On Behalf of All Music Teachers

Dear parents:

Your child goes to school for at least 6 hours each weekday. That's physical, mental and emotional exhaustion from absorbing information, facing teachers, playing with friends, joining activities. 

After school, your child attends tuition classes for the next 4 hours. BM, English, math, and what not. 

But oh, your child needs to cultivate their hidden talent and learn to appreciate the arts. Hence, dance classes, art & craft, robotics. 

BUT WAIT! I need some qualifications and certificates for my child to show that he/she is actively upgrading themselves throughout the years! LET'S ENROLL HIM/HER FOR MUSIC LESSONS!

And it all goes downhill from there. 

Excuse me, but the last time I checked, I was well tired out after a long day at school. Give me extra classes once a week on Saturdays or something, that's cool; maybe my math really sucks and I desperately need some help. 

However when it comes to signing your child up for music lessons with the expectations of stage performances, distinctions in exams and producing prodigies, please think before hand. They ask, "how come my child isn't progressing?" Please, I'm the teacher and I want them to progress as badly as you do, dear parent. 

Music, unlike any other "class" that you signed your exhausted child up for, requires tons of practice FROM THE START. I don't care if your child is Level 1, classical piano; he's gonna need all the discipline and practice that he can get. And there's nothing more saddening than hearing this after asking them if they've practiced: "Teacher, I got no time. Every day tuition until 7 o'clock. Come back home then dinner and bath. Need to do homework some more. Then need to sleep already. How to practice?"

Parents, if you're gonna sign your child up for a music class... Give them enough time to practice, and make sure you understand that kids are just like you; their energy levels can deplete, and hence, their concentration. 

Help us help you help your kid. 

the hospital

The vinyl floor shines, the walls are bare

Labels and number signs everywhere

Smells of disinfectant fill the air

Sounds of gentle assurance and care

Wheels squeak, people whisper, machines beep

Behind the doors hearts ache and weep

Tubes and things decorate the beds

As screens show numbers in greens and reds

Nurses move briskly in spotless white

Patients on beds as they bravely fight

Whatever the sickness, whatever the pain

Needles and pills, again and again

Families gather around a loved one

Crying inside as their hearts weigh a ton

The walls hear prayers never more sincere

A child holds mum's trembling hand in fear

Feverish, faint, fuddled and frail

Eyes ringed with shadows and faces pale

Threatened by Death's gruesome face

Only cured by medicine and saved by grace

The internet ruins.

This is the age of screens and devices
Internet addiction is one of our worst vices
Social media is ruling the minds
Of the young, of the old, of the whole humankind
Dinnertime occurs in total quiet
When everybody seems like they're on a diet
Of at least five hours of internet a day
When at the dinner table they've nothing to say
They're on Facebook or tweeting happily
"At a nice dinner with my lovely family!"
When they're just at dinner with their phones and screens
The parents, the children, and of course, the teens
Parents don't know that there is no education
When their kids are occupied with iPads and not conversation
On a profile photo we strive to achieve a hundred likes
When a moment of insecurity of our beauty strikes
When a 'like' can be a sign of approval
When not enough 'likes' results in the picture's removal
What has our worth become today
When self-portraits are all we have to display?
Really, is breakfast something so great?
Do people actually want to know what you ate?
Captions are overrun with hash-tagged words
That don't even make sense in the grammatical world
The most popular videos are challenges and games
Stuffing marshmallows into your mouth is the only aim
Or maybe just eating mysterious foods from tin cans
Or even how much cinnamon you can withstand
Where has all the content gone?
Of inspirational messages and brains, not brawn?
Where's the clean humour, music, poetry, dance?
Instead, pointless arguments between hateful fans
Gay marriage, the Bible, controversies and more
Suddenly everyone has an opinion; unnecessary uproar
The YouTube comment section is notoriously savage
A place where everyone is safe within their own cage
Of their bedrooms, behind screens, where no one can see
How cowardly you are, how ignorant you can be
Just posting opinions that change almost nothing
When hateful remarks do nothing but sting
The people who are attacked and bullied online
In real life they keep saying, "Yes, I'm fine."
But nobody knows how bullying can kill
A person's soul, a person's will
To live, to love, to do, to be
When death is the only option they can see
When likes don't reach the maximum
When self-esteem is at its minimum
When a life is sucked into the internet
When a youth lives with nothing but regret
When a parent and child have no bond
When blue ticks are seen but no one responds
That's when you realise
The internet ruins.

7 Quick Gift Ideas for Mothers' Day

Mothers' Day is today, and for those who still have no idea what to get for your amazing mom that you'll never be able to repay, here's some quick gifts you can whip up in no time! Some of these are only for less than $0.00, but you'll be able to make your mom smile ear to ear. Remember, sincerity is key. It's the thought that counts.

1. Concern

Give her a call. Ask if she's hungry and would like a snack. Ask if the creaky knee she has on her left leg is okay. Remind her about the TV show that she was meant to catch at 8pm. Ask how her day at work was. Be updated on her latest menopausal issues. Show interest in the little details in her life. Be concerned. 

2. Care

Bring her a blanket when she's cold. Make a cup of hot tea for her. Give her a nice massage (no, put down that spa brochure. YOU are gonna squeeze those tired shoulders, not some masseur you pay for). Charge her phone so that it's all up and ready for her to play Candy Crush Saga the next morning. Do little things to make her life easier. 

3. Affection

Give her a hug when you come back from college. Kiss her cheek before you go to bed. Hold her hand when you're walking in the mall with her, and bring her to the ol' memories of shopping when you were four and she was a bright young woman. Show her you love her. 

4. Appreciation

Write a card. Draw a poster. Write a blog post (my personal fave). Write a thoughtful, handwritten letter from overseas, filled with stories of your adventures and questions regarding her welfare, thanking her for all she has done; get it signed, inked and sealed. Speak to her. Pray for her, and thank God for what a wonderful mother He's given you. Bless her. Encourage. Tell her you love her. 

5. Celebration

Bring her out for a nice date at the local cafe. Pay for her meal. Take her to her favourite bookstore, or boutique, or park. Get a nice slice of cake, her favourite flavour. Make sure she knows that you are thankful. 

6. Obedience

Remember the time your mom told you to clean up those dishes, hang up those clothes and please clean your room? No better time to do it than now, because those will make her real happy that she's raised such a wonderful child like you. Honestly, I think moms are most pleased when their children do well, and yes, that includes the dishes as well.

8. Patience
When you were a wee little tot, she taught you to hold a spoon and shove food into your mouth. Those times usually ended with food being everywhere except your stomach. Fast forward a few years and she was kneeling right there next to you, teaching you how to knot your shoelaces. And before you know it, she's teaching you how to be a person, frustrating as it is. Misunderstandings happen, you don't see eye-to-eye, but she has been patient with you nonetheless. Now fast forward to the present, maybe yesterday, when you told her for the millionth time that photos can't be zoomed into on Instagram (she probably ended up accidentally liking the photo anyway). Were you patient? Did you huff and puff like an impatient old man? Well you better re-evaluate, because that woman once taught you to put food into your mouth. Without that skill, you wouldn't be who you are today. Be patient. She's getting older each day; be patient.

7. Love

And all these come in a box set of Love, which encompasses all. Free-of-charge all year round, it ensures your momma gets the Love that she needs in return, especially after she's given all the Love she had in the first place to you. Yes, you, you undeserving child, sucked up all her love, and she let you do it without complaint. So it's time to give back as much as you can, to give our heroines what they deserve the most: Love. 

*****

So I hope these 7 quick gift ideas gave you some inspiration to appreciate your mom this Mothers' Day, and I can guarantee that when you've done all these, Mom will be tearing with joy at the lovely child she's raised. 

With that, to the irreplaceable mothers and all the other amazing mom-figures out there, have a blessed Mothers' Day, and I wish you a wonderful time with your children. 

Now I hope I'm not all talk and no walk, time to go wash some dishes & talk to Mom!

Happy Mothers' Day, mum. I love you. I'm sure you know that, since I always say:

Mummy, you're my bae.

*NOT the Danish word for 'poop'.

arf arf arf.

The CounSeal officially stepped down at approximately 2000 hours, 6 March 2015 at HGH Convention Centre, Sentul, during the Orientation Ball. We're relieved of our duties, and:

I ain't writing minutes no more. (cue chorus of angels)

But that's pretty much where the 'relieved' part ends. We're all already missing how it feels like to be a member of the Student Council, to enjoy the luxuries of the SC Room (a.k.a. the Black Hole. Leave something there? Don't expect to find it ever again), to be given the privilege to plan, organise and host College events and be given the honour to serve the students of MCKL. We're all a little worried about having to sit alone in the canteen after having ditched our friends over the past 7 months. Now there's no SC Room to take refuge in. How now?

CounSeal's sleepover @ The Platform KL

Jokes aside, I want to bring up the blog post where I first mentioned being in the Council. I was excited, I was shocked (when elected secretary. Still am shocked), and I didn't know what I was getting myself into. Being in the Student Council seems glamorous and all, but if you even got a glimpse of what the Council members had to go through, you'd be shocked and probably, hopefully, appreciate them even more. 

Note that I spoke about the Council members as if I weren't a part of them. And this is how I truly feel. On the outside, everyone, including my parents and closest friends, everyone thinks I'm so close to the rest of the Council. Everyone thinks I'm so busy all the time to fulfill my Council duties. Everyone thinks I put in so much effort to serve the College and no one, except probably the Council itself, knows how untrue this is.

Yes, I write minutes. Yes, I make duty rosters. And yes, I was in charge of the whole election process with the Vice Secretary, Sara. But do these things really make my time in the Council worthwhile? I don't think so. These were part of my jobscope. I was supposed to do these things. Besides all this, I felt like I was hogging a space in the Student Council by literally doing almost nothing that required real sacrifice.

Us at the beginning (not full)

From the start, I promised my commitment. I promised to give my best and I assured the people who interviewed me that I would prioritise the Council. I really can't believe I was so blind and so careless. For goodness' sake, I have students to teach. I'm involved in church. There are so many commitments that really require my presence, my effort, my time. I even ran for President, and I'm so thankful that I didn't get it, because what sort of president bails out on every single Council activity? But I was so caught up in the fact that I got past the interviews that I didn't think twice.

I shouldn't have been in the Student Council. 

I should've pulled out before things started rolling.

Our official SC photo, for the last time.
(+ Ms Esther)

To all my CounSeals, I am sorry. I guess it's a little late to say this now, but I am sorry for ditching you guys so many times during preparations. I am sorry for not helping out much before Spectrum Dash and Orientation Ball. I'm sorry I didn't even attend SDash (I was at camp... But that's a story for another day ;D). I've tried to make up for it, but I felt like it wasn't enough. I am also sorry for being irresponsible, for being insensitive, for being inconsiderate. I'm sorry for taking up a commitment that I actually wasn't ready to handle, considering I had other commitments. And most of all, I'm sorry that I didn't give my best. 

Dance practices... without me in them. I'm sorry Abi & Jia Wei T_T

Dance practices were something I hardly attended. I had work. There was no way I could shift my classes around to accommodate after school activities. And that is the reason why I completely blame myself for being so irresponsible. For saying 'yes, I will do it' and completely not do it at all. 

But if there's anything to learn and to be grateful for, it's family. I'm grateful that you guys are so understanding. For saying, "You have work? Sure, we understand." I'm grateful that even though a bond had already formed during all the prep days and overnights, you all still left a little space for me to join you. And I'm grateful that no matter how many times I mess up your shifts and forget things, you all still understand. 

There isn't much to say about how we bonded, because honestly, all that stuff about bonding with me was through work as Council members. I feel like I didn't get to know you guys the way you all know each other during all the times I wasn't there. You're all so close, and sometimes I felt excluded. But that's normal in such a big group, I guess. I know it's not intentional, and it's not really easy to be so close to someone you hardly see. That someone is me.

Before this whole thing becomes a blog post of self pity, I really want to appreciate all those who took the effort to update me on things, who make sure I know what's going on, who ask me if I need help. A special shoutout, for the last time, to Sara for really having my back every time something went wrong, for helping me pull through datelines and basically making my life a little less burdened. I could never have asked for a more efficient, more organised vice secretary. Also, I'm sorry for the time you felt you were doing everything and I was being MIA. Really, really sorry.

One of our first Pre-U meetings, a farewell for 2NT5

Orientation Ball 2015 was the last chance to commit myself completely to the Council. I put in extra effort, and, even though I know my work won't match the amount of effort everyone else has put in, I hope the results were satisfactory. To Mr. Stage Head, Abel, thanks for filling me in on everything I missed out on, and I'm sorry if I disappointed you in anyway before & during the event. I hope my efforts met your expectations. To the entire OB team, you guys are seriously amazing. The event was your brainchild and it grew up to be an impressive event. Kudos to every single one of the SC members, old and new, for making it a success.

Despite all these 'negative' things, I really enjoyed this. Many memories have been made in that tiny little office of ours, what with Family Feud sessions, Thinking Out Loud being played hundreds of times, making too much noise and getting kicked out, witnessing Marcus' terrific dance skills, chilling on the sleeping bag, complaining about the mess, having too many red pens, fighting over what music to play, writing nonsense on the whiteboards... the list goes on, and it will go on forever.

But you know what? I'm glad I stayed through it all. I learnt some pretty invaluable things as a seal. Being in the CounSeal will always be a very important chapter of my life. It will be the greatest highlight of my College life, and it will always be remembered as the time I grew up the most. And I'm grateful for the opportunity to be part of it.

Our last ever general meeting.
Mondays, 5pm

It was a joy dhoom-ing with you all for the past 7 months, and I hope our friendship deepens into something that lasts a lifetime. I hope the existing bond between you all still has a little more space for me.

Our first day of being the Council... and our last.

And as Marcus once said:

  "Arf, arf, arf."