A over due update on Lynn

Finally, a super overdue posting.  I realise that I did not write about Lynn much this year.  Even now, I'm quite not sure what I'm going to write about..

The very subtle (difficult to notice) but actually the most significant change this year is that she has reached post-kid and pre-teen milestone.  She is starting to learn on her own, form thoughts and opinions, every single day, without us noticing sometimes.  For example, she wanted to have her own money to buy stuff that she fancy, so she started this pool by doing housework (I pay her 20 cents every time she helps me), selling stuff (e.g. loom bands), and also saving her $1 per month spending allowance.  She started this pool without consulting me, so I step in to set some boundaries when I found out.    Another example is that she arranged with Mabel to stay overnight at her house during the start of Sep school holiday.  She planned a detailed timetable of the activities they wanted to do.   Then whenever she ask me to read or explain the various articles on the back page of the evening chinese newspaper, I can "see" her mind processing the information.

As for school work, she has slacken slightly, as both myself and the new after school care are less syllabus oriented compared to last year.  I do not know if she will still get top 3 this year (ha, the Kiasuism kicking in!).

The misalignment of her teeth is showing some improvement.  I realised that I can only try my best in helping her to become pretty.  Some things are beyond control.  My biggest worry now is that her astigmatism will become uncorrectable.  But like I say, now I know that my duty is to help, it is a lot up to luck or fate.  By the way, I don't believe in fate, I believe in randomness.

Overall, she is still a very very cheerful and fun person to be with.  The 2 of us spend a lot of time together.  We are still very close to each other.  I hope it will stay so for the rest of our journey together.

Some funny conversations that I remembered:
Nowadays, Lynn likes to rebut us with "So?"
Me: Why you keep saying "so?", I should have named you "So Yap", not "Lynn Yap"
Lynn: Then you should be "No Chan"..... 

Me: You talk non stop like parrot
Lynn: You are "crow's mouth"
Me: What's "crow's mouth"
Lynn: 乌鸦嘴。。。

Lynn: Daddy, why are Vets all skinny?
WK:........
Lynn: 兽医。。。


Some pictures:

During the Sep school holiday stay over, I knew that Mabel likes to doll up, so I did nails for the 3 of us

At J8.  Lynn wanted to play her with her favourite cousin, but Mabel didn't like it.

Miss Vainpot (Mabel) wanted me to take a picture of her pretty finger pressing the lift and post it on FB!

At Ikea, one weekend in Sep

On the Thursday during the week before I start my new job, I did parent volunteering again, to accompany the class to the bird park.  It was a great disappointment because we couldn't proceed due to the rain.  It only started raining very heavily on our way there.  After waiting till slightly after 10am outside the entrance, the rain didn't stop, and the teachers decided to head back to school.  On our way back, the rain stopped.  

The kids were upset and disappointed.  Some boys were very vocal, and they crowded around Ms Ang to challenge the decision.  Ms Ang was the stand in that day, when Mdm Ong (Lynn's form teacher) was asked at the last minute to do PSLE invigilation.  Ms Ang is a soft spoken teacher, and doesn't control the kids as well as Mdm does.  So on both the journey there and back, the school bus was turned upside down..  Here are the pictures.

 2 classes went, 2.1 and 2.8.  2.1 are kids who are born in the beginning of the year, and 2.8 are year end kids.  May not be due to the slight difference in age, could be just coincidence; somehow, the whole of 2.1 is very quiet, and 2.8 is the exact opposite!

It started pouring on our way there.

A rather cute selfie

When we reach, the kids were given a workbook, which they were supposed to fill in along the tour.

Lynn in her pink rain coat

The work book contained Q&A and quiz about the birds found in the park.

An interesting tree /deco

The boys swamped Ms Ang when told that we were heading back to school.

Finally, here's a few pics of Lynn trying the round patch mask I got from Tokyo.

A proud achievement

When I made up my mind to learn piano and when I sign up for grade 2 exam, I didn't know that it will eventually bring me so much satisfaction and sense of achievement.  Nowadays, it gives me pleasure when I spend time at the piano playing simple pieces, and practise on "隐形的翅膀".  As for Lynn, I still hold the same thoughts as last time, that she may not be interested but I want her to persist on, so that even if she give up one day, she will have a strong foundation to pick up in future, like myself.  I try to get her interesting pieces.

The picture below is somewhat priceless to me.  The cert on the left is my Grade 1 Theory cert dated 1984.  The one on the left is Lynn's, dated 2014, which is 30 years apart.

This is my dream come through.  Now I am a graded piano player.  It's like finally getting due acknowledgement for being able to do something.   I didn't do well during the exam day, so I was genuinely afraid that I will fail.  Luckily, the examiner is not that strict.  I got 117 marks (120 to get merit and 130 to get distinction).  Lynn was gleeful that she got 118.  I think she is entitled to feel good.  No matter what, she put in due effort.  She got the highest mark out of the 4 of us who went for exams this year (Mabel and Mavis took grade 1 and 2 exam respectively too).

Long time ago

When I was young, I stayed with my maternal grandparents and my mum's siblings in their 2 room flat at Dakota Close. My mum worked during the weekdays, and will bring me and my sis home (3 room flat in Bukit Merah) for the weekend. I moved out of my grandma's house at 7, when my mum stopped work when I went to primary school at Bukit Merah.

For many years, I have memories and images of those 7 years.  They were not that special to me, just memories.  However, my aunts and mum talk about that place, probably more than they realise.  My curiosity about that place grew, and I also wonder about the authenticity of some of my images.  I do not know if they are real, are my childhood memories or are imaginary.

I thought of visiting there, for quite some time already, but of course it was never urgent.  I almost didn't go last Monday, but now I very happy that I went.    

This is the 7-storey Block-2 where my grandma's unit is.

It reads on the block sign "Dakota Close".  I do not know why my aunts always call this place "Kallang Airport"

I remembered that one mid-autumn, I have a phenix lantern which was hanged on the laundry pole.  Then it caught fire and burned up.  I remembered the huge flame.

The pic above and the 2 below are 3 continuous shots.  There were lots of birds flying around.

This may be the side of my grandma's unit which I remembered to be very hot (west sun).  However, I'm not sure..

This "ancient" elevator still works!

I wonder if this tree was already here when I was young?

'

This is another view that means a lot to me.  If I remember correctly, there used to be a drain here, that runs behind and parallel to the bus stop.  There were short, flowering trees lining along the drain. I remembered being fearful of crossing the drain (i.e. walking from the bus stop to the block) because there were huge bees in those short trees.  

I don't remember this river at all

Below few pictures again means a lot to me.  While I knew that those memories mentioned above (the burning lantern and the bees) are real, I have this image of a stairway, which I can't place.  There was a day when my mum took leave to take care of me and my sis, when my grandma went overseas.    That day, I was late for school (kindergarten).  I must had been extremely upset, because I remembered this incident all my life.  I remember my shock when I looked at the clock in the living room, remember rushing to get dressed (the uniform has two stripes that button up in the front), remember walking a "very long" distance, and finally getting into class (and my mum apologising for being late).  But I just can't place the "erie" stairway.   When I finally saw this block 12, everything suddenly made sense.  

And, the distance between block 2 and block 12 is actually so short!!  It was a long distance in my memory; so long to my little legs and my anxious little mind.  

Block 12 is a 2 storey shop house.  I always thought that my classroom was on the 2nd floor, but now, on the 2 floor are homes.  

I met a guy taking photos of the neighbourhood, so I went up to chat him up.  He told me he is a street-photographer, and that this estate's going to be pulled down soon.  He told me that this corner provision shop at block 12 had been around for 50 years, and had closed very recently.

Finally, my black-and-white stairway memory is updated with colours!

Finally, this is the way to the market.  Again, the "long" way to the market in my memory is actually a quite a short distant.

I remember that there was no divider nor traffic light on the road between our estate and the market.  I remember Grandpa bringing me and my sis to the market at 5am in the morning.  I remember one night when I pointed out to him the full moon in the dark sky while we were crossing this road

Recent histories

My last day at Jabil was suppose to be 23rd, the Tuesday, but I couldn't finish sending all the farewell emails, so I postpone the return of my laptop to HR to Wed morning.  A typical farewell email will mention "thank you", "goodbye", "but stay in touch".  I prefer to send many different versions of farewell emails, to different groups of people in the company.  This time round I actually sent 6 different ones.  In the one I sent to my finance team, I wrote that I'm going I'm not going to say goodbye, because I have good track record of staying in touch.

Here are some photos of Jabil in Sep.


1) This is a belated farewell for Vineet on 12 Sept.  Vineet will always be special to me and Tricia.   I will always remember the time the 4 of us spent in Scotland last year.

My good friends, Alice and Tricia

2) 15 Sept, Monday
The weekend before, I bought vases and flowers for the ladies in our office, and gave them a surprise on Monday.  See how the gerberas brighten up the desks.

That evening was my farewell dinner treat from my team.  We went for peranakan food at Tanjong Pagar.  We celebrated the Sep birthdays in the team too.

A photo with KW.  When someone (I think it's Maggie) say got husband-wife look, I said "wait next life", but got "suan" that it means I'm interested!

These balloons are Siew Ching's (planning dept), for her birthday in Sep too

3) Finally, just 5 days after my last day, I attended the first gathering for the Jabil finance dept.  Poh Suang invited us to her new home in Woodlands.  She decorated her corridor with many nicely maintained plants.

Till we meet again, I am starting to miss you all!

Me times

Today is my last day of holiday, as I will be starting work tomorrow.  Despite spending the whole weekend and last Thurs morning with Lynn, I still enjoyed a lot of "me time" this few days.

Didn't accomplish much, but felt happy and satisfied with the activities carried during this short break. I even rented a drama serial to watch:). And my breakfast indulgence:

Here is a pic of Halloween deco sold at Diaso

Lynn's past few months' pics

30 Sep: This post was titled "update 11", and was supposed to be completed with the rest of 10 updates in mid Sep, but it wasn't done in time. I have totally forgotten what I wanted to write.  So, here are some pics of her and her "animal adventures".  I will write more on other postings. 

This was in June holiday, we were sending her to May's house for a week's stay, to attend a science camp with Mabel n Matt 

A few months back, there was a lot of yellowish n greenish butterflies at the small garden at the foot of my block. One weekend we went downstairs to catch butterflies. We didn't catch any, and I only manage to capture a few decent pics of this brown one, not the pretty ones.

One of our regular weekend activities: feed and take pic of "Temple Cat"

Lynn is good at catching lizards!! This was one of them, which she wanted to keep as pet!! She named it "Daniel". Wee San responded to my instagram pic with the expression "diaoz", ha!

Lynn likes to play with my Sketch App:

This is a pic by Lynn.  I strongly encourage mummies to send their kids to art class; I find that kids who has the capability to express themselves thro doodle are... ( can't find a word to express).. happier? (see the pic below, it took her only a few mins, and we both were laughing when she presented it to me)