Tag Archives: Weekly Updates

2016 Week 38 Update

Posted on by
Reply

This week was a good one I think. I started the week with news about a job I applied to and ended it with a small party at home to celebrate BB & GG turning 13!

I had applied to this position in the not-for-profit sector towards the end of the week before last. Last Sunday, while waiting for the children to come back from their grandma’s house, I idly went through my spam folder in my email and lo behold, the email from the person who advertised was there. I have no idea why it went to the spam folder and more bizarrely I don’t know why I checked that folder on that particular day because I almost never check the spam folder! I quickly wrote back and we agreed to a phone conversation on Tuesday which was the next working day (Monday was a public holiday in Singapore). I spoke to him and I may have convinced him enough that he wanted a face-to-face meeting soon. Since I was free, we agreed on the next day, Wednesday. We met just before lunch and contrary to what I usually encountered, he insisted we have lunch (I thought the most will be coffee somewhere) and we had quite an interesting conversation. I know he will be meeting/talking to other applicants and if I make the cut, I have to speak to a couple of advisors to the organisation before the final decision will be made. I also mentioned about my India trip and he brushed it saying the real work will start only from January, so it should be ok. I can use the time to read up and do research or visit partners. Salary also seems not to be a big issue. So now I am keeping all fingers and toes crossed as if this does not work out, I am going to take a hiatus from looking for a job till the new year. Usually, around this time of the year, people do not leave their jobs as this will affect their year-end bonuses as well as the annual wage supplement. I know I lost out on the contract position I wrote about last week because of my trip – the recruiter was nice enough to let me know the reason and not blow my away!

The poonal preparations are coming on fine and we got the cards from the printers last week. Later today, I am going with S and S’ mum to give the first card to the temple. Then I need to send a bunch to my parents and the rest need to  be posted to people here and sent via email to others.

Have a great week folks!!

 

 

Secondary 1 Week 38 Update

Posted on by
Reply

This was week 1 of the last term of the school year, which is the shortest of all terms.

Yesterday was also their Hindi year-end exam, the one exam which gives me palpitations each time. As usual, BB will not pass (I swear, I will throw a party the year BB finally passes this exam!). GG said it was one paper was quite difficult, but the other one was ok, so hopefully she has done not too badly here.

This week was also the week when GG & BB turned 13! Sometime in the middle of the week, we suddenly decided to let them invite a few friends for a small party. Both kept waffling on whom to invite and when and then suddenly on Friday, we nailed it to around 6 friends coming over later today. I’ll go to the cake shop and buy a cake and maybe some pastries and order pizzas for thr children as the party is more tea than dinner. Hope the children have a good time later today…

Next week will probably be a less full week and then the exam madness will hit us!

2016 Week 37 Update

Posted on by
Reply

This was holiday week for BB & GG, and the children were at home most of the week. Except for one day when both had school, either one of them was at home each day and so the week seemed to go by quite fast.

I’ve been having a very serious case of writers’ block for the past few weeks and am just not able to write any post. Every time I sit in front of the computer with a half-baked post in my head, I can’t seem to move beyond that. I really hope that this block goes away soon.

On the work front, I’ve given a couple of initial interviews but have not heard from them after that. One is a temp contract position in a big MNC and the other seems to be a permanent position in a local NGO. I’ve written to both of them, so let’s see what happens. I am seriously not happy with the way this job search is going on and this writers’ block, is to a very large extent, based on being continually rejected in my job search. My self-esteem is also quite low these days and I find myself self-talking myself down. I am not buying anything for myself, even for basics, I need to convince myself to buy. Luckily, I stocked up quite a bit of personal care products before my redundancy and so I am not so bad….

I need to get out of this funk and become more positive. If anyone reading this prays, please do for me….

Have a great week!

 

Secondary 1 Week 37 Update

Posted on by
Reply

This week was school holiday week, so nothing much to report here. In fact, even though it was school break, both had to go to school 3 times during the week – GG twice for supplementary lessons and once for CCA and BB once for supplementary lessons and twice for CCA activities.

They have their end of year Hindi exams next Saturday and I am super nervous about it, for both, but especially for BB. I do want him to pass this year, but will that happen? I really don’t know!! GG also has to do well as she needs to do well, not only overall, but also in each individual subject to be considered to be promoted to the better stream.

We didn’t do anything this week, though the week sped past us. Hopefully the next few weeks will go by just as fast and when the results come in, it will be good for both of them.

Happy Sunday folks!!

Secondary One Week 36 Update

Posted on by
Reply

Term 3 in this school year has come to an end. The children are on a week-long holiday and will go back to school on 13th September (after the Hari Raya Haji or Bakri Id) holiday and get into the business of finishing the school year with exams. Exams start around the end of the month and school ends in the end of October.

On the last day of the term, which in Singapore is celebrated as Teachers Day, both GG & BB, went to their primary school, along with other primary school friends for an alumni ‘Homecoming’ the school organised. GG had spent the better part of the week making Oreo Truffle chocolates. She made for all her primary school teachers plus some for her and BB’s secondary school form teachers. Hope it was well received by the teachers.

I also spoke to one of GG’s form teachers to ask her about GG’s chances to progress to the higher stream (the one that BB is in). The prognosis seems to be quite positive and according to the teacher, if the student does well in all her subjects, the teachers will discuss the promotion of the student to the stream and if the teachers agree that the student can cope with the vigour of the stream, they will let the student know, who in turn will speak to her parents and if all agree, the parents have to go down to the school to sign the appropriate documents.

GG wants this, so I am egging her on to do well in the end of year exams. I will leave the decision to her, but I want her to get the offer from the school as a validation of her efforts during the year.

Have a great Sunday folks!