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.
