iPad... Pad?

Hahahah... It's so silly and funny! I saw this on Youtube today and it's amusing as iPad by Apple was being launched recently.

Sunday Thoughts

I just read in the Sunday Times about SOTA and something a year 1 student said strikes me.

He said something about "like to draw weird weird stuffs like abstract shapes objects" but his previous teachers would not understand. Here in SOTA, they do.

I know thinking about past other than learning from it has not much use in it. But I do wonder if I would be happier if I had the chance to explore my creative sides when I was young, when there were more choices in the 80s-90s and I can do more with myself.

School was fun, we had some creative sessions but mainstream schools feels boxed in. My brother in law sent his kids (my niece & nephew) for overseas education, first Australia, then an international school in China when he got out stationed. I would not know how they fare had they remained here, but now they can play the violin, perform ballet, enjoys tae kwan do, recite 三字经 in perfect Mandarin and do well for exams. 

One example on fixation of standardization here, when my niece was very young, she coloured the sky purple and the teacher tried to explain and coax her into colouring it blue. She refused. Now, it seems like spoilt & bad behaviour to some doesn't it? Because she doesn't do as she was told, but when do you decide if it's creativity or defiance? I'm just questioning, is purple a wrong colour for the sky? The sky do look slightly purple on some days, maybe even green if I wan to push my luck. And is the sea blue? But why does some sea looks green? And our waters kopi coloured?

The point is, when to draw the line? Some other kid we know is hyperactive and the teachers called her mum to school and suggest sending the kid for some counseling for behavioural problems. Hubby thinks it's absurd, hyperactivity automatically = ADHD? And the poor kid will get medicated and loses self for easy conditioning in our system.

Before this post delves into some forum letter, I just want to say I have no idea how to bring up a kid in this age. There, I have said it. Maybe it's for the best that we don't have kids, but there's so much more to being a parent then just worrying about the school & educational system right? Like when a child sayang a cat & learn how to love his soft toys like his friend? To respect his elders, to offer you his food because he want to share, to lay his head on your shoulders just because he loves you? It's a great feeling to see a child grow up well with values.

There's no conclusion on the topic on creativity really. Parents, school and system on a whole can stifle or promotes creativity, beliefs, motivation and alot more. But the individual has the ultimate control in the end. I can't say I will turn out better and happier if I had the chance to change my life, my education choices and career choices. I will never know and shall not dwell on the what ifs and maybes. My career choice is not something I will shout about. I enjoyed studying it and I believed in the core values of it, unfortunately, I couldn't fulfill it and I hate the system here. I hate the control, the conformity, the rules and the many red tapes & "higher authorities" that will continue to keep the younger generation "boxed in for their own good".

But I believed that the path I have taken has been nothing else but good for me. I met people who helped me and loved me. Setbacks were for me to learn and whatever decisions I have made or will make, I will bear the consequences and relish in the good or cry in the bad. If I do not want to be boxed, I will make my own rules.

My life is a blessing.

Being able to write like this is a blessing.

Yipee!

I'm having a blast with my iPhone (white)! Happy as a clam! Wanted one since it came out Jan 2009 but it was monopolised by 1 telco (SingTel) and I didn't want to spend money on my phone. Always believed that a cell phone is for texting and calls, now I'm a convert! I have always loved Apple product. Had been using Apple Laptop since 2003! and had a few iPods too. And I had the urge to spend money and buy pretty pretty stuffs!

Haha.. Lucky, the urge to spend obscene money on my iPhone has passed since last Sat! Yup. it has been a week and I'm getting used to the phone, it's a really intelligent phone, just a gripe that the batt do drain rather quickly when I'm surfing online, and I kept typing the wrong letters and had to keep on back spacing it.

So hubby got a new line with M1 and got me the iPhone, while I signed on another  2 years (mum's line) and got him HTC Magix. At this moment, he's having fun playing games on the iPhone,  have downloaded a Jungle Crash game where you need to bomb stuffs and another penguin game. He has downloaded some can shooting game too.

++++

Met up with hun again yesterday... I can't believe she will be leaving in 4 days. It's too soon! Time passes very quickly when we are out together, whether it's shopping for intimate products (=D), clothes, face products, PM, bags or just walking up and down shopping centre witch somehow seems to have very interesting things in every corner! I will always remember TBP as the "intimate" mall and this CNY as the year we entertained the guy at the escalator with the tiger and 6 digit nos.! hahah

Later we had dinner at GWC, TCC and bought a wedding gift at PM and was kinda sad that all the shops have closed. I hope we can do this again next week before she leaves. I think it would be great to go Perth and chill. To drink coffee and have cool wind blowing, to walk along the streets of Fremantle and to drive along big, empty roads with no high rise buildings obstructing and finally, I can see the pot of gold at the end of a rainbow. Doesn't it sounds chill?

*great wide smile

YEs! I've got an iPhone & it's such a beauty. But my typing is slow & I keep hitting the wrong button =( but I'm still happy & thank u hubby!

Blogging from my iphone. Can't seems to be able to type in the contents box. Will have to try othr means

Miniature Chili

 One of life great finds!

Orange zest @ Starbucks

I have tried the Honey Orange Mocha Frappucino & I liked it! The orange is not to over powering and it goes nicely with mocha. Will try the latte next.

Yippee! I'm a sucker for "Limited Edition" stuffs and hubby always says marketing works for people like me. Like when I want to buy groceries at Cold Storage and he would ask me when I'm shopping along the aisle...  

'Why not buy at Sheng Siong?' 

and I can answer him without missing a beat.

'Because Cold Storage is the fresh food people!' 

(from the TV commercial)

Do you know that there're buns decorated to look like tigers at Bread Talk? I need to try. Dunno what I'm so happy about. hahaha. 

Farting flowers & Sprouting leaves

It was one of those days.

Hubby & I came back and took our home clothes from the utility room. I sniffed at the air

Me: What is that smell? 

Hub: What smell? I farted.

I considered. Appreciated his honestly and went into our bedroom and opened the window. He entered and the smell fills the room.

Me: Are you sure you farted? Did  you fart again? The rooms smells!

Hub: (looks really innocent) No leh, I didn't.

The room was filled with an over powering smell, it smells like dried flowers from Ikea, little sourish and like the sap of grass in the morning dew, but not so fresh. I was thinking maybe a flowering tree? And I was right! The next day, we looked out and saw the tree covered with little light yellow stuffs and we took pictures of the evidence.

It's quite pretty to see little bulb of flowers covering the entire tree at a distance.

Close up of the flower bulb 02/01/10

09/01/10 When the flowers have bloomed and are starting to wither.

So we lived with the flowering tree and smell their "fragrance" for about 10 nights. I have no idea what it is call, I do know that it's a night flowering tree and I admit I'm happy that the season is over. Fresh air again! 

Another tree right outside my window sprouting new leaves.

It's 2010

... for 6 days and counting. How's the year going on for you?

New Year's eve was pretty good. There was fun, food, family and dear friends. Hubby and I started the day by going to City Square Mall in the afternoon. It's a new eco friendly mall near Little India. We walked around and bought 2 pretty plates for Ron and trekked down Little India. I must say it's a place I wanna go and explore someday- there were lots of little shops & stalls that looked interesting and the aroma of spices and curry fills the air. Hmmm... I feel like eating Indian curry now- I think it's the cumin that makes it smells good. Cumin smells good when it's heated with oil, I have fried it with chick peas before and it smells like Indian food!

We went to Sheng Shiong at Tekka Mall area and bought cuttlefish and clams. It was quite funny as we (or rather I) was quite noisy choosing the cuttlefish (hard to choose mah and slippery) and chatting with the auntie about clams. Hubby say never mind, can entertain them. Haha.

We took a  bus down to Bukit Timah and walked to Cluny court for an Awfully Chocolate cake. I'm pretty disappointed as it was not as rich as it  previously was (when my CRM at ex work place bought for an occasion I can't remember). Ron was remarking as we savour in our memories of 2004-2005? When f & r were still around and for some reasons there were 2 huge AC cakes. Hmm.

Dinner was great steamboat - stock from ham bones and lots of food- fish, chicken, sabu beef, fishball, quail eggs, veg, calms, cuttelfish, tofu, tau pok, prawns. woot! We actually finished the existing stock and has to add prawn heads tot the remaining bones for a second round of prawn broth. Stuffed, we watched countdown and grumbled at Ch 5's party. In the end, we counted down to Ch 8's party and stretched our neck our to catch a glimpse of the lights - no sparkle, just lights. We heard greetings around the block and we shouted "Happy New Year" to be greeted with loud barking from an excited pooch. We laugh, drank sparkling juice and took a walk back home. The walk was around 30 mins and we were tired by the time we were home @1:45am. (We took a bus halfway and walked the remaining way as the bus ride has ended.)

Moon on a clear night

I have a secret wish and I hope it will come true.

The next day, we decided to take it easy and lazed at home till evening. We visited hubby's grandmother at the hospital and went to Vivocity for a yummy Thai dinner @ Thai Ascent.

++++++

Some pictures from X'mas...

Lu's present

very pretty cookies baked by Ron & A. I HAD to take pictures of it!