Almost There... Where?

Wow.

As I sat and listened to the final mix of A Promise is a Promise, it suddenly REALLY hit me - I'm almost done!

After gathering songs I've written over the last decade, polishing them up, practicing, arranging, recording, re-recording, adding, subtracting, re-recording..., wrestling with mixing, ideas of better arrangements, wishing I could have played/sung it better, wishing I'd written easier songs.... mixing, mixing, mixing... and now we're here - on the brink of musical completion.

I will NEVER look at music in the same way again.

And tonight, as I write this - we're just 1 week away from sending all the music to the printer to press and print the CDs.

The album artwork is 95% finished, my Thank Yous written, rewritten, and waiting to be rewritten again tonight and tmw.

I may not end up with a perfect product, but I sure as heck am trying my best to give my most perfect effort.

There's still so much to be done... that I almost feel like I can't just sit here and be happy that we're pretty much done with production.

I still have yet to plan how to launch, promote and sell my album - I'm completely independent... so that means - lots of work to hard sell my own product. I'm considering placing some stock at Gramaphone...

What other ways do local artists in Singapore have to push their music to a mostly nonchalant public? I don't have the advertising power of Lady Gaga, (and neither the image to cause that kind of hoo haa to generate interest), I don't really wanna go table to table at each venue I play at trying to peddle my wares.

Yes, thus is the plight of the local indie artist.

Anyway, those are thoughts for another day.

For now I am just going to sit here and listen to my final raw mixes and be happy that I've actually made it THIS far.

I've a long way to go still..., but I won't discount the fact that I've also come a long way. :)

Sing a song about faith....

I want to tell you about a song I recorded today.

I wrote this song a little more than a year ago.
It's called "A Promise is a Promise".

At the time that I wrote it, I wrote my excitement and fears about leaving Bangkok to move back home to Singapore.
The words spoke of a promise that was to be claimed - a strength that could be grasped in times of fear and doubt.

Last week, as I practised this song in preparation for today's studio recording, I realised how much more apt it was for my current circumstances.

Please don't think I am complaining.
I am not.
I am simply stating this:
It is insanely difficult struggling to make a living as a musician/singer in Singapore.
Why?
There are so many factors that I could site.
But I'd rather not get into that....
Just suffice to say that this is possibly the one trade you can be fantastically good at but still, hardly anyone will pay for your services/product.


ANYWAY....

Given these tough circumstances, and set it beside the fact that SINGAPORE IS AN EXPENSIVE PLACE TO LIVE IN...., and what do you get?
STRESS.


The point is - music is my full-time job.
I'm not in it for the money.
Never was.
I'm in it because I love music so much.
And somewhere along the way..., the industry, the lack of support, the brutal truth of reality - started to eat away at my faith in myself.
"If I'm really good at what I do, why aren't I succeeding?"

BUT.
Back to the song...

As I practised - sitting in my room, plucking at the guitar strings, legs crossed sitting on my bed - just like when I started out learning to play the guitar.. sitting on my bed at night, plucking and singing...,
I realised - the song isn't so much about a promise as it is about FAITH.

The focus isn't about the promise to be claimed at the end.
It's about how DIFFICULT faith can be during times of trouble.
How even when you don't FEEL like you're worth it..., that you're good enough, that you DESERVE the beautiful promise..., that you can STILL hold on to that sliver of hope and KEEP THE FAITH.

"Hold on.
Hold on.
Hold on to His promises...
they're true."

** "A Promise is a Promise" will be released online (only) as a Single before my album release. Stay tuned for more details as they come.

Time Changes Everything

Today is the first day of a new month.
The month the tally of my age moves 1 digit higher.

****

I've started taking in more private voice students.
Some of the younger singers, the teenagers in particular, remind me of where I came from - the shy, scared teenager I used to be. So afraid to show the world her need to sing.

I've come a long long way.
And sometimes I feel that all I have to show for it... is only what's inside of me.


10 years after winning The Big Break, some might say - I'm still looking for that big break.
Being an aspiring musician/singer-songwriter in Singapore is just NOT easy.
Recognition is hard to come by, opportunities are fleeting (and more often about who you know, than what you do), garnering support is like squeezing water from a rock.

But where I stand right now - despite it looking quite similar to where I stood 10 years ago, is a lot different.
In a decade, I've lived through a whole lot of personal experiences.
Some have left me wiser.
Some have left me more cynical.
Some have taught me when to care, and when not to care.

At the end of the day though, I still wish to be making music with the same passion and love that I started out with.
It's a conscience choice - because working in this industry in THIS country... can often take away that passion and leave you with that distinctly bitter taste in your mouth.


To all the young, aspiring singers in Singapore, I have this to say to you:
Never forget WHY you sing.
No matter what people say, no matter who favours you (or not), no matter if you don't get paid well, or that people look at you and see a CD player....
Keep singing.
Keep improving.
Because....
Remember your worth.
You ARE an artist.
You ARE valuable.
Don't ever let anyone treat you otherwise.

Outgrown...

I know - TWO blog posts in a week?

~~~

I should be sleeping.
But instead I'm thinking.
Not for any reason in particular.
The thoughts just sort of float and hover as I potter about my room.
And yet there they are - thoughts.

~~~

One thought in particular crystallized in my mind's eye:
We outgrow.
- clothes
- feelings
- tastes
- situations
- places
- people

See, I was browsing through a listing of TV series, and stumbled across "Buffy the Vampire Slayer".... and thought to myself -
'Gee, I used to LOVE this series!
Owned a couple of box set DVDs...
and hmmm... ended up selling them.....
and would I watch them again?
Actually, no.'

It's not just my TV-watching preferences that have changed.
I don't read the same books I used to when I was a teenager - I can hardly stomach those all-too cheesy romance novels these days. They're too full of fluff and fancy.

Growing up, I used to pick the "chang" (chopped spring onions) from my food.
Living in Thailand found me asking for extra spring onions!

When I was a kid, I'd order my cheeseburger without pickles.
Now I'd love it if there are extra!


In the (almost) year since I've been back in Singapore, I've come to realize that I've outgrown certain friendships.

BTW, I must make a note here - it's important you understand that my use of the word "outgrown" has no negative connotations - simply that things change.
And in this instance, I've realized that my preferences in TV, food, and books aren't the only ones that have changed over the years - my preferences for certain kind of friendships over others too, have changed.

~~~

On a side-note, I think I outgrew Bangkok.
And that is why I felt that it was time to move back to Singapore.
Not that one is better than the other.
Simply that for this period of time, this is what FITS.

The tides of life are ever-changing.
We must change with them.
We cannot fight change - we must see that there are different things and places and people that fit different periods of our lives....


OK. With that very "zen" thought..., I bid you all goodnight!

Now and Then

Recently I've been pondering how society exalts "couplehood".

Don't get me wrong - I'm no hater. I think it's wonderful to be in love.
But so many people just cannot stand being alone.
And so many people pity friends who are still single. Especially the older they get.
As if they have some kind of personality disorder if they're still single.

I beg to differ.
I think it takes strength of character to stay single and true to oneself, and not "settle" for anything less than what is right for you.
If more of us had this mentality of "not settling" and being happy as an a single individual, we would easily solve many of our relationship problems, and have less unhappy separations.

Yes, the single person does experience bouts of intense loneliness.
But honestly, even people in relationships can feel lonely. It's human nature to feel alone... even when we're with the people we love.

So with these thoughts in mind...., I wrote this song.

Now and Then

Now and then
I get a little bit lonely
and I must admit that I'm
usually good at being alone.

But just sometimes
I feel a little bit silly
thinking about the space
that is like a gaping hole.

But don't feel too bad for me
I'm not broken.
'Cuz some hearts are joyful still
standing alone.
I might cry a tear or two
every now and then...
But life is still beautiful
even if you're alone.

No I won't lie
and say I wouldn't want someone
to fill up my lonely nights
and some lonely afternoons too.

I'm not one to spend my life just pining
dwelling on coulda beens
or shoulda, or woulda, maybes

So don't feel too bad for me
I'm not broken.
'Cuz some hearts are joyful still
standing alone.
I might cry a tear or two
every now and then...
But life is still beautiful
even if you're alone.

Listen to it here:
http://www.reverbnation.com/play_now/song_8244229
(Video to come soon...)


Now and Then by Shimona Kee is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
Based on a work at networkedblogs.com.
Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available at http://www.shimonakee.com/contact/.

2011 UPDATE!

Hi everyone,

Sorry for the lapse in updates!
So here's a short 2011 update on what's going on with my music...

First of all, I'm starting work on my debut full-length album.
Everything's still in the beginning stages right now, so I can't offer many details... but watch this space.

Secondly, "Christmas Lights" CDs are no longer for sale.... until end of the year.
There are only a limited number of CDs left. So I will start selling them later on as a limited edition CD. (Because they are LIMITED!)
But if you really want, you can still buy it the mp3s from www.shimona.bandcamp.com.
Oh and by the way, if you bought "Christmas Lights" and wish the CD came with track notes and lyrics, stay tuned - I'll be adding a page to my website which will feature the album notes.... akan datang (soon) !

Lastly, I'm taking in more voice students! So if you're interested in taking private voice masterclasses, do drop me an email - info@shimonakee.com.
I'll be starting to teach Private Voice to a select few at United World College SEA, and Replugged Music (both of these school and I are still in the scheduling stages) as well. Please note that my style of voice lessons focuses on both stylistics as well as basic fundamental vocal techniques that are often based on my classical voice training - I tailor lessons to the individual.

OK boys and girls... CNY is coming up. So enjoy the festivities, treasure your loved ones, and eat till you're prosperous!!
恭喜发财!!
Love,
~Shimona.

PS: I'll leave you with some of my songs from my the 1st night of my Originals Only concert at the Esplanade Concourse: CLICK HERE TO WATCH.

For the Love of the Art

Almost 2 weeks ago, an article was published in the Straits Times, Life! section - front page - about how there are too many live music venues in Singapore, and not enough good quality musicians.

Before even reading the article, I wondered to myself - where are Singaporeans GOING to listen to music???
In my opinion, upon returning to Singapore after 6 years abroad, 2 of which were in Bangkok, the quality of music here has improved and is increasingly encouraging to the fledgling musician.

So I tried to put my immediate doubts aside and read the article as unbiasedly as possible.
Several valid points were brought to my attention.

Musicians: More venues are hiring musicians and offering live music to attract customers.
As a gigging musician looking for work, this is definitely not something to complain about - as in ANY job market, the availability of jobs helps create more demand. It may seem that the supply of good musicians is small..., but c'mon Singapore, give human beings time to learn and grow! We spend years and years studying in schools to receive paper creditations and appropriate skills for jobs... but more often than not, the gigging musician is in it for the love of music and performing. Not because they have a pHd in Gigging. So giving musicians time and support to improve is vital.
But also, musicians - hey! it's time to work harder and try to improve in more areas musically... don't grow complacent just because one audience likes 5 of your songs. haha... Take pride in your skill - try to offer more, don't let a bit of criticism or the occasional setback demoralize you too much. Instead, let it be a stepping stone to further achievement and success! :)


Audiences: Your energy and feedback helps musicians in their performances!
How many of you love to sing at KTV lounges? Fun?
Well, imagine that your friends ask you to get up there and sing - you pick your favourite most best-loved number - the one you've practised singing in the shower a million times, and know you can belt with full confidence. You muster up your confidence and get up to sing... and realize - the microphone is not on. Oh wait, yes it is - just that the volume is at +1. You ask them to turn the volume up - but the waitress says, sorry - the table next to you thinks you're too loud. So they turned you down.

OK, nevermind - you can sing louder.
So you do.
You can barely hear your voice coming out of the sound system...
And as you sing, you notice your friends are not listening - they're just talking to each other.
In fact, they're talking in increasingly loud tones because someone is blending a mojito in the bar, and they can't hear each other over the sound of the blender.
Their voices drown out your own hardly-miked up voice. Hmmmm...

The song ends, you give your best ending note with gusto and wait for applause..... except none comes. What? Were you singing out of tune? Was the microphone still too soft? Arghh.... you NEVER want to sing in front of people again!!!

Well, let's just say - this is often somewhat of a similar scenario to the gigging musician - there are so many factors that audiences are not aware of.

The times when musicians perform better are when: the audience is actually looking at them, feedback (ie. applause at the end of a song), song requests, smiles, etc. -- stage performers feed off the energy of people in the audience. Just go to ANY rock concert and you'll see that.
You can help the morale and even quality of the stage performer by being kind and respectful of what's going on on stage. :)


Venues: Hire with wisdom, compensate honorably, treat us respectfully.
One thing mentioned in said article was that song repertoires are often too repetitive or narrow in genre. To this, I can only say: You get what you pay for.
What motivates people to work harder at their jobs?
Compensation.

What happens if, at your job, your boss starts to demand more of you - maybe they send you for workshops or trainings, or say that if you hit a certain target, you will get a bonus or maybe even a promotion.
Question is: Do these incentives exist in the gigging circles?
I mean, don't full-time musicians deserve the same sort of incentives and motivation?
If a repertoire needs to be expanded, this means more research and learning time, rehearsal time, and effort! Will a musician want to learn 100 more songs for a venue if there is no motivation?

Don't get me wrong - many musicians DO keep learning new songs and improving their techniques, etc. But this is NOT always because we are getting paid more. We do it because we LOVE our jobs. We do it for the love of music and for professional integrity.... or even cuz we're bored of our own songs. Yeah, please stop requesting Hotel California, Love Me, and Britney Spears songs... PLEASE!!! :p


Support: Instead of saying "oh the music scene in Singapore is sad and lacks support", what can ANY ONE PERSON do to help?
Honestly, this is SO much easier to answer than you'd think.

• Appreciate what we've got. Stop comparing us to the bigwigs in the American entertainment industry - oh please, like I wouldn't be a Lady GaGa too if I had millions of dollars pumped into publicity, audio engineering, wardrobe, etc.
  
• Learn to actually listen. Yes, I know - you went to the restaurant for DINNER, not for a concert of some unknown Singaporean singer.... but hey, listen every now and then. Smile, and it could perk up some tired performer's entire gig!
• Support local music. This sounds kinda vague, but it's really not: Free concert? Try to make time out of your super-busy work schedule to go to at least one per year. Free downloads, facebook pages, check them out - c'mon, you know you peruse the websites of plenty an overseas artiste, why not our own?? Share them with your friends - YES, there is PLENTY of good local original music. And spanning many different genres too!
  Heard of a local artist who's launched an album? Give the artist a chance - buy the album - it's someone's livelihood, and most artistes here are independent and could use ALL the help they can get!
  
• Be kind & tolerant. Like I said earlier - everyone's gotta start somewhere. Many gigging musicians learn and grow a LOT musically over the years they gig. They often start out raw and scratchy, but a decade later, are all over the papers and radio. Next time you hear an out-of-tune note, just smile and give the person a chance - they're probably still in Gigging Kindergarten, so to speak. :)
• Requests originals!! We know, we know - we know you LOVE us to cover your favourite song by that popular American/UK band... but show us your love & support by asking us to play an original instead - many or rather MOST musicians I know are creative muses and have plenty of lovely original music, just waiting to be appreciated. Who knows, you might be the first to hear an original song by an artist whose concert ticket might one day cost you a good $200! One good example - a friend of mine once mentioned that she in New York years ago, and wanted to catch a free concert of some unknown singer... but missed it due to a change in schedule. Guess who the singer turned out to be? Alicia Keys. (Of course the free concert was back when Alicia Keys was just... yes, a PUB singer.) Heh.
  

So... forgive me for airing my humble opinions and quite possibly sounding a tad more than frustrated when an article on the front page of the national newspaper cites that musicians here are not of standard and (most) do not work hard. I can't understand where this is coming from! And worse, I feel that the general public will further misunderstand the nature of a musician's job! :'(

Many musicians I know, as well as myself, will of course keep making music, keep striving for improvement..., regardless of the hours, lack of applause, little improvement of pay, and much misunderstanding from the general public.

Why?
I'm not exactly sure.
The job is a LOT harder than many people realize - even those closest to us (not in the same field). All we can do is continue striving for our art, and encouraging each other.

Maybe music is a balm for the soul that is its own answer....


(Here are pics of the article.. sorry, quality not so good):

Full Circle

Well, I've waited long enough to make this decision final and official - I'm moving back home to Singapore! :)

I'd say that there is a long list of reasons for me making this decision, but I'm going to just share the 2 most important ones with you:

1. Family. I've been away for long enough.
2. Music. This will be my 2nd "real" foray into music. But this time, I have fresh ideas, fresh perspectives, and (hopefully) my music and songwriting has developed & matured over the 6 years I was away from music as a profession.

To make a long story short...
The decision process:
I've always been very instinct-based/Spirit-led, and when I started to dream of Sg (and I'm not normally the type to get homesick) for no supposed reason, I started to wonder what was up.
So I kept my eyes and ears open for the "little signs" that God usually litters along the way - and sure enough, home was abeckonin'.

The time is right. It's now or never.

So come late June, I'll be back in Sg and raring to....
Though I'm surely going to miss friends here in Bangkok, and even the city itself (despite the political turmoil, this is still kinda my 2nd home).... it's going to be good to be with family and friends in Singapore again.

Tonight's Bible Study - Mark 8:27-9:1

My notes/response/ponderings... about what the passage teaches us about Christ's identity and thus our spiritual walk with God:

1. Who is God?
2. What is He doing in my life / my world?
3. What does He ask me to do in response (to 1 and 2)?

And.... conversely...
1. What illusions do I hold about who God is?
2. What illusions do I hold about how He works in my life / this world?
3. Am I imposing my own ideas on what I think God is asking me to do, instead of simply obeying what He tells me to do?

Do I struggle and rebuke God when things don't go according to how I think they should go because I think I know how God should work?.... (Like Peter), and what is God teaching me about His character and HIS work - in relation to why I am here on earth?

The Call (Original)

The song that was born out of the crying mess God made of me this morning - when He planted the seed of sorrow for this world in me... and the burden to speak out against the silence - of the work that MUST be done.

The Call

Today I heard a man
He spoke of people suffering
Of little girls that fell prey to evil deeds of men.
I heard in lengthy details
And how the words pierced through my soul
I wept in silent agony, while my heart cried out, oh Lord!

What are we wasting our time on?
God, You’re calling us now
To be Your voice in this world
Your hands and Your feet as well
How can we sit so silently?
When the time to work is right now
Lord have mercy on us all
Open our ears to Your Call

I went home still shaken
By the message I had heard
Wanting to help in any way
But not quite knowing how.
Then I had to do my laundry
And those bills –they have to be paid!
I’ve so much already on my plate
I forgot what I had heard

What are we doing every day?
Living our comfortable lives
What about the urgency?
The workers are so few.
How can we quickly just forget
The vision God placed on our hearts
We should see the world with Kingdom eyes
And love Your children as You do

BR:
Heal our eyes that we might see
Heal our ears that we might hear
Our hearts must understand
The Call to serve You...

What are we wasting our time on?
God, you’re calling us now
To be Your voice in this world
Your hands and your feet as well
How can we sit so silently?
When the time to work is right now
Lord have mercy on us all
Open our ears to Your Call

We are your hands
We are your feet
We are Your servants
Lord send us!

~S. Written 0811209.

It's beginning to feel a lot like...

... winter! YAY!

2 days ago, it started getting a LOT cooler here in Bangkok.
So cool, I haven't turned my A/C on in more than 24 hours!
In fact, I woke this morning feeling chilled, and couldn't simply reach for the A/C remote and turn the A/C off.... had to close the windows. Heh.


So here we are in November, and just an inch away from 2010.
How time does fly.

School is getting to the point where everyone is crazybusy.
Teachers and staff look a tad insane because all our wonderful activities are crushed into the small time-bracket left for 2009.

Things have really changed at my school. What positive changes they have been too.
Everyone is learning a whole lot, and our school is definitely progressing in an upwards fashion.



On a personal note, the last few weeks have been... overloaded.
To the point where I succumbed to a cold virus for the first time in years. Eargh.
Forgot how sucky it is to be sick. Hahhahaa...

Anyway, I'm rushing off to work in just a bit, but wanted to blog a few glimpses I've had this last week:

In reflecting about what is life, and -- if I had just 4 minutes left on this earth, what I would say...

LIFE

It's not about...
money
health
beauty
conveniences
possession
having people you love physically with you
relationships with family and friends
feeling like you FIT
being happy
or satisfied with life
and especially not SELF...

For all is meaningless... a chasing after the wind.


RATHER,
it's ALL about
getting to know WHO GOD IS

EVERYTHING experienced in this life
is for the sole purpose of learning about WHO GOD IS
and letting His Character teach and seep into
your OWN life...
your work
your relationships
your activities
your mental/emotional state...
such that it is merely an overflow
of WHO GOD IS.

In fact,
one lifetime is possibly not enough!
That is how immense GOD is!

And so - the meaning of life..,
is wrapped around the Heart of God.
For without Him,
ALL is meaningless.
But FOR GOD,
ALL has meaning.
Even death itself.

Back in the swing of things...

I guess it's been a while since I've written - really written about what's going on in my life.
Maybe cuz there's been so much!

I'll start with the "lighter" stuff before getting deeper.

Last night I played for a charity gig - the August Bangkok Tweetup organized by In Search of Sanuk. It went swimmingly! Admittedly, it was a little challenging - being a one-woman band playing for such a noisy crowd. But I knew they were having a great time and couldn't help the noise level. Hope I didn't come across to pissy asking them to shut up hahahahahahaa... It's just - unless you have been a solo performer, it's really hard to explain how frustrating it can be (and challenging) singing to a crowd that is too busy shouting at each other than listening.
(tho I know there were some avid listeners, and I was very very thankful for that!)

Anyway, 2 weeks before the gig, I came up with an idea - to make a "Fan Card" to give to people at my shows - just to publicize my music. Yes, it's time to get serious about my music - I did say I'm getting serious now!

So I approached my good friend Deanna cuz she does great designs.

Here's the finished creations (modelled by my gals).


Charmaine, Chervie, Deanna.



Fiona and Laura.



Simply Shimona! ;)


You can read her blog post on the process by which Deanna designed my cards. (I chose 3 designs for print, in the end)

It's been a while since I've posted pics up.... so here are some from last night:


Dolled up for the gig, and ready to go!





Mini-MC Reunion!??!





Look at this MC Alumni crowd! It was awesome! (I didn't even get a proper shot with all the MC alumni in.... too bad.)






Serenading the hot night away....






****

Work this year is different.
I have a completely different role, new challenges, and a new approach to work: it is not my work - it is God's.

I finally came to the realization that I'm not here simply because this is what I like to do, but because it is what I have been called by God to do.
It's very easy to separate spiritual matters from work... but why... really?
Every minute that I live, I am called to live for God.
What I do at work, and how I do my job is no different.
So now I'm learning to let God teach me what I need to do at work... and also to go to Him for advise. Instead of leaning on my faulty human intellect/emotions.

****

Friends/Family/Community

This aspect of my life has been a very interest facet. Well, ok... obviously, it always is - but I've been thinking and praying about it all lot more lately.

The people we interact with - whether it's the family that God chose for us to be born in, or the friends that we make... are put together for a purpose - the purpose of refinement and workign towards spiritual maturity.

One thing I noticed, pre-dominantly in the female friends I have... is that we go through SO much of the same struggles.
Relationships are tough.
Whether they be platonic friendships or more intimate relationships, or familial ones.
We human beings are so prone to muck up everything because of our own selfish desires... and just lose sight of the bigger picture altogether.

Then we have to most important relationship of all - the one that we are so lucky to be able to have - the one with our Creator.

Weighing all the time I spend contemplating my human relationships, how much time do I spend pursuing my relationship with God?

Food for thought..... ;)

****

There's so much more... but I've gotten lazy to write. hahahahaha...
So I'm just gonna post some more pics of my activities over the last few weeks.





This is what I look like driving to work every morning. The glasses are to stop the dust from getting in my eyes. Why ELSE would I wear pink glasses??? :p


The chaos that IS my Counseling Room every lunch hour. (It doesn't LOOK too chaotic, but trust me - you can't HEAR what it's really like!)



Staff "Field Trip" - on the way to a fab Mexican Buffet.




Enjoying the fantastic food... Mmm....




Teachers at work - Staff Training session. (We work hard and play hard!)



I FINALLY got to see the fountain outside the park near my house in action. :)



Dinner with Charz and Ben (not pictured) at our newly dubbed favourite restaurant!



Fooling around with a guard's cap. SSSssshhhh!!




Cute earrings! :p




My flooded soi - the day I wore my gum boots to school (Friday) and STILL got my feet wet.

My grandma's in the hospital....

:(



Please pray for her.

A Lamp to my Feet and a Light to My Path

How sweet the wisdom of Your words.
What peace Your understanding brings.
How great Your mercies...
... My lips can find no words.

of joy
of grace.



Gentleness....
As I stood shouting at the noisy students in my classroom, I was quietly chastised.

Handle them gently.
Just as I do you.

Yes, there are times for tough love.
But there are also times for gentleness and patience.



I delight in Your Word.
Bless us all with Your sweet grace and discernment.
Oh Lord, I pray for Your blessings.
More, we cry... more!

And then....
Who will go?
Send me!!!

HUNGRY????

I see SOMEONE has just been to my blog.

Fair warning about this blog...

Why Blogging is Sometimes Better...

Over the few years that I've kept a blog, I often find myself trying to explain to people - why put everything out there for all to see?

Hmmm... it's hard to explain.
There are really quite a lot of reasons to do so.

• Air your opinion
• and hope someone is listening
• Share experiences
• Get my thoughts out
• Show off (!!!)
• Keep in touch
• Be cool

hahahahaa...

well, now that I have quite a long blogroll of pretty close friends who update their blogs pretty often too, I've found a new reason to continue blogging (and to read others' blogs):

Find out what lies beneath the surface.


Oftentimes, people somehow feel more "free" to tell what they think through blogs.
Haven't you noticed?

But in person, we often "shell-up"... and I like this kind of intimacy that reading my friends' blogs brings. That I can get to know... really get to know someone I've known mostly on the surface.
I read about friends' struggles,
their everyday thoughts,
the occasional (or more often) triumphs,
their ideas on life,
how they see the world around us.
and for those in different countries - what the rest of the world is like.


And I often hope that they will return me this curiosity - to want to get to know my inner thoughts better... to understand who Shimona is a little more than just the image of who I present to the world.


So I guess.... though face-to-face interaction is usually what we seek, blogging, and sharing our intimate journeys in life, can be a great form of communication and getting to know someone.


Ya? ;)

"Thank you for teaching me"

Since I left Singapore before the Teachers' Day celebrations last year, this is my first time celebrating Teachers' Day as a teacher!

It was a small affair at my school.
We didn't get a holiday, and there were no big celebrations.
Just 20 mins, in the morning before classes started, dedicated to Teachers' Day.


Our kids lined up in front of us, and presented their teachers with flower garlands (Thai style).

Here's how the garlands look like:


Love Flowers



Jasmine



Roses








They're made of jasmine, roses, and some kind of flower apparently called love flower (I think).
The jasmine is SO fragrant!
Love it!


After receiving the garland from a representative from our class, the student would say something like "thank you for teaching me", and bow his/her head.
Following the Thai teachers' examples, I "blessed" the child by touching his/her head and saying something nice.


After the initial celebrations, I took 5 minutes of some class time to get the whole class to come one by one to give hugs... just cuz hugs are great like that - both parties benefit! That way I also got to "bless" them individually.


I also started thinking about all the teachers that have taught me in the past.
Wish I could say a big thank you to them.
Now that I'm a teacher too... I really appreciate all that they did for me.
So.... in case any of my teachers happen by my blog....
THANK YOU FOR TEACHING ME!






Overall, this has been a good week - just how I ordered it! ;)

Inspire Me and Let Me Inspire You...

I've been working on my Purposeful Teaching blog a bit more lately.

While talking to some friends over the last week, I came to realize how many little gems of wisdom God has blessed me with - as I teach my kids, I learn things about teaching.

There are so many little systems I use in my classroom that keeps classroom management smooth, and little ideas that I run with and try out... I just want to share as many of the things that work for me as I can.

I know each classroom is different, each teacher's personality and style, each student's background and issues... so probably not everything that works for me will work for you.
However, I also know what it's like to be inspired by other peoples' ideas.
I often take what they do, modify, and make it my own.


It's also so important to me to keep getting fresh ideas because that's what keeps us, teachers, motivated! Don't talk about motivating the kids until you motivate the teacher! ;)


So please... if you haven't already, visit my teaching blog.
Read, comment, rate, feedback... tell me what works, what doesn't.
Oh, and please click "follow" or subscribe for the latest updates ya?

"Those who can't, teach!"

I BEG TO DIFFER!

My colleagues and I reckon that:

Those who have the patience, teach.
Those who don't, do.

Seriously.

All who teach and get what I'm talking about, say AMEN!
(And tick the box just below this post that says "Made me - THINK")