The boy is changing

Felix is experiencing changes.  Sure, one of the first being the change in his place of study.  After going through a less than satisfactory six years and receiving his results of his school-leaving examinations, he knows he could / should have done better.  But he was too proud to admit that to us.  He could only claim tearfully that he tried his best when he was berated harshly by yours truly.

Since then, we have kept to our promise of getting him a mobile phone.  Our reason of holding back for him was right, I believe, looking at the way he uses his mobile phone on games for the past eight months.  It was, indeed, a bitter pill for him to swallow when his younger sister was entrusted with a mobile phone before he.

But my explanation was simple - Rachel had the first phone as we needed at least one of them to be contactable should I need to notify them of my change in plans due to the fluid nature of my work, and when Rachel graduated from primary school and he was the next in line (by age and order of birth), it was his primary six year and Felix just made me feel that he would not pay enough attention to his school work once he got his phone.  No, not in such an important year for him.

We have also kept our promise not to be hot on his heels when it came to studies and his work in school.  Not only were we unsure of the syllabus and how to help, we also needed extra time to focus our energies on other things.  I would not say that this has turned out to be the best for him - based on the numerous late-submission of work comments on his report book the first six months (and it has been continuing).

I examine ourselves and feel apologetic.  I have not been the most supportive and the person whom they feel most approachable with.  I try, but relations are hard to mend, I need not tell you.  He keeps to himself whenever I ask him for reasons why some things turn out they way they are.  He keeps mum when I ask him about his opinions and feelings.

I have tried to interest him in certain things I do.  Some have been successful - watching football in general and Newcastle United games or highlights, sports clips (NBA, wrestling, etc.), singing / talent shows and some documentaries (CNA documentaries about life around us are good, I found).  Others have been disastrous attempts - asking him to join me for jogs, reading e-books, etc.

My wife has pointed out that his voice is changing.  His voice was higher-pitched when he was younger, but it is deeper now.  And of course, most evidently, he is having pimple-trouble.  So the usual advice of washing his face, keeping his hair off his forehead (he does it to hide / cover his pimples), using the Oxy-cream that I have bought him (against the advice of my wife)...

Sometimes, I feel so irate with him after I had given him a piece of my mind but he still did not buck-up.  I have enlisted the help of a few other closer adults in his life to speak to him - his godfather, his uncle Wilson, his form teacher...  I will have to admit that relations between us are, at times, strained.

Felix is generally still cold to us.  The only times when he come to us warmly are when his phone has been confiscated and he has nothing to do, and when he has requests for us.  He is not one t apologise for the mistake he had made.  I can only hope for things to change for the better as time progresses.  Helpless at times.

The General Elections - over again!

I did my best to refrain from writing a post about the General Elections - there are enough experts (wanna-bes) among my friends that another post would be crying foul.  I am careful not to broach subjects that invite disagreement, argument or debate.  They are too 'exciting' for me.  It would invite too diverse a view and supporters of various parties may turn discussions into a  name-calling feast.  Views, like they say - are arseholes; everyone has one.

But I dislike how people like to taunt others by saying that "the 60 (or how-ever-many) per cent " - are you happy that the GST is rising now?" or "you voted them into power - now bear the consequences".  I mean - it is not like MY vote was the deciding one, right?

Interestingly, I have three friends (okay, more like acquaintances) who ran in the elections this time round.  I know PAP's Desmond Tan from my time in the armed forces when he was the commanding officer of a unit of my headquarters.

Ms Chan Hui Yuh is the wife of my high-flying ex-colleague, Vincent.  I met her a couple of times outside of SAF.  I have also seen Mr Loganathan, formerly from the same vocation in the armed forces as well.  I do not know too much about him.  I cannot remember if I have ever spoken to him too.

The elections set me thinking: all the candidates - whichever party they represent - are vying for seats to Parliament to raise issues for Singapore and Singaporeans, aren't they?  If so, why are they slinging mud and smearing the good names of some with dirt?  Do we - Singaporeans - not win, whatever the result and whoever is elected, as the 'best' people have been picked to steer our country in the right (if it was ever wrong) direction?

Why are the parties fighting to win more seats in the Parliament for themselves?  Whoever wins: will these people not cast all inhibitions aside and form a cohesive team for us for the next few years before the next battle?

The "supporters" who adore the candidates of their parties - should they not be respectful of everyone and applaud all who stand for the elections as the winners are our leaders for next few years?  Is there a need to show their 'undying love' for their party's candidates by discrediting others and destroying / hiding other parties'banners / posters / flags?

I have many unanswered questions, but did my best as I tried to explain what had been happening to our trio.  My parents had never spoken to me about the subject and I knew very little until I turned adult myself and started hearing and reading about these.  I was a judge for myself to the things that are happening around us.

I did my best to explain what the elections are about, without fear or favour, to our trio.  I will leave them to judge the rights and wrongs in the political scene as they grow up to become (hopefully - useful) responsible citizens themselves.

The new norm - Post COVID-19

*Afternote: Title of the post should read "Post Phase 1" - COVID-19 is still very much within us currently

It is the month of July.  Singapore is gearing up for General Elections 2020 - whether it is the right call for the event to be held now remains debated.  People seem to have been more settled into the new work-patterns created by the pandemic as a result.

So comfortable with things that I am sometimes worried that we are letting our guard down - just this morning as I was driving from the carpark to the foot of our housing board block, I drove past two middle-aged residents who did not have their masks on.  One was going to work and seemed to have forgotten (rummaged her handbag after I pointed out her lack of mask) and the other man mumbled something about having walked his daughter to school.  I asked if he wanted a mask and he shook his head.

At home, things have also changed.  Since my mother had got into the unfortunate minor car-accident, I have taken over the cooking duty at home for weekday dinners (sometimes lunches too) and the laundry duties (so that my poor wife does not have to worry about it after her long day at work.  I feel a little bit like a 'housewife'.  No, I am sure housewives do much more and a much better job than I do!

So my day (for the past months) pans out like this.  We wake early - a little after five - to get the children ready.  Gasp.  But the girls' schools require them to have their long hair braided (and their refusal to do it themselves) means that my wife has to do the braiding while they sit with their eyes shut, and hopefully not nodding away.

At the same time, I get water changed from their bottles and prepare their breakfast.  Then I wake Felix and he gets changed too.  We had let him go back to sleep previously but he has not been able to prove that he can get himself up and go to school on time, by himself.  Despite it being a mere ten-minute walk from home, he has managed to get himself booked for being late thrice within the first half a year already!  So we need remedial actions - and he gets dropped off in school first before we make our way to the girls' schools.

I proceed to send the girls and drop my wife off at work.  Sometimes, we have the luxury to sit and have breakfast, or at least a drink in-between.  I then drive home to start on my chores.

I start by getting ingredients I need for dinner out of the freezer to defrost them.  Marinating the meat will take place in the afternoon.

I get rice cooked and get laundry done.  Then, I get the clothes folded.

Hey, I am not complaining.  Someone needs to get all these done.  And I have learnt new skills and become more proficient at others (like my fried rice).  I have learnt how to fold a fitted sheet (not the best job I can do, but they fit the small spaces we have for them), with the help of Youtube videos!

All these done before I start my work for the day!

Logic blocks

(2012 unpublished old draft)

Our children did not have to go to school today and as I did not have lessons today as well, I spent the day with them.  I was a little tired in the morning and wanted to steal some time for a little nap while they were watching some educational VCDs that they had picked themselves, but their constant attention seeking-ways ensured I had none of that much needed rest.

I popped two panadol-tablets and got some instant relief.  My mother took Kayleen out on her shopping trip.  I suddenly thought of these 'toys' I bought for our children sometime ago and took them out.

Felix was more interested in some 'cue-cards' and I left him to play alone.  I was not sure if he would be able to understand what he was supposed to do with these blocks anyway.  Our previous experience with both of them playing with the blocks yielded disappointing results.  Rachel appeared enthusiastic today and I guided her to complete the first puzzle.

She appeared impatient the first time round whenever she was unable to fit a supposed piece into position.  I had to hold her hand to turn the block around a couple of times before she realised that she should have done just that when there was a piece that could not fit.

Slowly, she got the hang of it and gained confidence.  Rachel solved the next puzzle with a little help from me and managed the next two on her own.  I am glad she was able to pick up some cognitive skills, along with starting to pick up some good virtues that will go a long way to help her in life later.

It has been eons!

Wow!  It has been ages ago since I could find time and interest to sit at the computer and type away on life!  This has served as a diary to me - it is so amusing looking back at the things that have happened years ago, and wonder what had taken place for the present state...

I enjoy writing.  And it is pleasant to stumble upon my own words I had so long ago!  I think I should continue to write, when ever I can find time again, now that we should stay safe and go out less post-Circuit Breaker...

So many things have happened since.  I have taken on a new job in Prudential and we had started CHIO Booth! - Create Happiness In Our Booth!, the children have grown and developed their own ways...  The elder duo have completed primary school education and they have new cousins...

Let me find time to document more along the way!

Bento making!

I had thought about it for a while, but not having the necessary skills needed for it, I had not dared to try it out.  I mean - it is something seen natural for someone for the fairer gender, having being coerced to pick it up in school too.  What am I talking about?  Cooking, and in my case, bento (meals in lunch boxes) making.

My friend and ex-colleague Nancy had triggered the interest in me.  Being an enthusiastic individual for life and always aspiring to do the best for her two boys, she let me in on how fun it was and how she enjoyed making bento for her sons when they went to school.  Though I had admired her for doing so, I did not think I would have the time and culinary skills required.  So, I smiled and listened to her stories.

Not too long ago, I saw this book on character bento-making sold in one of the Popular bookstores.  Something made me pick it up and bring it to the counter.  I wanted to try it out, sometime.  Being written in Chinese, a language that I had gradually forgotten how to read, did not help too.  Ha.

The past week, when my wife told me that she would be clearing leave the following week, I popped the idea of making bentos together to her.  I always thought that it could be an activity for us to share and enjoy in together.  Not to mention that she would be a great help to do the cooking.  She seemed interested with my idea, and nodded.  Yes!

This day, we went to Daiso in Vivocity (where I had read in a bento-making group on facebook that bento-making tools were sold) to pick up some apparatus to help us get started.  We were greeted with the different pieces of moulds and lunchboxes available there.  We picked a few that we thought we could put to good use, and also proceeded to a supermarket to pick up some ingredients the next day.  We seemed set for our first bento, but were we?

I decided that we would try out making one (in case it failed) for ourselves.  I was not sure if the food could stay in the lunchboxes long enough, for one.  Yen picked a manageable-design from the book - one of three little pigs - and after making sure that we had the necessary ingredients, we started our journey on making our first bento.

Yen ensured some cutting of the carrots into shapes and making the rice into the round-shapes were done, while I took up the role of the Creative Director, trying my best to make the pigs look like what they were, using cheese and carrots for the ears, eyes and snouts.  Boy, it was hard work!  This was the end result:

Simple, but it was a springboard for more to come for us.  We enjoyed the process and our trio loved the product - tomato mixed with rice was yummy for them!

Planning for Rachel's birthday celebration - the night before

The day of Rachel's birthday celebration in school finally beckons.  Even as her parents, Yen and I feel so excited about the event that was going to take place - Yen had verbalised this to me before and I find myself waking up at 3.30am, probably due to the great anticipation of what was going to take place later!

I can imagine Rachel's would-be excitement of the details of what was to happen - she probably would not be able to sleep well and be in wild anticipation too!  Fortunately, we have continued to keep details as a surprise; she only knew that we were going to celebrate, like previous years, her birthday with her in school - with a cake in the previous years.

Although Yen and I know the details as we had tied up the event coordinators, we cannot wait to see the joy that it will bring for Rachel and her classmates in her play-school too!  I will write about the event proper (with pictures) after the event is successfully carried out later!