My Answers to Your Questions

Helloo... I can't sleep! So I'm just going to answer the rest of your questions which I did not get to address in the short video last weekend.

Here are the answers to some more of your questions. (If I did not answer your question that you sent in via comment, email or tweet... please don't feel that I'm ignoring you. It's probably because the answer requires a whole blog post to answer).

QN:  Talk about how you handled difficult/rebellious children back when you were a teacher. I am a beginning teacher and I am going nuts =( Everything that I have learnt in NIE just does not prepare me for what I am experiencing now.

HJ: Well, damn right. All I remember about my year at NIE are the awfully long commutes from Pasir Ris to Boon Lay.... and getting told off MANY times in the NIE canteen by this prude of a woman lecturer because I dressed un-teacher-like.... 

The actual "learning" of how to teach and manage a class comes from on the job experience. Throw those theories out the window and find your own footing. I've always found that making my lessons fun and engaging makes the class behave better (Loads of planning and work though!) . Don't be disheartened if the first few times u spend a shit load of time planning a great lesson and the class does not appreciate it. Tweak tweak tweak... u'll hit the right spot.. eventually. And it does get easier with experience.

When handling a particularly difficult class, consult their form teacher, or teachers who have been with the class longer than you have. They can give you valuable tips and suggestions as to how you should handle them. But even then... I still struggled with some of the difficult classes, especially the ones that I didn't have much time with (for instance.. just stepping into a normal tech class once a week to teach civics and moral education. JUST SHOOT ME, PLEASE)

If it's your own form class, then believe in them. Give them pep talks. Stick up for them. Majority of them will appreciate it. This of course does not happen in a day. Will take a month or so. I love every one of my form classes throughout my 3 years in Changkat Changi Sec. It's a bond.

QN: Education system in Singapore past and present. difference and your honest views on how you would cope next time if u have your kids.. Would u let them have education here or other places?

HJ: Oh yes, it's different. From the time I was a kid till the time I became a teacher... it's changed so much. I have to say though that people keep bashing our education system.. but actually, it has changed for the better. I can only talk about Secondary School though. I never taught in Primary school... but from what I hear... the PSLE is a ridiculous riddle of an exam???

If I raise my kid here or overseas, no problem. I don't fret it. I will still give my child a great fun childhood... for my child to excel it does not mean he needs to have his nose in a book 24-7.  I hope I won't be sucked into the kiasu parent pit. I don't think I will be... that was not how I was raised.

QN: Have you ever regretted breaking up with an ex?

HJ: Never regretted any break ups because in retrospect none of them were right for me. The only one regret I have was how I was like with Mark... I think I was a demanding brat of a girlfriend with him (not in terms of money or material stuff.. but in terms of his attention). Because of that, after time, I kind of wore him down. After our split, we got back together... I had changed for the better (I really did) but he was no longer the same person, in fact he became an awful boyfriend to me. He was a very good man but I think I broke him. I wonder what his life is like now, we are no longer in contact. I don't regret our break up, because now I think wow 20 year age gap, wtf Holly Jean! 

QN: How are you feeling now as you will be soon becoming someone's wife?

HJ: Every day I feel differently. Some days I forget that I'll soon be married. Some days I get excited waiting for the 26th of January to arrive. Other days I fret about wedding things that still have not been settled yet (MY GUESTLIST IS A MESS). But mostly.. I feel pretty normal. Ask me again a week before the wedding.

QN: Do you have any cancerian ex-boyfriend? What's your experience with them? I just had a bad experience with one who totally shattered my heart....

Print and mail to him

HJ: No, I think.. don't have.... But don't shy away from all Cancerians because of him... it's not people's birth dates or horoscopes which make them assholes. 

QN: A collection any of your previous covers/spreads/shoots? how about a "HJ through the years" special?

HJ: Oooh great idea. Will be fun. I go dig out my old pics and mags. Show you in a blog post next week I hope ! :)

QN: If a guy cheated, how to know if he is worth a 2nd chance? Esp when he still wants to keep in contact with the girl he cheated on as friends?

HJ: I'm very very afraid of my other half cheating because I don't think I can look beyond it and give him a second shot. Good thing is that I trust him, and he's a great bf/fiance so I don't have to worry so much. Yet sometimes when I am free.. I do think - Would I forgive cheating? - And even though I do love him so so much... at this point, I'd have to say, no. Fuck off. (BUT FIRST LET ME MAKE YOUR LIFE A LIVING HELL)

But that's just me. I am sure there are people out there who cheat and regret and learn their lesson, never to repeat their mistake again. But if your guy cheated... and you're giving him a second chance, I would say a down right NO to staying friends with that other girl. (Though I can betcha he will be 'friends' with her behind your back anyway). The choice is yours.

QN: How abt the perks & downside of being a blogger? How does a blogger even report your taxes or cpf to the authorities?

HJ: Downside- hmm... irregularity? Like some weeks super busy, other weeks bored shitless. People don't think you do any work or worse still... people assume you can't get a proper job. Perks- well... free stuff? But I turn lots of free stuff down because I don't like the product or I know I won't have the time to review and write about it. I don't just take take take and paste the press release on my blog... like some bloggers do. Best perk is having a fun and flexible lifestyle.

You declare your income like a regular person does.. by keying in a number in the slot in the online tax form. Don't expect being a blogger to be like hitting JACKPOT, you will have to work very hard for your money, and in the beginning if you don't have any influence or any following, you have to work on building that up first before anyone will pay you.  Though if you earn below a certain amount, you don't need to pay taxes lah. Bloggers have no CPF, obviously because we have no employers. You can put in $$ every month into your CPF if you want, but that comes solely out of your pocket.

QN: Tell us about your fiance

HJ: David is Scottish and he is 12 years older. Some time in June last year, I met him at Chijmes while we were out for dinner with (diff groups of) friends. We exchanged numbers. Soon, we had our first date where he wore a FULL OF STRIPES Paul Smith shirt... ( I don't like those shirts!). Wasn't an earth shattering first date to say the least. I was seeing a host of other people at the time as well.

Second date, I agreed to because I thought he was a very nice guy. It went much better... it was a movie (the Green Hornet) at NEXX, he bent over to pick up something he dropped (ok ok, it was a cigarette butt... but he's quitting smoking now), well anyway, I looked at him, with a hint of his little white Calvins peeking out as he bent over.. and I thought ... wow nice ass. LOL I remember this moment to this day! I think it was the turning point for me. 

Funny things in my head need to click before I realise that hey... there may be something special here (Don't write him off because you hated his stripey shirt!). And by the third date ... we were falling in love.

QN:  What made you leave teaching?

HJ: I love being in the classroom and actually teaching. But on the whole, with the mad early hours, bullshit targets, admin, meetings, committees, CCAs, Parents, Camps, events, holiday limitations (as in I can only take leave in june and december). The job was sucking the life out of me. To me, no amount of money is worth that.