Going Back To School

In a few weeks, they will be closing the gates to my old Secondary school and possibly tearing down the whole building. I have mixed feelings about it. I never liked school when I was in Secondary but this whole place is filled with so many memories for me. Good and bad.

I decided to take the day off and together with both my kids, headed over to CHIJ Katong Convent Secondary to share some memories with my children, soak in all the memories of the place myself and to visit with the Aunty and Uncle from the bookshop who will finally be retiring.

My kids and I walked past Block 51. The memories already started to pour back in. How the void deck used to be our hang out after school. We’d meet with the boys from St Patricks. We’d head up the block and smoke. How the Town Council took away the stone chairs that were under the block because of us and in hopes it would stop us from hanging around…but we just sat on the dirty concrete floors.

Walked through the front gates of the school, only to pass the security. I then thought to myself, “Son of a gun….I am glad there was no such thing when I was in school. How would I escape during recess?” …. Haha

Everything was still the same….the foyer, the stairs heading up to the hall, the chapel…. We then made our way to the canteen where the bookshop was. Mr and Mrs Lim were both there. Mrs Lim was especially happy to see me. She’s always remembered me since I was a little girl in Primary 1. I would always cry and not want to go to school, so my mum would have to bribe me by taking me to the bookshop to buy something. Mrs Lim always remembered that.

She was thrilled to meet my kids and gave them each a pencil. And as we were chatting, my most hated teacher walks in. After the time I told her off, all she could do was give me half a smile. Haha.

We then went over to the drinks stall as the kids were getting thirsty.  The aunty and uncle there also remembered me.

Continued to walk around the school grounds. Went in to the AVA theatre, the art room, science labs, classrooms…. There were so many good and bad memories. I recalled the places we would hide at when we wanted to skip a class or assembly. The bridge that would connect St Patricks to our school, the fence with the hole we used to use to escape school whenever we wanted to.

Those were the days. That was my childhood. I just do not know how I would react if my daughter turned out to be exactly what I was in Secondary school?? I would say KARMA. Hahaha…..

Tua Pek Kong's Birthday

The temple beside my office had been setting up for what seemed like a big event. Yesterday, my new colleague Ah Ling and I walked over to the temple to ask what they were celebrating and I was pretty surprised to hear them say "Tua Pek Kong's Birthday." I thought his birthday was beginning of the year between February and March?

So I asked around as to why this was so....

You see, I'm still learning more about Taoism each day.

So from what I've found out. Yes, Tua Pek Kong's actual birthday is around February. But a Tua Pek Kong temple may celebrate his birthday a second time that year to to commemorate the opening of the temple or anniversary. There are usually a few days a temple may choose to celebrate the birthday or other auspicious events.

Now I understand. This event is pretty big. There have the Chinese wayang outside the temple and a huge area across the street that is serving dinner.

I've also learnt that this temple is called Soon San Teng and was founded in the late 19th century and has remained at the same location. The original temple was an attap-thatched house situated between banyan trees, and so Soon San Teng is also known as 'Banyan Tree Da Bo Gong (Tua Pek Kong) Miao'. The temple was later rebuilt into one with brick walls and tiled roofs.

Today, Soon San Teng temple celebrates the 8th Lunar Month which coincides with the birthday celebration for Da Bo Gong (Tua Pek Kong).

I met my mum after work and we had dinner at the Indian restaurant before heading to the temple to pay our respect and to watch a few minutes of wayang and take photos. Was a real interesting evening. I would like to head to the birthday celebrations at Pulau Ubin next year. That is an even bigger event! I just need to get the dates right.

The Cast of Potted Potter

Yesterday, my daughter together with two of her best friends caught the Olivier Award nominated Potted Potter at the Raffles Hotel Jubilee Hall. Any fool could have guessed that the girls had enjoyed the performance tremendously because my daughter couldn't stop talking about it once she got home and the girls kept texting back and forth about it.

My daughter then tweeted about the performance and one of the guys from Potted Potter replied. I then told my daughter that this could be the opportunity for her to tweet them back and asked if they would meet her for a photo and autograph? At worse, they won’t reply or just say ‘no’. But with our track record of meeting celebrities … why not give it a shot?

A few minutes later, they replied and would love to meet the girls. My daughter was over the moon!! Bet you five bucks she didn't even sleep properly last night! I did tell her to not get her hopes up too high until it happens because anything can happen with celebrities and performers.

So all of today, while I was at the office, she kept texting me about it and while she was doing that, the two wonderful performers were tweeting me about this evening. Looks like the plan was concrete. I then got in touch with the mothers of my daughter’s two other friends and arranged this meet-and-greet.

We were supposed to meet the performers; Benjamin Stratton and James Percy outside the venue after their last show.

Our first stop was Raffles City in hopes we could find some Singapore souvenirs. We did managed to buy two Singapore keychains and two postcards. Then walked over to Raffles Hotel.

We didn't have to wait long. Right after the show and as soon as the crowd started to clear out, the guys came right out! That was another thing that really impressed me. Most performers would take their time and rest and come out when they were ready but these guys wasted no time…rushed right out to make three young girls so very ‘giddy’.

About two minutes into meeting the girls, a couple approached them to ask if they could have their photos taken with them. Ben and James politely told them sure they could right after they meet with the girls. Gosh…. I really hope the couple weren't pissed waiting so long and I hope the couple didn't think of the guys as snobbish because they are not. They were just fulfilling what they promised 3 young fans. You cannot hold that against them.

The girls presented them with the souvenirs and postcards and they were like little boys on Christmas day. I suppose they really weren't expecting it?

My daughter presented them with her drawings on their performance set and they absolutely made her feel so special. Told her she nailed it and all. They signed a copy for her. The guys were also amazed with the girls’ home made wands that lit up. And about 10 minutes later, we said our goodbyes.

What great guys!!

Some may say they are not even well known celebrities and blah blah blah but they are two guys playing to sold out houses all over the world. They could have said, “No. Sorry we don’t have time”…but instead they agreed to meet three young fans.

I, personally didn't attend the performance. I would not have understood a thing because I am not a Harry Potter fan. But from what I have read about it and learned from my daughter, this performance was the Unauthorized Harry Potter Experience.  A parody. Benjamin and James takes on the ultimate challenge of condensing all seven Harry Potter books and a real life game of Quidditch (I hope I spelt it right) into seventy hilarious minutes.

However, I have been told that even if one did not know the difference between a horcrux and a hufflepuff, you would still have enjoyed Potted Potter and you would be roaring with laughter. Darn it!! Now they tell me…. I am just going to have to wait till they come back around here to catch them again.

Before I end this post, I would like to thank Benjamin Stratton and James Percy again for making 3 girls so very happy. I think they were on Cloud 9 that evening. I wish you guys all the best life has to offer and the very best of success because you deserve it. Thank you.

And as if that meeting wasn't wonderful enough. I walked in to my daughter’s room to find her jumping and almost hyperventilating because Benjamin Stratton had tweeted about meeting them and posted a photo of the gifts the girls got them.

Kudos to Benjamin Stratton and James Percy from Potted Potter!

Blast From The Past

I usually don’t have lunch when I am at work if I had taken breakfast in the morning but today was pretty exceptional and I am glad I went along with it.

My colleagues asked if I wanted to join them for lunch. The whole group was actually heading out together and that alone is pretty rare. So yes, I went and as we got out of the car, I was back at a place that held lots of memories to when I was a kid.

We were at Lorong Mydin for the great Wanton Noodles.

I just couldn't believe it was still there. Not much change to the coffee shop either, other than some minor renovations. What surprised even more was the familiar faces running the stall! It was the same husband and wife and my goodness….they have not aged!! (Is it the preservatives in their noodles? … ha)

Seriously, I have not been there since before I left for the USA and who knows how long before that….so I am guessing it’s been more than 20 years! How can this couple not age a day??

I told my colleagues that I was sorry to burst their bubble but I actually discovered this great place for Wanton Noodles long before they even did. I explained to them that I frequented the stall since I was a child!! Yeh, that long ago.

Our plates of wanton noodles finally came and I couldn't wait to get that first bite in to my mouth to see if that has changed or not.

I thought I had died and went to heaven. The goodness was still there. The taste exploded in my mouth just as the memories did in my head. It definitely brought me back to the day when my parents used to take us there for lunch, or the evenings we would have dinner there after a magic performance when I got a little older.

They served the wanton noodles just the way they did 20 years ago. Imagine it’s just a simple dish that fills so many stomachs for generations? They managed to keep the noodles in the same texture and chewiness as the good old days. The taste was just as traditional as how I remembered it to be.

The broth was extremely flavourful and the prawn dumplings were really fresh. The chili certainly did not disappoint either. Absolutely heavenly!

Oh! Did I mention the coffee shop was still as packed as it was back in the day??

I will have to take my hubby and kids to try this fabulous wanton mee and to make new memories… and what better way to make new memories with my family then to have my parents with us so we can bring back old memories too?

What’s The Big Deal About Chinese?

Today, my son came home from school with his portfolio and as I was browsing through the work he has done,… class reviews and teacher’s comments, I noticed that his Chinese teacher, on one of his recent Chinese worksheets had circled his name in red and had written some Chinese characters beside it. I presume that it was a direct translation of his English name.

I found that very uncalled for, offensive, rude, insensitive and callous!!

The last hour I spent going through my paper work from 2012. I came across my son’s kindergarten documents where I had asked the teacher to give him a Chinese name as I thought then it was a must since he was taking Chinese as his second language.

His kindergarten Chinese teacher did give him a Chinese name but also told me it was not necessary for it as my son isn't Chinese and so I did not register it. Since then, we have not bothered with a Chinese name.

Where am I getting with this? The point is that I searched through these records to be sure I did not make a mistake. I wanted to be sure that I did not register his Chinese name. But while doing this, I realized that what his kindergarten teacher had given him, wasn't even the one the Primary school teacher had written.

I am pissed! Actually I am more than pissed!!

WHY would a teacher ‘mark’ my son’s name in RED and correct it with something that to us doesn't even exist and should NOT exist? Do Chinese teachers go around giving names to students just for the fun of it? Do they give names just because they can’t pronounce the English ones? If so, then maybe they are the ones in need of going back to school to learn some English?

Imagine you gave birth and I’d go fill out your child’s birth certificate with a name I think would be good for your child?

I wonder how she would feel if I named her son for her? Worse is I’d give her son a name of a different race! How does Osama Bin Laden? Hmm…. Sounds nice don’t it? She may not think so….but I do….. 

In all honesty, I would have been alright if she had just written the Chinese characters beside my son’s English name but to mark it in red and make it seem like it’s wrong is unacceptable.

Sheeshh…..

The problem with this country is they stress and focus so much on the bloody Chinese language. Isn't our country a multi-racial country? Yep I figured….so why the stress on Chinese alone?

Bad enough our non Chinese/Malay/Indian kids are forced to take a second language…now they want to force a ‘foreign’ name on to our kids too??

Yes, knowing Chinese would be good especially when China is coming up in this world now. But do you realize that they are teaching English in schools in China? I moved to USA and what did I do with my Chinese certificate? I used it to wipe my bum! Ha.

Really. I didn't need that certificate when I was in America and it didn't hold me back.

What I am trying to say is…so what if you can’t speak or understand Chinese? Lots of other countries in the world have survived without it and still doing extremely well. So stop trying to force any damn language down our throats.

I can’t even exempt my non-Chinese kids from dropping the subject. WHY?

Even on the MOE website it states that kids can be exempted if they’re from overseas. Yeh, no doubt my kids started kindergarten here but Chinese is not in their blood. Hell! No one speaks the language at home!! This is approved on a case to case basis… ??? A crock of shit. I was denied twice! WHY? Because I am Chinese? Maybe I should try and apply for the exemption again since I had changed my race to Eurasian?

So they want kids miserable throughout all of their school life…. Hating to go to school because they hate Chinese … because they are struggling… and because half these Chinese teachers are not even fit to be teachers and who belittles these kids. If they think they are all high and mighty, I have no problem telling them they are not. BECAUSE technically, you will get on better in life if you speak good English!

I always thought that “mother-tongue” meant a language a person has learned from birth or within the critical period. Like in some countries (namely Singapore), the term mother-tongue refers to the language of one’s ethnic group rather than one’s first language. So for my kids, shouldn't it be English??

Oh well….

As long as we’re here in Singapore, we shall ‘abide’ by these silly rules until the time is right. After all, aren't we all just ‘robots’ programmed to be living in this perfect little country abiding by all these perfect little rules that is supposedly to make us perfect humans?

I don’t push my kids with Chinese. Every new teacher they get, I make sure I get my point across that I will not tolerate them pushing my child to excel in the language to a point of hating school because of it. For me, as long as my kids excel in the other subjects in school, I will be more than happy.

For now, I am writing to my son’s school and putting the principal and also MOE on CC (carbon copy). I should demand a written apology from this ‘high and mighty clown’. What do you think?

Bot Hunters Audition

Early this morning, my daughter and I left the house to have breakfast at the coffee shop, We then took a bus over to Aliwal Street where she was auditioning for Bot Hunters, a game show on Okto.

We registered for the audition and both Lani and her friend were interviewed. Lani as always, a natural in front of the camera.Then I was expecting parents would be able to go in to watch or sit around and wait but we were left outside waiting for over an hour for our kids to finish with their auditions.

But it was good because I got to see all kinds of people. I mainly noticed there were two different types of parents. One would be the parent like me…. Only there because our kid wanted so much to do this and wanted so much to be on television. Then you have the other kind of parent who is the total opposite… they would be making sure their kids’ attire is alright, make up on, nagging at their kids and making sure they drilled info into their kids’ heads….

It’s because of parents like that, I stayed away from competitions. If not, I think Lani would have won many contests and gone very far. She started taking part in beauty pageants since she was 18 months old. She would get into the finals but we would stop there. We would take her finalist trophy and prize and run. I've seen how these parents push their kids at the finals,… yell at them, etc. I don’t need to put my child through that. I put her in these competitions to expose her to not being shy, to teach her that winning is not everything, and for memories. She enjoyed it and as long as she did, and as long as she wanted, we would sign her up.

Some parents really have got to get their priorities straight. Do they want this for the benefit of their kids or themselves?

Back in the USA, lots of these beauty pageant mum’s push their kids ..you see these kids crying and you feel so sorry for them.

In Singapore, you have the same kind of parents and they also push their kids with tuition classes, piano, golf, ballet, etc. Sometimes these kids have a busier schedule than I do. Gosh. Let kids be kids. Let them enjoy their childhood. They won’t ever get that again. Build good memories.

I am a chillex parent. I don’t believe in all these extra activities, UNLESS of course, my kids show an interest and tell me, “hey mum, I would like to take up …..”

That was the kind of childhood I had and a childhood I fondly remember. And that is exactly the kind of childhood I would like my kids to have. No pressure. No stress. To just be able to be themselves and do their best.

So that was how this whole audition started…. Lani had seen it being advertised on TV and said she would like to try it.  I again explained to her that whether she gets in or not, winning isn't everything and that at least she had done her best.

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Many parents like myself and my hubby are concerned about competitions and its effect on children. However, there are also parents who feel that competition is nothing to worry about. Our daughter took part in her first competition when she was 18 months old. We discussed it for weeks before deciding that it wouldn't hurt and we will know when to draw the line when the time comes. Mostly, we wanted the exposure and we wanted keepsakes and memories.

I've come to agree that moderate competition is good for children, but extreme competition can devastate a child.

I've also read that temperament, culture, talent and the age of the child affects how they will handle a competition. Children are not born with a competitive urge. They learn it. And by age 10 or 11, they could handle defeat gracefully (well, most anyway). We’re proud that our daughter handled defeat gracefully by age 5. That is because we always stressed how much we’re proud of her no matter what.

Children differ in temperament. Some thrive on attention and competition and others become nervous wrecks when they are asked to perform before two or three people. I know this for a fact because that’s the personality of my two kids.

We have always treated our children as the individuals that they are. We don’t feel a need to push an already competitive child to compete although we sometimes encourage our son who is the more reluctant one but who shows so much potential.

My son, since the day he was born, he’s been a quiet, shy and smart boy. He doesn't fancy competitions and is happy with who he is and what he is. He’s also very confident. Unlike my daughter, she’s a confident girl…too confident I must say. However, she loves a good fight. She enjoys healthy competitions and being in the lime light. She just enjoys the attention!

As I mentioned, it’s different with each individual child.

Competition definitely can be good because it can help a child develop a healthy attitude about winning and losing. They become competitive as they refine and practice skills and develop coordination and cognitive abilities. Competition can also encourage growth and push a child to excel. 

Of course there are things about competition that we need to be aware of too. It can also harm a child if the child isn't motivated properly by the parents or assured that no matter what, they are still great. Competition can shatter the loser, undermine self-confidence and humiliate. It could also insult self-worth. And the biggest harm a competition can do to a child is when it is done just for the parents’ benefit!!

It’s funny how two kids can differ so much from each other. I laugh each time I look at both my kids.

My son is a typical 7-year-old. He is eager to learn and want to do activities for himself. He’s got a short attention span and play for fun. He wants to be the winner and wants to be first.  But that is natural for a child his age. Even so, we try to instill the same thing with him, … that winning isn't everything and no matter what, he will always be great and perfect in our eyes.

For children between the age of 9 years and 12 years, they try hard to be good and to please others. They do their duty, show respect for authority and follow fixed rules. They do try to maintain order. They are also more rational and logical and can see more than one side to an issue.  This scares me when I think about it actually, because my daughter showed all the above since age 5. But we always knew she was mature and developed faster than most kids her age.

How did we help our children succeed in competitive situations?

We took time to play with them. We encouraged them to flex their competitive muscles in a secure environment that helped them learn they can lose a game without losing self-confidence. We stressed about the basics of fair play, good sportsmanship, putting forth good effort and winning or losing gracefully.

For now, we will continue to encourage our children to grow. We will always make sure they are all winners and will always find special ways to reward them when necessary. We will always emphasize the importance of doing one’s best.

Before I end, I have one thing to say to the rest of the parents who push their child and pressure them into doing things they do not enjoy….

DON’T RELIVE YOUR LIFE through your child. Avoid over involvement. Always keep a healthy attitude towards competition.

My Two Precious Gems

Two days ago, I posted a photo of my kids waiting in line at the Yishun MRT Passenger Service Counter. They were there to return an ATM card they had found.

The first thing my son said when he found the ATM card was, “We have got to return this!” … and so they did. Both my gems waited patiently and proudly in line and gave it to the officer behind the counter who in return gave them a thumbs up. And the next thing that came out of my 7-year-old son’s mouth was, “It sure does feel great to do the right thing.”

… Anyway, that FB post have received more than 70 likes and 2 of the likes came from two Singapore ministers, Viviam Balakrishnan and Teo Chee Hean. I've also received very lovely compliments.

Some of the compliments were, “Excellent Parenting”, “You have done good”, “good upbringing”, etc.

It has made me feel so proud as a parent so hear these wonderful compliments. But most of all, I am so proud of both my children for who they are and for the perfect adults they will one day grow in to.

Raising decent, caring, and responsible children is the most complex and challenging job in every parent’s life and an increasingly difficult one in today’s society. I honestly don’t want to steal the credit for the little wonderful people my kids are because if you asked me, I couldn't tell you what I did right when it comes to them being so compassionate. We are not the kind of parents who would keep harping about how our kids need to be kind, blah blablah….  But it’s in our nature and I suppose our kids sees it.

I was the same way as a child. I remember I would take my own money to give it to a beggar outside of Katong Shopping Center whenever I passed him. I would save 20 cents every day from my pocket money because I knew come Friday, my grandfather would get me from school and I would spend the weekend at their house…so by Friday, I would have $1 and it would be enough to buy my grandpa a bottle of ice-cream soda which was his favourite. 

But if I recall, it is not something that was taught to me. It was something I saw happening in my family and it was from there that I naturally followed.

My kids do the same thing today. They would buy tissues from the old folks who sells them at hawker centres, they are very much involved in charity performances when the opportunity is there. Every December, we will clear out their toys and give it to the Salvation Army….

I suppose that being a parent means that you are responsible for laying the foundation of your children’s future. Without that foundation, they will have nothing to build on. We are solely responsible for the education of our child’s early years as this is when they will absorb the most information and habits.

The early years is when our children develop their personalities…how they will treat and respond to other people. So I suppose that’s where my husband and I unknowingly excelled in. Haha….  But then again, that’s the kind of people we are. We are kind and whenever we can afford, we give to charity and our kids watch us do it.

We are not perfect parents but we try. I don’t want my children to just be good as in well behaved but I want them to be well rounded, comfortable in making good decisions and confident in being an achiever in life. Because this will make all the difference as they get older. It’s the beginning years when we want to lay the ground work, for the rest of their lives. How we treat them is how they will treat us when we are 80 years old.

I hope I will have enough time to instill respect, responsibility, and accountability in them.

I love watching my children grow up right before my eyes but wish they would stay small forever. They are my heart and soul, my “best thing that ever happened to me”, the source of many laughs and a few tears.

Parenting to me is NOT all about the trips to the park, playing games and having fun…it is about teaching your children values, morals and responsibility. The greatest gift you can give your children are the roots of responsibility and the wings of independence.

In my life, I have received lots of compliments but the best compliment ever? When someone compliments my children.

“Don’t raise your kids to have more than you had. Raise them to be more than you were.”

Cyclists: Finally The Town Council Have Woken Up

I woke up to some good news today. A few of my friends on Facebook had tagged this photo (below) to me. I guess they know me too well and know I always complain about these idiot cyclists who think they have the right of way on pavements.

Finally the Town Council have woken up and are doing something about these morons. I just hope they will continue to do this and will soon dispatch more officers to other parts of the neighbourhood to fine the rest of these idiots who cycle so fast on pavements and ring their bells asking people to move aside when we have the right of way to walk. I feel these officers should actually wait around schools at the start and the dismissal times because I have seen a lot of cyclists riding so fast and endangering the lives of the children.

Kudos to the Town Council for this.

However, I have another question, why did they block out the faces of the idiots who were caught?? Should name them and shame them…. Teach them a lesson and they will never do this again! Ha! (Anyone wants to vote me for President?)

Almost everyday I will fight with these moron cyclists who would ring that bell and expect me to move aside for them. Worse is when these clowns are cycling right under the SIGN that says NO CYCLING! I tell them off or yell at them and being an illiterate, they will fight back thinking they are still in the right.

On the same subject on moron cyclists, I came across this Facebook post on “SG Cyclists” FB Page….

They have the audacity to post this comment, “What the f**k is happening? Fine cyclist for cycling? What are you thinking East Coast Town Council. Then what do you expect cyclist to do? Fly? Levitate?"

And you thought I was kidding when I say these people are morons?

Every decent well brought up human being knows that we expect cyclists to follow the rules. When you see a sign that says NO CYCLING, don’t f**king cycle. Who died and made you boss and thus able to break the rules? You want to cycle? Cycle on the damn roads you fools! If not, you have two perfectly good legs so f**king park your bike and WALK!

First World Singapore….

So it seems that our First World Country may be turning into something else with all these FTs causing such a raucous here lately.

But what happened at Holland Village MRT Station yesterday takes the cake.

A woman was seen defecating at the MRT station!! Literally, pulled down her pants and underwear in broad daylight in front of God and everyone else, and took a shit like a dog (“bitch”) would do!

I am actually lost for words. And yes, we shouldn't all assume she was a foreigner but we can’t help it. We've been independent for 49 years and have never seen such a thing as disgusting until now…so you tell me…. 

I agree majority of the Singaporeans are rude and un-mannered, spitting everywhere, coughing and sneezing without covering their mouths, and a few other things, BUT no Singaporean would be so shameless to take a shit in public no matter how urgent we were!! It’s not our “culture”. At most, they would let their kids take a piss wherever they are at and when needed but even so that is so wrong. BUT for a grown person to shit in public??

SMRT claims they could not catch the woman as by the time their staff arrived at the scene, she was already gone. So maybe we will never know whether this woman was a Singaporean or a foreigner. I should still start taking bets just in case they do find out…haha…. BUT betting is stupid because majority of the Singaporeans would bet on the same Nationality!

Meanwhile, the news of the incident has spread on the Internet with media from Hong Kong and Taiwan picking it up. The news was also posted on a popular Chinese forum where PRCs usually participate in discussions.

Obviously they are bitter about it because maybe somehow the truth hurts. I especially want to smack the one who said “Does China need to care about the feelings of Singaporeans?”

YES they need to you dumb f**k when you’re working in our country and taking up our precious oxygen. Likewise for anyone who goes to any country to work or study or live….you NEED to be considerate and follow their rules and laws. It is that simple unless it is not in your culture to obey the rules?

So what do you think? I know what I think and if I said it out loud, they’d probably jail me. Ha.

Whatever it is, I decided to have some fun and let my “creative juices” flow and came up with this….it should be the new signs at MRT stations.

Goodbye Funny Man Robin Williams

My heart has been broken into pieces. My favourite funny man Robin Williams has passed away at age 63.

When I saw “Robin Williams hanged by belt in apparent suicide” I prayed it was another hoax on Facebook. But it wasn't. Robin was found hanged in the bedroom of his home, with a belt around his neck and slight wounds to his wrist. Apparently he had been grappling with severe depression.

Robin Williams was a comedy legend! Watching his movies, he would make me laugh and cry. I could watch his stand up comedy skits online for hours and never got sick of it. I loved all the quotes he had come up with! He was one actor I had hoped to meet and wondered what he would be like in real life.

It’s even more sad to realize that a person who was so funny on film, who made the whole world laugh, who cheered everyone up when they were sad just by watching him…was actually depressed himself. There didn't seem to be much Robin Williams couldn't do. He spent a career entertaining us and making us laugh. He used humour to bring others happiness, which made it all the more heartbreaking to learn of his suicide.

Who could have given back to him what he gave the world? Who could have made him laugh when he was sad just like he did for the rest of us when we were sad?

It’s impossible to understand how someone so cheerful on the outside could have actually been suffering on the inside. I am certain his family and friends tried everything to keep him happy but depression is actually a battle.

Everyone feels sad at some point or another. Depression, or feeling sad is a normal emotion. We feel sad when we encounter disappointments in life or the loss of a loved one. However, for most of us, over time we learn to overcome our problems or accept the changes in our lives. But for others, the depression can become so severe that it dominates their lives and prevents them from coping as they used to.

Depression of this degree is not just a passing ‘blue mood’… it is an illness that needs to be treated. It will affect the body, mood and thoughts to a point of dysfunction. It is not something that can be simply willed away.

Then you get these so-called Christians harassing his family and poking fun of Robin Williams saying he was a coward and suicide was the easiest way out.

We do not know how much pain he had been in and feeling like there was no other way out or cure. To me, having to end your life takes as much courage. If you say it is the cowards way out then you try to put a belt around your neck, or jump out the window or pull the trigger. I would never have the guts to do that.

From what I have learned is that major depression feels like intense pain that can’t be identified in any particular part of the body. The most (normally) pleasant and comforting touch can feel painful to the point of tears. Depression is utterly isolating.

So who could blame Robin Williams for what he has done? He probably had no

There is terrible shame about the actions depression dictates, such as not accomplishing anything or snapping at people. Everything seems meaningless, including previous accomplishments and what had given life meaning. Anything that had given the person a sense of value or self-esteem vanishes. These assets or accomplishments no longer matter, no longer seem genuine, or are overshadowed by negative self-images. Anything that ever caused the person to feel shame, guilt, or regret grows to take up most of his or her psychic space. That and being in this state causes the person to feel irredeemably unlovable, and sure everyone has abandoned or will abandon him.

Who could blame Robin Williams for what he has done? He probably had no choice and did what he had to do to end all the suffering.

I hope he’s finally found peace and he’s up there with a BIG smile making the angels laugh.

----

“You’re only given one little spark of madness. You mustn't lose it. “

-- Robin Williams --

Date Night

Happy Birthday Singapore. Yes, I am glad to live in this country where everything is so convenient and safe but I am sick of tired of dealing with the people that’s all around me. One particular group that really bugs me with their barbaric ways especially…

But lets not get in to that because today was a happy day……Ed and I had a date. It’s been months since we did this. Usually when we do get to spend time alone together, we’d go for dinner and a movie. Today we decided to do something different… we had dinner at KFC and then headed to the beach to do some prawning.

I know, it’s not as exciting as it sounds for a hot date but being married for as long as we have, we've already done everything you can ever imagine…so any time alone doing anything is good. This prawning was actually a nice change because we got to sit together, drink beers and actually talk. You can’t really do this at a movie can you?

Two hours and a few beers later, we (or should I say “I”) managed to catch one miserable prawn and it was a tiny one!! To think we had high hopes of going home with at least a bag of prawns! Ha! Good thing I didn't depend on our prawning skills for dinner or I’d be starving!!

We wanted to be funny and drop by the 24-hour Sheng Siong to buy from prawns so we could tell my mum that we caught those but we were too lazy and tired.

But I really had a good time and hope my hubs and I can do this a bit more often.

Going back to being married so long…I can’t believe my hubs and I have been married for almost 15 years!! That’s like half my life if you think about it.

So you might ask, “What are some of the signs of being married too long?” …

From personal experience (15 years), these would be some of the signs…

- We finish each other’s sentences. Sometimes read each other’s minds.

- I know how he takes his coffee, tops his burger and prefers his eggs.

- He puts up with my NKOTB craze even though he hates them.

- He no longer freaks out at buying feminine products.

- He uses his disposable razor ones and leaves it in the bathroom for me because he knows that’s where I use it

- He can tell me I have something stuck in my teeth and if I can’t get it out, he will remove it for me without even a second thought.

- When he hears my cockroach scream, he comes running with a shoe in hand yelling, “Where is it? Where is it?”

- We can pee in front of each other (in the toilet obviously).

I am sure that this list will grow as we add on more years to our marriage and when that happens, I will update all of you. Ha.

Film, TV & Media Gathering at The Papa Shop

For weeks, my mum and I had been planning to go to the Papa Shop for a few drinks today. I've already been there once with my hubby and kids and loved it there and so I wanted to take my mum there as she’s a HUGE fan of the hunky Keagan Kang!

I got online at about 4pm from the office to “kay-poh” and to check if Keagan had posted anything to clue us that he would be there tonight. I didn't want to make a trip there if Keagan wasn't going to be around as he’s the main reason my mum is so excited to head there…

I learned that there was an event happening and it would be the 3^rd Film, TV & Media Gathering at The Papa Shop! Well, for one, Keagan is definitely going to be there… BUT …. It was going to be packed!!! So I called my mum to ask if she was still interested when she told me she wasn't feeling well and we could postpone it.

In all honesty, I was pretty disappointed because I was really looking forward to this girly time with my mum as we have not had one in a LONG time.

Anyway, I wasn't going to give up yet. I sent handsome Jerry Hoh a text to ask if he was going to be at The Papa Shop? We've been ‘talking’ on Facebook and Whatsapp for years now and have yet to meet so it would be a good opportunity to meet him there too!! Not only did he say he might go after filming, he mentioned that Sunny Pang is in town.

So as it stands, Keagan is definitely going to be there, Jerry Hoh possibly would get there after his filming and so I PM Sunny Pang and he said he was going to be there too. Woot woot!!

I went home, rested a while, had something to eat and made sure mum was fine before I told her who was going to be there. Miraculously she felt better and said we’ll go. Ha. We got dressed and left the house by 8pm. My awesome hubby volunteered to babysit the kids tonight and was actually excited for both my mum and I to be able to go out and have a good time.

We stopped at Wendy’s first as I wanted mum to eat something before she had any alcohol in her system. Typical of her, she ‘tarik harga’ so she told me, “We have a couple drinks and maybe we leave after an hour.” … Sure… ok mum.

We got there, and I was right…the place was packed!! Quite a few familiar faces. We chose our beer which was a headache as there were so many choices to choose from!! Saw Keagan and introduced mum to him. As always, hunky Keagan was so warm and friendly.

…and then we saw Sunny Pang and I introduced him to mum as for me, this would be the second time I am meeting him. And Jerry Hoh!!! I finally get to meet my handsome Jerry Hoh (ha, he always accuses me of flattery) and Gillian Tan…. Sebastian Sim… Devarajan Varadarajan and Mathialagan Mathi!!

It was awesome sitting and talking to them all. Before anything else though, the three handsome men (Sunny, Keagan and Jerry) excitedly took a photo with mum and me.

We had a great time. Great conversations. A few beers later, we finally decided to make our move. It was 11pm. One hour only eh? Ha.

I had a great time with mum. It was good to see her enjoying herself instead of always being so cooped up at home or just going to malls, etc. Mostly it was great to have some girly mother-daughter time together and the fact that we did something together that we really enjoyed.

Definitely will have to do this again soon and obviously it will be at The Papa Shop!!

I look back on the evening and I chuckle because this was a Film, TV & Media Gathering and everyone there were directors, producers, actors, writers and my mum and I were possibly the only fan girls there. Hahaha….

Oh! It was great to meet some other FB friends too, like Tanner Tan and Justin Deimen!!

Keeping The Faith

This morning, my mum accompanied me for breakfast near my office then we headed over to the temple for worship. It’s our weekly ritual. Sometimes we do it twice a week. But whether it is once or twice a week, every time we leave the temple, we feel like a heavy burden has been lifted off from us.

When I pray, I don’t usually ask for anything in particular unless there is really a need for something. I usually leave it in the hands of the Gods because they know what you truly need. Yes, I will always ask for happiness in the family and to watch over my family but to just do what they think is right for us.

This afternoon, while at work, I checked my Facebook and saw a friend request. I checked it and I swear I almost fell off my chair when I realized it was from my brother’s ex who had taken my niece away from us about 1.5 years ago. Without thinking I added her right away because this could be when the family reunites with my niece!!

First thing she did was apologize for everything she had done. I accepted because what’s past is past. What is the point of praying when you can’t forgive and move on to better things? I accepted because I wanted to do what is right for my niece and our family who have been so affected by her leaving.

I informed my brother his ex was looking for him and he was excited because it meant he will get to see his daughter again. I got to see photos of Germaine which made me so happy to know she was well taken care of and growing up to be a beautiful girl. My parents were thrilled too.

My brother got to visit with Germaine today and I could tell how happy he was.

Our prayers are being answered slowly. In fact, my mum and I were just talking about how much we missed Germaine the night before!! How much of a coincidence could that be?

Anyway, I had to call for a taxi to take me home as I had durians from our office durian party to take home and I couldn't possible take the bus home with it. What surprised me was that the taxi driver had a Tua Pek Kong on his dashboard and I had a pleasant ride home with him. I got to learn a bit more about the Chinese calendar and Tua Pek Kong, and I got to share my experiences and as to why I was a Catholic before but is now worshiping Tua Pek Kong.

But that whole taxi ride made me wonder…was that a sign? Tua Pek Kong is answering our prayers and bringing our family back together again. I really think so.

Faith sure does make things possible although not easy.

“Keep the faith. Hold on. Things will get better. It might be stormy now but it can’t rain forever.”

The Dreaded Hungry Ghost Month

The hungry ghost month is one of the most famous Chinese festivals, other than Chinese New Year and Moon Cake Festival. It also happens to be one of the most dreaded festival and month. I dread it alright...it also means the beginning of my asthma season with all the burning of joss paper under my window...

The seventh lunar month in the traditional Chinese calendar is called Ghost Month. On the first day of the month, the Gates of Hell are sprung open to allow ghosts and spirits access to the world of the living. The spirits spend the month visiting their families, feasting and looking for victims.

There are three important days during Ghost Month. On the first day of the month, ancestors are honored with offerings of food, incense, and ghost money - paper money which is burned so the spirits can use it. These offerings are done at makeshift altars set up on sidewalks outside the house.

Almost as important as honoring your ancestors, offerings to ghosts without families must be made, so that they will not cause you any harm. Ghost month is the most dangerous time of the year, and malevolent spirits are on the look out to capture souls.

This makes ghost month a bad time to do activities such as evening strolls, traveling, moving house, or starting a new business. Many people avoid swimming during ghost month, since there are many spirits in the water which can try to drown you.

The 15th day of the month is Ghost Festival, sometimes called Hungry Ghost Festival.  This is the day when the spirits are in high gear. It’s important to give them a sumptuous feast, to please them and to bring luck to the family. Taoists and Buddhists perform ceremonies on this day to ease the sufferings of the deceased.

The last day of the month is when the Gates of Hell are closed up again. The chants of Taoist priests inform the spirits that it’s time to return, and as they are confined once again to the underworld, they let out an unearthly wail of lament.

And during this month, there are a lot of beliefs and superstitions … there are lots of things you should not do…. things like…

DO NOT…

01. Hang out late

02. Spit in the street or tree (half the bloody Singaporeans have this bad habit of spitting so I hope when they do during this month, the ghosts will slap their mouth crooked)

03. Step on or kick offering items / joss sticks along the roadside (I won’t kick those but can I kick the ones who put it there?)

04. Make funny jokes or comments on any display altar / offering items along the street

05. Open your umbrella at night, especially red color type (So even if it rains, you better not open your umbrella at night especially if it is red! Doesn’t make sense this one)

06. Wear red color costume with high heels and walk alone at night (Seriously!?!)

07. Pick up any unique items found on the street or road

08. Stand Under a Tree in the middle of the night

09. Hang your clothes out in the middle of the night

10. Answer or respond when someone calls you, especially from behind (so ladies if you’re in doggie position and your partner calls your name from behind, don’t answer!)

11. Turn your head when someone pat on your shoulders in the middle of the street (can I swing and punch?)

12. Use any Dark or Black color manicure (oops!)

13. Comb your hair in front of the mirror in the middle of the night (Do you know of any one who would wake up in the middle of the night just to brush their hair?)

14. Leave your bleeding wounds in a open air; always cover up the area with plasters or other bandage materials (Ladies, if you’re having your period, you better stopper your vagina)

15. Swim in the pool or lake in the middle of the night

16. Play at the playground in the middle of the night; especially the swings

My apologies for cracking some jokes but in all honesty, at times we have to be cautious and try to believe. Obviously some things are just ridiculous just by the sound of it, but some do make sense. So my advice, try to listen to the old folks.

I have honestly seen with my own eyes, EVIL and I do BELIEVE they exist. Of course during this month, it may get a little out of hand with these ghosts and spirits but every other day, there are still lots of evil around you.

But here’s my list of NOT TO DO things during this month or any other days when it concerns religion or beliefs….

DEBRA’S DO NOT DO LIST…

1. DO NOT burn your joss papers and what nots on the grass (grass are living things), drains (so it clogs up the water flow and breed mosquitos), pavements so it blocks the pathway for people to walk and makes it look so unsightly with the burn marks. You should be charged for vandalizing.

2. DO NOT burn under peoples’ windows and smoke them out of their own homes.

3. DO NOT leave your papers, offerings, etc, scattered all over the place and clean up after yourself. That SHOULD be considered littering and you should be fined.

4. DO NOT complain during the next haze season because you do the same to the environment by doing what you do

5. DO NOT pull the barrels under the shaded areas when it rains

… and my WISH list

1. The authorities would take this into consideration and be more strict with where these people pray or burn their things. They should be fined for the mess they leave behind as it is considered littering. If we accidentally tossed a piece of paper, we would have gotten a fine, right?

2. I wish they wouldn’t keep using religion as an excuse to close both eyes on what really is happening

3. They should move the barrels to open spaces so it doesn’t smoke residents out of their own home as it’s a health hazard especially to those with respiratory problems. And fine the people who does not obey the law about burning responsibly.

4. They should start providing those new bins to every estate ASAP to prevent the smoke from suffocating people and papers from flying everywhere….

5. Higher conservancy fees to be charged to these folks because the cleaners clean up more of their mess every month than the regular folks’.

6. That all these prayer stuff be kept in their place of worship.

So there!!  

Keep safe everyone. Those with asthma and such, make sure you keep a mask in your bag….and try not to be a victim of these hungry ghosts!

My Journey Of Faith

It’s been weeks since I wanted to write this post but work and family has kept me occupied, happy and blessed. My biggest reason for wanting to write this is because of a recent private message I received from an old school mate via Facebook. This ‘witch’ I didn't even care much for in school, decides that she is indirectly going to tell me that I should not go to the temple as if she remembers I was a Catholic and that I am being a sinner by doing so….. I calmly asked her to kiss my ass and I will see her in HELL if that is what she thinks.

Who I am and what I become, what religion I choose, the life I lead and the paths I take is MY BUSINESS. It’s my life and I am free to decide for myself.  Everyone has reasons for things they do and I sure have mine. No one has tried walking a mile in my shoes so they do not have the slightest clue about what I have been through….

So before I proceed, I would like to say that by writing what I feel in this post and about the choices I have made and why…I am not trying to criticize anyone or any religion. Everything on here will be what I feel and what I believe…. So if you have a problem with anything I have to say then take it up with the higher authority.

Yes, I was baptised a Catholic. It was a decision my mum made and it was a decision I had no say in, and a decision I am certain my mum was aware could change as I grew up. I went to catechism classes every Saturday (and dreaded every minute of it). I attended Mass every weekend (kicking and screaming… until I was old enough to like boys….and going to Church had a whole new meaning). I never understood the sit, stand, kneel, sit, stand, kneel…

Worse is when I got a bit older, I found it strange that people would go to Church for what I thought was prayers, but instead, they would gossip or show off their new purchases, etc. During mass they would smile at one another during the sign of peace but snub one another right after mass ends. I always questioned, “Why do they even bother going to Church then?”

My mum married my dad who was a divorcee and because of that. She had to sacrifice receiving the body of Christ. Again, when I got older, I questioned this and not a single priest could answer my question. Does God really punish his children who marries a person they love? Where in the bible does it state that a person who marries a divorcee is not allowed to receive the body of Christ? This and many other questions I had, could not be answered and even till today, they push it away. Man made laws of the Church? I dare say yes it is.

Still, I kept going to Church till the day I left for America. Yes, I did try to find a Parish Church there but the few I went in to, even the Priests seemed to be indirectly wanting to know how deep your pockets were or weren’t happy to accept probably because I am Asian. So whatever…..the 11 years I stayed in America, I never stepped in to a Church. OK….I am exaggerating because when I came back to Singapore, I did step in to Churches for my wedding, funerals and my kids’ baptisms.

I got married in Church. I only did so because my grandfather always dreamed of seeing me walk down that aisle. I am glad I did because the year after, he passed away.

I baptized my daughter and my son only because of the pressure from family members (not my mom)….and so to keep their mouths shut, I did it. If I have to carry the sin, I will carry it for them. No I will not force them to attend Sunday classes…I hated every minute of it, why would I put them through it. Of course if they said, “mummy I would like to go for Sunday classes…” .. I would gladly take them.

The choice of what religion or faith they will want to explore is up to my kids to make when they are older.

…

And this is where my journey of faith begins….

Two years after I got married, my hubby and I decided we were stable enough and we could start planning a family. We were ready. After months of trying, I finally got pregnant and we were thrilled until we received a call from my doctor on a Saturday saying I had a miscarriage. I swear, my whole world shattered and I kept asking, “WHY?”. But we tried again and again,…and it was one miscarriage after another.

Of course I prayed and kept my faith but after the few miscarriages, I started questioning God…. I did not say we would make awesome parents but we definitely would love and raise our child to the best of our ability and protect him/her….yet I kept reading in the newspapers about parents killing their kids, abusing them or newborn babies being tossed in the trash. All that got me furious and even furious with God. He’s giving all these people babies to torture and kill? What about me? I am praying but is he listening?? NO! Then I get all these holier than thou people telling me God has his reasons, God knows when is the right time…. My reply? BULLSHIT! No offence but by this time I was pissed at God and the whole world!

We almost gave up. We almost adopted. Then one day my mum called me in USA. She told me her friend knew I was trying to conceive and suggested my mum take me to the Loyang Tua Pek Kong temple to pray and ask for what I wanted. A few months later, I made a trip back to Singapore. We went over to the temple and I put all my faith together and prayed to have a healthy baby. I left the temple without high expectations, only faith.

A few weeks after I returned to USA, I got pregnant. Of course I was thrilled but I didn't want to think that it was a miracle. I also wanted to make sure I didn't suffer another miscarriage.

It wasn't an easy pregnancy. It was nine months of nightmare because I was scared of another miscarriage. I did things extra careful, I ate the right foods. I was also under high risk pregnancy…. But one thing I had throughout this whole nine months was FAITH and prayers to a new found God/Religion.

I gave birth to my daughter. It was the happiest moment of our lives. The first week was rough as she was so sick and was in the NICU for a week…but again I lived on prayers and faith. And I figured that, we've already been through hell and back, this is nothing we cannot cope with and it would only make us appreciate our baby girl even more…

Needless to say, we named her “LeiLani” which means ‘Heavenly Child’.

Four years later, we decided to try again for another baby and that was when Logan was born. He was under high risk pregnancy as well and was in the NICU for a little longer than his sister…but other than that, I have two healthy amazing kids.

I have since kept going back to the temple. I took Lani to the temple every time we came back to Singapore for a visit…and now we’re back for good. It’s easier for us. I've explained it to my kids and they understand.

I feel everyone has to have a religion or a faith to believe in. It’s hard to get through life not believing in anything or not having a God to turn to when you’re at your darkest hour. I am glad I found a faith I trust in, a God I can turn to when my whole world seems to be crumbling down.

Not only did I pray to get my kids. I continue to pray for everything to Tua Pek Kong. My faith in him is so strong that when we bought a house, we bought one right next to the market where there is a Tua Pek Kong altar. Trust me, it’s saying something because Tua Pek Kong altars and temples are tough to come by in Singapore.

…and most recently…

When work was a bit unstable and I was worrying about finances and such when I turned to Tua Pek Kong. In less than two weeks, I got myself a new office that’s only 6 bus stops away from home and the best part about the whole package?? My new office is right beside a Tua Pek Kong temple. I have to pass it to get to the office and back home. Such eerie coincidence? Nahh… I think it is just his way of telling me he is taking care of my family and I.

Once a week, my mum will accompany me to the temple in the morning. We will have breakfast then pay our respects at the temple. The rest of the week, I spend a few minutes there before work and after.

Because of this, the calmness I receive every day, I feel I have changed a little. I have become a better person. I am less grumpy and agitated, and I manage my daily routines better than I ever did.

Just the other day, I was discussing this with my husband and we were talking about how Lani was a blessed child. Then I mentioned how much of a coincidence that Lani was born in February and that Tua Pek Kong’s birthday falls in February too, although the date changes every year…

My husband then prompted me to research and to find out when they celebrated Tua Pek Kong’s birthday in the year Lani was born…. I did…and I was shocked by my findings! In Singapore, they celebrated Tua Pek Kong’s birthday on the 16^th of February 2003….. my daughter was born on the 15^th of February 2003 in USA…meaning it would have been Feb 16 in Singapore!

But I have to say, my brush with Taoism started before I even realized it. Before I got married, I was struggling to get my fiancée visa in the USA approved. My mum and I were outside a temple at Pulau Ubin when a monk came up to me and told me not to worry and that I will get everything sorted out soon. Now, how did he know? What was he really talking about? There and then I took it as he meant my visa…and he was right….a week later my visa was approved. Coincidence? I thought so at that time. The fact that I now realize that the temple there was a Tua Pek Kong temple just makes this whole journey to Taoism all the more interesting for me.

Of course there will be non-believers who probably by now is thinking I am full of shits. But I didn’t write this to make anyone believe. I wrote this because I wanted to share. Only my family and I will understand this and that is all that matters.

I am no where close to being an expert on Taoism. But I go to the temple and I pay my respects and I pray in whatever way I know. I am sure Tua Pek Kong understands and to a certain degree I am sure he laughs at these two Eurasian ladies with two ang moh children coming in to his home to pray.

And that’s my story of my journey of faith…from being a baptised Catholic to a Taoist.

Buying Concert Tickets From A Third Party

My daughter had been asking to go for ‘The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers’ Orchestra since last month. The problem was, she wanted to go with her group of about 5 good friends and no one confirmed anything with her till it was too late.

Finally her best friend said she wanted to go, too, and I tried to book the tickets through the Sistic website but the good but reasonable priced tickets were sold out. I didn't want to spent $150 or more on a ticket! I just don’t feel it’s worth it.

And so the hunt began. I searched high and low for these tickets from third party sellers…. Craigslist… Gumtree… You name it and I was there searching.

I know I had promised myself never to buy tickets from a third party after my last stressful encounter with the Justin Bieber tickets…. But I just had to. I had to take the chance and so my daughter wouldn't be disappointed.

But before I go on about the Lord of the Rings tickets, let me explain about the first time I purchased Justin Bieber concert tickets from a third party….

Back in the day, my daughter was crazy over him and she had asked to go but I flat out said NO in the beginning because I hated that little freak. As time went by, I remembered the time I was her age and I wanted so much to go to the NKOTB concert here in Singapore and my parents went all out to get me those concert tickets. We were not well to do but they still managed to find the money to get it for me….and so I started feeling this sense of guilt.

I was thinking….all her friends would go back to school talking about this freak’s concert and she’d feel so left out. And so that was when I decided to bite the bullet and get her tickets. Obviously I needed two tickets as I had to accompany her. I know my husband would probably prefer to poke his eyes and ears with a sharp stick then to sit at JB’s concert….

Got on to Sistic’s website and just as lady luck has never shined on me…tickets were all sold out!! By the way, I didn't tell her I was getting her the tickets or that I had changed my mind.

I got on Craigslist and found a seller who had two tickets that were $250.00 a piece. I reserved the thickets and two days later, this seller dropped by my house and passed me the tickets as I paid him the $500.00!! There was lots of mixed emotions…. I was happy I got the tickets for my daughter, was sad to part with 500 bucks on JB the freak, and worried right after that the tickets could be a fake or a scam…..

I had sleepless nights. Literally for a week or so I was worried about it and had nightmares about going to the concert venue and being turned away because the tickets were a fake!!

So I took it to the nearest Sistic counter at Parkway Parade and asked the lady behind the counter to verify that the ticket was indeed real. She said, as far as she can see, it looks authentic but advised me never to buy from a third party again.

Well I am now not as worried but still am… if that means anything.

I surprised my daughter with the tickets on the day of the concert itself and as we handed our tickets to the ushers, I prayed like hell it was AUTHENTIC!! Yes, we got in….then I continued to drink my beer/wine and prayed no one had the same seat number as us! Ha! Finally, the concert started, the little assh*le was almost an hour late and that meant I had an extra hour of worrying no one else with the same seat numbers showed up. I am surprised I survived that whole ordeal….not even extra white hairs were formed.

Anyway, when I had to purchase these two Lord of the Rings tickets, I was still suspicious. I even wondered why this person had so many tickets on hand? But after a few exchange of text messages, I kind of trusted this person because the key thing was the fact they wanted to meet me an hour before the event at the venue to do the exchange and payment. I mean, if the tickets were fake, they wouldn't date meet us at the venue right? But why would any more buy the tickets at $98 a piece and sell both for only $150? So being the worry wart that I am, I started to worry about them not showing up on the day and that my daughter will be left feeling disappointed.

Nevertheless, this time round, my husband agreed to accompany our daughter and her friend to the venue and to hang around outside and wait for them to get done. I guess he’d still rather do that than be at JB’s concert… ha.

My hubby finally met the third party and paid for the tickets. I was still worried until he text me to tell me that the girls got in to the venue fine. Meaning the tickets were authentic.

Then he snapped a photo of the tickets and sent it to me. I got pissed because the seller had these complimentary tickets and charged me CAT 3 prices for it? WTF?

However, when I then realized we had paid CAT 3 prices and both my daughter and her friend got CAT 1 seatings…I calmed down. Yeh typical KIASU Singaporean but I really do not appreciate being cheated. Who would?

So I don’t know if my heart is strong enough to go through third party seller in the near future but I am glad I met this guy who sold the Lord of the Rings tickets because now I have a trusted source for these sort of stuff.

Happy Vesak Day

Before I go on, I would like to wish all my Buddhist friends a Happy Vesak Day! Most of you know how much my holidays or days off from work mean to me as I enjoy spending it with my kids. However, today, I did something different.

While Ed and the kids spent the day together, my parents and I headed over to Tong Sian Tng temple at Devonshire Road to do our little part for charity.

Together with the staff from DBS, we hosted mentally challenged children from six special schools. Goody bags sponsored by DBS were given to all children while we were given the task of sculpturing balloons for about 600 children. We started at about 10am and ended at 3pm. Together with my dad, we did a total of about 800 simple sculptures as some of this mentally challenged kids came with their siblings. Thankfully my mum was there…she was a big help distributing the balloons and making sure everything was in order.

Some people run the other way when asked to do charity work. Nobody wants to spend an afternoon, day or weekend away from their everyday routine. They’re either too busy, or just don’t want to dedicate time to something that isn't going to benefit them in some way. Just because you aren't getting paid for the work you’re doing, does not mean that there aren't any benefits.

Now you may be thinking, “Will she just shut the hell up. Only doing this charity event once and acting all high and mighty…” … So that you know, this isn't the first charity event I have done. I have done many in the past and some I have gotten my kids involved. I wish I could do more if time and money permitted. But whenever there is an opportunity like this, my family and I will always jump at it.

So what are the benefits of charity work?

From my point of view, the number one benefit would be the fact that you always get to meet fantastic people. I've never NOT made new friends and or have I never NOT felt great about giving back to the wider community with them. Volunteering connects you to others. Dedicating your time as a volunteer helps you make new friends, expand your network, and boost your social skills.

The other benefit from volunteering is that it’ll give you a sense of purpose. You will genuinely feel like you’re doing something good, in whatever role you’re allocated or decide to take on.

Volunteering provides many benefits to both mental and physical health. In short, volunteering is good for your mind and body. It increases self-confidence and boost your self-esteem and life satisfaction. You are doing good for others and the community, which provides a natural sense of accomplishment. Your role as a volunteer can also give you a sense of pride and identity. And the better you feel about yourself, the more likely you are to have a positive view on your life and future goals.

Volunteering is a fun and easy way to explore your interests and passions. Not to mention that it brings fun and fulfilment in to your life. Doing volunteer work you find meaningful and interesting can be a relaxing, energizing escape from your day-to-day routine of work, school, or family commitments. Volunteering also provides you with renewed creativity, motivation, and vision that can carry over into your personal and professional life.

But most of all, I enjoy volunteering because I enjoy the HAPPINESS EFFECT. Helping others definitely kindles happiness in me.

There were a few times I've done charity performances with my kids. Volunteering as a family has many worthwhile benefits. Children watch everything you do. By giving back to the community, you show them first hand how volunteering makes a difference and how good it feels to help others. Thus I am proud to say my kids are great kids who have big hearts! I think I have done right in raising them to be who they are today and hopefully to continue to grow in to that perfect adult.

Today was a great experience. Instead of volunteering with my husband and kids, I got to do it with my parents who have raised me to be the person I am today and in return I am able to raise my kids to be the wonderful children they are today.

It just feels good. I get a genuinely awesome feelings when I help someone who truly deserves it. I find this feeling hard to come across.

By the time I got home, I hugged both my kids tight and giving thanks to the creator for giving me two perfectly good and healthy kids. Yes, after seeing what the parents of these mentally challenge kids go through just within that few hours I was there, have made me stop to think what they go through 24-7, 365 days a year. I am blessed.