Weekend came and went...

My parents brought me for my ballet class yesterday. It was my 23rd lesson. We were lucky, we reached there and it started to rain heavily.

I am at my 爷爷 and 奶奶's house today and played with my cousins there. I guess, quite long never see them already.

Oops, Teresa has left skool. I will have to fend for myself from now on.

My ballet exam is also a week away... Countdown. After that, year-end holidays will be here... and Christmas... and my birthday.

Week 30 summary

Here is Week 30's summary of my mummy's part-time work.

Mon, 25 Oct 10
3.5 hours

Tues, 26 Oct 10
1.5 hours

Wed, 27 Oct 10
1.5 hours

Thur, 28 Oct 10
1.5 hours

Fri, 29 Oct 10
1.5 hours

Total is 9.5 hours at $8 per hour. That works out to $76 for the 30th week. My mummy's pay for October 2010 is $318. I think she should be happy.

My best friend has left the building

Today is my best friend, Teresa's last day in skool. She will be transferring to another child care skool in NTU, where her mum works.

Here is the farewell card which me and my mummy made specially for her...

Abuela is back!

Papi is on a day's leave today. He went to Changi Airport T3 to fetch abuela at around 4:30am this morning.

The plane landed at aroud 5:11am.Papi had breakfast at McDonald's with abuela after she arrived. Papi came back on time to fetch me to skool. After skool, he brought me to abuela's house. Abuela bought this few toys for me...My poor papi wasted the entire afternoon trying to solve the problem on how to transfer songs from his computer to his Nokia 5800 mobile phone. Apparently, there is some bugs on the MTP driver. This really drive him wild. The charming people from Nokia Careline could only get him to uninstall and install the Nokia Ovi Player, PC Suite and Ovi Suite countless times, and yet it didn't work. Papi told mummy that he will get iPhone 4 next. Then again, that may bring about another set of problems. Ha ha...

Changing Education Paradigms

A Mermaid's Tale

A catchy song from Barbie's A Mermaid's Tale.

Right Here In My Arms

Another lovely song from Barbie's The Island Princess.

I Need To Know

I like this song. It is from Barbie's The Island Princess.

Week 29 summary

Here is Week 29's summary of my mummy's part-time work.

Tues, 19 Oct 10
1.5 hours

Wed, 20 Oct 10
1.5 hours

Thur, 21 Oct 10
1.5 hours

Fri, 22 Oct 10
1.5 hours

Total is 6 hours at $8 per hour. That works out to $48 for the 29th week. Mummy didn't work on Mon, 18 Oct as I was on a day's MC.

Hari Raya Get-Together

My parents brought me to the Hari-Raya get-together near abuela's house this evening. It was quite fun and we won a total of 4 presents. I was even brave enough to go on stage to answer a quiz.

There was ketupak demo, songs & dance, food and lucky draw. The emcee was funny and cracked jokes. He even interviewed my papi and learnt that papi had stayed in this estate since 1984.

Earlier this afternoon, I went for my 22nd ballet lesson. Oh, my ballet exam is like 2 weeks away...

My papi, his days of being "wild"

My parents were growing children of the seventies, my papi thinks his is a rather dull one. While many people back then can boast of a childhood with exciting stories like catching guppies in drains, catching spiders among thick bushes, swimming in the well, falling from tree-tops in their kampong homes… My papi virtually got none. Maybe, got some... playing that ridiculous game called “One-leg” in badminton courts or jumping up and down from the double decker bed that my late grandfather bought for him and 伯伯.

Maybe my mummy might have a more exciting childhood, she grew up in a kampong home near the Bukit Timah hills. From young, papi was a product of congested “high-rise” HDB flats. Guess he never flown a kite all his life…. apart from what he claims, a few pathetic attempts to fly kite from the narrow corridors of the Upper Aljunied Lane flat he used to live.

He also never learn how to swim or go bike cycling. I guess he is lousy… he also dropped out of NPCC in his secondary school days. He couldn’t stand the bloody marching. He settled for ku niang ones like chess and book reading. His youth, was limited to reading sleeping, eating, studying, reading Famous Five, Secret Seven and eventually, graduating to reading Agatha Christie’s murder novels. Hercule Poirot was like Sherlock Holmes to my papi. He could solve almost every darn thing.

He still harbour a great deal of regret of not enjoying that much when he was young. It’s about as tragic as anyone’s childhood can get. That feeling of irrecoverable loss of being short-changed. He definitely would want me to play as much as I can and stay happy. Of course, it got to be within his house rules.

At the same time, he worries for me…. that, in the future, I must chalked up an impressive array of extra-curricular activities in school. That I must go for gold, go for all the "A"s academically. That there could be a future if only I can jump higher, run faster, dance that perfect ballet routine, swim faster, score that perfect 10 in everything I do. Furthermore, sing that perfect note.

I hope the intense pressure to win or excel, would not take away the joys of learning and participation. I think my parents are already thinking of doing volunteer work so as to secure the choice primary school for me.

But what else would matter for me as a near 4-year old kid? Well, I’m sure that my parents would only want me to be happy and spent an eventful childhood that I can look back fondly. As it is, my papi can also re-live another childhood through me and yet stay as an earnest adult.

Whenever I Call You Friend

My papi played this song repeatedly last night. It is just one of the nights where he listens to those 80s stuff. He just loves them...

Well, talking about friends. While he uploaded this song, he was also thinking about me and Teresa, as friends in skool.

Anyway, I just knew it. Papi will surely thinks that this song, is what that is missing in today's music. The lovely harmonies, memorable bridges and beautiful music. The perfect combination of voices for a perfect song. Stevie Nicks and Kenny Loggins.

Wonderful news - No eye problem, Wenger's birthday & the Applause

My papi is on half-day afternoon leave today. Earlier today, he went to The Eye Centre, TTSH for his annual eye check-up.

His eyes were deemed okay, no problem and was given a discharge by Assoc Prof Heng.I guess to celebrate... papi went to the nearby Wee Nam Kee for chicken rice lunch.Oh, Monsieur Wenger turns 61 today. More good years... of course, trophies aplenty too.On Wednesday morning, Arsenal whipped Shakhtar Donetsk 5-1 easily in a Champions League Group match. Most of all, my papi witness the most extraordinary thing in football. There can be no doubt that he will ever again witness a goal celebrated by everyone in the stadium except the goal scorer himself. It was so surreal. Eduardo Da Silva kept to his pre-match promise - of not celebrating should he score. It was the perfect evening, a superb performance by the Gunners, coupled with an appearance by one of his ex-Arsenal heroes.My papi should be so proud to be a Gooner.

Ballet Showtime clips

Playing with Play-doh

Oh dear, my whopping cough is not getting any better. My parents told me that this Saturday's ballet class and Hari Raya celebration near abuela's place looks like a non-event should I not get well soon...

Earlier this evening, I played with play-doh and made a bluff bluff birthday cake for mummy. I called it "Happy 1-year birthday cake". Hope she likes it.

A gift from Teresa, my friend

My skool friend, Teresa gave me a Disney Princess DVD yesterday. Mummy told papi that Teresa actually ask her mother's permission to give me the DVD. Simple reason was that I liked Disney Princess more than her!

Today, mummy checked with Teresa if she want it back. Ha ha...Funny.
Oh dear, bad news. Teresa is transferring skool at the end of this month. I guess our friendship just got roughly another week to go...

Another friend is jumping ship and leaving skool. Sigh... Mummy said no more big sister to look after me in skool.

Off to Shanghai...

My papi just got home not too long ago.

He was back after sending abuela off to Changi Airport T3 at around 9:30pm last nite. Well, she just took off a while ago at around 1:15am on flight SQ826.

Abuela is on a Temple Tour around Shanghai with members from Mahabodhi Monastery. She will be back in Singapore on 25 October 2010.

I wonder will she meet 伯伯 over there? Oh, I got a bad cough, runny nose and lots of phelgm since Friday.

My parents brought me to see Dr Sim yesterday morning and I am on a 1-day MC yesterday. Didn't go to skool. Hope I can get well soon...

Week 28 summary

Here is Week 28's summary of my mummy's part-time work.

Mon, 11 Oct 10
3.75 hours

Tues, 12 Oct 10
4 hours

Wed, 13 Oct 10
3.75 hours

Thur, 14 Oct 10
2.75 hours

Fri, 15 Oct 10
1.5 hours

Total is 15.75 hours at $8 per hour. That works out to $126 for the 28th week. Mummy worked slightly more hours this week as abuela fetched me for the first three days of the week.

It's Showtime

Today is the day where my parents got to see what I have been practicing all these Saturdays. In fact, it is almost half a year or 21 lessons so far...Okay, I think my parents are quite proud of me!

Where Dreams Begin

A Happy Day

My papi is on leave. Lately, he has been taking leave on other weekdays other than Fridays. He told mummy that on Fridays, he got to do those dreaded weekly reports...

As usual, when he is on leave, he sends me to skool and then, comes over to fetch me from skool.

Guess he hadn't eat that handmade noodles from Whampoa for a long time. He took it for breakfast today.Today, my parents came together to fetch me. After my skool, we went to Sakae Sushi at Square II for lunch with abuela...We bought several things today. A blue sweater for abuela. She is going to Shanghai next week. A wonderful pink swimming costume for me. For my papi, finally... a belt. He is finally ditching that CK belt he has been wearing round his fat waist for the past 10-odd years.Abuela is most happy. I think she likes to eat at Sakae Sushi. She settled all her GIRO termination accounts with POSB today. Settled her tour money and to top it all, papi gave $200 to her.

I am also happy. I finally got my swimming costume. I will be donning it during Sundays at the all-new Bukit Panjang Sports Complex.

Papi was most delighted with his belt. It was mummy who spotted the belt. He told her that was a great buy. He have been hunting high and low for a belt with character for so, sooooo... long.

Cost of Education - Class photo

My parents paid $6 for my class photo today.

My cost of education for this year, so far is $1,256.40 + $6 = $1,262.40.

Oops.. I did it once again

Oh no. I bed wetted for the 7th time yesterday morning. From then on, things went wrong... it rained, we missed the bus to skool...

Anyway, had a class photo shoot yesterday. My mummy put some hair gel for me before we left home.

Thank God, yesterday was the last day of intensive hacking works for the unit above my house. I have been at abuela's house for the past 3 days. Good to be home. Even mummy yelled, Home Sweet Home when we got home last evening.

My pink stool

My abuela came back from Kuala Lumpur early this morning, at around half past midnite.

She came to fetch me from skool this morning. I will be putting up at her place for the next 3 days. Woohoo.....

Mummy bought lunch and came by around noon. In the late afternoon, she brought me out and bought me a pink stool. I will be sitting on this pink stool during my meals at abuela's house.

The Egg on Stilts

I went to 爷爷 and 奶奶's house today. The highlight of the day was my first ever visit to the new Sports Complex at Bukit Panjang.Here is a model of the entire complex.To explain this strange title, my papi calls this place, the "Kelong Egg". The entire structure shapes like an egg and seems to be on stilts, like in a kelong, as it looks to be above the water catchment area.

Week 27 summary

Here is Week 27's summary of my mummy's part-time work.

Mon, 4 Oct 10
1.25 hours

Tues, 5 Oct 10
2 hours

Wed, 6 Oct 10
1.75 hours

Thur, 7 Oct 10
1.75 hours

Fri, 8 Oct 10
1.75 hours

Total is 8.5 hours at $8 per hour. That works out to $68 for the 27th week.

Quite the Usual...

Yesterday, was pretty the usual for a Saturday. Had breakfast at Whampoa market, went to NTUC to get the week's groceries.

The afternoon was spent on going for my 20th ballet lesson. What? 20th lesson already? That works out to roughly 5 months.

Dinner was at Whampoa market and quite usual, my parents brought me to United Square. We had fries at McDonald's there before heading home. Got home around 10pm.

Rather late... oh, one thing, no EPL matches this weekend. No wonder, papi was okay to be out at this time.

Abuela's off to KL

My abuela set off to Kuala Lumpur early this morning. She will be there over the weekend. She is there for some Buddhist Temple fund-raising show.

She will be back on Sunday night and will be fetching me from skool come Monday morning. Oh yes, will be at her place from Monday to Wednesday. There are massive renovations on the unit above ours. As usual, loud drilling and hacking works.

Singing the blues

Top 10 reasons why papi may not feel that Arsene knows best...after yet another defeat by Chelsea on 3 Oct 2010.

10. Could have won the game and yet, lost the match because we simply couldn't score against a more disciplined side.

9. The Gunners are largely, or woefully undersized as compared to other sides in the Premiership.

8. To be honest, the lesson we should learn from the Chelsea defeat is that we should have learned the lesson from the game before that, a home loss to WBA. WTF?

7. Though there is no such thing as a Divine Right to win every damn footy match and competition, but it is becoming very difficult to stomach seeing the Gunners losing... when there is a refusal to strengthen glaring onfield weaknesses.

6. An obsession with winning in a pretty manner and too honest to cheat.

5. Is Andrei Arshavin in the wrong position? Should he be in the middle than off wide?

4. Can they stop staying injured all the time?

3. Are the Gunners too nice to be dirty?

2. Are the Gunners too pansy to tackle and cute to shoot?

1. KNN, we need a top goalkeeper.

My papi is definitely normal and alright. He should stay bitter, cynical and twisted till the next big Arsenal win and he will say... In Arsene, we trust.

上海灘

伯伯 left for Shanghai early this morning. He will be there at least for a couple of years or more. Will miss him...So will abuela and all at home.

Cost of Education - October 2010

My parents paid my S$88 skool fees for October 2010 today.

My cost of education for this year, so far is $1,168.40 + $88 = $1,256.40.

I was at my 爷爷 and 奶奶's house yesterday. I guess I had a great time there. My 舅舅 bought me stickers and Winx Club cards. Yippeee...

Oh, I also attended my 19th ballet class on Sat, 2 October 2010. It was fun, but a bit tiring.

The Girl with the Big Voice

We saw this 10-year old girl performing on the Tonight Show the other day. My parents were sort of taken aback by her voice.

Wouldn't It Be Loverly

My papi loves My Fair Lady. Must have watched it countless times... This song is a particular favourite of his.

Week 26 summary

Here is Week 26's summary of my mummy's part-time work.

Mon, 27 Sep 10
1.5 hours

Tues, 28 Sep 10
1.5 hours

Wed, 29 Sep 10
1.75 hours

Total is 4.75 hours at $8 per hour. That works out to $38 for the 26th week. My mummy did not work on Thursday and Friday as it was Children's Day.

Her salary for September 2010 should be $194. Woohoo!

My Children's Day outing

Today is Children's Day. No skool for today and my papi was also on leave.

My papi actually planned to go to Restaurant Ten at Purvis Street for lunch. However, he had a last-minute change of plans.

We headed to Bras Brasah and mummy went to look for her ex-colleagues there for a chat.

After that, my parents brought me to Jack's Place for lunch.As it is Children's Day, my parents bought me lots of stuff today. I got a Disney Princess watch, bunny ears, stickers and a Princess sticker album.Oh, my papi went for fish head steamboat with 2 colleagues at Whampoa market later in the evening.