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.. :`(
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..
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.
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.
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.
On Hong's 29th birthday, he finally tied the knot with Dorothy!
An unprecedented big big event in the family, an extremely joyous occasion.. all the children were so excited & thrilled and can't wait to be part of the entire celebration!
To chant everyday can be a boring chore, juz like having to brush teeth everyday is a tedious chore.
Brushing teeth is straight forward enough, and the direct effect of not brushing teeth is well-known to all young and old - on top of getting unsightly teeth and smelly mouth, tooth decay and gum disease, the toothache must be the most unbearable consequence of not brushing teeth!
Chanting daimoku can improve destiny, and karma will deteriorate without chanting. By not chanting, previously improving destiny effected by chanting will revert back to its former bad karma. Many people do not realise this seemingly intangible and invisible change and get lazy with daily gongyo and daimoku.
Hence, juz like motivating a young child to brush teeth, we have to motivate everyone to chant daimoku too.
Many years ago, a beautiful-sounding bell helped to bring Victor closer to the Gohonzon. An expensive bell with a beautiful sound. To sound this bell, Victor more willingly led the family in our gongyo and more regularly too.. (:
Like father like daughter. Many years later, his youngest daughter displayed almost identical traits! To sound the bell, En knows she has to lead in prayers, and to lead in prayer, she has to seat herself right in the centre. Well, see for yourself!
Enthusiastic about viewing the sunrise, I woke up at about 5 am this morning, ready to journey my way to Punggol to view the sunrise which captivated me whenever I drove past in the morning. Shin Yang is 'invited' to participate in this inspirational event.
So at 5.30am, we started to walk for about 3km and reached our destination at 6.15am We waited for 30mins... and yet, not a single sign of the sun being seen even though the sky is getting brighter and brighter. We suspected it must be too cloudy for the sun today... so with slightly disappointed, we started to jog our way back home.
What a miscalculation... On the positive note, at least we are able to burn about 400cal.
Just brought my first MacBookPro after hearing numerous good feedback on it's performance. One of my key drivers to buy a new laptop is to be able to import videos and edit them faster and made them clearer. iMovie is the application which comes together with the MacBookPro. Still not familiar on using iMovie, but am truly impressed with it's powerful features... So, here you are, my first iMovie clip, the view from Marina Sands SkyPark.
Every child loves the refreshing and clean feel of a bath & brushing teeth after a loong day. Prepares the child for bedtime, isn't it? Every child, I thought. My children too, even Enen, I know. Nevertheless the end result is not always motivation enough for her to run into the bathroom automatically upon knowing it's bathtime!?
On good days, En will go, "After I finish my homework, I will go and bath."
On bad days, En will scream and cry and simply refuse to go near the bathroom. Even if she has to pass urine, she will deliberately go into the kitchen toilet so as to escape being dragged to bathe against her will immediately after sitting on the toilet bowl.
This is a typical scene of a moderately bad day.
Sigh, I always say, "Meow meow meow, Enen is a dirty cat!"
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.. :`(
