Headache, Headache

Thanks to my many friends who've offered good and kind tips in handling Battleship Pi-a-no and other battles. Truth is, the knock on the head was quite hard and it aggravated the already existing migraine. So, good news:

I WAS ON MC TODAY!!!

It was great having some time by myself. Just needed it at times.

Thanks to my dear friends, once again. You're all swell, guys!!!

Battlestar Pi-a-no

In case my blogger friends think that I only write about rosy things of my kids, I'd confess that not everything is bright and beautiful.

Like yesterday, I nearly vomitted blood teaching Faith the piano. In fact, getting her to the piano has been so difficult, I had to pray real hard not to burst into anger. She finally started and we hadn't gone far with When The Saints Go Marching In, she sulked and whined loudly that I stopped her. Started to kick her legs on the piano too.

MS: Why, darling? We hardly started.
F: You keep stopping me halfway, I told you I wanted to continue.
MS: But you can't continue because you played the note wrongly three times.
F: But, but, why did you STOP ME?
MS: Ay, don't shout at Mama. Look, practice doesn't make perfect ok, it makes permanent. If you play wrongly, then you'll be permanently wrong! @#*!!

She walked off. I walked off. Gave a loud scream myself, and went to my bedroom. Plunged onto my bed and KAABOOM! Knocked my head on the bed head. Silly old bed! Silly Mummy! Silly! Silly! Why get so upset over the song, or the wrong note for that matter? Can die!

Went out to grab her while she struggled.

MS: Look here. I have not given up you, ok? If I did, I would have sold off the piano long time ago or put the piano fees for my use, you understand? Can you get back and we'll start again.

Thank God she responded. If she didn't, I would have knocked myself again.

I sat behind her now on the piano bench. Tried not to go too close in case I go "kee seow"! She managed with that bit of distance from me. And she played it all. Without stopping. A bit of struggling. But no more interference from me. Whew!

I won't go on about Grace's piano practice time. But the rage with Faith was enough to give me a headache for the rest of the evening.

Kids - they're great. Especially for battles.

Tic Tag Toe III

Since work has been really heavy the past few weeks, a tag is a welcome relief in that I don't have to crack my head for a new topic. Thanks to Diva, our wonderful scientist with a great food diary, I'm tagged for lots of "fours".

4 jobs you've had in your life:
- Teacher
- Part-time Receptionist after 'A' levels in IT firm
- Admin Officer in Melbourne University to support myself and phone bills
- Communications Manager in various industries: fashion, retail, hospitality, exhibitions, shipping and education. Still one today. (Wah, like sharing my resume..)

4 movies you could watch over and over:
- Les Miserable (the musical)
- Pride & Prejudice (old & new version), Sense & Sensibility, Emma & all of Jane Austen's
- The Professional
- Seven

4 TV shows you love(d) to watch:
- The Great White Tower (Cool Jap show much like ER)
- Seinfeld
- Mad About You
- Bewitched

4 places you've lived:
- Melbourne
- Lahore & Karachi, Pakistan
- Pasir Ris
- Farrer Road

4 places you've been on vacation to:
- Most of Australia & Malaysia
- Tokyo
- San Francisco
- Bintan

4 places you would rather be: (anywhere with Hubby)
- Tasmania (best sights I've ever seen)
- Yosemite Mountain
- Italy
- Yi Village in Xinjiang

4 of your favourite foods:
- Chicken Rice (all time favourite)
- Chocolate ice cream
- Custard Bread Pudding
- Tiramisu ,-)

4 of your favourite beverages:
- Tea
- Ribena
- Horlicks
- Water

4 (or more) websites you visit daily:
- asiaone.com
- Blogs, esp those from the Stalker Gang
- realitytvtalk.com
- crossdaily.com - Bible Trivia pages

4 tagged
- Mike (sorry, you're my fave "taggee")
- Leonard
- Ricket
- Jase

Eh, try, leh, quite fun!

Election Fever Video Podcast

Apart from Idol Fever hotting up in Singapore, a major event that's gaining heat is the General Elections. When? We don't know. But very soon.

Those of you who know Singapore well enough will know we are quite an apolitical lot. Talk a lot, but also no action type. Because the results are always predictable even before the elections begin, most Singaporeans don't get too involved.

But two of Singapore's top local bloggers have produced their first ever video podcast on the elections. Mr Brown and Mr Miyagi had me ROTF cos their satirical depiction is so, so hilarious. Watch it for a good laugh!

Food, Fun & Sax

This past week, we celebrated Hubby's birthday. It was a week long celebration with food, fun and sax.

Apart from the huge family celebration at Jack's Place last week, I brought him to the Olive Tree Restaurant at Hotel Intercontinental. Actually, he booked it cos he wanted to show kids the colours of mediteranean food. Well, kids had good fun along the stairs.


On his actual birthday mid-week, we went to PS Cafe at Harding Road, along Dempsey Road. The ambience was perfect as it was against an English setting, with dusk seeping through the long glass windows. I didn't manage to take much of the food, but the setting surpasses the food regardless.


As though the celebrations were not enough, we went for the Kenny G concert last night at Max Pavilion, Singapore Expo. Hubby used to play the saxophone so Kenny G was important to him. But Kenny's first concert in Singapore was the weekend of our wedding, while his second trip was when I was about to give birth to Grace. Now that kids are a tad older, we are ready to enjoy concerts without kids. The pictures are all in Hubby's phone camera so I'll have to wait for him to download.

With so much food the past week, I know what my Hubby is doing now - working off the pounds on the girth!

Well, Hubs, here's looking at you! Happy birthday, and God bless you bountifully!

Singapore Mummy Idol

Idol fever is hot now in Singapore, with American Idol just aired over mid-week, and Singapore Idol promoting its upcoming auditions.

Kids and I were happily having a chill out night watching AI, which was interspersed with loads of ads for Desperate Housewives.

Faith asked what "desperate" meant and why some ladies in the trailers were naked. "Disgusting!" she said.

After a while, I asked her what she thought of Mama joining the Singapore Idol. Thick-skinned Mama.

F: I don't want you to, Ma.
MS: Oh, why not? Don't you want me to be on TV too, like the American Idol?
F: Nooooo, I don't want you to. I want you to be at home with me and not be like the Desperate women on TV.

My dear kid - her sense of proprietary is far superior than her mother's. I was just joking with Faith, of course. I can't even make it for Lin Peh's Online White Christmas (Sing Song Project), you'd think I'll have the guts to face the whole of Singapore?

Still, I checked the age limit for Singapore Idol. It said below 30 only. There goes even the last iota of hope.

But Faith's answer pleased me very much. It was worth more than any Idol fame can bring. I hugged and hugged her. *Muah*

Comfort Lady

Despite the lower prices of cars these days in Singapore, it's a fact that cars are just too expensive to own. Though we just got our new Toyota WISH, I still need to commute by public transport daily to work, cos Hubby starts too early and his workplace is way off.

Taking the easy way out, I hail a cab everyday, the blue COMFORT type, from the NTUC co-operatives. A trip from where I live (south west) to my office in Ang Mo Kio (north) will cost $10 at least. If I were to take a cab five days a week, and make a return trip, it'll cost me $400 a month. Still, it'll be cheaper than owning a car and pay a monthly premium of at least $500. That was what I paid when we tried running a second-hand 2nd car at home previously.

My friend calls me the Comfort Lady. I told her it's the price I pay for not being sweaty on the bus or train, or for having to stand up too long, fighting with the crowds. It's the small comfort I pay for myself.

Some may mock me for being pampered, but at least to me, it feels good to be a Comfort Lady. Not the comfort ladies who soothe soldiers during war time, but a working mother who deserves some comfort, esp amidst the morning rush for kids.

Pink SUN-day

Just felt cheerful today cos the sun came up and my clothes no longer smell of fungus from damp, undried clothes. It's rained so hard and long the past week, the mood was getting blue.

And since the mood is up now, I felt I wanted to be pretty in pink. So just for a brief while, I decided on a colour change for this blog.

It's not always that a Mother Superior can choose a colour other than black. But since I'm not a nun, PINK is the order for today, and for a while.

Happy SUN-day!

Cookies & Bonding

Chinese New Year is round the corner and as always, MIL makes some yummy cookies for friends and relatives. Her first attempt at my new micro-convection oven was Almond Peanut Cookies.

Oooh, the smell of almond was quite heavenly as it pervaded the whole house. When it was all done, the taste was 'superlicious' and Faith and I ate more than we helped eventually.

Still, I think the cookies were not brown enough and that's because of the effect of a micro-convection oven. The microwave part doesn't brown well.

In any case, I thought it was wonderful for Faith to bond with Grandma in a fitting tradition of baking CNY cookies.

Want some almond peanut cookies?

Half Man, Half Woman

At dinner time today at my Mum's house, Grace, my second daughter, posed an interesting question, with a slightly intellectual look. She is, after all, Primary One now, and has just started the 'whirl' of school.

G: Mama, can a person be born half man, half woman?
MS: (Shocked at this loaded question) Why do you ask?
G: I mean, you said that Mr Tumnus (from Narnia) is not real, so if half man, half animal is not real, then what about half man, half woman?

Whoa! Try answering that. I know I tread on dangerous ground in revealing my answer, but my Bible-believing faith insists that God had created only full man, or full woman.

MS: If anyone thinks he is born half man, half woman, he is highly confused and does not understand why God created humans. After all, God said "Very Good" after He created Adam.

My Mum, who was nearby and was given a simple translation by moi, said jokingly that that person is 'ting-tong'. Grace burst into laughter and ate her dinner.

I felt I was facing a tough ordeal with my kids' questions. My own take is that God has created perfect beings - both man and woman, in all its fullness, after God's image. But since sin came into the world, genes have been mutated and changing environments have harmed the perfect body, such that a person can be born deformed, even with both female and male private parts. We call that person a hermaphrodite. The result of mutated genes creating deformed bodies is so real that I have actually watched a documentary of a boy in China in such a dilemma.

My gut tells me my answer to Grace should be absolute as she is a young child. But the need to explain the realities of the world today, without deviating from the fundamental teachings of the Bible, is just as important. Not that I am cheating her with half truths, but rather, I feel compelled to present her with foundational beliefs and knowledge before she takes on more advanced knowledge.

Then again, it's not everyday that one can answer such a question. Perhaps her question is wrong in the first place, or rather, it should have an extended question to ask not just "can a person be", but "how is it possible".

Yet again, I have to understand she is barely seven and I can only provide her with answers that she can abosrb. As it is, I, too, have a hard time explaining these issues to myself.

And now, here's a scary picture for some thought.

Neighbourhood Watch

In high rise Singapore, a lot of apartments can get easily broken into, esp flats of young couples who work in the day and are not back till much later in the evening. Flats with common corridors are most proned to breaking in. Those who are blessed with good neighbours, esp those senior citizens who don't have much to do, are saved from much trouble as the good old souls do watch out for the neighbours. I mean, really watched out for, not the "kay poh" nosey sort who do nothing, but spit around.

My MIL is one such soul, who doesn't only look out for others in her block, but even volunteers with the neighbourhood police for voluntary patrolling. Now, this is over and above her contribution in the community and residential work.

Some people call older folks busybodies, but without them, how will communities thrive with vigilant watchdogs?

Cheers to you, Ma, as she looks at her plants before moving out in the evening patrol for an hour or so.

Terrorist Response Drill

This morning, Singapore held its 'largest terror attack response drill'. On a Sunday morning, when most people have already been forwarned.

Bummer! The MRT station selected was the one next to my church, and so the pianist was late for rehearsal. Well, it was raining and the choir practices at 7:10am, so that was tough too.

Thank God he finally made it, or we wouldn't know what to do for Introit and hymns.

Anyhow, back to the drill on Channel News Asia:

Singapore News »
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Time is GMT + 8 hoursPosted: 08 January 2006 0935 hrs
Singapore holds largest-ever terror attack response drill

SINGAPORE: A big civil emergency exercise was held in Singapore on Sunday morning to test the preparedness of various agencies and the public in case of a terror attack in the country. The drill started at 6.25am and lasted till 9.30am.

Codenamed Exercise NorthStar V, it was Singapore's first surprise large-scale civil emergency drill, with 2,000 participants from 22 government agencies taking part and involving the disruption of public train services. The exact date, time and locations of the exercise were kept a secret till minutes before the start of the drill, though the public had been pre-warned of it via media reporting and posters. This is to instil surprise and create a sense of realism to the exercise.

Read more here.

I know, I know, my Malaysian blogger mates and the Stalker Gang will say Singaporeans are too kiasu. I mean, how much realism can there be if the public had been forewarned, and media preparing the hype. In such exercises by the government, everything is a sure success, going by Singapore's meticulous planning style.

But hey, didn't the Londoners practise their bit too until it really happened on 7 July last year? I remember a quote saying they were actually relieved it happened and that the terrorists would hopefully not attack twice. Not so bad luck, you'd think?

One thing's for sure, I'm glad the drill didn't happen on a weekday when moi commutes to work by the MRT train. That'll save me some trouble. I mean, when your time is up, it's up.

And so, there's talk that there'll be a few more exercises this month, likely one in a busy shopping mall. Well, come what may. Like they say, it's not how or why the attacks will happen, it is WHEN they happen.

Will we be prepared, or can we ever be prepared? You tell me.

Tic Tag Toe

Aiyah! Kena tagged again. So better pass on before others get choped or chopped.

The RULES : Remove the Blog in the top spot from the following list and bump everyone else up a notch. Then add your Blog to the bottom spot. (Know what it means?)

1. Between Lambs & Mutton
2. The Life of An Independent Babe
3. My All
4. i s a n y o n e O u t t h e r e !
5. Mother Superior

You then select 5 people to pass the love on to. Yes, only 5, not 15.

1. blur blur (she's such an angel - I wonder if she has bad habits at all)
2. The Diva (I wanna know her new toys esp those on Yahoo auctions)
3. Michael Chua (like to know his bad habits too)
4. Jason (give it a try, Jase! Btw, Jason is a superb pianist!)
5. FishyOct (I'd like to know her)

1. What were you doing ten years ago?
Finishing up studies in Melbourne. Living on long-distance relationship with then BF, but now Hubby

2. What were you doing 1 year ago?
Balancing part-time work

3. Five snacks you enjoy.
1 Custard Bread Pudding - die, die must have in Int'l Buffets
2 Kaya toast with Planta butter and sugar topping - slurp, so fattening!
3 San Cha Paang - Hawthorn round pieces still being sold these days (I steal from my kids!)
4 Rabbit Sweets - love that wax wrapper
5 Long Yoke - Pork 'jerky' sold best during Chinese New Year. In S'pore - Lim Chee Guan brand or Bee Hiang Choon. Needs queueing to get them in Chinatown.

4. Five songs to which you know all the lyrics off your head right now.
This is tough. I mean, who has photographic memory.
1 Amazing Grace (just finished the Japanese ER series with Charlotte Church's version as theme song - now hooked on it)
2 Don't Cry Out Loud by Maureen McGovern or Crystal (?) (wah, so long ago)
3 On My Own by Lea Salonga (in Les Miserables)
4 Mandy by Barry Manilow
5 I Will Survive by Gloria Gaynor

Eh, all these songs were sung in the American Idol before, even though they're kinda' long ago.

5. Five things you would do if you were a millionaire.
1 Pay up my home loan in exorbitant Singapore, and be debt free!
2 Take a break from work and travel - climb the Alps & Yosemite Mountain
3 Invest in Apple and Microsoft
4 Give to Social Concerns Ministries
5 Give to Missions work in Laos and Cambodia (thinking of going there this year with kids, btw, but need to find funds first)

6. Five bad habits.
1 Dig nose in the office
2 Quick-tempered
3 Procrastinate (always)
4 Sit on the toilet throne for too long
5 Blog in the office - oops!!!

7. Five things you like doing.
1 Time with kids, though it lands up with headaches at times
2 Read alone in a restaurant & get stares by others - "poor old hen, no company, no BF"
3 Run, run, run - pretend I'm training for a Marathon
4 Play Scrabble - btw, I am a serious competitive Scrabbler (will write abt it another day)
5 Holidaying with Hubby

8. Five things you would never wear, buy, or get new again.
1 Shoulder pads of the '80s
2 Thick make-up with loads of foundation and pancake powder
3 Gold bracelet or chain - the ah beng type
4 Psychedellic bell-bottom - too big on the bottom
5 Blouses with fluffy sleeves - Alice in Wonderland type

9. Five favourite toys.
1 N70 - just bought one
2 ipaq - don't know how to handle DoPod yet
3 Never owned a Barbie doll when I was young - but wouldn't mind one someday
4 More Scrabble sets ( I have five at home now)
5 Networdz - online version of Scrabble (really cool!)

Ok, give it a try. Don't give up!

Ka Poooooi! 7 Years of Spit

I never thought I'd write something as disgusting as spit, but this story bemused me.

On a talk show last week in S'pore's news radio station, the topic was on tolerating neighbours. A retireee called Michael said his neighbour never fails to spit at the lift landing every morning on his way to work. (Most Singaporeans live in high-rise apartments.) Instead of complaining to the Town Council, Michael sprays water at it everyday to just clear the germs. Occasionally, he would befriend the spit-guy and ask, "Don't know why there are people who love to spit. Do you know who spits here everyday? I have to clean up every morning, well, just to wash the lift landing too, lah."

Not sure if I should say Michael is dumb or kind. Better choose the latter since it's the new year. But seriously, this has been going on for the past SEVEN YEARS! That's a mighty lot of spit! Kaaaaaaaaaaa (roll it in your throat) Pooooooi (and spit it out)!

My tolerance was tested last evening when the lift at my block had a huge pile of spit. I won't describe the colour nor show you the pix - it's disgusting. When will people be more gracious, civil and considerate? No wonder S'pore has to run multiple campaigns - no spitting, no littering, no speeding, no long hair for men (70s), no this, no that... the list will never end!

But the spitting culture, historians say, is a Chinese habit where even today, spitting is a way of life in modern China. And the spittoon is a rich man's furniture, apart from those who do wine-tasting, that is. I think of Chiang Kai Shek (huh?) who ran his cleanliness campaign when he first took over most of China. Instead of nation-building, he ran aesthetics and cleanliness campaigns. A bit off in planning it may be, but I think he was trying to root the irritating habit off before the nation can be civilised.

Spittoons for wine-tasters

Anyhow, I'm still turned off by spitting, esp at lift landings. I can't imagine how Michael could have tolerated this long, but God bless his soul, he makes an effort to wash it off and cleans the lift landing concurrently. Good on him, but no thanks to more spit.

Grace's First Day @ School

My second daughter, Grace, is finally in Primary One. Today was her first day at school. And as a good mama, I took leave to be with her. Not that she needed me much, she's quite an independent lass.

The school has an interesting rule: girls with long hair must have them pleated, not just tied up in rabbit tails. For a poor craftsperson like me, I simply cannot manage tying two girls' hair at a go. I still don't understand why the school implemented the pleats rule. It's just too much of a rush in the morning.

And talking about morning, the routine of waking up at 5:30am is back. Oh, I'm so sleepy from the long day, and it shows in my feeble effort in writing today.

Maybe it was the gossips from parents that amused me. Parents who loitered outside the classrooms were making a running commentary on the teachers.

"Oh, at least she's organised, even though she's a Chinese Language form teacher."

"This teacher can't even get the attention of kids."

"Dull classroom. No effort in decorating the room."

"I wished I had this and that teacher. She's so energetic and enthusiastic."

Poor teachers. Imagine them doing their work while parents stand by to criticise. I did pray for a wonderful teacher for my kids, but I've since learnt to pray for a suitable teacher for my kids instead, one that would fit the nature of the child.

Well, if the girls remain in the same school till they move on to post-secondary, it'll be one decade of waking up early for kids. Now, whaddya call that?

Commitment, darling.

Yawn... time to sleep now.

New Year, New Toys

It's the new year now, and like most kids, every new year comes with new books, bags, things and most importantly, toys. Oh well, adults are no different, for Hubby and I at least. So this is how we've thrown our money away these past few weeks.

Nokia N70
I've finally replaced my lost phone with a 3G new connectivity phone. The short break from telecomm existence did me some good, really - better concentration at work, less disturbance while talking to kids and more time for blogging, of course . So N70 it was (this is not a new MRT sign in S'pore), with features so complex, I couldn't even find the ring tone nor volume!

Toyota Wish
Hubby finally got his Wish come true. 1.8 litres, low fuel consumption, and pretty spacious too. COE prices for cars have tumbled so low in S'pore, we just couldn't resist it. The condition I have for Hubby to buy was - at least try to think of a third kid to make the extra space in the car worth it. He's not saying much, save that the gahmen loves me, he vouches.

SHARP Micro-Convection Oven
Since moving into MIL's in April, I had to contend with no convection oven. We threw away MIL's '80s microwave and gave her ours. But when we move into a new house, hopefully, in months to come, we can't leave her without any microwave oven. So, to solve the need of a convection oven now without having to buy a microwave for the new house, (which will take up space), Hubby made the final decision after getting thoroughly confused with my explanation - get a microwave cum convection for the time being and no need to get a microwave in future. Phew! I didn't believe he understood my explanation. The trick is to confuse men, you see.

IBM PC
Well, no PC at MIL's was tough and it was heartbreaking to loan kids my 'top-notch' Fujitsu laptop. I mean, it's precious to me, you know. So Hubby came up with a brilliant idea. Upgrade the internet plan from Singnet, pay an extra $7 and voila! A new IBM PC comes free! Thanks to Singnet for these wonderful plans. (You owe me one CY, my friend from SingTel.)

New Watch
I had to show this cos my dear watch was soaked in the sea while at Club Med in November. In fact, the sand grains have gone in and rested permanently in the bezel. So a replacement was most necessary, a simple functional timepiece for work and weekends.

More Toys
There are more things coming - a new fridge, cos MIL's broke down just before Christmas. That was why my parties were served poh piah (spring rolls) - no need to store too many meats.
Not every thing was for the adults, we got a small fish tank for kids to enjoy. We went to Pasir Ris Kampung Fish Farm and enjoyed catching long kang fish. The experience was most delightful and Hubby thought it was time to start getting kids to be responsible for pets.

(This pix was taken by Grace. Blur as it may be, I like the composition.)

I hope my hedonistic desire will stop soon, or I won't have much left for the rest of the year! I didn't list many more things that were bought for Christmas, but just for now, enough is really enough.