Not too late for me

Don't we all do it at a point or other? Well it happens to me. Misinterpretation, misunderstanding, miscommunication, mistakes. What not? Anyways, just got to do more communication to clear up the misunderstanding, miscommunication & the mistakes. Though it's a little late for Santa but I hope it's not too late for you. *winks*

Girl Girl Relationship

Had an interesting conversation with two little gals recently (2 of them are sharing a MSN account in this converstion. The different colour represents different people)
-----------------------------------
someone@hotmail.com says:
hi again noth to say la hahahahahaha
someone@hotmail.com says:
huh
someone@hotmail.com says:
funny face
someone@hotmail.com says:
is Miss X
someone@hotmail.com says:
she love u n admire you too!!!
someone@hotmail.com says:
no!
someone@hotmail.com says:
that one is Miss O
www.kermitkhoo.blogspot.com says:
huh???
someone@hotmail.com says:
oh my heart broken...
www.kermitkhoo.blogspot.com says:
huh??
www.kermitkhoo.blogspot.com says:
i'm confused.
www.kermitkhoo.blogspot.com says:
about???
someone@hotmail.com says:
hie hie.... Miss X love u soooo much lol
www.kermitkhoo.blogspot.com says:
???
someone@hotmail.com says:
i joking la
www.kermitkhoo.blogspot.com says:
i love all of u too!
www.kermitkhoo.blogspot.com says:
you all are my little nieces mah!
www.kermitkhoo.blogspot.com says:
BUT, it's a healthy kinship love!
someone@hotmail.com says:
oh ok ok yeah i love u!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
www.kermitkhoo.blogspot.com says:
yes yes, me too!
-----------------------------------
Is it wrong to love/have feelings for another person of the same gender? No way??? Why should it be. I like many girls and women out there with a healthy love. Among them is my mother, sister, granny, nieces, gal friends. Am I a lesbian? Of course not! So please don't go round teasing people lesbians or gays.

Things only get distorted when say a girl like another girl beyond the normal friendship and starts fantasying about being in a special relationship with her. Or worse, having sex with one another. This is sick! Yucks.

See, I'm doing something NEW

Are you entering a new season of your life? Moving on to something NEW? Something you've never done before???? E.g. primary going on to secondary school OR secondary school to JC/poly OR coming out to work after years of studies?

Are you afraid? Excited? Unsure? Lost?? ---> Relax, it's normal. :)

If you feel that you had the best of times in your previous season (say pri school); trust me, the future can only get better (not worse)!!! Armed with all that you've already gain previously; you start to learn more things, make new frens, acquire new skills & grow wiser & more knowledgable! 明天会更好！！！ (Translated as tommorrow is an even better day!)

Click here for lyrics

The Miracle Season

It's here again. Betcha know what!

| View Show | Create Your Own

The Lion King vcd???

I've been trying really hard to locate The Lion King vcd. Looked in all the major video shops HMV, Borders, asked my frens, even trying on YouTube. Do you have it???? Anyone I found this really funny video. Laughed my heads off! Enjoys!!!

Special Gals

These are a really special bunch of gals. They have really grown since they first joined in 2004. The company faced a crisis this year due to the 5 day work week policy. The most frequently spoken sentence this year must be "Gals, officers cannot be with you all the time. It's going to be very tough but all of you can do it k" And my my, each of them have really grown to be a leader.
Take a look at the camp planned by them: Amazing Race @ Sentosa

Create Your Own!
A game we played:

Gals play games too

It's the holidays! Being a youth worker, I have to tune in my holidays with those of the youths in school. Where I work is now a buzz of life and activity.

Where I work (as articulated by a colleague) :
On 5 Aug 2006, a cyber-wellness centre to help youths deal with issues like video game addiction through mentoring and counseling, was opened by Senior Minister of State for Law and Home Affairs Ho Peng Kee. Situated in Bukit Merah, teachers can book the centre to allow their students to experience a healthy and balanced gaming environment, under the supervision of a youth mentor. The centre aims to help youths understand why they are drawn to games, offer healthy alternatives, as well as provide mentorship through a healthy gaming environment.

Our centre has been male-dominated for the longest time but we finally had some balance when the gals came in. We started our weekly "All Gals Female Wellness" just for the ladies. Who says gals don't game. Just that they are drawn to games for different reasons. Haha.
Gals need time to warm up, ice breaker helps!

I lost my voice! (2)

Continuation from when I first lost my voice check it out here

As of today I got 20% of my voice back. But still can't exert can feel the strain in the throat. Checked out with a doctor friend of mine. Most probably it's acute inflammation due to virus. Usually resolves within 3 weeks. Though it was actually quite fun in the start not being able to talk but it soon turn to exasperation in some occasions. But there were some good & funny stuff that came out of this as well.

**I took a cab on Friday and had to resort to typing my destination on sms to show the cab driver. When I alighted the uncle insisted on taking $10 from me though the meter was reading $10.60. I was really touched. To think that I was still hallucinating what if he drive me to some ulu place & I'm not able to shout for help. Thanks uncle though I didn't manage to see your car plate number. God bless you!

** I'm currently speaking in a whispery voice now not using my vocal cords. Previously I sounded like an orc from Lord of the Rings when I could speak a little. And to my amusement some of my gal-friends replied back in the small little whisper. Some of them really forgot. Funny!

** My mom was really worried for me before she left for holiday with my dad. She was like "You cannot talk still go to work for what!!!!" Much as I tried to hand-signal that though I lost my voice my body could still pretty much function. Anyway I did went for another check on Thursday as I was also getting worried about this sudden lost of voice. To my greatest amazement the doctor gave me 2 days MC. She said that viral infection unlike bacteria infection needs the body immune system to be strong & fight the virus so the body should rest as much as possible. Mommy's right! :p Oh my sister bought me voice gums too. So nice of her!

** And my kind colleagues who covered my duties as well.

** I wondered alot why I lost my voice without any rhyme or reason. I haven't fully understand yet. I shall keep asking I'm sure everything happens for a reason & there is no concidence! TELL ME WHY WHY WHY!

Children Learn What They Live

Children Learn What They Live
If a child lives with criticism, he learns to condemn . . .
If a child lives with hostility, he learns to fight . . .
If a child lives with fear, he learns to be apprehensive . . .
If a child lives with pity, he learns to feel sorry for himself . . .
If a child lives with ridicule, he learns to be shy . . .
If a child lives with jealousy, he learns to feel guilt . . .
BUT
If a child lives with tolerance, he learns to be patient . . .
If a child lives with encouragement, he learns to be confident . . .
If child lives with praise, he learn appreciation.
If a child lives with acceptance, he learns to love . . .
If a child lives with honesty, he learns what truth is . . .
If a child lives with fairness, he learns justice . . .
If a child lives with security, he learns to have faith in himself and those about him . . .
If a child lives with friendlienss, he learns the world is a nice place in which to live . . .
by Dorothy Law Nolte

I first saw this poem was I was in primary school and my form teacher gave me a little bookmark, for Children's Day perhaps. At that time the poem was meaningless to me. I was more of like "SO MANY WORDS" kinda attitude.
Saw this again recently and thought about the environment I grew up in and how it has shaped the kind of person I am today. Better able to appreciate it now. A meaningful poem indeed.
What is past we cannot change but the future is for us to create :)

I lost my voice! (1)

I lost my voice! Hasn't been able to talk since Monday. And I don't even know the cause of it. I didn't shout too much (no lesson these days) nor did I overeat on spicy stuff.

Sunday -> Weak voice
==Went to see doctor==
Monday -> Pain, no voice, got MC
Tuesday -> No pain, no voice
Wednesday -> No pain, no voice
Thursday -> I'm going to see the doctor again :(

Now I can only use my mobile phone to type out a message / write on paper / type on Word document if I want to communicate to others. Also I realized one other thing. When I'm sick I can display a really unhappy & black face. That was Tuesday when I went back to work. Anyway my family and colleagues were still very kind to me so I felt kinda bad after that. Okies 过就过了，明天会更好! (Translated: What is passed is passed, tomorrow is a better day!)

A GB gal's story

Last Friday we had our first combined Parent's Appreciation with the BB. It was good. A win-win situation! Do less gain more! (Since it's a combined effort each company did less work & end up achieving more)

Here's one of our senior gals sharing how being in GB has helped in her life. Personally I'm touched by her simple little sharing. Knowing these gals they'll never ever say such things. But as the occasion called for -> TA DA!!!!

Who Needs the Opposite Sex more? Males or Females?

This is something new to me. Generally the media portray women as the ones that turns psychotic / harbour a broken heart for the rest of their life / do some really weird stuff when the "love of their life" leaves.

See gals! It's possible, it's proven! You can CHOOSE to take a hold on yourself & be strong! The memories & hurt linger the longest because one CHOOSES to hold tightly to the past memories and refuses to let go. It's almost as if you want to try your very best to remember & replay all the past happy moments you had together.

The sad news is this. Until you CHOOSE to release those memories you will remain unhappy for just as long as you try to keep the past.

Some practial steps:
1) Throw away every single gifts you've exchange or remind you of the person
2) Stop listening to the weepy love ballads playing on 93._ station. You'll end up feeling sorry for yourself all over again
3) Share with a trusted mentor who can help you along this journey of recovery. One of them is me. Drop me a mail at kermittee@hotmail.com if need be!

The Days are Evil (3)

I couldn't sleep after I saw the papers. It's about ten plus years since I was still in secondary school. Back then life was so peaceful, innocent. I wonder if one of the reasons was that I couldn't be bothered to read the newspapers then - the busyness of exams and school was my entire world then. (A pretty small world ya. Hahas)

And I couldn't find the answer which I've been asking myself in the recent years (since I've started working) why things have became so warped so ugly in such a short span of time.

Anyway I saw something which helped a little...

Quoted by Mr Huang Sabin:
* People are never our enemy - evil is. We must love people and fight evil
* We must fight evil using God's power, not our own

The Days are Evil (2)

The Straits Times (Thursday, October 26, 2006 )

'It's a horrible thing that's happened to my daughter':
* Youth gang in Australia films sexual assault on girl, 17
* Outcry after video is put on Net and shown on TV

A wave of disgust has swept Australia following revelations that a gang of youths not only sexually assaulted a teenage girl but also filmed their acts for distribution on DVDs.

In what began as a meeting arranged through an Internet chat room, the teenager agreed to see two boys at a shopping centre in the Melbourne suburb of Werribee. But when she got there, she was surrounded by about a dozen youths and forced to a nearby river bank where the attack took place.

Note: Full article coming soon, stay tuned.

The Days are Evil (1)

The Straits Times (Thursday, October 26, 2006 )

From star student to fraudster:
Two National University of Singapore undergraduates - both star students and one of them an accomplished young entrepreneur with an IQ of 160 - went astray when one of them chanced upon a website that detailed how credit cards could be cloned using stolen data cheating local banks out of $80,000 in just two months before they were apprehended by the police.

Note: Full article coming soon, stay tuned.

Look back & (then) look ahead

I usually am not so quick in catching up with technology. Wonder if this is a norm among gals out there. Here's something I found in the papers that pretty enlightened me on the changes in technology in this part of the world. Enjoys.

Singapore's infocomm efforts since the 1980s have led the nation to a digital age, in the way people learn, play and work. (Courtesy of Serene Luo; Digital Life)


Create Your Own!

Till Death Do Us Part

A good fren of mine got married a week back. Really happy for her & her sweetheart.

Create Your Own!
(Do bear with my sweeping statement)
20 years ago I think it's most gals dream to get married. 20 years later I believe it's most gals as well as guys dream to get married!!!

Some might disagree & say that cohabitation is more convenient for them & they don't wish to be tied down to someone for life. But how I feel is "If a man can't even be committed to take care of me for the rest of my life" then his empty promises of love everlasting is probably juz some sweet talking. Do I really want to waste my time with such an irresponsible guy... No thank you! I won't even know if twenty years down the road he'll just hunt around for another hot young chick.

From a Christian perspective. This is how a couple takes responsibility & show commitment for each other & not juz treat love as a mad rush of feelings.

Wedding Vows:
(Male)
I _____, take you ______, to be my wedded wife. To have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness or in health, to love and to cherish 'till death do us part. And hereto I pledge you my faithfulness.

(Female)
I, _____, take you ______, to be my wedded husband. To have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, 'till death do us part. And hereto I pledge you my faithfulness.

Police raid homes of 7 music downloaders

The Straits Times (Tuesday, October 10, 2006 )

What price BEAUTY?

Over the weekend I attended my friend's wedding as a Jie Mei (sister) in Malaysia. Big events as such also means putting in extra effort to look good. So instead of wearing spectables I wore disposable contact lens for the occasion.

Feeling an irritation in my left eye I tried removing the lens. After struggling for more than 15mins I was left with a sore & bruised left eye. Unable to take the pain and tearing from my eye I decided to try later.

Cut the long story short ---> After struggling for almost 4 torturous hours back in Singapore I had the sudden realization tat my contact lens might had probably dropped off & I had been plucking and pinching at my raw eyeball for the whole time. Eeeks. Painful okie.... Goodness, how could I be so blur.... No more contact lens for 2 weeks at least!

My injured eye:

Create Your Own!

Compared to those who are willing to go under the knife to enhance the way they look mine was just minor pain. I seriously can't imagine the amount of pain they put themselves to. I remember a doctor friend told me that if someone goes for plastic surgery/general surgery she probably can't go out of the house for a few weeks because that part of the body will be in great pain to recover from the extreme tramua of the surgery.


What's the PRICE you're willing to pay to be "beautiful"??? When plastic surgery goes very wrong

A few good man

Received this email from a concerned lady colleague yesterday. My initial response was like -> Ok... thanks for the information.


Big big boss was the original initiator. He walked out of his cubicle and asked some of the guy colleagues to have a look outside - at least to let the "suspicious man" know that we're aware of his presence. And to my greatest amazement the guys in my department were suddenly very enthusiastic. 5 of them ran out with a minor hoo-ha.

They came back empty handed, however this morning the conversation continued...(to the best of my recollections)

Guy colleague A: You know the ladies who have their meetings in the night, it's very dangerous leh. Someone should educate them. Especially when they go to the toilet at the corner. They should go in a pair.
Guy colleague B: Ya! Maybe we should hang a whistle in the toilet and if the whistle is no longer there then we know what had happened.
Kermit: ._.' !!!!!

----------------------------------------------------->>>>>>

I was pretty amused and had a great laugh over it. But seriously the last thing a girl need when she needs help is to see a lone whistle hanging in the toilet. (Right???!!! Ladies out there). We pretty much appreciate it when you went out of the way to check out the suspicious man. Felt so much safer that way anytime :)

A Good Partner is Essential - Be One!

Whether it's doing project or life partner the same rules apply. Irritating people can really mess up some of my days.

Let's start from ourselves - to be a good parnter to someone else today. Rather than waiting to change irritating people, let's check if we have been a nuisance/irritant to others. Haha! Isn't it way easier to change our own bad habits than attempting to change others.

Internet is here to stay. What's your next step?

Saw this article on TODAY recently. If you read carefully most of these rich guys who made it to the list are people linked to technology or the Net. E.g. Microsoft, Google, Oracle, Apple Computer, Dreamworks. Their total wealth combined is approximately US$134 billion.

The world is changing & the Internet is here to stay. It's not possible to avoid it or work it out of our lives. Truth is, the longer you avoid, the harder it is to catch up.

A personal joke... I studied computing back in the university. There wasn't a formal lesson that teach us how to fix a computer. But today I can fix my own computer because I was forced to do it when my computer broke down at various occasions at the worst of time (when I need to submit crucial projects or major exams). The only part left is the motherboard now. Big joke :)

Well better to pick it up early at your own pace than come a time when you're forced into doing it. Nah. Don't remind me of the nightmares ._.'

All Skirts Day

All Skirts Day!!!! May sound silly to some. But I started setting aside a day each month for that because the little gals at Sunday school doesn't seem to wear skirts anymore. (minus their school skirts)

What's the problem anyway? What's wrong with NOT wearing skirts? Ooooh there's no problem at all. I didn't say there is one. But if I have my own daughters I'll definitely enjoy dolling them up, making them look pretty & stuff *winks*

I had my fair share of wearing jeans through my growing up days. It's convenient, comfortable, cool and what's not. However we girls should still be comfortable to display our girlishness & femininity once in a while.

By the way gals all of you looked so good! :)


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The One Who Can Give

Exams are just round the corner. We decided to do up a little something to bless our friends who're probably going crazy memorizing all the formulas & last minute revisions. Each gal is supposed to make four little packets of blessings to give our classmates. Though it's a simple token but I believe the heart is there. Paid with $$$ & wrapped with diligence & love. Awwwww....

Think about this: You can afford to give $1 to the lady selling tissue outside the MRT. Who is more fortunate?? Of course the one who can give.

Gals you ROXXX!!! I'm sure your classmates have been touched by your little act of kindness.


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Want to be my friend?

You might have the innocent intention of making friends. But do be aware of the perverts hidden amongst the other users in the various social networking sites.

Not sure if you came across the fake Osama & some other famous personality on Friendster. Obviously it's not the real Osama my students would say. The real one is too busy running away from the police. Hahah! Well think a bit deeper. If there can be "fake famous people" why can't there be "fake average guy/gal"?


Summarised version (by kermit for easy reading):
Warnings over social site 'abuse'
Social networking sites like MySpace, Bebo have been gaining great popularity among the teenagers.
A study of the sites by the consumer watchdog unearthed pornographic images, evidence of bullying and inappropriate adverts. It also proved easy to pose as a child as the sites did no age or ID checks. "Teenage users need to be aware that there is no way of knowing who is behind the face of a 'friend'," said Jessica Ross, Computing Which? editor.
One researcher was able to pose as a 14-year-old on MySpace as the site did not require identification or carry out an age check.
Ms Ross said: "Networking sites, such as myspace.com and bebo.com, need to do more to protect their millions of trusting members."

Full version
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/5344722.stm

Porn changed my life (2)

Quite funny but as I planned to write this porn series I realized that though I don't go onto the Net often I had my fair share of porn disruption in my peaceful life => BEWARE porn will try to find it's way to you...better think of how to fight it before you fall victim to it.


I used to wonder why people would want to watch porn after my first disgusting experience. Yucks! (Pride comes before a fall, don't ever be too sure of yourself)

Many months later there was a day that I was alone at home. I saw a disc lying around in my house. I seriously don't know what came over me but there was no one at home and soon I found myself sitting in front of the TV watching it. Even as I was watching I was so afraid that someone would come home that I actually latched my door. Bad Kermit...

Did I enjoy watching it?
.
.
.
.
.
Couldn't be further from the truth. After watching it, I felt absolutely stupid & guilty.... worse... it also affected me in days to come.
.
.
.
.
.
I became rather perverted after that. I often find myself stealing glances at girls who are scantily dressed. Tube top/mini skirts/two strings etc. I felt very bad and disgusted about myself. What's wrong with me???? Bad bad Kermit...
.
.
.
This continued for some time until I finally pluck up my courage & shared my dark secret with a church friend. She did not condemn me but listened patiently. And at the end of our conversation she prayed for me.

Thankfully things started improving after that. I was less drawn to see things that I shouldn't be seeing.


Think twice before you start. Easy to stumble in but hard to get out.


P.S: Drop me an email at kermittee@hotmail.com if you need someone to share with.

Porn changed my life (1)

Ever wondered if pornography has effects on girls? Read on...

I had my computer & Internet connection about 8 years ago when I was in junior college. I starting exchanging emails with one of my male cousin who's 2 years younger than me. One day I received an email from him with a picture attachment titled "BradPitt" that got me all excited. Brad Pitt was one of my fave movie stars back then & he was described as the sexiest man alive!!! No joke k!

I double clicked on the file & it's Brad Pitt all right - a naked one. 100% uncovered. Man.... I was so upset. I just shot back an email warning my cousin not to send me such stuff again else I'm going to tell his mother. Well... I didn't any receive any email from him for a long long time after that.

Looking back my cousin must have thought it was funny. But the truth is I was really really offended by what I saw. I didn't even ask for it!!!

8 years later....

If I shut my eyes now I can still see that yucky picture vaguely in my mind. What I saw for that split second became imprinted in my mind for the last 8 years. It's just stuck there much as I've tried to forget :(

If you're given a choice to choose today "Are you prepared to carry these filthy images with you"???

Cedar 2006

Hey gals,

It's been a wonderful time teaching you all. You gals are really a bunch of sincere & down-to-earth people. I totally enjoyed all of ya presence. Remember kermit has really bad memory *winks* so do gimme a smile when I see ya next year!!!

Drop me a mail at kermittee@hotmail.com if you need the pictures.


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Female Wellness - LAUNCHED

I've been thinking about this for quite some time. However a part of me was a little apprehensive as well. I mean who am I to talk about female wellness - I don't think I'm there yet.

Just this morning I heard a pretty sad story from the terror of Bukit Merah about a gal in her early teens. I knew her not too long ago too though not well. Still I was saddenend. (I shouldn't go into details here)

As such finally moving from just being excited about the term female wellness I'm now going to start on it. This sense of urgency is good.

Anyway a new revelation. One key reason why I can stand tall & be free to share about female wellness. Well.... who's best to talk about female wellness than a gal herself! Plus all my manly guy colleagues already have their manly topics to talk about & I really don't wish to see them turn girlish/womanly suddenly. EEEEKS!!! *shivers* :P

Stay tuned!

1N 2006 (Give ur best in all you do)

Hie there Class 1N,

Sorry for being so late in putting these up. To prevent other people from grabbing your pictures without permission I've put them into a slideshow. You can email me at kermittee@hotmail.com to send you the pictures k.

It's been a wonderful pleasure teaching you all. I remember very clearly what I shared with you people. Your behaviour & attitude really impressed me class. Keep up the good work. And remember who ultimately benefit in the end? It's your character!

Watch your thoughts ; they become words.
Watch your words ; they become actions.
Watch your actions ; they become habits.
Watch your habits; they become character .
Watch your character; it becomes your DESTINY!


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You are my HERO!

To all my dearest frens who are in the teaching sector. You ROXXXXX!!!!! Thanks for serving our young people!!! It's not an easy job but that's the exact reason why we need courageous heros like you!

Ready to be a mother?

Last weekend was special to me. Auau & myself met up with our friend YanYan. She was the first among our group of friends to get married. She had a baby gal not toolong after that - Paige. Ohhhhhh she's so cute!!!!!!!!!
I was amazed at how much YanYan slim down after her pregnancy. Not that she was fat just that I've heard horror stories of how a woman stays BIG after having kids... I even clarified with her if she took pills or something.

After I carried Paige & took a short walk round the restaurant that we were eating I realized how YanYan slim down. I mean baby Paige is heavy you know. My arms were aching by the time I put her down. No wonder YanYan is now like slimer than before.

Note: YanYan is a working full time taking care of her baby. She commented that no matter how tired she is but when she gets home & see baby Paige smile at her so innocently her heart just melts. Something funny as well that she mentioned, no matter how tired/frustrated sometimes she might get she can't just flush the baby down the toilet right? How true :)



Some frens told me the video was too dark. Actually Auau was playing with baby & baby is like trying to pull Auau's finger off. Hahah. Anyway I'm going to post up Video Part2 so that we can all fully appreciate how cute Paige is!!!!

1000 Linking Hands (千牵手) – Our Group Dance

I had a lot of "first time" at this camp. Another first is dancing in front of 200 people. Haha!
Every group had to do a presentation and my group did a mass dance. I was very serious about mastering the dance. So much so that one of my group mates told me to relax a bit & have fun! Enjoy the process of learning, having fun, relax, relax, RELAX!
Come on we don't have to be perfect all the time. If we fail just stand up, SMILE & try again!


Part I - 1st part of dance & two of the team mates sharing

Part II - 2nd part of dance (I was pretty off sync here, hahha!)

Can you spot which is me?? Write your guess in the comments section. I've a prize waiting for you!

Clue: Easier to spot from Part II's video.

Powers of Internet - (Uses for Good)

The Internet is powerful. Very very powerful. Look at how it has crept into almost all areas of our lives in such a short time.

And along with the Internet it has changed many many things which people has never thought possible before. (Just like before the first airplane came about no one ever thought they could fly right)

I received a wonderful article this morning of how the Internet has helped a young man fulfilled his dream.


Summarised version (by kermit for easy reading): Aspiring artist Duane Keiser spends one to three hours daily working on postcard paintings that he posts to a blog to sell on Ebay.
On Keiser's blog and the blogs of scores of other mostly non-famous artists who make small original paintings nearly every day and sell them for as little as $100 each. It doesn't make them rich, but it allows them to make a living as an artist, and it could make some of them famous.
The Internet makes it possible for anyone to be an artist.


Full version http://www.usatoday.com/tech/webguide/internetlife/2006-08-22-blogger-artists_x.htm?POE=click-refer


(Girl With Red Hat, an original oil painting by Justin Clayton - another blogger artist)

Best Video on Youtube

This is probably the best video I have ever seen on youtube (or any other video sharing site)...
http://captnj.blogspot.com/2006/08/inspirational-video.html

Saw this on my fren's blog. And I absolutely agree with him. It's definitely worth the 4 minutes and 14 secs of your life.

YOU ARE SPECIAL (你很特别)

You are SPECIAL! Did anyone tell you that before? Now now what are you thinking? It need not be a boy telling his girlfriend or a girl telling her boyfriend sort of thing.

Well then again my parents are the chinese chinese kind, they tend not to say such mushy things to me. Hahaha.

I said that before. Not just to one person….. to a whole group of them.

They are my students from 1U 2006. For first time in my life I prepared and did magic tricks for my students. They really touched my heart with their simplicity and open heart. They are not the sit down quietly guai guai listen copy notes type. Though they tend to talk loudly & is noisier in class but (even as I’m writing this) hey! they are just being themselves. Not hiding behind a mask, not assuming another identity just to please others.

Hey 1U, you are SPECIAL. Do you know that. Thank you for being so REAL to me!

Posting personal photos on blog has consequences too...

BEAUTY QUEEN WAS UNWITTING PAWN IN ONLINE SCAM

Summarised version (by kermit for easy reading): Singpore beauty queen cum part time model owns a blog, post photos on blog. One day a man went up to her and asked if she was his online friend. And to her greatest horrors!!!!!!!! Found out that someone has been using her photos pretending to be her & cheating money out of men.

Full version (as reported on Newpaper on 14th Aug 2006): As a beauty queen and part-time model, she's used to having her photos circulated widely. Like many people, she has also posted personal photos on her blog. But Miss Amanda Low, 26, had no idea that someone would use her pictures to seduce men in an online scam.

These pictures were sent by "Kalene" to Mr Michael Poh, supposedly of herself. They are really of Miss Amanda Low.

Once the men become smitten with the attractive girl in the pictures, the impostor would 'sweet-talk' them into giving her money. She would tell a sob story and ask for a loan, with the money to be transferred to her bank account. When the men ask to meet her, she would make excuses not to do so. If they insisted, she would then stop all contact, leaving them with no way of recovering their money.
Miss Low, who was Miss Chinese World in the Miss Singapore-Chinatown 2005 pageant, believes that at least five men have fallen victim to the cyber cheat.
She also won the Miss Friendship title in the Miss Asia-Pacific 2006 pageant.
It was purely by chance that she found out what her photos were being used for.
One man who almost got conned by the impostor had spotted Miss Low at an exhibition in Singapore Expo last month. Miss Low, who has been modelling part-time for seven years, told The New Paper on Sunday: 'I was giving out brochures when I noticed a man staring at me strangely. 'He came up to me after 15 minutes and asked if I knew him.'
She was taken aback by Mr Michael Poh's direct manner. Mr Poh, 26, who runs a food stall in Toa Payoh, told her that she looked exactly like the pictures of a woman he knew as 'Kalene'.

WANTED CASH

He said 'Kalene', whom he had met on the Internet, had tried to borrow $3,000 from him.
Miss Low said: 'I was shocked that my photographs were being used to cheat men. I would not have found out if not for the chance meeting with Michael.'
She was in for another shock.
After she and Mr Poh exchanged more details about 'Kalene', Miss Low found out that she was the same woman who had impersonated her in 2001.
The two women were friends then.
'Kalene' had sent out Miss Low's photos in Internet chatrooms, claiming to be the woman in the pictures.
Miss Low recalled: 'I found out about it when my friend happened to get the photos.
'I also learnt that her online 'boyfriend' would transfer money to her, thinking she was me.'
When confronted, 'Kalene' apologised profusely.

FELT INFERIOR
Miss Low said: 'She told me she did it because she felt inferior to me. I let her off with a warning after she promised never to do it again.' Twice bitten, Miss Low decided to make a police report this time as she is worried that 'Kalene' might have conned other men.
She showed us a copy of the report dated 6 Aug.
Through her own investigations, Miss Low said 'Kalene' could have cheated at least five men.
She said: 'If she's been cheating men like this since 2001, who knows how many more victims are out there? 'What if one of her victims sees me on the streets and beats me up because he thinks I ran away with his money?'
Now, whenever she stays out late, she always makes sure she is not alone.
'I hope the men who have been conned can contact me so I can press charges against her. Now it's just my and Michael's words against her,' said Miss Low. The police have confirmed that they are investigating the case. Miss Low gave us 'Kalene's' contact number and real name.
We called the number a few times over three days.
Each time, a woman answered to the name given by Miss Low, but when asked about this case, she said she was too busy to talk.

BLOG INTEREST
Mr Poh related how he got to know 'Kalene' in January last year when he chanced upon her blog. He has a blog too.
He said: 'It's my hobby to browse through blogs. This blog was different because there were photos of her manicured and pedicured nails, handbag, laptop - everything but a photo of her face.
'This made me even more curious to see what she looks like. So I e-mailed her and asked for her MSN Messenger address.' He has e-mailed female strangers before in the hope of befriending them and has dated one of them. Mr Poh, who did not have a girlfriend then, was elated when 'Kalene' replied soon after. They started chatting every day on MSN.
'We talked about all sorts of things like our hobbies. After a week, I asked for her photo and phone number.' She then e-mailed three photographs to Mr Poh. They showed an attractive woman striking different poses.
Mr Poh was immediately attracted to the woman in the pictures.
'She was so pretty. And from the way she wrote in her blog, I could tell she had brains too,' he said. 'I was interested in her and wanted to ask her out.'
He got her number and they chatted over the phone every day.
'You could say we had a relationship going. We would say quite mushy things to each other,' he said. 'Kalene' said she was an accounts assistant.
Soon after they met online, she told Mr Poh that she was having problems at work.
He said: 'She wanted to quit and asked for my opinion. I told her if she doesn't like the job, she should quit.'
But 'Kalene' claimed she had to pay two months' salary totalling $5,000 if she quit without giving notice.
Mr Poh said: 'She told me she had $2,000 in savings and asked to borrow $3,000 from me.
'I agreed to lend it to her, but told her she would have to meet me.'
But 'Kalene' claimed she was not free and asked him to transfer the money to her bank account.
That was when Mr Poh began to smell a rat.
He said: 'She just refused to meet me and gave all kinds of excuses.
'Once, I tried to meet her after her dance practice, but she didn't turn up. Her handphone was off.'
After 'Kalene' stood him up, she did not contact him for a few months.
'Maybe she was mad at me for not lending her the money. I no longer saw her on MSN, probably because she blocked me,' he said.
Mr Poh started going out with another girl, but the relationship ended after a few months.
Feeling depressed, he wrote about the break-up in his blog.
Around that time, 'Kalene' got in touch with him again.
He said: 'I was feeling down. We started talking again. I don't know if she contacted me again because she wanted money from me.'
He admitted he was still interested in 'Kalene'. But although he wanted to date her, he was confused.
A friend had told him she saw her pictures on someone else's blog on Friendster, a social networking website.
When Mr Poh asked 'Kalene' about it, she brushed it off, saying the blogger was probably using her pictures to pretend to be her.
'I didn't know who to believe,' he said.
That is, until he saw Miss Low at Singapore Expo.

SAME GIRL
'I stared at her for 15 minutes to make sure she was the same girl in the pictures,' he said. 'I then called Kalene's handphone.
'She answered and said she was at home sleeping. It was then that I knew she had used the photos to trick me.'
This experience has taught him a lesson he will always remember.
'Never ever believe what you read and see on the Internet.'

Have you SMILE today? (3)

No matter what kind of lousy situations you are in. Remember bad times will not stay forever. The rainbow could be just round the corner!! 明天会更好！！！ (Translated as tommorrow is an even better day!)

Therefore there's every good reason to SMILE!

Have you SMILE today? (2)

Remember our "Have you SMILE today?" series. Got this from XiaoP. So funny!!!!

1000 Linking Hands (千牵手) – Our Group Cheer

I'm so happy!!!! I can finally blog again! Last two weeks was crazy. Tiring & almost died of exhaustion but happy :)

Back to my Shanghai trip. This has been a wonderful trip. I rated it 10/10!!!!! Partly because we had so much fun & joy & laughter as a team.

Here's one of the group cheer we did. It's so funny lor. I was the video woman for this trial practice. Wonderful memories indeed!!!

Yo write me a comment to rate our group cheer k. Like 1 out of 5 stars or 5 out of 5 stars those kind.

1000 Linking Hands (千牵手) – On our way there

We’re flying via China Eastern at 0055 midnight. My parents accompanied me to the airport & we had a quick dinner together. I think Dad is worried that I might be hungry on the plane. But I didn’t eat much. Too excited. We took a quick shot & they left for home soon after. My parents don’t really like too much interaction. They are rather shy. But I was really touched that they could come.

(Parting shot with Dad & mom; Our gal-friends who came to send us off; My team members gathering for a parting shot with our luggage; XiaoP & myself at our seats!)

Thank you friends - Part II (Frens are Forever)

I'm leaving tomorrow midnight to Shanghai. We're going there to serve the poor & needy!!!

Actually the reason that prompted me to go was way before I even know about this serving the community project called 1000 Linking Hands (千牵手) . My good friend and I decided that to celebrate our 7 years of Christian friendship to do something more interesting.

Secondary 3 & 4: Known Auau since Sec 3 but whole of Sec 3 & 4 I only talked to her once --- To borrow her chemistry notes to copy for a major exam. Hahahahah!

Junior College: Different classes same CCA - Netball. We belong to the same group of galfriends. One of her friends know my friends & one of my friends know her friends but we didn't know each other well. We just happen to have common friends.

University: Turning point. I really really got to know Auau after we decided to go to church together with a friend who invited us. From there on we were in the same youth group & we went through many good times & even more bad times together. :)

She taught me to be less serious & learn to have fun. (It's good to be serious & responsible in the things we do but my problem was that I tend to be OVERLY serious). I learnt from her how sometimes we can pause a bit & smell the flowers along the way. She was patient with me though I am unreasonble in certain occasions. Thank God for such a wonderful friend. May the Lord continue to bless us with many wonderful anniversaries ahead!

Thank you friends - Part I (ChildrenCarnival_MiracleCatch 2006)

Want to use this as a place to thank some of my dear friends.

(Secondary/JC school mates) Hey frens thanks for volunteering your time to help out in the Children Carnival. You gals sure looked like you had loads of fun terrorizing the kids. *winks*

Though we’re not able to meet as frequently as when we were still schooling but I wanna let you know that you gals are on my mind each day!

(The Westerners) It's been quite some time since we got together right. But I'm really touched that despite the phyical distance the friendship was not broken. Looking forward to the wonderful get-together in the days to come.