my ajumma notes

Now the Wynners are coming! Cheapest ticket $78. One doesn't say 'Wynners' without thinking of Chelsia Chan at the same time. But I don't think she'll be here with them.

Didn't go to the Osmonds concert . But I went when they came in the 80s. It was amazing that my dad actually bought us tickets for it. He has zero interest in this kind of thing. Didn't go to see Air Supply either. But it reminded me of another man, my JC teacher Mr H, who appeared surprised that his students were fans of English, Dutch and Italian footballers and Australian bands (not much interest in Japan or Korea in those days!). He had just come to Singapore so I guess he could be forgiven for not knowing that we Singaporeans were/are quite global in our tastes. Wonder how he is now... Anyway, wasn't their old drummer a Singaporean called Ricky or something like that? But I did see Chage and Aska on TV. Didn't know these guys are still singing! Watch Say Yes here! Meanwhile, I've been off the K drama radar for a while but I've recently been catching bits of Formidable Rivals on KBS. This girl is a bit too serious most of the time (haven't watched enou...

I'm sure many of us read those forum letters about the so-called 'sure-fail' tests and exams with interest. It was interesting for me to read letters from students in support of such tests. I myself stand firmly with the opposing camp. Even Chua Mui Hoong (can't find her article now) and Andy Ho were moved to write articles on the topic. Was reading Andy Ho's till my brain was very tired but I found his link between the 'sure-fail' stuff and 'authentic teaching' rather idealistic. I'm sure teachers want to be the best teachers they can be but there are things that are beyond their control. For example, the boy had a couple of - in his teacher's words - 'killer papers' for the SA1 and the teacher was not the one who set them. And so, I feel sorry for the kids who 'suffered' in those papers and the teacher - who may well have been teaching as 'authentically' as possible - for now having to handle the aftermath of a lar...

I was quite wrong about Nadal's prize money. It was one, not five, million euros. Still, that's a lot of money... There are a million things that could be said about that match and about him but the main point is that he's quite untouchable on clay. Sorry to rub salt into Federer's wound but he can stop hoping. I can only think of 3 men who could be permitted to dream of it, namely, Djokovic, Ferrer and Nalbandian. Djokovic because he managed a small chink in the armour by taking Nadal to a tie break in the semi . Ferrer because he made a little dent by taking - gasp - a set off Nadal at Barcelona . Nalbandian - I'm just guessing because he and Ferrer have the skill, the style, mastery of clay, etc, (but both don't have the drive and consistency) and he does have a positive win-loss record against Nadal. However, it has been some time since they last played... Anyway, with Nadal and Djokovic barely over 20 years old, time is not on Federer's side. And not on...

Snugly ensconced in my hotel room, I watched this BBC documentary about North Koreans fleeing their homeland by various ways and means through China. Imagine having to trek for more than 10 days in the dark of night, from North to South China, through Cambodia and into Thailand, all the while knowing you could die, get arrested (and deported), etc, any moment. It made me seem so small-minded to be relaxing in the hotel and complaining about not getting 'live' telecast of the French Open . It puts the 'runaway' food prices I've been bemoaning in perspective. Elsewhere in the world, there are people with no food, people who can't afford food, people who have to risk their lives for food, etc... So, let me re-frame that for myself. Prices here are 'rising' (not 'runaway'). We are in for some 'discomfort' (not 'disaster'), as the minister says . Meanwhile, Nadal pockets a cool more-than-5-million euros for making Roger Federer's w...