So how am I liking the iPad? Well, allow me to share with you the whole unpacking process first:

Sitting unsuspectingly in the box…

And the iPad is unveiled!

Unwrapping the contents of the box…

Aaaaand here it is!

My initial thoughts after playing with it for 10 minutes? I’m glad I didn’t get the iPhone. Even on the iPad with its much bigger screen, I had difficulty typing. Imagine me texting constantly on the iPhone with those itty bitty buttons. I would’ve yelled at the screen countless times. Nonetheless, the interface was stunning and I was really liking the mobility it provided me.

I started downloading apps next (but of course). It was quite exciting finally being able to access these apps that many iPhone users around me have been raving about. But I later realised that many did not appeal to my interest. So I started deleting them one by one, and focused on apps for Social Networking (Flipboard, TweetDeck, TumbLiking), reading (Marvel, iBooks), and other online media and sites that I usually indulge in (BBC News, Vanity Fair, eBay, IMDB). I did also find some games of interest, and started playing around with those too. I then realised I was simply going to use iPad as a more mobile option for days where I don’t need the power of a desktop for work, or when I don’t need to work out of home. In fact, I’m also most likely never going to blog from my iPad, what with my inability to type fast enough on the touchscreen (I’m typing this on my iMac right now).

A couple of days later, my mum asked if she could use the iPad, so I got her to play Sudoku on it. She was engaged for 3 solid hours and only stopped cos we needed to have dinner. I then taught her how to work around the interface and she’s almost working it like a pro now. See, that’s what I love about Macs. They’re just so darn easy and intuitive that any one can use it without major problems (Inside joke moment: Alas, Dia, I’m sure cats still won’t know how to work it. Heheh.) So I may use the iPad mostly for entertainment, and if I had to choose between this and my MacBook, I’d pick the MacBook without hesitation. But the accessibility it gives me is undeniable, and I can’t wait to find new ways to incorporate it into my life.

Allow me to admit right now – I don’t know why I need an iPad. I just know that I want one, and I want it BAD.

And see, that’s the thing. I believe the iPad wasn’t created to fill a need that the tech industry overlooked (to an extent, I believe many of us think of it as a glorified tablet). It was developed so it can give us an additional layer of convenience that people would appreciate, but can also do without. It was developed so we can get information on the go, and not have to squint our eyes while we’re at it. It was developed so we can surf the web easily while lazing in bed, cos seriously, don’t we all want to do that? But will our lives be greatly hampered without such convenience? Certainly not. Slate wrote a great article about this, which I encourage you to read, especially if you’re considering getting one yourself.

With the device finally launching in Singy this Friday (23 July), I now face the dilemma of deciding exactly how much I am willing to spend on the iPad, and if I really should get one at all. At S$728 for 16GB (no 3G), it’s hardly spare change. And if I get one with 3G, that’s gonna set me back another S$200 more. And is the 16GB even enough for the kind of user that I am? Am I gonna kick myself when I see the improvements Apple will make to the 2nd generation?

So as a quasi-technophile who has a love for pretty things, I decided to draw up a list of uses. Bear with me here, especially if you don’t care for the iPad, but if you know me personally, please read on and tell me if I have a case.

1. Surfing
I’m more than happy with my iMac and MacBook, and I’ve more than often snuggled in bed with my MacBook. Unfortunately, it is cumbersome and I’d have to sit in a certain way, which isn’t all too comfortable after awhile. With the iPad weighing in at under 1kg, I can easily take it everywhere around the house (and outside too), and tweet, view recipes, share content with others.

2. Reading
As much as I love reading (whenver time permits, at least), I really don’t have room to store any more books, what with all the DVDs and CDs I already have. With eBooks, I do feel that I can still indulge in this pleasure and not have to worry about storage space. Then there’s all the international magazines/publications in the world I can subscribe to, without having to fork out ridiculous amounts for shipping. Besides, have you seen the Marvel app? SO GORGEOUS.

3. Games
I don’t play a whole lot of games as it is, but because the games developed for the iPad/iPhone are so intuitive and made for me, the casual gamer, it’ll provide me with endless hours of fun. Something that’s extremely welcomed after my daily 10-hour grind at work.

As you can see, I’d be using the iPad purely for entertainment. I did consider mentioning that I’ll be using it for work too, for when I show my classes all the fancy FrontPage presentations and what not, but I figured I probably won’t be using that feature as often when I really get down to it.

So now that you know my main uses for the iPad, should I even get one? If I do, should I get it with 3G or without? Will 16GB be enough? Help?

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Edit: THIS. This pretty much gives me another reason to get an iPad.

Because, clearly, I don’t already tweet enough.

I love stationery. Journals, folders, sticky notes, pens, pencils… you name it. And if you’re not already familiar with them, Knock Knock is filled with fun stationery, and if you need stuff to organise your life, well – they have them too! Here are some of my favourite products:

This Week Paper Mouse Pad

Money Receiptables

So Much To Do List Pad

Stuff/Docs/Bills File Folders

Utility Task Clips

Won’t you embrace the Knock Knock love with me?

Tomorrow’s Hump Day. (No, not that kinda hump, you perv!) And it’s slowly becoming one of my favourite days of the week. Mostly because it marks a nice, gradual descend into the end of the week. So yes, the partying usually starts on Wednesday. In the mind, at least. But what I love about this whole epiphany is that it’s helping me to take things slow, and breathe a lot easier.

Previously, I would aim to have as much foresight as possible, and plan way, way ahead. Then the real work started rolling in, and I realised how tough it was to stay afloat, what with all the weight I was carrying. Then amid all the hope of work/life balance, I saw that as much as I loved the kids, I really needed to care for myself first, before I could care for them. So, out went the crazy shit, and in came this little thing called PERSPECTIVE. I knew I had to abandon my ideals and accept that I’d never be like a Hilary Swank in Freedom Writers, or Michelle Pfeiffer in Dangerous Minds, because I was supposed to be the teacher that God wants me to be. And from there, it dawned on me that I was also supposed to be the daughter, cousin, friend that God has shaped me for. This was the perspective that I really needed. Especially with what’s happening with my family.

I’ve never blogged anything personal about my family mostly because I want it to remain private, and because I was afraid it would worsen situations should anyone stumble upon it. And I intend for it to remain that way. But I will say this: in spite of everything, I’m so glad I am as close as I am to my extended family. And I really want to thank God that we all share the same faith and values. Without which, I’m sure things would have been more crazy/out of control.

So even though I (crazily) prayed for more trials this week, I know that I’ll be able to get through it all cos God is faithful. More than I can ever imagine.

With my job, I don’t exactly get much time to relax on a daily basis. And because my job requires a high level of mental alertness, I’m usually quite drained by the time I get home. So I’m mostly unable to do anything else after 6pm. Occasionally, I’d arrange to meet up with friends, or go for dinner with colleagues. Most of the time, I just want to go home and do nothing. Nothing significant, at least.

Then the weekend approaches and I’ll have all these little things to do that can seem overwhelming at times; mostly because I’ve completely exhausted my weekly capacity by then to do anything that is even remotely challenging. Then I’d have all this guilt inside of me, wondering why I can’t even put aside a few hours each week to get these things done. And I’d hate myself for having all these feelings.

At this point, everything becomes emotional. I’d read an article about a girl meeting a celeb, and I’d want to cry. I’d read about a person buying her dream home, and I’d want to break down. Yes, it all seems a bit much, especially when you click on those links and see exactly what those two were about, then you’d probably wonder why I’m such a sook. I can’t explain it myself, but it’s like I can feel the emotions that these people are going through, and I’m just so happy for them y’know?

Yes, I don’t even know what I’m talking about.

I guess it’s just one of those days, huh?

Perhaps they’ve got an inheritance, or perhaps they’re excellent savers. No matter, I think spending that kind of money on a whole bunch of luxury bags is pretty darn insane. Besides, unless you’re constantly being photographed, don’t you just need ONE good bag? I mean, I know I’d want to carry mine around all the time.

Out of curiosity, I started wondering how much I would actually spend if I could buy all the luxury items that I want (as of right now, anyway). Here’s the breakdown:

Hermès Dogon Wallet: £1,000
Ferragamo Varina Ballet Shoe: £259
Mulberry Oversized Alexa: £795
Burberry Prorsum Knotted Suede Trench Coat: £2,145
GRAND TOTAL: £4,799

Huh. That’s not too bad, isn’t it? I didn’t even hit 5 figures.

Don’t you hurry to get me these beauties now.

Don’t get me wrong, we’ve not grown apart. I’m just no longer a big part of this life that they are now forging. And y’know what? It hurts. It hurts that I can’t be there to offer help during times of crisis, or share in their joy when they (finally) announce that they’re expecting or even something simple like offering my opinion when they’re choosing a piece of furniture. I just really want to be there for them. But I can’t.

I’m still grappling with the fact that they’re so far away now and we can only meet up as often as we’re able to travel to each other’s cities. And y’know, just as I hate not being there for their big moments, I also hate that they can’t be here to share mine. (Dia & Nessa, you girls had better stay local!)

The new semester begins tomorrow. It’s back to the routine of waking up before 6am & spending about 10 hours at work each day. Explain to me again why I’m not feeling excited?

We spent my first night here watching State of Origin, a simple pleasure I’ve missed so greatly ever since I went back to Singy. It’s always more fun watching sports with friends & unfortunately, I’ve never managed to find anyone else in Singy who shared a passion/interest in Rugby League. Over the last few years, as I cheered for Queensland by my lonesome self at home, I’ve longed umpteen times to be transported to Brissie so I can watch it with my dear friends. Even if it was just for that one evening. So finally being able to watch the game live, with all these folks, was a moment I couldn’t help but relish.

The next day, it was just a whole day of shopping & getting myself reacquainted with the city, in particular Queen Street Mall. It was SO comforting to see everything right where I remembered them to be (except a few new shops here and there). Walking down the street, I kept wondering why I’m not living in Brissie already. Then I realised that while I could go on and gush about how much I love the lifestyle & culture, I was also unwilling to let go of everyone back in Singy. It was a wretched feeling.

This evening, we had a good steak at Breakfast Creek Hotel, which incidentally is not a hotel by the way. Apparently, many pubs/restaurants here called Something Something Hotel are not actual hotels, while the real ones (e.g. Hilton, Sheraton) all don’t have “hotel” in their names. Go figure. Anyway, tomorrow, we’re heading out for lunch at West End. I’m sorta feeling rather touristy at the moment as I’ve never been there & the girls are specially arranging a trip there for me. Heh. :p

I can’t believe I’ve only got about 4 more days here. Yes, one week is too short, but I’m glad I’m able to spend whatever time I have with my girls. I wouldn’t trade it for the world.

Hello everyone. Yes, I’m back. And judging from the time that I’m posting this entry, you can imagine how early I slept when I got home yesterday. 8:30pm to be exact. I can safely say the jet lag is no longer an issue.

So after Prague (and yes, Dia – it was a detour to Prague but it was because we wanted to show the students the difference in development after WWII) we headed straight to Berlin, the main attraction of our trip. It was completely surreal seeing the remains of the Berlin Wall, walking through the Brandenburg Gate, going into the Reichstag, crossing Checkpoint Charlie, and visiting Humboldt University, where I felt completely mocked as I walked past the portraits of all their Nobel Laureate Winners (including one Albert Einstein). We also visited a few rather notorious sites, including Hitler’s burial grounds which is now a car park, and the hotel where Michael Jackson (RIP) dangled his kid from the balcony. And as though all that wasn’t already enough, the city also “gifted” us with a naked woman, who walked calmly through the park beside the Berliner Dom and Altes Museum and right past our bus. Naturally, everyone (especially the boys) was very excited and stole as many pictures as their fingers could click.

We visited a couple of museums where we could experience the life of Berliners during the GDR at the DDR Museum, and the Jewish Museum. The DDR Museum was extremely charming and interactive, and the Jewish Museum was particularly interesting. I was quite upset that we couldn’t spend more time wandering around. I would’ve loved to learn more about the life of Jews in Berlin, and how they overcame the challenges faced due to the War. There was also a special exhibition about the Jewish Dimension of Comic Art, which I knew Nessa & Dia would approve of and appreciate. From Berlin, we also went down to Potsdam (where we drove past a former KGB prison!) and dropped by Sanssouci Park and the Cecilienhof Palace, where the Potsdam Conference was held.

We had a couple of very good guides in Berlin. I’m a real sucker for Brit humour and two of the Walking Tour guides that we had (Barnaby and Nigel from Insider Tours) were extremely engaging and witty. The students were very enamoured by them and we always found them rushing to stay in front of the pack and close to the guides, rather than their usual habit of trailing behind. It kinda got me thinking that personality really counts when one’s trying to teach. I just hope I have enough of it.

I definitely need to go back to Berlin (and Germany). There was just not enough time for me to see everything in detail and enjoy the full offerings of the sights. And now that I have greater knowledge of the history of the country, I feel that I’ll be able to appreciate its culture and beauty even more.

Pictures coming soon!

Anyway, we’re in Prague now, after a night’s stay in Dresden. Just to get everyone up to speed, we’ve visited the Dachau Concentration Camp, the BMW Museum, the Nuremberg Documentation Centre, and did a walking tour of Dresden. All in all, we’ve had a pretty damn good time.

Being someone who has no personal experience with any of the World Wars (or any war for that matter, thank God!) I honestly didn’t think I’d be affected by the visit to the Dachau Concentration Camp. But right after walking through the gates and looking at that cold, barren courtyard, I was overwhelmed. Overwhelmed with grief. Overwhelmed with sympathy. Overwhelmed with inner cries of injustice. I simply could not fathom how mankind was able to allow such atrocity to happen. Were people that consumed by hatred? Hatred that, from all angles, didn’t seem justifiable at all?

After experiencing something as chilling as the Concentration Camp, we were brought to the BMW museum where we learnt about the history of BMW and saw many proud moments being exhibited in the museum. The students had a lot of fun roaming around the clinical-looking museum and ogling the cars on display. I personally think they were just happy to get away from us and do something non-WWII related.

Day 3. We headed to Nuremberg and Dresden after we left Munich. Nuremberg was a great learning experience for us all as we visited the Nuremberg Documentation Centre, saw the site of the Nazi Party Rally Grounds, and learnt more about the Nuremberg trials. At this point, allow me to say that I love my students. I was extremely heartened to see them having as much fun as they did learning about this important piece of history, even though it wasn’t exactly a relaxed day. Travelling from Munich to Dresden via Nuremberg was slightly demanding as we were on the road A LOT. All of us were really impressed with their tenacity and lack of complaints.

Day 4. Today. We finally got a more relaxed (and not to mention, touristy) schedule as we took a walking tour of Dresden (which is super gorgeous by the way!) and found some time to shop at the local mall, before heading to Prague, but also not without stopping at another local mall (this time, in Prague) before dinner. So yes, that meant a whole lot of retail therapy for all of us. :p Me? I’m most happy that I’m back in Prague. Gorgeous, gorgeous, Prague. Can’t wait to go on the walking tour tomorrow.

So that’s it for me for now. We’ll be heading out to Berlin tomorrow afternoon and I’m praying that we’ll continue to have perfect weather and the students will continue to be wonderful. Will post again soon!