2011 PD P5 Camp: May-11

There are two PD camps this year, one for P6 in March and the other for P5 in May, as we are moving towards P5 camp from next year onwards. A big change we adopted for this year's camp is that cubs are gathered to prepare for the campfire performance before the camp; unlike previously where they only prepare the performance during the camp. This not only raise the standard and expectations of the performance items but also allow bonding time between the cubs and SAs as they prepare and practice together. As our response from the P6 camp participants was so good from their Tik Tok dance, all the Sunshine Auntys unanimously agreed to go for another dance item for our P5 camp too. Only thing is.. the success factor is somehow not within all of our control. Nevertheless, be it the cubs' good fortune or the auntys' powerful daimoku, our success factor, Hong, not only agreed to coach the cubs, but was also able to commit more than the initially one-only practice for them!! Initially we thought Hong still had his Expat Wife play running during our preparation week, and hence only able to spare a Sunday morning practice. However, the Expat Wife's last show took place the day before our first dance practice!! Therefore Hong was able to generously offer another two weekday practices before the camp.. WHooHoo!! Result is.. our cubs' dance emerged as the 2011 P5 Camp PD's Got Talent Champion!! .. out of 16 team performances altogether!! Our cubs were exhilarated!! Take a look at their winning item. But before that, maybe you should also see them during their very first practice? They really do have talent, you know.. A highlight and favourite of everybody's in the camp must be our beloved emcees - Diana and Cecilia. They are dressed up as Angry Birds!! Last but not least, I must show off the mammoth main scoreboard that we made for the March camp, and we managed to preserve until this May camp. However, we decided that this probably would not survive the rainy monsoon period in the damp SCC store until March next year.. We destroyed it yesterday immediately after the camp.. :`(

Enen's Playmate: May-11

Nancy, Caleb's mummy, is my childhood friend and neighbor. After we knew each other from Kotekitai during our primary school days, we spent much time hanging out together with other friends after our Kotekitai practices. We however drifted apart as we grew older, no longer in Kotekitai, started work and got married..

We met again many many years later as WDs as we both became sunshine aunties in the Hougang area where both of us were staying. Hey, if not for PD, we would not even know that we were staying in such close proximity!! Hence our friendship in gakkai continued.. (:

Then she had her second child, Caleb, in March 2007; I had my third child, Enen, in July 2007. As I became a SAHM two years ago, Nancy also a SAHM, gave me lots of encouragement & inspiration to not give up..

Well, now that both our children are schoolmates in Soka Kindergarten in the morning session, Nancy has become an invaluable resource in times when I cannot run back to SK in time to fetch Enen. At the same time, En and Caleb also becameo good friends.

This was one of the very rare occasions where I had the opportunity to "repay" Nancy's kind deeds of fetching Enen for me.. I brought Caleb home! ;)

See how the two tots have fun as we waited for Nancy to come home..

En'en perfecting her drumming skills : May-11

Practice makes Perfect... This is exactly what happens for En'en drumming skills. En'en has been "diligently" watching youtubes, DVD and even participating in 'LIVE' lion dancing events when drumming is concerned. It impresses me on her ability to observe, listen and more importantly to put it into practice. Such a pure heart of improving on something she enjoys. It reminds me that sometimes in life we know what is the right things to do to constantly improve ourselves, but putting into actions are totally another chapter of the story.

Our First Time Flying Kite : May-11

Believe or not, in my entire 40 years, i had never fly a kite before. It had always seemed easy to me to put the little thing up to the sky and just pull that string to adjust it's height. Out of curiosity, we bought a kite for En'en during Chinese New Year and En'en had chosen a cute little green frog kite. We told ourselves that we would go kite flying one fine day and En'en had been looking forward for us would bring it up. So came the 'fine' day... We woke up early in the morning, without any proper breakfast, rush down to the green patch at Seng Kang and started our first kite-flying session. It was challenging with the scorching hot sun and not a single gush of wind coming to assist us... or rather the kite. After a good 20 minutes attempt, we finally gave up and blamed it on the wind... we vowed to be back, to continue the fun.

Worker Party thanking the Hougang Residents : May-11

Starting the time when I became eligible to vote, more than 20 years ago, our tiny constituency has always been under the care of the opposition party. Despite the constant negative image projected by various media, I actually feel differently as the resident of this Hougang constituency. I feel a sense of pride. Unlike the typical reports, the place here is neither run down nor under-maintained. On the contrary, residents here live closely together with the Kampung spirit. And with one common heart, unknown to the general public, we are proud to be the residents in Hougang. 07-May-11 is Singapore's 16th election since independence, and for the 4th time, most of us wholeheartedly present our consent to the Worker's Party again to continue their good job in Hougang.