ms Xiu Mei’s car could not accommodate such many students.

It was clear that when it came to the safety and well-being of students, every teacher had to go the extra mile, and there was never a limit or clear boundary as to how far one can go. I believed this facet that the camp revealed was only the tip of an iceberg, and there was much more to experience, to see and initiate.

Standing between the dead and living

“Standing between the dead and the living”

This is another quote from Mr Chin on education which he deems one of the most sacred professions. Mr Chin thought this biblical quote captures the essence of the responsibilities that rest on the shoulders of him and many other educators nowadays. Aaron, who saved thousands of sinful lives with his burning incense, is a personification of educators, who are expected to guide the students towards a worthy direction, and restore the lost souls onto the correct path.

“Guardian of social fabric, that is”, Mr Chin said, referring to the army of teachers whom he prefers to call “educators.” Indeed, we need to teach the students the right values, on top of equipping them with the right skills, so that Singapore’s future will be in safe hands.

“Seeing needs and meeting needs”, according to Mr Chin, is what educators should set out to do besides building relationships and crafting characters. This is echoed by the 21st Century Competencies Framework launched by the MOE in 2009 to equip our students with the capabilities required of the 21st century. This is exceptionally important especially for Singapore that relies heavily on its human capital, due to its inherent lack of natural resources.

Another facet of education that we touched on was how it can be closely linked with a country’s economic performance, political stability and more importantly, its social fabric which can either make or break a nation. The result of an educator in shaping the students, in moulding the school culture, can only be seen ten years down the road. Perhaps due to the exact same reason, similarly, education can have a far-reaching impact on the different aspects of the society. A poorly educated and ill-prepared generation of citizens can hardly lead the nation into a promising economic future, let alone securing a gainful position in the increasingly competitive world. The case studies of the European debt crisis reveal how important it is to put in place a relevant education system that delivers the relevant competencies.

Thanks to the extensive coverage of the European debt crisis, we know that Germany is the economic engine that’s kept the Eurozone afloat. The Germans attribute their success in large part to their dual education system. At a young age, schoolchildren are given options between vocational training to prepare them for employment or go to university.

While the system provides little flexibility, it delivers high youth employability Germany, as well as Switzerland and Austria — which has similar education models — have the lowest youth unemployment figures in Europe. Whereby countries like France and the U.K., which traditionally place a greater emphasis on college degrees, fare much worse.

However, it takes more than educators to put in place a change. Mr Chin likens the education system to a mega spaceship, in which schools, institutions, teachers, parents and students themselves have a part to play, similar to the different technical parts involved in a spacecraft.

We are not fighting a one-man war, if we were to achieve prescribed results and get our students to exhibit the hard and soft skills required of the 21st century, we need to involve every, and slowly manoeuvre the spacecraft.

So much effort, for such small changes. Mr Chin acknowledged that changes are hard to implement, and results are very often hard to measure, but we must do it.

However, one thing is sure: our education needs more such devoted teachers like Mr Chin.

LOST

Uninspiring.

I thought a lot about disparity, between me and those friends of mine that used to be physically around. They are no longer, either in the Army ready to go overseas, or already overseas chasing their dreams.

I don't know what is mine, and the thought of not knowing till I die, having lived a life in fear with inhibitions without realizing the dreams I once held dear, or not having any dreams to start with, is scary.

Like the picture shows, don't know where the future is leading, where the path is taking me.

Is it doom's day for Kodak?

The story of Kodak as a faded brand will live on in new books , business school modules, and perhaps, in movies shot in the old Kodachorome format in tribute. This is not the sort of legacy a storied company that has prospered for better than a century will bequeath willingly. Yet, as it tries to renew itself under bankruptcy protection with a US $1 billion loan in its US home base, the introspection it has evoked is extraordinary. The reason is plain: the name with its associative imagery(描述) of memories and moments had woven itself into the fabric of lives across generations, not just in America but in many other cultures.

In Asia, where Japan's Fujifim did almost as much to hasten its demise, as did digital photography, again paced by such Japanese firms as Sony, Nikon and Canon-the episode might be seen in a less nostalgic light. The overriding question might well be whether American business innovation and management practices are al they are cracked up to be. it would be a hasty judgment but there is something to it.

Kodak has entered the famine phase not because it has failed to foresee the digital revolutoin that would do away with film and clunky manual cameras. even digital cameras only a decade old, are giving way to smartphones with built-in cameras. It reinforces company lore that, as the photography has now learnt, Kodak was the first to develop the digital camera, way back in the 1970s. Its digital imaging patents are its prized assets (now up for bidding) But the company wa for many years after that rolling in riches selling its staples of film, chemicals and photographic paper. It did not invest in its digital technology because it feared it would decimate its film base. This was the gap which the Japanese camera makers exploited.

The misstep could be put down to failure of management: bosses made a strategic business decision to not monetise digitalisation but to focus on film. It turned out to be the wrong gamble. Would many managers faecd with a similar challenge have acted differently?

Bits and pieces

First Chinese Lesson with 2E1

Just finished two periods of lesson with my 2E1, I went through the vocabulary of Lesson Two, 19 of them but I managed to cover only 13. Mdm Guan talked to me afterwards and we discussed my strengths and weaknesses.

Strength#1: loudness of voice (interestingly this is easier done in 2E1 than in 3E1, experience helps I guess) and clarity of words.

Strength#2: teacher-student interaction. I threw some interesting questions and tried to elicit the answers to be filled in the blanks instead of feeding them the answers (this worked in the first few attempts but Mdm Guan warned me that it does not always happen. It would be more efficient to just give them the answer and keep them within the syllabus/curriculum, which is rather disappointing because the few bright and able students with higher academic calibre have to compromise)

Weaknesses: loads of them

weakness #1: pace was too slow that I didn't manage to cover the content that should be easily done within the given period of time

weakness #2: there was no focus(in fact, I tried to give equal focus to all words while trying to retain students’ attention in an interesting manner but at the end I lost both ) as I went through the words almost indiscriminately, not differentiating between the difficult/frequently used words and those plain ones that are easily understandable. The result? Time wasted unnecessarily. Mdm Guan suggested that I can make my own judgement and highlight a few keywords according to the lesson, and allocate the time wisely.

weakness#3: Failed to put myself in the shoes of the students, caused by the lack of a general awareness of the students' capabilities in the language. Apparently I have placed too high an expectation on them when I asked them to write "小猫"“小狗”. They simply could not. In order to gain a better understanding of their abilities, I asked Mdm Guan if she could allow me to mark some of their works, especially compositions, which would serve as the most useful sources of information.

Relief for Class 5N2

As Mr Liu had to bring another class out for some external activities, I was supposed to supervise his 5N2 class for an hour. The experience has confirmed my initial impression of Normal Academic class: that they are good-natured students, willing to work hard, lacking just that bit motivation. I could see two types of students there: the hardworking but not-so-intelligent ones, who diligently do their work and are willing to follow instructions, the intelligent and smart ones who either lack motivation to put in their hundred percent or the concentration in the mind, discipline in actions and consistency in habits that are necessary for academic excellence.

In both cases, the students are more easily distracted. (when there was a loud sound,or someone happened to walk past, almost half of the heads turned to the distraction, during a test)They need highly engaging teachers that can motivate them and bring out their fullest and best, more than any other students.

So while they were completing their papers, I made an important decision and took myself a little closer towards that direction. I decided to tell them my story: how seven years ago I was rejected an admission by Bartley, relegated to another not-as-good neighbourhood school, strived for the best all the way to a reputable Junior College, standing in where I stood, feeling proud about myself and believing that hard work is the key to success.

They listened.

All eyes on me, serious looks on their faces. I had taken note of their names and class committee positions they are holding beforehand. I called their names aloud and raised the complimentary qualities they had: leadership qualities, passion for CCA, diligence and even courtesy.

Knowing that my little speech has uplifted their spirit in some ways, I moved on to wish them all the best for their upcoming “O” Levels. Mission accomplished, and I felt tremendously satisfied.

I have made a difference today.

A Day Made

My 4N2 made my day!

I was caught off guard when handed over a blue slip of paper typically used to inform you of the classes you are supposed to relief for.

I got 4T1 and 4N2. What a way to kick up a beautiful Wednesday after a long holiday break.

Admittedly, the 4T1 is rowdy,loud, disrespectful and completely ignorant of my presence, as expected. As a teacher, the lesson was a failure. I could not control the class(though there are only 6 of them), it was just impossible to get the message across. (Fariz suggested I should sit in during Mr Ang's lesson with 3T1, he's amazing) The 4Ts could not take instructions and worse still, they try their very best to go against you if you try to take charge. They refuse to be taken charge, and enjoy challenging the authority. It's funny how sensitive they can be to any slightest hint of an attempt to do so.

The class ended, with me feeling a little bit dejected. I guessed I have a lot to learn from Mr Ang before stepping into the class again.

Then 4N2 came along to erase the unpleasant encounter.

They are respectful, lovable and hard-working, everything which my and many others' stereotype has told me they are not. A plump guy politely asked to to help him with drawing inferences from Social Studies texts, another shared with me his aspirations to become an engineer. Hong Jun was his name. He wanted to go Singapore Poly, Engineering. I believed in him, and told him my best friend is there, thriving and ready to graduate and start working. Hong Jun wants to go a step further , he wants to go university.

How encouraging! Their desire to strive for the best, to do well, to excel, to have a dream, to pursue their dream........just like so many others in the mainstream track. They definitely do not want to end up in ITE, as they are expected to. I could tell from the way they asked me questions, how carefully they handled their work, and attentive that plump guy was as I explained to him.

There's something very unique about their eyes, they are bursting with that desire, their dreams.

The best thing among all that I was able to observe: they are absolutely TALENTED.

Took this photo of a student's art work. It was a fledgling dragon, totally captured my impression of them and I want to use it as picture for today.