ONLY BY GRACE

Last day at NIE before practicum starts. Took a short walk around some of the familiar places in Blk 5; places that hold plenty of memories for me. The building that was my 'home' on the forbidden island for the past 2 years. Located at the far corner of NIE campus but is where all the action can be found! You can't miss it. The playground; PESS FOC, ICGs, sports modules and even our ad-hoc play time were all held on this green pasture. The sports facilities office which we are so familiar with. Any sporting equipment is for us FOC. What a privilege. Needless to say, the staff became our good friends over time! The tiny pool that had the power to tire the swimmers out (during the swim module). It really felt like it was just yesterday that I stepped foot into NIE-PESS School. From feeling lost and constantly looking at the signs for direction to classrooms to being so familiar with every nook and cranny of Block 5. All within 1.5 years. It is indeed surreal. The though...

1 more day till I bid NIE goodbye (for now). Alot of memories came flooding through my mind as I stood along the corridor watching the softballers play their final game this morning. An overwhelming sense of sadness came over me. NIE, my class have all become part of my life over the last 2 years and in some way or another, have changed me to become the Grace today. I knew as the day draws nearer to say goodbye, I will find it hard to let go of the wonderful memories but as always, its a fact of life that we must all say our goodbyes one day. Learning to let go is no easy feat. I'm not particularly close to everyone but there have been individuals who came into my life over the course of these 2 years and turn my life topsy turvy (in a good way!). I will miss them. Of course I hope to meet up with them as often as we can in future but when rubber hits the road, I know its going to be tough. The good times we shared will just become another faded picture in the album. This NIE chapt...

It was not a roaring CNY for me. Rather the Tan clan welcomed the tiger in a rather quiet fashion. In fact, it has been this way for the past few zodiac animals. Personally, I enjoy the quiet affair. Just chill and no need for the rush from 1 house to another. The routine is pretty much the same as previous years; visit gramps, then headed to Mandai to pay our respects and then family dinner. The next few days was spent visiting ex-neighbour, friends and more friends. This year, my gramps decided not to go for the extended family's dinner. Being anti-social at their age. So it was just the 5 of us. The turn out gets smaller with each passing year and I also noticed many of my relatives aging. It is with mixed feelings that I sat through the dinner. It is easy to not turn up and give the excuse that is just part of the socializing facade but as I looked around that night, I realised I won't know who will never be around in future. I was glad I made the decision to just go. An au...

In 2 weeks time, its 'Hello Pei Hwa' and 'Bye NIE' for the next 2 months. In the blink of an eye, I'm about to be sent out for my Teaching Practicum and then official teaching. Frankly speaking, I do not know what to expect. Most naturally, there will be a certain amount of anxiety and fear. After all, its the final assessment. No one wants it to be a horrible experience. At the same time, I sense excitement too! I remember wondering how it will be like to do my TP2 when I was in my first year. At that time, I was scared by the mere thought of having the supervisor lurking around watching my every move and I wished it won't come so soon. But I'm now about to embark on this frighteningly exhilirating journey. I can finally understand how Addie & Joani felt before their TP2 experience. As much as I will miss my NIE days and cranky classmates, I know I have to move on and get ready for the new season ahead. New things to learn, new colleagues to work/argue/...

"The phrase Law of Attraction, used widely by New Thought writers, refers to the idea that thoughts influence chance . The Law of Attraction argues that thoughts (both conscious and unconscious) can affect things outside the head, not just through motivation , but by other means. The Law of Attraction says that which is like unto itself is drawn. Essentially, "if you really want something and truly believe it's possible, you'll get it", but putting a lot of attention and thought onto something you don't want means you'll probably get that too." [source : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Law_of_Attraction ] While chatting with a friend about her attraction towards a person, I was left to ponder about the power of attraction. I was curious to know what the 'Law of attraction' is about and above is what I googled. Attraction is a beautiful gift to mankind and its not to be corrupted or defiled. It satisfies the core of one's being; to love and...

Its tuesday and the few of us set out for our usual lunch escapade to good old JP. This time round, we had new additions whom we seldom go out with and so it was quite an interesting luncheon. It wasn't the usual banter from the mad motley crew. In fact, the usual suspects were rather quiet, leaving the 'newcomers' to have more air-time talking! Well, it was a group of 10 afterall so its not possible to have everyone talk to everyone. Just a simple makan affair, but I guess due to the impending departure from NIE in a couple of weeks, it will be another moment worth remembering of our NIE experiences as the class of 2008. Many of us are already realising that our time together is about to be drastically shortened, so trying to make the best of whatever limited time we can spend as a group, be it playing, eating or just bitching. All good things must come to an end someday. But I'll enjoy and treasure every moment while it all lasts...