Too Quiet for a Celebration

Ok this is it. I have had enough.

Ever since the Amy Cheong saga, the malay weddings around my neighbourhood had been extremely quiet! Seriously, I swear that if I had stayed home the whole day I wouldn't even know there was a wedding ongoing! The music was too soft for goodness' sakes!

Not just my neighbourhood, but some nearby neighbourhoods as well. I wondered if this was due to the AC saga? If so, then as a Chinese, I have only this to say: This is your f**king wedding!! You can make all the noise if YOU want to!! It's only for a day or two nobody would mind! True blue Singaporeans wouldn't mind.

Like now, the one at my void deck, they weren't even blasting the music! No karaoke neither(ok maybe there is but too soft)! My only consolation was the bikers entourage that made some noise for a mere few minutes and then followed by the playing of the traditional drums. I swear, malay weddings were much more fun BEFORE the AC saga.

So to all my malay brothers and sisters, if you had chosen to have a quiet wedding, I will respect your decision. But if you are worried about complains from the likes of AC, then please, I will only say that this is your right! If TCs were worried about the noises they wouldn't have granted you the place to hold a wedding! Forget about people like AC who cannot appreciate the beauty of our cultures and traditions. It's your wedding day. YOU call the shots.

Update: There is karaoke! Woohoo!!

Snails...

That other day, I was at a park which lies on top of a multi-storey carpark. There were snails around so I decided to clear those that were on the pathway. There was one on the edge of a low-rise wall. I picked it up anyways and put it on the soil patch. Then I realised, did those snails get stepped on just because they were slow? I myself had stepped on them unknowingly before. That's why I am picking them off the pathways whenever I see one.

It's pretty much like our society, right? We often trample on those who are slower in this crazy, hectic world. Then they got left behind. Time to do something more than just picking up snails...

Those Vegan Stuff...

Hubby told me about the Vegan Burg sometime ago. He asked if I wanted to try it. I gave a flat no. I'm a carnivore. There is no way I am eating some tofu burger. The thought of eating tofu burger really gross me out. Really. I rather eat fresh vegetables or fruits or simply just tofu.

Then today, Hubby asked me again, since there's a branch near our place. Well, it's not crowded, and today is Saturday so eating out at somewhere else is quite a hassle. Ok, I said. And we went in and order our meals.

We waited for quite a while after ordering. I think they only prepare it when you order. I had the Cream Pepper Shrooms burger meal. I took a bite. You know like in those anime? They tasted something great and everything just exploded! Yeah. I had that kind of feeling when I took the first bite. Wow! This was better than I had thought! It didn't taste repulsive at all. The sauce was great and peppery. I can't really taste the soy in the patty which is great. The fries was good too. This was a fantastic experience for me. It totally erased all those bad thoughts I had about vegan burger. I think I read too much Foxtrot if you know what I mean. That is why I have always rejected the idea of eating vegan.

Well, I have found a new favourite for fast food.

My Very Own Fairy Ring!

Oh well, it didn't grow on my backyard. Well, I didn't have a backyard. But I found this semi fairy ring near the playground! At first I thought it looked very cute, growing in a patterned way. Then I remembered fairy rings and googled it. Turns out to be one alright!

As you can see, it's only half a circle because there's a concrete pathway obstructing the growth of the other half. :(

I'm so happy right now! I feel LUCKY. And by the way, it is also the season of mushrooms! With all the rain, it's not difficult to mushrooms growing in your neighbourhood. I've spotted a few areas where mushrooms grow. And the thing about mushrooms and fungi is, they don't really disappear even though the mushroom is gone, because of the mycelium. Go google if you want to know what that is.

So with that, I'm going to check out these areas every day throughout the year(hopefully) to see if they are there. :) And there are different types of mushrooms but there's no way for me to identify them. :( I have seen at least 4 different types in my area.

Think I will look out for these in other places, like a park or a garden ;) Another project for me yay!


"Sorry I prefer to refer them as "mushrooms" rather than "fungi"."

Parents, Be Strong!

I have decided long ago that I must be strong if I were to be a mummy. We can't be worried about every teeny weeny things that happened or are going to happen to our children! Thing is, we ARE going to worry about them for the rest of our lives! So, we have to be selective in the things that we worry about.

I remembered once after my Os, I took up a sales promoter job in a Japanese department store. Everything went well until my boss' boss decided to make things difficult for me. I went home and casually told my dad about it and he also casually ask me to treat it as a form of training. I thought over it and told myself, yeah, I shall do what my dad says. And then life went on.

Had my dad ask me to quit, I think I would be quitting at every opportunity that I have now. As parents, even though we might have heartache seeing our kids suffer and all, but why not look at things in another perspective? Whatever doesn't kill you makes you stronger! But in order to not let your kids be quitters, you, as parents shouldn't quit first. Train yourself to be tougher on the inside. There are times when we must have heart of steel, but only for that critical moment. The rest of the time you can be as loving to your kids as you want to be.

So if you've got a child in a childcare recently and he/she cries all whole day, so be it. As long as the teachers are not mistreating him/her, let the pros do the work. Toughen yourself, toughen your kids. Actually kids are a lot more adaptive than us adults and you will be amazed that in no time at all, your child will be smiling again. :)

A Random Thought

It's funny how when I was pregnant, few people would give up their seats for me. I would say, out of 10, maybe 3 or 4 would give up their seats.

And ever since DD was born, whenever we get on the train with stroller or just me carrying her, I'm telling you, it is almost a 100% hit. Out of 10, 9 would automatically give up their seats when they see me with my DD. But I will usually reject their offers politely, because DD wants to be a monkey, if you know what I mean. Amazing. Really amazing. And those people were from all races and nationalities, all ages. I am impressed. I guess that there is still some graciousness in our people. But I can't say the same for the bus rides.

Anyways, I was baffled by the stark contrast I'm seeing with being pregnant and with a live child.  I begin to wonder why I wasn't offered as many times a seat when I was pregnant, and I just thought of a possible reason just now!

Ok. I'm thinking, those people(those who have never been pregnant) must have thought that since I have a child in my arms, I wouldn't have any spare hands to grab on to the poles or hoops, and for pregnant ladies, the baby is INSIDE the tummy and hence, they have got free hands! Yeah, I think this reason is very likely possible to be the one. But then, I would like to clarify some things here, and that is being pregnant is actually very troublesome and very heavy and the back and the legs hurt really badly for certain ladies. So they deserve the seats as much as those people with children or elderly or disabled people. And the thing is, which I think many fail to realize is that it is potentially more life-threatening if the pregnant ones were to fall. Think two lives.

Anyways, I am very thankful to those commuters who voluntarily give up their seats to me and DD. You know, some of them were so swift in their movements that I was being offered the seat even though I just step foot into the cabin. Lovely people. Of course for me, I don't normally want a seat unless it is going to be a long journey, even with my little one.

To the commuters, give up your seats whenever possible to people who needed them.
To those being offered, smile and thank them! They don't owe you a living you know.

What kind of Singapore does Singaporeans want? Is this the kind of Singapore that we Singaporeans want? Sure, we can always buy the tissue paper or give the empty cans to the old ah gongs and ah mahs. We can drop some money for some of them whenever we pass them by.

But, for how long? Being old and destitute does not mean that they do not have dignity. Why do some of our elderly have to be treated like this? It really pains me to see this video, but it is a fact that all Singaporeans cannot deny-- that there are such under-privileged individuals living amongst us. 




We need change. Now. Not in the future but now. Do not live in denial anymore...

Taxi Driver Uncle, RIP...

I've seen the actual footage. It wasn't your fault, you did no wrong. We all know who the culprit is though he has the easy way out.

May your soul find peace in heaven...

What Happened to My Home?

Dear God(if there is one), please, please give the good old Singapore back to me. We don't have to be a developed nation, we don't have to be number one(or try to be) in everything.

I'm missing those days where most locals were friendly, crime rates were low, there were lesser foreign workers, there were no breakdowns in the train systems, innocent lives were not claimed so foolishly or thoughtlessly, there were no casinos. School kids were happier even though they dreaded homework, the trains and buses were not overly crowded, food was cheaper and affordable even though people did not earn much. I was patriotic then. Because the Singapore back then was the one I could easily relate myself with. I did not see many vagabonds or old grannies or old grandpas picking up aluminum cans and card boards back then.

Now, it's a common sight.

How many families or elderly people are queuing up for food rations every month during the MPS? I don't know. This is strange. We are supposed to be a first world country, no? But we are fast becoming third world citizens, with the very poor and destitute having without an ounce of dignity living in this land they call HOME.

No. This is not home. Not anymore. I pity my DD in a way, for she will never be able to experience the Singapore I had experienced in my days.

I am now ready to leave anytime I strike lottery. I will leave this god-forsaken place. The pasture might not be greener on the other side, but it will definitely be more palatable and digestible.

Privilege of A Woman

I think that all woman should have a child at least once in her life. It's so fulfilling. That happiness is absolutely priceless. But so is the frustrations. Ya, I'm enjoying it alright. Whether I'm hollering at DD, screaming on top of my voice, or just hugging and kissing her and holding on to her little hands, I'm a happy mother. :)

I'm Back...

And I have so may things to say I don't know where to start. I have been really busy with my little gal(liar). There are just too many things I wanted to update and share but I will leave it to another time when I am prepared. For now, I'm just gonna mop the floors...

China students tie pigs up, then kick and beat them with metal poles

China students tie pigs up, then kick and beat them with metal poles

You know, I love pork. But I also love pigs.

My father used to sell pork before he retired. He was selling pork for more than half a century, starting out as young as 10 or 14 years old. That was his only means of income to support a family of five. So, in a way, I owed my life to these lovely creatures and I have learned to respect them, even though I consume them.

And I feel enraged and deeply depressed looking at these photos of cruelty and torture to a living creature who has no power against humans. I wondered what had prompted these people to do such a heinous thing. I pity them(the humans), for they have no regards and respect to the creatures which could be their food.

I hope they will die of hunger. Just kidding.

"What happened to your eyes? They are swollen!"

Old Flavour

Am I glad that certain flavours just never change.

The taste of well-fried fish drizzled with light soy sauce, together with white porridge now is exactly the same when I had it about 25 years ago. With the ever-changing world, I tend to seek solace in this kind of oldie food, reminding myself that however the world has changed, I am still myself.

How I wish I can go back to my childhood. Things were so much simpler, even the food tasted simpler then.

Save the World's Saddest Dolphins

I had forgotten about this blog.

Click HERE. Save the world's saddest dolphins, right now.

Baby In Stealth Mode

DD is so funny. I forbade her from going near the fan because it is too dangerous.

Then, DD tried to crawl very slowly, like in stealth mode, and made her way toward the fan quietly, thinking that would elude me. I was watching her all the while and thought it was very creative of her to do that. But I just scooped her up once she reached her destination. And it happened again and again and again.

So cute.

What I Saw, I Wrote

So many times I had seen domestic helpers pushing elderly people on wheelchairs and strolling around the neighbourhood. I saw it every morning and evening. But one thing I don't see were the smiles on these elders' faces. Everyone of them looked glum and dejected. It is so sad to see them this way. They can't communicate with the maids because of language barrier, and some of them simply pushed the elders to some sheltered area and left them gazing at some blank. While some others stopped to talk to their fellow country mates, and "parked" the few wheelchairs of elders at one side.

Whatever the conditions that these elders were in, I was very sure that they had wished the ones pushing them around were their sons, daughters or grandchildren. Certainly not someone who can't even speak their language and definitely not someone who doesn't even know their life stories. If you have a wheelchair-bound elderly person at home, be the one that strolls the neighbourhood or park with him/her.

Earth Hour 2011

I can only do a partial Earth Hour this year. The weather has been erratic, varying between extreme warm and and extreme wet. And DD is in this year so I would have to switch on the fan and night light, at least. I hope she will be asleep by 8pm, so that I can switch off the rest of the lights, if not, it would be on until she is asleep. Ya, that would be my plan.

My Crocheting Journey -- The End.

Haha.

I have found a perfect pattern for baby cardigan! It's a modification from a baby dress from The Art of Crochet By Teresa. So instead of crocheting the skirt part, I modified it to become a cardi. And the best thing is, you don't really have to count the number of stitches. Just estimate based on your measurements. Ya it's that flexible. The video is in Youtube.

So I had made a shrug for DD. Just continue the sleeves to whatever length you want, add buttons and buttonholes. This is just a sample because I had made it too small. DD scan still wear it but will grow out of it in no time. Yay. I'm happy. And I thought that I would never ever be able to make a cardigan for DD. My perseverance had paid off, hehehe.

Karma?

I cannot understand why people are using this word to describe a nation when a natural disaster strikes.

During the Sichuan earthquake, people said that the Chinese deserved it because of the tainted milk and other unethical products. Now, the Japan quake and tsunami, people also said the Japanese deserved it because of the atrocities committed during WWII.

I wanted to say, no one deserves to die, as everyone of us will die eventually. If another country is in place of Japan, would you still say that? Japan just happens to be situated there, the seismic area. If Singapore were to be there, do Singaporeans also deserved to die? Likewise, all other countries with natural calamities, do they deserve to die too?

"An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind." If everybody thinks everybody deserves to die, then it will really be the end of mankind. I will end with a quote from Gandalf(LOTR), which I like very much.


"Many that live deserve death. Some that die deserve life. Can you give it to them, Frodo? Do not be too eager to deal out death in judgment. Even the very wise cannot see all ends."

Sad...

I feel sad. Just sad. My heart feels heavy. I can't bear to look at those photos or news anymore.