The lil tumbleweed
Friday, December 11, 2009
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Competition is great for the iphonetics!
Truly, the beauty of an open market for telcoms has presented itself gorgeously these couple of days. M1 certainly began it all with its "unbeatable" plans - truly, its plans were on all fronts stronger than incumbent Singtel's miserly ones. There was even a tariff to get Singtel's users to jump ship, offering them some cushioning for their penalty fees. In response, Singtel had an 11th hour update of its iphone plans late Tuesday night, in a desperate move to stop the migration - - overnight, current iphone Singtel users went from 50mb or 2gb data plans to 12 gb! how wonderful huh! And today, i've just found out that M1 has also upped its ante to match the 12gb offer, and the same price cap of $30 for data usage.
And guess what, Starhub, which had the lousiest plan (a cap of $48? come on!), has also followed suit to offer 12gb at $30 cap. Sweet is the sound of competition! WOOOOT! I say, go, competition, go!
And guess what, Starhub, which had the lousiest plan (a cap of $48? come on!), has also followed suit to offer 12gb at $30 cap. Sweet is the sound of competition! WOOOOT! I say, go, competition, go!
Tuesday, December 08, 2009
An old post.............
An installation artist whom I had met 4 years ago recently emailed me that he had kept my old blog entry (from previous blog that I can't even remember the address to!) and is using it on his blog now.
Reading it, i think I had a lot more colour in my writing then. Sigh.
Traces of 'A Roomful of Old Ladies Clattering their Fingernails'
This was a blog entry by Bridgette See, a person whose kindness i can never forget.
PENCIL MARKS: 0055hrs, Feb 17, 2005
We saw him today, sitting in a glass display window along an underground walkway leading to an arts centre. No, to be accurate, sitting half in and half out of the display window. He looked like a technician employed to set up some lights for an advertiser. He was crouched over a small makeshift table, focused on a small object in his hands. J and I walked up to take a closer look. But first, our eyes were drawn to a gorgeous hanging display on his left.
It was a huge cluster of hanging pencils! Wooden pencils that had been sharpened and skinned with a paper cutter. The bodies of the pencils were exaggeratedly short, while the lead insides so long. They made up a pencil chandelier, hanging skinny and sharp.
So what was M doing? We peered and he looked up. 'Hi' 'Hi' 'Hi' we said in unison. He was sharpening pencils with an old school pencil sharpener, the type that has a handle you turn and make shavings that are all small and wiry. I asked him why he didn't use a newer type of sharpener. He pointed to a whole box of shavings. He's planning to scatter them (like sawdust) all over the floor of the window display. My first question was 'How many pencils are you going to use?" He shot back "Are you from Greenpeace?" J and I laughed. That was the furthest from my mind although I am a bit of a greenie. But after i assured him I wasn't about to tie myself outside his window display to protest against his raping of entire forests, he loosened up and began to talk.
This artist at work was M: he was born in India, raised in Dubai and has been in our city studying art for 5 years.
Apparently he had been commissioned by some guys to create an installation piece here after those guys saw his work at his arts school graduation show. So he's using about 2000 (!) pencils to create an art work, harnessing all parts of the pencils, from lead, to shavings to create installation art. Then he showed us another box of pencil shavings. These are the type you get when you use a new moden pencil sharpener. They have curvy edges and all, quite unlike the small wiry types. It was amazing the patterns he could create using a small beat-up sharpener. Some of the insides were star-shaped, some flower-shaped and even one that was square-shaped! All he did was apply different pressure at different points. WOW!
He had some more weird contraptions using little pencil nubs and all. I was so enthralled by his work. Suddenly I remembered that I had a pencil sharpener on me! (okok, dun ask me why i have one on me in the first place!) . I whipped it out enthusiastically and shoved it into his hands. 'Try this' i said. 'You'll love it'
M looked at the purple sharperner hesitantly. It's not everyday someone walks by and gives you a pencil sharpener, and a pretty slick one too! He put in a fresh pencil and began sharpening it, carefully and slowly - unsure of this new instrument. 'Shrccch' the first turn sounded so crisp he was startled. He paused and stared at my sharpener with new found respect. 'Wow, it's so sharp, the blade..." he continued again. 'Ah... it's almost orgasmic for me to hear that sharp crisp sound!' M exclaimed. I was delighted! Really, how many people can you cheer up in a day this way? This time, M unscrewed the sharpener, peered intensely at its inside, and said 'wow, it's even made of plastic. I can't believe...'
We laughed. I'm glad i've found another soul who is still full of wonder for life's little surprises. Many of my friends have lost that naivety. Instead, they often look at me in puzzlement when I squeal in delight over simple matters like being able to Skype or if i spot a funny cloud in the sky.
So J and I sat there chatting with M for almost 15 minutes, finding out the fate of different pencils. This chap's going to be around for another week. So J's going down on his off day on Friday to help him shave some pencils and snap some pictures of this cool dude. The brief encounter with M brought back fond memories of how me and my friends had helped out a bunch of installation artists at 5th Passage - an alternative art space in a shopping mall in the east of the city. This was 10 years ago but I can still remember the excitment as each installation piece evolved; the sheer thrill of seeing genius and creativity boiling over; the irresistible vibes in the air. It was a pity the alternative arts space closed down because it was way ahead of its time.
Thank you M for delighting my evening. i'll see you next week when I bring lunch for you and J. And my dear purple sharpener, I am so proud of YOU!
Reading it, i think I had a lot more colour in my writing then. Sigh.
Traces of 'A Roomful of Old Ladies Clattering their Fingernails'
This was a blog entry by Bridgette See, a person whose kindness i can never forget.
PENCIL MARKS: 0055hrs, Feb 17, 2005
We saw him today, sitting in a glass display window along an underground walkway leading to an arts centre. No, to be accurate, sitting half in and half out of the display window. He looked like a technician employed to set up some lights for an advertiser. He was crouched over a small makeshift table, focused on a small object in his hands. J and I walked up to take a closer look. But first, our eyes were drawn to a gorgeous hanging display on his left.
It was a huge cluster of hanging pencils! Wooden pencils that had been sharpened and skinned with a paper cutter. The bodies of the pencils were exaggeratedly short, while the lead insides so long. They made up a pencil chandelier, hanging skinny and sharp.
So what was M doing? We peered and he looked up. 'Hi' 'Hi' 'Hi' we said in unison. He was sharpening pencils with an old school pencil sharpener, the type that has a handle you turn and make shavings that are all small and wiry. I asked him why he didn't use a newer type of sharpener. He pointed to a whole box of shavings. He's planning to scatter them (like sawdust) all over the floor of the window display. My first question was 'How many pencils are you going to use?" He shot back "Are you from Greenpeace?" J and I laughed. That was the furthest from my mind although I am a bit of a greenie. But after i assured him I wasn't about to tie myself outside his window display to protest against his raping of entire forests, he loosened up and began to talk.
This artist at work was M: he was born in India, raised in Dubai and has been in our city studying art for 5 years.
Apparently he had been commissioned by some guys to create an installation piece here after those guys saw his work at his arts school graduation show. So he's using about 2000 (!) pencils to create an art work, harnessing all parts of the pencils, from lead, to shavings to create installation art. Then he showed us another box of pencil shavings. These are the type you get when you use a new moden pencil sharpener. They have curvy edges and all, quite unlike the small wiry types. It was amazing the patterns he could create using a small beat-up sharpener. Some of the insides were star-shaped, some flower-shaped and even one that was square-shaped! All he did was apply different pressure at different points. WOW!
He had some more weird contraptions using little pencil nubs and all. I was so enthralled by his work. Suddenly I remembered that I had a pencil sharpener on me! (okok, dun ask me why i have one on me in the first place!) . I whipped it out enthusiastically and shoved it into his hands. 'Try this' i said. 'You'll love it'
M looked at the purple sharperner hesitantly. It's not everyday someone walks by and gives you a pencil sharpener, and a pretty slick one too! He put in a fresh pencil and began sharpening it, carefully and slowly - unsure of this new instrument. 'Shrccch' the first turn sounded so crisp he was startled. He paused and stared at my sharpener with new found respect. 'Wow, it's so sharp, the blade..." he continued again. 'Ah... it's almost orgasmic for me to hear that sharp crisp sound!' M exclaimed. I was delighted! Really, how many people can you cheer up in a day this way? This time, M unscrewed the sharpener, peered intensely at its inside, and said 'wow, it's even made of plastic. I can't believe...'
We laughed. I'm glad i've found another soul who is still full of wonder for life's little surprises. Many of my friends have lost that naivety. Instead, they often look at me in puzzlement when I squeal in delight over simple matters like being able to Skype or if i spot a funny cloud in the sky.
So J and I sat there chatting with M for almost 15 minutes, finding out the fate of different pencils. This chap's going to be around for another week. So J's going down on his off day on Friday to help him shave some pencils and snap some pictures of this cool dude. The brief encounter with M brought back fond memories of how me and my friends had helped out a bunch of installation artists at 5th Passage - an alternative art space in a shopping mall in the east of the city. This was 10 years ago but I can still remember the excitment as each installation piece evolved; the sheer thrill of seeing genius and creativity boiling over; the irresistible vibes in the air. It was a pity the alternative arts space closed down because it was way ahead of its time.
Thank you M for delighting my evening. i'll see you next week when I bring lunch for you and J. And my dear purple sharpener, I am so proud of YOU!
Monday, December 07, 2009
Snow+us=happiness
Need we say more???!!!! Fake snow or not, it was splendid fun! Wear shoes that won't get ruined, bring a change of clothes, and plenty of good humour and imagination!
MEEEERRRRY CHRISTMASSSSS to ewessssss
MEEEERRRRY CHRISTMASSSSS to ewessssss
Sunday, December 06, 2009
Fire fire burning bright....
Although the Central Fire Station's open house (Sats, 9-1130) has been a regular feature for years now, it seems that many Singaporeans are still unaware of this wonderful (and free) place they can bring their kiddies to! As a reporter, I had the privilege of even climbing up the clock tower when the fire station's museum opened some years ago. I also covered quite a number of Civil Defence stories so it was nostalgic to see the vehicles like the Red Rhino (above) when we visited the Fire Station last Saturday.
Hop onto the Combined Platform Ladder (CPL) for a ride up high!
Vertigo! View from the top
GULP! He cried a lil when he first got on, and then was wordless, stunned to be up so high for the first time.
A really big truck for a really small boy.
Channelling his inner paramedic.
And the chaps who made it all possible! Cheerful, funny, and obliging firefighters who let us see their more light-hearted side. They joked around, and thrilled the kids with their fire pole descending stunts - even stopping to pose for pix midair!
Thursday, December 03, 2009
Sleeping mum smothers baby on jet
Shocked to read the news below cos I b/f all the time in half-awake state! But i think this is really rare. Never heard of this before! but very sad indeed for the mommy, who must be a really deep sleeper or, i suspect, might have taken some kind of medication that knocked her out soundly. SAD!
But on the point of co-sleeping, there's still lots of debate raging over how safe it is for babies. I have been co-sleeping with Val from the time he was days old, cos i am a very light sleeper. Mothering Magazine has lots of resources on co-sleeping for anyone keen to learn more.
AP News:
Sleeping mum smothers baby on jet
She fell asleep while breast-feeding; doc on board failed to revive infant
LONDON: A breast-feeding mother accidentally smothered her four-week old child aboard a United Airlines flight from Washington DC to Kuwait, a British tabloid has reported.
The Sun newspaper said that the mother, who it said was a 29-year-old Egyptian-born woman, fell asleep as she breast-fed on the jet and awoke after about an hour to find that she had accidentally suffocated the baby.
Crew on the jet were alerted by the mother's screams and the flight, which was over the Atlantic, was diverted to Heathrow Airport for an immediate landing, the paper reported on Tuesday.
Scotland Yard confirmed that a United Airlines plane had been diverted to Heathrow after reports that a four-week-old girl was in distress. The incident occurred last Wednesday.
The police said in a statement that the baby was taken to a nearby hospital, where she was pronounced dead. It added that an autopsy had been performed last Friday, but the results were still pending.
'The death is being treated as unexplained and the Child Abuse Investigation Team is investigating the circumstances,' the statement said.
Scotland Yard did not go into further detail, although Britain's Press Association news agency reported that such investigations were standard practice. No arrests have been made.
A police source told The Sun: 'This appears to be a tragic accident. The girl comes from a loving family. Her mum was going to Kuwait to show her to relatives.'
United Airlines spokesman Robin Urbanski said that a doctor aboard the flight tried unsuccessfully to revive the baby while the plane was still in the air.
The ground authorities later took over. Ms Urbanski said she had no information about what happened to the passenger after that, although the flight later proceeded to Kuwait.
The American Academy of Pediatrics has warned that sharing a bed or sleeping with an infant can be hazardous under certain conditions.
The British Association of Breastfeeding Mothers has said: 'Sitting up in bed while holding your baby is very dangerous, especially if you fall asleep.'
But on the point of co-sleeping, there's still lots of debate raging over how safe it is for babies. I have been co-sleeping with Val from the time he was days old, cos i am a very light sleeper. Mothering Magazine has lots of resources on co-sleeping for anyone keen to learn more.
AP News:
Sleeping mum smothers baby on jet
She fell asleep while breast-feeding; doc on board failed to revive infant
LONDON: A breast-feeding mother accidentally smothered her four-week old child aboard a United Airlines flight from Washington DC to Kuwait, a British tabloid has reported.
The Sun newspaper said that the mother, who it said was a 29-year-old Egyptian-born woman, fell asleep as she breast-fed on the jet and awoke after about an hour to find that she had accidentally suffocated the baby.
Crew on the jet were alerted by the mother's screams and the flight, which was over the Atlantic, was diverted to Heathrow Airport for an immediate landing, the paper reported on Tuesday.
Scotland Yard confirmed that a United Airlines plane had been diverted to Heathrow after reports that a four-week-old girl was in distress. The incident occurred last Wednesday.
The police said in a statement that the baby was taken to a nearby hospital, where she was pronounced dead. It added that an autopsy had been performed last Friday, but the results were still pending.
'The death is being treated as unexplained and the Child Abuse Investigation Team is investigating the circumstances,' the statement said.
Scotland Yard did not go into further detail, although Britain's Press Association news agency reported that such investigations were standard practice. No arrests have been made.
A police source told The Sun: 'This appears to be a tragic accident. The girl comes from a loving family. Her mum was going to Kuwait to show her to relatives.'
United Airlines spokesman Robin Urbanski said that a doctor aboard the flight tried unsuccessfully to revive the baby while the plane was still in the air.
The ground authorities later took over. Ms Urbanski said she had no information about what happened to the passenger after that, although the flight later proceeded to Kuwait.
The American Academy of Pediatrics has warned that sharing a bed or sleeping with an infant can be hazardous under certain conditions.
The British Association of Breastfeeding Mothers has said: 'Sitting up in bed while holding your baby is very dangerous, especially if you fall asleep.'
mid-life crisis?
Recently I met someone from that company that everyone wants to join - 5000 people apply daily to this place; that company whose name has become a verb. It made me start thinking once again of my future. Methinks the 30s is a strange spot to be when it comes to one's career journey - not young enough to just quit and go places (like I did when i was in my 20s, twice!), and not old enough to say, "i think i'll retire with this job".
I can't help but wonder what lies ahead for me. Is this it? What else can I do with my career? Do I have one in the first place? Questions, questions, questions. Is this what we term the mid-life crisis? When we're neither here nor there? So what when i FINALLY finish my Masters (just threeee more modules to go..)? So what if I'm darn brilliant at it as well? Will I be able to up and go - apply for a post in a war-torn country when Val is still a mere toddler? Noooooooooooooo....So what am I doing here? I'm certainly not content to merely eke out a living, despite working with one of the most flexible employers in Singapore: I can work from anywhere I want, as long as I finish my work and there are no meetings to attend in the office. I really should be thankful, and trust me, I am.
It's just.... that something within me, that flickering flame of wanting to see more, do more, try more isn't quite put out yet. It's still there, glowing, even as the rush of everyday life and the practicalities and demands of reality try so hard to snuff it out.
Suddenly I was inspired to apply for a job. Any job, just to see if i still have any market value left in me. Quite impulsively, and dare i say, during working hours, I fired off a cover letter, and clicked "submit" to upload my resume at a company's recruiting website (i ain't telling!). I've heard nothing yet but going back to explore the site now, at night, I just realised that I didn't include one thing they wanted in my resume: references! DOH! so hohum... there you go. I doubt i'll hear from them at all now. Maybe i'll apply again next month if the position's still open. You know, this would only be the SECOND job I've ever applied since graduation. Well, even if nothing turns up, at least this 'lil exercise has invigorated me, and will help to prod me out of being too comfy in whatever i am doing.
Feeling uneasy and questioning one's place is a good thing. Slumber in life is not.
I can't help but wonder what lies ahead for me. Is this it? What else can I do with my career? Do I have one in the first place? Questions, questions, questions. Is this what we term the mid-life crisis? When we're neither here nor there? So what when i FINALLY finish my Masters (just threeee more modules to go..)? So what if I'm darn brilliant at it as well? Will I be able to up and go - apply for a post in a war-torn country when Val is still a mere toddler? Noooooooooooooo....So what am I doing here? I'm certainly not content to merely eke out a living, despite working with one of the most flexible employers in Singapore: I can work from anywhere I want, as long as I finish my work and there are no meetings to attend in the office. I really should be thankful, and trust me, I am.
It's just.... that something within me, that flickering flame of wanting to see more, do more, try more isn't quite put out yet. It's still there, glowing, even as the rush of everyday life and the practicalities and demands of reality try so hard to snuff it out.
Suddenly I was inspired to apply for a job. Any job, just to see if i still have any market value left in me. Quite impulsively, and dare i say, during working hours, I fired off a cover letter, and clicked "submit" to upload my resume at a company's recruiting website (i ain't telling!). I've heard nothing yet but going back to explore the site now, at night, I just realised that I didn't include one thing they wanted in my resume: references! DOH! so hohum... there you go. I doubt i'll hear from them at all now. Maybe i'll apply again next month if the position's still open. You know, this would only be the SECOND job I've ever applied since graduation. Well, even if nothing turns up, at least this 'lil exercise has invigorated me, and will help to prod me out of being too comfy in whatever i am doing.
Feeling uneasy and questioning one's place is a good thing. Slumber in life is not.
Wednesday, December 02, 2009
Jingle Bwells
Val came home in a positively festive mood: he sang Jingle Bwells the whole night after learning it in school.
Anyways, i joined in the festivities by playing my VERY OLD (15 years!) Kenny G : The Holiday Album. Okay so the man with the instant noodle hair is cheesy, and his ballads soppy, but this Xmas album is great, okay! Listening to it is like getting into a time capsule: you fastforward to Xmas land faster than you can say "chestnut". Now, I'm thinking if we should get a mini Xmas tree to get into the whole hog of things....Is it too late? What do you think?
Jingle bwells, jingle bwells, jingle all da way....Once again, I am amazed and touched by how quickly kiddies learn things - really like a dry sponge just sucking up the water. Also reminds me to be careful what i teach him!
hmmm hmmm hmmm hmmm hmmm hmmm hmmm
hmmm hmmm hmmm hmmm hmmm
hmmm hmmm ... hey!
Anyways, i joined in the festivities by playing my VERY OLD (15 years!) Kenny G : The Holiday Album. Okay so the man with the instant noodle hair is cheesy, and his ballads soppy, but this Xmas album is great, okay! Listening to it is like getting into a time capsule: you fastforward to Xmas land faster than you can say "chestnut". Now, I'm thinking if we should get a mini Xmas tree to get into the whole hog of things....Is it too late? What do you think?
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Calling citizens of extra-ordinary Earth...............
Couldn't help recalling this wonderful song from the Carpenters after catching Val in the alien outfit at Pasir Ris Park. :-O Like the song, my memories of the park are hazy and though I always remembered it to be fun (more like walking through the mangroves and up the bird watch tower), I never saw it from the eyes of a child so this afternoon was quite enlightening for me!
First stop HAD to be the fire engine truck that was almost screaming out at Val: hop onto me, i've got bouncy wheels, and double-steering too! He hogged the driver's seat for a loong while, i was so glad there was another steering seat, and only after much cajoling did he give up his coveted throne to another child. I had to pretend to walk away FOUR times..........
He had a ball of a time on this UFO-looking carousel. Didn't dare to let him try the bigger saucers cos they looked too thrilling for me! Plus, this chap wanted to sit on top of the saucer and not on the plate!
Couldn't miss cooing at the wonderful layangs out there. There were a couple of huge big stunt kites too...but i wonder about the space for these things cos there are so many people and trees around............ i still think the Barrage is still the best place to fly layang...
Wheeee! Monkee time! He surprised me by getting on and balancing rather well throughout, even managed to negotiate two "passes" when bigger boys crossed in the opposite direction.
We didn't manage to capture the most exhilarating bit of our afternoon adventure - climbing up a slope (it had fake grass patch and mini rock climbing boulders) and then zipping down the metal slides. For a while, Val was content to struggle up the slope via the "right" way (via said rock wall), then he discovered that he could effortlessly scamper upslope (once his shoes were off), and then, he discovered that he could run crazily down the slope and leap into Mama's arms........... I tell you, if the Gramps were around, it would not have happened! There would be an endless chorus of "too dangerous, cannot, come down, you might break your head, no..............." . Aiya! But i did drill into him that he can only play like so with Mama waiting for him. I was real glad how sporty he was.... oooo am just envisioning the days of cycling, trekking, rock climbing that we could do together!!!!!!!!
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Photo diary
A peek into Val's childcare: I sprung a surprise visit one afternoon to catch him in action. I love observing him when he's totally unaware of my presence. Somehow I think he behaves quite differently without me so I do love watching the lil guy being his own person. This picture was taken, obviously, after he found me out.
Gallop Stables: I got inspired one Saturday afternoon while Val was napping and logged on the Internet to hunt down this horsey place. Surprised how close it is to White Sands mall - truly a well-kept secret. Nice to see how once the taxi veered into Pasir Ris Green, we seemed to enter a different world. The other place i really love is Mount Pleasant Road, where I used to canter with horses while volunteering at Riding for the Disabled (RDA). If you love horses, volunteer@ RDA!
Sandcastles in the sky: We are regulars at the beach, living so near to it. I love hanging out there, taking in the breeze, and listening to the waves. Val loves messing about in the sand, occasionally ingesting handfuls of sand (yikes), and destroying all my sandcastles. I am still contemplating buying that professional set of sandcastle building set from Colin who runs Castles can Fly. He happens to be my uncle's next door neighbour in Joo Chiat.
Fly layang!: this was most exciting... we were given a simple paper kite by grandma's friend who just returned from Dalian, China. Brought it out to the beach one Sunday afternoon and decided to see how it would fly. By George! Fly it did! the multiple kites literally flew out of my hands, eager to dance in the wind. They fluttered, they pirouetted, they tugged, they flirted with the trees and the waves. They delighted us all to bits. There were plenty of shrills coming from the little one and from grandma who has never flown a kite - imagine that.
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Confessions of a HotShot fan
Guess who's been hogging the Ipod Touch these days? :-) Yours truly.... I finally learnt how to download all sorts of videos from YouKnowWhere to watch on the Ipod. Recently the (might i say, very dated) Taiwanese serial HotShot has been showing on free-to-air TV, i've kinda become a groupie and was too impatient to watch just one episode per night. I heard of the series at least 2 years ago but it just never showed here and it never ocurred to me to go online but the Ipod had unlocked all the latent web-surfing talent in the techno-dino and everyday i've been downloading 4 episodes and absolutely loving the commute home. Yup, i have become one of those you see on the trains - eyes glued to a small gadget - worse, i giggle and even guffaw aloud cos the comic moments are just so damn funny. A great comic relief at the end of the day...Never mind how old the series is, the Taiwanese are just great in making funny serials. Oh and thank you thank you to those who made the effort to splice the episodes into short snippets and upload it onto YouKnowWhere. :-O
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Viva Vivo!
Went to Vivo with May, Ian and Vera some weeks ago. It was the perfect place for people who want a bit of fun, splashing about on the rooftop water features, coupled with glorious sea breeze, the warm sunset, and air-conditioned comfort within easy reach. :-O
needless to say, the lil boy was absolutely thrilled to be let loose in the wading pool. He ran, he splashed, he fell, he "swam", he crawled, he picked up leaves for Auntie May, and he even tried to slurp some of the water! Yucks! It was an afternoon of simple fun for him. Thanks M, I & V for an afternoon of easy fun.
He looks like "Ah pek" with his baldy look. This was before his haircut! He is generally thrilled to be chasing me, while i am trying my best to get him to stand still for a proper shot!
weaning off the diapers
Yeah i had great ambitions when Val was a mere babe to go diaper-free before he was one. For a while, EC (elimination communication) worked well. I knew when he would pee and poop, and so I was a proud mommy for a few months until I began working part-time and then full-time and then had no more time to do EC. It all went downhill there until recently.
Thanks to his childcare centre which began (about a month ago) letting him go diaper-free for the entire day in school. The teachers bring them to the loo regularly and ask them to say when they need to pee and poo. Val's pretty mixed up - he says he needs to pee when he actually needs to poo. So there've been times when bits of his poo has dropped out on the floor in school! the teachers thought it was amusing. It's a lucky thing we've got teachers who are so keen on potty training.
And so, back home, we're trying our best to complement their efforts. Last Saturday afternoon marked the very first time that i actually ventured out of the house without any diapers on him. So we let him pee before leaving, and then once we got off the car, I brought him to pee again. Peeing needs precision and speed, cos if i'm not fast enough, Val pees before i've had the chance to take off his pants. We had a 50-50 success rate cos half of his pee dripped onto my shoes but we did it! We went diaper free that afternoon outside. Not bad huh! Val has also developed an aversion to wearing diapers at home cos I think someone's been drilling it into him that diapers are for little babies and he obviously wants to be a big boy. SO these days he even goes to bed without any diaper. I just change him in the stealth of the night (about 11pm) when i'm about to sleep. So far, only had one night when he wet the bed. But it's no biggie for me. I'm not a clean freak so i can deal with a bit of pee on the bed.
I'm really liking this diaper free thingie. Although we are using 90% cloth diapers and 10% disposables (for night and going out), I still would like to stop choking up the earth with the disposies and wasting water washing the cloth diapers. Most of all, i like the idea of his tush being aired instead of being wrapped like bazhang the whole day long. Thanks teachers once again for helping Val go diaper-free!
Thanks to his childcare centre which began (about a month ago) letting him go diaper-free for the entire day in school. The teachers bring them to the loo regularly and ask them to say when they need to pee and poo. Val's pretty mixed up - he says he needs to pee when he actually needs to poo. So there've been times when bits of his poo has dropped out on the floor in school! the teachers thought it was amusing. It's a lucky thing we've got teachers who are so keen on potty training.
And so, back home, we're trying our best to complement their efforts. Last Saturday afternoon marked the very first time that i actually ventured out of the house without any diapers on him. So we let him pee before leaving, and then once we got off the car, I brought him to pee again. Peeing needs precision and speed, cos if i'm not fast enough, Val pees before i've had the chance to take off his pants. We had a 50-50 success rate cos half of his pee dripped onto my shoes but we did it! We went diaper free that afternoon outside. Not bad huh! Val has also developed an aversion to wearing diapers at home cos I think someone's been drilling it into him that diapers are for little babies and he obviously wants to be a big boy. SO these days he even goes to bed without any diaper. I just change him in the stealth of the night (about 11pm) when i'm about to sleep. So far, only had one night when he wet the bed. But it's no biggie for me. I'm not a clean freak so i can deal with a bit of pee on the bed.
I'm really liking this diaper free thingie. Although we are using 90% cloth diapers and 10% disposables (for night and going out), I still would like to stop choking up the earth with the disposies and wasting water washing the cloth diapers. Most of all, i like the idea of his tush being aired instead of being wrapped like bazhang the whole day long. Thanks teachers once again for helping Val go diaper-free!
Tuesday, November 03, 2009
More Apps for the Ipod TOUCH : tech dino speaks again
Okay Okay Anonymous. It's an ipod TOUCH. I forgot to mention that small detail since there is only one Ipod you can touch, no? ;-O told you i'm a tech dino... which is why I LOVE the Balloonimal App i got for free this week. The lite version only allows you to inflate, poke, and burst a balloon dino sculpture but it's good enough for Val. After demonstrating to him only once, he cottoned on and knew he had to shake at certain steps to create the sculpture, and to poke the virtual pump to blow up the dino. Very intuitive app. Nice.
Another free app is the ABC Song. The illustration is nothing to wow about, but Val being so aural-driven, loves listening to it. The letters are shown on the window, a, b,c, and so on, as the girl sings. When she ends, she waves goodbye and Val waves back. Cute.
Last but definitely not least, The Surprise, a wonderful textless picture book with some animation (the sheep zips to and from places on his scooter). It's a nice tale of a sheep that dyes his own fur red, shaves it, and then knits it into a sweater for his giraff friend. Very simple, very touching, and Val understood it in a flash. This one is a paid app at US$0.99. :-)
Okay, the tech dino is off to do some proper work now!
Chinese trivia
Val is continuing to be the Chinese speaking monster. He wakes up one morning and asks, "Mama mai de shu zai na li?" (Where's the book that mama bought?) It surprised me so much that my eyes flew open in a sec.
It's heartening and amusing how much Chinese he speaks these days. Even K was surprised when she bumped into us at Parkway last Sunday and Val spoke to her in Mandarin. It seems that it's a rarity these days for children to speak in their mother tongues.
I'm glad that Grandma and Grandpa use relatively adult but funny Chinese words on him at home, resulting in him mimicking them. When Val slurps soup straight from the bowl, his Grandpa teases him, "Zhi xuan, nan zi han, zi ji he tang." (Manly Val is drinking soup on his own). So sometimes, Val would tell me that he is "nan zi han" (manly) which cracks me up totally.
Last night, while the entire family was lounging and chatting on a single king-sized bed (it's a family tradition), Val began to sing a Chinese ditty Wo you yi zhi xiao mao lu(I have a little donkey). Some words he sang clearly, those he didn't know he slurred or mumbled through, and then he invented some. The cuteness quotient completely hit the roof for me, as I laid in bed listening to the boy sing. My pride got a little deflated when I realised after that no one else had realised what he was singing! Goes to show how attuned my ears are to my son's natterings that no one else but Mommy can decipher him. Reminds me of that ad for a radio station - you know the one with a woman driving and her hearing only the good things from her instructor? :-) To me, Val's singing was of Pavarotti standard even if no one else could understand!
UPDATE:
I've asked Grandma to help me remember some of the sentences he's been stringing up so here're are some additions:
"Gong gong jiang, Zhixuan bu yao chuan mama xie" (Grandpa says Val not wear mom's shoes)
"Zhixuan niao bu gua zai zhe li, chou chou de, Zhi Xuan mo mo" (Val's diaper is hanging here, smelly, Val touch)
He hears the police siren as a police car speeds by and says: Bao qi lai, kan yi kan (Carry up and take a look)
It's heartening and amusing how much Chinese he speaks these days. Even K was surprised when she bumped into us at Parkway last Sunday and Val spoke to her in Mandarin. It seems that it's a rarity these days for children to speak in their mother tongues.
I'm glad that Grandma and Grandpa use relatively adult but funny Chinese words on him at home, resulting in him mimicking them. When Val slurps soup straight from the bowl, his Grandpa teases him, "Zhi xuan, nan zi han, zi ji he tang." (Manly Val is drinking soup on his own). So sometimes, Val would tell me that he is "nan zi han" (manly) which cracks me up totally.
Last night, while the entire family was lounging and chatting on a single king-sized bed (it's a family tradition), Val began to sing a Chinese ditty Wo you yi zhi xiao mao lu(I have a little donkey). Some words he sang clearly, those he didn't know he slurred or mumbled through, and then he invented some. The cuteness quotient completely hit the roof for me, as I laid in bed listening to the boy sing. My pride got a little deflated when I realised after that no one else had realised what he was singing! Goes to show how attuned my ears are to my son's natterings that no one else but Mommy can decipher him. Reminds me of that ad for a radio station - you know the one with a woman driving and her hearing only the good things from her instructor? :-) To me, Val's singing was of Pavarotti standard even if no one else could understand!
UPDATE:
I've asked Grandma to help me remember some of the sentences he's been stringing up so here're are some additions:
"Gong gong jiang, Zhixuan bu yao chuan mama xie" (Grandpa says Val not wear mom's shoes)
"Zhixuan niao bu gua zai zhe li, chou chou de, Zhi Xuan mo mo" (Val's diaper is hanging here, smelly, Val touch)
He hears the police siren as a police car speeds by and says: Bao qi lai, kan yi kan (Carry up and take a look)
His Royal HairCut
Val has been resisting a hair cut ever since our friendly neighbour gave him a shave months ago. So we've been trying to snip off bits here and there whenever we could but still his mop was looking so straggly that it was begging for a cut. As it turned out, the royal haircut was quite unplanned. We were on the free shuttle bus to Parkway when he suddenly proclaimed that he would like a hair cut. He didn't just say it once but twice and then some more. I thought that since he was so keen, we should go check it out.
Got to the only kids hair salon there and boy, i found out how expensive it is to have a kiddie haircut! $20 whopping dollars! I got all nervous about it. What if he took off halfway through the cut, leaving me $20 poorer and with a half-shaven boy?
Finally i decided, what the heck, let's just see if the lil one would even tolerate sitting in the seat. I asked the auntie (yes, she was a typical chinese speaking auntie in a hip kiddie salon) to buzz the razor next to his ear first. Surprisingly, not a flinch. I think the Barney stickers adorning the mirror, and the music filling the salon were too much distraction for the boy. The auntie then gave Val a giant milk bottle filled with sweets which he promptly clutched like his own, and he compliantly allowed her to put on the cape (which she called the Superman cape), and then his eyes were agog on the Barney video in front of him.
The auntie's flying hands went snip snip snip, buzz buzz buzz, snip snip snip, she sped around him, and even trimmed the hair behind his ears. All the while, Val had the most serious mien. He didn't smile one bit, he even frowned a lil. Yet he so bravely took it in, trying to focus hard on Barney, his milk bottle of sweets, and mommy who was going gaga taking videos. I really couldn't believe how well-behaved he was.
In less than 10 minutes, he was transformed. He looked so handsome i nearly blubbered withjoy. Oh.... his face now clear for all to see. Ahh.... those $20 down the drain in minutes, literally $2 a minute if you are calculative about it. But wait, he even sat through the vacuuming session as the auntie sucked up all the hair bits on him. The auntie then offered to gel up his hair - no thanks. She then proffered temporary hair colour in psychedelic shades (for free) - No thanks! When we were about to return the giant milk bottle, he asked for a sweet and gave the bottle back without a fuss.
I finally breathed when he came off the chair, he was quite aware of his own achievement judging by that look on his face. The clincher? He got to choose a sticker and a balloon as well!
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Stumped by Transformer
Someone passed me a brand new Transformer toy yesterday - Ironhide this autobot is called. for me, my only experience with Transformer has been to watch them on TV as cartoons and more recently as 'reel' life bots in cinema. It was my first time MANhandling one - - it completely boggled me, i must confess. all those small, moving parts make me nervous - i am afraid Val might gobble them up, but more afraid that i would inadvertently break them - they just seem so fragile. Of course, i hadn't meant to give it to Val but the minute i brought it home, there was no chance of hiding it. He demanded that it be opened ASAP. so i gently undid the packaging (cos i am thinking of giving it to a nephew!), and let him play with it for a while.
When he fell asleep, i began the task of repacking the autobot, cos i really don't want him to keep it. The aim was to magick it away in the steal of the night, hopefully when he wakes up he won't remember it. Cross fingers.
That was when the hard part came. I don't have issues with it when the autobot is still an untransformed truck but when the arms and legs come 'alive' i was lost lost lost. The illustrated instructions helped me nought. Which child can understand those intricate, complex drawings?!!! in the end, i just junked the paper and began wrestling the autobot back into its original (and less threatening) form. Boy, oh boy, it felt worse than that stupefying PSLE math question that's got everyone in a tizzy. I felt like a complete idiot as i shoved, twisted, bent, and manipulated the increasingly irritating bits. At times, the door broke off, the windshield popped out. thankfully, they all got fixed back 'cept for one small piece that popped out and i just threw away cos it would be a hazard to any child.
But finally i did put everything back into place - at the expense of a good half hour. Okay, now you see what a gadget illiterate i am. Gosh. i stealthily placed it back into the plastic box the exact way it came, and voila! a brand new toy for my nephew. Now, the trick is to wrap it up so Val don't see it and recall that he once, for one brief hour, had Ironhide as his.
When he fell asleep, i began the task of repacking the autobot, cos i really don't want him to keep it. The aim was to magick it away in the steal of the night, hopefully when he wakes up he won't remember it. Cross fingers.
That was when the hard part came. I don't have issues with it when the autobot is still an untransformed truck but when the arms and legs come 'alive' i was lost lost lost. The illustrated instructions helped me nought. Which child can understand those intricate, complex drawings?!!! in the end, i just junked the paper and began wrestling the autobot back into its original (and less threatening) form. Boy, oh boy, it felt worse than that stupefying PSLE math question that's got everyone in a tizzy. I felt like a complete idiot as i shoved, twisted, bent, and manipulated the increasingly irritating bits. At times, the door broke off, the windshield popped out. thankfully, they all got fixed back 'cept for one small piece that popped out and i just threw away cos it would be a hazard to any child.
But finally i did put everything back into place - at the expense of a good half hour. Okay, now you see what a gadget illiterate i am. Gosh. i stealthily placed it back into the plastic box the exact way it came, and voila! a brand new toy for my nephew. Now, the trick is to wrap it up so Val don't see it and recall that he once, for one brief hour, had Ironhide as his.
Friday, October 23, 2009
going App over the iPod: the tech dinosaur speaks
I know i know, I am a slow slow slow adopter of new technology. I was among the latest in the peers to get a pager, a computer, a mobile, and now of course, an iPod (the iPhone will have to wait till M1 starts selling them officially!).
This week, I finally laid my hands on one - shsssh! it was barter trade for freelance services rendered. So imagine my excitement when i received the pod encased in its plastic home and began downloading apps! I went for free apps first of course, and then asked a colleague (veteran iPod user and a mom with 2 kids) what kiddy apps to download. And voila! i am offically an ipod Mom who brings home, not delightful sweets or toys for the babe, but new apps on the pod.
It's interesting to compare what Val likes versus what my colleagues' kids prefer. Val is obviously more aural, more into action, sounds, and movement. He is impatient to let me read a flipbook but loves the Wheels on the Bus app. He loves to see the wheels rolling back and forth. More importantly, he loves that he can actually stop or move the bus with his tiny fingers! it's really amazing what those guys at Apple have done to create the ipod/iphone's incredibly intuitive user interface. I have used phones with touch functions, but it's my first time seeing the extent to which you can control things, and the ease with which Val picked it up. So it's pretty impressive for this tech dinosaur.
One of the top paid App is The Little Red Hen. I love the illustrations, but i love the CANTONESE voice over even more! Cracks me up everytime i listen to it. Val, of course, has no patience for it so i basically bought the app for myself. I do hope though that when he's older he might appreciate it. It's strange that for printed books, he has patience to wait for me to narrate yet for the ipod he somehow knows that it can do more and perhaps demands more?
Anyways, i foresee myself getting hooked, and joining the legions of ipod/iphone parents who have discovered the joys of having e-books on the go, to entertain their fussies whereever they are. So i'll be blogging more about the apps i find in future.
Nyt nyt!
This week, I finally laid my hands on one - shsssh! it was barter trade for freelance services rendered. So imagine my excitement when i received the pod encased in its plastic home and began downloading apps! I went for free apps first of course, and then asked a colleague (veteran iPod user and a mom with 2 kids) what kiddy apps to download. And voila! i am offically an ipod Mom who brings home, not delightful sweets or toys for the babe, but new apps on the pod.
It's interesting to compare what Val likes versus what my colleagues' kids prefer. Val is obviously more aural, more into action, sounds, and movement. He is impatient to let me read a flipbook but loves the Wheels on the Bus app. He loves to see the wheels rolling back and forth. More importantly, he loves that he can actually stop or move the bus with his tiny fingers! it's really amazing what those guys at Apple have done to create the ipod/iphone's incredibly intuitive user interface. I have used phones with touch functions, but it's my first time seeing the extent to which you can control things, and the ease with which Val picked it up. So it's pretty impressive for this tech dinosaur.
One of the top paid App is The Little Red Hen. I love the illustrations, but i love the CANTONESE voice over even more! Cracks me up everytime i listen to it. Val, of course, has no patience for it so i basically bought the app for myself. I do hope though that when he's older he might appreciate it. It's strange that for printed books, he has patience to wait for me to narrate yet for the ipod he somehow knows that it can do more and perhaps demands more?
Anyways, i foresee myself getting hooked, and joining the legions of ipod/iphone parents who have discovered the joys of having e-books on the go, to entertain their fussies whereever they are. So i'll be blogging more about the apps i find in future.
Nyt nyt!
Toilet training
Val's childcare has apparently begun toilet training the toddlers in his class. That's why we have noticed that he uses just one disposable diaper a day in school instead of the usual 3. It's great cos he spends so much time in school so the toilet training shd be more effective than if we tried it only in the evenings and weekends. We're also trying to reinforce it by bringing him to the loo regularly. I even bought a silly sticker that goes into the bottom of his potty, and changes colour when he tinkles into it.
There're hits and misses of course. The teachers told Grandma that yesterday while dancing in class, a piece of poop dropped out of his pants. it was hilarious they said. Today the same happened at home! but it was not ONE piece of poop, it was blobs of poop (with strands of green veggies in them!) all around the hall area and guess WHO had to clean it up!?! Anyhow, he's definitely doing better telling us he wants to pee then to poop. i'm usually good at reading his facial expressions and spotting that slight pause in action, and elongated butt as signs of wanting to poop. But of course, we don't always guess right! We're not making a fuss of cleaning up his poop - cos i'm afraid it might put him off being diaperless. I fear he might ever become those "can't poop without diaper" kids.... poor things.....
There're hits and misses of course. The teachers told Grandma that yesterday while dancing in class, a piece of poop dropped out of his pants. it was hilarious they said. Today the same happened at home! but it was not ONE piece of poop, it was blobs of poop (with strands of green veggies in them!) all around the hall area and guess WHO had to clean it up!?! Anyhow, he's definitely doing better telling us he wants to pee then to poop. i'm usually good at reading his facial expressions and spotting that slight pause in action, and elongated butt as signs of wanting to poop. But of course, we don't always guess right! We're not making a fuss of cleaning up his poop - cos i'm afraid it might put him off being diaperless. I fear he might ever become those "can't poop without diaper" kids.... poor things.....
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
disciplinary problems
so the time has come.... the naughtiness in Val has finally reared its ugly head at his childcare centre. it's been a few months since we first put him there. initially he cried whenever we left him there in the mornings. but these days he's really happy, and adores his teacher Valerie who seemed to bond with him from Day One. Grandma says in the afternoons when its time to go home, he actually dawdles, loiters about, and basically tries to delay the going home process, squirrelling into the playhouses to hide from grandma. He simply prefers to be outside the house where he's not cooped up, and where there's plenty to play. But now that he's finally comfortable with this environment, his royal naughtiness has surfaced. last week, he scratched claira his classmate, and today, he apparently beat a 4-year old girl till she cowered in a corner, petrified of the lil boy. gosh. i cringe whenever i hear these reports (note, the teachers never complain, they just very kindly tell us what happened). Worse, Val apparently refused to apologise. Double cringe....
We have always taken the route of encouraging him to tell us when he does something wrong. and usually at home, he gives me an "uh-oh" look when he's done bad things. most of the times, he has said sorry and admitted that he did it. So i'm not sure why today he was adamant. When i came home, i tried talking gently to him to ask him what happened in school, assuring him that i wasn't going to punish him but really wanted to know what made him do it. he admitted he beat someone but didn't tell me who, and why..... hmmm.... i only could pray with him and ask Jesus to calm him and help to quieten his soul so that he wouldn't do it again tomorrow. Sigh... discipline is a tough one isn't it?
We have always taken the route of encouraging him to tell us when he does something wrong. and usually at home, he gives me an "uh-oh" look when he's done bad things. most of the times, he has said sorry and admitted that he did it. So i'm not sure why today he was adamant. When i came home, i tried talking gently to him to ask him what happened in school, assuring him that i wasn't going to punish him but really wanted to know what made him do it. he admitted he beat someone but didn't tell me who, and why..... hmmm.... i only could pray with him and ask Jesus to calm him and help to quieten his soul so that he wouldn't do it again tomorrow. Sigh... discipline is a tough one isn't it?
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