#99 Hope

All hope seems lost when a loved one passes away. However, we should realise that God has a plan for everything, though we may not be able to fathom it. What is for sure is that God will give us the courage and determination to see through the rest of our time on earth without that person. We miss you Pastor Sally.

#98 Mandarin

You have to admire the sheer variety of words Mandarin has. I especially love the idiomatic expressions it has. Incredibly poetic and creative. Most commonly used? 一个风和日丽的早上。。。

#97 Golf

I never thought I'd say this, but golf is rather interesting. It really does take a lot of skill and hand-eye coordination to hit a small ball so accurately. Hit a 9-iron about 100 yards, so looking to improve on that.

#96 Educational apps

While I am normally reticent to try new technology too fast, my iPhone has helped bring some tech into my classroom. Apps like Arithmetic motivate them to train their multiplication tables, LightMeter measures the amount of light passing through materials, Decibel measures their voice level - the list goes on. Most of them are free, but I don't mind paying S$1.28 to upgrade their learning if they deserve it!

#95 DVD rental

With a baby now, we don't have time to watch movies anymore. In any case, spending $30 to eat popcorn in a freezing cinema filled with plot whisperers, giggly prepubescents and potato chip crunchers just doesn't cut it. So, unless it's a must-watch, and we are watching with people for the sake of sharing the experience, I'd rather wait for the DVDs to arrive. We got a $23 deal for 10 DVDs from HollywoodClicks.com, and might continue with them if it makes sense. They mail them to you, and you mail them back when you're done. Easy.

#94 Porridge

It's one of the simplest ideas: a cacophony of food, watered down with rice and water in (almost) equal measures - Teochew porridge. Jasmine's comfort food!

#93 Initiative

Once again, a pupil surprises me. Having observed we were out of BluTack, Shervon took the initiative to get some for our class. Ain't that sweet?

#92 Teacher's Day

And it all becomes worth it, when genuine, sincere, uncommercialised remonstrations of gratitude pour themselves from the crudely-held pens of my charges, and in their best handwriting to boot. Sure, some got help, but it pays to know that all you do makes a difference, even in the most apparently stubborn, hard-headed one. I was one; I'd know.

#91 Too many books!

It is indeed a pleasure to own books. Sure, I may not finish them in my lifetime, at the rate I'm procuring them, but I can always bequeath them to the next generation. There's still something quaint in this technology-driven age about curling up with a good book.

#90 Animals

Aaron = horse
Jasmine = cow
Sarah = rabbit
All = pigs

And we have a lamb, dog and penguin too. Have we mentioned the poodle and the octopi?

#89 Punggol Waterway

Sometimes, I take for granted that I live beside something that is the envy of Singaporeans elsewhere. A gorgeous manmade canal winds its way through my neighbourhood, bringing life wherever it goes. Just such a great place to take a leisurely stroll with a pram, with great views night and day. And when I get a little complacent about where I live, God shows me this. Wow.

#88 Baby dedications

Nothing more noble than dedicating your child to God.

#87 Starbucks offers

Starbucks remains one of the more generous and outreaching organisations. They give free beverages in return for donations, and give free samples of new drinks. The increased customer engagement and improved customer perception is priceless in return for a negligible proportion of costs and lost income. Companies need to learn to do this: Lighten up, loosen up, and be prepared to spend a little to invest in customer loyalty that can go a long way. Look, they even won over a CBTL die-hard like me.