I am a parent

I am a parent.
I have been given the gift of a child.
It is my opportunity to help this child find their path in the world.
I am a protector, provider, teacher, mentor,encourager, esteem-builder, supporter, storyteller, confident, coach, playmate, friend, finder of lost treasures, trailblazer, and dream weaver.
I give the gifts of love, understanding, laughter, patience, guidance, self-responsibility, and encouragement.
I receive the gifts of love, admiration, trust, respect, laughter, understanding, playfulness, and youth.
I am a warrior fighting daily fear, ignorance, prejudice, apathy, hate and low self-esteem.
I have a past rich with memories: the first word, the first laugh, the first smile, the first accomplishment.
I have a rewarding future filled with hope, love, expectation, adventure, and fun.
I touch and mould the future.
I am a parent.

- From the book Humor by the Dozen

The mall we get together

Had been shopping for furniture and items for the new house including:
bed
fridge
washing machine
microwave cum oven
OTO power tap
study table
fans
lights
fans
side table
etc (and other stuff that we just feel like buying...)

As a result of countless trips to IMM and participating in the draw, we won an Osim Usqueez. Yeah! =)

p.s.: G is a lucky star cos he had already won us a TV, DVD player, iron and vacuum cleaner.

Postscript

The Club Med experience was unique and all-inclusive. It was the first time I holiday-ed with all food, drinks, entertainment etc included... In some ways, Singapore is like a scaled-up Club Med, with manicured lawns and ample facilities and you pay high prices for the services/goods you get ;P

I also learn that some Club Meds actually have infant services for babies at 3 months old! What an excellent proposition for new mothers. I hope I get to go back some day and that G takes the not-so-subtle hint *beam*

Club Med in Bali

Was in Bali from 13 to 17 Nov with G, D and S. The timing was just right to celebrate G and my 3rd wedding ROM anniversary. As I am typing this blog entry, I am reminded to revisit Mandai Orchid Gardens, something that we try to do each year.

To my horror, I realised on the flight there that I had forgotten to pack my swimwear! What on earth was I thinking? Since we stayed at Club Med, I managed to get a tankini top and bottom easily from the boutique =)


All in all, it was an excellent break from work and we were all at least 2 shades tanner by the time we left Club Med. We were very gainfully occupied by aqua aerobics, archery, badminton, bocce ball, golf, kayaking, snorkelling, table tennis and trapeze! Through participating in the different tournaments organised, we also won a number of medals =)


Any trip to Bali cannot be complete without a massage but we only had one on the last day of our trip. And that was the only time we were out of Club Med, Nusa Dua and ventured to Kuta. I would have liked a thai massage to crack my joints but I think the JariJari massage worked well in the end given that my shoulders were sunburnt! The tan was about the only souvenir of the trip, along with the beautiful memories of Club Med =)

The long and short...

weeks! Saw off a hectic week at work but this will be a shorter week since I took pm leave today and will be in Bali on Friday! =)

This afternoon was spent on checking out renovation works and spending a small fortune on furniture and sanitary wares. More updates to follow but the electrical works are mostly sorted out and the design has been finalised.

Post-run babble

Took part in the Great Eastern 10km run for the second time this year. I enjoyed the company of R and M during parts of the run and was proud that I did not cop-out at the last minute despite having too little sleep the night before.

My timing of 1 hour 23 minutes is a good 10 minutes slower than last year's timing... a rather dismal showing though I was not convinced that I could do better since I hardly trained for this. I suppose this serves as a timely reminder to train harder for the StanChart half marathon in Dec...

2-0

This is the scoreline for Liverpool - Man U match. Life goes on after the beachball episode but I know G is gutted. Haha! =P

Which ID?

So far we have met with a couple of interior designers to discuss our ideas and learn from those in the trade. It is decision time now but it is difficulty to chose between J and L since both have been equally helpful during the consultation phase.

Regardless, the estimated time to renovate the place is about 2 months. So we really should decide by end of the week to engage either of them. If they start work soon and honour the work schedule then we can move into the new place by xmas =)

Some "BEFORE" shots of the bare house (living room, main bedroom, kitchen and yard):

Building the nest

We got the keys to our new flat today... My feelings are indescribable seeing that we finally own a place after 15(?) rounds of balloting! On the other hand, the place will cost us nearly half a mil after renovation... how can this be considered as affordable?

Happy 30th anniversary!

Celebrated my parents' 30th wedding anniversary =)

In this pic, G made much effort to 'complement' my height =P

Back to school

Was in Hong Kong over the weekend for a university friend's wedding... very happy to see him tie the knot after 12 years of courtship =)

They took the effort to organise a Back to School theme wedding. Each guest received an orientation card with a picture, the banquet tables included childhood snacks and the serving staff wore harry potter-like costumes!

A short trip that was hectic but enjoyable nonetheless:
- chance to catch up with BS, JL and get to know LT
- first time in Shenzhen
- first time to visit Buddha at Lantau Island
- first time in the midst of typhoon 1 rating (not too exciting but the good thing was this happened on the last day of the trip)
- shopping! =P

But, there were some misfortunes too:
- booked hotel, printed confirmation but there was no address to our horrors! Thank goodness for the helpful MTR staff!
- booked hotel for the wrong date and ended up paying for an extra day =(
- left phone in hotel room but upon checking out realised my folly - phew!
- Reached airport early but I dallied and had only minutes to reach the gate but it was so far away and required me to take the shuttle trains! I ran with my stuff to reach the gate but ended up with a portion of my boarding pass missing! To my relief, another passenger picked up the lost portion and returned it to me just as the airline staff was about to question me =)

Another SALE

I won 2 pairs of tickets to the Singapore Grand Prix but will be in Hong Kong next week! Good thing I went last year... worth a go if u have not experienced it. Any takers for the Fri and Sat walkabout tickets?

Black Beauty

Bought this from a most helpful and knowledgeable salesman. Hence, if u are looking for a new gadget and looking for good service, I can provide a recommendation.

Rooftop of the World

A long time since the last post... Went to Tibet with parents, in-laws and G for 10 days. Thankfully, the trip went well and none of us experienced altitude sickness. I guess taking 红景天 helped (found out about this thanks to OY).

Our journey took us to 西宁 (Xining), 青海湖 (Koko Nor), 塔尔寺 (Kumbum Monastery). I felt really happy travelling to 青海湖 as the canolas were in bloom and provided a sharp contrast to the blue lake.


The main part of our trip took place after we board the train that took us along the Qinghai-Tibet Railway. In my view, the construction of the railway is no mere feat since the highest point has an elevation of 5,010 meter, and the oxygen content of the air is only 50 percent of low-lying areas! Mercifully, we 'survived' the small cabin space - 6 pax to a cabin!


At 拉萨 (Lhasa), we toured the main tourists sites including 布达拉宫 (Potala Palace), 大昭寺 (Jokhang) and 八角街 (Bakhor Street). I was touched by the sincerity of the Tibetans who would prostrate all the way from their hometown (many many months of foot journey) to reach Lhasa's Jokhang and Bakhor Street. Was told that the rich would have their folks waiting on them along the way but the poor would simply beg for their meals...

We also travelled west to 日喀则 (Shigatse) and the sights were amazing! We rode through/past so many mountains but this mountain range is considered one of the 'youngest' in the world and is still growing. Here is when I really admire our shifu for bringing us across all the mountains (and back) safely... We stopped by 羊卓雍錯 (Yamdroktso), one of the three largest sacred lakes in Tibet. The lake is surrounded by many snow-capped mountains and is fed by numerous small streams and shines with the most brillant turquoise colour. We also visited 扎什倫布寺 (Tashilhunpo Monastery) but I was more impressed by the scenery than the monastery ...


The trip ended in 昆明 (Kunming) where I met up with J, a friend whom I have not met in 6 years! She's returning to notthingham for PhD in October and I'm glad we had the chance to catch up!

Some firsts in this trip (even though I consider myself quite a seasoned traveller):

• Travelling with both sets of parents... felt that they overshopped but I guess it makes them happy too so maybe shopaholism is inherited?
  

• Surviving the longest train ride of my entire life by peeing just once in that entire journey (25 hours!)... Considering the amount of water I drink and that I visit the washroom at least 4 times in a workday...


• On a related note on washroom, this is the first time I experienced the full Chinese toilet culture...


• Seeing two arches of rainbow appear simultaneously at a holy place - the seat of the Panchen Lama... really a special moment that I will remember and treasure forever.


• Got to know a guide who would help his tour members refund overpriced items they bought...


• and I got a rosary (from the same guide)...
  


• and another (last but related to travelling) first for this blog - using Mandarin!

Simplicity

Need I say more about the precision in angles Ikebana requires?

Recent reads

A Year in Tibet (from a Chinese BBC TV producer's perspective)
Last Seen in Lhasa (from an English woman's perspective on her friendship with a Tibetan nun)
Lonely Planet : Tibet


Some interesting Tibetan practices that I have learnt:

• Sky burial. Feeding the dead to vultures. (To overcome limited land for burial)
• Polyandry. A woman marries all the men in a household. So one can be wedded to 3 husbands! (To prevent further spilt in small land plots)
• Religiosity. Tibetians worship a number of Gurus and dieties! Am undecided if this is superstition or devotedness...

Nonetheless, I am looking forward to my trip! and I am sure I will learn more... =)

And I shall be bringing along my new Fisheye2 camera! HY, this is my quick fix for no-money-to-blow-on-new-lense!

Surprises!

I surprise...

I's birthday party was on last weekend at the Screening Room. I recalled he had a wishlist 3 years ago but he wanted to be surprised this time round... and I did surprise him:

I was surprised...

by a phone call from my flatmate from nottingham! OY is in town this week! What a surprise!

The last time we met was 3 years ago... Am excited to meet her tonight!

A different perspective

I learnt to view thorns as something asthetic in its own right =) So I have chosen to post 2 snapshots of different parts of this week's arrangement instead...

Angkor dreams

I remember reading about Angkor Wat or 吴哥窟 in a secondary school chinese textbook and dreamed of visiting the place one day. This dream was realised recently when I visited Siem Reap with R.

We went to Angkor Wat, Bayon, Ta Prohm and Bantaey Srei and each temple left a different impression on me. Angkor Wat is extremely majestic but the crowds drove us nuts... Bayon exudes an extremely zen feeling whereas Ta Prohm is like an enchanted forest... Bantaey Srei has the most amazing carvings and it is definitely worth a visit despite a 30 min drive away from the main temple grounds.

I have included selected pictures of my trip in the form of a slideshow below (in all honesty, starting this blog has allowed/ forced me to learn new technology). Enjoy! =)

G.I. Joe

I did not remember watching the cartoon growing up but G was always chanting about "Joe Joe GI Joe" when he knew he got tickets from his counterparty. My initial take on the movie was that it would not be better than "UP" (4.5 stars by my scale) but watching it in Gold Class meant that I could sleep better (if the show turned out to be dead boring...). In the end, I have to admit that I liked the jam-packed movie and would give it a rating of 3.5 stars.

p.s.: GI actually stands for Government Issue. What a bore... this is one of those things I wish I didn't bother to find out...

Bridal bouquet

I like this new creation. The mere association with wedding makes me happy as I go about shaping it. I am looking forward to 4 upcoming weddings in Sep =)

Raspberry dreams

My new GT2140! It was christened Raspberry during its round in the office and this was taken at Bukit Timah Hill by G:

44 cents

On our way home, we were caught in a jam along redhill road. G joked that LKY is out and about his constituency, hence causing the jam (if only!). We later realised that the jam was caused by drivers queuing into the Shell station. Apparently the promotion is from 4 to 5 pm only and we passed by at 4.06pm! There was also another line of vehicles from the opposite direction so I guess Singaporeans are highly willing to go the extra mile (literally!) for cheaper petrol...

For SALE

Helping G to sell this BRAND NEW Nikon Coolpix S220 with packaging still intact.
* All proceeds will go towards my bag-fund =)

A mega candle

Today is my birthday!


Nothing out of the ordinary... except this is the first time I am working on my birthday. Have been planning for a few trips so not much leave to spare... in any case, I will be bumming in Cambodia this time tmr =)

The morning was uneventful, some firefighting to sort work out before I go on leave... Had an early lunch with KC and PS. Upon my return, I found my colleagues outside the office and was warned not to enter cos there was a 'fire'! The office smelled horrible and after hanging around for a while (during which I briefed CC on some analysis), I decided to head for home since G was on leave. PY was leaving at the same time with his precious toy collection!

Thanks to my friends and colleagues, I enjoyed the food at Sakuraya Fish Market, Spruce, Cedele, Asaki, Valentinos.... am now waiting for the 'delivery' of my new running shoes and this is my present from G:

A happy week

Shopping and chilling...

G now has a new bag that looks sporty yet comes with a laptop comparent. There are also added features like detachable reflective strips but I doubt these would be used. I am glad I brought him to the shop at Queensway shopping centre to select a model instead of surprising him with the bag =)
I also ordered a pair of running shoes for myself through PS. Expecting them to arrive in a couple of weeks' time but I had not been jogging anyway cos I am still rid of a sore throat/cough though I feel quite fine now...

Tried out a spanish restaurant at Lor Kilat and loved it! Am planning to return for the sunday branch. Their sangria is a must-try if you are keen to go there. We ordered 2 tapas and shared a seafood paella and were too full for dessert! Also met R and SL at a tea-place along Seah street. We wanted to find out for ourselves after reading mixed reviews online and I am disappointed with the overpriced tea and food. The masala tea I tried is definitely not value for money though the cucumber sandwich is somewhat special...

Nature...
Went with G and in-laws to MacRitchie for a walk and what a surprise! Bumped into MY along the trail and I honestly can't tell that she is already 7 months into her pregnancy! Good thing I had my camera along and we captured the moment =)

Talk to the hand (for now)

Over lunch a couple of days ago, N commented in a grave tone about our population decline being a national crisis and encouraged me to start trying for bb. Nothing new here except that when I lamented about the cost of bringing up kids, PY chipped in about having the moral courage to do the right thing....

Separately, I overheard 2 teenage boys' conversation:
A: I think you spend more on food than girls
B: Well, that's true cos I can be satisfied after spending money on food but not necessarily on girls...

Really not my business to comment on his choice. Likewise, G, mummy and concerned friends, leave me alone on the bb issue! I will do the right thing when the time to right =)

Top of the World

The trip to Sabah finally materialised after it was postponed in Feb. Had a good time and tried out new things like white (more like brown) water rafting, climbing a mountain and catching a glimpse of the rafflesia. The climb must be the most memorable part of the trip and it was tough, even though KK is supposed to be an 'easy' mountain to summit....

We started THE DAY at Celyn Resort with a fabulous view of the entire mountain range. I felt in awe of KK but maintained my determination to summit Low's Peak. After breakfast, we met Miki, driver and friend, to head for park HQ to pick up our guide en route to Mesilau. Some shots at the start of the day:




We were blessed with fine weather so the climb up via Mesilau was beautiful. Even though the trail could be difficult at times with steep steps, our spirits were high and the distance was not felt. Nonetheless, I was so looking forward to reaching the 5.5 km intersection with the Timpohon route, the first milestone. At the same time, it was timely for a longer break to consume our packed lunch even though we were not that hungry but it helped to lighten the load for our guide cum porter Yasuan. Along the way, we met 4 other Singaporeans, a group of 11 Koreans and countless number of Malaysians. We later found out through new friends, Y & J that they were climbing to raise funds for charity and one of their group members had summited KK 9 times already!


Pressing on after lunch, the remaining 1.5 km to the Laban Rata guesthouse seemed to take forever. At times, I felt the inner child voice asking "Are we there yet?" and would ask Yasuan for an estimate of our distance to LR. He was ever so patient and encouraging though he spoke little English and our Malay is plain weak! We finally glimpsed LR from the trail and pressed on as it was starting to get chilly. After nearly 8 hours, we reached LR at about 4.30 pm n rested for a while before dinner was served. Sleep was the only post-dinner activity but the bed was cold and for some unknown reason wet =( Tried as I did but sleep was elusive thanks to the fierce howling winds outside.



Despite not feeling rested, I woke with enthusiasm - it is time to summit! =) The remaining 2.5 km up was really the most difficult part of the climb, being steep n dark. Shortly after passing the checkpoint, it started to drizzle and our pace was slowed by a frequent need to stop and catch our breaths... doubts started to creep in but I am proud to say that I tried my hardest and eventually managed to reach Low's Peak! Alas, there was no sunrise to marvel at but it was still worthwhile just to know that I did it...

Happy thoughts are ....

a surprise bouquet from G


a new arrangement



and the trip to Sabah in a few hours time! =)

UnDecIded

This is the latest arrangement but I am ambivalent about it.
I like the anthurium but not the baskia. I like the purple static but not the ann black.

What do you think?

Regardless, I am motivated to visit the nursery again this weekend!

A small Start

For gardening...
(the mint tea is so refreshing!)


For photography...

and a little more on the flowers of the week =)

Good tidings

ML's wedding over the weekend kept me busy over but it was a happy event cos she finally tied the knot with LJ after more than 10 years of courtship =) Also a good time to catch up with the jc gals since most of them are now based overseas...

Another piece of good news is E's upcoming wedding... he shared the exclusive news just tonight and this morning I heard of an ex-colleague's wedding plans too =)

Glad my friends are (going to be) happily married and am most thankful for lovely G. He has been watering our new plants and taking on chores like throwing rubbish now that we are not keeping a domestic help anymore.

JUST LIVING IS NOT ENOUGH...

ONE MUST HAVE SUNSHINE, FREEDOM AND A LITTLE FLOWER Hans Christian Anderson

Found this quote to be apt but I would just add friends to the list too... Am in grateful mood for past colleagues, in particular those whom I have just met for lunch today =)

The past and present

Went to the Kangxi exhibition at the Asian Civilisation Museum. Was most amazed by a set of tea cups that were crafted so exquisitely such that the words on them could be seen from the inside!

Somehow, I feel that modern man is not as creative and resourceful...

Yippee!! A new toy!

My new toy is the Canon EOS 500D that I have been eyeing for some time. We got it today, the first weekend of G's freedom from CFA =) This shall be my advance birthday present!

And this is the first shot of it:

p.s.: Alan Photo at Funan is a good place if you are thinking of getting a new camera. The price is reasonable considering I had researched a number of places beforehand. PS helped too. Thanks gal!

Long and short term memory

How do we remember what we remember? Do you remember loved ones differently? I hope I do.

I recall a module on cognitive psychology that was on memory and the functions of various parts of our brain (prefrontal cortex, Wernicke's area etc). Essentially, science tells us that different parts of our brain are responsible for different aspects of memory. In particular, if you are keen to learn more about long and short term memory, I would highly recommend Mr Brain episode 3 =)

Prototype

I created this over the weekend and had the pleasure of shopping for ribbons. Found one that matches our dress to be used for the actual wrist corsage =)

p.s. Plaza Sing is a heaven for ribbons!
p.p.s. Totally irrelevant but am thrilled to watch Federer win his 14th Grand Slam title =P

Feeling good...

... cos I made these! Gave one bouquet to a friend and the other to my MIL =)
Am experimenting now to make the corsages for a friend's wedding coming up on 21 June. Will upload the pics once they are readY!