2009: The year in review

Before the midnight mayhem strikes, here's wishing everyone a happy new year. As we enter into a new decade in just over a half hour's time, I'd like to give a quick review of the business in the year 2009.

Unlike last year, we operated solely as a tuition agency during this 2009. Matching students and tutors has its conveniences and also its challenges, for example, finding a literature tutor to teach in Boon Lay. Also, as many tutors can attest, we are one of the few tuition agencies in Singapore who personally interview our tutors individually before commencing tuition assignments. This ensures that the quality of tutors we assign is not compromised and this is a standard we are proud of achieving.

Our mission is to be the leading provider of quality education by fulfilling the tutoring needs of every student. We hope to increase the size of our team in 2010 so that we can reach a broader audience. Thus 2010 will see us developing and building on the hard works of 2009 as we work toward our vision of achieving quality education for all.

Cheers.

Disney animated movies

The classics that many of us grew up watching. An ode to Disney animated movies. Uncalled for I know, but take it with a pinch of salt.

♫ Nobody oughta be, all alone on Christmas ♫

Here's wishing every one a happy and blessed Christmas. Treasure every moment with family and loved ones.



All Alone on Christmas, Darlene Love

The cold wind is blowin' and the streets are getting dark
I'm writing you a letter and I don't know where to start
The bells will be ringing Saint John the Divine
I get a little lonely every year around this time

The music plays all night in Little Italy
The lights will be going up on old Rockefella's tree
People window shopping on Fifth Avenue
All I want for Christmas is you

(Tell me) I've got to know
Where do lonely hearts go
Because nobody ought to be all alone on Christmas

Things are different since you've been here last
Childhood dreaming is a thing of the past
Maybe you can bring us some hope this year
Visions of sugar plums have disappeared

Do you remember sleigh riding in the snow
And dancing all night to "Baby, Please Come Home"
Today's celebration is bittersweet
There's mothers and children in the street

(Tell me) I've got to know
Where do lonely hearts go
Because nobody ought to be all alone on Christmas

I'm all grown up but I'm the same you'll see
I'm writing this letter 'cause I still believe
Dear Santa I've been good this year
Can't you stay a little while with me right here

(Tell me) I've got to know
Where do lonely hearts go
Because nobody ought to be all alone on Christmas

Season's greetings to every one. Party hard. Play hard. But drink responsibly.

Somebody Should Have Taught Him

I went to a birthday party
but I remember what you said.
You told me not to drink at all,
so I had a Sprite instead.
I felt proud of myself,
the way you said I would,
that I didn't chose to drink and drive,
though some friends said I should.
I knew I made a healthy choice and
your advice to me was right
as the party finally ended
and the kids drove out of sight.
I got into my own car,
sure to get home in one piece,
never knowing what was coming,
something I expected least.
Now I'm lying on the pavement.
I can hear the policeman say,
"The kid that caused this wreck was drunk."
His voice seems far away.
My own blood is all around me,
as I try hard not to cry.
I can hear the paramedic say,
"This girl is going to die."
I'm sure the guy had no idea,
while he was flying high,
because he chose to drink and drive
that I would have to die.
So why do people do it,
knowing that it ruins lives?
But now the pain is cutting me
like a hundred stabbing knives.
Tell my sister not to be afraid,
Tell Daddy to be brave,
and when I go to heaven to
put "Daddy's Girl" on my grave.
Someone should have taught him
that it's wrong to drink and drive.
Maybe if his mom and dad had,
I'd still be alive.
My breath is getting shorter,
I'm getting really scared.
These are my final moments,
and I'm so unprepared.
I wish that you could hold me, Mom,
as I lie here and die.
I wish that I could say
I love you and good-bye.

Retold by Jane Watkins

Winners don't quit. Quitters don't win.

As a tribute to athletes participating in the SEA games this December, we salute the perseverance and determination of people who never gave up.

1. Michael Jordan did not make it to his high school basketball team, but he practiced for 3 hours every day until he became the world's best basketball player.

2. Albert Einstein had childhood speech impediment, and he failed his university entrance exam into the Swiss Federal Polytechnical School (Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule or ETH). He passed the math and science sections of the entrance exam, but failed the rest (history, languages, geography, etc.)

3. Lance Armstrong was diagnosed with testicular cancer, which metastasized to his brain and his lungs in 1996, not only did he battle caner, he recovered to win the Tour de France a record-breaking 7 consecutive years from 1999 to 2005.

4. Terry Fox lost his right leg to osteosarcoma, a type of cancer that attacks the knee. Yet, he still found strength to run the Marathon of Hope (cross-Canada run), at a pace of 42km a day. He never completed it because his cancer had spread to his lungs. But after 143 days of running, he had covered 5,373km. His courage and determination helped raise $24.17 million for cancer research - thus achieving his goal of raising one dollar for every single Canadian for cancer research.

5. Thomas Edison was labelled as "stupid" and "unteachable" by his school teacher in his early childhood and his parents had to pull him out of school. He also spent his teenage years working and being fired from various jobs. Despite these setbacks, Edison became one of the greatest inventors of all time, and obtained 1,093 patents throughout his career.

6. As a young man, Walt Disney was fired from the Kansas City Star Newspaper because he was thought to have lacked creativity. He then created his own company called Laugh-O-Gram Films which nearly went broke. Classic films like Mickey Mouse, The Three Little Pigs and Pinocchio were even rejected. But 16 years of persuading Pamela Travers to turn her novel Mary Poppins into a film paid off and finally gave Disney his big break.