I was with my wife at the Hong Kong Convention just last weekend. We were there for 3 days. It is amazing how strong the partnership can be when it comes to a family team.
We saw husband-wife team, father-son team, mother-son team, brother-sister team. It is so motivating and touching to see family members succeed together. When the family has a common goal, the bonding and drive is doubly strong.
Nothing beats the support coming from your family members. In times of weakness, it is always support from family that gives me the strength. In times of doubt, it is always the support from family that gives me the clarity and direction.
I am grateful that my wife is with me in the business. I am grateful that my sister is with me in the business. We are all working towards our Freedom. The feeling is great.
Showing posts with label Our Road to Freedom. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Our Road to Freedom. Show all posts
Friday, May 28, 2010
Monday, January 04, 2010
A Dream Fulfilled
When I was still a teacher, I often felt sad when school reopens. Not because that is when I have to start work but I feel sad that I cannot be there with my son when his turn for his 1st day of school comes.
It is very heart-wrenching even thinking about it. The thought that I cannot be there to prepare him for school, to send him to school, to see him in action at school...
In my mind, I kept thinking that I have to be here at my own school with other people's children but not mine. I know it is an obligation, it is my duty as teacher but it just saddens me.
Being with Jiaheng on his 1st day in school is like a dream that cannot be fulfilled.
Well, today, I am very happy to say I have achieved my dream! I actually did everything that I dreamed of doing. From the preparation for school to the 1st waffle bought at the canteen! I am just thrilled. The fact that I am enjoying time freedom is just so satisfying! And all these cannot be possible if not for my ever encouraging and supportive husband.
I am so happy. :)
------------ posted by Mommy
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
What is the difference between a rich person and poor person?
If I were to ask you the above question, what will your answer be?
Come on, take a minute to ponder about it?
Mommy was in the room next door putting Yixuan to bed and Jiaheng was doing his Abacus next to me. I popped him the same question.
And here is his answer...
"For rich people, 1 cent will grow into 10 cents and then 10 cents will grow into 1 dollar. Then to 10 dollars and 100 dollars.
Poor people will think 'aiya, what can you buy with 1 cent?!' "
Boy! This 6 year-old kid has a success mind-set.
What is your definition ?
Come on, take a minute to ponder about it?
Mommy was in the room next door putting Yixuan to bed and Jiaheng was doing his Abacus next to me. I popped him the same question.
And here is his answer...
"For rich people, 1 cent will grow into 10 cents and then 10 cents will grow into 1 dollar. Then to 10 dollars and 100 dollars.
Poor people will think 'aiya, what can you buy with 1 cent?!' "
Boy! This 6 year-old kid has a success mind-set.
What is your definition ?
Sunday, March 08, 2009
Science Centre - Mind Fest 2009
We were lucky this weekend.
We went to the Science Centre with the kids planning to visit the routine exhibits but found out that there was a special activity, Mind Fest 2009 going on. Mind Fest was mainly organised for the school children and they are only opening to the public for this weekend. Just in time.
The children enjoyed the activites cos they were very hands-on. We designed our own aircraft which is supposed to float out of a gas chamber steadily. It is entirely up to the kids' imagination and creativity how they want to design it. There was also a paper plane flewing competition where you can pit the airplane you folded with others.
For Jiaheng, he was not keen on pitting his airplane against others but more keen on just flewing the plane and running after it.
Then there was a photo-light photography exhibit. We went in to a darkroom and were given some light emitting devices to create patterns with and then to capture the patterns on photo. Hmm... where am I? Too far for the light to capture me... should have stood next to Jiaheng.
We went to the Science Centre with the kids planning to visit the routine exhibits but found out that there was a special activity, Mind Fest 2009 going on. Mind Fest was mainly organised for the school children and they are only opening to the public for this weekend. Just in time.
The children enjoyed the activites cos they were very hands-on. We designed our own aircraft which is supposed to float out of a gas chamber steadily. It is entirely up to the kids' imagination and creativity how they want to design it. There was also a paper plane flewing competition where you can pit the airplane you folded with others.
For Jiaheng, he was not keen on pitting his airplane against others but more keen on just flewing the plane and running after it.
Then there was a photo-light photography exhibit. We went in to a darkroom and were given some light emitting devices to create patterns with and then to capture the patterns on photo. Hmm... where am I? Too far for the light to capture me... should have stood next to Jiaheng.
Yixuan's favourite activity was the Jitter-Bug activity, where we get to decorate our jitter bug and to create our very-own design. As I anticipated, our jitter-bug turned out to be a pinky bug cos Yixuan will keep passing mommy pink (Yixuan's fav colour) feathers to decorate the bug. Here's our very own design drawn by our Jitter-bug.
I always enjoy trips to the Science center. Always something new.
I always enjoy trips to the Science center. Always something new.
Thursday, July 10, 2008
Luckily, you marry Papa
I really don't know what sparked off this thought in Jiaheng's mind.
On the trip to Grandma's place for dinner, Jiaheng made an interesting comment. "Mommy you know, Papa is such a good manager" * Har ! Eh, but your Papa is not a manager leh *
"Why do you say so, Jiaheng?"
"Because Papa can manage so many things so well" * At the back of my mind, I can already picture Kai Hock's smug look when I tell him this *
"Luckily, you marry Papa. If not, Jiaheng won't have such a good Papa and Yixuan won't have such a good Mommy."
I felt like crying when I heard those words. Our son appreciates us and is proud of us! Isn't that what we as parents hope for?
They are the reason why we are working hard. We want the best for them. We want to groom them. We love them. We want to be their role model. But we also want them to feel proud of us isn't it?
While still feeling touched, at the back of my mind, I can see Kai Hock's smug face again. :P
------ posted by Mommy
On the trip to Grandma's place for dinner, Jiaheng made an interesting comment. "Mommy you know, Papa is such a good manager" * Har ! Eh, but your Papa is not a manager leh *
"Why do you say so, Jiaheng?"
"Because Papa can manage so many things so well" * At the back of my mind, I can already picture Kai Hock's smug look when I tell him this *
"Luckily, you marry Papa. If not, Jiaheng won't have such a good Papa and Yixuan won't have such a good Mommy."
I felt like crying when I heard those words. Our son appreciates us and is proud of us! Isn't that what we as parents hope for?
They are the reason why we are working hard. We want the best for them. We want to groom them. We love them. We want to be their role model. But we also want them to feel proud of us isn't it?
While still feeling touched, at the back of my mind, I can see Kai Hock's smug face again. :P
------ posted by Mommy
Sunday, June 15, 2008
Just a thought
My father just completed his second cataract operation. Everything is going well for him. He says that his vision is no longer blurred. Even the doctor is impressed with the rate of recovery for someone my father's age.
The visionex supplement I gave him has really helped tremendously. :) Now that, my father has seen the positive effect himself, he has finally 'approved' the use of supplement on himself already. Yippee!
Just that these few days, a scene kept surfacing in my mind. That day, at the hospital clinic, I saw lots of elderly. You may say, what is so uncommon about seeing elderly at the cataract clinic... Old already will kanna cataract what??? No, no. that was not what I meant. I meant, where are their children? Aren't they supposed to be with their parents when they are not well?
Maybe, I won't say 100% elderly lah. There are a few young ones but they are maids, not closed ones to the patients. The maids are not even communicating the old person. The old person is just sitting there, keeping to himself the whole session. And I kept asking myself this question, where are their children?
At work? Too busy? No time?
It just reflects on our society that young people are all too busy working. The word 'busy' is easily the most used word in their dictionary. Sometimes, they just neglect the most important thing i.e. their family, their loved ones.
Reflecting back, I am just glad I made the decision to move forward. Else, I will not be able to be there with my father.
The visionex supplement I gave him has really helped tremendously. :) Now that, my father has seen the positive effect himself, he has finally 'approved' the use of supplement on himself already. Yippee!
Just that these few days, a scene kept surfacing in my mind. That day, at the hospital clinic, I saw lots of elderly. You may say, what is so uncommon about seeing elderly at the cataract clinic... Old already will kanna cataract what??? No, no. that was not what I meant. I meant, where are their children? Aren't they supposed to be with their parents when they are not well?
Maybe, I won't say 100% elderly lah. There are a few young ones but they are maids, not closed ones to the patients. The maids are not even communicating the old person. The old person is just sitting there, keeping to himself the whole session. And I kept asking myself this question, where are their children?
At work? Too busy? No time?
It just reflects on our society that young people are all too busy working. The word 'busy' is easily the most used word in their dictionary. Sometimes, they just neglect the most important thing i.e. their family, their loved ones.
Reflecting back, I am just glad I made the decision to move forward. Else, I will not be able to be there with my father.
Friday, April 18, 2008
Our Money Jars Work
I came back from T Harv Eker Millionaire Mind Intensive course with a totally different perspective of money.
The MMI course changed the way I view money, manage money and grow money. To me, this is one course that I think is truly value for money. Just a mere two hundred plus dollars for a 3-day intensive course. Harv really over-delivered. So much good information to walk away with and to apply.
If you are keen to get an insight into a Millionaire Mind, go to www.themillionairemindcoach.com
[psst... tell u a secret, got free ticket to National Achievers Congress if you can commit before 25 april. Good bargain]
Let me give you an example of what Harv taught me on how to manage money. It is really working very well for us.
Harv suggested that we maintain 6 money jars which we label as "NESS", "GIVE", "PLAY", "EDU", "LTSS" and "FFA". And of course, there is a certain % of your monthly income tagged to each jar.
NESS (55%)
- Necessity Fund. Money for our daily expenses etc.
GIVE (10%)
- Charity Fund. To give out to one charity organisation of your choice every month. The more you give, the more you will receive.
PLAY (10%)
- Play Fund. To spend your money without guilt. Pamper yourself, indulge yourself.
EDU (10%)
- Education Fund. To use it on seminars, books, workshops etc. to grow yourself
LTSS (10%)
- Long Term Savings. Can be used to purchase a more costly item, or save up for a trip.
FFA (5%)
- Financial Freedom Account. Something so important, yet so often neglected by people.
Every week, when we receive the cheque from our home-based business, we will split it up into the various proportions and deposit into the money jars.
I simply love the "PLAY" fund. You see, my wife and I are more of the savers type. Not sure if you can associate with me, but we often measure financial security with the amount of savings in the bank. So the "PLAY" fund allows us to spend without guilt cos it has been planned for right from the beginning. Anything is fine as long as it makes you happy. Be it a Spa relaxation, a sumptuous meal, a new pair of shoes... the list just goes on.
We just took out all our savings from the "LTSS" fund to purchase a new sofa. If we do not have this fund set-up, I am pretty sure we will overspend on the sofa. With this fund in place, we spent within our limits and yet have money left over for other purposes.
To me, the most important fund should be the "FFA" fund. The money from FFA can be used for investment (e.g. stocks, bonds, run a biz) to generate more money. That is the secret behind how the rich get richer. That is how you can plan for your retirement.
I am so intrigued by Harv's teaching that I am adapting his teachings and coaching my business partners ONLINE every night at 10pm. If you are keen to drop by our econference room to listen in to the teachings, drop me an email kaihock@gmail.com
The MMI course changed the way I view money, manage money and grow money. To me, this is one course that I think is truly value for money. Just a mere two hundred plus dollars for a 3-day intensive course. Harv really over-delivered. So much good information to walk away with and to apply.
If you are keen to get an insight into a Millionaire Mind, go to www.themillionairemindcoach.com
[psst... tell u a secret, got free ticket to National Achievers Congress if you can commit before 25 april. Good bargain]
Let me give you an example of what Harv taught me on how to manage money. It is really working very well for us.
Harv suggested that we maintain 6 money jars which we label as "NESS", "GIVE", "PLAY", "EDU", "LTSS" and "FFA". And of course, there is a certain % of your monthly income tagged to each jar.
NESS (55%)
- Necessity Fund. Money for our daily expenses etc.
GIVE (10%)
- Charity Fund. To give out to one charity organisation of your choice every month. The more you give, the more you will receive.
PLAY (10%)
- Play Fund. To spend your money without guilt. Pamper yourself, indulge yourself.
EDU (10%)
- Education Fund. To use it on seminars, books, workshops etc. to grow yourself
LTSS (10%)
- Long Term Savings. Can be used to purchase a more costly item, or save up for a trip.
FFA (5%)
- Financial Freedom Account. Something so important, yet so often neglected by people.
Every week, when we receive the cheque from our home-based business, we will split it up into the various proportions and deposit into the money jars.
I simply love the "PLAY" fund. You see, my wife and I are more of the savers type. Not sure if you can associate with me, but we often measure financial security with the amount of savings in the bank. So the "PLAY" fund allows us to spend without guilt cos it has been planned for right from the beginning. Anything is fine as long as it makes you happy. Be it a Spa relaxation, a sumptuous meal, a new pair of shoes... the list just goes on.
We just took out all our savings from the "LTSS" fund to purchase a new sofa. If we do not have this fund set-up, I am pretty sure we will overspend on the sofa. With this fund in place, we spent within our limits and yet have money left over for other purposes.
To me, the most important fund should be the "FFA" fund. The money from FFA can be used for investment (e.g. stocks, bonds, run a biz) to generate more money. That is the secret behind how the rich get richer. That is how you can plan for your retirement.
I am so intrigued by Harv's teaching that I am adapting his teachings and coaching my business partners ONLINE every night at 10pm. If you are keen to drop by our econference room to listen in to the teachings, drop me an email kaihock@gmail.com
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.
Thursday, January 31, 2008
Be Healthy and Happy always
Today, my mum passed me an application form to ask me to fill up for her.
It's an application form for senior citizen. The application required a recent photo of her so I decided to take a picture of her and print it out myself. Seeing the zoomed up picture of her on my laptop screen, I can't help but noticed her gray hair. All of a sudden, it strike me that my mum is no longer young. She is turning 60 very soon.
I am really very grateful to her for ALL the things that she has done for us.
I still remember as a little school girl, I often forgot to bring homework/book to school. The immediate response was to call home for help. Deep down in my heart, I knew that mum will bring the book to school for me. However, the very moment the phone went through and I heard her voice, I will uncontrollably burst into tears. I can only stop when I hear her reassuring voice over the other end of the phone.
My mum knows exactly what I like and dislike. She knows what is my favourite dish, what is my favourite fruit. She knows what are the things that make me happy and what makes me sad.
Even when I got married, she never stopped caring for me and now my own family. I think very few mums will travel to their daughter's place nearly every day to help her out with the children. Besides helping to take care of the kids, mum will always help me out in the household chores. Even though, I tell her there is no need to do the household chores... guess what? ... the chores will still be done.
Kai Hock always say that our house cannot be so spick and span without my mum. He often jokes that he made a very good deal by marrying me... cos he gets an additional mum to dote on him! :P
My brother secretly told me that mum was so worried for me when I was admitted to hospital cos of morning sickness that she cried at night. I can guarantee you that my mum will not be able to sleep well at night whenever one of the kids is not well.
My mum is truly a wonderful mum who gives off her best to the family. She is also very supportive of Kai Hock and I as we pursue financial freedom for our family. And I am really proud and fortunate to have her as my mum.
Thank you mum!
My wish for my mum as she turns 60 is for her to be healthy and happy always.
------------- posted by mommy
It's an application form for senior citizen. The application required a recent photo of her so I decided to take a picture of her and print it out myself. Seeing the zoomed up picture of her on my laptop screen, I can't help but noticed her gray hair. All of a sudden, it strike me that my mum is no longer young. She is turning 60 very soon.
I am really very grateful to her for ALL the things that she has done for us.
I still remember as a little school girl, I often forgot to bring homework/book to school. The immediate response was to call home for help. Deep down in my heart, I knew that mum will bring the book to school for me. However, the very moment the phone went through and I heard her voice, I will uncontrollably burst into tears. I can only stop when I hear her reassuring voice over the other end of the phone.
My mum knows exactly what I like and dislike. She knows what is my favourite dish, what is my favourite fruit. She knows what are the things that make me happy and what makes me sad.
Even when I got married, she never stopped caring for me and now my own family. I think very few mums will travel to their daughter's place nearly every day to help her out with the children. Besides helping to take care of the kids, mum will always help me out in the household chores. Even though, I tell her there is no need to do the household chores... guess what? ... the chores will still be done.
Kai Hock always say that our house cannot be so spick and span without my mum. He often jokes that he made a very good deal by marrying me... cos he gets an additional mum to dote on him! :P
My brother secretly told me that mum was so worried for me when I was admitted to hospital cos of morning sickness that she cried at night. I can guarantee you that my mum will not be able to sleep well at night whenever one of the kids is not well.
My mum is truly a wonderful mum who gives off her best to the family. She is also very supportive of Kai Hock and I as we pursue financial freedom for our family. And I am really proud and fortunate to have her as my mum.
Thank you mum!
My wish for my mum as she turns 60 is for her to be healthy and happy always.
------------- posted by mommy
Wednesday, January 02, 2008
BottleTree Club
We don't just talk business.
When we are with our business partners, we also have fun. I feel that the FUN component is extremely important in sustaining a healthy working relationship. Really! All work and no play makes Kai Hock a dull man. Hehehe
The best thing is to be able to do the things you enjoy and still make money from it. So basically, everyday, you are having fun.
To mark the beginning of the new year, which is also the 发 year， we decided to have a family day at BottleTree Club. It is a nice place and I also recommend that you and your family pay it a visit one day. There is a restaurant which serves quite good food at a reasonable price. The 土窑人参鸡 is a must try. The soup is still piping hot even towards the end of the meal!
Of course, there are other activities besides "makan"ing lah. There is a children's playground, a boating area. But the prime attraction is Fishing! You can go for prawn fishing or lake fishing. The little ones had to settle for "longkang" fishing. Our kids simply had a splashing good time trying to scoop the fish out of the pond.
Just in case you are wondering why is the place called BottleTree Club and not WaterBottle Club or BottleNeck Club???
It is because of the tree that is at the backdrop. It has a shape of a Bottle and naturally, it adopts the name BottleTree. It is a native plant from Australia and the owner of the Club imported it from Australia. Hence the name. :)
By the way, this photo is taken by Sherise, our 4-year old photographer! Not bad rit! Really takes after her photographer mum & dad.
When we are with our business partners, we also have fun. I feel that the FUN component is extremely important in sustaining a healthy working relationship. Really! All work and no play makes Kai Hock a dull man. Hehehe
The best thing is to be able to do the things you enjoy and still make money from it. So basically, everyday, you are having fun.
To mark the beginning of the new year, which is also the 发 year， we decided to have a family day at BottleTree Club. It is a nice place and I also recommend that you and your family pay it a visit one day. There is a restaurant which serves quite good food at a reasonable price. The 土窑人参鸡 is a must try. The soup is still piping hot even towards the end of the meal!
Of course, there are other activities besides "makan"ing lah. There is a children's playground, a boating area. But the prime attraction is Fishing! You can go for prawn fishing or lake fishing. The little ones had to settle for "longkang" fishing. Our kids simply had a splashing good time trying to scoop the fish out of the pond.
Just in case you are wondering why is the place called BottleTree Club and not WaterBottle Club or BottleNeck Club???
It is because of the tree that is at the backdrop. It has a shape of a Bottle and naturally, it adopts the name BottleTree. It is a native plant from Australia and the owner of the Club imported it from Australia. Hence the name. :)
By the way, this photo is taken by Sherise, our 4-year old photographer! Not bad rit! Really takes after her photographer mum & dad.
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
My mailbox can produce money besides bills
Every time my wife opens the mailbox to collect our mails, she likes to briefly go through the stack to scan for important mails before bringing them home.
I remember my wife commenting "credit card bills, utilities bills, phone bills, why only bills har?"
Now, it is a different story. Our mailbox can also produce money. We receive our weekly earning statements from our home-based business in our mailbox too. :) So no more "why only bills har?" *wink wink*
I remember my wife commenting "credit card bills, utilities bills, phone bills, why only bills har?"
Now, it is a different story. Our mailbox can also produce money. We receive our weekly earning statements from our home-based business in our mailbox too. :) So no more "why only bills har?" *wink wink*
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
Recounts of our Macau Trip
I was very concerned about how our princess will take to the air flight.
Many people have been giving us kind advices on how to help Yixuan relieve the pressure of the plane taking off and landing. But all these advices are getting into me making me worried. How will Yixuan take to the flight? Will she cry? Will she feel discomfort?
So once the plane started to taxi on the runway, I immediately pushed Yixuan to suckle. But that was the last thing on her mind then. All she wanted to do was to look out of the window to see the other planes that are parked at the airport. She retaliated and pushed away, I insisted and pushed her to suckle... repeatedly saying "Come on Yixuan, suckle, suckle ok?"
Then Kai Hock came to her rescue asking me to calm down and relax. She will be fine. :) Only then did I stop insisting and let her enjoy the take off. Hey, actually it is much easier than I expected. Once the plane took off and the novelty has worn off, Yixuan said "Nan nan" (meaning milk). :)
The weather at Macau is fine. Back in Singapore, it had been raining continuously for the past few days. We seem to be walking around under air-con condition everywhere we go. How nice.
After all the research and planning (with help from Jiaheng), we are raring to go. There are so many places to cover...
I especially like the historical sites at St. Paul's Ruins, the food streets along San Ma Lou, the cable car ride to the Guila Lighthouse and the black sand at Hac Sa Beach. Seeing Jiaheng, I think he enjoyed everything there. He was always running ahead of us, checking things out, then running back to hurry us to catch up on him.
One advantage of travelling free and easy was that we just took our time to explore. We could take short breaks every now and then so that parents are not too tired from all the walking. We could change the itinerary as the situation demands.
There were a couple of silly incidents that happened... the icing on the cake. Perfect! ;> One night, we planned to go to a Portuguese restaurant at the Military Club. The building is a classic and the restaurant turns out to be quite a posh one. When we look at the menu, the siren went off, cos they are in Portuguese and English and we do not know what to order.
Recalling what I saw from the internet forum, they mentioned about the set dinner so I "cleverly" suggested that we take 4 sets. Kai Hock did suggest trying a variety but I was so confident that I said "No need, let's go for 4 set dinners."
The appetisers was supposed to be clams. Sad to say, it was too fishy for our taste. When the main course was presented, we saw a fat, long string of dark-coloured lump on the plate. No one said anything until we were half-way through the meal when my dad could not hold on anymore and said it looked like S*IT and my mum burst out laughing. Frankly speaking, it does have an uncanny resemblance. (pardon me). Luckily the dessert saved the day.
There are still some good dishes in the trip, like the roasted pigeon (suppose to be a 100 years old recipe), the stew beef (at Hac Sa Beach), the legendary roasted goose (those that are mentioned in the Hong Kong drama series).
All in all, this is a good trip and we are happy to be back home too. HOME SWEET HOME.
P.S. I still have lots of clothes waiting to be washed and dried. Oh oh... rain rain go away, come again another day... please!
---------- posted by Mommy
Many people have been giving us kind advices on how to help Yixuan relieve the pressure of the plane taking off and landing. But all these advices are getting into me making me worried. How will Yixuan take to the flight? Will she cry? Will she feel discomfort?
So once the plane started to taxi on the runway, I immediately pushed Yixuan to suckle. But that was the last thing on her mind then. All she wanted to do was to look out of the window to see the other planes that are parked at the airport. She retaliated and pushed away, I insisted and pushed her to suckle... repeatedly saying "Come on Yixuan, suckle, suckle ok?"
Then Kai Hock came to her rescue asking me to calm down and relax. She will be fine. :) Only then did I stop insisting and let her enjoy the take off. Hey, actually it is much easier than I expected. Once the plane took off and the novelty has worn off, Yixuan said "Nan nan" (meaning milk). :)
The weather at Macau is fine. Back in Singapore, it had been raining continuously for the past few days. We seem to be walking around under air-con condition everywhere we go. How nice.
After all the research and planning (with help from Jiaheng), we are raring to go. There are so many places to cover...
I especially like the historical sites at St. Paul's Ruins, the food streets along San Ma Lou, the cable car ride to the Guila Lighthouse and the black sand at Hac Sa Beach. Seeing Jiaheng, I think he enjoyed everything there. He was always running ahead of us, checking things out, then running back to hurry us to catch up on him.
One advantage of travelling free and easy was that we just took our time to explore. We could take short breaks every now and then so that parents are not too tired from all the walking. We could change the itinerary as the situation demands.
There were a couple of silly incidents that happened... the icing on the cake. Perfect! ;> One night, we planned to go to a Portuguese restaurant at the Military Club. The building is a classic and the restaurant turns out to be quite a posh one. When we look at the menu, the siren went off, cos they are in Portuguese and English and we do not know what to order.
Recalling what I saw from the internet forum, they mentioned about the set dinner so I "cleverly" suggested that we take 4 sets. Kai Hock did suggest trying a variety but I was so confident that I said "No need, let's go for 4 set dinners."
The appetisers was supposed to be clams. Sad to say, it was too fishy for our taste. When the main course was presented, we saw a fat, long string of dark-coloured lump on the plate. No one said anything until we were half-way through the meal when my dad could not hold on anymore and said it looked like S*IT and my mum burst out laughing. Frankly speaking, it does have an uncanny resemblance. (pardon me). Luckily the dessert saved the day.
There are still some good dishes in the trip, like the roasted pigeon (suppose to be a 100 years old recipe), the stew beef (at Hac Sa Beach), the legendary roasted goose (those that are mentioned in the Hong Kong drama series).
All in all, this is a good trip and we are happy to be back home too. HOME SWEET HOME.
P.S. I still have lots of clothes waiting to be washed and dried. Oh oh... rain rain go away, come again another day... please!
---------- posted by Mommy
Sunday, December 09, 2007
Domestic Scientist
My ex-colleague just gave birth to a baby girl and invited Kai Hock, Jiaheng, Yixuan and me to the first-month celebration.
I was happy to meet up with a few ex-colleagues. I was hoping to see more but unfortunately, quite a few could not turn up. Nevertheless, I had a wonderful time chatting with the few who were present.
Then Ms Chew mentioned about another gathering that I missed. Jeffrey asked what was I doing? I was expecting the answer to be either a home-maker or Stay At Home Mum. But Ms Chew said that they replied I was a Domestic Scientist. Hey! so innovative.
So what do I experiment on? My kids??!!?? Ha ha
Domestic Scientist... cool! I like it. :)
---------- posted by Mommy
I was happy to meet up with a few ex-colleagues. I was hoping to see more but unfortunately, quite a few could not turn up. Nevertheless, I had a wonderful time chatting with the few who were present.
Then Ms Chew mentioned about another gathering that I missed. Jeffrey asked what was I doing? I was expecting the answer to be either a home-maker or Stay At Home Mum. But Ms Chew said that they replied I was a Domestic Scientist. Hey! so innovative.
So what do I experiment on? My kids??!!?? Ha ha
Domestic Scientist... cool! I like it. :)
---------- posted by Mommy
Thursday, December 06, 2007
Our Macau Trip
A few days ago, one of my friends text chat me and asked why Kai Hock and I have not been updating our blog these few weeks.
Then I realised that it has been really quite some time since we wrote in our blog. And the "force" behind that? None other than our dear Jiaheng and our upcoming Macau trip.
You see... Jiaheng is now on school holidays. So, I have to find all sorts of things to entertain him and he can't do without Mommy when he is practicing his abacus. The whole day is just dedicated to the 2 kids. By the time, they are asleep, I got to quickly catch up with some work. And then, it's time for bed.
These few days, I have been burning some midnight oil to plan for our upcoming trip to Macau. We will be there for 5 days n 4 nights. Really look forward to our Macau trip with my parents, Kai Hock, Jiaheng and Yixuan.
Kai Hock made an interesting comment... He said, "Some people actually spent more time planning for an overseas trip than planning for their life!"
Sad to say, that is kindof true... When you ask someone what his dream is and what is his plan to achieve it? Perhaps, not everyone can give you a clear answer.
I am glad we know what we want in life and we are working together to achieve that goal. ;)
-------- posted by Mommy
Then I realised that it has been really quite some time since we wrote in our blog. And the "force" behind that? None other than our dear Jiaheng and our upcoming Macau trip.
You see... Jiaheng is now on school holidays. So, I have to find all sorts of things to entertain him and he can't do without Mommy when he is practicing his abacus. The whole day is just dedicated to the 2 kids. By the time, they are asleep, I got to quickly catch up with some work. And then, it's time for bed.
These few days, I have been burning some midnight oil to plan for our upcoming trip to Macau. We will be there for 5 days n 4 nights. Really look forward to our Macau trip with my parents, Kai Hock, Jiaheng and Yixuan.
Kai Hock made an interesting comment... He said, "Some people actually spent more time planning for an overseas trip than planning for their life!"
Sad to say, that is kindof true... When you ask someone what his dream is and what is his plan to achieve it? Perhaps, not everyone can give you a clear answer.
I am glad we know what we want in life and we are working together to achieve that goal. ;)
-------- posted by Mommy
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
Happy
I signed up for an insurance policy with AIA many years ago. One good thing about this policy is that it allows me to go for a complimentary body check-up once every 2 years. Besides eating well and taking our supplements daily, we also feel that a check-up is important to monitor the status of our health.
As there was fasting involved, I booked my appointment early in the morning. There is no need for me to travel so early in the morning now, so I was quite overwhelmed by the huge crowd of people on the bus as well as the MRT. Most of them seemed to be in a hurry. So I got to "siam" here and "siam" there so as not to "kanna" knock by people.
The clinic is situated in International Plaza, right smack in the CBD. It is on the 36th floor. It was a beautiful morning, I was feeling refreshed. Unfortunately, the staff are not as cheerful. The lady who was doing the initial test for me was somewhat grumpy.
The lady doctor who was supposed to attend to me rushed into the room. There were already 3 patient files slotted in the small window next to the room door. Since I was the 3rd patient, I saw how the doctor opened the door, called for a name, a patient went in with a straight face and then came out with a straight face. Then time to call for the next patient.
Why like that? No warmth one ah? So I decided to try out an experiment. When it was my turn. I went in, smiled and greeted the doctor "Good morning Doctor". She replied good morning without even looking at me. Then I went on "How are you today?" with a more upbeat tone.
I think she was caught off-guard with my greeting but instantly, I could sense a change in her attitude. She looked at me and smiled.
After that smile, the whole check-up progressed very amiably. We chatted and found that she has 3 children and the youngest one is only 6 months old. We talked about our breastfeeding experience. She even gave me some advice on children vaccination.
Before, I left the room. The doctor commented that homemaker mothers are happier. We both laughed. Are we? Perhaps. :)
Before I left the clinic, I said "Goodbye" and added "Have a nice day" to the reception lady. She smiled and returned the greeting.
A little gesture, a smile, a genuine greeting can really work wonder. It brightens up other people's day as well as mine. The feeling is good. I am happy I did that experiment.
As there was fasting involved, I booked my appointment early in the morning. There is no need for me to travel so early in the morning now, so I was quite overwhelmed by the huge crowd of people on the bus as well as the MRT. Most of them seemed to be in a hurry. So I got to "siam" here and "siam" there so as not to "kanna" knock by people.
The clinic is situated in International Plaza, right smack in the CBD. It is on the 36th floor. It was a beautiful morning, I was feeling refreshed. Unfortunately, the staff are not as cheerful. The lady who was doing the initial test for me was somewhat grumpy.
The lady doctor who was supposed to attend to me rushed into the room. There were already 3 patient files slotted in the small window next to the room door. Since I was the 3rd patient, I saw how the doctor opened the door, called for a name, a patient went in with a straight face and then came out with a straight face. Then time to call for the next patient.
Why like that? No warmth one ah? So I decided to try out an experiment. When it was my turn. I went in, smiled and greeted the doctor "Good morning Doctor". She replied good morning without even looking at me. Then I went on "How are you today?" with a more upbeat tone.
I think she was caught off-guard with my greeting but instantly, I could sense a change in her attitude. She looked at me and smiled.
After that smile, the whole check-up progressed very amiably. We chatted and found that she has 3 children and the youngest one is only 6 months old. We talked about our breastfeeding experience. She even gave me some advice on children vaccination.
Before, I left the room. The doctor commented that homemaker mothers are happier. We both laughed. Are we? Perhaps. :)
Before I left the clinic, I said "Goodbye" and added "Have a nice day" to the reception lady. She smiled and returned the greeting.
A little gesture, a smile, a genuine greeting can really work wonder. It brightens up other people's day as well as mine. The feeling is good. I am happy I did that experiment.
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
Birthday Lunch
It has been 2 weeks since my birthday lunch with Kai Hock. But I am still savoring that relaxing mood and time we spent.
Kai Hock suggested going to the "Sizzling Rock" restaurant at Boat Quay for my birthday lunch. (Why lunch and not dinner? Well our gal is so so so attached to Mommy at night that I cannot be out of her sight when she awakens... can't blame her too cos I hardly go anywhere without her)
It was a rather unique Al Fresco dining experience at the edge of the Singapore River. Despite being outdoors right smack at noon time, it was still breezy and cool... As we arrived just before the lunch time crowd sets in, we had the choice of table. We chose the table nearest the waterfront, overseeing the Asian Civilisation Museum building just across the river... away from the heat and sweat on the pavement.
From where we were seated, we could see the lunch time crowd streaming out from the offices nearby. Everyone seems to be in a hurry, the exact contrast to our relaxed mood. ..悠哉闲哉。
The concept at "Sizzling Rock" is interesting cos our food is served raw. We get to cook the food in front of our eyes on the volcanic piece of rock super-heated in a special oven to over 450 ° Celsius... All our senses were stimulated... we got to smell the aroma from the meat cooking, we got to hear the sizzling of the food, we got to see the steak cooked to the right degree, we got to feel the heat from the rock...Best of all! We got to taste the food straight off the rock.
After the meal, we sat around a while more. The feeling is good to be able to just sit around unlike others who were rushing back to work. That is definitely one big plus point to own a business. It gives us the flexibility of time. We choose when to "work".
Then, I felt like drinking some traditional kopi (not those Starbucks type but KopiTiam type). We strolled to the "Coffee & Toast" at Raffles Link. Oh oh... there was still a queue. Never mind, we decided to go for ice-cream and went back later when the crowd was gone.
I had such a good experience that I brought my mum back for lunch a week later. (when Jiaheng was at school... and Kai Hock was at home looking after Yixuan.. thanks 老公)
----------- posted by Mommy
Kai Hock suggested going to the "Sizzling Rock" restaurant at Boat Quay for my birthday lunch. (Why lunch and not dinner? Well our gal is so so so attached to Mommy at night that I cannot be out of her sight when she awakens... can't blame her too cos I hardly go anywhere without her)
It was a rather unique Al Fresco dining experience at the edge of the Singapore River. Despite being outdoors right smack at noon time, it was still breezy and cool... As we arrived just before the lunch time crowd sets in, we had the choice of table. We chose the table nearest the waterfront, overseeing the Asian Civilisation Museum building just across the river... away from the heat and sweat on the pavement.
From where we were seated, we could see the lunch time crowd streaming out from the offices nearby. Everyone seems to be in a hurry, the exact contrast to our relaxed mood. ..悠哉闲哉。
The concept at "Sizzling Rock" is interesting cos our food is served raw. We get to cook the food in front of our eyes on the volcanic piece of rock super-heated in a special oven to over 450 ° Celsius... All our senses were stimulated... we got to smell the aroma from the meat cooking, we got to hear the sizzling of the food, we got to see the steak cooked to the right degree, we got to feel the heat from the rock...Best of all! We got to taste the food straight off the rock.
After the meal, we sat around a while more. The feeling is good to be able to just sit around unlike others who were rushing back to work. That is definitely one big plus point to own a business. It gives us the flexibility of time. We choose when to "work".
Then, I felt like drinking some traditional kopi (not those Starbucks type but KopiTiam type). We strolled to the "Coffee & Toast" at Raffles Link. Oh oh... there was still a queue. Never mind, we decided to go for ice-cream and went back later when the crowd was gone.
I had such a good experience that I brought my mum back for lunch a week later. (when Jiaheng was at school... and Kai Hock was at home looking after Yixuan.. thanks 老公)
----------- posted by Mommy
电梯
挨了两年的电梯翻新终于完成了。别了吵杂声, 也别了满地尘埃的地板。真好！一出电梯就到达家门口。
那天我第一次乘搭新的电梯。 脑海里突然想起四年多前抱着大儿子从医院回家的情景。。。
我是破腹生产的， 生产后的第三天便出院了。那时候，电梯只停留在一楼，五楼，八楼 和十一楼。我们住在四楼。所以要在五楼出电梯，再走一段路，再下一层楼，才能到达家门。出院那天，这段路，说长不长，说短不短，还真难走。
刚动完手术不旧，所以伤口还很痛。下那段梯级是最难过的。老公那时候因还在 SARS quarantine 也不在我身边。没法了。只能够咬紧牙关走下楼。。。 Ouch!
想到这里，还真有些心有余悸。那段日子真不好过。公公，婆婆都在医院。三位姑姑也不知所措。只有老公在那撑着。
还记得老公有多想目睹儿子出世。还说要亲自剪脐带。：）出院当天，爸爸载着儿子和我到我娘家让老公隔着车窗看看孩子一眼。
很庆幸的，儿子出世后，公公和婆婆相继出院。经过那段日子，我们更能体会到亲情的重要。也更珍惜和家人在一起的时候。
--------- posted by Mommy
那天我第一次乘搭新的电梯。 脑海里突然想起四年多前抱着大儿子从医院回家的情景。。。
我是破腹生产的， 生产后的第三天便出院了。那时候，电梯只停留在一楼，五楼，八楼 和十一楼。我们住在四楼。所以要在五楼出电梯，再走一段路，再下一层楼，才能到达家门。出院那天，这段路，说长不长，说短不短，还真难走。
刚动完手术不旧，所以伤口还很痛。下那段梯级是最难过的。老公那时候因还在 SARS quarantine 也不在我身边。没法了。只能够咬紧牙关走下楼。。。 Ouch!
想到这里，还真有些心有余悸。那段日子真不好过。公公，婆婆都在医院。三位姑姑也不知所措。只有老公在那撑着。
还记得老公有多想目睹儿子出世。还说要亲自剪脐带。：）出院当天，爸爸载着儿子和我到我娘家让老公隔着车窗看看孩子一眼。
很庆幸的，儿子出世后，公公和婆婆相继出院。经过那段日子，我们更能体会到亲情的重要。也更珍惜和家人在一起的时候。
--------- posted by Mommy
Thursday, October 04, 2007
10-10-10-70
Jiaheng brought home an envelope today and there is a picture of a girl on it. It is a Children's Day appeal for charity to the community chest for the less fortunate.
I asked Jiaheng "How much do you want to donate to help the little girl?" Jiaheng excitedly brought out the container that has the label "Charity" on it... poured out all the coins... counted them... and declared that he will like to donate $2.00. Hmmm.... that will be 20 days worth of savings for Jiaheng.
We started a savings program for Jiaheng earlier on. Every day, Jiaheng will ask us for his $1 allowance. Earlier we prepared 4 containers for him. One labeled "Charity", one labeled "Investment", one labeled "Delayed Gratification", one labeled "Spendings". For the "Charity", "Investment" and "Delayed Gratification" container, Jiaheng will deposit $0.10 into each of them. $0.70 will go into the "Spendings" container.
We taught him how to use the money he saved. For the "Charity" savings, he can find an organisation he likes and donate the money monthly.
For the "Investment" savings, we told him that he is not to touch it. He can put it in a bank and can use the money when he is old enough to handle his money wisely.
For the "Delayed Gratification" savings, we will decide on an event and aim to save up for it. We all decided that we want to save for the Macau-Hong Kong trip end of the year. So Jiaheng will also have his money to spend when we go for the trip. :)
For the "Spendings" savings, he gets to withdraw it every Sunday and spend it on his breakfast with grandparents.
We find that with the 10-10-10-70 savings program, he is more conscious of the value of money. We will only give him the allowance when he asked us for it. If he forgot, which happens quite often... not forgetting that he is only 4 years old... he will have less to spend on Sunday.
It is quite amusing to see him count his "Spendings" savings on Sunday. If there is more money in the container, he will suggest going to a foodcourt to eat. If there is less, he will say "We can only go to a Kopi tiam" Not bad leh... he knows the pricing varies for foodcourt and Kopi tiam. Haha.
When shopping for food, he will shop around for something within his budget. There was once when he chose to only eat toast for breakfast ... cos not enough money saved for the week. And he will be more than happy when he has saved enough for his favourite Japanese food. I enjoy seeing him shop for his food... seeing the little fellow looking at the food signboards and comparing the prices. So cute. :P
While a 4 year old boy is trying his best to learn how to spend his money prudently, there are some adults running into debts and have difficulties managing their money. What an irony! It is definitely important to be mindful of finance in the pursuit of freedom.
I learnt how to do it from an online movie. You can view it at
www.simplyworkathome.org/wealthy (the password is 2476724). Share with me if you learn something useful from the movie too. Cheers!
I asked Jiaheng "How much do you want to donate to help the little girl?" Jiaheng excitedly brought out the container that has the label "Charity" on it... poured out all the coins... counted them... and declared that he will like to donate $2.00. Hmmm.... that will be 20 days worth of savings for Jiaheng.
We started a savings program for Jiaheng earlier on. Every day, Jiaheng will ask us for his $1 allowance. Earlier we prepared 4 containers for him. One labeled "Charity", one labeled "Investment", one labeled "Delayed Gratification", one labeled "Spendings". For the "Charity", "Investment" and "Delayed Gratification" container, Jiaheng will deposit $0.10 into each of them. $0.70 will go into the "Spendings" container.
We taught him how to use the money he saved. For the "Charity" savings, he can find an organisation he likes and donate the money monthly.
For the "Investment" savings, we told him that he is not to touch it. He can put it in a bank and can use the money when he is old enough to handle his money wisely.
For the "Delayed Gratification" savings, we will decide on an event and aim to save up for it. We all decided that we want to save for the Macau-Hong Kong trip end of the year. So Jiaheng will also have his money to spend when we go for the trip. :)
For the "Spendings" savings, he gets to withdraw it every Sunday and spend it on his breakfast with grandparents.
We find that with the 10-10-10-70 savings program, he is more conscious of the value of money. We will only give him the allowance when he asked us for it. If he forgot, which happens quite often... not forgetting that he is only 4 years old... he will have less to spend on Sunday.
It is quite amusing to see him count his "Spendings" savings on Sunday. If there is more money in the container, he will suggest going to a foodcourt to eat. If there is less, he will say "We can only go to a Kopi tiam" Not bad leh... he knows the pricing varies for foodcourt and Kopi tiam. Haha.
When shopping for food, he will shop around for something within his budget. There was once when he chose to only eat toast for breakfast ... cos not enough money saved for the week. And he will be more than happy when he has saved enough for his favourite Japanese food. I enjoy seeing him shop for his food... seeing the little fellow looking at the food signboards and comparing the prices. So cute. :P
While a 4 year old boy is trying his best to learn how to spend his money prudently, there are some adults running into debts and have difficulties managing their money. What an irony! It is definitely important to be mindful of finance in the pursuit of freedom.
I learnt how to do it from an online movie. You can view it at
www.simplyworkathome.org/wealthy (the password is 2476724). Share with me if you learn something useful from the movie too. Cheers!
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
First Steps
Yixuan Yixuan, come, come to mommy ... and then *plod plod plod* and she landed in my arms. ;)
I moved back a little, opened up my arms and then called out again. *plod plod plod* Hey, the little girl made 3 quick steps before losing her balance and landed in my arms again. Mommy was all smiles, so was the girl.
Yeh! It's our dear Princess first steps.
I first saw her rehearsing her moves. She held my hand and then squat down, stand up, squat down and then stand up. She seems to like what she was doing and kept rehearsing those moves. My mum told me that once the little one starts to do the squatting and standing, she is ready to take the first steps.
So, I decided to give it a go. I sat in front of her. First I helped her stabalise herself before I let go and called out to her to come to me. Initially, I was not sure what she will do... will she 'run' to me? just *plomp* sit down again? carry on standing and waiting for me to take actions? ??? But when she made those first steps, I was so proud of her. And more important, she was so proud of herself.
Hug Hug baby Yixuan.
It is really amazing how fast babies learn in those first few initial months. Yixuan just turned 10 months a few days ago and it seems just not too long ago when I first held her in my arms. She was so helpless then and now she has taken her first steps.
I am so glad that I can be home to take care of her while I worked.
==================
posted by Mommy
I moved back a little, opened up my arms and then called out again. *plod plod plod* Hey, the little girl made 3 quick steps before losing her balance and landed in my arms again. Mommy was all smiles, so was the girl.
Yeh! It's our dear Princess first steps.
I first saw her rehearsing her moves. She held my hand and then squat down, stand up, squat down and then stand up. She seems to like what she was doing and kept rehearsing those moves. My mum told me that once the little one starts to do the squatting and standing, she is ready to take the first steps.
So, I decided to give it a go. I sat in front of her. First I helped her stabalise herself before I let go and called out to her to come to me. Initially, I was not sure what she will do... will she 'run' to me? just *plomp* sit down again? carry on standing and waiting for me to take actions? ??? But when she made those first steps, I was so proud of her. And more important, she was so proud of herself.
Hug Hug baby Yixuan.
It is really amazing how fast babies learn in those first few initial months. Yixuan just turned 10 months a few days ago and it seems just not too long ago when I first held her in my arms. She was so helpless then and now she has taken her first steps.
I am so glad that I can be home to take care of her while I worked.
==================
posted by Mommy
Monday, August 06, 2007
Goal Setting Works...
Successful people always say that we have to set goals and work towards it. It is proven to work through a lesson my son taught me.
Jiaheng is a fairly good reader for someone his age. He can pull out almost any of the pre-schooler books and read. Guess, he figured the words either through memory or through the use of phonics. Or perhaps, the cards flashing that Mommy did for him in his early days helped.
However, we felt that his reading is too ad-hoc. We decided to give him a goal to achieve. That is to achieve reading 100 books (since Jiaheng likes big numbers, so we decided to give him a big goal).
We prepared two boxes for him. One says "I am going to read these books", the other says "I have finished reading these books". Then we have a reading chart with 100 boxes pasted on the wall. Everytime he finished a book from one box and put it into the other box, he can paste a sticker in the reading chart. By the time, all boxes on the chart are filled, Jiaheng will have finished reading 100 books!
With this goal in mind, it really motivates Jiaheng to read more consistently. He already completed coming to 60 books in a mere two weeks time.
Yes! Goal setting works. Have you set your goal today?
Jiaheng is a fairly good reader for someone his age. He can pull out almost any of the pre-schooler books and read. Guess, he figured the words either through memory or through the use of phonics. Or perhaps, the cards flashing that Mommy did for him in his early days helped.
However, we felt that his reading is too ad-hoc. We decided to give him a goal to achieve. That is to achieve reading 100 books (since Jiaheng likes big numbers, so we decided to give him a big goal).
We prepared two boxes for him. One says "I am going to read these books", the other says "I have finished reading these books". Then we have a reading chart with 100 boxes pasted on the wall. Everytime he finished a book from one box and put it into the other box, he can paste a sticker in the reading chart. By the time, all boxes on the chart are filled, Jiaheng will have finished reading 100 books!
With this goal in mind, it really motivates Jiaheng to read more consistently. He already completed coming to 60 books in a mere two weeks time.
Yes! Goal setting works. Have you set your goal today?
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