A simple walk to Mount Faber : Mar-18

This was one of those moments where you feel that you need to exercise... so after considering few options, I decide to try something new and took a walk to Mount Faber before my Ojokai duty.  I started off at Soka Peace Center after parking my car and then walked up to Mount Faber and back to SPC via Vito City.  The walk was about 3km, and a refreshing experience.  Will definitely try another longer walk with Ling next time.

Playing with 大旗 : Mar-18

After a good closure of all the CNY CaiQing activities, XinYang hosted a buffet and distributed angbaos to thank everyone who had helped out over the eventful CNY.

Before we started our dinner, the kids also took out the 大旗 (Big Flag) to play.  Even when NYJC had a few 大旗 in the past, I never had a chance to try them before.  This time, Adrian kindly offered me to try it out and I gave it shot. For  the first experience, it was quite heavy for right hand to hold the flag but not too difficult to balance the flag without performing any stunts. It just took me a few minutes before I need to pass the flag over, and left me with a sore right hand for a few days. 😜

En’s in a Movie : Mar-18

Almost 2 years ago in May 2016, some local director  Hong knew was looking for child actors and actresses. According to Hong, he had gone to many schools to look for them but still unable to find the lead child actress for his new movie. So an appointment was made for the director and his team at pa’s house to see En and her ‘talent show’.

The talent show was En and her pa playing a duet “Crazy G” on the ukulele. After that first meeting, En was given a script  to memorize and a second meeting with the camera man was made to see how En could act according to script and behaved in front of the camera. Victor and I tried our best to help En remember her script and act out her role. Even Hong tried to give her tips but En was rather stubborn, thus pretty resistant to everyone’s suggestion.

As expected, she was nervous and did not do well in that audition. She did not get the main lead role but was offered a role in the supporting cast, some classmate of the main characters. After some consideration and also becoz En seemed to really want to do it, we committed to the many hours of wayang practices and shooting schedule to be completed within that June 2016 school holidays. Well, if the entire shooting could be finished within that 4-week school holidays, that definitely would not affect En’s school work or schedule as she was not required to return to sch much as a P3 student!

Nonetheless, there were many delays and postponements, and shooting only began in the 3rd week of school hols and of course could not wrap up before the school term commenced again. There were discussions on visiting the zoo during one of the school weekdays (to avoid the crowd) for an important shooting with the main characters. However after much discussion, nothing was heard of it again. Apparently, only the main child characters were asked to take time off school to visit the zoo for that shooting. 

We were initially told the movie would be released at the end of 2016 during the December school holidays. However, the school hols came and went.. in fact 2017 came and went too, and no updates on the movie release was heard. Maybe the movie would not be released after all? Anyway, En earned a grand total of $200 for the many hours spent at the Aliwal Arts Centre and Bedok South Secondary for wayang training and shooting. Actually, I believed En spent much more time at the shooting site waiting and playing with her co-supporting cast children than the actually shooting itself. 

In fact, En had such a fun time with her new friends from the cast, that she even invited them to her 9th birthday bash, her very first birthday party!!

Finally finally juz before the Chinese New Year this year, I received an email from the production company to inform that they would be doing a private screening of the movie in early March and asked if we wanted to buy tickets to watch!!🦒🦒 I would not want to spend $12 for each ticket to bring the whole family to watch a show which may not even show En’s face..... Subsequently when I did not respond, I received a WhatsApp message to ask me to collect 3 tickets from the reception on the day of the Wayang Kids gala premier at Lido Shaw.

On March 9, 2018, Victor and I brought En to see the movie she had a acted in. Well, not much of a fanfare but still a premier gala nevertheless, with the main cast and director on stage interviewed by an emcee, before the movie screened. Also a monkey god mascot moving around and a photo corner with the movie posters..

 

Almost 2 years have passed and it was not surprising that En got shy when she saw her friends again. They took a while before warming up to one another and yakking away like old times!!😄😄

En’s Last SYF rehearsal @ HIPS : Mar-18

2 years ago when En was still in P3, was the first time En joined the main orchestra to play for the Singapore Youth Festival presentation. Naturally, she was extremely excited. And so was I. When I offered to help out for the SYF to move the heavier instruments, En was most supportive!!

Alas, that was not the case this year! When I offered again to help out for their SYF this time, En was most quick to reject me!! 😤 She said for sure there’ll be many parents who would be keen to help out and that I should stay away!!??😤😤 Anyway, I told her to juz not submit my agreement firm to help out if she’s so against that idea this time..  Haiz.. guess En has reached the stage where she won’t want to see her mum in school anymore..... ) :

I was rather surprised that she eventually submitted my form and I was selected among other parents to help out on their rehearsal day. 

Amidst my duty of putting on lip stick for the kids and transporting a percussion instrument, I managed to capture a few pics of En and her friends!

Xuan receiving award at Nan Chiau : Mar-18

Similar to Qi, Xuan was able to receive an academic award for her "O" levels results.  And like any other parents, it felt good and proud to see them receiving such award.

During this prize presentation, one of the principal mottos gave me a deep impression, "Your attitude determines your altitude in life".  What a great statement, and I cannot agreed further.  Such award was good, but it would be just another milestone in the multiple waves of challenges in life.

Dental implant second episode : Mar-18

3rd Mar was the day for my scheduled implant surgery for my left side, this time minus an extraction, there would be a sinus lift for the upper and two implants for the lower jaw.

The sequence changed this time, the dentist decided to do the sinus lift first.  This surgery unexpectedly took much longer than the last one as I later knew it was because more bone was needed to be drafted on the left side.  It was an agonising process, extremely stressful and also for the first time, i felt pain in the midst of the operation despite the jabs.  I was given two more rounds of jabs before the operation successfully completed after 1hour and 15 mins.  I was wore out then and the lower jaw had not even started!  Fortunately enough, the dentist was able to complete the two implant without cutting open my gum again.  The experience this time was not as pleasant as the last but at that moment, I was glad that it was finally over.

The recovery process was similar to the last surgery on the right, had a very swollen face for about 4 days before it started to subside and recovered.

CNY gatherings 2018 : Mar-18

Although our annual CNY agenda seems to be pretty standard like a SOP, it is always heartening and fill with joy for us to come together and wish each other well for the new year.  Below are the snapshots of the gatherings we have this year.