it's been a while. kinda felt like i needed to type out whatever i did during the september holidays to justify to myself that i was productive and it wasn't a waste. this constant need to feel productive is pretty debilitating sometimes. i wonder if it's just the hustle culture of singapore or maybe it's just me. regardless, i am really thankful for the breather! school has been getting really hectic and the responsibilities that come with being a teacher can feel very overwhelming. i'm very thankful for the interactions with my colleagues and my students! and i love how everyday just brings about new challenges (only partially sarcastic hahaha).
i already started celebrating the break on wednesday night.
wed:
- bryan and i went to visit baby jemma finally! i made a quilt for her.
thur:
- teachers' day celebrations in school
- the canteen was decorated really well!
- a reminder of how the care and love and scoldings mean something to the kids hahaha.
- went for lunch with colleagues, then passed out at home because i was tired from the term
fri:
- checked out boulder planet with tricia (she had been there already). they had a one for one pass for teachers' day!
- new gym, new holds, new routes, new challenges, what's not to enjoy!
- the bus ride was long but enjoyable. i love looking out the window and not feeling like im in a rush to get anywhere
- managed to drink a cup of coffee in a leisurely manner too before the climb
- mun and bry came over that evening and we watched the staffroom, a zoom play put on by an ex-school mate of ours. it was interactive and fun.
sat:
- met bryan's parents to get him a new phone
- we went to visit baby micah too! i managed to finish the quilt for him only that night itself so it's still with me.
- he's so chubby and cute. he kept crying though when he was put down hahaha.
- went to bryan's grandma's place for dinner
sun:
- climbed again wuhuuu with tricia and jun at bff. checked out the transend routes!
- feel like im finally making some sort of progress in bouldering after plateauing for quite a while
- we had lunch together, we dapao-ed to my place because the hawker centre outside could only sit two by two
- went to my cousin's place where we had yakiniku! it was so much fun grilling the meat and eating a lot. it's always a great sunday when you don't have work the next day
mon:
- i worked unfortunately hahahaha. there's just so much work to catch up on.
tues:
- worked in the morning before climbing again again wuhuuu at b+ (thank you for the free climb!!!). i think the founder is an ex-pe teacher! yanni and fadli were there too, and jon and his colleague came along as well
- i haven't been to b+ in a while and was not used to how throwy/ pumpy the routes were
- my forearms were rock solid like half an hour in
- yanni and i headed to raffles city and we met the rest of our nie art batch for dinner (missing marie though!)
- we presented each other our grad certs for pgde over truffle fries at ps cafe. it was p cute.
wed:
- i can feel the midweek blues as i am typing this still haha how quick the holiday seemed to pass
- met delia and her kids at scape for breakfast at mcdonalds.
- esterlyn was scared of the pigeons. i asked her why. she said she was afraid she would be eaten by them. i asked her if the beaks of the pigeons were big or small. she said small. i asked if she was big or small. she said big. i asked if she thought the beaks were big enough to eat her up, she said no. she kept repeating the logic to herself. hahaha it was so cute.
- i asked if she was still scared. she said yes. i said it is okay to be scared.
- she also exclaimed at some point that she is "very fresh!" i think that's why she was scared she might be eaten. HAHAHA. i laughed so hard.
- i also witnessed delia's toddler consume more food than my primary 1 kids. it was amazing.
- we bounced bounced bounced on the trampolines, and my time with them ended too quickly.
- i did work at starbucks and bought an overpriced hibiscus lemonade (ugh i hate how much i like it and am willing to pay for it) before heading to meet my ex-sec school prefect mistress at baker and cook at dempsey
- it was nice catching up with her. we talk on and off. i always find it interesting how conversations and relationships change over the years, as each person gains their own experiences, and change as individuals
- it made me really thankful for her mentorship over the years, and how we have still kept in touch. being a teacher now made me really appreciate what she has done/ is doing for her students/ the school, and how it is really not easy.
- oh! i also met sarry for dinner. there's this soba place i wanted to check out at paragon, it lived up to my expectations. we went to a bunch of children's toy shops to look for "medical" related toys. sarah is working with children's cancer foundation, and they use toys as a way to soothe or educate the children. her work is so meaningful. her presence is comforting as always, i'm thankful for our friendship over the years, from when we met as barely friends in a cafe to make art for a cellmate's birthday or something (when i used to go to church), all the way till now. thankful for how art has been a bridge for many of my relationships with others! she always helps me to see the beauty and gentleness of life in little ways that i often overlook, and reminds me of how kind the world can be sometimes.
thur + fri
- these days were set aside to celebrate my dad's birthday! we had a lot of good food.
- on friday we did so much!
- we walked in sentosa, followed by lunch at chinatown and stocking up on my fabrics, then we headed to orchard so i could do my brows (my mom was looking for shoes too), followed by dinner at forum. really seems more like my birthday than his!
- i've watched how my parents also have grown as individuals over the years, and am ever so thankful for how they have always let us be who we wanted to be, and allowed us to struggle just enough and stepping in just when things get a little too much, and just been the best parents and done what they felt was best at the different points in our lives
sat
- monday blues started setting in. finished the chair with bryan in the morning, followed by being entranced by bohemian rhapsody. it was sooo good.
- he gymmed after, and i kinda just slept i think.
- the parents and i went to suntec for dinner after because i would be too mopey just sitting around at home
sun
- back to regular climb at bff with jun. jon and his wife cristen came along too. i took it pretty chill. my fingers got pretty wrecked after climbing too much over the week
- headed to bryans place for lunch
- went for eddie's family/friends spin class at axiom. i really dislike spin, it's just not my thing. but it was nice seeing eddie in her zone. idk how she does so many things and is so incredibly productive constantly. hahaha. the music was good and it was nice (though a little odd) seeing people from mg that i hadnt seen in years.
- the drive with mun to her place was nice. i always take comfort in our conversations, and how we can talk about the most frivolous of things, but also the really important stuff
- the rest of the sunday i took to rest and prepare for the term ahead.
thankful for the break. not very ready to start the hustle again, but i guess that's just how things go right?
