A six and half minute video showing the exploits of our trip to Thailand in September. The trip was part of the Daddy's post-40th-birthday celebration. What a surprise when everyone we knew in town showed up to celebrate, not to mention some out-of-towners who used Aeroplan points! Thanks for a great party celebration. (the video was designed for an HD TV so the images here are painfully small and low quality)
Friday, 23 December 2011
Tuesday, 1 November 2011
Monday, 31 October 2011
A new Home!
When we moved to Singapore, we had a two year rental contract at D'Manor. It just came up for renewal and the landlord wanted a huge increase which we did not want to pay...do I need to mention the annoying monks next door again? The non-stop chanting and the neighbours with 11 cats...I wouldn't pay rent there for another two years even if it was decreased by 50%!
So we moved to a flat across the park from Frunty and Pit's school. Frunty went to school by himself today although Papa secretly followed. And we let him come home. Pit won't join his brother at the school until January 2012 but was very excited to try on his uniform which I purchased today in the canteen. We are lucky that bus #168 goes from our flat to Pit's kindergarten so that this last week of school will be relatively easy in terms of commuting.
What was really fun afterschool was that Frunty showed up at our door with one of his friends, Miguel. Our first guest! He only had time to take a look in each room and had to take his rootbeer to go! He has to get straight home for tuition. I guess a play date in Singapore, if it happens, lasts about 10 minutes. Oh well. A few minutes after Miguel left, we heard some kids yelling Frunty's name outside our door. We opened up to find 4 boys on our landing. It was adorable and Frunty was thrilled. We don't have our home set up...nowhere to sit and no toys to play with so I told them they could come over in the new year...for 10 minutes? Better than nothing!
Now we are resting up for the Halloween party and trick or treating at D'Manor tonight. It'll be a nice chance to stay connected to our friends there! Happy Halloween and Happy Birthday, Nonna!
Wednesday, 26 October 2011
Moving Week!
What a week so far! Moving is never easy. On Monday, Papa left for Hong Kong and the kids and I wrapped things up at #77. None of us is sad to leave that home because of the spraying cats which scream at night and the monks and their microphones who chant off and on all day and into the evening. The pool was nice but frankly, just for the record, it would be nice if people showered before using it. All that glitters is not gold!
We had some wonderful neighbours though and were really happy to attend a birthday party last night. And we are very grateful to be able to stay at the Clarke's home, #269, while they are in Australia. We have been babysitting their dog, C.C. and having a dog to focus on has really reduced the stress.
Now we are living at 152D Tembeling Rd in Joo Chiat in our French teacher's home while she and her family are in Malaysia on vacation. We are taking care of their baby Beagle Puppy. It means taking a taxi to school but amazingly, it only took about 15 min. this morning. Not bad at all.
I can't even tell you how exhausted I am. Of all the weeks in Singapore, this has been the hardest and Papa is so apologetic that he is not here. And the one time our maid would have actually come in handy was to clean #77. Instead, the boys helped me and we did our best (not to the owner's satisfaction) but for the record, I am so proud of Frunty who could tell by my tone that I needed his help desperately. We were supposed to have 3 hours to clean but the movers were late and did not clear the home thus giving us about 1 hour. I found both boys with their shirts off using them as rags. I can't thank them enough and Pit, who was struggling, helped as much as he could. Frunty shone like a star.
The worst is over. Our flat has been painted and looks really nice and is so conveniently located which will make up for no pool! Plus we can always pool hop around Singapore as all of our friends have pools! (a cool shower will work and is cleaner anyway!!) Papa comes home late tonight and I hope that tomorrow, we can celebrate by taking the wee ones out to one of their favourite restos, Smokeys.
I have no complaints just exhausting days and sleepless nights. Nothing compared to what the Thai people are facing up north as their country sinks around them. Our cousins and friends there have moved to higher grounds as the water encroaches the city center of BKK. We invited them to come down here but I looked at the airport and even the planes are stuck! So my little issues over here in Singapore are nothing and I know it. We are fortunate to be safe and dry, with good friends to take us in so we did not have to breathe paint fumes!
It's all looking up and I hope the Thai people can say that too...soon.
We had some wonderful neighbours though and were really happy to attend a birthday party last night. And we are very grateful to be able to stay at the Clarke's home, #269, while they are in Australia. We have been babysitting their dog, C.C. and having a dog to focus on has really reduced the stress.
Now we are living at 152D Tembeling Rd in Joo Chiat in our French teacher's home while she and her family are in Malaysia on vacation. We are taking care of their baby Beagle Puppy. It means taking a taxi to school but amazingly, it only took about 15 min. this morning. Not bad at all.
I can't even tell you how exhausted I am. Of all the weeks in Singapore, this has been the hardest and Papa is so apologetic that he is not here. And the one time our maid would have actually come in handy was to clean #77. Instead, the boys helped me and we did our best (not to the owner's satisfaction) but for the record, I am so proud of Frunty who could tell by my tone that I needed his help desperately. We were supposed to have 3 hours to clean but the movers were late and did not clear the home thus giving us about 1 hour. I found both boys with their shirts off using them as rags. I can't thank them enough and Pit, who was struggling, helped as much as he could. Frunty shone like a star.
The worst is over. Our flat has been painted and looks really nice and is so conveniently located which will make up for no pool! Plus we can always pool hop around Singapore as all of our friends have pools! (a cool shower will work and is cleaner anyway!!) Papa comes home late tonight and I hope that tomorrow, we can celebrate by taking the wee ones out to one of their favourite restos, Smokeys.
I have no complaints just exhausting days and sleepless nights. Nothing compared to what the Thai people are facing up north as their country sinks around them. Our cousins and friends there have moved to higher grounds as the water encroaches the city center of BKK. We invited them to come down here but I looked at the airport and even the planes are stuck! So my little issues over here in Singapore are nothing and I know it. We are fortunate to be safe and dry, with good friends to take us in so we did not have to breathe paint fumes!
It's all looking up and I hope the Thai people can say that too...soon.
Sunday, 16 October 2011
Cleaning up can be FUN!
It never hurts to do spring cleaning and when one moves, one is forced to clean up. Sometimes it is a bit tedious but other times, it can be really nice to find some things which were forgotten. It was fun to find a piece of paper from the Rex Hotel in HCMC. As a group, we had jotted down some of our highlights from Hanoi to HCMC with Gramma and Grampa. Here are Frunty and Pit's highlights as we travelled south through Vietnam.
1) Donkey Doughnuts- helping the hearing impaired by purchasing their yummy snacks (Hanoi)
2) Halong Bay- squid fishing at night with Grampa and kayaking with Gramma
3) Night trains- pillow fights and stories (sorry about the citronella spray!)
4) Hoi An- Eco fishing trip with Grampa- it was fun throwing the nets
5) Buffet Breakfasts- at the Victoria (Hoi An), Sheraton (Nha Trang), Caravelle (HCMC) Thanks to Gramma and Grampa for splurging!
6) Vinh Moc and Cu Chi Tunnels- awesome exploring the underground worlds
These are the top memories written down by the boys. It was such an incredible trip. Australia was special in many ways but we did not make a list. When we get a chance, we'll do that and I'll record it on our blog. It is fun looking back and treasuring times together! Looking forward to Canada and Hawaii with the grandparents this holiday season but in the meantime, back to packing!!!
Saturday, 15 October 2011
Preparing to Move!
Well, this time we have hired movers to pack up for us! This will be the first time when I could spend the day at a spa if I felt like it instead of packing/hoisting/listing items/moving/organizing/unpacking etc...
France, Switzerland, Japan, the Netherlands, Canada, Belgium, Singapore...many moves. This time, take it easy-er...I am not going to a day spa but I am having the help I need to make it go smooth and in this heat, I sure do appreciate being able to afford it. As I write this though, I hear Papa preparing stuff because it is hard to trust that the movers will be careful with certain items like computers. Fair enough.
So we are moving from our 5 bedroom/5 bathroom home with shared pool/jacuzzi/steam room and other facilities to a 3 + 1 flat across the park from the boys' school. So glad we could host so many family members and friends in our gorgeous, 5* home. It was also handy to have a full-time maid while we had guests to do all the shopping/cooking/clean up. I am grateful for that experience too.
Our new place is tiny by comparison but the location is great, the boys can walk to school and come home for lunch and the rental price is almost half what it is here at D'Manor. With so many friends with pools, we will just condo hop as and when needed!!! Yes, it won't be the same...but maybe it'll be better?
The problem is that we made this plan when we thought we had a really great school for our boys. The school is very fine in many regards but the amount of study/homework/exams and the recent threats of caning have made us question the whole system that others warned us was not good for children. Some colleagues warned us that the system would "wreck" our kids and "they would lose their childhood." The international schools tried to be diplomatic but hinted at negative aspects. Of course they would. They wanted our children to become their students. Or did they just want to warn us too?
Well, we thought we would give it a try and up until a few months ago, things seemed to be going fine. Until the form teacher told me that indeed parents are purchasing exams some which have the "exact same questions" as the exams at our school. I asked where to purchase them and she said, "off the record, you'll see some guy milling about under the hdb flats. He's got them." Students, in general, study for the exams by studying exams. I did this in university. I would prefer my children to learn for fun and study the information so they know it inside out. We are working on reminding them to learn not for an A but so they know the material which is interesting. One might think that if they know the material inside and out, they will get an A anyway. Well, unfortunately, the exams contain questions which have not been covered (for some annoying reason) and because they are multiple choice, there are plenty of trick questions that trip Frunty up. The written part of exams is challenging too. On a recent exam he wrote that,
"a caterpillar has to eat a lot of food to become a pupa." Wrong. Zero marks. The correct answer was, "a caterpillar has to eat a lot of leaves to become a pupa." I think he could have been given part marks. Come on.
I don't want to get into too much detail about the caning but the principal is very upset that Frunty and others have been threatened by several teachers this year. One teacher in particular has been whacking the desk with a cane and yelling, "Shut up!" At times, Frunty finds it hard to concentrate in class and like the others, talks at times or at other times, reads a book. He is not perfect. He is not engaged. The rooms are hot with no air-con and very loud fans. With 40 children, it is a zoo and I know because I have done some teaching in several classes. It is not an ideal learning environment.
Recent studies have shown that children learn much better in an environment where they can move around a bit when appropriate. I know that Frunty needs this kind of environment and it isn't because he lacks discipline. It is because he gets distracted easily and has trouble coping with a monotonous teacher who does not engage. Last year, we had no issues and he loved his teachers. I thought we could handle the local system and were proving the skeptics wrong!
Anyway, all of this to say that we have been warned that as the students prepare for their PSLEs (primary school leaving exams) which stream them into the correct highschool, the work load increases as does the pressure from P4 onwards. Since our boys are not going to a local highschool here because of its failed attempts at being "holistic", I dislike the thought of Frunty spending the next three years having to study at least 2-3 hours a day as the principal has insisted. She has to earn the awards for her school, afterall. This pressure and focus on exams and top marks are annoying. The parents talk about it constantly as do the students. I volunteer at the school a lot so I know what I am talking about. And the fact that we have had two play dates in two years because students have to study after school and on weekends, is rather sad. In the end though, it is okay that we can't have play dates with local kids because of their poor level of spoken English. At least if Frunty and Pit play with kids from international schools, they can hear standard English and I am grateful that their best friend speaks so well.
Frunty and Pit's best friend right now is Jack. He goes to One World International school and I have heard him ask our boys why their parents make them study so much. "Why do you have so much homework?" I honestly don't mind the homework and it can be really fun and with proper breaks, we can make time to enjoy it and sports and other activities as well. Even if the teacher at whatever school did not give homework, I would supplement the boys schooling with fun and educational activities. The whole exam business and 2-3 hours a day seems excessive to me and puts a lot of pressure on our family.
We are definitely in a state of flux! Wish us luck!
France, Switzerland, Japan, the Netherlands, Canada, Belgium, Singapore...many moves. This time, take it easy-er...I am not going to a day spa but I am having the help I need to make it go smooth and in this heat, I sure do appreciate being able to afford it. As I write this though, I hear Papa preparing stuff because it is hard to trust that the movers will be careful with certain items like computers. Fair enough.
So we are moving from our 5 bedroom/5 bathroom home with shared pool/jacuzzi/steam room and other facilities to a 3 + 1 flat across the park from the boys' school. So glad we could host so many family members and friends in our gorgeous, 5* home. It was also handy to have a full-time maid while we had guests to do all the shopping/cooking/clean up. I am grateful for that experience too.
Our new place is tiny by comparison but the location is great, the boys can walk to school and come home for lunch and the rental price is almost half what it is here at D'Manor. With so many friends with pools, we will just condo hop as and when needed!!! Yes, it won't be the same...but maybe it'll be better?
The problem is that we made this plan when we thought we had a really great school for our boys. The school is very fine in many regards but the amount of study/homework/exams and the recent threats of caning have made us question the whole system that others warned us was not good for children. Some colleagues warned us that the system would "wreck" our kids and "they would lose their childhood." The international schools tried to be diplomatic but hinted at negative aspects. Of course they would. They wanted our children to become their students. Or did they just want to warn us too?
Well, we thought we would give it a try and up until a few months ago, things seemed to be going fine. Until the form teacher told me that indeed parents are purchasing exams some which have the "exact same questions" as the exams at our school. I asked where to purchase them and she said, "off the record, you'll see some guy milling about under the hdb flats. He's got them." Students, in general, study for the exams by studying exams. I did this in university. I would prefer my children to learn for fun and study the information so they know it inside out. We are working on reminding them to learn not for an A but so they know the material which is interesting. One might think that if they know the material inside and out, they will get an A anyway. Well, unfortunately, the exams contain questions which have not been covered (for some annoying reason) and because they are multiple choice, there are plenty of trick questions that trip Frunty up. The written part of exams is challenging too. On a recent exam he wrote that,
"a caterpillar has to eat a lot of food to become a pupa." Wrong. Zero marks. The correct answer was, "a caterpillar has to eat a lot of leaves to become a pupa." I think he could have been given part marks. Come on.
I don't want to get into too much detail about the caning but the principal is very upset that Frunty and others have been threatened by several teachers this year. One teacher in particular has been whacking the desk with a cane and yelling, "Shut up!" At times, Frunty finds it hard to concentrate in class and like the others, talks at times or at other times, reads a book. He is not perfect. He is not engaged. The rooms are hot with no air-con and very loud fans. With 40 children, it is a zoo and I know because I have done some teaching in several classes. It is not an ideal learning environment.
Recent studies have shown that children learn much better in an environment where they can move around a bit when appropriate. I know that Frunty needs this kind of environment and it isn't because he lacks discipline. It is because he gets distracted easily and has trouble coping with a monotonous teacher who does not engage. Last year, we had no issues and he loved his teachers. I thought we could handle the local system and were proving the skeptics wrong!
Anyway, all of this to say that we have been warned that as the students prepare for their PSLEs (primary school leaving exams) which stream them into the correct highschool, the work load increases as does the pressure from P4 onwards. Since our boys are not going to a local highschool here because of its failed attempts at being "holistic", I dislike the thought of Frunty spending the next three years having to study at least 2-3 hours a day as the principal has insisted. She has to earn the awards for her school, afterall. This pressure and focus on exams and top marks are annoying. The parents talk about it constantly as do the students. I volunteer at the school a lot so I know what I am talking about. And the fact that we have had two play dates in two years because students have to study after school and on weekends, is rather sad. In the end though, it is okay that we can't have play dates with local kids because of their poor level of spoken English. At least if Frunty and Pit play with kids from international schools, they can hear standard English and I am grateful that their best friend speaks so well.
Frunty and Pit's best friend right now is Jack. He goes to One World International school and I have heard him ask our boys why their parents make them study so much. "Why do you have so much homework?" I honestly don't mind the homework and it can be really fun and with proper breaks, we can make time to enjoy it and sports and other activities as well. Even if the teacher at whatever school did not give homework, I would supplement the boys schooling with fun and educational activities. The whole exam business and 2-3 hours a day seems excessive to me and puts a lot of pressure on our family.
We are definitely in a state of flux! Wish us luck!
Chili Crab on Sentosa
Last night we met Sor, Puk and Pun on Sentosa for our second night of fun with them while they are visiting from Bangkok. Friday night we went on luge rides followed by a Sushi dinner at a teppanyaki restaurant on Sentosa. Last night we enjoyed crab together and then moved on to the Hard Rock Cafe for mud pies. Pit was not in the mood for the group photo but otherwise had a great night like the rest of us! Frunty said, "See you next year!" as he jumped into the taxi to take us home. Either in Bangkok or in Singapore!
Sunday, 9 October 2011
The Circle Line!
After ten years of waiting, the Circle Line in Singapore opened on Saturday! It is the fourth line and really helps car-less families like ours travel around the island. Last night there was a big celebration of the grand opening of the circle line! We enjoyed riding the train and getting off at Holland Village for free beer, doughnuts, a rock concert, and a rooftop, Italian dinner! I wish Toronto could expand its metro. It is so fun taking trains and so clean. Singapore is commencing another line or maybe already working on it. The blue, downtown line. Despite a packed metro system, the roads are also blocked with heavy traffic quite often. But we would rather be squished on a train then in stop-and-go traffic! Keep up the good work, Singapore!
I like how all the metro stations have safety doors which open when the trains' doors open upon arrival. This way, no one can ever accidentally fall onto the tracks. I like this safety feature very much along with the cameras everywhere to ensure passenger security.
Thursday, 6 October 2011
Fun In Italy
I have not written a post in a wee while because it would have mentioned all the activities that Frunty and I did just the two of us. And anyone reading might have wondered, where is Papa and Pit? And then the secret might have been discovered. Papa and Pit had flown over to Torino to surprise the nonni on their 50th anniversary! Andrew and Daniel flew over to surprise them too. Elena and Katherine were already scheduled to go but what a surprise when everyone turned up in the church on the day of the party!
Papa and Pit left on a Thursday night and returned late Tuesday afternoon. While they were away enjoying the cousins, farinata, pizza, pasta, cookie and other adventures, Frunty and I kept busy by doing a few special things.
#1: we went to French class chez Agnes and made homemade chocolate suckers and stars
#2: we went to karate and afterwards, for an Indian lunch in Little India
#3: we took Jack to see Johnny English at Century Square
#4: we had a potluck at Jack's home on Sunday
We also had to go to the dentist to get Frunty's tooth worked on. One of his front teeth broke off when we were in Phuket. The dentist did an amazing job.
When Papa and Pit returned home, we were thrilled to see them and had fun going through the luggage looking for nice treats from Torino. Their trip was very short but sweet and we saw pictures of the nonni's happiness! Congratulations on your 50 years, Nonna and Nonno! See you in Hawaii for part two of your celebration!
Papa and Pit left on a Thursday night and returned late Tuesday afternoon. While they were away enjoying the cousins, farinata, pizza, pasta, cookie and other adventures, Frunty and I kept busy by doing a few special things.
#1: we went to French class chez Agnes and made homemade chocolate suckers and stars
#2: we went to karate and afterwards, for an Indian lunch in Little India
#3: we took Jack to see Johnny English at Century Square
#4: we had a potluck at Jack's home on Sunday
We also had to go to the dentist to get Frunty's tooth worked on. One of his front teeth broke off when we were in Phuket. The dentist did an amazing job.
When Papa and Pit returned home, we were thrilled to see them and had fun going through the luggage looking for nice treats from Torino. Their trip was very short but sweet and we saw pictures of the nonni's happiness! Congratulations on your 50 years, Nonna and Nonno! See you in Hawaii for part two of your celebration!
Sunday, 25 September 2011
It's that time of year again!
The Formula 1 night race is here in Singapore again this year. Papa and Frunty are watching it downtown right now...5 laps to go. We did a baby switch at about 7pm when I met Papa with Frunty at Gate 7 in order to pick up Pit. Pit enjoyed watching a porsche race and an Angry Bird game show with Papa from 4-7pm. Frunty will see the grande finale but I don't know about any shows afterwards as it is a school night. Both boys were able to wear there Formula 1 baseball hats again this year so I was pretty thrilled! Our friends, the McMahons, went too and got us the tickets next to their seats. Boy, was it loud!
After I picked up Pit, we went clothes/shoe shopping and then looked every where for a Subway. In the end, Pit had a burger from Burger King. I had a very early dinner by the pool tonight as Frunty and I made a quick appearance at the twins' birthday party before heading downtown to meet Papa and Pit. The twins', Tristan and Kieran, live a few houses from our home. Along with karate this morning and house hunting, it was quite a busy day and I am ready for a big, long sleep! Good night!
p.s. Pit wants me to add that a porsche crashed near his seat. It was exciting and not scarey.
After I picked up Pit, we went clothes/shoe shopping and then looked every where for a Subway. In the end, Pit had a burger from Burger King. I had a very early dinner by the pool tonight as Frunty and I made a quick appearance at the twins' birthday party before heading downtown to meet Papa and Pit. The twins', Tristan and Kieran, live a few houses from our home. Along with karate this morning and house hunting, it was quite a busy day and I am ready for a big, long sleep! Good night!
p.s. Pit wants me to add that a porsche crashed near his seat. It was exciting and not scarey.
Friday, 23 September 2011
Riding bikes
I don't know how many bikes we now have in our garage. All second hand and all enjoyed by our family and those who visit. We just love bike riding and it is something I do almost everyday. I still miss my two Belgian bikes but alas, have moved on to old clunkers that no one wants to steal. Actually, we did have one stolen a few weeks ago but found it locked at the mrt. I promptly locked my own lock to it and wrote a note telling the culprit to take off his lock! He/she didn't so the police are now involved and our bike is at the station while the investigator does his job. Singapore is a serious place when it comes to crime!
Pit said on Thursday, "I am riding my bike to school today" and off we went for the first time! It sure was fun and a lot easier for me to ride without a 6 year old behind me!! And then afterschool, he wanted to ride his bike all the way to Simei along the park connector and back home again. He was unstoppable! And asked when he could ride his bike again. So it is Saturday and we will go for a family cycle later in the day when it cools down a bit. Good fun in the sun!
Pit said on Thursday, "I am riding my bike to school today" and off we went for the first time! It sure was fun and a lot easier for me to ride without a 6 year old behind me!! And then afterschool, he wanted to ride his bike all the way to Simei along the park connector and back home again. He was unstoppable! And asked when he could ride his bike again. So it is Saturday and we will go for a family cycle later in the day when it cools down a bit. Good fun in the sun!
Sunday, 18 September 2011
A busy weekend!
Our weekend started on Friday with our French atelier during which the boys enjoyed making gaufres, scorpion crafts and jumping in the pool. They also made some new friends from France who just joined the Agnes' club. Papa and I enjoyed our cocktails by the pool later that night while the boys had a night swim which is one of their favourite activities too!
On Saturday, the boys enjoyed karate as they did on Sunday as well. Some students visited from Japan and displayed their kata to us. That night, we went to Pit's school for a mooncake-lantern festival. The boys received a handled box full of goodies along with their lantern and moon cakes made with lotus and red bean pastes. Our kids sure eat everything now and I am so proud of their enthusiasm in all respects. During the festival, the children played a lot of great games.
Our highlight of the weekend was time spent at Frunty's classmate's home. Irfan and his family hosted us for an incredibly delicious Indian meal. Zeenat, Irfan's mom, made the meal without gi (clarified butter) so it was quite light compared to meals eaten at restaurants in Little India. We were thrilled to see the boys playing for roughly 5 hours without tv or computer! They played board games and wrote a script for their movie which they started to film with our little camera. Bravo guys! Finally a family on our wave length!
Some how we squeezed in roller blading and running also. And a trip to the dentist to perfect Frunty's new front tooth! (which was broken off during a slide ride in Phuket!) You can bet that after their shower, massage and story time in Italiano con Papa, the boys dreamily entered la-la land! Oh wait, in Singapore, it's lah-lah land!
(not crazy about the gun in the last picture but since Irfan's father is a police officer, we'll let that one go!)
Wednesday, 14 September 2011
Highlights of our Phuket trip
We enjoyed watching our boys discover new hobbies, like scuba diving with instructor Sammy, and regular hobbies like cooking and fishing. For the first time, we ate the fresh fish the boys caught. One delicious mahi mahi and one delectable tuna that Ameer, the chief executive chef at the Moevenpick Phuket, grilled up for us two nights in a row! Only 3 mahi mahi were caught that day and all by Frunty! During our Thai cooking lesson near Kata Beach, the boys made Tom Yam soup, cashew chicken and one of their favourites, mango sticky rice! We cooked with Jennifer from Vancouver who enjoyed eating what we had created at lunchtime with Papa too, who joined us after a stroll around town. We were extremely lucky with the weather. It was rainy season but for our week in Thailand, we only got showers at night!
Monday, 12 September 2011
Visiting Papa's birthplace
One of the reasons Papa chose to celebrate his 40th in his birthplace was to show our boys where he was born and where he lived for the first year of his life. We had a really fun time walking down memory lane and that is particularly thanks to having Nonna and Nonno with us who made it extra special. Listening to their stories as we visited the hospital where Papa was born, walked through the park where his sisters used to play and where he was pushed in a stroller, seeing the condo where they lived on embassy row, made the whole experience really interesting.
Big surprise in Bangkok
Our trip from Singapore was uneventful but when we arrived in Bangkok, what a surprise awaited us! We entered our hotel room to find a big, surprise party organized by...nonna and nonno who flew from Toronto to celebrate Papa's 40th with us. Several Italian cousins and Thai friends were there too as they live in Bangkok. The food was incredible...all Italian nibblies. Nonna and Nonno also brought many treats from Toronto to make it a very special (and allergy-free party)!Thanks so much for such a special 40th which will never ever be forgotten. What a great example for Frunty and Pit of how fun spontaneity can be as Nonna and Nonno booked at the last minute!
Friday, 2 September 2011
Bangkok and Phuket: Part II of Papa's Birthday!
Tonight we are heading to Bangkok, Papa's birthplace, for a few days before flying to the island of Phuket to rest. It is part II of Papa's birthday. Monsoons have just hit Phuket and there were pretty serious floods. I mean, the wheels on trucks were under water in pictures we saw but we are hoping all of that is a thing of the past and we can enjoy some sunny, dry days at the beach! If not, we'll be happy to help the locals sweep our their shops/homes/restaurants etc.
It'll be fun visiting the Italian relatives in BKK who have some restaurants. We look forward to catching up with family and old friends like Khun Pakorn whom we visited in 1997! This time last year, I took the boys to Krabi, Thailand where we had great fun and were lucky with missing the worst of the monsoon weather. Let's hope the same is true this year!
It'll be fun visiting the Italian relatives in BKK who have some restaurants. We look forward to catching up with family and old friends like Khun Pakorn whom we visited in 1997! This time last year, I took the boys to Krabi, Thailand where we had great fun and were lucky with missing the worst of the monsoon weather. Let's hope the same is true this year!
Dancing at TPS
For Teacher's Day, our dance troupe performed a Jai Ho, bollywood dance. It was quite fun and somehow, I managed to perform and enjoy the experience to the fullest despite having a fever! I came home afterwards and slept about 16 hours! When I was dancing, I was thinking about all the teachers in the world, myself included. Most of us try so hard to, as the principal said in her speech, "make a difference."
Afterwards, the part of the principal's speech which affected me the most was when she said, and I paraphrase,
there was a time when a student's character was more important than his/her grades.
I recalled the moms who sat around talking yet again about their childrens' grades and about the last test and the next exam. I remembered how one mom came very late to dance practise because she was phoning her family in India about the latest test "scores". Each time, I smile and congratulate. Until the teacher comes up to me after a performance and says, "Frunty did not do so well on his tests". Then I smile but inside, I crack.
I don't expect, "nice dance!" after I have sweated through the performance with my fever. But I also don't expect talking about test scores during a party. Enough is enough.
This morning, I phoned a mom to coordinate a get-together in Phuket only to be reminded that our children must study during the break. And then, the admission. Her son got almost perfect test scores because she got her hands on (purchased?) some previous tests which had, she said, "the exact same questions."
Frunty- you studied hard. We helped you balance your studies with sports and play time, travel and adventures. In my eyes, you did well because you juggled everything to the best of your abilities with the pressure you face. A classroom packed with competitive students and a very loud fan that makes teachers have to yell while teaching. You came home and worked on and off-line. I am proud of you regardless of your scores. NEGU. Never ever give up.
Yesterday, after the party, one of Frunty's classmates also ran over to me.
Jeffrey: "Hi, Mrs. S."
Me: "Hi, Jeffrey! How's it going?"
Jeffrey: "Got really good test scores, lah. F not good."
Me: (silence) "Well, good job! See you later, Jeffrey."
How he found out Frunty's test scores, who knows? I do know though that I am going to have to calm down. And keep dancing in the face of fire.
Click on:
Afterwards, the part of the principal's speech which affected me the most was when she said, and I paraphrase,
there was a time when a student's character was more important than his/her grades.
I recalled the moms who sat around talking yet again about their childrens' grades and about the last test and the next exam. I remembered how one mom came very late to dance practise because she was phoning her family in India about the latest test "scores". Each time, I smile and congratulate. Until the teacher comes up to me after a performance and says, "Frunty did not do so well on his tests". Then I smile but inside, I crack.
I don't expect, "nice dance!" after I have sweated through the performance with my fever. But I also don't expect talking about test scores during a party. Enough is enough.
This morning, I phoned a mom to coordinate a get-together in Phuket only to be reminded that our children must study during the break. And then, the admission. Her son got almost perfect test scores because she got her hands on (purchased?) some previous tests which had, she said, "the exact same questions."
Frunty- you studied hard. We helped you balance your studies with sports and play time, travel and adventures. In my eyes, you did well because you juggled everything to the best of your abilities with the pressure you face. A classroom packed with competitive students and a very loud fan that makes teachers have to yell while teaching. You came home and worked on and off-line. I am proud of you regardless of your scores. NEGU. Never ever give up.
Yesterday, after the party, one of Frunty's classmates also ran over to me.
Jeffrey: "Hi, Mrs. S."
Me: "Hi, Jeffrey! How's it going?"
Jeffrey: "Got really good test scores, lah. F not good."
Me: (silence) "Well, good job! See you later, Jeffrey."
How he found out Frunty's test scores, who knows? I do know though that I am going to have to calm down. And keep dancing in the face of fire.
Click on:
Tampines PSG - Teacher's day dance
Friday, 26 August 2011
Shitoryu Karate Association
Frunty and Pit have started karate in Singapore! Frunty and I had started last year at another association but it only offered a late night Thursday class which was too exhausting come Friday. And it was so hot, I could hardly stand up!
Now that Pit is 6 years old, we thought it would be fun for both boys to do karate together and luckily found a class which offers classes for 6-12 year olds. (adults are not able to join in but that is okay!)
For part of the 1.5hours, all children are together and at other times during the lesson, they break into groups depending on the colour of the belt. Frunty and Pit had a great time and look forward to tomorrow's class. I thought the senseis were really nice and professional. The dojo has fans and soft flooring!
We celebrated their first karate session by going to Little India afterwards for lunch! Gambatte, boys!
p.s. I was very impressed by Pit who got over some initial stage fright and then really enjoyed the class! Good job, brave one! And thanks to Frunty for helping Pit through his first karate experience! You're a fantastic big brother!
Saturday, 20 August 2011
Photos from Papa's 40th!
Chinese musicians serenaded Papa with the Happy Birthday song as Pit handed our "VIP guest of honour" a glass of rose upon arrival. Welcome to Marina Bay Sands and happy 40th, Papa! Just don't swim over the edge because you're 57 floors up! Thanks for a wonderful gift from Gramma, Grampa and Nonna and Nonno!
Birthday Celebrations! Papa's 40th!
This has been a spectacular year of birthday celebrations with Pit swimming on the Great Barrier Reef and riding a helicopter for the first time and Frunty and I running around like natives on our own Robinson Crusoe island near Mission Beach. It was pretty hard to top those three days but alas, we did it and all thanks to Gramma and Grampa and Nonna and Nonno!!!
We started celebrating Papa's 40th on the 18th of August with a special dinner with balloons, banners and bubbly. The next day, Papa enjoyed a scavenger hunt set up by the boys followed by phone calls and skyping with all the grandparents and the Peacocks. Papa and Frunty headed down to the office which gave Pit and I time to get ready and Ailene time in the kitchen making our allergy-free cake. (Frunty had the day off from school so Papa took him to the office. Both left in their ties with brief cases! Too adorable!) At 3pm, Pit and I waited in the lobby at the Marina Bay Sands for Papa and Frunty to arrive!!!
Yes, you read correctly! THE MARINA BAY SANDS!!!!!!!!!! One of Singapore's most special hotels which has become a world class symbol of luxury on this small, southeast Asian island.
As Papa and Frunty entered the lobby, Pit and I handed them a glass of rose and a glass of fruit punch and the group of Chinese musicians played, Happy Birthday! Papa and Frunty thought they had come to the Marina Bay Sands for a rooftop picnic but luckily, we had rented a room grace aux grandparents! I write "luckily" because when they arrived there was a big storm and it would have been hard to picnic in that inclement weather.
We made our way up to Tower 2, Club room 4552. We got upgraded from a premium room to a club room because I showed Papa's passport during check in and notified them that it was his 40th. Nice! Sweet! Up in the room, we all danced around in merriment and quickly headed up to the rooftop in our swimsuits!
We came back down for sushi, bubbly and a cake with 40 candles and 4 sparklers. It was pretty funny in the bathroom when Pit tried to help me light all the candles. When he blew out his match, he accidentally blew out a whole bunch of candles. You can imagine that Papa, who had been waiting so long in the dark, eventually turned on the light and started reading a magazine until Frunty ran in and turned off the lights again! We sang happy birthday and freaked Papa out a bit with the cake on fire! No worries! We jumped around with the balloons and then Papa and I took turns going to a bar to redeem our free coupon for a cocktail while the other watched the wee ones.
After the Kuta de Ta cocktails, we got back into our swimsuits to enjoy a night swim which is always a huge highlight!!! With an incredible view of the city, we enjoyed every minute.
The next morning, we headed up to the gym but kids were not permitted unfortunately. I took a sauna/steam room and hot tub...oh what a life...and later met Papa and the boys back in the rooftop pool. I asked for late check out which gave us lots of time to have a light breakfast, watch a Tom and Jerry movie and read newspapers...all with the beautiful view of Singapore below us in our luxurious, club room.
We did not want the fun to stop after checking out so we jumped into a cab and headed to Cafe Iguana at the Clarke Quay for quesadillas and a jug of margheritas! What a fantastic, little Mexican place. We took our time walking back to our hotel to pick up our luggage and headed home in a pretty ritzy, black Chrysler 300. Only the very best for Papa! Somehow, it was 5pm by the time we got home and what did Papa find!? A huge basket full of various types of champagne from the Peacocks! Too generous! But hey, Papa! You are worth it!
Happy 40th, Papa! Love from all of us who think you are super chouette! And thank you to everyone who generously helped make Papa's birthday so very special! You can see from the photos how much fun we had on the "top of the world"!
We started celebrating Papa's 40th on the 18th of August with a special dinner with balloons, banners and bubbly. The next day, Papa enjoyed a scavenger hunt set up by the boys followed by phone calls and skyping with all the grandparents and the Peacocks. Papa and Frunty headed down to the office which gave Pit and I time to get ready and Ailene time in the kitchen making our allergy-free cake. (Frunty had the day off from school so Papa took him to the office. Both left in their ties with brief cases! Too adorable!) At 3pm, Pit and I waited in the lobby at the Marina Bay Sands for Papa and Frunty to arrive!!!
Yes, you read correctly! THE MARINA BAY SANDS!!!!!!!!!! One of Singapore's most special hotels which has become a world class symbol of luxury on this small, southeast Asian island.
As Papa and Frunty entered the lobby, Pit and I handed them a glass of rose and a glass of fruit punch and the group of Chinese musicians played, Happy Birthday! Papa and Frunty thought they had come to the Marina Bay Sands for a rooftop picnic but luckily, we had rented a room grace aux grandparents! I write "luckily" because when they arrived there was a big storm and it would have been hard to picnic in that inclement weather.
We made our way up to Tower 2, Club room 4552. We got upgraded from a premium room to a club room because I showed Papa's passport during check in and notified them that it was his 40th. Nice! Sweet! Up in the room, we all danced around in merriment and quickly headed up to the rooftop in our swimsuits!
We came back down for sushi, bubbly and a cake with 40 candles and 4 sparklers. It was pretty funny in the bathroom when Pit tried to help me light all the candles. When he blew out his match, he accidentally blew out a whole bunch of candles. You can imagine that Papa, who had been waiting so long in the dark, eventually turned on the light and started reading a magazine until Frunty ran in and turned off the lights again! We sang happy birthday and freaked Papa out a bit with the cake on fire! No worries! We jumped around with the balloons and then Papa and I took turns going to a bar to redeem our free coupon for a cocktail while the other watched the wee ones.
After the Kuta de Ta cocktails, we got back into our swimsuits to enjoy a night swim which is always a huge highlight!!! With an incredible view of the city, we enjoyed every minute.
The next morning, we headed up to the gym but kids were not permitted unfortunately. I took a sauna/steam room and hot tub...oh what a life...and later met Papa and the boys back in the rooftop pool. I asked for late check out which gave us lots of time to have a light breakfast, watch a Tom and Jerry movie and read newspapers...all with the beautiful view of Singapore below us in our luxurious, club room.
We did not want the fun to stop after checking out so we jumped into a cab and headed to Cafe Iguana at the Clarke Quay for quesadillas and a jug of margheritas! What a fantastic, little Mexican place. We took our time walking back to our hotel to pick up our luggage and headed home in a pretty ritzy, black Chrysler 300. Only the very best for Papa! Somehow, it was 5pm by the time we got home and what did Papa find!? A huge basket full of various types of champagne from the Peacocks! Too generous! But hey, Papa! You are worth it!
Happy 40th, Papa! Love from all of us who think you are super chouette! And thank you to everyone who generously helped make Papa's birthday so very special! You can see from the photos how much fun we had on the "top of the world"!
Thursday, 18 August 2011
The Eve of Papa's Big Birthday!
Tonight the boys and I decorated Papa's chair with balloons and hung up birthday banners! All on the eve of Papa's big birthday! Papa came down for dinner and the boys serenaded him with their own show and we toasted Papa!! Tomorrow, more surprises are in store! The boys put on several dance spectacles too. They are too hilarious. And then, Frunty and Pit's new friend, Jack, ran over and invited us over to have some cake as it is his birthday!! You'll see some photos of Jack and his mom, Robin, and their dog, C.C. from the other day. By the way, it's cousin Izzy's birthday today too! She's a teenager now! And tomorrow is my cousin, Kirsten's birthday and my friend, Bev's. And my aunt and uncle's anniversary. But I digress! We grabbed our gift for Jack that we luckily had prepared for a welcome-to- Singapore surprise and dashed on over. It was sweet how the boys sat up on Jack's top bunk and played with Pokemon cards. They are all adorable and we hope that Jack, who has been here for two weeks, has a great memory of his first double digit birthday! All the best!!! And to Papa! Wait til you see what is in store for you tomorrow! Sweet dreams and can't wait to post the celebration photos on the 19th! Well, maybe I'll be too busy having fun and post them on the 20th!!! Stay tuned...
