That's Papa's Happy Gal. :)
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Going Vegetarian
As AQ and family are back from UK for the New Year, we met up with a few other PS mates for a dinner. After that dinner, Jiaheng decided to go vegetarian.
Woah! Dun get me wrong, there is nothing magical about the dinner. Just that, prior to the dinner, the teacher at DiZiGui passed us a VCD to educate children to refrain from killing, 杀生。Then at the dinner, we ordered a steam fish and roasted chicken. Perhaps, something clicked in Jiaheng's mind when he saw the 2 big plates in front of him and he decided he doesn't want to 杀生。
Then mommy decided to be 'naughty' and test her boy a little. "Jiaheng, you really want to go vegetarian?" "If you do, you cannot eat 'bak bak' that Ah Ma cooks you know?" (BTW, that 'bak bak' dish is Jiaheng's favourite and grandma will cook it specially for him every weekend)
"Where does 'bak bak' come from Mommy?"
"From pork"
"Where does pork come from Mommy?"
"From pig"
"Orh. Then I dun want to eat 'bak bak' already"
Frankly speaking, i was a bit taken aback by Jiaheng's response. I didn't expect him to give up his 'bak bak'.
Then I pushed my luck a little more... hiak, hiak, hiak.
"Jiaheng, then you cannot take char siew bao you know?" (mommy really knows where are all the soft spots!)
"Where does char siew bao come from Mommy?"
"The char siew is from pork."
"Orh. Then I dun want to eat char siew bao already" (I thought I spotted a hint of hesitation though :P)
Jiaheng really went vegetable-vegetarian for more than a week... until Sunday morning. We went to the foodcourt for breakfast before going for his Art class. N guess what he saw at the foodcourt?
YES! It is his favourite of his favourites - Japanese food. He relented and decided to queue for his teriyaki chicken. I went over to join him at the queue. Before, I had the chance to ask him... Jiaheng started his 'defence statement'.
"Mommy, today is Sunday, so it's a holiday. That is why I can take the Japanese food. Monday to Saturday, then I take vegetarian." And he completed his 'defence statement' with a nod of his head as if he is in agreement with his justification.
At that moment, Mommy is already bowing over in laughter deep inside but still trying to maintain my composure on the outside. Really kanna 内伤。
Well, I can understand the internal struggle within himself. On one hand, he will like to be compassionate and refrain from killing. On the other hand, Jap food is his FAVOURITE!!! Afterall, he is just a little kid who is barely 5 years old.
Well thanks to Jiaheng, the whole family's diet is changing to the healthier vegetables and soya products like beancurd.
Everything happens for a reason. So I guess Jiaheng's move to be vegetarian allows us to be healthier on top of the supplements we are taking.
------------ posted by Mommy
Woah! Dun get me wrong, there is nothing magical about the dinner. Just that, prior to the dinner, the teacher at DiZiGui passed us a VCD to educate children to refrain from killing, 杀生。Then at the dinner, we ordered a steam fish and roasted chicken. Perhaps, something clicked in Jiaheng's mind when he saw the 2 big plates in front of him and he decided he doesn't want to 杀生。
Then mommy decided to be 'naughty' and test her boy a little. "Jiaheng, you really want to go vegetarian?" "If you do, you cannot eat 'bak bak' that Ah Ma cooks you know?" (BTW, that 'bak bak' dish is Jiaheng's favourite and grandma will cook it specially for him every weekend)
"Where does 'bak bak' come from Mommy?"
"From pork"
"Where does pork come from Mommy?"
"From pig"
"Orh. Then I dun want to eat 'bak bak' already"
Frankly speaking, i was a bit taken aback by Jiaheng's response. I didn't expect him to give up his 'bak bak'.
Then I pushed my luck a little more... hiak, hiak, hiak.
"Jiaheng, then you cannot take char siew bao you know?" (mommy really knows where are all the soft spots!)
"Where does char siew bao come from Mommy?"
"The char siew is from pork."
"Orh. Then I dun want to eat char siew bao already" (I thought I spotted a hint of hesitation though :P)
Jiaheng really went vegetable-vegetarian for more than a week... until Sunday morning. We went to the foodcourt for breakfast before going for his Art class. N guess what he saw at the foodcourt?
YES! It is his favourite of his favourites - Japanese food. He relented and decided to queue for his teriyaki chicken. I went over to join him at the queue. Before, I had the chance to ask him... Jiaheng started his 'defence statement'.
"Mommy, today is Sunday, so it's a holiday. That is why I can take the Japanese food. Monday to Saturday, then I take vegetarian." And he completed his 'defence statement' with a nod of his head as if he is in agreement with his justification.
At that moment, Mommy is already bowing over in laughter deep inside but still trying to maintain my composure on the outside. Really kanna 内伤。
Well, I can understand the internal struggle within himself. On one hand, he will like to be compassionate and refrain from killing. On the other hand, Jap food is his FAVOURITE!!! Afterall, he is just a little kid who is barely 5 years old.
Well thanks to Jiaheng, the whole family's diet is changing to the healthier vegetables and soya products like beancurd.
Everything happens for a reason. So I guess Jiaheng's move to be vegetarian allows us to be healthier on top of the supplements we are taking.
------------ posted by Mommy
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Yixuan to the rescue
Jiaheng has a kids' study table that comes with a chair at it's matching height.
Yixuan often sees her brother seated at that table and on that chair. And somehow, that has become Yixuan's favourite haunt. Everytime, Yixuan sees an opportunity to climb up that seat, she will. And when, she finally gets on the chair, it sure takes lots of coaxing to get her off it.
Just before dinner, Yixuan finally got her chance to climb onto the chair. She was seated comfortably and contented in the chair when Jiaheng tripped over his scooter bike and fell. Instantly, Yixuan swing into ACTION! Yixuan to the rescue....
First, she let out a screeeaaammmm.... (as if to alert mom and me). Then she got down her favourite chair and stood besides the "victim" and put her small hand on Jiaheng's shoulder (as if to comfort him).
So touched by her actions neh!
----------- posted by Mommy
Yixuan often sees her brother seated at that table and on that chair. And somehow, that has become Yixuan's favourite haunt. Everytime, Yixuan sees an opportunity to climb up that seat, she will. And when, she finally gets on the chair, it sure takes lots of coaxing to get her off it.
Just before dinner, Yixuan finally got her chance to climb onto the chair. She was seated comfortably and contented in the chair when Jiaheng tripped over his scooter bike and fell. Instantly, Yixuan swing into ACTION! Yixuan to the rescue....
First, she let out a screeeaaammmm.... (as if to alert mom and me). Then she got down her favourite chair and stood besides the "victim" and put her small hand on Jiaheng's shoulder (as if to comfort him).
So touched by her actions neh!
----------- posted by Mommy
Thursday, February 14, 2008
I found my Grandma
It has been nearly a decade since I last saw Grandma.
Even though I knew of her existence since I was very young, I did not meet Grandma till I was in my teens. Due to some circumstances, she had to leave home when my dad was around 3 years old.
I think Grandma and I have some affinity for each other, I like her since the very first time I saw her. Grandma carry herself very well and being a pious Christian, she does volunteer work for the chapel. Sadly, we lost contact with each other once again nearly 10 years ago.
I knew dad missed Grandma even though he did not explicitly say it. Just the other day, our car stopped at the junction of St. Andrew's Cathedral and the old Capitol cinema, dad just muttered that Grandma used to work in the bookstore at the bend of the road.
Being a mother myself, I believe that Grandma must be also thinking about her own children. Yet due to circumstances, unable to reunite. That made me make up my mind to look for Grandma.
I tried to check with my eldest uncle but he said that he does not have Grandma's contact. I tried to search for her name in the chapel that she is active in but to no avail. Then I tried the yellow pages... hoping that her house is still registered under her name and that her old address is still valid.
Perhaps, the UNIVERSE has aligned itself to help me find Grandma. I was searching, searching, searching then I saw her name appear and the street name is the same as her previous address. However, the block number has changed. I am not taking chances, I will call the number I found.
.... ring... ring... ring... (Oh dear! my palm is getting sweaty) "Hello... " I can recognise that voice! More importantly, Grandma sounded healthy. I talked with her and passed the phone to my mum who was eagerly waiting for her turn. The conversation lasted about 30 minutes. I am very glad that the phone call turned out the way I hoped for it to be.
Grandma kept saying "thank you" to us for calling. Grandma, why is there a need to say thank you?
As I grow older, I learn to appreciate my parents more and I am sure my dad also appreciates his mum for bringing him to this world. We should say thank you to you instead, Grandma. :)
I am extremely glad I made the move to find Grandma. And Kai Hock, thank you for all your encouragements.
------------ posted by mommy
Even though I knew of her existence since I was very young, I did not meet Grandma till I was in my teens. Due to some circumstances, she had to leave home when my dad was around 3 years old.
I think Grandma and I have some affinity for each other, I like her since the very first time I saw her. Grandma carry herself very well and being a pious Christian, she does volunteer work for the chapel. Sadly, we lost contact with each other once again nearly 10 years ago.
I knew dad missed Grandma even though he did not explicitly say it. Just the other day, our car stopped at the junction of St. Andrew's Cathedral and the old Capitol cinema, dad just muttered that Grandma used to work in the bookstore at the bend of the road.
Being a mother myself, I believe that Grandma must be also thinking about her own children. Yet due to circumstances, unable to reunite. That made me make up my mind to look for Grandma.
I tried to check with my eldest uncle but he said that he does not have Grandma's contact. I tried to search for her name in the chapel that she is active in but to no avail. Then I tried the yellow pages... hoping that her house is still registered under her name and that her old address is still valid.
Perhaps, the UNIVERSE has aligned itself to help me find Grandma. I was searching, searching, searching then I saw her name appear and the street name is the same as her previous address. However, the block number has changed. I am not taking chances, I will call the number I found.
.... ring... ring... ring... (Oh dear! my palm is getting sweaty) "Hello... " I can recognise that voice! More importantly, Grandma sounded healthy. I talked with her and passed the phone to my mum who was eagerly waiting for her turn. The conversation lasted about 30 minutes. I am very glad that the phone call turned out the way I hoped for it to be.
Grandma kept saying "thank you" to us for calling. Grandma, why is there a need to say thank you?
As I grow older, I learn to appreciate my parents more and I am sure my dad also appreciates his mum for bringing him to this world. We should say thank you to you instead, Grandma. :)
I am extremely glad I made the move to find Grandma. And Kai Hock, thank you for all your encouragements.
------------ posted by mommy
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
"Lo Hei, Lo Hei"
Today is the seventh day of the Lunar New Year. Today is also commonly called 人日, meaning everybody's day. So HaPpy BiRThDaY To EveRyOnE!!!
It is typical in Singapore to celebrate 人日 with this interesting custom called 捞鱼生。I am "indebted" to the person who invented this mouthwatering, appetizing, piquant, flavourful and delicious dish. Yum Yum! I can eat 鱼生 for the whole 15 days of the Lunar New Year.
And as the whole family mix all the colourful ingredients and zesty sauce together, we will say all the auspicious words to wish everyone a good year ahead. "Lo Hei, Lo Hei"
This year, we have one more eager participant at the table ready to "Lo Hei" with us. That person is none other than our Baby Quek Yi Xuan.
"Hey! Come on, gimme a chance ok? I also want a pair of chopstick lah! Eh Eh... why my arms not long enough to reach the centre plate har? Oh well, never mind, I scoop from grandmother's plate. "
(of course, the above is narrated by mommy and spiced up by mommy's imagination) But, dun play play ok. Yi Xuan really can hold the chopsticks very well for a 15 months old. You can distinctly see the chopsticks open and close, open and close under the command of their young owner. The next thing we knew, Yi Xuan managed to pick up a strand of the shredded vegetable and put it into her mouth!
Judging from her progress, there will be one more competitor to fight over the 鱼生 with me liao.
------- posted by mommy
It is typical in Singapore to celebrate 人日 with this interesting custom called 捞鱼生。I am "indebted" to the person who invented this mouthwatering, appetizing, piquant, flavourful and delicious dish. Yum Yum! I can eat 鱼生 for the whole 15 days of the Lunar New Year.
And as the whole family mix all the colourful ingredients and zesty sauce together, we will say all the auspicious words to wish everyone a good year ahead. "Lo Hei, Lo Hei"
This year, we have one more eager participant at the table ready to "Lo Hei" with us. That person is none other than our Baby Quek Yi Xuan.
"Hey! Come on, gimme a chance ok? I also want a pair of chopstick lah! Eh Eh... why my arms not long enough to reach the centre plate har? Oh well, never mind, I scoop from grandmother's plate. "
(of course, the above is narrated by mommy and spiced up by mommy's imagination) But, dun play play ok. Yi Xuan really can hold the chopsticks very well for a 15 months old. You can distinctly see the chopsticks open and close, open and close under the command of their young owner. The next thing we knew, Yi Xuan managed to pick up a strand of the shredded vegetable and put it into her mouth!
Judging from her progress, there will be one more competitor to fight over the 鱼生 with me liao.
------- posted by mommy
Friday, February 01, 2008
My Eulogy
To be read by Mike Ray, my mentor and friend ...
"Kai Hock has been a man who dares to live his dreams. To achieve the freedom that he seeks and deserves, he quits his secure job to assist thousands, and thousands, and thousands, and thousands of people in transforming their mindsets, achieving their goals and attaining their freedom.
Kai Hock has been a friend that I honour and respect for his vision of creative systems, revolutionising the network marketing industry. His persistence in growing the business inspires me to continue to work closely with him in all areas of life and business.
He has been a dearest father and model example to his boy and girl, and a faithful and loyal husband to his wife. A filial son and son-in-law to both sets of parents. It is with deepest wish that he finds his new place in heaven and watching us, blessing us and praying for us."
This is how I wish my eulogy will be and I am working towards achieving that.
"Kai Hock has been a man who dares to live his dreams. To achieve the freedom that he seeks and deserves, he quits his secure job to assist thousands, and thousands, and thousands, and thousands of people in transforming their mindsets, achieving their goals and attaining their freedom.
Kai Hock has been a friend that I honour and respect for his vision of creative systems, revolutionising the network marketing industry. His persistence in growing the business inspires me to continue to work closely with him in all areas of life and business.
He has been a dearest father and model example to his boy and girl, and a faithful and loyal husband to his wife. A filial son and son-in-law to both sets of parents. It is with deepest wish that he finds his new place in heaven and watching us, blessing us and praying for us."
This is how I wish my eulogy will be and I am working towards achieving that.
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