We are a family of athletes, I just realized. We don't talk about it but part of each day goes to swimming, playing badminton or frisbee, skate boarding, riding our bikes and walking through the fields looking for treasures. We also don't talk about the healthy eating we do to sustain our bodies. We just do it.
Yesterday Daddy and Frunty signed up for the Singapore Zoo run. I could not be prouder of the two of them as I was this morning when after their warm-up swim, they headed out the door in their matching, red, race shirts to do their 3 km. You should see them. All brown, 100% toned, all muscle. They looked awesome. This may all sound like bragging and perhaps it is. But why can't I take some credit for helping to live an active lifestyle in which we eat like kings? It means living in a conscientous manner and that is not always easy with all the temptations around us like television and junk food. But we don't succumb...we succeed and even if my guys come in the very last place at the zoo, I know they are already winners just for signing up!
Now for homework with Pit! He has to practise his Chinese characters! Bless him, he needs extra attention at school being the only foreigner but does not complain at all. Just practises over and over again, those complicated characters. With his little brown hand. How adorable can you get!?
Saturday, 30 January 2010
Thaipusam
Thaipusam is a Hindu festival described as one of the most spectacular festivals on the Singaporean calendar of events. Our babysitter arrived and the Mommy and I took public transport to the Sri Srinivasa Perumal Temple in Little India to see what all the fuss was about. It certainly did not disappoint. Even though we missed most of the festivities and saw only the tail end of the parade, it was more than enough to gain a sense of the spiritual devotion of the celebrants.
Hindus from all walks of life will spend anywhere from hours to days to weeks to spiritually cleanse their bodies by fasting and abstinence. The culmination of this preparation is Thaipusam, when they carry a kavadi, literally a cage, 4 km from one temple to another. What makes this procession incredible is that they carry the kavadi by hooks and spears piercing their body. Oranges and limes, symbols of protection, hang from the devotees skin on large hooks. Skewers pierce through their cheeks, lips, tongue and nose. One kavadi was actually a cart being towed by a man with half a dozen huge hooks embedded into the skin of his back. Surprisingly, there was no blood and gore but simply many happy celebrants chanting, singing and dancing as the devotees parading their spirtual burden down Serangoon Road.
The Mommy and I didn't spend too much time admiring the procession since another cultural pastime was calling us. We promptly forgot what we saw in the street as we scanned the menu of Sitara Tandoori Restaurant. Probably some of the most delicious Indian food we've had and certainly the tastiest naan considering the cook was making them fresh where all could see.
The Mommy and I didn't spend too much time admiring the procession since another cultural pastime was calling us. We promptly forgot what we saw in the street as we scanned the menu of Sitara Tandoori Restaurant. Probably some of the most delicious Indian food we've had and certainly the tastiest naan considering the cook was making them fresh where all could see.
A Close Shave
This morning had a lazy slow start. We didn't have anything specific planned for the day. The boys did some homework while eating their breakfast and eventually they were told to get ready for the day. So they came to my bathroom to shave. Wet the face. Squeeze a little foam on the hand. Apply evenly on their tiny chinnie chin chins. Use the bladeless razor to remove the foam. Very cute.
Friday, 29 January 2010
Korean BBQ
A perfect day. Watching Frunty and the other P2 students go swimming for the first time at the Tampines Swim Complex (remember in Brussels, parents were not invited to attend any school activities, in fact, we were downright refused and unwelcomed?..."we want to make your children more independent. You'll distract them."), picking up Pit from school without the bike and walking slowly home, buying a huge Pomello on the way and crossing a field where we found a golfball and a "bunny cage", swimming with my boys before taking a taxi to Parkway Parade mall to meet Hyun-Jee and her son, Song One, from Korea, having foot reflexology together before heading over to a Korean BBQ restaurant where Daddy met us for a truly, delicious feast...
A perfect day.
A perfect day.
Thursday, 28 January 2010
Swim to Shore
Pit and I were in the pool today after lunch. It was great because the water has warmed up a little more with the past few days of exceptionally hot, sunny weather. Not that the water was previously too cold to swim in, but just that it's possible to stay in the pool for hours. And, Pit certainly would if he could. He and I play different types of games mostly involving climbing on my shoulders. Pit loves to swim "deep, deep, deep, deep" and dives straight down 3 feet to touch the bottom of the pool. He also tries to talk underwater "without opening his mouth" and another game is to stand on my shoulders and do a big leap into the water. One favourite game is to pretend I'm a water horse: he wraps his arms around my neck pressed against my back while I dive underwater, swim a short way and then resurface. For me, I feel like I have a ramora fish stuck to me while I'm swimming. When Pit needs a rest, he points to the pool side and says, "swim to that shore, papa.", and off we go.
Tuesday, 26 January 2010
Classroom Sharing
Yesterday morning I was at Frunty's school to share our experiences and cultural background with his class. Part of the curriculum is to have a 30 minute bring-a-parent-to-school for show-and-tell. Coming from the Belgian school system, this sort of thing is a real treat. In fact, the school is trying hard to involve parents and Frunty's teacher was excited to see that I was so prompt in accepting her invitation. So I prepared several photos for a slide show and the pupils were very happy. Frunty was also very proud.
Saturday, 23 January 2010
3 kilometers
Two weekends from now we're going to the Zoo. They have organized a 6 km fun run open to all ages and a 3 km course for children. I've signed up and asked if Frunty would like to try the 3 km run. The course snakes through the grounds of the Zoo and Night Safari so it will be interesting to run around the animals. To give Frunty a taste of what 3 kms is like, we marked out a circuit in our neighbourhood. Today we tested it with Frunty on bicycle and I on foot. His report was that it didn't seem so far and that it was easy but by the time we got home, he was complaining of being very hot and sweaty.
Saturday, 16 January 2010
Bicycle Mechanics
We spent several hours today repairing some old bicycles. Or rather, we cannibalized old bicycles for parts and made a few good ones that we could really use. In the process, Frunty got his hands very dirty with grease and Pit got his training wheels back on. Both were very happy and they indulged themselves in some good "clean" fun. We pretended to be mechanics in our "garage": essentially the underground road network beneath the footpaths at ground level. It's actually quite special because the basement level is open to the sky above so natural air and sky can be seen from below. But the best part that I didn't realize until today is that we live at the dead-end of one of the roads. This means there is no through traffic which makes it a perfect place for the boys to scoot up and down the roads on their bikes.
Friday, 15 January 2010
Night Safari
Last night we went to the Night Safari. It's very magical because of the darkness and the Disneyland-like, psuedo-Balinese-Fijian-African ambiance. We arrived just after sunset and grabbed a front row table to eat our Bongo Burgers while we enjoyed the tribal dance show. Frunty said his favourite part of the evening was watching the fire-breathers swallow fire and spew huge clouds of flames. Pit was a little scared because of the blasts of heat we could feel sitting in the front row.
We then took the guided tram ride past rhinos, lions and hyenas before alighting at the East Lodge. From there, we walked on the Leopard trail to see....playful leopards, porcupines, and another highlight of the evening: giant flying squirrels. The boys were amazed to see the animals spread their "wings" as they leaped overhead. They look very cuddly with a guinea pig like face, the body of a very big squirrel, and an extremely long bushy tail. We eventually went back to the East Lodge to catch the next tram to make it back to the main entrance. We passed elephants and hippos and at the end of the ride, Pit fell asleep. He kept sleeping until 8am the next morning and Frunty passed out on the taxi ride home.
We then took the guided tram ride past rhinos, lions and hyenas before alighting at the East Lodge. From there, we walked on the Leopard trail to see....playful leopards, porcupines, and another highlight of the evening: giant flying squirrels. The boys were amazed to see the animals spread their "wings" as they leaped overhead. They look very cuddly with a guinea pig like face, the body of a very big squirrel, and an extremely long bushy tail. We eventually went back to the East Lodge to catch the next tram to make it back to the main entrance. We passed elephants and hippos and at the end of the ride, Pit fell asleep. He kept sleeping until 8am the next morning and Frunty passed out on the taxi ride home.
Thursday, 14 January 2010
Those Monks
We live next door to a Buddhist temple and can hear chanting at 6pm everyday and smell the delicious food each day. The worst part is peeking over the fence and seeing the wonderful spread of fried fish and rice dishes. I'm still not quite sure how their system works. I thought the monks who live there, lead a very frugal lifestyle and are suppose to beg for food. Yet their tables are plentiful. I suppose the community supports them.
At dinner tonight, while we were listening to the chanting, Frunty suggested that we go next door to get beer from the monks. Then he added, maybe they make bread and cheese too. Welcome to Asia Frunty. These monks are different those we used to visit in Belgium.
At dinner tonight, while we were listening to the chanting, Frunty suggested that we go next door to get beer from the monks. Then he added, maybe they make bread and cheese too. Welcome to Asia Frunty. These monks are different those we used to visit in Belgium.
Wednesday, 13 January 2010
Better Today
Fruty went off to school this morning because he's feeling better. We're really proud of him for waking up at 6am for his school bus pickup at 6:20. It`s pretty nice that the mini-bus comes right to our door but he does spend a lot of time on the bus. The direct travel time to school is only about 15 minutes but because he is the first pickup, he doesn't get to school for another 40 minutes while the driver makes his rounds. This means Frunty gets to school by about 7am which is 45 minutes before class starts. Sunrise is at 7am so he gets a chance to get into school mode but I hope he isn`t just sitting around feeling tired from a 6am wake-up call. Luckily, on the way home, he is the first drop-off.
Pit was cheerful to go to his school today. I took him again and this time we hugged just outside the door and then he purposefully walked away to wash his hands and get his temperature and throat checked. This is standard school entry procedure to prevent sick kids from making everyone else ill. We`re glad he enjoys going to school... mostly.
Pit was cheerful to go to his school today. I took him again and this time we hugged just outside the door and then he purposefully walked away to wash his hands and get his temperature and throat checked. This is standard school entry procedure to prevent sick kids from making everyone else ill. We`re glad he enjoys going to school... mostly.
Monday, 11 January 2010
School Run
Frunty and the Mommy were not feeling well this morning but Pit still needed to get to his school. It's his first day where he stays in school until 2:20pm because he starts his science class. The Mommy gave him jelly beans in reference to the book we have about the Jelly Bean Scientist. He was very excited but still a little apprehensive to let go when I dropped him off. It's a pleasant 10-15 minute bike ride and this morning's weather is exceptional: clear blue skies and not too humid thanks to a good breeze. It still means I got home covered in a fine layer of perspiration but nothing the pool couldn't fix.
