It’s the last day of 2013 and what an extraordinary year it has been for us. I am immensely happy I got reacquainted with Wallace. We have been friends since we were 19 years old in NS. We kept in touch over the years but were never in the same city after we ORD. Wallace[…]
We often sing the song “Auld Lang Syne” at the New Year’s countdown show when the clock strikes twelve. Why?Even Billy Crystal asked Meg Ryan in the movie “When Harry Met Sally.” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RpW1lccxogQ “Auld Lang Syne” is a Scots poem set to the tune of a traditional folk song. The song’s title may be translated[…]
This question is quite interesting. How many ways are there to solve it? “When Kok Hwa’s age was twice Bala’s age, Mike’s age was 30. When Mike’s age was twice Kok Hwa’s age, Bala’s age was 21. Given that Mike was the oldest among the three persons, find Bala’s age when Mike was 62 years[…]
We often see this floral display during the Christmas season. Do you know what they are called? They are called poinsettia. (pronounced POIN- ser- dear) \pȯin-ˈse-tē-ə, ÷pȯint-, ÷-ˈse-tə\ In Mexico, it is known as “La Flor de Noche Buena”, which translates into the “Christmas Eve Flower.” How did it become associated with the festival? In[…]
Happy Dongzhi (Winter Solstice) Festival! Have you eaten your 湯圓? Do you know why it is called 冬至? If you understand Chinese, the words literally mean “the arrival of winter.” Why do we eat 湯圓? The balls of glutinous rice represents reunion. When I was a kid, I remembered having both sweet and salty 湯圓.[…]
Some of you may be disappointed with your PSLE results or the school that you have been assigned to. Here’s a true story that may inspire you. I have a friend who did very badly in her PSLE . She got into “Normal” stream and needed to fulfill five years, instead of four years of[…]
Dear friends, We have decided to start classes for Primary School children. We saw your comments and learned what you want and don’t want. Parents don’t want a cram school for their kids. What children need now is a place where they can have fun, start enjoying what they learn and still improve their grades.[…]
It is important to get your child to love reading. Reading comes with many merits: it improves the kid’s language ability and make him/her more knowledgeable. The list goes on. Here are a few ways to get him to love reading. 1. Pop Culture / Popular books Is your child interested in the Harry Potter[…]
Some students complain about how difficult the Chinese language is. I think the beauty of the language overshadows all reasons why one shouldn’t learn Mandarin. Here’s a good example. This is an English poem. You say that you love rain, but you open your umbrella when it rains. You say that you love the sun,[…]
How do you pronounce vehicle? a) vee-hikl b) VEE-IKL The answer is (B) vee-ikl. Although there’s an H in vehicle, we do not pronounce it.