i am too bored. i dunno how i can be that, and at the same time stressed and tired. i'm bored of being stressed and tired? i'm stressed with being bored? no no... i'm not making sense, even to myself.

there's some interim upgrading polling-cum-residents' night thing going on at the street soccer court under my block. and the noise! it sounds like it's transported right into my living room man. anyway, in an effort to convey the message of multiraciality, they have traditional songs alternatingly wailed in chinese, malay and tamil. of course, plus the one kid who decided to sing the Da Chang Jin song in mandarin, which was then promptly screamed through the night by an enthusiastic girl/boy (at tt age they sound alike). korean, japanese, taiwanese, we look pretty much the same anyway. besides, the girl's only 7. i know; she announced it to the neighbourhood when she took to the stage. it's remarkable, the speakers-in-your-livingro om effect.

ah, today was sports day at my school, and i was the all-important linesman. my duty basically constituted preventing my student helpers from killing each other (and the competitors). yes, the thought that counts and all. but really! when the poor 4x400m runners wheezed past, they'd call out, all concerned. "are you tired? are you breathless?" and in an admirable attempt to level the playing field, they'd inform the leading runner "if you drop the baton, it'll be all over, you know." at my murderous glare, they proclaimed it to be "just the truth!" till i bared my teeth and roared a little. i would have conked them soundly on the head but for fear of parental complaints. on the other hand, i suppose they managed to spur some runners on, (oh bad smell here, this) while another (a girl of course) mustered enough breath to hiss ssshut up.

and then the inevitable staff race. a really odd 6x100m which i partook of, with various other fit and runny types from PE and a sch photographer n oh the VP on my team. we, the glamourous GeneralOffice(i mean, really)/Art/PE/IT team was pitted against the alumni, the math, eng/humans and what-nots, and the parents-support-group. it was quite cute actually. the kids went "jane's mum! jia you!" and oh, surprise! we won! even i was duly congratulated on my excellent performance over the gruelling distance of 50m (some confusion over the markings). the VP reflected on how alone he felt all the way up front, and how he didn't know if he ought to wait for the rest to arrive. ah well, it's this prolonged contact with too many kids; it does something to you. as miss choo used to say: three cheers for teachers! hiphiphip, hooray!