Little India Boy

Schools commemorate Racial Harmony Day on 21st July.

On this day in 1964, Singapore saw racial riots. Racial Harmony Day serves to remind our pupils that social division costs us dearly and that race and religion are potential fault-lines in Singapore society.

It is a day for schools to reflect on, and celebrate our success as a harmonious nation and society built on a rich diversity of cultures and heritages.

This is J's 1st Racial Harmony Day. I had initially wanted to buy a Malay costume for him but due to our proximity to Little India, it was much easier to get a costume from there.

We finally settled on this brown color Indian costume which cost abt $20. We bought a bigger size hoping that we can recycle it next year.

Men's talk

I walked out of my home office and saw this lovely scene of the 2 boys chatting. It is a rare moment as they are usually running around or fighting over toys. If only everyday could be like this. :-)

Look Mum, what big feet I have!

Random conversations

I was having a argument with M while in the car and M started to throw a tantrum.
M: I don't want you. Stop talking to me!
Mum: M, are you trying to fight with Mummy?
M: Yes!
At this point, J interjected and said: Ok, both of you can fight now.


On another occassion, I was just having some fun time with M and pointing to the Care Bear toy that he has, I said:
Mum: See M, this care bear has a heart on his bum bum. Do you have one on yours?
M: No, I don't have.
Mum: Are you a bear?
M: Yes, I am!
Mum: So what is your name? Naughty bear or Baby Bear?
M: No, I am Goldilocks and the 3 bears!

J's 1st day in new school

Weeks before we moved, I have been preempting J about starting in a new school; that it is the school with the big playground; there's bicycles that he can ride; and he have to take the schoolbus by himself. I guess I must have repeated it too often that one day, he said "Mummy! Why do you keep telling me? That day you say already. Now you say again".

When the day came, he excitedly put on his uniform and school shoes and kept asking impatiently when the school bus will come. When it is time to go down to wait for his school bus, I told my helper to bring him instead of me for I fear that he would be reluctant to board the bus by himself if I were with him. In the end, I couldn't resist the urge to be with him on his 1st solo school bus trip.

While waiting at the pick up point, he kept asking anxiously why the bus is taking such a long time and what if he doesn't know where to alight (cause he thinks he is taking a public bus and he needs to alight at a particular bus stop).

Finally, we caught sight of the bus, J quickly said "Bye, Mummy" and boarded the bus. For a minute, I was stunned. Is that my son who is so clingy to me? You mean, he boarded the bus without any struggle? No crying? No wailing? My helper and I looked at each other in disbelief.

After J boarded the bus, K and I followed behind the bus to school. We saw J alighting from the bus and followed the other students to the hall. As J joined the school in mid-term, he was unfamiliar with his new classmates. Nontheless, he just followed the crowd and sat down for assembly. So far, so good. As I peep from behind the glass door, I felt a sense of pride that he is doing so well. He has outdone himself and I felt embarassed that I've belittled him. Knowing that he is coping well, we headed home.

When it was time to pick J back, I waited anxiously at the pick up point. When J alighted, he had a smirk on his face. It was a proud moment for him; having accomplish a big task. At that moment, I felt very proud of him too

1st home-cooked meal in our new home

This is the 1st home-cooked dinner after moving into our new home.

The menu consist of:

• Smoked duck breast: The boys love this as it is very tender. It is pre-packed and all you need to do is to warm it up in the oven. But it don't taste like duck. More like smoked ham.
• Watercress soup: I very much prefer to cook soup in a slow-cooker but since we don't have one yet, we had to make do with boiling it in a pot. As a result, the watercress is quite mushy.
• Chilli clams: Saw some juicy clams in the supermarket and couldn't resist it (I love shellfishes). This is best fried in sambal chilli but since we are not fully-equipped, my domestic helper improvised with fresh chilli and garlic. Not as "shiok" but nonetheless, we finish the whole pot.

Why are we eating on a ottoman? Because we have not bought a dining set yet. :)