A Touching Link

This is wonderful...Soldier's Card.

Post exams

Finally. It's. Over. Yay! :D Now i'm in the midst of reviewing my semester's discipline andd I must say, there's lotsa room for improvement! Well. Gotta clear up my mess - physical and online - and plan a productive vacation. Spend lotsa time with Abby and take lotsa pictures of course! :D Glad the madness is all over. Yup, it was all over, now it's all over. (Lame eh?) I'm zombified. 8=]

I'm amazed

Have been having my exams, and it's been a real challenge. Stuff's way harder than before, it's unbelievable. But God's made it all worthwhile. Lately, people are changing. I used to be part of a group that was extremely and highly secretive about their work (till now some of them still remain). There's no swopping or sharing of assignments or research, and everyone's basically just SO competitive, it's madness. God knows how i survived those times. "Be as innocent as doves but as shrewd as serpents." It was extremely tiring. I'd love to share, yet somehow it just wasn't right. The culture just wasn't there to be open and friendly. Yet in this semester, things are vastly different. True, those kiasu 1st class honours strivers are still there, yet I've come to know new friends. Now I truly understand when people say that it's not the grades that matter, but the relationships they've made in NIE. Well, I think during my diploma years, only one or two were true friends and stuck by me through it all.

This exam period has been different. On Thursday, a few of us got together to pray before our paper. It felt odd at first, beccause I guess it's my first time praying with people from NIE. Heh. Well, today, we got together again, and stowed away for about 2 mins to pray. It was amazing. Why? Before we got together, we were actually inviting people to join us. Some accepted, while others gently declined. The invitation was much like, "Wanna go canteen?" type, rather than in a sheepish manner. So we gathered quite a no. of people and started praying. After a quick prayer, we all felt so energised to go for the paper! God's good! I felt even ice break among some of us, who usually wouldn't even speak to each other. Strange, but in a nice way.

After that, we got our books checked. Mine couldn't pass - too many underlined sections and notes. So I left the stack in the corner and went for the paper. Halfway through, I decided to see if I could get them by asking the Chief Examiner - Ms Yee. Well, I was supposed to wait for her before the paper started but I decided to go ahead without my books. Then I regreted. Well, she checked the 5 books and 4 books cleared. Yippee! :D

Didn't manage to complete the last question, but still it was about 80% done. Well, it's all entirely in God's hands liao. :D

Now have to piah my last paper that will be held tomorrow! :D

Praise God!

Finally, my angel is well again. She is waaaaaaaay happier and I never realised her agony after speaking to Roland and Chellie (and Ben & I both experiencing abit of it ourselves) who also had similar eye infections. Will record in detail after my exams on Tuesday. So just to let everyone know that she's well again! :D Praise the Lord!

Fault Finding

Sometimes we spend time asking who is responsible or who to blame,whether in a relationship, in a job or with the people we know. We miss out some warmth in human relationship to give each other support. Treasure what you have. Just a little story which is really worth reading. (But how many of us can do it?)

A boy was born to a couple after eleven years of marriage. They were a loving couple and the boy was the apple of their eyes. When the boy was around two years old, one morning the husband saw a medicine bottle open. He was late for work so he asked his wife to cap the bottle and keep it in the cupboard. His wife,preoccupied in the kitchen totally forgot the matter.

The boy saw the bottle and playfully went to the bottle and fascinated by its color, drank it all. It happened to be a poisonous medicine meant for adults in small dosages. When the child collapsed the mother hurried him to the hospital, where he died. The mother was stunned. She was terrified how to face her husband. When the distraught father came to the hospital and saw the dead child, he looked at his wife and uttered just four words.

QUESTIONS :
1. What were the four words ?
2. What is the implication of this story?















ANSWER :
The husband just said "I Love You Darling."


The husband's totally unexpected reaction is a proactive behavior. The child is dead. He can never be brought back to life. There is no point in finding fault with the mother. Besides, if only he had taken time to keep the bottle away, this would not happen. No one to be blamed. She had lost her only child. What she needed at that moment was consolation and sympathy from the husband. That is what he gave her. If everyone can look at life with this kind of perspective, there would be much fewer problems in the world. Take off all your envies, jealousies, unforgiving attitude, selfishness, and fears. And you will find things are actually not as difficult as you think.


"A successful relationship requires falling in love many times -with the same person."

Need God

Tomorrow's my CAE104 paper, from 9.30am to 12nn. I'm not finished with Frankenstein yet. Didn't study for all. Hope I can be coherent enough on paper tomorrow. Remember quotes? How to? I shall now firmly declare that it is only by God's grace that I make it through this module. God, help me understand the exam questions, and recall the appropriate responses. Have to do 3 questions, within 2.5hrs. I take about 3 days to do 1 question. How about that? And I haven't been using the pen to write non-stop for 2.5hrs. So physically, it'll be a challenge. God, can you remind me why you want me to be in this course again? I mean, I'm really grateful for it, yet it is a struggle, although comparatively way easier than my peers who have a heavier work & school load. That one? mission impossible.

Pray that abby's eyes recover. Dirty hands and eyes don't mix. Have been applying medicine since Sunday, still the swelling and redness comes on and off. Went back to Dr Junior today. (yup. The PD's name IS Junior.) He gave antibiotics. Also said that by Friday, if things don't improve, we'll need to take her to a specialist and sedate her to get her eye checked for foreign particles. Scary!

He said something that irked my MIL today. He ALWAYS says that Abby looks like a boy... so I'm rather used to it lah. Many say that too. Well, they can say whatever they want. Doesn't bother me. When we reached home, she muttered, "Hui En na2 li3 xiang4 nan2 hai2 zi3?" (Literal translation: Abigail where got look like boy? SCE) I told her not to be bothered by that. Hah.

Anyway, was a lil' irked this afternoon. Abby has been EXTREMELY TRYING. Perhaps due to her current condition, or because of 'nurture'. She's picked up by her care-givers whenever she whines ABIT. Gosh. If not, she'll erupt into a full-blown cry. She's my daughter, I know what kind of full blown cries she's capable of. (Coz I can too... hahah...:P) Anyway, she's becoming a certified fussy pot. Even when I'm upstairs studying, when she cries abit downstairs, I can hear the, "ooorh oorh lah." :S And lately, she refuses to take her naps. So she's been touring the house. From her own crib to our bed, to her grandparents' bed, to the crib in their room and then to hy's room. See her mood. (Gosh. Really trying to contain myself here. See baby's mood? We'll be in deep trouble!) So have been taking care of abby abit these few days coz I've been at home, and she's also refusing to nap. She can play till she's real tired, fall asleep seated, and still refuse to lie down for a nap. So after she did so today, I put her in her crib and she whined. Thank God her messiah didn't come upstairs. She promptly went back to sleep after a bit of whining.

So I shared this with her granny while on the way to the pd. She recounted how her own MIL would intervene and not allow the babies to cry. In response, I said that children are parents' responsibilities, which she promptly said that her MIL didn't care - and usually just grabbed the babies away from her. But she said she's chin chye. Well, to summarise, I ended with - if that's the case, to *minimise family squabbles*, then it's better not to have anymore kids. *fuming* Really very upsetting to see abby become a brat. Let's hope it's because she's not feeling too well at the moment, and not a 'nurture' problem. I really hope these three months would be beneficial for Abby. But in the long term, with teaching and all, how? Sigh. It's already a challenge to have father and mother see eye to eye regarding discipline issues; now the challenge is complicated when external caregivers are involved. But in Singapore, unless we can afford to live on single income, then it's really a common problem to many. Well, my MIL is more negotiable than my mum. Let's just say, although the current scenario is less than ideal, I'm contented.

Well, really need God to see me through the next few days and preserve my sanity and health. Really looking forward to next Tuesday! :D

More Swimming Photos!

Auntie Melissa emailed mummy more yummy photos! See! See! :D

The instructor asked mummy to put me into the tunnel... the older kids were so afraid because it was so wobbly! But I got dragged through!






Then the instructor let me put my head underwater!
1...2...


3!!!

Can see me? Tena mei mei block me! But can see me in the other post! See the lady behind me, also so excited! :D

Now, mummy is asking daddy if i can go for real classes... daddy, may I? Pretty please? :D

Abby's First Day at School!

Hmm... I wonder where mummy is taking me today... this road looks familiar... we were here yesterday! Mummy bought expensive diapers. She told auntie Eve they were for swimming, and auntie Eve asked her to buy one more packet for Vic! Oh, but mummy didn't tell me that we were going to see auntie Eve & Vic mei mei today... so I think we're going somewhere else. Let me take a catnap first!

Oh, we're here! Mummy says I'm going to school! Yay! But I think I'm abit young to go school... oh, it's a special school, it's Marsden Swim School! No books, only a fun pool! That's auntie Melissa, uncle Kevin and Athena mei mei next to us!


There I am, testing waters. Feels cold, but thank Jesus the weather's warm! :D Hmm... this might be fun! :D


That's my instructor! I don't know her name, but mummy thinks she's Australian! :D She dipped me in the water! :D Fun! :D


Look at us all, we just got dunked by our mummies and (a) daddy!


I didn't know mummy wanted me to take a photo. I'd have smiled! :D


They put me through a tunnel. I was really brave! It was very shaky and I had to crawl through it. But thank God mummy remembered I can't really crawl yet so they pushed and pulled me through the tunnel! I vaguely remember hearing people shout 'Push!' before... when was that...? Hmm...


Thank God mummy was there to carry me. The aussie instructor made mummy bounce me up and down as we sang nursery rhymes...


...while mummy spun me around...


...and the instructor dipped me into the water! I went underwater! :D And I like it! :D


Finally, they let me go on the slide! When I landed, I dropped into the water! :D I'm so happy mummy caught me just in time! :D Phew! :D It's so fun! Mummy, can we go there again? :D

35th Anniversary of Earth Day, 22 April 2005

First celebrated in March 21, 1970; what started as a celebration of the start of the march/ Vernal Equinox, which basically means the start of Spring has turned into a celebration of the natural wonders of mother earth and more recently into a day to reflect on the amount of damage we have inflicted into our planet.

Among the damage we have inflicted in the amount of greenhouse gases created when we use the automobile....

The 450 million vehicles on the road today account for half of the world's total consumption, generate nearly one fifth of greenhouse gas emissions, and have pervasive effects on land use and air quality. Personal transportation (i.e., home use) is responsible for 30 to 50% of greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution, 33% of toxic water pollution, and over 45% of toxic air emissions. In addition, fueling passenger cars accounts for more than one quarter of world oil consumption.

The manufacture of an automobile consumes enormous amounts of energy and raw materials, including 1,500 - 3,500 pounds (679-1,585 kgs) of steel, 200-1,000 pounds (91-453 kgs) of plastic and composite synthetic materials, and 120-200 pounds (54-91 kgs) of glass, aluminum and other materials. A single car contains 4-10 times as much plastic as the average person is likely to consume in a year. The manufacture of the average car generates nearly 27 tons (12,000 kgs) of waste. As a result of car manufacture, over 4 tons (1,812 kgs) of carbon and nearly 500 pounds (227 kgs) of ordinary pollutants are created.

The Singapore Environment Council and the National Environment Agency will launch Green Transport Day on the 15th of April 2005. Green Transport Day aims to highlight environmental problems associated with car use, to promote more environmentally friendly motoring habits and to encourage otherwise regular motorists to try alternative means of transport such as buses, the MRT, cycling, walking, and car pooling.  This year, the Green Transport Exhibition, held at Lido Shaw House from 15-24Apr 05, will highlight eco-friendly transport arrangements that will help Singaporeans save money while maintaining their mobility.

For more info pls logon to the Singapore Environment Council Green Transport Day.

Those were the bumpy days...

Pictures of the five of us - Eve, Vic, Abby, Ben and me. But obviously you can only see Vic and Abby rite? :D Can't remember when we went for the shoot, but it was fun. :) Have got a few more shots elsewhere, but can't find now already. These are fresh from the oven *ahem* although the younger baby is already 7months old! But then again, thanks Kavin! :D

Happy Day!

How to study when this cutie is so charming? Supposed to read Burnett's Secret Garden, but still quite secret coz I haven't read much. :S Nevertheless, I love ABIGAIL! :D

Abby's Sleepy Swim

Brought abby for a swim today coz her daddy didn't go to work. Pity she didn't nap. See those sleepy eyes? She was very sleepy, and a lil grumpy in the pool, then when we finally called it a day about 20mins, we wrapped her up and drove home in a warm, non-air-conditioned car. She promptly fell asleep after lying in my arms. When we got home, my MIL brought her upstairs and she stayed asleep. Even on the changing mat. We kept her nice and warm, and she woke up about half an hour later, fully charged. Maybe the next time would be better. :)

Eco-Ambassador

I've finally received a divine confirmation of my calling as a recycling enthusiast.

I dreamt that we were driving along this road which resembled Telok Kurau in this off white land rover with a couple from church whom I didn't recognise at the back of the car. I asked Ben to stop the car as we approached this 30 odd years old guy who was collecting trash. He was actually tipping the bag of recyclables which the residents put near the pavement for collection into the main trash for incineration. I actually berated him for undermining the residents' efforts at recycling!

Then I woke up. I rolled over and told Ben.

Then he said drowsily, "You're definitely called to do this." Then he went back to sleep.

Facts vs Myths

Okie. So I bought this week's issue of 8 Days. How could I not when they have SO MANY NEW MUMMIES on the cover? I'm not referring to the Egyptian ones... Well, Li Lin looks gorgeous - great skin, slim and happy, while Sage is just delighted. Wow...

Okie. For a moment there, I bet you thought that pregnancy and childbirth would be that glorious? Remember - this is the cover of one of the most popular weekly magazines in Singapore. If they had put a post-pregnant but still-hampered-by-pregnancy-weight-woman on the cover, sales would plummet. Also, everything's edited.

The truth about pregnancy and the whole works is... it's a huge gamble. From getting pregnant (am I? Or am I not?) to morning sickness, to hormonal manipulation (outbreaks, pigmentation, great/lousy hair, great/lousy mood, great/lousy appetite, etc - actually make that, EVERYTHING), to massive weight gain, to erratic mood swings, terrible self-image, etc. That's during the pregnancy. On top of that, you worry about whether the baby's fine, whether 'it's' a boy or girl (sometimes, regretfully, 'again'), uncomfortable if the baby kicks, worried like mad if the baby doesn't, unsure if you've eaten sufficiently, worried that you've eaten too much, afraid of the impending labour, then more afraid if it's false labour, glad that baby has a toy in the womb - umblical cord, but worried when the baby uses it as a necklace, excited when the water bag breaks, worried when the baby's in there for too long *after* the water bag's broken - distressed, if it'll eat its own meconium, etc, and all these before the baby actually arrives.

Now. When the baby arrives, you've got other worries. Afraid if the person who's just sneezed has just inherited the world's deadliest contagious disease. Whether your baby is growing right on target. Worried if your baby is a freak when it grows way beyond the target. (Like the china baby who started crawling 20 days after birth.) Whether your baby would be threatened in any way - on the roads, at home, etc. If your baby still recognises you after you've been away at work the whole day. Broken hearted when your baby rejects you. Exhilerated when your baby chuckles when you walk into the room. And you still look like an overweight version of who you were before birth. Whether you boobs would sag after you give up breastfeeding. Wonder where your boobs went *after* you give up breastfeeding (which solves the previous worry). Whether the tummy which *suddenly appeared* after you weaned your baby off would go away (although it was always there but hidden under the udders), whether the tummy is simply excess skin that would not go away because of age, lack of money, determination to exercise, etc, whether your skin would finally clear up after the hormonal rampage. (If you've had your first menses, you'll probably understand how hormones wreck your skin. Pregnancy - multiply by about 10 times the effect.) Worry about whether you'll have any hair left AFTER it finally decides to stop shedding the compulsory post-pregnancy hair shedding tradition. Worry WHEN it'll stop shedding. Worry whether you'll end up looking like you desparately need a Yun-Nan 200 session hair-treatment course.

Well, of course. You'll say, "Dun worry!" or "I'm not the worrying sort." But how can you not when someone's who's been a part of you is now away from you? You'll realise that your heart is never the same again - that when you leave for work in the morning, your heart stays behind with your baby. But you'll have to gather whatever strength you have to focus (oh talk about focusing - there's a study that's confirmed brain shrinkage due to pregnancy. You'll become more stupid.) See? Focused right? As I was saying, you'll have to focus on your work and everything else. Thank God there's God. If not, I would have been shattered many times over. Glad that He's in control. At least I don't have to be, or pretend to be.

Conclusion: It's a myth to have your cake and eat it too. Unless you've a divine Baker who'll take care of all your needs. It hasn't been an easy journey, and there's more to come. God's been great so far and has been my Sellotape to stop me from falling to bits. Thank God for putting people in my life and for a fantastic and supportive husband who's the greatest dad I've ever seen. God IS good.

8 month old Abby

She's becoming more irresistible. Besides the high pitched squealing, now she's *finally* mastered how to roll over (yup, at 8months). She can sit very steadily now and can even bottom shuffle! She moved about 1 foot today. That's a great accomplishment. Most of the time she can't decide whether to go forward or backward, so she does both. This morning, just as Ben was leaving for work, she extended her arms out towards him, butt shuffled abit, and called out "Baba" to him. *heartmelt*

She was quite fascinated by my hand movements as I sang 'Twinkle Twinkle Little Star' to her this afternoon. :) After that, she looked sleepy and promptly fell asleep on our bed. I took a whiff of her and she opened her eyes really BIG and stared at me, then quickly closed them again. I realised that her hands were rather dirty, so i took a warm wash towel to wipe her hands. She giggled abit. Then I covered her with the blanket coz the a/c was turned on. (And I usually cover her after she falls asleep or she'd kick it!) Well, as our sweetheart *cannot* resist kicking the blanket, she burst out laughing and kicked the blanket! She giggled and looked at me! She was pretending to be asleep!!! Totally unimaginable! :D So she turned away from me and continued to giggle.

Wow. I'm amazed.

Usually either she wants to sleep, or she doesn't. If she doesn't, she'll suck her toes. If she wants to sleep, she suck her thumb. Yup. We understand her totally. :D It's usually rather straightforward when it comes to putting her down for her nap, thanks to GARY & ANN-MARIE EZZO, and she knocks out VERY fast when she needs to.

After both of us took a loooong nap (about 1.5hrs - I think we both fell asleep at the same time), we woke up and waited for Ben to come home. I sneezed my internal, odd and silent sneeze 3 times when I wanted to put her in her highchair for dinner and she was so amused at my sneeze! After my third time (usually she takes a couple of any attempts to warm up to a joke) she was just giggling. She was so amused. Quite embarrassing actually but whatever it takes to amuse my girl. Love her to bits. :)

Projects

Improvised by Jun & HY, Sydney, Australia
Baby photos from here.


Really love the poster. :) It's for our CEM101 project. It's FINALLY done. Gosh. *speechless* Learnt something about people through this project. Well. Time to conquer the next one. I can't believe I spent the whole day today just getting my next 3 semesters in order. I just realised I may be in trouble because of starting term midway in the academic year in January. Let's pray that everything turns out fine.

Ok. Here's my next project: Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone draws together a number of genres. Identiy and elaborate on three and discuss which, in your opinion, is the most effective. In 800-1000 words, with close reading and research.

*poof*