Zoo

Han Jin let me out, in exchange of a song of ‘Calabash Brothers', my childhood memory and one of the few good kids cartoon domestically produced when I was young. I planned to submit the paper for the new maid, but WP on-line is not available after 10pm. So I have the luxury of time now to update the blog.

The quality of the mass production does look to be as good, though. :)

A busy today:
- went to meet the new maid and current employer at Clementi mall at 8am;
- went to zoo with Max's family;
- went to Plaza Singapura for Han Jin's Yamaha, bought a watch for Ayi as the farewell gift, and went to Musee for underarm hair removal. heehee;
- went to meet the maid current employer again to get the signed form;
- went to block 18 to meet and play with our usual cliques..

HJ Level 2 升二级了！

After 3 months' weekly session with APS swimming school, Han Jin passed the level 1 for beginners.

What he can do now:

- swim about 5 meters with a board;
- blow nose bubbles for 10 times, and 10 seconds each time;

Here is his certificate! and a sumptuous home-made dinner at Max's and the pretty mum who cooks well!

DIY Soap 手制肥皂

Participated a RC event to Soap Ministry @ Orchard Central, for soap making workshop with the kids.

Children had fun and made their own soap. Procedure:

1. we cut the goat milk soap base;
2. the staff will cook the soap base to melt into thick liquid;
3. we measure the ingredients, including herbs, essential oil, color, vitamin E etc, and mix the ingredients;
4. when soap base is ready, it was poured into the cup and we have to stir quickly to mix well all the ingredients;
5. pour the semi-liquid into molds;
6. go for a lunch with friends (Renae in the picture with big eyes :);
7. get our hardened soap after lunch

和孩子们一起参加一个手工制作香皂的学习班，据说天然无害，eco-friendly.

 我们的成果，瀚月最爱的粉红色和瀚今最爱的小汽车。

Bowling + New Ayi 保龄球/新阿姨

带孩子们去打保龄球，他们不亦乐乎。重要的是儿童道的两边有护栏，怎样也不会掉到沟里。我就没那么幸运，打的超烂。。。

最近在积极准备孩子要换阿姨的心态，有点担心他们不会适应。所以会告诉他们妈妈去找新阿姨，会带看得上的阿姨再见第二次和孩子们一起，会询问孩子的意见。一段对话：

Mum: Ok, kids, we need to change a new Ayi.
HJ: Ok.
HY: Why?

Mum: Because Ayi need to go home to take care of her own children and her mum.
HJ: .....
HY: Why?

Mum: Because Ayi's mum is sick and she couldn't take care of Ayi's children any more.
HJ: .... (playing his toys)
HY: Why Ayi's mum is sick?

Mum: Ayi's mum is getting old.
HJ: ....
HY: Why?

Mum: While, when people are old, health condition is not very good, and will fall ill easily.
HJ: ....
HY: Why she is old?

Mum: everybody will turn old one day. You will grow up and mummy will grow old.
HJ: ....
HY: (ponders), when I become mummy, you will be old?

Mum: yes, that's right. Would you love mummy when I'm old?
HY: I love you, mummy. I will bring you to playground, and buy you pink camera and hello kitty toys.
HJ: Mummy, I love you. When you are old, I will take you to the zoo and buy you toys. I will buy a Ferrari, and sell it and then I will have a lot of money.

(Realising the conversation is drifting, I started to ask specific question.)

Mum: Ok. Let's talk about the new Ayi. Do you want a pretty or not so pretty Ayi?
Both: Pretty.
Mum: Do you want a tall or a short Ayi?
Both: Tall.
Mum: Do you want the new Ayi to have long hair or short hair.
HY: long hair.
HJ: Never mind la.
Mum: Do you want the new Ayi to be always happy and smiling?
Both: Yes
Mum: Do you want the new Ayi to play with you?
Both: Ok.
Mum: Do you want the new Ayi to read story book to you?
Both: Yes!
Mum: Do you want the new Ayi to cook nice food for you?
HY: Yes!
HJ: Yes, I want chicken rice!
Mum: Do you want hte new Ayi to feed you?
Both: Ok!

Kiddies are geared up right now. So I throw the big question in:
Mum: Do you want a new Ayi?
Both: YES!!
.....
HY: Can I have a new mummy also?

????!!!!!! I'm outrageous. "ARE YOU SURE?"
HY: No No NO.. I want mummy only. (good that you know you made a serious misstatement).

To felt my importance again, I throw the last question:
Mum: Do you want the new Ayi to sleep next to you at night?
HY: I want to sleep with mummy! (felt better...)
HJ: I want to sleep with mummy also! (felt even better... but it's another question on how to arrange the room after both new maid and my parents are here).

That was how I was preparing my kids for the change... what we can draw from the conversation: HY is really at the WHY stage and she can drill you to the last point. HJ has past the stage and becoming a little indifferent sometimes.

We went bowling, and I did badly. My scores are probably worse than HJ's, as there are shields on both sides of the kiddy runway.

another keyboard player 瀚月敲键盘

Look at how Han Yue plays keyboard.... No one taught her before. 没学过钢琴的丫头也弹得是模是样。。。

Maid 保姆

She's been with us for 4 years. When she joined us, there were just Han Jin who attends full day child care. There were grandparents around to help out.

Then there came Mei Mei. Grandparents went back. She takes care both kids, fetching Han Jin from school, with Mei in tow, shine or rain.

There were times that I am not happy about her behavior, attitude or dressing style. But at this time, when she needs to leave the country for good, I just want to say thanks to her for taking care of the children, filling their days when I'm not around.

She probably has spent more time with kids than I did. She was definitely part of their growing story.

However, I wonder, how soon the kids will forgot their Ayi (a very intimate name in Chinese generally means aunt). There will be other aunties later on. It's quite sad for these group of women, coming to a foreign land, taking care of other people's kids, while leaving theirs behind.

Thank you, Imelda. I wish you all the best in the future.

在我家工作4年的保姆突然要回菲律宾，真的打乱了我的一些计划。不想说我怎样取消机票，四处找新保姆，动员我的父母来帮忙。

只想说她在过去4年里照顾孩子，对孩子也是有着相当大的影响。真的帮了我很多忙。是我的孩子童年时期很重要的人之一。以后我们还会有不同的保姆，过久了孩子可能会忘了他们最初的‘阿姨’，这是一种很亲近的叫法，估计以后的保姆不会叫阿姨了。

祝福她一路好早！

工作的意义

西海岸公园都快成我们家后花园了，3个休息日里去了两次。不太热的天气里瀚今和瀚月有玩新的游戏。瀚今可以独自爬上绳索塔，瀚月可以玩小飞狐了。淅淅沥沥的小雨后来下着，坐在麦当劳的椅子里，爸爸去买早餐，孩子们累累蔫蔫的，空气中凉丝丝的带着爸爸刚走开时有点暖暖的呼吸，红瓦屋檐滴答着雨。那一刻，在速食俗世的麦当劳，居然有世外的感觉。

第二天去上班地铁的路上，远远看见路边二楼上一个妈妈在教孩子给过往的行人挥手，上班高峰时间，也许没有人注意，绝对没有人停下来，我就这样前五十米就看着她们，唇角上牵，那个妈妈看到我，一个灿烂的笑，孩子不停对我挥手。我就这样咧着嘴笑开了，一直笑到地铁站。

工作的意义在那里？

- 工资可以供给家人，提高生活水平；
- 工作给人独立感，有助于提升自我满意度；
- 没有人是不可或缺的，所以对大环境影响不大；
- 但总体社会还是需要人们工作，来提高总生产值的。

我一定要工作吗？不可以在家带孩子吗？。。。。。。脆弱的时候的疑问，明天还是会乖乖去上班的。。。

Sushi making 做寿司

Ever since we joined PCF, the very grassroot level kindergarten, this is the first extra curriculum activities: sushi making and soybean drink making session for children and parents.

What sets it different from the activities that the previous childcare center offers: it is free of charge. Similarity: the teachers and staff are all very friendly, helpful and observant. For instance, we messed up the sushi making session as I have to roll 4 sushi for both kids while other parent makes only 2 rolls, and the teacher did not frown at all and was very amicable at my apology; the teacher offered to lend Han Yue a set uniform when she wet hers while tasting the soy drink...

Overall, it makes me feel that cost does not necessarily equate to quality. The low cost kindergarten is offering a caring environment.

瀚今现在的学校，基层类的学校，第一次有课外活动，老师教学生和家长做寿司和豆奶。

Matthieu's birthday

Han Jin's friend from Little Skool House, Matthieu's 6th birthday was held in Little Gym at Forum. He was thrilled to see his old friends, and there were lots of jumping, skipping, running, twisting and turning in the gym. Imagine the energy level emitted by 20 over six-years-old! Guided games and activities, McDonald and cake, friends and friends...

Maybe time to start planning Han Jin's birthday. well, Mei Mei's comes first.. well, daddy says, his is even earlier than Mei Mei..

Daddy and Mummy had a leisure time at Haagen Dazs..

瀚今在小小学堂的朋友，乐洋，过6岁生日。

Genting 云顶

Thanks to Chen Ni who organised a trip to Genting Highland, which turned out to be very suitable for family with young children, abliet the long bus ride.

We set off before the dawn, and boarded a so called VIP coach. After 6 hours, arrived at Genting in a nice, cool, misty weather. Watched the magic show 'Freeze', not really fantastic. Mei was scared of the sound effect, as expected, and retreated barely 5 mins after the show started.

Surprisingly, she actually enjoyed most of the kiddy rides the next day, except for the boat riding into the Dianosaur cave. Han Jin liked the bumping car the most and rode it for at least 7 times. Hubby and I tried the space shot which Chen Ni and Wan Ying raised our expectation very high, along with the thrilling threshold. So, it didn't turn out to be a killer. Jia Cheng liked the go-cart rides.

Afterall, it is a theme park that caters for the family.

Both kids have definitely very positive feedback and want to go back again. Yes, I don't mind, if not for the 6 hour ride.

Btw, I won RM180 on jackpot with RM10 input, just nice for breakfast for all.

I bought the annual pass to Legoland in Malaysia, openning next year I think. Hope it's a good theme park.

和朋友们去云顶高原，6小时车程，孩子们很喜欢主题公园的活动, 有比较适合小朋友玩的项目。圣淘沙的Universal Studio比较适合大孩子和大人。

Fish vs Pond 羽毛？

一个周六去IMM, 顺道去爸爸公司拿东西。还是第一次去爸爸公司。PK一下。

办公室：爸爸有自己的办公室，贴着自己的名字和职位；妈妈坐在开放式的办公室里，站起来可以望得到整层楼的同事。

公司：爸爸的本地上市公司，第三梯板，股票S$0.35，潜力股，员工400；妈妈的国际投资银行，股票$26.6, 银行股，现在风险也挺大，全球员工5万，亚太7千多。

团队：爸爸有10多个职员；妈妈有6个。

职位：爸爸直接向CEO报告；妈妈在公司组织图上离CEO至少还有5，6层。

待遇：呵呵，保密。

是做小池子里的大鱼呢，还是大池子里的小鱼？是做凤凰尾巴上绚丽的羽毛呢，还是公鸡头顶上火红的冠带？

Went to daddy's office the other day on the way to IMM, the first time we were there.

He has his own office, bigger than that of our managing director. A local listed company vs an international investment bank. A Financial Controller in a local listed company vs a Vice President (urr, it's a big title, just a senior manager) in an investment bank. A big fish in a small pond vs a small fish in a big pond.

We are happy fish together, in our little family pond. :)

Wedding & Gathering 婚礼和运动

我们ACCA会计注册学校时的美女结婚了。已经很久没有去过婚礼了，圣洁美丽的仪式依然让人感动，那是两个人的誓约，执子之手，与子偕老的誓约。

下午邀约朋友们来家里玩，一起打羽毛球，乒乓球。半个小时就腿软了，真的是缺乏运动呀！等到。。。 突然想起昨天在凤凰卫视看到一个私人视障儿童孤儿院的消息，当时觉得这才是让我心灵有归依的工作，当时也是对自己说，等到。。。 等到什么时候呢？瀚今瀚月上完大学？20年以后？？？

Kelly & Kevin's wedding. Friends' gathering at my place, for a sports day :). Badminton and table tennis.

Princess returns 公主回归

The cough has been there for more than 10 days. I brought her to Dr Gong. After 10 mins, we are out with a nebulizer, a bag of medicine, a $300 poorer pocket and a much reassured mind. Dr Gong has the calming voice and the confident manner which is very reassuring for parents. Paediatrics, a choice profession, for Han Jin?

While, after the medication and 'smoking elephant', she's better and forget all about being a boy and wearing Han Jin's cloths. Her princess is back, with pink accessories, hello kitty dress, tutu skirt and an affection of anything pink.

妹妹的咳嗽反反复复10多天，家庭医生的药不见多大效用。去看了专科医生，渐渐好了起来。好起来的妹妹也忘了假小子情结，重新回归公主裙，粉红色，hello Kitty，首饰。。。