Signs of Idleness (part 2)

Craving arises...out of nowhere.

Signs of Idleness

Excessive online surfing.

So I now know snails do have eyes - black and is a hermaphrodite.

Grade 1 Piano Exam Result

Becks cleared it! :)

Speak Mandarin (just try lah...)

The problem is finally addressed. Has Singapore not been battling it for a long time?

"If both (parents) can speak Mandarin, don’t speak to your child in English, or one in English and one in Chinese. Speak to them in Mandarin, leave their English alone — they will master it."

I agree with this wholeheartedly. I was raised communicating in Cantonese which later progressed to Mandarin when I started schooling. I believe English only dominated my conversations at upper secondary level. Dad was educated in an English-speaking environment (i.e. ACS *ahem. Need I say more?* and grandpa was an English teacher in a now-defunct school) whilst Mom was fluent in Cantonese (damn that I could never quite master the sarcastic Cantonese phrases) and most importantly, she was a home-maker. This allowed the stronger influence of conversational language in the early years.

I'm really trying to inject Chinese in the troops' daily life (prior to this, I had blogged about it more than once, right?). It helps that Becks is in a school that still lays heavy emphasis on both English and Chinese; she recently brought home a list of words which even I had never learnt before so during this week's school holiday, we are doing it together. Having kids does re-fuel my interest, however, I'm afraid that I'm just racing against time. The rate at which they are growing, observing, absorbing, is surely faster than what I can pick up....

So if the above theory (quote) holds true, it would be a vicious cycle, wouldn't it?

Lunch@Keppel Marina

Lunch was at Privé, a fanciful dining place at Keppel Marina where sparkling water (not mineral water) is served and where men were found smoking cigars (not cigarettes).

I had organic mushroom soup and veal - price notwithstanding, the food was just...'unique'.
This is when I go - please give me my wanton mee anytime!!!

What's In a (nick)Name?

Sometimes whenever I see a friend on my MSN list with a witty nickname or remark grousing about their current condition, I would drop a short note just to touch base.

There's a guy friend (we are not close anymore) whose nick has been "inflammed testicles at rest" for a long time and my curiosity is fast getting the better of me!

All-consuming...

Guilty. Very guilty. :(

Signs

Don't read into them.

Last week Singapore had a double rainbow and the papers reported it could be a good sign for us.
So does the first-ever-news on our Merlion being struck by lightning mean anything? Evens out, I guess.

Chinese lessons continue...

螳螂 is 'praying mantis'.

I learn more and more each day...

Rain Rain Go Away...

Travis turns 5 in June which also means, like any normal kid, he's already in the why-stage.

He's not big on rain because it often comes with booms of thunder these days and this disrupts his afternoon nap. This morning, he asked me in a worried tone, "why is there a rainy season?"

Key Factors That Affect Precipitation Levels
Amount of Water Vapor: Evaporation is how most of the water vapor enters the atmosphere, and air near large bodies of water such as oceans have the highest levels of water vapor. Also, higher temperatures increase evaporation rates. Consequently, air in tropical regions downwind from large sources of water tends to have the highest levels of water vapor, while air in temperate and polar regions in the center of large continents tends to have the driest air. In this example, geography influences amount of water vapor that influences precipitation levels.

NOW I KNOW.

* I must admit actually I've been surfing the internet more aggressively these days!*

Grade 1 Exam

Becks will be having her Grade 1 Piano Examination next Thursday, 5 Mar.
Amazingly, I don't find myself anxious. Ha.

Summarizing my feeling in a typical Singaporean way - can pass can already lah!

:D~~~

These days I see women getting 'excessively generous' with this cosmetic on their lips. I really cannot appreciate it - it looks like they are salivating perpetually. Talking to them is distracting. YUKS!

Debut Parent-Teaching Meeting

The 1st part consisted of briefing parents the new syllabus of teaching Chinese. The session lasted for more than half an hour in Mandarin with Chinese presentation slides. M and I really tried to stay awake. I caught the part where the teaching of this subject will now be split into 2 sections: 核心 and 深广 (what do they mean???). Life does get complicating.

The 2nd part consisted of presentation given by the respective subject teachers. This was easier to get through. Frankly I attended mostly out of curiosity for Becks' classroom, the room where she spends most of her time in now. It being an old school building, it jogged many memories to what I experienced 28 years ago.

What talking you?

"To welcome with mountain, to fondle with wind...."
http://www.pauselandis.com.tw/english/e_about.htm

We welcome the world of bad English. :P

VD

Can't forget that Cupid's arrow strikes tomorrow, can I? 14 Feb - Valentine's Day! After attending Becks' 1st Parent-Teacher Meeting, I will be rushing off to attend Mich's solemnization at Gallery Hotel.

The lil girl grows up!
*now Whitney Houston's long-forgotten song - I'm Every Woman - is creeping into my head*

PTM (MB)

I skipped the entire year-crossing without a single entry on Becks' life-defining *erm....* moment: admission into Primary One.

It will definitely be ingrained in my lifetime, with or without my blogging. Anyway time really flies. I'll be having my first Parent-Teacher Meeting tomorrow, at the school premise. I don't know how it's structured but the letter indicated a 2-hour session! *Pray tell, WHAT will it consist of????*

*cough cough*

It started with shortness of breath in the noon inside the cinema when we were watching Underworld: Rise of the Lycans *yes yes, I obliged*, then by evening, I was wheezing. By the next day, I was a productive phlegm factory, suffering from a massive headache.
I was diagnosed, after 34 years in this life, with bronchitis!

2 days' medical leave which I made use of properly....now back to work!

Singapore...is it true???

Everyone roars apart from me. I can feel Jane looking at me, trying to think of something to say.

“Josh told me you were in Hong Kong,” she says pleasantly.

“That’s right.”“I was in Singapore for 2 years. I really fell in love with Asia. The food, the people, the culture.”

“Not the same thing,” I tell her.

“Excuse me?”

“Not the same thing. Hong Kong and Singapore. It’s the difference between a rainforest and a golf course. Singapore being the golf course.”

“You don’t like Singapore?” she says, her face crumpling.

“Too sanitized,” I say firmly. “Singapore is nothing like Hong Kong. Didn’t somebody once say that Singapore is Disneyland with the death penalty?”

Jane sadly turns her face to the fancy salad before her.

“When were you ever in Singapore, Alfie?” Josh (host of the dinner) demands.

“What?” I say, playing for time.

“I said ..’when were you ever in Singapore?’”. He is not smiling at me anymore. “I don’t recall you ever going to Singapore but suddenly you are the big expert.”

“I’ve never been to Singapore.” I say with an infuriating smugness.

“Then you don’t really know what you’re talking about, do you?” Josh says.

“I know I wouldn’t like it.”

“How do you know that?”

“I wouldn’t like anywhere that they say is like Disneyland with the death penalty.”

“Singapore Sling,” Lily says. We all look at her as if she is mental. “Fine cocktail,” she adds……..then they are all yakking about their favourite cocktails.

- One for My Baby
By Tony Parsons
* Dunno if I should laugh or cry at this one. Just feels weird to be reading about your country in a gwai lo's book*

Ashes to ashes, dust to dust...

"I'm not a big cemetery man. I've never been.....

If you want to remember the dead - or rather if you want to see the dead, if you want to meet them, to see them smile, to reassure yourself that they are at peace now - then you have to look inside yourself. That's when you will find them. That's where the dead lives."

- One for My Baby
By Tony Parsons
*yes, I'm still reading. This guy makes me cry*

The reason why I decided to blog this is because just recently, few days before I read the paragraph in the book, I asked my mom if she still went to Mount Vernon Columbarium to pay respects to gong gong on the first day of Chinese New Year. She said she did and quickly added that after her death and dad's, sis and I should just scatter their ashes into the sea because on top of inconvenience *oops*, it doesn't make sense that the dead is lying in that urn behind the wall and that one's obligation shouldn't be just confined to going to a specific spot on certain days of the year.

This coming from my mom, who doesn't seem to have a care in the world, especially in academic pursuits in the past and who aced mainly in mahjong and Cantonese cooking...I was completely bowled over.

Departure

Shen has finally left after 3 weeks in Singapore. He'll be missed...actually no, the way his presence can bring the 3 (sometimes 4) of us together will be missed.

Stopping Email Wars

If you can't convince, confuse (not your boss).

Teenage Flicks

Not sure if I'm introducing teenage flicks to the troops too early but I thought the theme was wholesome enough.

I was watching "Camp Rock" with them (I grew up with "Rags to Riches", "Beverly Hills 90210", "Melrose Place", "Felicity", etc you get the drift), completely awed and envying the wonders of their energy and youth. I noticed that there could be slangs and improper grammar which might not be socially acceptable. Still, it humoured me, so much so that I wanna blog here to share what I found out "WMJL" means (you can actually do it with your fingers consecutively and very swiftly) - Whatever. Major Loser.

Singapore Flyer...mishap

http://sg.news.yahoo.com/ap/20081224/tap-as-singapore-wheel-1st-ld-writethru-832f4ab.html

My fear factor heightens. Pun intended.

Chow Time with :B

:B is back from Japan again. As my annual leave is limited, this time I did not apply half-day to watch with her some hopefully-warped foreign film at Cathay Cineleisure.

Our catching-up was done over dinner of local food at Chomp Chomp and dessert at ICE.

Teachers

My apprehension builds up everyday as the school holiday approaches the end - my little girl is going to embark on a huge phase of her life - Primary One!

She is attending a "Mind Bender" class I signed up for her at the Community Club today. She has been showing signs of reluctance but last night, she finally voiced out her main concern - I hope the teacher is not too strict.

And then I realised...this is all there is, isn't it? One can't choose one's own teachers. We aim to enrol our kids in a reputable school but nobody can guarantee all the teachers it has are inspirational, motivating, naturally adoring children, etc etc. They can either make or break the child!

I'm so crossing my fingers!

Argh!

What do you do when one of your staff hangs a perpetually black face, directing at you?

Debut Read

Becks' 1st book by Enid Blyton. :)

PS: She managed to find the 'Seven O'Clock Tales' too.
So there leaves 'Six O'Clock', 'Eight O'Clock'...anymore?

Rainbow

I went to IKEA Tampines recently and went into a sneezing fit and suffered watery eyes. 2 years ago, it was the same at Science Centre. My greatest infallible enemy - dust mites. Call it my curse or plain hyper-sensitivity.

The demonstration convinced me to plonk S$3,300 on the cleaning system - Rainbow. Even RJ, my dear friend who gave the referral and who had bought one set herself sent me this text: "Welcome to the Sucker's Club".

Sucker? Maybe...but I'm merely looking for a solution to better the quality of my life, just like everyone else.

Going Down Under

Finally my folks took their (enviable) 'annual break'; they departed this morning for Sydney to visit sis. :)

Inflation

The epitome of inflation...One goreng pisang at Maxwell Market Food Market costs S$1.20!!!

Year-end Concert

365 days...do they fly by so fast?!

This year's concert brought about a gush of emotions. 1stly Travis was participating (my l'le boy has grown up so much and expressing him well!) and 2ndly it's Becks' last year (after 3 full years there) and one in which she was given the lead role in her class' musical play. She was a natural on stage!

Blindness

Thanks to WL for inviting me to the special screening on Tuesday, I got to watch a movie which turned out unexpectantly nice - Blindness. I should have given more credit to the director, knowing he's shot other highly-acclaimed movies, that it wasn't going to turn out a typical virus show. His analysis on the human behaviour was remarkable, as was his ironical ending. I wonder how one can visualise something so vivid when one does not have.

Enough of my attempt to be profound here. I was just glad for the freebie, the company and the fulfilment of my craving in Long John Silver's.

Pap Smear

It's a necessary evil which I really dislike. EEeeeEeeks!

If all goes well, at least it'll be done just once every 3 years.

Quote of the Day

Miffy: Do you love Mummy?
Becks: Yes...
M: Now? At 6 years old?
Becks: Yes.
M: At 16, 26, 36,....? (trying to act cute and smart alecky at the same time with the introduction of arithmetic progression)
Becks: I don't know!
M *feign shock and sadness*: Why not?!
Becks: I'm not 16 yet. How would I know? I'll let you know when I'm 16."

And this is when I realised - again - that my little girl is growing up fast...and outsmarting me.

From the lazy/uninspired

The blog is getting barren....................................................

For Next Milestone

It was surreal, again stepping into an old-designed primary school premise.

M and I took leave to make necessary arrangement for Becks' Primary 1 next year, buying books, school bag, uniforms, etc. We had to sit at an old table and chair in a classroom, shading those circles which you see only in MCQ exam sheets to provide personal particulars *gosh, when was the last time for me?!?*

Another Change?

I'm not sure if I'm ready to embrace this one yet but I realise it doesn't hurt to be open-minded. People may think I'm being psycho-ed but if the change leads to a possibility of freedom (from the regular 9-5 jobs and working under stinkin uninspired bosses who care only about their own pay package and ego), then WHAT is there to lose?

Being the risk-averse person I am, I will take baby steps. Baby but steps (towards a change)nonetheless.

Change

Even if they are lying....!!! My colleagues have passed nice comments about my hairstyle and I'm happy.

Yes, after 18 years, I made a change. I cut my hair above my shoulders. It's finally short! And strange that I feel so liberated.

Our Faceless Enemy

With the recall of more milk-based products made in China, it's certainly taught me one thing - to be more vigilant in reading labels.

While I was ordering my favourite beverage (Chinese teh-c), I couldn't resist asking 'uncle' (seller) outrightly which brand of evaporated and condensed milk he was using to prepare. Laugh if you must but he assured me it came from Thailand, showing me the can as evidence.

The world is made chaotic by mainly greed and ego. We find ourselves at 'war' with the faceless enemy, don't we? We can never win.

2008

In Chinese culture, '8' is regarded as auspicious. Really meh? This year alone, the world has been assaulted with one crisis after another - China milk crisis, huge financial crisis in US...affecting worldwide, political turmoil in Thailand, Malaysia, etc.

So what's the big deal?
But the Chinese won't change their minds, huh?

Sick

Deeno puked and poo-ed badly...until he bled. Is it time already? :(

Phnom Penh, Cambodia

I just returned from a short, packed business trip in Phnom Penh. I fell asleep while a nice hospitable staff there brought us on an introductory ride along Mekong River. Afterall, it was a business trip where every ounce of my energy was spent preparing presentation materials, presenting them, watching AXN, MTV and HBO till late nights and then fighting the fear of sleeping alone in the hotel room.

It's interesting that people can't get the pronunciation of this otherwise-believed-to-be-a-beautiful-capital-city right: "P-nom Pen", "Pom Pen", "F-nom Pen".

Unpredictability

With the collapse of The Lehman Brothers and sale of Merrill Lynch, I remember the one true statement in a movie many years ago that reminded us everything is unpredictable except for death and taxes.

My Piano

After almost a decade, I'm reunited with my good ole piano. My folks, ever so supportive of Becks learning the instrument had arranged for it to be transported to my place on Monday.

Now with its proximity, absence of Miss Chan (that fierce piano teacher of mine! But in retrospect, she was really talented and gave me lots of opportunities) and dreaded exams, I can see how fun playing the piano can be. Now to master Canon in D...

Mid-Autumn Festival *this time I got the name right*

It's the time of the year again when I have additional phobia, besides height. MOONCAKES!

Remembrance & Celebration

I just turned a year older. Nothing much to celebrate as one hits mid-life. But it's always heart-warming to realise close friends and family remember and bother to celebrate and wish in their own way, be it just short-message texting, receipt of birthday cards, simple lunch, a personal drive to wherever, surprised delivery of a 1kg-cake *thank you Mich!* and gift *Angie*.

PS: Photos will be uploaded in Facebook.

Loof

I was thinking of my usual selection of boring places to meet Anne for dinner when she told me, " Come, I bring you to where I usually chill out. It's a cool place."

OK, cool places are for cool people...and the last I checked, I am not cool. I don't even try to be but I didn't want to be a party-pooper, perhaps making her decide internally she will no longer hang out with me so of course I agreed - 100%.

It is a nice place. The drinks are not expensive and ambient music which I love is played. But I still think 'chill-out cool' places are not conducive to chat for long hours. The sofas may look plush but they lack the back-support! They are more aesthetic than aesthetic&functional.

OK, I'm complaining, a sign that I've aged (not gracefully)!

Cough Syrup

I haven't drunk any since I was young. It sends shivers down my spine, goose-bumps arising.

2 days ago, without any sign or symptoms, I found msyelf coughing out thick wads of yellow phelgm *where did it come from?!* The doctor gave me a bottom which I had to consume 10ml 3 times a day. The 1st mouthful had me holding in the syrup in my mouth for about 5 seconds before I dared to swallow.

Ew....
Phelgm, phelgm, go away, never come again another day...

Minuet in F by Mozart

Becks has started playing my Grade 1 pieces, the first being the above. Slowly but surely. I found my interest reviving since she is so determined to learn. I definitely didn't have half of it when I was her age.

To Infinity & Beyond?

The unit price of plain waffles just went up. Gosh, where's the ceiling?

Yes Sir, my "factory" is closed...

Singapore is definitely dynamic, constantly changing. The physical landscapes, the legislation, etc.

The recent announcement on the new maternity package has sparked off much reaction from individuals (newspapers and people around me) and companies (newspapers). I just know that based on my profile, my 'value' may have gone up with most companies so...no complaints. :P

*scratch scratch*

CF gave us 6 adults a Primary 3 (9 years old) Mathematics problem sum to solve. We were all stumped. Should I be worried?

Yakkety Yak Yak

Gosh, the women in my company just cannot stop talking. And guess what? It's always hovering around the same topics, on the same people (read: gossip). They thrive on that!

zzz...Spare me! I have so many REAL things to think about!

Mini "Olympics" 080808

Tick tock tick tock...Time really flies. Where did it all go?

Just last week, I went to the troops' kindergarten to attend their Sports Day. Shamelessly and courageously, I signed up for a parents' race with Becks (would have done for Mong if not for full registration).

It was eye-opening, finally being able to witness all the kiddies gather in a hall singing National Day songs, prancing to the beat of Christian songs (it is a Methodist kindergarten), having their tea time and getting ready for their sports event.

Frankly it wasn't all that enjoyable because it was all of 4 hours in the heat and most of the time, parents had to stand...but it was certainly an experience. Kudos to the principal for daring to go through logistical nightmare to materialise the event!

PS: See the parents dozing off toward the 3rd hour? Eh wait, why only the daddies?!

Service

The property agent who was so impressively efficient at first went 'wa lau' on me. That took the cake. When he found out we were 'slowing down' and not likely to sign the exclusive form with him, he got really aggressive. Whoa bugger, composure!

Strike 1...game over.

House-Viewing

Our first house-viewing...I mean flat-viewing. :P

It was overwhelming to realise we were actually doing it. I never imagined one event would lead to another. It was more of getting the hang of it, understanding what to look out for. It would be really near the school...and it's back to the East where I grew up. :)

OK, hopefully within 2 years...

Papaya Enzyme

Beginning of this year, my company organized a trip for the staff to visit TiTi Eco Farm and since then, most of my female colleagues got hooked with a product they were selling - papaya enzyme powder - due to a wide range of benefits it is believed to offer (of course the top attraction for most of them was weight loss...but really.....!!!).

Undaunted, unfazed, disinterested (one of them described the smell as that of vomit) for months, I finally decided to try after hearing so many of them rave and rant its benefits, so early this morning, marked my debut. It didn't taste and smell badly although there was still some getting used to.

I just don't want to battle with constipation anymore!

Home Schooling

My colleague bounced to my desk and chirped: "Good news! Our application is approved..."

He and his wife still belong to the minority which decides to homeschool their children. It's a huge commitment afterall and also not easy to qualify (I understand one of the spouses must not hold a full-time job and given the rising cost of living, please tell me how many of such people can afford to do so?!).

I'm very envious though in 2 aspects - they had the CHOICE and they went ahead with it and...they will have so much more time with their child! I see my colleagues so much more than my family!!!

True Blue Singaporean

Reference to an online news today, M and I are becoming a rare breed.

Wow, 30 years ago, who woulda thought? Worrying....

Random (again)

Gardenia's raisin buns with melted Laughing Cow's cream cheese is the best combination ever!

Yes I'm still at it...

Congratulations, Michy!

At 4pm, I received an sms - 1 sentence - bearing a significant news. It is official - Michy is engaged! :)

From the beginning when it was turbulent with what's-the-bastard's-name till today, I dare say I was there in tune with her emotions and the details. The journey was indeed long and treacherous but it wasn't in vain. It shows good things do happen to good girls.

This is the beginning of another (big) chapter of your life, gal...Congrats my friend.

Blast from the Past

15 years ago, I knew this person when I was looking for tuition assignment to earn extra personal allowance. Then we realised we were admitting into the same faculty in university and decided to join the same orientation camps and take the same modules.

I'm not sure how we let ourselves graduate without exchanging contact numbers. Then emails were not popular, much less cell phones with text-messaging service.

Today I spoke to Lisa again. She married the guy she was with back then, have 3 kids now and still sounds the same, remembering many significant details of my life.

Random

I wonder why people instinctively make the clucking sound to a baby (up to 15 months?). It's irritating.

P1 Registration

Let me update: the phone call did come. The waiting is done. The registration is completed and now the result is to arrive by tomorrow.

The outcome will lead to a significant change, actually, there are a few alternatives but they are all the same in that they point to one thing - COST.

Scary...

Clean Up Your Act

When did we last have the anti-littering campaign? You see, if we had, then citizens have truly forgotten to apply.

Walking along the usual path to the train station this morning, I was flanked on both sides with LITTER. I do see cleaners at work but I guess the rate at which rubbish is thrown is way faster than it takes for them to clean up!

Yums~~~

Perhaps it's because sis is not in Singapore now and thanks to this, mom finds the energy to whip out her best singular asset - cooking!!!

It was sis' birthday and how best to celebrate it but at home with the whole family over great Cantonese dishes (inclusive of one of her many signature soups)?

The picture doesn't even justify!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SIS!!!

Moo Moo

I am in love...with Laughing Cow's cream cheese! One wedgie per day...

Le Treebird

Wassat again??!!?

Well, my uber-creative friend (which I think so...yes WL, I think so) has struck. This time in the form of e-entrepreneurship, a path trodded by many. I like the way her web-store is laid out and the way her items are named.

With a huge penchance for green bean soup, one can easily guess I'm buying the strap!

Go check it out yourself :)

From Downunder

Sis returns for a business meeting but not without a family dinner! And Tim Tams!

The Waiting Game

I hate waiting for The Phone Call. I thought only those involved in the dating game get to go through this agony, wondering if the guy/lady will contact you for that 1st or subsequent date. NO! As it turned out, M and I are still 'in the game', but a different one.

Torturous...

Ouch...

If you think your life sucks, wait till you wake up with a stiff neck, then you'll find that things spiral down pretty much from there.

Primary One Registration Exercise

The current bane of most pre-schoolers' parents' existence started yesterday. I am referring to the nation's widely-publicized P1 Registration Exercise.

WHICH PRIMARY SCHOOL WILL BECKS END UP IN?????????????????

I hate myself for believing this is the most important thing in my life right now. 2 decades ago, parents did not place an ounce of emphasis on elementary school. As long as the school was near home, nothing else matters.

Today, we shift house, we do volunteer work (school or GRC), we try to know the 'right people', etc. all in an attempt to admit your child into that primary school which has been branded to be coveted.

Truly in every aspect of life, there is a Louis Vuitton that we hope for.

The Sneetches

I love this story. It's still difficult to explain to Becks, not yet 6, the meaning of discrimination. But I tried my best...and wanted her to know that if we discriminate, it becomes our weakness and there will be people out there who can detect and take advantage of it.

How does a parent impart emotional intelligence and grade the quotient?

The Incredible Hulk

Liv Tyler has a truly beautiful face but her dialogue, being so plain and flat made her irritating throughout the movie.

Edward Norton, Edward Norton, Edward Norton...just watch it for him. :P

A Robotic Lover

Today I'm really free at work (and because I want to make such bold declarations in my blog, NOT a single colleague knows about this blog of mine!) so my mind (and finger) explored online news until I came across this disturbing article.

I know the world has gotten more liberalized and hence, paradoxically more complicated but a robot as one's sexual lover????? In 2050, my kids will still be in their 40s only. The girl in her sexual peak (still, right?), the boy....well.... I hope the day does not come when either one of them tells me: "Mummy, I would like you to meet my Wall-E. Press F1 to communicate in English, F2 in Mandarin...."

The One-cent Coin

The coincidence. Yesterday I tried to teach Becks money conversion. She asked what it meant by 100cents being equivalent to $1. So I told her it's 100 of 1-cent coins. She asked me how it looked like and I went to search for one. I couldn't find any at home...and I started to wonder where they had all gone.

Today's article reported contrary to my situation. 600 million are still out there kept by people!
"A penny saved is a penny earned" (Benjamin Franklin?) I guess.

Gal-Bonding Movie

We did it - Mich and I watched SATC on a weekday afternoon! A nice and lazy afternoon...

The cinema was filled with mainly females (expected) and 'victims of torture' (the females' boyfriend/husband/BMF).

A Thousand Splendid Suns

Undaunted by embarrassment arising from my own public emotional display, I had reserved online Hosseini's next book. I received notice that the book is ready for collection from the library today. Easy peasy!

Another Debut

We did it! Becks and I played a duet to My Heart Will Go On on the piano. Niceeeeeeeeeee...

A Day Out!

One really doesn't need to drive, spend much money to bring kids to the latest attractions during the school holidays.

Without M, I managed my 2 active troops well and took them to another New Town on a double-decker bus. Seated on the upper deck right in front, they excitedly took in all sights in the fullest view for 3o minutes. When we returned home, we took the MRT, travelling from one end of the island to another, changing platforms. I tried to make it more interesting and educational with my best of explanation and knowledge of things they observed.

On the way home, a blind man alighted at the same bus-stop with us. With nobody else available and heading the same direction, we helped him with his walking cane to his place. Becks, as usual, asked a lot of questions about him after we parted. I took the chance to help her understand about helping 'helpless strangers' and what can be defined as a good samaritan.

It was such fruitful 'excursion'...to me. I hope the troops felt the same way too, simply based on time well-spent with their mommy. :)

How to Say No Without Really Saying No

I think I saw a book with the above title under the Self-Improvement Section in a bookstore before...and remember scoffing at it, convinced it was 200 pages of bullsh*t.

Now, I'm not so sure anymore. It might contain tips which I might find handy in my daily work life now!

In the meantime, just beat it.................................!!!

And the point being...?

Did you read the article in yesterday's The Straits Times about a mother of a 6-year-old who packed her preschooler with courses and tuition during the school holidays? At the end of the article, she was quoted as saying that her girl could at least read secondary level essays now.

I'm wondering what her main objective is. Maybe 10 years on, she'll be interviewed again and the insane mother would proudly declare: "Victoria can now understand NASA reports at 1st glance and decode the Zodiac."

Randomness vs Organization

"Randomness is very difficult to achieve. Organization always merges back if you don't pay attention..."

- The Science of Sleep
(a must-see for its quirks)

Board Game Debut

My troops and I had our first game of Snakes 'N' Ladders together.

Chocolatey Heaven

Had a nice overdued lunch with DDD. She gave me a 'bag of heaven' which came in the form of numerous golden balls of F. Roche chocolates.

Yes I will remember to share with my troops!

PTM 2008

The feedback from their teachers was heartwarming. There is nothing to worry about my troops' academic progress and physical & mental development and I am very thankful for this blessing.

Apparently Becks has been extending her 'big sister' nature even outside home. She has been especially sensitive towards a new student who has difficulty in catching up especially in English (he is a Filipino) so she highlighted his problem to the teachers. She had also been observed to ensure this boy had his lunches properly.

As for Mong, well well, his 'best friend' appears to be a really sweet big-eyed girl called Nixie.
Kids start young in a lot of areas, don't they?

Iron Man

Didn't like it.

But make-up does wonders. I didn't realise Robert Downey Jr. can look so handsome.

Are you Black-berrized?

I've gotten addicted to Mr Bean's cheese pancake. It's all I ever think about, at each waking moment whenever my stomach is near growling.

Talk about addiction, I didn't catch the sample population that the survey had taken but I heard that "67% of the people brought their Blackberry into the toilet". 3 decades in this world and so much has changed. Makes me wonder what people will bring another 3 decades from now.

Happy Birthday

My papa turns 64 today...

The Kite Runner

I'm halfway through with the book. Thanks to WL's persistent recommendation (again), I finally plucked it up from the libary. God only knows how many times my eyes have grown swollen with tears. I better control myself or stop reading it in public!

Racism...NOT!

It's almost a daily ritual that the troops head downstairs to play with their good friends after their nap. After a month, I realised that it may not be such a good idea afterall. It turns out that their affable full-time caregiver, their paternal grandma is a RACIST. Honestly, there is nothing more worrying for me than to have my kids exposed to racism.

It's definitely retrogression!

Family Dinner

Sis came over for dinner and as usual, it was a fantastic meal cooked by Mrs Lee filled with the biggest and freshest fish and many different types of mushrooms. This is just a stop-over; she leaves on Thursday for the 2nd major chapter of her life...in Sydney.

As Easy As ABC?

Miffy: A...."aeh"...what begins with A? Apple? Ae....
Mong: Advertisement.
Miffy: ???!!!!

Miffy: C...it has 2 sounds. "K" and "Ce"....
Mong: Cotton! Cylinder!
Miffy: ???!!!!

I am guessing he picked those up from Nursery.

The "C"s

It's Facebook News again. Only recently did I realise there are close to 200 albums posted by my list of friends which are available for viewing. So I have gotten a bit more busy during office hours. :P

One of them caught my eye. She must be doing very well, featuring all the "C"s she has achieved - Car, Condo, Cash, Couture (bags, shoes, a glass case filled with jewellery?!) - but I wonder if it is a fine line between vaunting and sharing. WHAT IS YOUR POINT?

Bad Habit

I realised I have another perpetual bad habit besides nail-biting (this is old news).
Friends will know I love to snack. After a meal, there's definitely stomach for more things sweet. Whenever I enter a confectionary/hawker centre, I'll buy so many different pieces that there are bound to be left-overs, placed in the fridge...and then they are forgotten until....................

Catching-Up

I forget how nice it can get to chat with a friend at my place across the dining table, over pies and tea. These days we keep using the ones at Starbucks or some chic cafes.

See you again soon, :B. Try to make your return yearly.

Sight & Sound

I know we should love our fellowmen but I can't help observing them more closely and criticizing them. 2 Chinese women are often seen at the playground downstairs my place. 1 talking loudly over her cellphone, seated on the bench with her legs wiiiide apart (airing?!) and another once seen plucking her armpit hair (cheap and easy grooming?!).

Talk about 2 of our 5 senses assaulted. Ewww!

Pronunciation

I love to listen to CF, my company's HR Senior Manager pronounce some words: "children", "twelve".

Picture her, all serious-looking, not so-badly dressed, armed with a degree (and soon, MBA), fluent in English, Mandarin, Japanese and Hainanese, asking a candidate: "So do you have any chew-ren? How long have you worked? Chelve years?"

Proper pronunciation...It can make or break your image too. Back to basics, woman!

Undomestic Me

Jun, our domestic worker, finally left for The Philippines on 2 May midnight. Apprehension leading to this day has been built up, resulting in some nights of fitful sleep - I kid you not!

But I'm glad for the 'opportunity'. Since I had Becks, I have never done without a maid so the thought of doing everything domestic, ESPECIALLY cooking* freaks me out. You can't blame me. Since Home Economics at age 14, I have not even fried an egg. Vivid memories of my teacher giving criticisms over my Bombay Toast still haunt me.

So day 5 and counting...but certainly surviving well.

* Porridge on Sat was a disaster. Thanks to M, for his sensitive palate and rescue!

Resolution

I must scream at Becks less.............................. :P