My Blog

I was at Popular bookstore a couple of days ago, enjoying some Time Alone. This phrase has been absent from my life ever since I became a stayathome mummy. Jabez simply loves my company. Or rather he loves the french fries, soya bean milk, toys and shopping that accompanies my company. I had to bribe him with a Thomas and Friends book before I can walk out of the house with dignity.  Otherwise it will be a Taiwanese serial where the son is screaming at the gate, pulled back by the helper as his mother walks helplessly away towards a god knows where.

At Popular, I was browsing some books for, yes Jabez; [see how you can take the son away from the mother but not the son in the mother.] where an entire shelf collapse before me. Piles of worksheet thudded on my toes. My face is rapidly installing rhinoceros skin mode as the cashier was fingering the bell like a Morse Code sending an open message to some person to assist me.

To my deepest surprise, a group of girls rushed to help me. I was very touched by the unhesitant help. Wearing white uniforms, plaits and a sweet sweet smile, they showed me the little kindness that brightened up my day.

To be honest, the girls I have seen recently made me worried. If Amelia grew up to be anything like them, it will be retribution. But these girls created sunshine for me. I thank them for their kindness.

Staying at home makes me feel that I am not part of the earth that spins each day. Sometimes I would wonder what day of the week it is because everyday seems to be the same.

Wake up, feed baby, talk to son, cajole son to go to school, feed baby, eat lunch, feed baby, take a nap with son, feed baby feed baby feed baby. Wow I think I need to eat grass, I am a cow.

Dear all

thank you for the interesting feedback to my daughter’s name

Yes Tricia is a very nice name and it is interesting to note my boys’ partiality towards Amanda and Tricia.  If i have girls no 2, I may consider. However this depends on how Amelia  and Jabez behave and whether God provides enough strength and money to cope with 2. This is just empty speculation. I think I would probably stop at two unless someone( or many ones) pledges to  come to my place and be my children’s playmate, soccer friend, cycling companian, UNO pal.

tata

enjoy your days in school

hello big brothers

thank you for being so so concern about me. I am finally here. My mum after nights of hesitation decided to name me…

before I reveal my name, let me tell you all the suggestions my mum received.

1. Mary Goh Yuan Yuan: translated means merry go round

- accolade to D_ _ _ _ _ of year 4

2. Giselle: sexy Brazillian model

- too bad my mum heard she made a nude MTV

3. Joey: nice name

- my mum does not want me to be named after a junior kangaroo.

Other interesting suggestions: Tricia, Amanda (after someone’s girlfriend???) and others that my mum cannot remember.

I am currently on a weight gaining, sleep early mission. Currently, at three weeks old, I have gained one proud kilo. My mum is desperately trying to get me to sleep at night. Somehow my engines start moving from one am onwards and my crying seem to drive my mum to slight hysteria.

Ok. My mum promises to bring me to ACS one of these days. If I have a chance, I will see you. But my mum sternly warns you to stay away from me if you have a bout of flu, is a Casanova or have not wipe your fingers after eating. Boys who laugh loudly scare me too. So see you

Amelia 

I knew i was pregnant end of last year so i sadly kissed my  2006 classes goodbye even though i so much want to see them through the o levels.

i knew i was going to get a bunch of sec 3s in 2007. Frankly they are not my favourite level as sec 3 have a bad reputation.

God is good. This year i got a real cool bunch who are actually paying attention. Wow. I am amazed everytime i step into class. This is expect the worst and everything is a bonus.

i hope it is not because i am pregnant but that they are really nice.

3.1: Makes it a point to greet my baby. Good morning madam, good morning baby. They also remind me to contain myself and not use harsh language forgetting that they are the ones who jumped around in class and kept on talking.

3.3: Classic good behaviour. listens, Takes notes. Asks good questions. Most strive to hand in work on time most of the time.

3.4: Most punctual in handing in work. Makes McDonald’s jokes, improving with each assignment.

3.5: O my favourite. many good questions, great work from a few students. A few nonsense who persist in exhibiting class room temperature EQ but on the whole so pleasant and so funny. the best thing with 3.5 is that they know when to stop.

Yup  my Year 3 and 4 classes know when to stop. Stop joking, stop talking and start listening. This is so so pleasant. Now that the semester is going to end, i hope they get a nice fierce teacher for the next semester. because though i know they may appear to be angels to me, they are actually tigers, alligators and chimpanzees who will eat up any smiley cutey  for breakfast and spits up the bones without any guilt.

goodbye, if my new baby is ok, i will post a pic of her (lady who did a scan said it is a her) later. i really want a girl but a nice well-behaved boy will do as well. Some one like …. from …… haha.

Monday i was supposed to see the doc in NUh. Being slightly on the early side, i decided to take the common MRT. The MRT was crowded. Carrying a watermelong belly, i walked into the cabin. Everyone seems so busy. I stood by the door and well…. guess what? I continued to stand until i reach my station.

Frankly i am not dying of exhaustion at the moment but really i would appreciate a seat. Must i ask for it????

out of 10 trips on the MRT, 6 times i was offered a seat. 5 out of the 6 times were ladies. Must one go through pregnancy before they know that the belly is heavy, painful and sagging. The best one was the time when i stood in front of a student in an all white uniform. That kid just hugged his bag and closed his eyes. Sleeping or not seeing ? Am i p******? Yes. What to do? Take a photo and post it in STomp? Maybe i should.

Last week 4.11 invited me to their class BBQ. I am impressed with some boys. All scouts. They came, bbqed all the food and waved goodbye. It is like they came just to serve their classmates who were happily eating the food and entertaining their teacher. I had a good time listening to all the boys sharing about themselves and gossiping about life around them. I am glad I went.

Yeah….. SVM is champion again. Says who? Me of course. Why are the SVM swimmers considered champions? Aik Wen, Kevin and Austin are individual champions for Years One, Two and Three. That is nothing special. These are grace from God who gave us swimmers who have hands like albatross’ wings and legs like torpedoes.

What makes SVM a champion house is the spirit of perseverance. During the heats, there are Year Ones who do not turn up. Despite scouting the area for possible SVM members, fruitless of course, my Year two boys actually got me to go back to the staff room to get my full list of SVM swimmers. No results there. My boys refused to give up. We went to the field and look for possible people. 

God was kind, he allowed me find a  SVM rugby boy but he claimed he cannot swim. I really thought of throwing in the towel. Then the boys told me to try again. This time, God is kinder, another rugby boy, Keith who willingly went and swam. No trunks; never mind, we can always buy, no goggles, we can always borrow.

I feel so proud of my boys. Not because of the natural talents God bestows on them but the inherent persistence and willingness to look for a solution.

I thank God for my champions and the best is yet to be.

If you set your mind to it, you will definitely succeed. This is a fundamental principle of success. If you can envision it, you can achieve it.

To many people who have used this tried and tested method to success, it seems that there is nothing in life that cannot be achieved.  I once thought this way. All my life I have rose to the occasion and managed to achieve my aims, albeit some almost at the end point. One example is my Chinese exam. Though I am an embarrassment to my heritage, somehow I always managed to scrape through when the exams call for it.

However as I walk, stroll, pace, stumble or rush through life, I realized that there are things in life that sheer effort, planning and action may not attain. This is not obvious when I was younger. With age, challenges about my ability to achieve the desired result all the time become clearer.

One example was when I became pregnant. There is no way I can plan for the gender of my child, his health and whether he is ‘normal’ or not. Actually I was rather stressed when I was pregnant. Being a highly strung person, I hoped the chromosomes would not get mixed up when I became agitated in class. Scolding people is bad and it is worse when I was expecting. A friend commented that my baby would be able to sit down immediately after it is born because he will hear the phrase ‘Sit down!’ many times a day when he was in my womb.

Psalms 127:1 says; “Unless the LORD builds the house, its builders labor in vain. Unless the LORD watches over the city, the watchmen stand guard in vain.”

Thank God for his protection, Jabez still appears normal today; despite it all.

During Honour’s Day, when I saw the series of Golds, Silvers and other awards, I know it is the grace of God smiling on the school. God builds ACS. He is the one who provides the wind when we need it. Otherwise, we will be like the runner-ups, laboring in vain. With the end of year exams looming, I hope the boys are laboring. In God they will build magnificent works and in God’s grace, achieve the results their efforts put in and a little more.

God bless my boys and my prayers are with them all.

On my way back from a holiday, I sat in the middle aisle, beside an uncle. Throughout the flight, I was reading magazines or talking to my friend sitting next to me. Somehow or other, during food time, I spoke to my neighbour who remained silent throughout the meal. He mentioned that he was coming from Tokyo. Hmmm what was he doing so far away. He can’t be doing shopping in Tokyo can he? He told me that he was visiting his daughter who was working there. Initially I thought he was retired, that was why he had so much time, then he said he was working as a Principal Surveyor; some important post overseeing people who are inspecting ships. A busy man who took time off to visit his daughter, a few times a year. A good father.

At the airport, I took a taxi home. The uncle in the taxi asked where I went and what I did. I raved about my holiday in Bangkok and told him that he must bring his wife there. He said, wait a while. Why the wait? It is because he needs to be thrifty as his children are all studying. Another good father.

They remind me of my dad when he was around. He never went for any holiday because all his money was spent on my sister and I. The first time he went overseas was when I was twenty, accompanying me to visit my grandma who was living in China. Subsequently, when I started working, then he would have the spare cash to go holidays once a year with my mum. He gave me unwavering support for all that I did, trusting that I am thinking. There was this occasion that I was struggling with my Additional Maths. I thought long and hard. My left brains are not wired well, I cannot think in numbers. I would him I wanted to drop A Maths and all my dad said was; go ahead, as long as you think it through. I did it and finished my course with a lot less mental pressure. Of course I will eventually pass A Maths if my dad forced me to take it up. But it will take up a lot of time and give me a whole lot of pressure.

Now that I am working, earning, I wish my dad is around for me to talk to, to carry my son and eat dinner together. I am glad I had a good relationship with my dad when he was around. Because if I had waited to spend time talking to him and buying stuff for him, I may never get a chance.

Two good fathers. I hope their children realize how fortunate they are.