The Past

The kids and I went to the National Museum. I couldn’t remember when was the last time I was there. It was good to visit. The History of Singapore was amazing. We spent three hours there, just looking and listening to the narration.

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She is still looking great. I hope they won’t sell her off or flatten her to make way for roads or houses.

Then I saw this…
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Unless you are from the school, Singapore Chinese Girls’ School (SCGS), you wouldn’t know about this desk and chair. I told Kai and Ann, this was what I used when I was in secondary school. Kai said that it could have been the exact one I used. Well, perhaps…

This chair and table opened up the flood gate to all my childhood memories. My secondary school days were the best days of my life. Yes, the 80s. The 80s was a fabulous time. Life was simple, things were nice, people were honest and warm. There was a sense of sadness that my children will no longer have those days to enjoy.

Looking at the exhibits, I marvelled at what our founding fatherS did. It was an amazing transformation. I began to wonder what was our present leaders thinking of when they sold Raffles Hotel. Should not she be the pride of our country. A heritage that should have been preserved. Actually, along with her, many iconic buildings were all demolished in the name of urbanisation. Well I see the need to build for human habitat but some things just have to preserve. Removing shorter HDB flats to build taller ones, that would be acceptable. But to destroy iconic buildings of a country…it reflects on the kind of leadership we have. We built the Singapore Flyer (the modern icon) and see what happened? Why build something which others already have?

These three buildings were all very close to the hearts of Singaporeans, they are all gone now. Replacing them are just empty land…waiting for a rich buyer?

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These structures beat any of those elongated buildings any time.

Another good piece

Going through Kai’s holiday homework. One of them, a poem he wrote…

Sparkler Nights
When I was a child,
I longed for Sparkler Nights.
When my imagination would take flight.
When dancing stars and smiling moon come out,
And matches flair, sparks fly sizzling through the sky
But when they sputter out and die,
It just isn’t fair,
Gone is the magic in the air

And he even attached a picture of him playing the sparkler in his pj, he was just three.

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It’s picture like this which always make me wish….they will never grow up. So cute, isn’t he.

I am not sure what prospect is there being a writer in Singapore. A place which places little value in Literature. If his talent is indeed in this area, I will do everything I can to make sure he gets the best in order to reach his fullest potential. A Wordsworth in the making.

Haze, time to get out

What we did when PSI hit 401 in Singapore.

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He just “broke” their chair! The kids called this the Dr Seuss’ house

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Great hands-on activity

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I love these. Just using rope and UV light to create art

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Inside the Art Museum. The former SJI.

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Guess what is this portrait made of?

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Believe it…shampoo caps

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This poster shows the art of embroidery

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Reminded me of Sam Lo (aka sticker lady)

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Playing with lights.

Why do they always say we have no talent. Look at all these creative works of our people. Seriously, I think we still live in the colonial era where anything "angmorish" is considered art. What the locals do is the 'V' word. Just like 'obit' design sold in market is considered so aunty but same 'orbit' design with a glam label is so in, so fashionable.

Check the site The Art Museum to know more about these activities. Better than getting stuck at home, facing the one-eye monster.

Hazy days

We have been living in a haze country for the past many days. Today was the scariest of them all. At 11am plus, PSI peaked at 401. This is a collection of my ‘hazy’ pictures.

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This was taken at the start of the hazy days. Not too bad.  

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This was taken on Wednesday around 7.30pm. By midnight, it hit PSI 300

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Start of dreadful days to come. Notice the tennis court is empty. We have three tennis courts in the development, they are always used. These few days, the whole compound has become a ghost town. Notice, I could even look at the sun and capture this shot.

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Yesterday, one of the worst recording.

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This was taken today around 9am. The sun has turned orange-red. By 11am, it went up to PSI 401.
Kai’s Boys Brigade camp was cancelled. MOE has ordered all schools to cancel all the June holiday programmes.

Well, many has commented that there was nothing the government could do but I think, if they are good leaders with foresight, this could have been avoided or at least, it wouldn’t end up so bad. Every year, we all know haze will come around this time. It is a matter of how bad it will be. Just because the past few years, the wind direction was in our favour, we were not so affected. The leaders just ‘la-la-ing’ away. Do we wait for the wind direction to determine the people’s welfare? A true leader will solve the problem when there is one, not until it become catastrophic, then start looking for solution. This is caused by man which means, there is a solution. Unlike the 2004 tsunami. It was purely a natural disaster.  Remember also, I talked about messing with Mother Nature? We may not have it so bad if our greeneries were not destroyed too much, too soon.

The saddest part in the haze situation, at 400 PSI, no stop work order was given, at least for all construction sites. It would have been good for all outdoor workers and all the people who stayed near these construction sites. Dollars have superseded welfare of humans. What else is going to happen when the country is so driven by money? I fear for the fall of this nation. “The love of money is the root of all evil.” Tim 6:10

Ballerina camp

Ann attended her very first dance camp and she had a great time! It was such a joy watching her dance. I am forever grateful to that HOD of SSIS who helped us to sit up and take note of Ann’s talent in dancing. I believe she will go far with proper guidance. It is amazing that this girl who is really a handful, can play like a boy yet deep down inside her, there is this beauty of a graceful dancer.

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Thank you for a lovely night.

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This is what they both have in common. The world around them may be in chaos, never mind, it is ok. Just give them a book and they are in their world of words.

他的歌。。。

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他和一些朋友在八十年代开始唱新谣歌。当时的我还在念书。常常在收音机听他们的歌。很奇怪, 生为一个英校生,我却爱听华语歌。总觉的华语歌比较有意义,比较有感情。不知不觉,他们的歌就这样背我成长了。

这次的演唱会,让我回去年轻时代。给了我一个美丽的回忆。

Here we go again…to the library

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When there is holiday, there is the library

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If you are familiar with Queenstown library, you know this stairway leads to the adult section on the second level. Kai now heads straight to the second level. Books on the first level no longer excite him any more.

You know, my greatest accomplishment as a stay-at-home mum is that I have cultivated in both kids, a great love for books and for reading. I made the effort of exposing them to the world of books at a very young age. Kai was just 18 months, when I first brought him to the Queenstown Library. I let him choose his books and we borrowed and brought them home and I read to him. The story of David and the Goliath was his all time favourite. He knew it so well, even which row, which section, which aisle, he remembered them at his finger tips and as for mama, she could read the book without looking at it. In a way, the library is his second home.

As for Ann, she started a bit late as I had to spilt my time between both of them. Sending Kai to pre-school and then spending time with her. Thankfully, she picked up the habit too. She is not as advance as her brother in her reading level but she is there. She writes well and speaks well. In fact, she got a perfect score for the oral English-reading.

Giving up my job was worth it as I have helped them to be a reader and if there is anything I have not taught them, it is my wish that they will find endless treasures in the world of books.

Soon, he will be taller than everyone

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Now

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Then