Kae has been learning to trace numbers recently in her classes at Little Neuro Tree. This is a short clip of her tracing the number 2. What amazes me is that she used to be really bad at tracing. She would just doodle around the numbers 0 and 1 (of course 1 not so much coz it's just a stroke down). So imagine my surprise when she could trace the number 2 so well. Maybe she's getting the hang of tracing in school daily now. Hmm.
I'm so proud of you Kae!
Friday, June 11, 2010
Thursday, June 10, 2010
the Good still Exist!
I was touched by 2 strangers recently. It's just a simple gesture by 2 strangers on the Circle Line, but still.
Nowadays, I would take the Circle Line to go pick up Kae, and the Mountbatten Station is just behind her school. Going there is not a problem, as I will always have seats when I take the East West Line from Pasir Ris, and the Circle Line from Paya Lebar. It is when I take the Circle Line to go to the in-laws' that I find absolutely tiring. As I would be taking the mrt in the same direction as the peak hour crowd, i.e. from Mountbatten to Serangoon, where I take another 2 stops from Serangoon to Boon Keng on the North East Line. Okay, if you do not take the trains often, you might be a bit lost here. Heh. So, I attach a copy of the MRT map here for your information. Hah! By the way, the map is taken from the LTA website as at 11 June 2010 and includes the upcoming stations that are still under construction.
Okay, long story short. Basically the 2 strangers both did the same thing for me. They both asked people who were seated to give up their seats to me and Kae.
The 1st was a foreigner. She herself gave her seat up when she saw me and Kae enter the cabin. Then seeing that Kae can take 1 seat on her own and that I was carrying 2 bags and a big tummy, she just turned to the lady who was in the next seat to stand up and give me her seat. You know what that lady responded with? "Oh sorry, I didn't see her." Like real. She was just trying to wriggle herself out of an awkward situation. Thank you kind foreigner!
The 2nd lady really touched me. There were only a few single seats in the cabin I was in. So of course, Kae would take a seat and I would stand in front of her as I can't leave her alone and sit somewhere else. Then out of nowhere, this lady came up to the 2 young men seated next to Kae from another cabin and chided them for not moving over to the empty seat next to them so that I can take their seat and be seated with Kae. Seriously, she made the effort, walked over, chided them and went back to her own seat in the next cabin! Now, how many of you would do that for a stranger?
It may just be a simple act to some, but it means the world to me when I'm in the heavy condition I'm in now. Kind souls do exist in this world. There is still hope!
Nowadays, I would take the Circle Line to go pick up Kae, and the Mountbatten Station is just behind her school. Going there is not a problem, as I will always have seats when I take the East West Line from Pasir Ris, and the Circle Line from Paya Lebar. It is when I take the Circle Line to go to the in-laws' that I find absolutely tiring. As I would be taking the mrt in the same direction as the peak hour crowd, i.e. from Mountbatten to Serangoon, where I take another 2 stops from Serangoon to Boon Keng on the North East Line. Okay, if you do not take the trains often, you might be a bit lost here. Heh. So, I attach a copy of the MRT map here for your information. Hah! By the way, the map is taken from the LTA website as at 11 June 2010 and includes the upcoming stations that are still under construction.
Okay, long story short. Basically the 2 strangers both did the same thing for me. They both asked people who were seated to give up their seats to me and Kae.
The 1st was a foreigner. She herself gave her seat up when she saw me and Kae enter the cabin. Then seeing that Kae can take 1 seat on her own and that I was carrying 2 bags and a big tummy, she just turned to the lady who was in the next seat to stand up and give me her seat. You know what that lady responded with? "Oh sorry, I didn't see her." Like real. She was just trying to wriggle herself out of an awkward situation. Thank you kind foreigner!
The 2nd lady really touched me. There were only a few single seats in the cabin I was in. So of course, Kae would take a seat and I would stand in front of her as I can't leave her alone and sit somewhere else. Then out of nowhere, this lady came up to the 2 young men seated next to Kae from another cabin and chided them for not moving over to the empty seat next to them so that I can take their seat and be seated with Kae. Seriously, she made the effort, walked over, chided them and went back to her own seat in the next cabin! Now, how many of you would do that for a stranger?
It may just be a simple act to some, but it means the world to me when I'm in the heavy condition I'm in now. Kind souls do exist in this world. There is still hope!
Wednesday, June 09, 2010
Story Time
Once upon a time, there is this man. A 40 year old man to be exact. Let's call him X. X has a problem.
His problem is that he is living off his parents and siblings, literally. You would expect a 40 year old man to have a job and support himself, if not his parents.
Yes, X had a major head operation 4 years ago, and he had to take a long time off work to recover. That took around a year (and I am being generous with the length of recovery here). But that was then. It's been 3 years since he has recovered. Okay, let's give him another 1 year to stand back on his feet. It would have been 2 years since. Has X gotten back to his own feet in these 2 years? Not that I know of.
If you were a single 40 year old man, and you know that you cannot survive on your current job which is commision based, shouldn't you find another job? No matter if the new job you find is not office based, no matter if the new job is a blue collared job, no matter if the new job is not "prestigeous" so to speak, shouldn't you find a new job just to survive and support yourself? Already, I'm not talking about even giving money to your own parents for their upbringing or for living in their house still and not paying for the electricity, water, and food you consume daily. I am talking about simple basic survival for yourself.
No, instead X chooses to stay in the commision based job, which does not guarantee him a basic income monthly. He chooses to not seek another path or take up part time courses to upgrade himself so that it will be easier to find another job with a new set of skills. Instead, he chooses to stick it out in the current job, which frankly does not earn him much, as he has been borrowing money from the sibling(s) to get by.
Maybe if X knows that he does not have any savings or salary to get by, he should not have gotten the particular apple when it was launched last year. He should not stay out late at night (God knows how much one can spend when one stays out late, i.e the drinks, the food, the transportation fees?).
What irks me the most is that X doesn't think that he has a problem. He doesn't seem to want to get out of the rut he is in. It seems like he is comfortable in the situation he is in, and just wait it out before his funds dry up again. And he doesn't seem like he is going to return the money he has borrowed. How is one supposed to return what he borrowed when one just lives by the days without any urge or desire to improve, upgrade or get a stable job!
I am sorry but I have no respect at all for X. And it's not even about the money he has borrowed. He doesn't seem to be involved in his family activities, he does not help around the house. He will be extra nice and make conversation when he is in need, and just disappear completely when he is not. Would you not feel the same?
Something has got to be done. Maybe when X is in need the next time. If not, X will not change, and he will just be the same man condemned to be despised for the rest of his life.
His problem is that he is living off his parents and siblings, literally. You would expect a 40 year old man to have a job and support himself, if not his parents.
Yes, X had a major head operation 4 years ago, and he had to take a long time off work to recover. That took around a year (and I am being generous with the length of recovery here). But that was then. It's been 3 years since he has recovered. Okay, let's give him another 1 year to stand back on his feet. It would have been 2 years since. Has X gotten back to his own feet in these 2 years? Not that I know of.
If you were a single 40 year old man, and you know that you cannot survive on your current job which is commision based, shouldn't you find another job? No matter if the new job you find is not office based, no matter if the new job is a blue collared job, no matter if the new job is not "prestigeous" so to speak, shouldn't you find a new job just to survive and support yourself? Already, I'm not talking about even giving money to your own parents for their upbringing or for living in their house still and not paying for the electricity, water, and food you consume daily. I am talking about simple basic survival for yourself.
No, instead X chooses to stay in the commision based job, which does not guarantee him a basic income monthly. He chooses to not seek another path or take up part time courses to upgrade himself so that it will be easier to find another job with a new set of skills. Instead, he chooses to stick it out in the current job, which frankly does not earn him much, as he has been borrowing money from the sibling(s) to get by.
Maybe if X knows that he does not have any savings or salary to get by, he should not have gotten the particular apple when it was launched last year. He should not stay out late at night (God knows how much one can spend when one stays out late, i.e the drinks, the food, the transportation fees?).
What irks me the most is that X doesn't think that he has a problem. He doesn't seem to want to get out of the rut he is in. It seems like he is comfortable in the situation he is in, and just wait it out before his funds dry up again. And he doesn't seem like he is going to return the money he has borrowed. How is one supposed to return what he borrowed when one just lives by the days without any urge or desire to improve, upgrade or get a stable job!
I am sorry but I have no respect at all for X. And it's not even about the money he has borrowed. He doesn't seem to be involved in his family activities, he does not help around the house. He will be extra nice and make conversation when he is in need, and just disappear completely when he is not. Would you not feel the same?
Something has got to be done. Maybe when X is in need the next time. If not, X will not change, and he will just be the same man condemned to be despised for the rest of his life.
Friday, June 04, 2010
Kae and her books
Kae lurves to read her books. She lurves to roam around in bookstores and walk all over the place, removing the books from their shelves. Haha! I am glad that she has acquire this reading habit, like myself, when I was young.
This is me trying to get Kae to read out her stories. Yes, she remembers the gist of the 3 Level 1 Read It Yourself with Ladybird books she has currently; The Ugly Duckling, The Princess and The Pea, and lastly Cinderella. She can just sit down and read out the story herself, of course by memorising the story and not reading the words. But sadly, I didn't manage to get my video camera out fast enough to record her story telling.
Oh, and she always sing that particular song before she tells any story. Maybe she got that habit in school.
This is me trying to get Kae to read out her stories. Yes, she remembers the gist of the 3 Level 1 Read It Yourself with Ladybird books she has currently; The Ugly Duckling, The Princess and The Pea, and lastly Cinderella. She can just sit down and read out the story herself, of course by memorising the story and not reading the words. But sadly, I didn't manage to get my video camera out fast enough to record her story telling.
Oh, and she always sing that particular song before she tells any story. Maybe she got that habit in school.
Tuesday, June 01, 2010
Must Have App for iPhone 3G
I discovered the most brilliant iPhone application for my iPhone 3G - the video camera!
Yes, as my iPhone doesn't have the video camera function, I was thinking of upgrading to the iPhone 3GS just for that function, but long story short, I decided not to upgrade the phone after all. It will cost a top up charge of $300 instead of the usual $100!
Anyhow, a blessing in disguise it turned out to be. And it's Qik Video Camera to the rescue! Although I think the quality will not be better than that of the inbuilt video camera of the iPhone 3GS, the quality is good enough for me! Heehee. Best application ever!
And this is a video of Kae in school during the Family Eat Together day. Boy was she happy that both mummy and especially daddy managed to squeeze time out from his busy work to have dinner with her in school together with all her friends and their parents. Thanks daddy!
Yes, as my iPhone doesn't have the video camera function, I was thinking of upgrading to the iPhone 3GS just for that function, but long story short, I decided not to upgrade the phone after all. It will cost a top up charge of $300 instead of the usual $100!
Anyhow, a blessing in disguise it turned out to be. And it's Qik Video Camera to the rescue! Although I think the quality will not be better than that of the inbuilt video camera of the iPhone 3GS, the quality is good enough for me! Heehee. Best application ever!
And this is a video of Kae in school during the Family Eat Together day. Boy was she happy that both mummy and especially daddy managed to squeeze time out from his busy work to have dinner with her in school together with all her friends and their parents. Thanks daddy!
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