예쁘지?

Me and my niece on 2nd day of Lunar Year... she's wearing the top and pants which I have bought for her in Melbourne ^^ pretty isn't she?

Happy OXpicious New Year!

Wishing everyone a happy OXpicious new year! May this difficult year brings you abundance, health and lots of blessings! 2009年, 我要感受窮到只剩錢!

這幾天都有想到他... 畢竟我們是在去年2月的新年開始的
他現在... 因該在香港和家人一起過年吧?
... ... ...
寂寞不是因为想你... 而是想你才有了寂寞

좋은 매니큐어!

My red nails!! They are painted with OPI You Make me Vroom... looks hot right? It's my first time trying chilli red... nice! All ready to welcome the lunar new year!

무릎이 아픕니다!

My poor right knee... it's been hurting for a week. I was swimming 2 weekends back; I felt a sharp pain when I started my first lap of breaststroke. Enduring the pain I continued swimming but I could barely finish half the lap. I didn't swim much that day cos it's so painful. From then on, I had problems walking upslope... normal walking wasn't that bad...

I went to my usual Chinese physician last Wednesday and he said nothing's wrong just rest my leg... The pain took for the worse yesterday so I went to see a new physician today. He told me if I have waited a few more days, my knee would have started to swell... Thank God! Apparently, I did too much hiking and walking for my Aussie trip and my swim aggravated the sprain.


So... no rigorous exercise for at least a month... sobs

춘계 대청소!

It's spring cleaning day today! Turned my room upside down, cleared my cupboards and miraculously found my home economics' sewing kit and apron. It's amazing I still have my old texts and notes from secondary right through to university!

Took me several hours to pack them in 8 bags and cleaned off the dust in every corner of my room. Felt so accomplished! Not so done yet as I have 2 more small cupboards to clear. These shall left to the next weekend! Hee ^^

《妻子的空位》

一篇讓我熱淚滿眶的文章...... 因為太感人了!

摘自台北真理堂於2008母親節之 "主日證道信息"
《妻子的空位》韓國一位單親爸爸的心聲~

我的妻子因為意外事故離開我身邊已經四年了，我想，妻子留下不會做任何家事的我和孩子，她的心有何等難過呢？我也因為無法兼顧父母雙親的角色而感到挫折。有一天我為了出差，清晨趕出門，無法將孩子打點好就得離開家，正巧前一天有剩下的飯，我熱了蒸蛋，向還沒有睡醒的孩子交代一聲，就出門去了。 為了照顧好孩子飲食三餐的事，我也無力把自己的工作做好。

有一天晚上回到家，我只是很簡短地和孩子打個招呼，就因為身體疲累，不想吃晚餐，脫掉西裝之後就直接往床上躺下。就在那個時候，砰的一聲，紅色的湯汁跟泡麵瞬時弄髒了床單和被單，原來有碗泡麵在棉被裡！這小子真是的，說時遲那時快，我即時拿起一個衣架，跑出去，往正玩著玩具的兒子的屁股就打，因為我實在是太生氣了，所以不停地打他。

但就在這個時候，他邊啜泣邊說了一段話，使我停了下來。兒子告訴我說：「飯鍋裡的飯早上已經吃完了，晚餐在幼稚園吃了，但是到了晚上，爸爸還不回來，我就在櫥櫃的抽屜裡找到了泡麵。可是我想到爸爸說不能亂動瓦斯爐，所以我就打開洗澡的水龍頭，用熱水泡了泡麵，一個自己吃，另一個想留給爸爸吃。因為怕泡麵涼掉，所以我就把它放在棉被裡，等你回來。可是因為我正在玩向朋友借來的玩具，所以忘了跟爸爸講。」

我不想讓兒子看到我在流淚，所以衝到洗手間，將水龍頭打開，大聲地哭。過了一陣子之後，我打起精神來，一面哄著兒子，一面也在他屁股上擦藥，讓他上床睡覺。當我清理好泡麵弄髒的床單和棉被後，打開兒子的房門一看，發現他仍舊發出哭泣聲，手裡還拿著媽媽的照片。我把頭靠在房門站了許久，看著這一幕。

自從在一年前發生這件事之後，我為了扮演好媽媽的角色，更加用心地去照顧他。現在兒子快七歲了，不久後就要從幼稚園畢業，進入國小讀書。慶幸的是，兒子在這段時間毫無陰影，很開朗地成長。就在不久前，我再一次打孩子，因為幼稚園來電話說，兒子沒有去學校，我心裡覺得很不安，所以早退回家，在整個社區裡大聲地喊他的名字，卻是遍尋不著。後來在文具店的門口，看見他站在電玩的前面，於是我很生氣，又開始一直打他。兒子並沒有說出任何的解釋，只說了聲對不起。後來我才知道，原來剛好是幼稚園要邀請媽媽去看才藝表演的日子。

發生這些事的幾天後，兒子回家說，他在幼稚園裡學了寫字，從此他經常關在自己的房間裡不出來，很認真地寫字。我看到兒子這個樣子，想到妻子在天國也一定會因為看到他這樣而微笑，我就無法忍住淚水。時間很快，又過了一年，到了冬天，街頭上都在播放著聖誕節的歌曲，我的兒子卻又闖了一個禍。我正要下班的時候，接到一通社區郵局的電話，說我兒子把一綑沒有寫地址的信，惡作劇地放在郵筒裡。每年到了年底，正是郵局最忙碌的時候，所以這對他們造成很大的困擾。

雖然我已決定不再打孩子，但在急忙趕回家後，叫了兒子來，我又忍不住痛打他一頓。兒子這一次只是說他做錯了，卻沒有講出任何理由。我把他推到一個角落，不管了，自個兒跑到郵局領回那一綑惡作劇的信。我把信丟到他眼前說：「你為什麼要這樣惡作劇？」兒子哭著回答說：「這些信是我要寄給媽媽的。」

當時我的眼眶紅了起來，心裡很激動，但是因為在兒子面前，所以我盡量隱忍住沒有表現出來。我接著問他：「那麼，為什麼一次寄這麼多信呢？」兒子回答說：「以前我要把信投進去的時候，因為個兒太矮，所以沒辦法投入，但是最近我再去郵筒時，已經搆得到了，所以我就把以前沒有寄的，一次全部都投進入了。」

我聽了以後，心中一片茫然，不知道該對孩子說什麼話。過了不久以後，我就跟他說：「媽媽現在在天上，以後你寫完信，把信燒了，就能送到天國去。」等孩子睡著之後，我到外面燒了那些信。我很好奇到底孩子想跟媽媽說些什麼，所以讀了其中的幾封信。而當中有一封信攪動了我的心。

「親愛的媽媽：我很想念你！媽媽，今天在幼稚園有才藝表演，但是因為我沒有媽媽，所以沒有去參加，我也沒有告訴爸爸，怕爸爸會想念媽媽。爸爸到處去找我，但我為了讓爸爸看到我很開心的樣子，所以故意坐在電動玩具面前，雖然爸爸罵我，但是我到最後也沒有告訴他原因。媽媽，我每天都看到爸爸因為想念媽媽而哭泣，我想爸爸也跟我一樣，很想念媽媽吧！但是，媽，我現在已經記不清楚你的臉。媽媽，請你讓我在夢中，再一次能夠看到你的臉，好嗎？聽說把想念的人的照片放在懷裡睡覺，就會夢到那個人。可是，媽媽，為什麼你沒有出現在我的夢裡呢？」讀完這封信以後，我就開始嚎啕大哭。到底什麼時候，我才能填補妻子的空位呢？

정말 다행이다!

I'm relieved and very happy for my students - 3 of them did very well: 2 of them have always failed their A Maths but now they have scored a B3! And this guy I only taught him 1 month before 'O's; his auntie felt he's beyond help and often put him down... tadaa! he scored an amazing B3.

Of course, the other 2 students who never practised much reaped what they sowed. Considering these ladies were failure cases too, C5 is rather comforting but I felt they were capable of something better.

Anyhow I was very touched today after receiving thank you calls from my students, particularly the 1-month student he texted me a message that warmed my heart:

Thank you Agnes. Really I mean it. You should have taught me earlier. You know I actually get a B. I never pass maths. Maths pull my marks up. Bless you.

학생 9명

It's official! I now have 9 students :) May the 10th student arrive soon!

Next Monday 12 January will be the release of 2008 O Level results... so worrying!!!!! Let's hope I don't get any heart attack :P

나에게 오늘 힘을 주세요!

I was supposed to tuition a student this evening. She's having a re-test a maths paper tomorrow as she had failed her final year exam last year. Of all the students I have taught, I think she tops the most difficult to manage list. She's not slow; neither is she stupid... she lacks the drive and adopts a cant be bothered attitude. AND she likes to lie!

You may think her parents must be on my side. I could sense that her mother was telling me off... she said her daughter did not like to be scolded. Well mother wants a lot of homework to be given but the daughter does none of it. So what do you expect me to do?!

I guess I may have expected a bit too much from the girl. From now on, I will just do my minimal best, the rest is up to her.... I'm not the one taking O's this year!

뉴 포터블 스피커!

I just bought a portable speaker! Finally I'm able to listen to music in office ^^ JBL On Stage Portable Loudspeaker Dock is quite sleek don't you agree?

다시 출근해야 한다는 생각에 움츠러들다...

It's time to get back to work... I forsee a slow engine start at work tomorrow. I think that should be excusable right? Hee...

Till the next long vacation!

새해 복 많이 받으세요!

2008 passed so quickly. Looking back, it's year full of ups and downs...

Firstly I'm ever grateful for the short 7/8-month relationship I had with KC. It's a pity we didn't last. I knew our relationship was changing when we saw less of each other. Many a times, I wish he could give me a higher priority in his life but he never did. Nonetheless, I'm thankful for the wonderful times we have shared.

Last year was also a tuition year which I took on 10 students, 5 of them were O level students. It's crazy but it renewed my passion of teaching. I wasn't getting any fulfilment in my mundane day job and tutoring helped to fill the gap. Let's hope this year will be another great tuition year!

As the new year arrives, I have made a few resolutions:

1. Exercise regularly. With tuitions packed on weekend, I do not want to give excuse that I don't have time to swim. I also want to re-start my weekday yoga class. After my Aussie trip, I realised I seriously lack stamina!

2. Take my driving refresher course. This has been delayed for years. Ever since I bumped my dad's car, I have phobia taking the wheel. Hopefully after my refresher, I will be more confident driving again!

3. Obtain my diving license. And conquer the seas and oceans! Firstly I need to find a diving kaki...

Of course I would love to continue the list.... if only our resolutions last as long as our troubles! So I would like to keep it to 3 for now. There's always the next batch of resolutions... spend on the necessary, focus less on work and take on more tuitions!

Here's my 2009 年度运势...

总体来说，未来一年是双子座自我肯定的一年。 这一年会继续承受许多责任，生活的负担也很大，然而你的机遇并不算差，而且确定终身大事的几率相当之大。有贵人相助，有较好的偏财运，不宜过于努力，安乐最好。

事业：说白一点，2009年，是双子座的吃喝玩乐年，享受生活年，独独不是努力工作，改变命运，奋勇向前的一年。切记这一点。在这一年里，尤其三月之后，靠努力想改变命运，机会几乎等于零。最好的方式就是放松自己，把交到手上的工作完成好，但没有太多的祈求，不主动制造机会工作，不争不抢，完成就好。

学业：等同于事业运势，这一年，但求平稳，不求突破。艺术鉴赏的功力大增，也因为敏感力、直觉力增强，很容易就抓到学习的重点，只要不粗心大意，稍微努力就能轻松过关得到高分，学习运势大致上是不错的。

爱情：事业不需要花太多心思了，自然就是双子座的恋爱年，缘定终身年。这一年，相当适合找到真心人，确定终身大事喔。

财务：偏财运还不错，但都是小钱入袋。并没有本质的突破。6月生日月过了之后，会有若干良好的收入时机，伴随新工作与新机会的到达，积累相当坚实。不过年末尚有一些不确定因素，因此不能掉以轻心。这一年里一定不要借钱，否则准保收不回来，彻底打水漂。要小心。

Hopefully 2009 is as good as it says!