New (organised) Life in the New Decade

I first heard of Bullet Journal (BuJo) when I was still a teacher. Pre-BuJo, calendar planners are essential lifesavers because there are soooo many aspects and areas that a teacher covers and these planners really helped me to organise and manage in a timely manner. However, looking back on the many planners I used over the years, there always seemed to be an incredible amount of waste in terms of the unused pages. So BuJo offered a very attractive solution to that especially when I became more and more particular about the aesthetic design of a planner. Moreover, I love writing!

very well used!

In 2017, I began a very basic BuJo using a beautiful journal with blank pages courtesy of NUS. It was mainly for work and the concept of index is so simple yet so effective in finding all the minute details that popped up anytime anywhere in my role as a teacher! It is also so usage efficient that I continued to use the same journal for 3 years even as the whole ball game of bullet journaling evolve and become oh-so-gorgeous. Don't take my word for it, just search Pinterest on it! 

I wanted to start a new one but there was so much information and so many possibilities about it that I constantly felt I'm not ready. So I began a prototype version in the final pages of the same grey journal in September 2019 before I can finally say to myself "let's do it!" for the new decade. 

I decided to indulge in a Leuchtturm 1917 dotted journal in Nordic Blue and the hubby is very pleased that it is an excellent product originating from Germany. Love that it is already paginated and even come with a pocket on the back cover. I even bought a matching calligraphy brush!

I am incredibly proud of my BuJo thus far. So much so I considered opening an Instagram account just to document my progress in it. Nah... I will share my "achievements" here instead... 😊

What is a BuJo without the KEY?

Here are some collections I decided I must have after doing up the prototype..

My favourite part of BuJo-ing is definitely having the space to unleash some creativity! 

Forgot my dive log during the trip so this page became it!

Should I blog about future pages of my BuJo?! Yay or Nay?

Lucky Stars and Teary Eyes

The first school term of the year is done. And I am so done with it. I really deserve a pat on the back for surviving it. The term has such a negative connotation to it that I hesitate to use it but it is also so apt. Or maybe the first term of the year will always be this way and I just got to get used to it? But anyway this post focuses on the culmination of this 10 weeks.

The last day of school term began with an odd request for all students to report to the hall instead of parade square for our usual assembly. I knew it had something to do with prize presentation for Good Deed Awards which included awardees who found and returned a 20 cents coin. (raised eyebrow) It was a long (and tedious) list and line of students to receive badges from the principal.

Our new principal...I can rave about her all day =) I am her woman through and through (like Harry is Dumbledore's man through and through, get it?) the moment she announced that she will tackle the discipline issue of our school. Every teacher deserves to feel safe! And during our recent FGD session, she revealed (without giving away too many details) that she had something up her sleeves to not just focus on the bad but the good as well..

It was announced that the one and only class which managed to achieve zero latecoming for the entire term was going to be rewarded. What better reward for secondary one kids than........ drum roll please........... Free MacDonalds breakfast! The entire hall went crazy! The atmosphere then was electric and in a good way that one does not often feel in that particular hall...

I really have to give it to her for coming up with the ingenious idea of "Lucky StaRs" - I will never again think of them as just those strips of papers you fold endlessly in my own secondary school days.. She announced that to recognize the other good students who have zero latecoming and no conduct issue, all of their names were collated into a list and out of this list, 3 lucky StaRs were randomly picked to receive Swensen vouchers. *jaw drop*

try and imagine expectant senior citizens standing around a radio as the 4D numbers for the week is announced.... that was exactly the kind of situation we had in the hall as names of deserving students and their respective class flashed across the big screen against a background picture of you-guessed-it folded lucky stars.. held breathes, loud cheers, thunderous claps, big smiles.. it was wonderful to witness it all... and as a fellow colleague had put it.. I had never been prouder to be part of this school.

But that was not what led to the teary eyes.. hmmm...teary eyes were due to the Parent Engagement Session that followed in the afternoon till evening. Mainly. But come to think of it, there had been many more occasions in the past 10 weeks when teary eyes had similarly threatened... which really made me question myself if I am in the right job... how can one says you are a professional when you have trouble keeping emotions in check when you feel it so deeply in the heart.. I want to be there for them so much but am I the right person?

okay... teary eyes threatening again.. signing out.

dive-eat-sleep-repeat

Just returned from a vacation. As I was out at sea for 4 days and nights, am still feeling landsick (ie: as though still floating in water when standing on firm ground). But. What a glorious holiday filled with so many firsts:

·        1^st time holidaying with May and Bee

·        1^st time to pack so little for a 6 days trip

·        1^st time in Similan Islands, Khao Lak

·        1^st time  to experience liveonboard

·        1^st time losing my snorkelling mask

·        1^st time losing my dive group while underwater

·        1^st time writing in a dive logbook

Yes. Finally started a dive log, albeit most reluctantly. It was good fun to sit down and do or copy “homework” after each dive. I learnt that it’s up to me! So I don’t have to stress over identifying the multitude of species of sea creatures but just pen down my feelings and experiences instead. I can do that! And certainly not restricted to dives… time to dust off the many (empty) travel journals I acquired…

Although I should be excused as it was my first liveonboard experience, I did feel that I didn’t pack right.. well.. at least I didn’t overpack?!?! Still, there were many items I wished I had with me during the trip. I wished I brought along rashguard and long tights – not at all proud of the ugly tan lines across my thighs and upper arms.. =/ also realised it’s time I invest in more than just a mask for diving, booties or even socks will prevent blisters from fins! Thankfully my 2 hair ties lasted the trip but can never have too many hair ties when you do not want hair to obscure the beautiful scenes the ocean has to offer.. can’t believe I left all 6 or 7 sarongs at home! Certainly a better between-dives-attire than just a tee.. Even though I set out not wanting to be bothered with photo taking, I really should have brought along at least one memory device! Finally, bring a multi-colors pen!!!

 

It was a very, immensely, awesomely enjoyable trip! I keep recalling my huge, sunny smiles and the emotions of joy and carefreeness throughout the trip. Even before arriving in Thailand, I was filled with excitement in anticipation.

At various points: having Dylan and Erica to send me off at the airport, performing the “manta call”, discovering the tiny beings – shrimps, nudibranchs, ghost pipefish, mothfish – to catching sight of the big guys – moray eels, trigger fish, marbled stingray, manta ray and whaleshark! -, showering off in the warmth of the sun after dives, indulging in delicious food and sinful snack of toasted egg and ham sandwich, jumping off the boat into the sea and jump shots out of clear waters, reaching the top of Sail Rock, watching stars and sunsets, relaxing in the pool of an amazing resort, suntanning by the beach with a book… the list can really go on and on.. Oh! Having someone assumed that I am a model?!?! Haha… =)

 

 

 

 

There had been a point when I thought I would never be able to enjoy holidays again… without a special someone to hold my hand while transiting, to surprise me with flowers in the room, to share and enjoy the unique sights and sounds with, to kiss and cuddle up to at night… The sense of loss still comes sometimes but I certainly realised that I had not been as free as I had in the last week for some years now…

I am okay.

Oh. Happy international day of happiness.. =)

The new beginning

i used to have a blog. updated it fairly regularly for many years until friendster unceremoniously destroyed it with just one warning. i was devastated. it contained so much memories, both good and bad. it was like a diary, a very public one. i was too distraught to restart another. that was 2 years ago.

recently, thoughts of starting another blog kept coming up. it just isnt enough to write "notes" on facebook anymore. and as an english teacher, i had been reminded time and again that blogs are excellent teaching tools. well, if i'm going to, it got to be on a special day and what is more special than "the day the world ends"?!

i do not believe that at all. the rumor came about because it's the day the mayan calender ends but that signifies a new beginning! a shift into a higher level of consciousness, into the age of aquarius, my star sign!! it just is ridiculous to believe the world will cease to exist. and i think is wonderful to be able to expect more positive changes.. i always choose happiness! and it starts by being present.

so how did the odd title come about? i have always love clouds. they are just beautiful to look at. they change right before your eyes. they remind me that god is amazing. and they are omnipresent reminders that change is the only constant. so i knew i want the theme of my blog to be on clouds, the ever changing clouds..

then i was just "urged" to use one of my favorite websites and i came up with this list! quite an interesting list (caged convulsing her? canceled shoving rug?) but the 3 words that called to me are just these "chanced loves urging" 

i believe in chance. i believe everything happens for a reason. and if i am able to see that link between what happened and why it happened, i always want to share it. what i see may not be accurate or true but well it's up to my interpretation! be it chanced upon person, animal, plant or cloud, i want to be open to possibilities.

i believe in love. all kinds of love. for people, for strangers, for animals, for mankind, for flora and fauna, for mother earth.. i always wondered if it has to do with my birthday.. and i have lots of loves. cats, elephants, clouds, dance, children, music.... i am sure you will catch on if you read on.

urging. sounds weird right.. but it immediately reminded me of a chinese song by wang lee hom (another love) 若一开始没有上帝暗中偷偷的怂恿我们怎知选择相逢 such magical lyrics.. another reminder that it's all predestined, love is predestined.. also, i think it is reminding me to listen to that voice within.. to do what my heart wants to.

lastly, i think this new blog will be featuring a lot on a special group of people whom i will be interacting a lot with in the near future. really excited about that =) these fallen angels are so going to be a spark in my life.

i hope reading my blog will bring a spark to yours.. ;)