Welcome 2012

The start of a new chapter, or the continuation of many great chapters? Either one, staying positive, keeping time in check and schedules on track help seize each day.  May everyone have a super wonderful Twenty Twelve!

Hyacinthus

From Christmas to New Year, then to Chinese New Year, not to mention SW entering Primary School and the adjustments to the various routines, it's been a hectic beginning of Twenty 11!  Nevertheless, it is just as important to indulge myself with the little pleasures of everyday life - trying an indoor plant, the Hyacinthus (丰信子).

It was by chance during the Lunar New Year shopping at Chinatown that I came across the bulbs.  Being rather risk adverse in handling 'a new life', I tried to get as much information as I could from the old lady boss who had every good thing to say about the plants that I became skeptical.  Questions like:

"How long will they last?"
"When will they bloom?"
"Will the flowers wither before Chinese New Year Eve?"
"How long will the flowers remain in bloom?"
"Should I pick this one with the flowers or the one without?"
"What about the colour?" There were light pink, darker pink, violet...

For S$15 a pot, I guess I was lingering longer than the average customer.  But I was determined to get one, despite the fact that it was starting to drizzle.

Finally, I picked one that showed buds, with varying heights, and relatively large bulbs.  I didn't want to take the risk of the flowers withering before Chinese New Year Eve as I was expecting relatives over.

 "These plants don't need much watering.  And when you do, just put an ice cube right in the middle. "  Explained the patient old lady boss.

The speed at which the bulbs grew took me by surprise.  The plant was straight up when I brought it home. The following morning, the flower stalk grew several inches and leaned to one side.  I grabbed my camera and followed its bloom.

By first day of Chinese New Year, the flowers were fully bloomed and got so heavy I used a ribbon to keep them together.

Happy Birthdays!

If I ever make notes on my calendar, September would be a month that is filled with birthdays, including my own!

My niece celebrated her 2nd birthday recently at Mcdonald's. It was the first time I attended a birthday celebration at Mcdonald's.

We did not have a tradition of celebrating birthdays except for our grandparents, and as a kid, I have never attended any of my friends' birthday parties. Somehow though, you could roughly figure out how a birthday celebration at Mcdonald's would be with the balloons, games and gifts for the little ones. However, the choice of the outlet made a difference.

The location was at Rideout in Queensway. It has a good playground, a little park for the older kids to roam about, and without a big crowd, space for the adults to sit back and relax, have a bite and catch up on things.

I do not recall when getting presents for kids had become difficult for me. Although there are a lot more variety of toys and merchandise these days, I find it harder to decide on a good present because you do not want to duplicate what the kids already have. Giving money in red packet becomes an option. Fortunately, my 6 year-old helped me decide what to buy for her little cousin.

"We will get her Duplo! We have lots of that in school and she will love them too!" SW says that because he is a fan of Lego. I am very glad that he knows Duplos are for younger children. I thought that was a good choice since CH still plays with them at 4. And the more pieces you have, the bigger things you could build.

Today is LA's 5th birthday. Sis just told me that when we bumped into her and LA on our way to the library.

"CH, today is LA's birthday! Would you like to get her a present?" I asked CH as we went our separate ways, agreeing to meet for lunch later.

"Oh! Yes, mommy!"

"What would you like to get her?" I asked and continued walking, having the least idea what we could get her.

"Why don't we buy her a surprise?"

I laughed, "Surprise isn't an item you can buy, CH!"

I never thought of gifts and surprises that way. Does this 4 year-old really understand what the word surprise mean? What does a surprise look like? Why not? It is the thought that counts, isn't it? All gifts are surprises, aren't they?

On our way home after lunch, CH did not want to part with LA and refused to go home. "Where are we going, mommy?"

"Home, CH, we are going home now." I had to put my foot down.

"Mommy, can we go to LA's Birthday Party?"

I laughed again. Not because LA isn't having a birthday party, but from the earlier 'buy a surprise', CH makes "LA's Birthday Party" sound like a location rather than an occasion!

A Matter of Life and Death

I was with CH at the playground near her school today when an old man who was seemingly taking pictures suddenly fell to the ground about 3 metres behind me. The flop followed by loud groan stopped us short and I turned around to see him lying head back, right between the hard concrete and grass.

He was motionless and when I rushed to his side, his eyes were rolled back with mouth opened. I gasped in horror and shouted for help. "Help! Somebody, please help!"

"Please, don't die," I thought, and called out trying to get the old man's consciousness. CH's school mate's mom asked if we should call an ambulance. I reached for my phone but realized I didn't have it with me. "Please do", I told her.

I continued to shout for help as I had no idea what to do. A slim Indian man in a cap saw us and came running over. He gently held the old man's head up to feel if there was blood. There wasn't. I continued to called out to the old man who looks to be in his 70s, using different languagues - Hokkien, Chinese, English, Teochew..."Are you ok? How are you feeling?" No response.

The Indian man lifted his head up higher with his arm and I put my finger out to feel for the old man's breadth. "He's breathing", I told the Indian man in relief. Just then, the old man started to groan. He seemed to be gaining consciousness but he looked lost. For a moment, I wondered if he could have been drinking. The Indian man put his head back on the ground and said there was a bump on his head. I used CH's bottle holder for him as a pillow so the Indian man could remove his hand.

By then, a few more residents have approached and some recognized him as a fellow Chinese National who lives on the 11th floor and went upstairs to get his family. Initially someone suggested to move him to somewhere cleaner, but no one dared to touch him for fear of head and bone injuries. A lady from a nearby childcare centre came out - possibly the nurse - and we tried to get the old man to lie on his side. I've recently browsed through a first aid book and knew the position, but the old man did not want to turn. After that, we all just waited for the ambulance while the old man, fully conscious, continued to groan in Mandarin and wanted help to get up. Once, I heard him muttering that he was going to die. The neighbours consoled him and told him the ambulance would be there any minute.

CH watched us, not knowing exactly what was happening. She asked why I gave her Hello Kitty bottle holder to the man. She scampered off to the playground and continued playing with her friends and only came back when the ambulance arrived.

The ambulance came with 3 medical assistants. They got a brief description from me what happened and attended to the old man. An Indian lady standing next to the old man said she saw him fall, head back. They asked him where the pain was but did not get any answers from the old man. He just continued to groan when the assistants tried to help him.

Just then, his wife came. When asked, she said her husband does not have any heart diseases or high blood pressure. "He has knee ache. He left the house early today and said he was going to take pictures. Maybe he's tired out." Even the lady medical assistant thought the old man behaviour was rather odd. She got her Chinese colleague to ask the old man's wife if her husband's behaviour was normal. She said she had never behaved like that.

The lady assistant put the old man's camera into his side pocket and they tried to move him up a stretcher. The old man groaned loudly for them to slow down. He seemed to be in great pain.

All of a sudden, the old man wanted to throw up and they got him a plastic bag. As they tried to wheel him to the ambulance, he groaned loudly for them to stop. He said he did not want to go to the hospital. The medical assistants had to stop to convince him to have a thorough check. They could not leave him just like that. "If anything happens to you, we will need to make a police report," said a senior assistant. That seemed to work and the old man was quietly wheeled up the ambulance, accompanied by his wife.

"Don't worry about the medical bills. Your life is more important. Just rest at the hospital for 8 hours and you are free to go home if there is no serious injuries." The senior assistant was saying before the door closed.

I am reminded of how my fourth uncle died after slipping on the bathroom floor. He never ever woke up after that. Once, I hit my forehead really hard on the wall loosing balance whilst trying to help my then 3 year-old son in a public squat toilet - what a place to have an accident - I had a brief moment of blackout and must have lost consciousness for a few seconds, holding on to the walls because it took me a few minutes to remember what had happened and where I was. The pain on my head lasted for days.

Attempt on Oil Pastels

Drawing is such a personal thing, like playing the piano.

Try telling a child "Why don't you do it this way", you get "No, I like it this way!" Or "Why don't you try other colours", you get "No, I like pink and purple!" And the whole picture ends up in a flood of pink and purple.

It is funny how my favourite colour combination used to be pink and purple too. Yeah, you could just go on hours and hours with just pink and purple...

Watching CH drew made my fingers itch, so I picked up the oil pastels while she dipped happily into poster colours.

Finding ideas on what to draw was a challenge, especially when I have not painted in years. I started with CH's face, and it was a disaster. I have never succeeded in portraits. Flipping the paper over, I let my eyes drop from CH's smooth complexion and rosy lips, onto the bright yellow tweety bird on her T-shirt. So there goes the tweety bird, and my first attempt using oil pastels.

What amazed me was the smoothness of the oil pastels - and it wasn't even a branded set. Although it was rather messy and all other colours went onto the yellow, it was truly fun! I worked with my fingers on the blending, and the background colour came as a surprise to me - a bright turquoise, which happens to be one of my favourite colours.

"But mommy, the tweety bird is not sitting on the table!" CH was refering to the one on her T-shirt.

"That's all right. I like it this way!"

Indoor 33℃

How to beat the heat at home without switching on the air-conditioner? Other than recycling wastes, doing away with plastic bags, finding ways to save water and electricity, this is the next thing that is becoming part of daily life.

The hottest time at my home is during lunch preparation. Only half of my family is into sandwiches and salads, so I can't avoid the stove entirely. With no breeze coming in from any direction and the fire burning before me, I am a torch myself.

Using the Braun quick-boiling kettle to heat up water for cooking saves me time and cuts down the heat emitted from the stove; drawing the blinds to shield the afternoon sun cools the whole apartment down by about 1.5 degrees; mopping the floor cools it down a further 0.5 degrees (although for a short while if the day is really hot).

Above all, I would give the highest credit to doing laundry in the afternoon. Using the Fisher & Paykel top-load that we've invested in 7 years ago, I would select the 'Permanent Press' option. The entire cycle completes in about 20 to 25 minutes with time reduced in spinning. The clothes finish up pretty wet but without dripping. I would hang the clothes indoor, and that lowers the temperature by 1 to 2 degrees. When dry, the clothes fold like they have just been ironed - and yes, I save from ironing too.

With the fan on at top speed, my temper could still go up - that's before someone rings the doorbell (a welcomed guest!) and I gladly give myself the excuse to turn on the air-conditioner!

How am I going to survive global warming?

Uninterrupted Play

Yelling "go do this" and "go do that" at the kids can become habitual unless one stops to look at what the kids are up to before doing so.

Enjoying a cookie by the window on a lazy afternoon, behind the blinds, away from mommy's prying eyes...I couldn't bring myself to spoil their moment.

Useful Bins

For some reason, the 'recycling men' have stopped their door-to-door pickups and we have to drop our recycling waste in the central collection container a few blocks away. Yet, separating waste has become a habit for us.

The accumulation of the recycling waste has become quite an eyesore, although it is tucked in a corner of my kitchen.

A recent find at IKEA brought such a neat solution that I decided to post a picture of it here. I use the lowest bin as my laundry basket and the top two as my recycle bins. The optional wheels also make it easier for me to clean the floor.

Love it!

Easter Camp

As if we did not have enough of each other, our three families have gathered again for an overnight camp over Good Friday at East Coast Park.

It was a risk choosing to camp during the wet season. Nevertheless, luck was on our side. The day was bright and sunny and I spotted a cloud with silver-lining. As I worked on taking the best shot, the cloud evolved into the side profile of a child with head tilted upwards.

The different shades of blue was even more spectacular when I went through the zoomed-in pictures. You could almost visualize it turning into a piece of watercolour painting...

Lady Moon was shy when I finally settled down after barbecue to take a picture of her.

Lying on my stomach in the tent, I had never felt so close to Mother Earth. It was the ground, solid ground that laid under me, not another layer of concrete or 10 other floors below me - did not matter that it is reclaimed land. I felt disoriented twice in the tent due to the slightly uneven ground, nearly falling on the kids who finally decided to rest around midnight.

Key Changes in 2010

Since the start of year 2010, I don't seem to be able to find time to blog. A glance at my Chinese horoscope reveals a good year ahead, from health to wealth, while prediction from another astrologer says there is likely to be some 'disturbances' and the best thing is to have more rests and spend more time with loved ones instead of trying to be productive. I think the latter is working well for me, and the signs are showing - I am slowing gain weight. Ha!

Key changes this year:

• No more free school bus rides for SW, so I have to walk him to school.
• CH's nursery is in the morning, and her school is a farther distance away than last years'.
• More little projects to work on.
• More outdoor activities for the kids in our hope to prevent (or delay) myopia.

That's all I have time for since my last entry a month ago! I can't believe this.

(Above: Temple outside Chinatown, Singapore)

Little Notes of Memory

My little notes of memory - they're pathetic!

About a year after SW was born, I started taking little notes to remind myself of his special moments. They are quick notes that I can make any day and any time on any piece of paper, and just pop it into any containers.

5 years later, the glass that I had used to contain the notes are less than half-filled. It had been a mistake on my part to collect them in a fragile container (as I had to keep it away) and in a closed bookshelf. It was a sheer out-of-sight, out-of mind!

I've decided to discard the notes and jot them in my blog since now that I have transfered my little notes of memory here.

Here are the notes in non-chronological order:

6-Sep-2005:

SW pretended the remote control was the phone.

23-Jun-2005:

SW spoke his first sentence in English today,"Ma ma, I see a truck!"

26-Jun-2005:

Last week, SW pointed to the crab in his colouring book and said "Crab". He paused for a moment and continued, "mum-mum" (as in yum yum!) Then, he pointed to an umbrella in the same book and started singing, "雨伞， 雨伞， 亮晶晶”！

02-Dec-2005

SW said a complete sentence in Chinese today, pointing to his tricycle, "妈妈， 你陪我踏”！

22-Aug-2005

SW loves to cuddle his Charity Bear to sleep and carries it with him around the house too. It's his favourite friend!

(And to know he's still so fond of it now at age 6!)

28-Sep-2005:

SW said, “妹妹” for the first time today upon seeing the new born Lee Ang (cousin).

06-Sep-2005:

SW laughs every time I say the word "Avocado". I'd exaggerate it sometimes and he loves it. Didn't want me to stop. He tried to utter the word, but came nothing close!

09-09-2005:

Dad said SW showed signs of jealousy when he carried Lee Jiah (cousin). SW scrambled into Dad's arms to be carried too!

On hindsight, if I had kept up with the habit of popping in bits of notes more regularly, it might have turned into a priceless gift to my child one day. It's those little things you'd miss in videos and pictures, yet similarly meaningful to both mother and child...

Dedication to All Expecting Mothers

I am fond of congratulating expecting mothers. In fact, I tend to get too fond of it that I end up embarrassing everyone.

Dedicated to all expecting mothers

(Art: side view of a an expecting mother at 38th week of gestation)

To an ex-colleague, "So, are you expecting another one?"

"No, not yet, my daughter's only 8 months old!"

If that did not sound so awkward, try this:

(In the lift)

"Expecting soon?"

"No, diabetes!"

"Oh dear! I am so sorry!"

How was I to know, goodness me, the lady's belly swelled like she was going to deliver anytime, and she moved so slowly while her husband held her arm with such concerned and loving gaze...but truly, my ignorance what diabetes could do to you.

I suppose seeing pregnant women make me feel good and happy because of my two blessed pregnancies. Usually, I tend to over-work and move around a lot. Carrying a new life with me forced me to slow down, rest more and eat more. With no morning sickness or swelling feet, coupled with backaches and breathlessness that were overcome by forgetfulness, pregnancy to me equals blissfulness. So, please forgive me if I had embarrassed you...I was hoping to rub on some of my prior feeling of blissfulness.

"Are you expecting?" I couldn't help asking again.

"No, it just hasn't gone down.."

Oh no. Not again! I will hold my tongue from now on... or just smile if could not help it!

Memories to Keep

A new school term has begun. SW is in his second year of Kindergarten and CH in Nursery, her first year in a new school. Both their birthdays fall at the beginning of the year, which means they are soon a year older - another reminder that they are no longer babies... Nevertheless, it pains me less to cherish the memories than to wish I could hold on to them... that's what keeps me writing and taking videos and pictures.

The all-new PCF uniform from Punggol East

I admire and adore the scrapbooks that some mothers make. Give me a scrapbook magazine and I'd drool all over it. I used to hoard things thinking I could make something out of them, but I'd collect more stuff than I had time to make. I try to be more rational now that I am married with children because not only do you need to find good spots around the house to display your works, you'd also need to organize the left-over materials lest they become the eyesore of another.

Yesterday afternoon, while CH got totally knock out after her first day of school, sleeping a rare 4 hours, opportunity arose for me to do scrapping. I attempted a close substitute which took up only virtual space, whether to make or to display.

Blogs are such memory keepers!

All the Time in the World

So much has been said about not having enough time and that life is short. Watching 2012 is certainly a consolation!

While vacation is coming to an end soon for most kids, it only began about 2 weeks ago for SW who attends full-day childcare. Although his school is still on until 31st December, I decided to let SW take the last 2 weeks off, enjoying the privileges of having more time to himself.

Having both kids at home during the day means I will be the only one without a vacation and loosing the weight I've been trying hard to gain. But putting the priorities right is important - so I made it a point to take leave too by staying away from my computer and sitting down with the kids - even it means watching Winx!

Nearly every other day of the year, we have to get up early, rush to get everything done within the shortest time possible, following a time-table that is set for us or one we've set for ourselves whilst being as productive as we can. I wonder - if Albert Einstein had led a life like ours, would he have had the opportunity to observe how light reflects and refracts while he sat with his sister, looking out into the lake? Would Galileo have had a minute to observe how a ceiling lamp swings back & forth and measured it against his own pulse?

"Mommy, do I have to go to school tomorrow?" SW has been asking me everyday since the start of his precious 2 weeks.

"Mommy, why don't we take the stairs instead?" SW liked to ask me when the lift took ages to land on our floor when we were running short of time. At the start of his holiday, I gave him the privilege of time to understand why by allowing him to climb the 11 flight of steps Up.

Kids have their special moments when it comes to sharing their thoughts. I appreciate having the time to listen and answer his questions at breakfast without having to worry about the school bus and at supper without having to rush him off to bed for school the next day.

HM and I aren't the happiest person to have SW at home. Being born with sibling makes CH naturally more sociable than her brother, and is in more need of attention. Doing things with her brother makes her happy and more settled, somehow. Although she enjoys dabbling paints with me, doing it with her brother is more fun. So I gave them the time in the world to do the things they want minus my nagging.

Taking time to paint a clay magnet the way they want it - as the saying goes - "Ya can't rush art!" (from Toy Story)

Last night, SW asked me again, "Mommy, do I have to go to school tomorrow?" When I said no, he continued, "When I wake up tomorrow morning, can you tell me I have no school so I can go back to sleep?"

I know exactly how that feels, my dear child. To have all the time in the world to do what you want and to rest enough...

As the year comes to an end, here's wishing everyone:

All the Time in the World

to do what you want to do and

to have the rest that you truly deserve!

Happy, Happy New Year!

The Power of Letting Go

It is amazing how when you finally let go of something , better things come along.

After decades of working in the same company, Cousin Angeline decided to step out of her comfort zone. The new journey provided her with inner peace and gave root to a new hobby - balloon sculpting.

I never knew what balloons could do until I saw the pictures she posted in her Facebook. [I've added images of her works related to Christmas]

"I started out making simple ones like poodles after watching a clown at it in a shopping centre. After some time, I got tired of making the same ones, so I decided to take up a two-day training at a local community centre and learnt the basics. From there, it became easier to pick up other designs from books."

"How long does it take for you to memorize a design?" Cousin Angeline obviously wasn't referring to any books as she worked on the Santa Claus for CH.

"On average, I'd do twice of the same design with reference. Thereafter, I'd usually be able to remember the steps".

We gathered at mom's place so our kids could play together during the vacation. I know CH likes balloons, but I was surprised she stood to watch till the sculptures were completed. Watching Cousin Angeline at work, you realize balloon sculpting takes passion, patience, and creativity, a lot like any other form of art. Uniquely though, because of their short life span - up to 7 days, these works are meant to be given away. Hence, above all else, you need to have the love of giving. For the kids, they have to learn to accept that unlike other toys, you can neither keep nor collect them...

New prospects are opening up for Angeline, currently a stay-home mom, for teaching balloon sculpting, concert decorations & other events, social work...

Amazing isn't it? The joy of giving up a job and finding a life! Merry Christmas, everyone!

Classic Bob

It is a privilege to have a haircut by an expert. It is a rare opportunity to have it done for free. I had that privileged last night.

I've been a hair model several times, as favours, for exam purposes. However, being a hair model for a demonstration is another matter. When I finally got all my financial statements out of the way at 6pm, I was glad I agreed to the haircut. "It will be a collar-length cut". I was told in layman's term by the trainee now turned trainer.

As the 20 trainees and trainers took their seats, I was careful about meeting anyone in the eye, trying to hide my awkwardness. I was a silent observer and was contented to be so. When the demonstration began, I felt more relaxed as attention was focused on the job.

Terms like 'hair density', 'hair texture', 'jumpy hairline', 'sectioning', were like new music to my ears. Given the kind of environment, I'd be an active learner who'd ask lots of questions. But I was the model, and I wasn't expected to be asking questions. It was a free lesson for me to learn how to cut my 3 year-old's hair!

The style is called The Classic Bob. It is precise without layers. There is variation of shorter fringe. On naturally straight hair, it is one of the easiest hairstyles to manage!

Here's a quick illustration to show you my final hair-cut.

Watching Fireworks at Home

What a treat before National Day! The kids fell asleep in the living room while waiting for it to begin, so we couldn't go downstairs to get a good view. The first year they had fireworks so close to our home, it was New Year countdown and I was already in bed. I thought it was gunfire...and I continued sleeping, while my husband watched alone without waking us up!!

I don't remember ever seeing this type of fireworks - managed to get a clear take. Is it called a Spiral?