Don't Lose Sight Of Your Goal!!!

Was pretty busy the last of whole week and down with gastric flu yesterday and today. So given 1 day MC which provides me the breathing space and time to update my blog.

First I would like to put on record, that though I had offered to pay half the cost of the lost item( my last blog) but my colleague insisted that since it was his/her fault, the full amount was borne by my colleague. Must give credit when credit is due lah!!! Don’t want anyone to think that I am that great and was paying for amount. No lah, it was finally not me but my colleague.

The last week of the newspaper was featuring heavily on the Youth Challenge problem. Just for you info, Youth Challenge was started during the time that I was also fully involve in youth activities. So I know of this guy (though not personally) who started YC. He had started it with a noble goal, wanting to help those youngsters loitering around Orchard Rd. But sad to say as times goes by, he lost sight of what he wants to do and end up in today mess. That is why I would like my young reader to be focus on their goal. What is your goal in life? Want to go as far as you can in your studies? Want to be a millionaire before you reach 35? Want to be teacher etc?

Whatever goal you have, first it must be no illegal or immoral value. You may want to be a millionaire, good, as long as you are trying to achieve it by legal means, then it is a good goal. Secondly, you must never lost sight of your goal. Just like this man who started YC, along the way, he lost sight of a noble goal and was accumulating wealth through wrongly means. Let me tell you, I had received very often through email, asking me to get a degree from a prestigious university from other country, by just paying a sum of money. Easy for me to get this degree but it is an immoral way to get it. What is the point of having all this titles if it is not achieved by your own effort?

Along my life journey, I was much tempted by such offers but I had always resisted the offer. No I am not a perfect person, I had done many wrongs (sorry lah, not going to mention what) but I tried my best not to succumb to illegal means or unethical means to reach where I am. I am now a senior lecture for quite a number of years, but I had never achieve it though trying to please my boss, trying to “lick the foot” of my superior. I always tell myself, if I am ever promoted, then it is a plus point to me, I do not go all out to be where I am, it is through the blessings of my God..

So I hope that my young readers will learn along the way as they live their lives, always seeking to achieve your goal never by any unethical means!!!

Sorry No More Posting.

Hi all, as I had noticed that nowadays, only I do the posting and you all do the reading. So I decides that I will no longer allow anyone to do any posting on my blog, so the access in now being remove with immediately effect. If you have anything to says, pls do so in the comment or can tag the tag box.

But do refrain from unwholesome remarks. I do not want my blog to be a place where it does not edify anyone. I seek to use this blog to encourage and to enlighten my young readers

Thanks for your understanding

Mr Chu

What Sort Of Student Are We Having & Do Says Sorry

Would like to take this opportunity to share with my readers 2 happening these 2 weeks. Sad to say the first issue is rather saddening to me.

I will not use names and will not state the item openly as it could be detrimental to my fellow colleagues.

It so happen that one of my new colleague, let us call him colleague A, signed out a certain expensive item from my lad for the student council used. I personally handed it to colleague A and he/she in turn passed it to student B. Two weeks ago, I asked this colleague A back for this expensive item as an audit check is due. Unfortunately it cannot be found and student B claimed that it was returned. If it cannot be found, then colleague A will be facing a disciplinary action that could end up in termination. Though I will never be implicated as I had the item duly signed out by my colleague, but I feel so bad for this colleague, so I tried asking around hoping that this item could be found. The graduated student council all claimed that they do not have it. So I ask my God for a miracle and then I was inspired to do something that some of you may think I should not do. So what did I do? I took the liberty and called up student A and told student A that I will give cash reward of $500 and no questions will be asked when that item is returned!!! Not that I am rich, ($500 is a lot) but I do feel sorry for my colleague who had his/her trust misplaced. He/she is a new staff, not knowing that such things could happen. To some it is not right, but I see that this is the only way as that item is probably held by one of the students who had graduated. Viola!!! On the same day, this student A called me in the night that the missing item was with him/her. And thankfully, my colleague A was willing to put up $250 and I will foot the rest.

The sad thing is that how come our youngster is like that? Worst still, the group that is holding to this item are from the student council. Hello!!! Student council is suppose to be the epitome of the whole cohort of students and yet they can do such thing. By keeping it and not returning it, they are actually stealing it. Had they never thought for this colleague who might be SACKED all because he/she trust that they will returned it after used? He/she seek to help the students and in returned for this kindness, it was repaid with ungratefulness. What are happening to our students? If you had read my last blog, I had also shared an incident of new student threatening the lecturer. To me, these students had failed miserably in the lifestyle. It takes money to make them change their view. Money will eventually be their final downfall if they continue to be motivated by money in all that they do. Because of money, they may commit fraud; they may be involve in illegal activities etc. I hope they will change!!!

The second incident may sound a little “preachy” But I believe that I had to give thanks for the miracles that happen. Must thank my God for the first miracle as describe above. The second miracle was actually a small incident. It so happen that I loan a thumb drive to another of my colleague, Mr Ong. When he finished, he returned it back to me but I have no recollection of him returning it back to me. I search all over but it cannot be found. So I told him that I don’t think he returned it to me. Later I saw yahoo auction website that is selling an exact thumb drive, so I bid for it. 2 days later someone bid a dollar more than me. I was about to bid higher, but before I do, I wisher a word of prayer asking my God to somehow help me find it if it was with me. Imagine, the very place that I put my things and I had already searched it before, the thumb drive was there! Happy to find this thumb drive, but there is still something that I need to do. What do you think it was?

I owed Mr Ong an apology. I had unintentionally blamed him for losing it as I had no recollection of him returning it back to me. So the next day, I went to him personally and told him that I am sorry for blaming him.

I do hope that my students will learn to admit their mistakes and apologies for it. You think it was easy for me, NO WAY MAN!!! I am about 20 yrs older than him, which make me an “elder” to him, and I could easily just brush the whole issue aside, and let the whole things just “dies” off as I said that it was a small thumb drive costing me only $25 to replace it. No big deal, but a mistake is a mistake, which I had done and I need to apologies for it. We must learn to acknowledge and learn to ask forgives for wrong that we did. As we do it, we are actually forging our character as a human being. There is no shame to says “I am sorry”

Don't Blame ITE!!!

I had always been tolerant with our students understanding that they may feel a little lousy for not making it to JC or Poly. But I tell you, this new group of students joining us seems to be getting worst!

Let me elaborate a little. I had taken the effort to ensure that the number of different races is equally spread among the 3 classes so as to ensure racial harmony. Do you know what happen next?

First, when one the student approach his class advisor for a transfer to another class where his friends are and was told that it is likely not possible, guess what he said, “You watch up, ….” He was actually threatening his teacher! Just started class and reacting in such a way. I told my colleague that if he ever says that again, my colleague should bring him to see me immediately. I wonder what had they learn in their secondary school. Too often, I had heard of people saying that it was because of ITE, they are like that. NONSENCE!!! From this 1st incident, we could see how they were even before starting their lives in ITE.


Next, come another incident more appalling!!! A group of students from different classes went to see the section head and CLAIM THAT A PARTICULAR TEACHER CANNOT TEACH AND THEY ALL WANTED TO BE TRANSFERRED TO ANOTHER CLASS TOGETHER. Hello, class had not even started and yet they claim that this teacher cannot teach. Just because the whole group wants to be together in one class, they start coming up with all sorts of reasons. To me they are actually telling LIES!!! So was it because they are in ITE and that is why they are like that? Whoever said this, must be BLIND!!! They must have been like that since their secondary school day.

It is saddening to see that our youth are getting from bad to worst, in term of their characters. I do hope that while they are with us in ITE, we could try, or should I say that I would try to make a change in them, hoping that they will eventually be a much better person. This is just the beginning for this new group of students and already, I could see some of the staff is already stressed out by them through their unfounded accusation.

Don't Regret!!!

It happens every year without fail!!! So what was it that keeps repeating itself? Students who failed to grasp the chances of progressing in their studies.

For the past week, I had been send numerous sms asking for help or recommendation letter for students who failed to qualify for further studies due to their low GPA score. So how?

Students don’t realize that even if a teacher were to write a recommendation letter for them it will not serve much of a purpose, unless they are short by a negligible points and unless the letter is written by a head of department. Come on, be realistic!!! If your GPA score is too low, the best alternative is to approach the polytechnic and submit your application with an appeal.

In the first place, why put yourselves in such situation? I read an msn tagline that says, “OMG, my GPA is only 3…., how to go poly?” That is the problem, my young reader or more specifically, my students, realize their situation and it is too late! Now, then they realize that they want to go poly but fail to meet its minimum requirement. For this particular student, it is rather sad. I know that this student can actually do better than what he/she had obtained. But unfortunately, during the last semester, I had seen this students spending his/her time playing computer games. This student may denied it, (probably due to the fact that when you are doing something, you may not realize that you are spending too much time on that) but I can see it with my own eyes that this student was indeed spending too much time, playing computer games. So don’t you think it is a little too late to regret.

To all my other young readers, who are still studying now, please spare a little thought for your future. When everything is over, then you start asking for help all over, hoping that you could scrape through and be admitted for further study, but unfortunately, this cannot be done.

It sadden me to see that those who have the potential to further their studies but due to their lack of foresight, they do things that will cause them from furthering their studies. Helloooooooo, don’t you think it is time to be awaken from your slumber and put a little more thoughts to your future? Don’t wait until it is too late, and hopefully I would not be receiving such calls or sms again in the future.

A New Year, A New Beginning

Ended 2006 with a thanksgiving note and never realize that I will start 2007 also with thanksgiving!!!

Did my young reader read of the news about Bangkok blast the past few days? According to the Straits Times report yesterday, there was a bomb that was defused on the 2nd floor of Asia Hotel Bangkok. It was the same hotel that I stay only less than 2 weeks ago. Cannot imagine what will happen to me and my family if the bomb event happen during my holiday in Bangkok!!! Imagine the damage that will be caused by the bomb or the stampede that will occur to a fully booked hotel if the bomb goes off!!!

That is why I am starting the year with a word of thanksgiving to my God who is ever watching over me and my family!!!

This bombing event ought to teach us to be thankful for all those around us. Imagine if we ever lost a loved one. It will be too late for us to say we loved them? Especially so for my young readers. Had any of you ever stop in your “full of complaint” life, to tell your parents that you loved them or to your sibling that you appreciate them for the help they had offered to you in the past or to your friends that you are thankful that they are around to lend you a shoulder when you are sad? There are so many around us that we ought to be thankful for, but had we ever stop for a moment to thank them. If you had never done before to your parents, to your siblings, to your relatives, to your friends, then maybe it is a good beginning for this year to drop them a note, an email or a small token, to tell those around you that you are thankful for them.

Especially so for this generation. I had seen too many of our young people too concern about their own life, about what they are going to have, about what people think about them, about all the expensive brands etc. Many of my young readers may dispute my observation. It is OK. But unfortunately I still hold on to my belief that this is how our next generation are.

To me, whether you agreed to my views about the younger generation or not, I still hope that this blog will spurs you to show a little thanks to those around you and also to take treasure your life and not do things that will hurt yourselves or those around you!!!

Cheers!!! To a new year, to a new beginning!!!