Wasn’t the best Christmas…

We were all looking forward to Home for Christmas but honestly, it wasn’t the best. It has been one roller coaster ride. It has been very demanding and draining mentally, emotionally and physically. It was trusting and believing even when the world came crashing down on you. Challenges in life have to be handled but when it came to injustice, discrimination, it was an uphill task to fight. Even as a mum, trying her darnest to ease the pain, it proved too much for me that I broke down many times, even crying myself to sleep.

But today, we saw that the light at the end of the tunnel wasn’t from an on-coming train but it was sunlight from a meadow.

Faith that is not tested is not valued.  Faith that is not valued is not treasured.

What a week it has been…

Yet another fallen man…fallen because he ate the forbidden fruit again. A well know politician couldn’t remain faithful to his vow made to his spouse, fell from the ivory tower. Strangely, the lady was made to look like the hunter and the man, the hunted. If he is an honourable man, he will remember... ‘in sickness and in health, till death do us part” and will screamed “get thee behind me, Satan!” For a relationship to take place, it takes both parties to agree. So why is one a villain and the other a victim?

The saddest part is that some even think that extra-marital affairs are no big deal. A responsible media will not use that as a pull quote (A pull quote (also known as a lift-out quote) is a quotation or excerpt from an article that is typically placed in a larger or distinctive typeface on the same page ... wikipedia). What has society become? Will this society become the modern Sodom and Gomorrah.

Words of Wisdom…

from Food Network stars.

"My grandpa said I am a rebel but I am not bad, I rebel with a cause."

"If you want to travel fast, go alone. If you want to travel long, bring your family along."

Bookworm siblings

Both are great book lovers. As long as it is a book, they must look.

The look is complete – Merry Christmas!


The old one was nice and spacious but a little lifeless. I love the vintage set. It is warm and brings me back to my wonderful childhood days!

...continue

It was such a great pleasure watching the kids having fun. It has been such a long time since they last sweat it out!


It was their "World Cup". Coaches (blue) vs Campers (red and white). As you can see, the coaches were grossly out-numbered but they won 2:1 (one was own goal). Bully lah, they so big size.


So tired…time to run more!


Kai and Ann in action




The kids really had a great time. It was really hot but they still played hard. What really impressed me was many of these people who helped to organise this event were volunteers. They were not paid to do it but they did it with lots of passion. For three days, they transfer the logistics early in the morning, set them up, ready for the camp. At the end of the day, they packed up and transferred them back to the office. They even had two pick-up locations to ferry children whose parents couldn't send/fetch them from the camp. This is real passion. We need people with passion to do their jobs. With passion, jobs get done and done well.

A different lesson for the kids

The exams are over, results out. The system failed, the battle has been fought. I have said my peace, I have done my best. I live with no regrets. Now, it is time to move on. Sign up the kids for a three day soccer camp. It was good for them as they make friends with kids from all kinds of background.  Kids whom they will never have a chance to meet and talk to.  This in itself, is an education.

My baby is 8

My little princess turns 8. I was so busy with Kai's school that I almost forgot her birthday. Felt so guilty but thankfully, everything went as planned…


One week earlier, celebrated with families


Ann at her first birthday. Very soon, she will be a young lady but forever my baby


It was a simple dinner at the Black Angus on the actual day


Having her favourite fish and chips and our favourite wild, wild, west onion!

PSLE

The hottest topic in town now. For the very first time, MOE is not going to name names of top students so that no one can get stressed over it. There are two camps out there. One group who think that how can that reduce stress. Another camp, welcomed the change.

For those who think that it cannot reduce stress are people who live in the Never Never Land. It is not just naming the students. They will name the father and his occupation, mother and her occupation. Now, let say the top student has a lawyer father and lawyer mother. Imagine a kid who didn't score good enough, he will wonder if it has to do with his bus driver father and housewife mother? Or the parents will be wondering if it has to do with their job, not able to afford tuition for their kids. So to those who say, they don't understand how it can reduce stress, I say, carry on living in your myopic world.

Those who welcome the change, I say, ask for more changes. Our society has become so engrossed with knowledge only. Scholars, top students, IP, IB….the list goes on. I think in recent years, we have seen enough stupid smart people…need not write more. One such case is still running.

Let me tell you, there are millions of students out there doing the IB programme who do not even have a T-score of 250 or 260 or 270…they don't even know what is a T-score and they are doing IB and doing very well.

If you want true talent who can give back to society, focus on the real education.

I am reminded…

I had a great reunion with some wonderful friends…


We knew each other when we were in our teens. We were single, not married, no kids…leading a carefree life. After those years, we went on our own ways. Some got married young, some much older. We had kids, we started our families, we travelled, we returned…we were reunited. What an amazing journey. In that few hours, we shared about what had happened in our lives for the past 20 to 30 odd years. One of the mamas talked about how her 18yo girl came to with her boy-girl issues. What a great mum and daughter relationship.  Through the sharing, I was reminded that both my kids are miracles from God. They came about through God's intervention, I am just God's steward. I hope I will always be their friend.


Believe it, we are mothers to 2 or 3…still feeling young. Kids, mums don't just nag, mums just want to have fun too!

Teach me oh, Lord

Matthew 5:13, 14 - You are the salt of the earth... You are the light of the world.

Christians are called to influence the world by living and showcasing the radical Kingdom lifestyle, which is counter-cultural.

Charles Spurgeon: The great guide of the world is fashion and its god is respectability - two phantoms at which brave men laugh! How many of you look around on society to know what to do? You watch the general current and then float upon it! You study the popular breeze and shift your sails to suit it. True men do not so! You ask, "Is it fashionable, it must be done." Fashion is the law of multitudes, but it is nothing more than the common consent of fools." The Christian lifestyle is counter-cultural!

Oh pl…easssse dress appropriately

I was at a school open house today and was so shocked to see parents coming in bermudas, tees and crocs. One boy was even in singlet. OMG! No, I am not an atas person. I do not look down on people who do not dress well. I am not a branded person. I am not asking them to wear LV or Coach or Armani. Neither am I asking them to wear suit and gown. All I am asking is that everyone should learn to dress for the occasion. You are meeting educators, school principal, students. You do not wear singlet. Some of these students were in their NCC uniform, St John's uniform. The least we could do is to be neat and tidy. Jeans and tees and a pair of casual shoes are enough.

It is simple basic manners.

Learning without the books

I really salute parents who home school their kids. It takes a lot of discipline from the parents and the kids to go for such form of education. Kai and Ann have been having such long holiday that I have really ran out of ideas as to what to do with them. One of the things which we did was to visit the Science Center, what else can I do after this?   
Learning how to fly. Not so fast, my son


Do we look alike? Yes, need to get fat


Mum, me or koko for dinner?  Having been away and having gone through different form of education has made them very different. I hope MOE keeps their promise of letting the kids be creative in their school journey. I don't want my kids to be just knowledgeable. I want them to be wise. I want them to voice out, to speak out. Yes, don't expect me to be silent and have a herd mentality when I see my kids being mould into a cookie cutter. It isn't coming from this mama.  My ultimate aim for my kids is to teach them to love and enjoy what they do so that they don't have to work a day in their life.

The old charm remains

The locals told us that Penang is the fastest growing state in Malaysia and perhaps the most prosperous. We have to agree …




Yes, believe it, this IS Penang


Hey mum, can we have one of these one day?

Old but not forgotten








The street was spotless. It was cleaned. Each one knew their responsibility towards an old town.
Besides preserving the old, it is also a town so rich in art…Artist Ernest Zacharevic brilliantly transformed the town into a art gallery.



There were about seven to nine of them but we only managed to spot three of them.
Other than Zacharevic, many artists also did a marvellous job painting the street.

 

The wire art is also another very outstanding feature




Beautiful isn't it.

We have our very own artist too, yet, so few could understand and accept her artistic expression. Sad.

Other than enjoying the street art, we also visited two mansions also listed in UNESCO list of old restored buildings.


Familiar?


Yes, Mediacorp drama, The Little Nyonya  was shot here. This is the Peranakan Mansion

Another grand mansion which we visited was the Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion also known as The Blue Mansion. She is a grand dame.




Beautiful mansion, so rich in culture and history


Love these shots, Kai took them.

In spite of her growth and wealth, she has never forgotten her past. The charms of the old days were so well preserved that UNSECO listed it as one of the World's heritage in 2008. It is possible to have both prosperity and preserving the old. It all has to do with one's priority.