Water Play

Singapore is not only land scarce, water is precious here. Needless to say my boys, like all children loves to play with water. They visit the public swimming pool every weekend and have their fun. In Ipoh we bring them to the MBI pool. That is not enough. They still like to play in their Grandparents garden. Especially with the hose. Plus there are lots of creepy crawlies in the garden. When they were younger we had a collapsible pool but they soon out grew it.

Initially they will say they want to water the plants or wash their Grandparents car. Once they nearly drowned some of the plants and got told off from the Grandfather. Since then they are more careful where they aim the hose.




They definitely can't do this in Singapore. The reasons are

• we stay in a flat
• water is precious here, hence it means $$$

One of the reason why they always look forward to Ipoh.

Water guns......lame. This is better according to them. They will be at it for a couple of hours. Peace and quite for us in the house. I will usually be behind those glass windows, looking out just in case they go overboard during their play. Only came out to snap some pictures then I went back to escape the heat. Back to the comfort of the air con.

Hmm..........I don't remember playing that way with my siblings. Come to think of it I don't think we were allowed to play with water that much.


Not fair !

Tagged Again

I got tagged again. This time by a new found blogger friend bokjae.

Here is the tag :- Ten Questions

These are the rules :-Five answers to each question and then tagged five others.

Instructions :- Remove the first Blog and add your own blog last.

Huma B; Anything Goes; A Great Pleasure; Wishing On A Falling Star; Bokjae; simply888here


Here goes.....


Q1. What were you doing 10 years ago?

• A working mum
• Stressed due to work and house work
• Staying in sparingly decorated flat
• Looking forward to any holiday or leave to de-stress
• Trying to loose weight

Q2. What were you doing 1 Year ago?

• A full time housewife
• Stressed due to the year end exams are coming
• Staying in a flat stuffed with fruniture
• Looking froward to any holiday to de-stress.
• Still trying to loose weight
  

Q3. What are 5 snacks you enjoy?

• Chocolates
  
• Nuts - all types of nuts


• Chips


• Any deep fried snacks


• Nonya kuihs
  
  

Q4. What are 5 songs you know the lyrics to?

• Negaraku -just like bokjae


• Majulah Singapura - because I am forced to hear it twice a day with out fail except on school holidays.


• All the nursery rhymes


• Theme song from Barney - I love you ,You love me.....


• Theme song from Toys Story - You got a friend in me......

Q5. 5 things you would do if you are a Millionaire?

• See here for my dream.

Q6. 5 Bad habits?

• I drink too much wine in the weekend
• I eat too much in the weekend
• I eat too much during the hoildays
• Procastinate is my middle name
• Looking at the mirror
  

Q7. 5 things you like to do?

• Listening to classical musics
• Reading
• Cross Stitch
• Beaded shoes
• Peering in to other people's live through a 17 '' screen
  

Q8. 5 Favourite Toys?

• My embroidery frame
• My wok and spatula
• The computer
• The ATM
• Hmm......(Censored)
  

Q9. 5 things you would never wear?

• Clothes to bed
• Clothes to the bathroom
• Shoes into the house
• Morticia Adams' make up
• A dress that has a deep 'V' cleavage in the front and back with a big slit at the side. Not that I don't want to.

Q10. 5 things you hate to do?

• Exercise - got to do if I want to fit in to my clothes
• Housework - have to do it.
• PMS !!!
• Family conflicts
• Nag....
  

Now I would tag the following :-

• dawn from twocrazydogs.
• angel from angelestrix.
• pearly from pearly
• catcat from cathlooi
• u.lee from moonlightandroses.

Have fun and a nice day to all.

Fashion

It all eludes me till I was in my 30s. You know, which colour to match with which.
Aiy...ah, headache ! In the end to play safe I chose colours that are easy to match, mainly neutrals. And I remembered I like pink too. Lots of pink. I still do, but now the pink is no more the sugary pink but hot pinks.

Clothes - Even though I am the girly girly type, I have no idea about the latest fashion. What will go with my figure and so forth. Again to play safe I chose classics.
Mother always tells me my choice of clothes are so old fashion. My can of hair spray has been sitting on the bathroom shelf for ........... I don't even know how long it has been there. I use makeup sparingly. Those cosmetic company won't make any money with me.

Yes, our Mother is one lady who knows a lot about fashion. It did not rub off on me sad to say. She knows what is in and what is passe. What goes well with what. And she put on her make up whenever she step out of the house. Even to the market.

When I took up lessons for my beaded shoes, that was when I took note of the colours around me. Really took note of them. You see, in the beaded shoes I need to match the colours of my beads on my own. Nothing like the cross stitch, where all the colours are given.

So with my new found knowledge my wardrobe is much more colourful. With some greens, orange, red mixed with my safe colours of blue, white and brown. I never did manage to carry black well. So there is no black. Maybe I will give it a try again.

This is also when I started to be more aware of my figure. Hence the new clothes with the new colours, sexy ones like the one in my last post. In my late 30s I am much more confident than I was a decade ago. I dare to mix and match and try new styles.

A friend of mine said "We are more 'hiao' as we age".

Etc, Etc, Etc........

I went with my friend Nelly to watched the King & I at the Esplanade last night. It was a good show with some funny scenes in between. We had a nice time.

Those were the banners decorating the Esplanade. This time we did not rush as before. Met for a meal before the show. But it was too early for dinner. The restaurants were not opened for dinner yet. We decided to stick to some where near by so that we need not rush.

We chose Prego. An Italian restaurant in Raffles City.

We came here a long, long time ago, when we were earning pittance. Promised ourselves we will come back when we are able to afford to. But we never did, went to other restaurants but never stepped in to Prego again. Until yesterday.

The restaurant looks empty because they were only three tables occupied. The restaurant were only serving snacks then.

Snacks - but the portion that came was big ! They served bread with a tomato base dip too. A nice meal while we chat non stop.

Lastly this was what I wore last night.

Sexy ? Aiyah lots of other girls with better figure wore more sexy than I. See all those muffins (extras) at the side ? Can't seem to get rid of them. :(

This is a conversation with my #1

#1 - You are going to wear this out ? (Gave me a look)

Yes.

#1 - Is Papa driving you there ?

No I am going to go by the train.

#1 - I think you better go by taxi. Afterwards you get molested !

He is beginning to sound like my H and he is only 12 !!!!

Take Charge

A cover from another one of my romance books.

Nay !

This is an ad by the Health Promotion Board. I saw this in today's newspaper.

At the bottom of this ad is :-

"There is no such thing as a weaker sex. Take charge and protect yourself from HIV/AIDS and Sexually Transmitted Infections by abstaining from casual sex and being faithful to one partner. A person infected with HIV/AIDS usually show no signs or symptoms "

Visit here for more info - letstalkaboutsex

881

881 - in Mandarin, pah, pah yau.

It's now 7th Month, Hungry Ghost Festival and it's the Getai fever too.

What ? Getai ? Never heard of it before ?

Don't worry, you are not the only one. I had never heard of this or seen it before until I came to Singapore. I think most Malaysian have not heard of this too. Even though Singapore is just next to us.

Check out this clip from the movie 881 - a Singapore's production. The twins May and Choy co- stars as the Durian Sisters.




A check with the Wikipedia :-

"A Getai (literally song stage) (Pinyin of Simplified Chinese: 歌台), is a usually boisterous life stage performance held during the Ghost Festival commonly held in Singapore, in contrast to the generally solemn mood of the festival. The stage setup is usually composed of temporary structures and situated in the suburbs of the city in any empty field or even in carparking spaces.

The event is usually meant to be performed to the spirits and also the people alike during the seventh month. The backdrop of the stage is usually made of cardboard and clothes painted in bright colours. Also, spotlights, usually consisting of brighter colours, like, red, blue, pink and yellow. The performers would normally don loud and glittery clothing, and the compère would spout crude jokes all in the name of fun.

The younger folks in Singapore would normally relate to a Getai as kitsch, as the performers would sing and talk in Hokkien, which is a dialect they label as crude and passe. The older people would normally enjoy watching a Getai, dance and sing along to the staple songs.

A groundbreaking Getai was held in 2006. There was a twelve hour marathon Getai, that saw many famous performers gracing the stage and bringing the crowd to their feet.

In 2007, 881, a movie made by Royston Tan showcased the life of these performers and was in memory of Chen Jinlang, one of the most well-known song stage singers, who died on Jul 26 2006."


There now you know what is Getai. Even though most of us might not know about it but it has been reported that there are singers from Malaysia, Indonesia, China and Taiwan too. They sing in dialects, not only Hokkien and Mandarin but Cantonese too.

Getais usually comes with an auction where things such as XO Brandy, sculptures of Buddha and others symbolic sculptures are placed under the hammer.

Now spread the word to the world that there is such a practice here in this Little Red Dot aka Singapore, The City Of Possibilities.

10 Things That Had Happened To Me

This is long over due. I had been tag by twocrazydogs. Gasp ! I can't remember when or what it was about too. So after I had found out what it was, I need to start thinking. I must elaborate on them too.

Think, Think, Think..... (just like Winnie The Pooh)

After much thinking....here it is :-

Ten Things That Had Happened To Me

• I came to Singapore in 1988 on a night bus from Ipoh with my friend Caroline and our mothers. It was the start of a new adventure for both of us. There were altogether 13 new Malaysian girls in that particular hostel we stayed in. That hostel became our home for four years. That four years bonded the 13 of us together. We became very much like sisters (Chee Mui). We were alone here after our parents left. We had no one except each other. Celebrated each other's birthday, going through the ups and downs of dating, courtship and a death of one of our very dear friend. A friendship that lasted even though we are now scattered all over the planet.

• In the hostel we girls were the youngest among the residents there. We had phone calls non stop. Must queue to make a call. It does not help that some of us like to 'cook some porridge ' over the phone. We talk and play loud. I m sure the elders cannot 'tahan ' us .Break some rules here and there. Although we did not get caught by the matron or she did not confront us with it. You see, the hostel gates and doors are looked by the security guards at midnight. Everyone is suppose to be in by then. If you are not, I guess for the Singaporeans they have a home to go to. For us, we climbed over the gates. As the side doors were looked from the inside we went to our friends window and called them. I am sure the others would have heard us but we were never asked to the matron's office. Subsequently if we know we are going to be back real late we will usually help each other by staying up late just to open the door. Our dates will insist in seeing us in to the hostel but we will be caught dead before they see us climbing over the gates, skirts and all. We usually asked them to drive off while we pretended to open the gate.

• Singapore is also where I met H. It was a group date. I did not even want to go but was dragged in to fill up the numbers. We started going out as a group and later we sort of go on our own dates. Had lots of fun together. And still do. We are not perfect. We quarrel, I sulk, he brood, we make up. After fifteen years we are still 'diddling' with each other.

• By my fifth year in Singapore we had to move out of the hostel. And I shared a flat with my room mate in Toa Payoh Lorong 1A. H soon move in with me and we stayed together for a couple of years . There is also where I got married and became a mother for the first time. A 'kan cheong' mother and more 'kan cheong' father. By the third round we are pros already and the 'kan cheong' shift to their studies.

• The day after my #1 was born, we received the notification for the collection of keys for our new HDB flat. When I was discharged from the hospital I went to the HDB to collect the keys. And I insist of driving to the new flat to take a look. New flat and my first new house, of course must see. Can't wait till after the one month confinement. Ended up we did not move for nearly half a year - waiting for all the renovations to be done. The contractor ran away leaving half the job done. We had to look for a new guy who is willing to continue with what the roue contractor had finished at more or less the same quotation. Stress - big time.

• I went to the US with my parents. I paid for my way. I was there for one and a half months. Visited LA, the two Disney, Las Vegas, Grand Canyon, New Orleans, Atlanta, Savannah, Washington, The Big Apple, Boston, Quebec, Montreal, Niagara Falls and ended my holiday at Toronto. We travel mostly by Greyhound. The best holiday of my life. Wonder when will I be able to repeat that again.

• Becoming a full time housewife. Was I bored ? There have never been a moment of peace since I became one. With three active boys running around me. Just imagine me sitting down in a middle of a tornado. I don't need to visit my Sis to experience one. I am already in a middle of one. I do miss my power of spending though. Especially when I look at my friends, Nursing Officers, Director of this and that department, etc.... Sign , This leads to me wallowing, makes me feel like I am a failure. What the **** have I done in the past 8 years ? But come tomorrow morning all these feelings are gone once I am sucked in to that tornado again.

• Took up beaded shoes and found that it was not as easy as I thought it was. It all started when there was a craze for beaded shoes long ago. My colleagues went to Melaka to buy them. I went to Melaka to buy them too. But soon I found that those sold in Melaka were not as well done as those I saw here, in Katong. So, I decided to pick this craft up. In the beginning there were spilt beads more often than anything. Went around picking them up. Rope in H and the boys to help me pick them up. It is not that easy to pick up you know. Now I am much better. I had been doing Cross Stitch for many years before. I guess the experience did help with the counting. Since then I have made many beaded shoes. And the best part is I don't own a single pair of them. I gave away all of them mostly to my Mother, Aunt and my Sis. What I have are only the ones I bought in Melaka, long long ago.

• As long as I can remember I have always wanted to lose the weight I have. At last this year I manage to loose some and maintain that weight. I did not survive solely on grass to succeed it. Nor did I use diet pills or anything like that. I just watch what I eat. Sounds easy doesn't it ? But it is the hardest thing I have ever done. And I am proud of my own mini achievement. Although when it comes to Ipoh all self control is gone. :( The food is so tempting, so how to resist them ?

• I wore my first contact lenses way way back. I can't remember when. But I do remember I had an eye infection on both my eyes from it. Applying eye drops and eye creams was no joke. I don't want to go through that again. Thought I will go blind. Took me a few years, in fact many many years before I went back to lenses again. I was not with lenses even when I was dating. Only got them when I vanity bites me before my wedding.

Wow ! Never thought I could write so much. Actually I can go on some more but I am too tired and the tag did say ten. :)

Which Room Is This In?

Isn't this nice ? There are flowers, ornaments, potpourri and even a clock.
Can you make a wild guess which room this is in ?
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Tha...da....The full picture. Sorry the pictures are not that good. The light just won't cooperate with me when I want to take a full picture.

In the toilet.

With a fan there too. You can do your business in comfort and still check on the time. In case you been in there too long.

'Geng' ! That is Mother.

Personalitty Profile

Saw this profile thingy from twocrazydogs. Tried it out and it sort of true.

Your Five Factor Personality Profile

Extroversion: You have low extroversion. You are quiet and reserved in most social situations. A low key, laid back lifestyle is important to you. You tend to bond slowly, over time, with one or two people. Conscientiousness: You have medium conscientiousness. You're generally good at balancing work and play. When you need to buckle down, you can usually get tasks done. But you've been known to goof off when you know you can get away with it. Agreeableness: You have high agreeableness. You are easy to get along with, and you value harmony highly. Helpful and generous, you are willing to compromise with almost anyone. You give people the benefit of the doubt and don't mind giving someone a second chance. Neuroticism: You have medium neuroticism. You're generally cool and collected, but sometimes you do panic. Little worries or problems can consume you, draining your energy. Your life is pretty smooth, but there's a few emotional bumps you'd like to get rid of. Openness to experience: Your openness to new experiences is low. You're a pretty conservative person, and you favor what's socially acceptable. You think that change for novelty's sake is a very bad idea. While some may see this as boring, many see you as dependable and wise.

The Five Factor Personality Test

Why I Am Stress.

Examination stress - Stress on me more than my boys. Yeah, I know I have been going on and on about it.

Lke Pearly I too do not like to nag. Because my Mother had nag me more than enough when I was schooling. I never did like it too. So, I just tell my boys what they had to face in the future will depends on thir studies. #1 will do his school work after school but #2 will act blur and wait for us to asked him.

As a parent, of course I want the best for them. Hence the stress. Even though I have told myself countless of times not to be. In fact I have not nag them as much as before. I know as the exams are nearer, the teachers will hand them past papers to practise in school. When they come home, there are more practice papers as homework.

Maybe that is why they don't feel like doing any school work at home. But that can't do. They need to do some revision at least.

But it is not easy not to be stressed. Especially with my eldest. This is his final year in primary school. The exams he is going to take in October will more or less determine which school he will end up with. A four or five year secondary schooling or a technical school.

Nothing like in our time. A place in the secondary school of your choice is more or less available. Regardless of your primary school results. I am not sure how it is over there anymore. Wonder if it is the same as here in S'pore

Here, the aggregates you obtain will determine the school you want. Once the results are out, we need to apply for the secondary school according to the aggregates you have. We are given six choices. Of course we will put the school we want him to be in at the top of the list. The list is then submitted to the Ministry of Education.

After two weeks or so you will get your answer. The school of your choice might reject your application due to their requirement for admission. Then a place will be given to you according to the school of your choice from your list - a school that will accept him with the aggregates he have.

Now, I know my boy's standard. He is no high flyer, just average. He can do better but he is very lazy, not focus enough ( according to his teachers ). There is not a chance he can go to any of those top secondary schools ( eg :- ACS, Raffles, Victoria, Hwa Chong). The most we can hope for is a four year course in good secondary school in our neighbourhood. A five year secondary schooling in a good school is better than being in a not a good school.

What is this four and five years thing, you asked.

Four years of secondary schooling will lead him to O' levels.
The other one will lead him to N' levels (Normal) at the end of five years of schooling . Here if his results are good he can sit for his O levels the next year.

So, you see stress or not. On top of that the teacher will call you up to discuss with you when your child is not doing well in certain subjects. Or have a parent teacher meeting over how or try to improve their grades. These parent teacher sessions are not those normal sessions they have every once a year. This can be at anytime of the year. Especially for Primary 6.

Teachers stressing the parents !
I am not a 'kiasu' parent. Study, study, study, must go to the top schools, university. I am actually very easy going like I mentioned earlier. But I do feel the stress.

Instead my #1 is stress free.

Now come to my #2. He is the least stress person in the house. He is weak in all his subjects. The worst is his Chinese.
"Don't worry I will try to fail better in Chinese "

What can I say ? (eyes rolling).

#1 laughing away - "That is a good one" told his brother. Both laughing away.

You know I am not the only one. The rest of the mothers I meet while picking my boys up says the same thing too. From what I gather, it is usually the girls who complaint that they feel the stress with the coming PLSE ( Primary Leaving School Examinations ). The boys are more easy going and their mothers feel the stress instead of them.

There is a hot line in school for exam stress kids. There is a counselor too.

Enough said.

My last word for this post is - I want the best for my boys.

An Exam Stressed Mom

I would like to bring my boys up with the knowledge that all their actions, what they do now have consequences. That they have to face them on their own in the future.

How I wish they can be more focus in their studies ? End of the year, the usual round of test and exams starting tomorrow. The boys are still in their "tiada apa " attitude. This is a crucial year for my P6 boy. He is not worried at all. Instead I am doing all the worrying.

I too don't want to end up with sons that expects me to pick up after them when they are grown up. Just imagine he is 30 years old and after drinking from a cup he expects me to wash it for him. You might think this is extreme, I have a friend, her 4o year old SIL does that. She still expect her 70 year old mom to iron her working clothes. Jeezzzz.

I definitely don't want that. My boys do have minor chores in the house. Take turns to wash the plates and cleaning the table after each meal. Take turns washing three pairs of school shoes at the end of a school week. To making their beds. They are not keen to do them. They will hem and hawed. And in the end reluctantly, dragging their feet settle them.

Responsibilities - How do I instill it in them ?

Absent Minded

Hydrangeas
Started - 2007
Completed - 7th August 2007
Design - Raffaella Serena


Finished this before I left for Ipoh. You can still see the marks left over by the embroidery hoop.
It took me quite a while to complete it. I can't even remember when I started it. I am sure it was after I finished the last beaded shoes. Which was......... See I can't remember when !
It is really not that important but it just bugs me that I can't remember when.

That is the problem with me. Once I start a new project I am always excited and eager. Half way through boredom sets in. It will be abandon in one corner of my room, still visible but mostly ignored. While I pursue other of my interests - reading and blogging. Blogging have taken up a large chunk of my time. I have promised myself to spent less time on it. It is still an uphill battle for me.

Tissue Holders

Started - 13th August 2007

Completed - 14th August 2007

Design - Janlynn

Tissues holders - completed this three days ago. Felt like doing something quick and easy before I begin another 'big' project.

Beaded shoes.

Started - 16th August 2007.

Still a long way to go.

Hence this will leave a mark in here, this blog of mine for the absent minded me. For easy reference and for all to enjoy.

Have a lovely weekend.

If I Have A Million.....

I have been tagged not once but twice. First by twocrazydogs and then pearly. The first must use some thinking so I thought I'll do the other first. Easier.

What am I going to do if I have a MILLION.......Like Pearly I hope it is in Pounds or the Greenbacks.

Hmmm......what ever currency it is in -

• Half will go in to my savings. The government here is going on and on about savings for our twilight years. There is whole lot of truth in that. Can't really depend on our kids to support us by then. As it is medical and living expenses are going up and up.

• Next, a brand new car that can fit the whole family. A MPV. No more complains from the boys. Fitted with a DVD player too.

• Book a holiday for the whole family including my parents. Drop in at my sis's place and stressed her out before picking her and DB up to join in on our tour of US. That is if she still can stand being around my three boys by then.

• Before I leave for my trip I would have engaged an interior decorator(a good reputable one) to refit my whole kitchen with the latest gadgets. So that when on my return I can enjoy a brand new kitchen.

• Since I am not around to bear with all the dust and headache of renovation (that's what the interior decorator is for). I might as well renovate the whole house.

• Lastly what to do with the spare cash......Dining and Shopping !!!!!!!!!! My all time favourite pastime. Not very constructive but hey, this is only a ' If I have it thing.... '.

Now, I need to pass this tag on to five more persons. Aiyah too troublesome. Don't want to 'fan' others.

Ipoh

I am back from Ipoh.

Every time I return to Ipoh I feel excited and I can't wait to reach there. Once I am there I go on a food frenzy. I sure miss the food there. Nothing beats the food in Ipoh. Spoken like a true Ipoh girl. :)

I have a family, a home here in Singapore now, but why do I still fell like Ipoh is still so much part of me ? Mention the word 'going back to Ipoh' and I feel like I am really going back home. Miss the view of the hills that surrounds it, my parents house, the town and don't forget the food.

Going home I find everything so familiar and dear to me. From the hard bed and furnitures, the old ceiling fans, to my old story books. But now my parents did some changes to the house. Put up air con in all the three bedrooms and the halls. Re decorate the one and only bathroom in the house.

Hmm.... come to think of it I do miss bathing by the tub. Splashing water all over me with a bucket. The shower don't seem to have the same effect as that. Replacing that is a shower cubicle with a built in stool and hand railing.

The funny thing is on our return trip I can't wait to reach my flat in Singapore. When there is a jam along the Causeway I find it so frustrating. And when I reach home I find that I miss all my things here.

This trip back home to Ipoh was made because I was 'patt' (nosy).
My parents did some changes to the house. And I just can't wait until end of this year to see it. That is 'patt' or what ?

Here are some 'patt' pictues of their house.

It's Wednesday !

Hmm..... for a while I had to actually think about whether or not it is Wednesday, but it is.

Yay !!!!

I am going back to Ipoh. We will be leaving as soon as the boys return from school. Dismissal is at 10.30am.

It's their Sports Day. The first for #3 and he is very excited about it. Of course we went down to give our support. And then I came back earlier to pack up. Can't resist the computer as it was on. H was checking the stock market before we both went down to the school.

Poor boy he did not do do that well. dropped the ball most of the time. He look so sad. Poor thing.

This will be a short trip. The boys need to attend school on Monday. We are taking advantage of the National Day holidays which starts tomorrow.

Rushing for time and still I want to leave a mark here.

See you a few days later.

Exams !!!!!!!!!!

Exams are when parents (mothers, especially so) are the most stressed individuals in the world.
OK, maybe not in the whole world but I am definitely starting to feel the stress coming on.

Here are what is line up for my #1 this August onwards.

Continual Assessment 2 (the usual mid term exam)- 20th to 24th August.

Preliminary Examination (before the final paper) - 10th tol 17th September. He already had his oral which ends today.

Primary School Leaving Examination (PLSE - the final paper) -This is not a good shot because the prints are real small.

It starts with orals on 16th to 17th August.

Listening comprehension - 14th September.

The written papers - 3rd to 8th October.

Now you know why I said I am felling the stress.

When I was younger Mother will bring us to asked for the Gods for blessings, knocked some sticks to see how it will go. You know, the usual temple routine which always ends up with us having to swallow ash.

Even then I was skeptical about those yellow papers 'foo'. It is not that I don't believe in God. I believe that one controls one's destiny with a bit of helping from him. If you don't study you have to expect some beautiful colours in your report books. Even God can't put information in to your brain or change the colours in your report book.

Come to think of it, the whole ritual is more like giving you confidence during the exams then helping you pass them.

Needless to say I did not go through all that for any of my boys. I always tell them if they do not study they have to bear with the consequences later on. Even though I told them that I still go after them. But it can be so tiring at times when what you say falls on deaf ears. I feel like I'm a nag all the time.

Like a tape recorder that goes on and on...........

Before you think I am a mom that is very hyper 'kan cheong' about my boys exam. I am not. But I can't help feeling the stress when I see these three time tables coming in one after another.

OK, here is a video sent to me by H. I think it is very appropriate especially the exams are coming soon. It is scene from a local movie 'I Am Not Stupid'.




"The scene is where a lady(in blue) asking the medium for her son's blessing.

The mediums assistant hand over a talismen for her with instruction.

But the lady said 'My son is in US'

Don't worry asked your son to go to this website guanyinma.com to obtain his talismen. "

The Most Difficult Call I Ever Made

Yesterday I received some disturbing news. I was disturbed by it. I was thinking about it the whole day.


Actually I was more than disturbed. I was so annoyed, angry that I emailed to my sis and vent my frustration on her straight away. I feel like bashing someones head. Every time I think of it I get angry all over again. I did not even want to talk about it. Made a copy of my mail and sent it to H.

That did not bring peace to my troubled mind. Through out the whole night I was thinking about it (loh loh luen). So was H.

I was so frustrated that I can't do anything. Can't even cook properly. Really. What ever I cook taste blah. My heart was not in it, I guess. I tried to forget it but it just remain there. Like a blot of permanent ink that can't be remove.

This morning it was still the same. By afternoon I have decided what I had to do. My heart feels so heavy. I dread making that call. I can't avoid it anymore.

But once I did what I had to do - I feel free . My heart feels lighter.

The situation has not changed. The problem is still there but I feel like a ton of load has been removed . Through out my conversation on the phone I can literally feel the tension in me fading away. As if the heaviness in me are being sucked away by the mouth piece. Drained into the telephone lines.

I am glad this uneasy feelings I have been carrying around the whole day is gone.
H came home today and notice the difference too.
"You must be feeling better now, eh ?"
"How do you know ?"
" You baked a cake."

Yes, I baked a cake today. It was suppose to be yesterday's. Measured everything and then I got that @#%*# ....news. Urgh.......... !!!!!

Enough about that !

Telephone lines have to end somewhere.
I feel bad, I have transfer my feelings to the recipient of my call. I really feel bad about it. Wish it can be avoided. But it had to be done.

All those feeling of uneasiness must be because of the call I had to make.

Superstition

We Chinese have loads of superstition. Pantang this and that. And I thought I have heard it all. Well most anyway. Until today.

Have you heard about this one: -

Do not go to a funeral when the cortege have already move off.

The funeral will usually begins from a home or parlour. Lets say if you are late when you reach the home and the cortege have already left. The best thing to do is not to follow to the burial site or crematorium. Just stay where you are.

I found out today that bad luck will befall you, if you follow the cortege from somewhere else. You must follow from the starting point. This bad luck will affect your family too.

Example given.

When Mrs K's daughter past away. Yee Soh was late and went to the burial site. When she was there she felt uneasy (maybe suddenly thought of the old superstition).
True enough a few months later her own healthy daughter died.

Believe it or not ?

This is told by amblanstant when she heard V is rushing back for OP's mom funeral today. Told him this superstition just in case he can't make it in time.