The Mentor =)

2012-02-07T13:57:00.001+08:00

Our youngest student........ :)

2012-01-20T13:07:00.000+08:00

Please be informed that TM will be closed from the 22nd to the 24th of January for the Lunar New Year holiday.

Here's wishing one and all, a Happy Lunar New Year and may the good fortune be with you all. Gong Xi Fa Cai.

2012-01-09T18:19:00.002+08:00

The O levels results have just been released. Congratulations to those who have done well, especially to James. He has done exceptionally well with 5 points for his L1R5.

We at TM are proud of you.

2011-12-23T13:17:00.002+08:00

Please be informed that The Mentor will be closed for the Christmas holiday from the 24th to the 26th December 2011.

Here's wishing one and all a Merry, Merry Christmas! Happy holidays! :)

2011-12-20T13:16:00.001+08:00

Sorry guys, something is wrong with this site. I tried to post some pictures of our outing to Haw Par Villa but the pictures fail to be uploaded. :(

2011-11-08T12:39:00.003+08:00

Well, it has been sometime since this blog was updated. Sorry about that but times are really hard now.

Since the end of October, the O levels students have left. Also, a few students of other levels have decided to leave The Mentor temporarily. But please bear in mind that once they choose to leave, whether temporary or not, The Mentor will never take them back.

The Mentor will not fall just like that. I have been distributing pamphlets with the help of Nick and Eric, and hopefully, we will get to see new students soon. Taking the opportunity, I would like to thank the boys for their help, sacrificing their precious weekends. :)

Till the next update, good luck to the O levels students and to everyone, continue to support The Mentor.

Happy Holidays.

Nic.

2011-10-24T15:03:00.001+08:00

Please be informed that The Mentor will be closed on the 26th October for the Deepavali holiday. Sorry for any inconvenience caused.

2011-10-02T15:44:00.002+08:00

Please be informed that we have shifted the change in address. The new unit of operation of The Mentor is #04-14 at the same building.

Thank you for the unwavering support.

Also, to those who have helped in the shifting, I would like to express my utmost gratitude to each of you. No words can describe my appreciation for what you have done. Without you help, The Mentor would never be around today.

Do anticipate exciting changes coming your way and please continue to support us.

Thank you. =)

2011-08-28T13:28:00.002+08:00

Please be informed that TM will be closed for the Hari Raya holiday on the 30th August.

Here's wishing all Muslim students, parents and friends a Selamat Hari Raya Adilfitri. Happy Holidays to the rest.

Condolence

2011-08-17T12:57:00.003+08:00

"I am saddened to inform one and all about the demise of Mr. Seow Hung Lye, the beloved father of Roland Seow.

Mr. Seow has been an unwavering supporter and concerned parent who actively showed interest in his son's progress and TM's well-being.

I hereby send my deepest condolence to Roland and his family on this most unfortunate loss. Be strong and if I can help in any way, please approach me.

Rest in peace Mr. Seow and have a smooth journey." :(

Warmest and deepest condolence

Nicholas.

2011-08-02T13:47:00.001+08:00

Unfair and dirty competition!!!

There has been a new tuition centre at the first floor and I am so "pissed-off" with their underhanded method of poaching students.

The 2 ladies stopped a few of my p5s yesterday and tried to find out if they were from TM. They obviously wanted to entice them to join their centre instead.

Tsk tsk.... too bad, those 2 ladies not only failed in their scheme, but at the same time alerted me to how unscrupulous their tactics are.

With characters like this, they have already given me the upperhand.

Thanks ABC for tarnishing yourself.

Sorry

2011-07-26T13:27:00.001+08:00

Due to the lack of interest and manpower, this blog will be temporary (and possibly permanently closed.)

2011-07-25T19:15:00.001+08:00

A picture of our Sec 2 students having their Math/Science lesson on saturday :)

2011-07-22T18:04:00.003+08:00

Teachers slammed for mocking special needs student online

Four teachers who mocked a student with special needs online have been slammed for their comments, with some calling their actions "nasty" and "dispassionate".

One of them, who is employed as an allied educator (AED), had made fun of his Primary 5 male student with special needs in a Facebook posting dated 1 July.

It is understood that the male teacher and his colleagues teach at a mainstream boys' primary school. The role of an AED is to provide teaching and learning support in schools.

Their comments were brought to light after a parent whose son had been a classmate of the student discovered the posting earlier this month.

Describing herself as Mrs Lim, she told The New Paper that she came across the comments made by the teachers when she was looking through her son's Facebook account.

Her son, who is also in Primary 5, is friends on Facebook with some of his teachers. The teacher who owned the account had initially posted a harmless message, saying, "I survived the first week of work."

This was in reference to the start of the school's third term after the month-long June holidays. However, what followed was the message by the AED teacher who is alleged to have started mocking the student.

"I am so looking forward to the next few months. Anyone got contact for santizers?" he said.

The teacher then replied to his comment, saying that he will be needing "a load of that plus boxes of tissues" as well as "wet wipes" and a "mucus collector".

Another teacher then jumped in to comment, "You need extra large economy bottle? Can get from JB!"

It is believed that the three teachers who made the comments are also form teachers of various levels in the primary school. The AED's Facebook profile showed that he has been in that profession since September 2009.

Mrs Lim said she was shocked that the comments were made publicly, adding that her son was classmates with the special needs student for two years.

"It was obvious who the teachers were talking about. If my son or his friends had come across the comments, they too would have known that their own teachers were making fun of a student."

The housewife who is in her 30s added that her son told her the student drools occasionally and mucus flows from his nose because of his condition. He also has difficulty sitting still, so the AED has to take him out of class at times.

"Teachers are supposed to be inculcating values in our children, and here they are showing themselves to be doing the exact opposite," she added.

Others also joined in to criticise the teachers involved for their comments.

Senior counselor Harry Low said, "What these teachers did was inappropriate, nasty and dispassionate."

Principal of South View Primary School Jenny Yeo noted that teachers need to be careful when using social media, especially since students look to them as role models.

When contacted, the boy's father, who was trained as a psychologist and is actively involved in the school as a parent volunteer, said that he was "shocked" and "upset" by the incident.

He was only informed of the incident only on Thursday, when he received a call from the school. The father was also thankful to Mrs Lim for highlighting the incident.

The school principal told TNP that she was alerted to the incident on Thursday as well, and that the teachers involved have been "counselled".

She added that the school takes a serious view of this incident and will continue to emphasise to its staff the need to conduct themselves in a professional manner at all times.

'Taken from Yahoo! News'

2011-07-22T15:53:00.002+08:00

Hi The Mentor students,

The reason for the previous post is due to an incident that happened on The Mentor FB group chat a few days ago. I would like all of you to take note that when you're chatting, please be reminded to be polite and respect each other. If any of this incident take place again, I would not hesitate to remove your from the group. Thank you.

2011-07-21T19:24:00.000+08:00

Internet Etiquette
Internet etiquette means the way a person conducts himself or herself when on the internet also known as Netiquette. It is also called netiquette, combining network and etiquette.

Proper Internet Etiquette

Mind your language - It is very important to avoid usage of improper or bad language. You might be told to go off line immediately if you are using foul or abusive language. Flaming or verbal abuse should be avoided completely while interacting on the Internet. Though you may not agree to it, it is not correct to verbally abuse and disrespect the other person because of it. If you want to give your opinion about it, it should be done in a polite manner and not by insulting or harassing the other verbally. Indulging in flaming can only lead you to gain online enemies. Therefore, never be offensive, racist, biased, libellous or obscene on the Internet, be it via email or otherwise. Some jokes are just in bad taste and will not be appreciated.

Banned Capitals - While chatting with anyone, you should not shout. In internet jargon, shouting refers to writing in capital letters. Avoiding using capitals, as it can be considered as rude, is one of the basic internet etiquette tips.

Guarding Your Own - Anything which goes on the internet does not remain personal. Keeping your very personal information to you is preferable. Posting personal, very private information in wrong places can prove disastrous. Being extremely careful while posting personal information will avoid further problems and complications.

Internet etiquette is all about being respectful and courteous and using proper language. All the other things then fall in place.

2011-07-12T16:45:00.001+08:00

Hi ALL!!

A new member just joined the Mentor family! He is Benjamin, Sim Ee's younger brother! Benjamin is in the Sec1 group. The Mentor will be happy to welcome more students to join us! :) CHEERS EVERYONE!

2011-07-12T16:18:00.002+08:00

An epidemic of corpses in Singapore

In recent days, parts of this law-and-order city, whose murder rate ranks as low as Japan's, resembled scenes from the American TV series Crime Scene Investigation.

Against its staid nature, seven gruesome bodies have been found in various parts of the island since July 1, unrelated to each other — at a rate of one a day.

In fact, the grisly spate had begun earlier, from around mid-April when a decomposed body was found in a luggage bag at the casino resort of Sentosa.

A month later, an Indonesian maid's body was discovered submerged in a rooftop tank that supplies drinking water to nearly 200 residents at Woodlands. Her Bangladeshi boyfriend had been arrested.

Since then a total of 13 bodies have turned up, prompting shocked citizens to ask: "What has become of Singapore?"

Police investigators and pathologists — as well as sociologists — are working overtime to probe this epidemic of corpses. Most were believed to be murder or suicide victims.

Concern over two possible factors

Until a clear picture emerges, people are blaming it on the rapid intake of foreigners, as well as the presence of two casinos, or possibly both.

As a result, the second most densely-populated city in the world (next to Monaco) is now also poised to overtake Las Vegas as the second largest gaming destination as well.

These two factors have pushed economic growth sky-high but few ordinary citizens are celebrating.

Families are extremely concerned about the social impact they may bring — including crime, family stress and suicides.

"In fact, they may already have started to take a toll on society," said a housewife.

Several of the bodies had been found in surrounding waters or forested areas, a few having died or been killed some time ago.

Among the grotesque finds was the lower half of a decomposed female body which was discovered floating in the Bedok Reservoir, a source of drinking water for many Singaporeans.

So far, the phenomenon has not really dented Singapore's reputation as one of the world's safest cities, with an average of two murders a month.

This works out to 0.5 homicide per 100,000 people, a proportion close to Japan's and slightly ahead of Hong Kong's.

Relatively high suicide rate

But suicides here are another matter. Despite its prosperity, the republic ranked 43rd in the world in 2009 with 401 cases; that was before the casinos opened their doors.

At least half were non-Singaporeans, a few of them China mainlanders. In the latest case, a decomposed body was found near the National University of Singapore (NUS) on Wednesday.

Two days earlier, a couple taking a stroll along the Singapore River were shocked to see the corpse of a Chinese woman floating below the Helix Bridge.

Many Singaporeans are wondering if the 38,600-strong police force is adequate to cope with the population expansion — by 65 percent to five million since 1990.

Long overcrowded, the city state has undergone a tremendous transformation in almost every field.

Financially, people are generally richer, live better; most youths are better educated. But among the lower income earners, social problems and tales of poverty abound.

Number of homeless people increasing

As bodies were turning up, the state television reported that the Government was picking up the highest number of homeless individuals in the city in four years.

A total of 339 homeless individuals and 15 homeless families (totalling 50 people) were found last year — compared with 217 individuals and 17 families (comprising 82 people) in 2009.

Nearly one in every six households has more than US$1 million (RM3mil) in assets, making it the densest population of wealthy households in the world, according to the Boston Consulting Group.

But despite the high GDP growth, the lot of the other half is gloomier.

Widely-travelled business consultant Imran Ahmad likened it to "Singapore's long trip from Third World to First World and back to Third" in which serious crimes are getting more common.

The city before 2004 was less crime-prone, Imran noted. He named some recent social ills: floating corpses in drinking water tanks, a flabby (family) man dressed in wet underwear at Singapore Zoo, a woman threatening a train official after refusing to pay her son's fare — and so on.

Can changes still be made?

"It is impossible to turn the clock back. Nor does one wish to return to the past. However, Singaporeans must be conscious of society's direction," he warned.

Meanwhile, a Chinese-language tabloid reported that a man was arrested for attempting suicide at a flat — half an hour after another man had fallen to his death in the same block.

The public is showing a mixture of bafflement, anger and worry about these social ills.

"Floating bodies are found everywhere every other day," said a man who wished to be known as Swift Disaster.

"Our crime rate used to be among the lowest, with incidents like these (ones) very rare.

"Foreign workers (are now) robbing and killing each other and domestic maids, illegal prostitution is on the rise, our void decks are being terrorised, rubbish bins being scattered.

"Our children no longer feel safe in the streets of our home. Our aspiration of becoming a First World standard in everything is taking a toll on our lives.

"I hope it's still not too late for us to make changes where needed and bring back the beautiful Singaporean lifestyle. It (might not have been) perfect but it was beautiful."

2011-07-08T16:28:00.003+08:00

Decomposed body found near NUS

A DECOMPOSED body has been found in a forested area off Clementi Road - the second such incident within a week. Police said that they were alerted around 6pm yesterday, and are investigating. About 20 police officers combed the area, which is just opposite the National University of Singapore, before emerging with the remains in a white bag close to midnight. This comes after two land survey staff discovered a set of skeletal remains in the forest next to the Tanah Merah MRT Station last Saturday.

Body of woman found floating in Singapore River

THE body of a Chinese woman was found floating in the Singapore River under the Helix Bridge on Friday night. The woman was pronounced dead at the scene at about 11.50pm by paramedics, the police said. The police had received a call at about 11.20pm informing of a dead body found floating in the sea off Bayfront Avenue. Upon arrival, they found the body floating under the Helix Bridge. A spokesperson for the Singapore Civil Defence Force told citizen journalism site STOMP: 'Rescue personnel retrieved the body with a lifeline and buoy. The body was found 2m from the bank of the river.' 'The body was that of a female Chinese of approximately 40-50 years of age.' Police have classified the case as unnatural death and investigations are ongoing.

2011-07-08T15:25:00.004+08:00

Skeletal remains found in Tanah Merah forest

A SET of skeletal remains has been uncovered by two land survey staff in the forest next to the Tanah Merah MRT station.

The police were alerted to the discovery at about 3.15pm last Saturday. Officers found the remains of an unidentified person at a forested area along New Upper Changi Road, which is next to the MRT station.

The Straits Times understands that some items were found near the remains, including a blue haversack and cash.

According to Chinese daily Lianhe Wanbao, the skeleton was clad in a tattered black T-shirt.

An old mobile phone and some cash were also found nearby.

Indian foreign workers Pandi, 26, and Kumar, 32, who made the discovery, told the newspaper that it was difficult to tell if the deceased was male or female as the body had fully decomposed, leaving only the bones. A piece of rope was also found hanging on a tree branch about 4m away, according to the report.

Body retrieved from the sea near Vivo City

A body was retrieved from the sea near Vivocity at about 4pm on Sunday (03/07). The police received a call at 3.20pm about a body floating off Harbourfront walk. It is believed to belong to a Malay man in his late 30s. According to netizen Amelia on citizen journalism website Stomp, the police coast guard fished the body out of the sea and brought it to shore. She added that it 'was all wrapped up'. The man was pronounced dead at 4.20pm by the police. The case is classified under unnatural death. Police investigations are ongoing.

2011-07-05T20:05:00.004+08:00

Hi All :),

We are currently looking for new students to join the Mentor! HOORAY~ Current students please recommend your friends here too! The more the merrier!!! You can tell them about the BLUE ROOM purposes where all the Mentor students can use the room to study and borrow books :)

Weaker students are also strongly encouraged to come down and do self-revision :) Any questions can approach NIC! Students who cant concentrate at home can also come down and use the room!! :) Just remember to 'log in' in the log-in book.

2011-06-30T14:14:00.004+08:00

Dear Students :),

The Mentor is now looking for used or unwanted storybooks/novels/infomative maganzines! Please kindly bring them and donate to our NEW study room cum mini library~ Thanks! =)

2011-06-28T14:43:00.004+08:00

Jin Rong & Dilys (P2)

Monkey Jin Rong :P (P2)

Happy Koon Kiat & Damien (P3)

Cheeky Jacob :) (P4)

Playful Nick, Eric & Jansen (P5)

2011-06-27T19:12:00.009+08:00

CROCODILES

Crocodylus Porosus (saltwater crocodile)

- Males can grow up to 6-7m!
- While females not growing more than 3m

Crocodiles - a V-shape & triangular snout (13 species)
Alligators - a U-shape & rounded snout (2species)

Caiman - same group as alligator with shorter U-shape snout (6species)
Gharials - long & thin snout (2species)

2011-06-24T20:02:00.002+08:00

Familiar faces~ :)

2011-06-24T18:28:00.004+08:00

Hi friends,

The new Mentor unit is done! The new unit serves as a study room cum mini library.. Nicholas has named it 'the blue room'.. So hope you guys will 'try out' the room and fall in love with it :)

Jokes/Riddles

2011-06-07T15:25:00.009+08:00

Hi peeps! Long time no see~ :) Will start with jokes/riddles to break the ice! Hope you guys enjoy~~

Question : When do you CONGRATULATE someone for their MISTAKE.
Answer : On their MARRIAGE.

TEACHER: Why are you late?
JACOB: Because of the sign.
TEACHER: What sign?
JACOB: The one that says, "School Ahead, Go Slow."

When your LIFE is in DARKNESS, PRAY to GOD and ask him to free you from Darkness. Even after you pray, if you are still in Darkness
- Please PAY the ELECTRICITY BILL!

Question: Why are there old dinosaur bones in the museum?
Answer: Because they can't afford new ones!

Question: Why didn’t the skeleton go to the party?
Answer: Because he had nobody to go with!

This dog, is dog, a dog, good dog, way dog, to dog, keep dog, an dog, idiot dog, busy dog, for dog, 30 dog, seconds dog! ... Now read without the word dog.

Question: Why is Facebook a great site for loners?
Answer: Because it's the only place where they can talk to a wall and not be considered an loser!

A boss tells his new employee, 'I'll give you 8 bucks an hour starting today and in three months, I'll raise it to 10 bucks an hour. So when would you like to start?' 'In 3 months'.

Question: What tea do footballers drink?
Answer: PenalTea!

~Science Joke~

A proton and a neutron walk into a bar. They order a beer each and just as they are about to leave, the proton pays for his drink. The bartender lets the neutron leave without paying. The proton asks why, and the bartender says 'He's a neutron - no charge'.

Two atoms are walking down the street. Says one atom to the other, 'Hey! I think I lost an electron!' The other says, 'Are you sure??' 'Yes, I'm positive!'

Happy Birthday Yu Ning!

2011-03-08T13:47:00.002+08:00

A feast for the birthday girl, Yu Ning. Too bad for Nick and Darren, you've missed it.

H20 Aire Purifier

2011-03-02T14:52:00.001+08:00

Here's a new H20 Aire Purifier for TM, to clean up the air and to allow maximum concentration for the students.

We care.

P1s

2011-02-24T14:14:00.003+08:00

The little ones (P1) at work. Zoe, XinYi and Fion are busy copying notes
And here's a picture drawn on the whiteboard by Zoe after the lesson. Hm.... so this is how I look like. Quite handsome eh? :p

Dora and Zoe

2011-02-23T14:05:00.002+08:00

Angelic innocence from Dora and Zoe. :)

CNY Holiday

2011-01-28T15:52:00.002+08:00

Please be informed that The Mentor will be closed from the 2nd to the 4th of February 2011 for the Lunar New Year holiday.

Inconvenience regretted.

Here's wishing all parents, students and friends a...

Happy and Prosperous Lunar New Year~

Priscilla's Party

2011-01-24T12:53:00.005+08:00

Priscilla's Party~~~~~

The weather suited the occasion - glorious! Priscilla invited several students from TM to her advanced birthday party at Costa Sand Chalets for a barbecue party. Here are a few of the many pictures we took that evening.
Who's the birthday girl?
Nice smiles for the album.
Everyone enjoyed themselves tremendously.

A special thank you to Priscilla for being a wonderful hostess and well as her family for being so hospitable. Well, it's a pity to those who did not make it as you guys sure missed the fun. Fabulous bonding !!!

Once again, HAPPY (advanced) BIRTHDAY to you, Priscilla! :)

Year Of The Rabbit

2011-01-21T13:56:00.002+08:00

It has been a while since I have personally updated the blog. Well, I sure hope you people have not given up hope.

The Lunar New Year is fast approaching and in no time, we are going to welcome the Year of the Rabbit. So have you people done your New Year shopping? Do visit Chinatown and soak in the festive mood.

That's all for now. And till I update this blog again, have a wonderful time indulging in the festive goodies and Gong Xi Fa Cai.

Cheers~

2011-01-12T17:12:00.001+08:00

Hello! (:

Tutor Jasmine is here to say that "The Mentor" blog is still alive and kicking!

End Of The World

2010-10-18T13:21:00.002+08:00

Time, like all good things, may come to

an end: study

WASHINGTON (AFP) - – The end of the world as we know it cannot be

avoided, but it can be predicted, according to a group of astrophysicists who see a 50 percent chance of the final countdown ending in 3.7 billion years.

"Time is unlikely to end in our lifetime, but there is a 50 percent chance that time will end within the next 3.7 billion years," according to the team of US and Japanese scientists, who are challenging a long-standing theory of the universe.

While scientists have long concluded that the universe is expanding, and will do so for an infinite period of time, the researchers say the very rules of physics suggest that "an eternally inflating universe" is far from given.

"The point of this paper is to show that certain methods and assumptions that have been widely used by physicists for years -- most prominently, the use of a time cutoff in order to compute probabilities in an eternally inflating universe -- lead to the conclusion that time will end," Raphael Bousso of the University of California, Berkeley told AFP.

"In other words, the time cutoff, which we may have thought was just a calculational tool, actually behaves like a physical event, whether we like it or not," said Bousso, lead author of the study published on arXiv.org

Current theories of the universe begin with the "Big Bang," which cast our living space into being some 13.7 billion years ago in a massive explosion.

Since then, theorists have assumed the universe will simply continue to expand forever, but have also used a theoretical expiration date to help calculate the laws and rules of physics.

But Bousso and his colleagues says the discipline simply cannot have it both ways.

He cautioned however that the complex thought experiment and calculations proposed by the research could not be used to draw definitive conclusions.

"It's very important to understand that we are not saying that we are certain of the conclusion that time will end (though we cannot rule out that it may be correct)," he wrote.

But he said even if the theory was false, discovering why that was the case would help scientists better understand the universe.

"In science, this kind of reasoning is often valuable: you realize that your reasonable-seeming theory predicts something that sounds crazy, so you have to come to grips with that," he told AFP.

"Either you have to abandon the theory, or you have to understand why the crazy-sounding thing may not actually be so crazy."

For astrophysicist Charles Lineweaver, of Australian National University's Mount Stromlo Observatory, Bousso's conclusions are simply incorrect.

"Bousso's average life of a universe is a set time, only because that's what happens when you introduce a cutoff point to get a reasonable probability," he told ABC Television.

"It's a statistical technique being taken probably too seriously," he added.

But Bousso said he and his team had not invented or introduced anything.

"These cutoffs have been used by many leading physicists for years," he told AFP. "We merely pointed out that it's not such an innocent thing to do.

"The cutoff on time is inevitably physical and hence requires a physical justification. It cannot be considered a mere mathematical trick."

AFP - Saturday, October 16

Happy Children's Day

2010-09-30T13:00:00.002+08:00

We wish all children, those who still think and behave like children and all young at heart, a Happy Children's Day.

Happy Birthday Jasmine

2010-09-06T14:44:00.002+08:00

Ex-student and current tutor of TM, Jasmine, celebrates her birthday in advance.

Here's wishing you all the best in your undertakings and thanks for the memories.

Happy Birthday, Jasmine~

Happy Birthday Darren

2010-09-04T15:41:00.004+08:00

Hey Darren, Happy Birthday to you. Wish you all the best for your final examination and have great fun kicking that red ball around.

Cheers~

Thanks for the Teachers' Day gifts

2010-09-02T14:38:00.002+08:00

I would like to thank all students, parents and friends for the lovely presents and wishes you have showered on me on Teachers' Day. I appreciate these kind thoughts and deeds. :)

!st Teachers' Day gift

2010-08-30T14:16:00.002+08:00

First Teachers' Day gift from Damien. Thanks, nice thought from you. :)

Happy National Day

2010-08-08T23:25:00.001+08:00

The Mentor wishes one and all a very Happy National Day !!!

Blackberry

2010-07-28T14:05:00.003+08:00

BlackBerry poses social and security risks, UAE warns

Reuters - Monday, July 26

DUBAI - The BlackBerry, made by Canada's Research In Motion , is open to misuse that poses security risks to the United Arab Emirates, which said on Sunday it would seek to safeguard its consumers and laws.

Gulf state Bahrain in April warned against the use of BlackBerry Messenger software to distribute local news, drawing criticism from media freedom watchdog Reporters Without Borders which called it an act of censorship.

That sparked concerns that other Gulf countries might also consider curbing the use of certain applications on the BlackBerry, which holds around 20 percent of the global smartphone market behind Nokia but ahead of Apple .

"As a result of how BlackBerry data is managed and stored, in their current form, certain BlackBerry applications allow people to misuse the service, causing serious social, judicial and national security repercussions."

The UAE was working to resolve "these critical issues with the objective of finding a solution that safeguards our consumers and operates within the boundaries of UAE law."

Earlier this month, RIM said it was preparing to launch an applications store and consumer Internet services in China as part of its push into the world's top mobile market.

A long-running censorship dispute between Beijing and Google Inc was only recently resolved. Google had said it might be forced to abandon the Chinese market because of hacking attacks and censorship concerns.

Happy Birthday Eugene

2010-07-28T00:01:00.003+08:00

Hey Eugene, here's me, Nic, wishing you a very Happy Birthday. It's been nice having you around. Together with me are Winnie the Pooh and Piglet, hoping that you will have a fabulous day today.

All the best!!!

Happy Birthday Charmaine

2010-06-23T14:15:00.002+08:00

Here's everyone at TM wishing Charmaine a very Happy Hatchday~

Happy Birthday Cheiry.

2010-06-15T13:06:00.003+08:00

Happy Birthday, Cheiry~ Here's wishing you all the best in your endeavours, and best of luck for the O's!!!

Happy Vesak Day

2010-05-27T13:46:00.001+08:00

Please be informed that we will be closed on the 28th May for the Vesak Day holiday.

Here's wishing all Buddhists a Happy Vesak Day and happy holiday to the rest.

mini-fridge

2010-05-13T13:08:00.003+08:00

Announcing the arrival of a new Elba mini-bar fridge to TM. Finally, one to replace the old one which had "died" like a few months ago.

Pu3's art piece

2010-05-09T09:55:00.001+08:00

Look at Putri's art piece. A masterpiece, I would say. Very well done indeed..... she sure is talented. :)

Happy Mother's Day

2010-05-08T23:09:00.003+08:00

The Mentor wishes all mothers a very Happy and Joyous Mother's Day! Kids, be good to mummies, not just today, but every day.

Aquatic plants

2010-04-17T22:54:00.004+08:00

Hi, these are some common aquatic plants which were taken from the recent trip to The Singapore Science Centre.

Happy Birthday HuiXin

2010-04-05T14:10:00.001+08:00

Here's Nicholas, and all the Sec 3 students, wishing Hui Xin a Happy Greeny Birthday. Stay Cheerful always~

Good Friday

2010-04-01T15:44:00.004+08:00

Please be informed that The Mentor will be closed on the 2nd April for the Good Friday holiday. Here's wishing all Christians a great Easter weekend. Happy holidays to all.

Congratulations Eric!

2010-03-31T13:38:00.002+08:00

Congratulations to Eric for coming in 2nd in the South zone Rope-skipping synchronised category!! He also won two other trophies in rope-skipping. Way to go, Eric~

Happy Birthday Bobo

2010-03-15T20:37:00.002+08:00

Happy Birthday Bobo!!!!!! Stay chubby and cute~

Masterpiece

2010-03-11T18:27:00.002+08:00

What a masterpiece~

Hm... will the talented artist please own up? =P

Happy Birthday Yu Ning

2010-03-06T12:20:00.003+08:00

Guess whose birthday it is? Obvious.... they are pointing at the birthday girl!

Happy Birthday Yu Ning~ Wish you all the best in your studies. :) Cheers!

Happy Birthday

2010-03-04T00:50:00.003+08:00

Happy Birthday Mel. This year also marks the 10th year you have been at TM. Here's me, wishing you all the best in your endeavours, and may all your birthday wishes be granted by your fairy godmother.

Happy Birthday, Sammie

2010-03-03T13:51:00.002+08:00

Wishing Sammie a Happy and Memorable 13th Birthday. May you grow in wisdom and all the sweetest things be filled in your life always.

Sherwin under attack.

2010-03-01T14:45:00.005+08:00

Sherwin under attack!!!

He stops and pleads for mercy.
But the attacker refuses to fall for his false pleas.

The question is, is Sherwin still alive?

I am Sam

2010-02-28T01:08:00.003+08:00

Michelle Pfeiffer and Sean Penn give career-defining performances in this humorous and heart-warming film about a mentally-challenged father who enlists the aid of a high-powered attorney to help.

Director: Jessie Nelson
Cast: Dakota Fanning, Dianne Wiest, Doug Hutchison, French Stewart, Kathleen Robertson, Ken Jenkins, Loretta Devine, Michelle Pfeiffer, Richard Schiff, Sean Penn, Stanley De Santis

Synopsis:
Michelle Pfeiffer and Sean Penn give career-defining performances in this humorous and heart-warming film about a mentally-challenged father who enlists the aid of a high-powered attorney to help him regain custody of his daughter. An all-star supporting cast and a spectacular soundtrack complete this unforgettable story of life, love and laughter.

"A wonderful movie about the power of the human spirit" Joel Siegel, Good Morning America"Michelle Pfeiffer gives the most amazing performance. Sean Penn is probably the best actor working in movies today." Roger Ebert, Ebert & Roeper"You have to see I Am Sam. I loved it." Rosie O'Donnell, The Rosie O'Donnell Show.

Hey, you can catch it on Youtube too. I cried when I watch it. "Lucy" is so adorable'

Nicholas (TM)

Cough with phlegm

2010-02-26T14:19:00.002+08:00

Cough with phlegm
The common causes of chronic dry coughing include post-nasal drip, gastroesophageal reflux disease, asthma, and ACE inhibitors.

Cough can be a sign of respiratory tract infections such as the common cold, pneumonia, pertussis, and tuberculosis. In patients with a normal chest X-ray, tuberculosis is a rare finding. Pertussis is increasingly being recognised as a cause of troublesome coughing in adults.

Cough that continues after a viral infection has cleared. Postinfectious cough typically consists of a dry, non-productive cough that produces no phlegm. Symptoms may include a tightness in the chest, and a tickle in the lungs. This cough may often persist for weeks after an illness. The cause of the cough may be inflammation similar to that observed in repetitive stress disorders such as carpal tunnel. The repetition of coughing produces inflammation which produces discomfort, which in turn produces more coughing creating a closed loop. Typically does not respond to conventional cough treatments. Treatment consists of any anti-inflammatory medicine to treat the inflammation, and a cough suppressant to reduce frequency of the cough until inflammation clears. Inflammation may increase sensitivity to other existing issues such as allergies, and treatment of other causes of coughs (such as use of an air purifier or allergy medicines) may help speed recovery. A bronchodilator, which helps open up the airways, may also help treat this type of cough.

A common cause of chronic cough in adults and children. It may be the only symptom the person has from their asthma, but may also including wheezing, shortness of breath, and a tight feeling in their chest. Depending on how severe the asthma is it can be treated with bronchodilators (medicine which causes the airways to open up) or inhaled steroids. Treatment of the asthma should make the cough go away.

Chronic bronchitis defined clinically as a persistent cough that produces sputum (phlegm) and mucus, for at least three months in two consecutive years. Chronic bronchitis is often the cause of “smoker’s cough.” The tobacco causes inflammation, secretion of mucus into the airway, and difficultly clearing that mucus out of the airways. Coughing helps clear those secretions out. May be treated by quitting smoking. May also be caused by Pneumoconiosis and long-term fume inhalation.

Treatment

Coughs can be treated with cough medicines. Dry coughs are treated with cough suppressants (antitussives) that suppress the body's urge to cough, while productive coughs (those that produce phlegm) are treated with expectorants that loosen mucus from the respiratory tract.

Cough suppressants act to reduce the urge to cough. Centrally acting cough suppressants, such as codeine and dextromethorphan, work by hyperpolarization, or a dulling, of the vagus nerve, the nerve leading from the brain stem and serving the chest area. Benzonatate, sold under the brand names Tessalon Perles or Tessalon Capsules, works by anesthetizing stretch receptors in the lungs.

However, as the cough itself is only a symptom of a respiratory disease, a suppressant serves only to alleviate the cough. Addressing the actual cause of the cough rather than its symptoms is the best treatment to curing the cough.

Lunar New Year 2010

2010-02-11T13:59:00.003+08:00

Please be informed that The Mentor will be closed for the Lunar New Year from the 14th to the 16th of February.

Enjoy the festive cheers and we would like to wish each one of you a prosperous Lunar New Year~

Happy Birthday Clara and Marcus

2010-02-10T13:43:00.003+08:00

Here's wishing Clara and Marcus a Happy Birthday~ Hope you like the presents! :)

Happy Birthday Pris.

2010-02-09T00:05:00.003+08:00

Here's wishing you a Happy Birthday, Priscilla! Hope you are successful in gaining weight. :)

2010-02-06T11:52:00.003+08:00

The p4s are having a game of Uno Stacko. Goodness, what are u doing, Clara?
She explains that she is wishing one and all an advanced "Gong Xi, Gong Xi" for the coming Lunar New Year. :)

Giant squid invade Calif. waters, entice anglers

2010-02-03T13:26:00.003+08:00

Giant squid invade Calif. waters, entice anglers

NEWPORT BEACH, Calif. – Giant squid weighing up to 60 pounds have invaded the California waters off Newport Beach and are being caught by sport fishermen by the hundreds.

The squid showed up last week and anglers started booking twilight fishing trips over the weekend to catch them.

The animals weigh between 20 and 40 pounds, but a few fishermen have reeled in 60-pound creatures.

The Humboldt squid is also called the jumbo squid or jumbo flying squid and squirts ink to protect itself.

They can grow up to 100 pounds and 6 feet long and follow food sources. The squid have also recently been spotted off San Diego, Oregon and Washington.

Robert Woodbury with Newport Landing Sportfishing says anglers in Orange County have caught about 400 of the big squid since Friday night.

Information from: The Orange County Register, http://www.ocregister.com

Attention Sec 1

2010-01-31T23:46:00.003+08:00

Attention Sec One!!!

Please take note that your tuition on Thurdays has been shifted to Fridays night from7 to 9 for the rest of the year. Inconvenience regretted.

See you guys this Friday... :)

2010-01-25T22:20:00.002+08:00

Norfolk Island is located in the South Pacific Ocean, east of the Australian mainland. Norfolk Island is the main island of the island group the territory encompasses and is located at 29°02′S 167°57′E / 29.033°S 167.95°E. It has an area of 34.6 km² (13.3 mi²), with no large-scale internal bodies of water but 32 km of coastline. The island's highest point is Mt Bates (319 m above sea level), located in the northwest quadrant of the island. The majority of the terrain is suitable for farming and other agricultural uses. Phillip Island, the second largest island of the territory, is located at 29°07′S 167°57′E / 29.117°S 167.95°E, seven kilometres south of the main island.

The coastline of Norfolk Island consists, to varying degrees, of cliff faces. A downward slope exists towards Sydney Bay and Emily Bay, the site of the original colonial settlement of Kingston. There are no safe harbour facilities on Norfolk Island, with loading jetties existing at Kingston and Cascade Bay. All goods not domestically produced are brought in by ship, usually to Cascade Bay. Emily Bay, protected from the Pacific Ocean by a small coral reef, is the only safe area for recreational swimming, although surfing waves can be found at Anson and Ball Bays.

The climate is subtropical and mild, with little seasonal differentiation. The island is the eroded remnant of a basaltic volcano active around 2.3 to 3 million years ago,^[23] with inland areas now consisting mainly of rolling plains. It forms the highest point on the Norfolk Ridge, part of the submerged continent Zealandia.

The major settlement on the Island is Burnt Pine, located predominantly along Taylor's Road, where the shopping centre, post office, liquor store, telephone exchange and community hall are located. Settlement also exists over much of the island, consisting largely of widely-separated homesteads.

Government House, the official residence of the Administrator, is located on Quality Row in what was the penal settlement of Kingston. Other government buildings, including the court, Legislative Assembly and Administration, are also located there. Kingston's role is largely a ceremonial one, however, with most of the economic impetus coming from Burnt Pine.

I want to stay there someday. :)

2010-01-17T14:23:00.004+08:00

Please help me make a tough decision. I really cannot decide which of the 2 pictures is more skillfully done. Is it Sherwin's (above) or Putri's (below)? Do comment. Thanks. =)

2010-01-15T11:18:00.003+08:00

Sometimes, excelling in one's studies may not be everything. We also need to inculcate the passion to have compassion for our animal friends.

Charmaine and Charmel have gained the trust and friendship of a young cat which they affectionately call " 2 Dollars".

2 Dollars sits snugly in Maine's lap. Sooooooooooo sweet. :)

2010-01-11T22:30:00.004+08:00

Hey! To those of you taking last year's GCE O' Levels, the results were released today. I am proud of all of you as everyone whom I am honoured to be acquainted with has done well enough to get a place in a JC/Polytechnic.

Jia Xin, you have not disappointed me- work hard in poly, ya? Kai Yang, cheer up...... you did well, except for English and at least you managed to pass it. Say Yee.... congrats, u finally made it! :).... Jovon, cheers to you for having done wonderfully well! Proud of you! :)

Continue to strive for your best in whatever you do. Sometimes, you may just surprise yourself.

2010-01-06T15:05:00.002+08:00

O Levels Results!!!

SINGAPORE: The results of the 2009 GCE O-Level Examinations will be released on Monday, January 11.

School candidates may collect their results from their schools at 2pm that day. Private candidates will be informed of their results by post.

They may also access their results through the Singapore Examinations and Assessment Board website at www.seab.gov.sg from 2pm on Monday.

Students can apply to enrol in junior colleges, the Millennia Institute, polytechnics and the Institute of Technical Education via the Joint Admissions Exercise, using their GCE O-Level results.

Students who wish to apply only to polytechnics could also apply via the Joint-Polytechnic Special Admissions Exercise.

The posting results of the Joint Admission Exercise are tentatively scheduled for release on January 27.

- CNA/so

Good luck to you guys, especially to Jia Xin, Say Yee and Jovon~

2010-01-04T13:28:00.002+08:00

Hey, good news! TM has just purchased a unit of the "Ambi Pur Instanmatic" and thus you will be able to enjoy soothing fragrance while having your lessons. Cool, eh?

HYPOALLERGENIC FRAGRANCES
Hypoallergenic and sensitive fragrances that care-->
The most soothing, delicately pure fragrances for an increased feeling of well being. Puresse is the first generation of hypoallergenic air fresheners with sensitive fragrances, especially formulated with a minimal use of ingredients that may cause dermatological allergies. Ambi Pur Puresse gently protects your family and your home and offices. Recommended by the British Allergy Foundation.

So have a relaxing time people.

Cheers~

2010-01-03T22:59:00.003+08:00

First of all, I would like to welcome Jasmine to TM as a tutor. She taught her first lesson today and has done superbly. Thanks. :)

Secondly, being the 4th of January tomorrow, it is going to be the first day of school for everyone. The secondary ones, in particular, will be most excited, as they will be walking in through their respective school gates officially as a student of the school for the first time tomorrow.

Well, whichever level you are studying at, here's me, wishing all of you, the very best for the new school term- do pay close attention in class and may all of you excel in your studies.

:)

2009-12-29T12:55:00.002+08:00

Please be informed that The Mentor will be closed from 3p.m. on New Year's eve right through New Year's Day. We shall resume classes on the 2nd of January '10.

Students, do remember to come at the new time slot and please note the adjusted fees for the year 2010.

Lastly, but most importantly, here's everyone at TM wishing one and all, a Happy and Fulfilling year ahead!

2009-12-26T11:50:00.001+08:00

Movie Review: Avatar

In the epic action adventure fantasy "Avatar", James Cameron, the director of "Titanic", takes us to a spectacular new world beyond our imagination. On the distant moon Pandora, a reluctant hero embarks on a journey of redemption, discovery and unexpected love - as he leads a heroic battle to save a civilization.

The story’s protagonist, Jake Sully, is an ex-Marine who was wounded and paralyzed from the waist down in combat on Earth. In order to participate in the Avatar program, which will give him a healthy body, Jake agrees to travel to Pandora, a lush rainforest environment filled with incredible life forms – some beautiful, many terrifying. Pandora is also the home to the Na’vi, a humanoid race that lives at what we consider to be a primate level, but they are actually much more evolved than humans. Ten feet tall and blue skinned, the Na’vi live harmoniously within their unspoiled world. But as humans encroach on Pandora in search of valuable minerals, the Na’vi’s very existence is threatened – and their warrior abilities unleashed.

Jake has unwittingly been recruited to become part of this encroachment. Since humans are unable to breathe the air on Pandora, they have created genetically-bred human-Na’vi hybrids known as Avatars. The Avatars are living, breathing bodies in the real world, controlled by a human driver through a technology that links the driver’s mind to the Avatar body. On Pandora, through his Avatar body, Jake can be whole once again. Moreover, he falls in love with a young Na’vi woman, Neytiri, whose beauty is matched by her ferocity in battle.

As Jake slides deeper into becoming one of her clan, he finds himself caught between the military-industrial forces of Earth, and the Na’vi – forcing him to choose sides in an epic battle that will decide the fate of an entire world.

Conceived 14 years ago and over four years in the making, "Avatar" breaks new ground in delivering a fully immersive, emotional story and reinvents the movie going experience.

2009-12-24T23:54:00.003+08:00

We, at The Mentor, wish all parents, students and friends, a Merry and blessed Christmas!!! Happy Holidays!!!

2009-12-21T14:01:00.001+08:00

Please be informed that The Mentor will be closed on the 24th and 25th for the Christmas holiday.

Inconvenience regretted.

2009-12-13T10:50:00.002+08:00

ANNOUNCEMENT!!!

Nicholas has accepted a challenge from tutor, Hui Xin. In this challenge, Nicholas is to lose 4 kg by the 16th January 2010.

The loser of the challenge will have to buy the winner, a book of his/her choice.

Please wish Nic the best. =)

2009-12-11T13:04:00.004+08:00

The Secondary 3s helped with the wrapping of the Christmas draw presents.
See that strain on Cheiry's face...... hm... wrapping presents is no easy task.
Cheiry, Putri and Sherwin are busy at work.
Look at the intense concentration on their faces.

Thanks guys, appreciate the invaluable help. =)

Note : 14 days to Christmas.

2009-12-08T13:24:00.000+08:00

Happy Birthday, Alicia~

2009-12-06T09:33:00.009+08:00

It was a Saturday and we are on our way our way to the Singapore Art Museum (Former SJI).
Mr Red Bean with his infamous pose.
Another shot on the bus.
We arrived at the Art Museum.
Picture taken at the old chapel, under a glass sculpture.
The place we had lunch. (beside Victoria Hotel)
Makan time.

Well, unfortunately, we could not take any picture in the art galleries..... so these are all the pictures we had taken.

2009-12-04T12:59:00.004+08:00

Dreams~~~
Dreams are a succession of images, thoughts, sounds, or emotions passing through the mind during sleep.^[1] The content and purpose of dreams are not fully understood, though they have been a topic of speculation and interest throughout recorded history. The scientific study of dreams is known as oneirology.

Dreams have a long history. They have been a subject of controversy and disagreement. Throughout history, people have sought meaning in dreams or divination through dreams. They have been described physiologically as a response to neural processes during sleep, psychologically as reflections of the subconscious, and spiritually as messages from gods or predictions of the future. Many cultures had practiced dream incubation, with the intention of cultivating dreams that were prophetic or contained messages from the divine.

Accumulated observation shows that dreams are strongly associated with rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, during which an electroencephalogram shows brain activity to be most like wakefulness. Participant-unremembered dreams during non-REM sleep are normally more mundane in comparison.^[5] During a typical lifespan, a human spends a total of about six years dreaming^[6] (which is about two hours each night).^[7] Most dreams last only 5 to 20 minutes.^[6] It is unknown where in the brain dreams originate, if there is a single origin for dreams or if multiple portions of the brain are involved, or what the purpose of dreaming is for the body or mind.

Now, here's one for you to decipher : Putri had a dream the other night. She dreamt that she was holding hands with Sherwin, who is supposed to be her arch-enemy. Now, can anyone decode what this dream mean?

:)

2009-12-03T10:40:00.002+08:00

make-up session by the p5s gone awfully wrong!

2009-11-30T15:30:00.003+08:00

A little Christmas tree at TM to get everyone into the festive spirit of Christmas which is just 25 days away.

2009-11-29T10:12:00.004+08:00

I am so proud of my P6s
Another one for the album.

2009-11-26T23:38:00.003+08:00

PSLE results:
The PSLE results were finally released yesterday at noon. Much anxiety were clouded in the students' mind.... "will I do well?" "Will I be able to get into the school of my choice?"

Each year, The Mentor takes in only a maximum of 6 pupils for each level. For last year's PSLE, there were only 5 P6s, and I am very pleased to inform all students and friends that the students have done exceptionally well.

Yong Yee did better than expected; Meina, Grace and Boon Kiong have scored several As amongst themselves, and Sammie(above in the picture performing card tricks to her older tuition mates.), the brightest of the lot, has done superbly! She has scored 3 A*, 1A and a distinction in HCL. With an aggregate of 268, she is certainly one of the top pupils in her school!

Well done P6s!!! I am proud of you all. Do continue to work hard in secondary schools and I am sure all of you have a glaring future ahead!

2009-11-25T09:04:00.003+08:00

The PSLE results will be released tomorrow and students may collect their result slips from their respective schools from noon.

Good luck to the P6s of TM, namely, Sammie, Grace, Yong Yee, Boon Kiong and Meina. I am keeping my fingers crossed for everyone of you and may may you be smiling as broadly as can be when you get your results. Remember, I am proud of you, no matter what your results may be.

All the best!!!

2009-11-24T09:03:00.002+08:00

Sherwin Tan is currently selling Christmas card to earn some extra pocket money for the holidays. The cost of each packet of cards (assorted designs) is $2 (packet of 4 cards) to the general public. However, students of TM will get a 20% discount when purchased from him. So, do get your cards from him before the stock runs out.
(you may consider this charity to the mentally unsound.)

2009-11-17T10:18:00.002+08:00

ANNOUNCEMENT : Recruitment of students!!!!
Please be informed that we are currently recruiting more students, from primary 1 to secondary 5 (2010). Please do recommend to your friends if our service is required.

Thank you.

2009-11-09T22:55:00.002+08:00

Here's wishing Putri, a very Happy Birthday and may your life be filled with laughter and sweet memories. =)

Happy Birthday Teng Han!

2009-11-06T09:13:00.005+08:00

Happy Birthday Teng Han! The group decided to take a group picture yesterday and they were not happy with the 1st one. (above) See the gap between Cheiry and Sherwin. Hm..... there is really something between them? Haha........

They were satisfied with the 2nd picture......

Whatever it is, it has been a pleasure teaching this group... gosh.... they have been together as a group for years..... see how they have grown!

Good luck guys~

TM on Sunday

2009-11-01T23:14:00.004+08:00

The ever-popular Singapore's Mr Bean at TM on a Sunday.

Charmel and sister, Charmaine pay a visit. Thanks girls. Oh yes, thanks to My SherBean too.

2009-10-29T10:36:00.002+08:00

Happy Birthday, Ikhlas~ =)

Happy birthday Eileen

2009-10-27T13:50:00.002+08:00

Happy Birthday Eileen~

The sec 3s were very thoughtful on Sunday. In order to celebrate Eileen's birthday, they went down to TM earlier than their usual lesson, sacrificing their precious sleep. Armed with presents and cake, they headed to Bedok, where Eileen puts up at, hoping to reach her home before she leaves for tuition.

Yes, everything was well-planned.... so they thought. Never had they expected that with the planning of travel route by "enterprising" Sherwin, the group (Cheiry, Teng Han, Putri and Sherwin himself), reached Bedok 2 hours later, much behind their schedule. Thanks to the taking of wrong buses and the poor directions of SOMEONE! Of course by then, Eileen had already left for tuition. Desperately, Sherwin tried calling Eileen only to realise that she had already reached TM. Thus, Eileen had to make a U-turn and drive back home to see her students waiting for her at the void deck. Nevertheless, she was really touched that her students had taken such trouble in wanting to give her a birthday surprise. Never had anyone expected the plan to backfire. Well, it is the thought that counts, I guess. :p

Cheiry and Putri waiting for Eileen to reach home while Sherwin tries calling Eileen on his cellular phone.

Eileen looking at how McDonald's Monopoly is to be played, while Putri suddenly becomes camera-shy.

It was a sweet celebration nonetheless.

(If only someone had the brain to have it better planned)

Liverpool sink United to ease the pressure on Benitez

2009-10-26T10:57:00.002+08:00

Liverpool sink United to ease the pressure on Benitez

LIVERPOOL (AFP) - – Fernando Torres eased the pressure on Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez as his sublime strike inspired a 2-0 win over arch rivals Manchester United on Sunday.

Benitez had endured a miserable week as Liverpool's losing run extended to four matches, their worst spell for 22 years, but Spanish striker Torres gave his compatriot a much-needed boost with a lethal second half finish before David Ngog's stoppage time goal secured a third successive win against United.

A chaotic closing period also saw both sides finish with 10 men as Nemanja Vidic was sent off for hauling down Dirk Kuyt - the United defender's third red card in his last three matches against Liverpool - and then Javier Mascherano was dismissed for a clumsy foul on Edwin van der Sar.
After being widely written off as also-rans ahead of the Anfield showdown, Liverpool have closed the gap on Premier League leaders Chelsea to six points and stopped United regaining top spot, as well as condemning the champions to their first defeat in 12 matches.
It was no more than Liverpool deserved for the kind of intelligent and passionate display that has been missing too often this season.

With Steven Gerrard's failure to recover from a groin injury in time to feature forced Benitez to gamble on Torres's fitness as he tried to avoid presiding over a fifth successive defeat and Liverpool's worst run for 56 years.

With so much at stake, it was hardly surprising that the pre-match fans' protest march against Liverpool owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett, who sat together in the directors' box, didn't carry on in the stadium.

But the fierce rivalry between the clubs means that no slip is too small to be gloated over.
United's travelling fans threw beach balls onto the Anfield pitch before kick-off in celebration of Darren Bent's infamous goal for Sunderland last weekend. although they had their thunder stolen by the Kop, who unleashed their own barrage of inflatable balls moments later.
Benitez would have appreciated Liverpool managing director Christian Purslow's declaration that the Spaniard's job was safe, but those words would count for nothing if United effectively killed off their title challenge.

Fabio Aurelio had van der Sar at full stretch to keep out a free-kick that was curling towards the top corner and the Dutch goalkeeper had to recover quickly to block Kuyt's follow-up.
Kuyt shoud have forced van der Sar into action soon after but shot wide after Lucas's pass picked out the Dutch forward in yards of space.

It took United 20 minutes to piece together their first really incisive attack as Rooney met Antonio Valencia's cross with a header that Jose Reina clutched low to his right.
Liverpool were showing the greater urgency and Aurelio tested van der Sar again, this time with a far-post header from Yossi Benayoun's cross, but his effort was too close to the United keeper.
Several United players, infuriated by Andre Marriner's failure to agree with two half-hearted penalty appeals, surrounded the referee at half-time.

United were content to maintain their surprisingly cautious approach again after the break, while centre backs Vidic and Rio Ferdinand singled out Torres for some crunching challenges.
Torres, who had tormented Vidic in Liverpool's 4-1 win at Old Trafford last season, had been relatively subdued. But he sprang to life in ruthless fashion in the 65th minute.

Yossi Benayoun slipped a perceptive pass to Torres in the United penalty area and he burst clear of Ferdinand, ignoring the defender's attempt to tug his shirt, before lashing a rising shot past van der Sar.

That prompted Sir Alex Ferguson to send on former Liverpool striker Michael Owen and he was greeted with a torrent of abuse from all four sides of Anfield.
Valencia was within a whisker of equalising in the 84th minute when he crashed a fierce strike against the crossbar.

United must have realised it wasn't to be their day when Jamie Carragher escaped with a booking after hauling down Owen as he burst through on goal in the closing moments.
Their misery was complete when Vidic was sent off in the last minute for a grabbing Kuyt and hauling him to the turf as he threatened to break clear.

After Mascherano's foolish second booking, Ngog, on for Torres, put the result beyond down when he surged through and slotted past van der Sar.n Benitez

2009-10-25T08:32:00.002+08:00

Happy Birthday Nick!!!!!!!
Wish you all the best and please improve on your fractions.

2009-10-23T12:34:00.001+08:00

Here's wishing Grace Ko and Nick Tan a HAPPY BIRTHDAY and may your wishes come true~

Recruitment of students!

2009-10-21T09:39:00.002+08:00

ANNOUNCEMENT : Recruitment of students!!!!

The examinations for secondary schools' students are over and done with, while the primary students are probably (and hopefully) busy mugging. Good luck people~

It is also time for me to recruit more students. So if you think that I am a good (enough) tutor, please do recommend my service to your friends and relatives.

Thanks you.