Realised something: There's no 'booking' charges for taxi (unlike Singapore), but Taxi drivers expect a 10% tip... no wonder the driver gave us "that Look" when SS reaffirmed the amount to pay as shown on the meter... hahaha... so we learn... do what Romans do in Rome.
We moved house this morning... to Tavistock Hotel... yes, we were lucky... that we could check into the rooms early in the morning... but it was a mad rush & packing... oh yes, I left my toothpaste at White Hall... there's no shampoo or liquid shower foam at Tavistock... So... that's the difference!!!
The day began with the visit to QCA, an agency that we heard a lot about, since Day 1 arrival. Yes, it was a very good discussion, knowing what it offers and what it's going to do... I think this is the few meetings that I'm most attentive to... thanks to the presenter who engaged us well... The most interesting thing is the on-screen test... wah! It sounds good! Just wonder, if it could be something we can tap on for our baseline evaluation, here...
Ok, one discovery: There's no Promotion/Retention system in UK - meaning that pupils will move on to the next stage be it they do well or not... so, I guess the next challenge is, how to address to the widening gaps at higher levels?
Also, teachers are 'entitled' holidays... so, if they come back to give remedial lessons, they do it 'voluntarily'... otherwise, they are paid, on top of the normal wages! Wah! Can't imagine what's our teachers' reactions when they hear about this!
At a lighter side, the building looks very different, compared to the rest... ok, probably because it was the ex-MI5 building and therefore has acquired all the security features that it came with...
In the afternoon, we visited the John Kelly Girls Technology College, one that I looked forward to, hoping to clarify and verify some of the good practices taken off the internet site of the college. It rained a little that afternoon... well, it's something that we don't see in other schools - it houses the CISCO academy... Oh the other hand, I think there's an overdosage on what the CISCO academy offers or what it does, etc... not so much related to the real teaching and learning of the pupils in the college.
On the other hand, it's from this school we learnt that I&E is also one initiative that's happening in the schools... that reminds me of the PW-I&E project that we had in NAS! Isn't that similar?
Also learnt something new here, that's the college has been authorised to be a training centre for teachers-to-be, and allowed to accrediate. That means, not all teachers must go through the so-call Teacher training college! The training has been decentralised... so, there's no 'standardisation' in terms of the training teachers will undergo???
The day ended with tea... in a high class restaurant... Fortnam and Mason. wah! what a luxurious tea!!! I thought... Well, it's on Keith... Thanks, Keith! Indeed, we learnt about earl tea (supposedly to be light and therefore serve as afternoon tea...) and the art of eating ... er... I think is something called "scone"(?)... anyway, the picture shall explain... hahaha... we had a good time learning and enjoying this "meal". It's been very nice of Keith who walked us down to the Underground station, probably without knowing we turned back to roam around... hahaha...The rest of the afternoon was good, indeed... having sometime to roam around in the Piccadilly area... well, corner after corner, long walks, short walks... yes, somehow, we went into Bond street... the high-class area... we saw贵妇，富豪。。。 哦！他们的样子原来如此。。。 哈哈哈。。。 It's so funny... There, the Trafagar square where the dolphin fountains are... hahahaha... even joked of using photoshop to colour the water red... 海豚教书教到吐血了！哈哈哈。。。 石像冲凉洗脸了！！！ 还有Nelson in the pagoda... 哈哈哈！
这晚又是一个找吃的日子。。。 走着走着。。。 天不知不觉的黑了！天啊！还没着落！不是吧！难道又是一个没晚餐的夜晚？苦哉啊！终于走到了Chinatown... oh yes, 几个‘黑帮头目’从一间餐馆出来了！哈哈，就这样，在那餐馆用了餐 - timsum and mutton... followed by the famous "Wong kei" - the wanton noodle, the vegetables and the fried pork. A point to note... probably because of all the reading and hearsay about "wong kei", and the people there dressed in Black T-shirts... the first feel was... Oops... have I walked into a hei-dian... hahaha.... the waiters are not that unfriendly, afterall... and the food is reasonably priced... Cheers!
Though there's lots of walking... for this evening... Somehow, perhaps the heavy-going stuff were already over? It's already half-way through? or because have recharged well the previous night... the mood was far much better... though having to walk, walk, walk...
Oh yes, this was the night that France got into the Finals of the World Cup! The street was crowded... though after 11pm... the joy, the cheer... at Leicester Square...
Ok, next, trying to figure out the way to walk back... it was cool... no, it's cold... hoping to reach the hotel quickly... but it turned out to be a longer walk...
PS: From 23 July 2006, Sunday Times: Can find gourmet cookies from Harrods and Fortnum Mason @ Takashimaya Food Hall