[Life] style, snap and WIN

I'm so happy these days. Although I said goodbye to all the kids, my life has been great! =D I'm going to start work soon (like TOMORROW!? =S think I'll miss my super loooooong 'holiday'). AND the best thing that happened this month (other than getting a job) was that I won a competition! Yes! FIRST PRIZE! Being a mediocre student during my school time, I'd never won any competition (individually) before. And now, I actually won! I'm so LUCKY! =D Now, I can get Samsung S4, the dress from Forever New, the cardigan from Dip Drops, the accessories from Diva, the heels from Topshop, the fashion magazines from Kinokuniya, the cosmetics from Etude House, etc.......The list goes on and on and on... But $800 can't buy that much,right? o.O Anyway, I'm still very happy and like what my mum said, I must think carefully before spending using the vouchers =D

You must be wondering what kind of competition, right? Style, Snap & Win? o.O Haha.. It's not related to what I studied for sure=x It's actually a design competition by Tampines 1, whereby you're given a template to design clothes for paper doll. The details can be found here. I took out all my scrapbooking and d.i.y. materials i.e. from stickers to chain to beads to charm, to fill in the template and used nail polish to paint since I have no color pencils =x

The template::

Here are my designs::

Not sure why the organizer chose to display the 'golden dinner'. Personally, I like the 'carousel trip' ('coz I like the ballerina feel in the shoes la =x). Guess I need to work harder in designing! Fashion design course, wait for me~~ 

P/s:: I chanced upon one of the winner's FB page and her friends gave some negative comments on my designs. Although it's quite a blow (who won't be discouraged by negative comments, right? =.=) when I first read it, I think I should stay happy and not affected by others' comments since I can't control what others think and say, right? =) And I'm more worried excited over my first day of work, or perhaps how to dress nicely to work every single day =x

[Life] So I said goodbye

Warning:: A very lengthy post

I taught in the music school that I'd been working for almost 3 years for the last time last weekend. Wait. Should be the weekend before last weekend.. Too long never update my blog =x

It's hard to bid farewell to the kids as I'd been teaching most of them for more than 2 years. I guess I put in much more effort than I would've imagined and really enjoyed teaching the kids, seeing them grow (I sound old here =/) and having fun with them every weekend. The thought of seeing them for the last time (hmm... maybe not the last time 'coz I might bump into them in the future, right?) made me feel soooo sad... Like you meet someone every week and then, suddenly, you know you're not going to be in contact with him/her anymore.

You might wonder why I said I'm not going to be in contact with the kids? As a teacher in music school, you're not supposed to exchange contact details with any of your students and their parents,  let alone keeping contact with them. It's stated in the contract and I don't know any music school in Singapore which does not include this clause in their contracts with the teachers. This is to protect the schools from losing students due to capable and caring teachers like me. It makes sense if you think from an investor's perspective, but it doesn't if you think as an educator. From my perspective, to keep in contact with the students doesn't mean that the teachers want to teach the kids privately i.e. 'snatch' the students from the schools, but to give moral support to the students when they are still attempting to get use to their new teachers' teaching styles and to provide assistance if needed. After all, even with the clause, it still much depends on the teachers' integrity if they would offer or accept parents' request to teach the kids privately (and secretly) after they leave the schools.

All these lead me to think that if I plan to start a business in this industry, I will definitely plan with students' and teachers' interest in mind (not just about making $$ from the students, or worse, from the teachers). Of course, I'm not saying that I would just allow my teachers to go away with students enrolled to the schools but to build the school with good facilities, develop reliable program and hire well qualified staff so that both parents and students will trust the schools fully (including believing that the school will not recruit teachers who aren't well prepared for the lessons, or worse, teachers who teach the kids wrongly). On the other hand, provide proper training and sufficient welfare to groom the teachers are equally important. After all, I do not have to keep worrying about this issue if the turnover rate is low, right?

Well, a thought is just a thought until I really make it happens (Money, when will you come to me =x).

Looking on the bright side, I have my weekends back!! No more working on weekends!! HAPPY TO THE MAX =D ** Please understand that I'd been working in almost every weekend for close to 3 years! Meaning that I'd not been shopping, watching movie, meeting friends, enjoying myself during weekend for almost 3 years! Oh my, I feel so zen... =x  Now, I can plan what I want to do during weekends =D

AND!! I must say THANK YOU to all the kids who brought me gifts! I really appreciate your thoughtfulness =D

THANK YOU VERY MUCH <3