New Home

If you haven't heard already, we have finally bought our first asset (hopefully) a few months ago. It is now under renovation and the move-in date have been fixed to 6 February.

Whenever we make trips to the site, Sophie keeps herself busy by volunteering to take measurements. And in case you are wondering, no, she is not a PCK (a popular Singaporean TV character who is a contractor) in the making...she doesn't actually know how to do it properly.

The rain in Spain falls mainly in the plains

After I hit the last note in Twinkle Twinkle Little Star during Sophie's bedtime one night, she turned around and said "Mamma, it's not "lil". Only Little Einsteins say that!", referring to the American accent spoken in the pre-school programme.

"It's li-TT-le, Mamma!"

Amused, embarrassed and proud.

Yes, I have been making tiny bits of effort to teach her the difference between American and British pronounciation. She knows it should be "war-Ter" and "dahnce" instead of "war-Ner" or "daynce". Now I'm proud to say that she even knows how to extrapolate it to other words.

Children are amazing.

At the Zoo with Friends

All set for the zoo!My best friend when it comes to mischief and play
At the Kidzworld wet play area

Here we go again, Josh!

KFC and the zoo are synonymous (even in Malaysia, isn't it?)

We spent a morning out at the Singapore Zoo with Aunty Su-En and Josh, and Amelie who tagged along. The main target was the new Kidzworld water play area. Sophie had a blast dashing about getting drenched with her Baba. Was in an extremely anti-social mood, though, and refused to play with Josh or Amelie.

Concert

Two days after arriving back in Singapore after a 2-week recovery period in KL from chicken pox, Sophie caught a gastric flu. She threw up 7 times in one day, and lost probably 1kg in the process. Everything she ate, she threw out.

Fortunately for us, Popo was around so she fussed over her till she was better the next day to perform at her nursery's year-end concert.

A picture with Popo before the show

The finale

Partner-in-crime, Hera

Platform Gap

Sophie pointed at her shirt during dinner today, and asked, "What is this?".

I answered, "G-A-P. GAP".

She mumbled under her breath, "...platform gap...".

Eyebrows raised, I asked, "And where would you find this platform gap?", thinking I must have heard it wrong.

"At the train. The M-R-T".

Bear in mind that we take her onto the MRT only occasionally, usually relying on buses or taxis. I checked with her Baba to make sure he hasn't been talking to her about platform gaps recently. I don't know if this is the normal standard for 3-year olds, or that I just have low expectations of her, but I'm suitably impressed. :D

Chicken Pox

Sophie caught the chicken pox last weekend from god-knows-where. Faced with the unthinkable prospect of taking a week off work each, we immediately activated the grandparents. Nai Nai and Yeye drove down from KL in record time (3.5 hours) and promptly whisked Sophie off our arms and back to KL.

It's a good thing that she's getting it so young. I remember being stuck at home for a week when I was twelve, and then crying when I was sent home from school for another week because the spots were still visible. Guess it is still less embarrasing than being sent home from work as YL did when he got it at a ripe old age of 25,....as a doctor.

Interestingly, instead of becoming the pariah that I expected, her germs are very much in demand by other parents wanting their own kids to catch it. Anyways YL confirmed that 4 of his friends' kids caught the pox even after their vaccination, so I suppose getting it au naturale is the still the best.

Sophie, spread the good things around...

Madagascar 2

We took our second attempt to bring Sophie to the cinema last weekend when the Nanyang MBA Alumni Association organised a Family Day at the Movies to catch Madagascar 2. She did much better this time, although I think the popcorn has a lot to do with it.

Enjoying a magic show before the movie

Enjoying popcorn during the movie

Introducing Joshua

YL said he looks exactly like his mom Su En. He is certainly has a mischeivous streak in him...

House Owners

Finally! Let's celebrate the shackles around our neck for the next 15 years!

Joy in my heart, tears in my eyes

"Ah Mun!!!! Go and switch on the lights!" [or insert any other mundane household chore]

I will miss being able to do that. My little sister got married over the weekend and will be moving a good 5.5-hour flight away to Perth.

Even though I am not living in KL myself, it was wonderful to be able to just go back and voila! she's there. Now we have to plan months in advance so that we can meet up. Call me selfish, but she's just such a fixture at home. And no one will feel that more acutely than Mom. But that's another drama for another time.

In any case, the big day came and everything went perfectly, from the games to the banquet to the photos to the people. I was beaming with so much pride and joy, and was enjoying everything so much, I forgot to take pictures with the bride and groom, and with our family. I am still kicking myself two days later.

We all know that Keon is a wonderful man (albeit with bad hair) who will give her the happiness she deserves. We all know that she has joined a warm and fun-loving extended family who have already taken her in as their own daughter years ago. We know she is going places and meeting new people, and growing more confident with her place in the world. But to us, she will always be our gap-toothed, pig-tailed baby sister. And we will sorely miss her laughter, her sense of humour, her stories, and her running our little errands...

Now I have to nurse my bloated red eyes, raw nose, and headache...

Another Zoo Outing

Waiting for Gambir the elephant to finish painting her masterpiece

"The kangaroo is tired, Mamma!"

Sophie came home one day from school looking absolutely dejected. When we asked her what was wrong, she said it's because she could not to go to the zoo. So being the guillible and dutiful parents we were, we promptly penciled in a zoo trip on the following Sunday morning.

The Runner

Sophie the runner

We took part in a cancer charity run last weekend at the beach in East Coast. Having dragged ourselves out of bed at 6am on Sunday, we staggered to the venue with droopy eyes and protesting bodies to join hoardes of toned, lithe, wide-eyed and bushy-tailed runners who will complete the 10km run without breaking sweat. We wisely stuck to the 4km trot.

Sophie sat stoned in her stroller while YL & I huffed and puffed and pushed for more than an hour. I have now denegerated from an agile high-spirited Andes veteran to a HDB-dwelling, whining, panting aunty. My transformation is complete.

Anyways...

Sophie did get into the spirit of the event by volunteering to run (even though as part of a game to catch Mamma or Baba). She probably ran a total of 500m, which is not too shabby at all for a 3 year-old.

Happy Birthday Sophie, Baba & Nai Nai

Amazing birthday cake of Sophie, YL and Nai Nai (maternal grandmother) baking and cooking up a storm in the kitchen. More professionally-taken photos here.

The family spent a good half hour taking photos of the cake before we actually acknowledge the stars of the night and started to celebrate them instead of the cake.

The stars posing with their respective figurines.

Back from Europe

After an arduous 32-hour journey from London-Paris-Singapore, I'm finally back in the comfort of home. The second part of my English Channel-crossing adventure saw me getting up at 5am in London to try to catch an early morning Eurostar to Paris. My original train was for 10:30am but it was cancelled because they reduced services due to the fire. I managed to get onto the 7:27am train, but it meant that I had 12 hours to kill in Paris.

Crippled by my luggage (mostly stuff we left behind in January which we could not fit into our bags), I decided to loiter around the Printemps and Gallery Lafayette mega malls until it was time to meet Lydia for dinner. Spent most of my time reading in the cafe on the 6th floor of Gallery Lafayette. I am not a Marc Jacobs or Chloe girl, anyways. (I also cannot afford them, of course).

Earlier in the week, I had a blast in London with the girls. Besides lots of eating and shopping, we also caught Al Pacino and Robert de Niro in Leicester Square promoting their new movie, Righteous Kill. FINALLY, I can say I've met a celebrity in London.

Aunty Christine looked the same save for the distended stomach. (Newsflash: Baby Kieran popped just after I arrived back in Singapore. I seriously think it's because of all the walking Chris did with me when I was in London)

Stuck in Paris!

Here I am, in my hotel room in the colourful Montmarte area of la chic Paris, but neither its temptations nor its blue skies can lure me out onto the streets. I would much rather be squashed between large-sized Europeans in the Eurostar (an Alstom high speed train, no less) speeding towards ol' Blighty, straight into the loving arms of a very pregnant Aunty Christine, a beaming Uncle KM and an estatic Aunty Aileen (I'm bringing her clothes hangers from KL).

The Channel tunnel which allows for easy commute between Parisiens and Londoners was shut down on Thursday evening following a fire. God knows when it will reopen. I should feel lucky I was not in the tunnel when it happened because 32 people were hospitalised for smoke inhalation. But then again, I have been looking to going back to London for so long! So now, I'm stuck in gay Paris, feeling miserable and lonely, and cheated out of 24 hours with the girls.

Add to that, I have an extremely loooooooong travel ahead of me tomorrow. This morning, after spending a frantic hour in the Gare du Nord station, I managed to get my shaky hands on tickets for the first train out of Paris to Boulogne where I will wait 3 hours to catch the first fast-speed boat across the English Channel to Dover, UK. Thereafter I will travel 2.5 hours by bus to London. Assuming my connections come through, I will finally plop my head down on Aunty Aileen's welcoming sofabed after 12 hours on the tracks/sea/road.

And 2 days later, I'll do it all over again.
(my flight back to Singapore leaves from Paris)

What is a baby?

"You are such a baby!", Mamma said one night at bedtime.

"No, I'm not!", replied the 3-year old.

"Yes, you are! You cry a lot, you suck your fingers, you want to be carried...".

Pause.

"But babies wear diapers and have no teeth", she argued, stabbing at her pearlies.

"I have lots and lots of teeth, and I wear panties".

Case closed.

Merdeka, Merdeka, Merdeka!

Happy Independence Day, Malaysia!

Many unprecedented developments took place in the political scene this year. YL & I are heartened that change can take place in a system that seemed so entrenched. What does it mean for our future? What will our 51st year of independence bring?

My heart has remained in the country of my birth even though I lived half my life away from her. It is lost in the diversity of her people, nature, and experience; it is coddled by her warmth and sincerity, easy camaraderie and simple shared values. I wear my Malaysian badge proudly in places far and wide. I proclaim my identity loud and clear.

Despite that, I echo Susan Loone's sentiments, "I think I'll never stop crying for my country Malaysia..." for the unbounded potential that she has, all washed down the monsoon drain by our incompentent leaders and thoughtless policies.

Change. It's the one thing I have to look forward to. Change, and Hope.

East Coast

Fooling around while waiting for our chilli crabs at the East Coast Seafood Centre along the ocean promenade

Fireworks

The Singapore Tourism Board organised two nights of fireworks display at the Marina Bay area near the business district this weekend. We had free first class view from my office on the 27th floor in one of the buildings in Raffles Place.

Bowling

Sophie actually scored better than YL or I

YL's colleague invited us over to the Singapore Island Country Club for an evening of bowling. Sophie was delighted at the experience but I think she enjoyed mucking about with her new and old friends from the Clinical Oncology fraternity a lot more.

The Worries of a 3 Year Old

One day, YL was his usual self complaining about work and sundry, and lamented out loud, "I've got so much problems lah. What should I do, Sophie?"

Sophie sighed softly and said, "I also got a lot of problems lah...".

"Oh, is it? What kind of problems do you have?", YL replied, expecting the silence that typically follows when she gets asked difficult questions.

Instead, in one long breath, she blurted out, "Aiyah, I got a problem with the TV, my eyes are like that like that*, I fell down in school, I'm also tired lah..."



* she uses that expression when she cannot open her eyes in the morning

Lady Sophie

"This is how a lady sits..."

Sophie is flushed after a hot afternoon out at the Singapore Botanical Gardens.

Buttons are easy peasy!

Never would I imagine that a video of someone doing up their buttons on their pyjamas can be so fascinating. But here you are...the world's most entertaining video, in my opinion....

There's hope

I am a bookworm. When I go shopping, I end up spending too much time in a bookstore and then going home with a new tome rather than a much needed new wardrobe. I read into the wee hours of the night when I need to be up by 6am the next morning for work. As a teenager, I digested words while shoving lunch into my mouth. Actually I still do.

YL reads only when he is held with force by the throat. He has got a thick neck.

With this combo, it's hard to say which direction our dear Sophie will head. But maybe there's hope for her yet...

Gung Gung's Day

Gung Gung (Grandfather in Cantonese) took part in a Sudoku competition over the weekend at Popo's encouragement. The whole family showed their support by waking up early to get to the venue before 8am. Gung Gung participated in the above 50 years old category, counting an 87-year old woman as his competitor.

Though he completed his puzzle in 5 minutes (out of the given 20 minutes), he discovered one error and then his nerves got the better of him and it was downhill from there. It's alright; there's always next year, Gung Gung!

The Sudoku expert

The supporters

Sophie and her hunk

Sophie and Kau Foo Chai (Cantonese for young uncle, or mother's younger brother), Tik Chu and her Yi Pak (Cantonese for older uncle, or father's elder brother).

The Chinese have proper titles for every type of relative you can think of...

And it is a fact that even a two-year old comprehends...

On the way home in a taxi with Sophie, I took out some money to pay the taxi driver.

Sophie saw the $10 bill and asked, "Who gives you lots and lots of money, Mamma?".

I answered, "My office".

She went on, "Who gives Baba lots and lots of money, Mamma?".

I answered, "Baba's hospital".

She chuckled loudly and corrected me, "No! YOU give Baba lots and lots of money, Mamma!".

An Outing to the Choo

A family picture with the FlinstonesSophie pouting with her Baba when I said no to one of those pushcars that you can rent from the zoo to get around its 28 hectares. Zebra crossing in the background

Hanging out with the sealions

Her first getai

Getai ("song stage" in Mandarin) is a phenomenon unique to Singapore. YL tells me that they take place occasionally in Malaysia, but I have not seen one in the Singaporean style at all.


It is a free open-air night concert held in the common areas of the HDB blocks (Housing Development Board aka Singapore government housing). Performers typically sing in Hokkien or Mandarin, and are not unusually made up of middle-aged aunties and uncles showcasing their dance moves in the latest gaudiest, sparkliest, and stretchiest costumes. They are usually held during the Chinese Ghost Festival month (7th month of the lunar year) and during certain Chinese folk festivals as entertainment for the gods, deities and mortals alike.


We checked one out yesterday night near our flat, and were not disappointed by the gaudy glamour :) If you are interested in this fascinating lifestyle, I highly recommend watching Royston Tan's musical-comedy-drama 881.

Kung Fu Panda

We decided to test Sophie's attention span and risked a movie - Kung Fu Panda - with her a few weekends ago. It's confirmed that it is only 10 minutes long, just enough to last through the commercials.

The rest of the 80 minutes consisted of YL and I alternating between coaxing her to keep still, threatening her to be quiet, taking her out for toilet breaks, taking her to the back of the cinema to let her burn off her excess energy, and explaining to her why she can't go home yet.

Mel, you are lucky with Tik Chu!

Quips II

Feeling a little under the weather today, I complained during dinner to YL that I felt fat. It's just one of those days, you know. After dinner, we stopped by a shoe shop to buy a pair of shoes for Sophie. He didn't help matters when he grumbled and fussed that I took too long to decide on a pair. I positively fumed for the rest of the evening.

Upon arriving home, he wisely left me to huff and puff, and to bury myself in the papers while he carted Sophie off to her shower. I overheard him instructing her to tell Mamma "the shoes are sooo beautiful" later.

A few minutes later, the two appeared in front of me with sheepish grins and chimed together, "Wow, Mamma...you are so thin!". I wasn't amused.

YL then grabbed the new pair of shoes and shoved it in front of Sophie's face to remind her of her next line. She looked at them, a lightbulb lit up in her head, she looked up, flashed a smile and said, "Wow...the shoes are so thin, Mamma!"

Scenes in Singapore

Feeding Baba
A walk along the tiny stretch of beach that is Sentosa

Strolling through the National Museum of Singapore

A dip in the wading pool in Vivocity (it's a shopping mall)

A dip in another sort of pool at the National Museum of Singapore

HFMD restrictions over!

Over the last few months, Singapore experienced its highest incidents of the Hand Foot Mouth Disease (HFMD). Sophie's nursery have been off-limits to parents since early April because they had 2 cases there. Sophie herself was a victim of the paranoia when she was not allowed to attend nursery for a week because of the tiny faint blister on the palm of her hand (probably due to too much time at the monkey bars).

Long story short, yesterday the nursery finally lifted its restrictions because they have been free of cases for more than 2 weeks. They organised a lunch for parents and I finally got to see what she's been up to in school.

Lunch of fried rice

Playing in the closet

Naptime

Poster girl

Masterpiece: Worm

Introducing my Yi Cheong

My Yiyi (aunt) decided that Keon Kor Kor (brother) has been a good enough boy for the last 5 years so she promoted him to become Yi Cheong (Chinese title for aunt's husband) last weekend.

Look at how happy they are...

Little Monkey

Sophie is a regular at the monkey bars at the playground near our house.

Quips

1. YL usually takes Sophie to the toilet before we turn in for the night to avoid her wetting her bed in the middle of the night. She would be groggy with sleep by that time, eyes closed and body limp.

Once, YL switched on the toilet lights and Sophie protested immediately, "Aaaa...switch off the lights! It's too sunny!"


2. Yiyi was trying to take a photo of Sophie with her new iPhone, and the whole family coerced her to look up from her toys in her hands to pose for the camera.

"Look at the camera, look at the camera!" She looked everywhere except the camera, fidgeted with her hands and squirmed around.

"Look at the camera, look at the camera, look at the camera, Sophie!"

"But it's a phone!"


3. To be continued...She's bugging me to change into my uniform to go to school now and later she will put me to nap...

Walked the Mountains, Chased the Dragons

I have just returned from a 10-day excursion to the south of China with a group of....feng shui fanatics. I certainly do not qualify as one yet; in fact, I stuck out like a sore thumb being a newbie and therefore the most blur one of the group.


But it was definitely interesting catching snippets of feng shui tips and wisdom from a very eclectic group. There was a Taiqi master from Slovenia, a yogi, a few practicing Daoists, a wushu champion, and an ex-Indian astrologer, among others. Then there's me, a plain old HR practitioner. :)


As the purpose of this particular trip was to understand the "works" of the Grandmasters, we descended into the rural areas with feng shui associations. For many villagers, we were probably the only foreigners they have ever met. My Caucasian classmates were usually followed by a small gaggle of locals gawking at them, especially when they whipped out their luopans (feng shui compass) to take measurements of the directions and locations of the various water and mountain features.

View from the one of the mountains near the cave where the founder of the Daoist Zhen sect successfully created his immortality elixir. The landforms in the area are supposed to encourage spirituality and help him to achieve his goals.

P/S In feng shui terms, mountains are referred to as "dragons", hence the title of this post. Mel, I swear I have nothing to do with opium...