Racial harmony street parade 2011

Yes! It's that time of the year again. The racial harmony street parade (17 july). As with every other year (see below for links), the girls would take a picture at the air force booth donning the over sized uniform and carrying the signature pilot's helmet. It's amazing, can you believe we took such photos over five years? Without fail, come rain or shine. 

This year however saw the debut of mummy in uniform. I was cajoled into taking the picture with my close friend. In fact, I dare say I put on the "over used" uniform for her, just because she wanted me to. It was not too bad an experience. It was very warm in the uniform though. I did not bring my camera (these were taken with the iphone) so most of the pictures are still with my friend.

As usual, we would grab the free cotton candy, pop corn, drinks and ice cream along the way to queue for free rides and games. The children queued while we sit around and chat. A couple of my friends children were involved in the street parade so it was nice seeing familiar faces in the crowd. Knowing me, I would not queue for a plate of vegetarian noodles or fried kway teow or even three pieces of peking duck, so we ended up driving out for a nice comfortable sit down dinner. I really like my neighbourhood and the one thing I will surely miss should I move away, is the company of good people, good neighbours, good friends.

Racial harmony street parade 2010
Racial Harmony Street Parade 2009
Racial Harmony Day 2008

Running clinic for joelle

This is the first time joelle will be running for the POSB passion run for kids and the event organizer put together a running clinic for them. As first timer, I thought we had better attend and give joelle a feel of running competitively.

 

Parents were invited to a talk and massage demonstration while the children were led to some activities. At about 5.30pm, we all put on our personalized running bibs and did a mass warm up exercise. Then off to the park for a 700m run. As I am not fit to run, I asked daddy to run with her. This is after all her first run and I wanted daddy to pace her well. I do not want any unnecessary injury. She did well though I think running is also not her cup of tea. However I'm determine to let her run more. It should do her more good than bad. We are looking forward to the actual run in September. I'm so excited. Her first competitive run - 800m. Now all I need is to get her some decent running shorts.

Promises are not meant to be broken

Sometimes I feel really ashamed of myself. Why am I so incapable of managing promises. Why do I still believe that promises are not meant to be broken. Everyday, in and out, people make some kind of promise. Be it genuine or tempting or just a passing remark to keep further discussion at bay, promises seem to be part and parcel of people's conversation. So why should I be bothered by promises made and broken or to actually put my child-like trust in promises sealed by people around me? Should I not have learn by now that not all of them will be fulfill? After all I have been deceived since young. It should have numb me by now. 

Unfortunately, I still feel cheated, I still feel disappointed, I still feel like a child when it comes to broken promises. And I truly HATE myself for being taken in all the time. I HATE feeling like a fool in believing in something as pure as a simple word of trust, a promise.

But really, promises are not meant to be broken.

Let's go to the zoo.

My brother gave us some entrance tickets to the zoo recently so we brought them there during the youth day school holiday (4 july). It was not too crowded, not as I had expected. We headed for the white tiger enclosure as our first stop and the three tigers were just cooling themselves in the water. When wet, they actually looked so cute and mild, like a big kitten waiting to be hugged. We moved on to the outback area and saw kangaroos and whatever you can see in australia... yes, snakes included. Then it was the sealions, penguins and hippo and other animals... you get the idea we were at the zoo right?

 After lunch at the sheltered amphitheater, we finally head to the kidzworld. The girls rode on ponies, touched some small animals and went wild at the water play. My mum and I chilled for about 45 minutes before we got them up to shower and make our way back to the exit, by ferry. 

Did anyone ever say "no trip to the zoo is complete without a picture with ben and jerry's signature cow at the entrance? Well, every trip to the zoo must end with a picture with the cow. This time they have two cows (how did they know I have two children now?).

Roaming around... kallang

While daddy played football at kallang (3 july), I showed the girls the area around kallang leisure. I showed them where the national stadium once stood, I took them around the indoor stadium, I told them about the musical I watched at the kallang theatre which looked like an abandon haunted building now. I took them for a walk along the kallang promenade and across the bridge to the mini "tower" which is now closed to public. It brought back some memories of this once so alive and bustling with activities place. Although all these do not mean anything to the girls and it is just another new place for them to see, I did actually enjoy remembering the past events and the people connected to these places. Memories...

 These silly girls took the steps while I took the escalator up to the indoor stadium.

Mission #2 - Blade

Ever since mid June, I have been asking myself what I really want to do to make my life more satisfying and what could possibly occupy my time and my thoughts more positively. And I came up with three "missions". 

The first mission is something for the body - walk. That should keep me believing that I'm healthy already. I bought a pair of walking shoes in a nice shade of my favourite blue, hoping that it would draw me to use it often. So far, it did. I'm still walking my girls to their enrichment classes about two bus stops away and I'm walking while my husband cycles with the girls after dinner. Ever since joelle took over my bicycle, I do not own one so perhaps that might be my next target "mission", to get a new bicycle and cycle to further places.  But that shall wait because I've just bought myself a new set of wheels, to fulfill my next mission.

The second mission is for the heart - blade. Why is it for the heart? I'm thinking of something that could make me happy by itself, where I do not need to depend on external sources. And after some thoughts, I feel that blading had so far being able to allow me to feel happy independently. I do not need company to blade though company to me is always welcome. So that should keep me happy and have my heart pumping with adrenalin each time I'm on my blades. So now let's talk about my mission #2.


Mission #2 - Blade.
I own my first pair of recreational blades in 2002 but never really got to use them much because joelle was conceived and born soon after. Then it was too busy and too tired to engage in any sports. It was only in 2007 that I started utilizing the blades again. That was when I decided to put joelle on wheels. She went on wheels when she was about four (she cycles a two-wheeler when she was six) and upgraded to a new pair of personal blades when she turned seven. That's the reason I got back on my wheels too. It is really beneficial to be able to do something together with your child and I'm glad we found it in wheels related sports. After all I do not run and she could not swim (yet).

Recently, I just indulge in a new pair of freestyle skates after being tempted by the pair that joelle's instructor loan me every week for four weeks. It has a shorter frame and rocker wheels and I have no regrets with that purchase. Although this set me back by another S$199, it's a good steal for me. When I went down to the shop, I had the rollerblade twister in mind. I tried on that pair and it was an immediate bond. Just like a love at first sight. Unfortunately it is the lack of willingness to part with that amount of money that tore us apart. There was no room for comparison at all. It was S$199 versus S$499. Perhaps if I did not lose that project, I would be willing to take on that amount. But I did not secure that project so I gave myself a budget of only S$250 for this.

But now I'm so in love with my wheels that I have being down blading around the neighbourhood by myself late at night. It's a wonderful feeling to be on wheels and I do hope that I could touch base with my wheels soon, even if it means I have to fall a few times and bleed a few times. My goal with this pair of blades is to be as confident as I would be without the wheels. I'm not even talking about stunts or sleek movements, just me and my blades, together, going anyway we want. Now I'm still not there yet but I'm getting to know her better everyday. As long as I feel her well enough, I'm sure she won't disappoint me.  

When I told dave my mission to blade more, he supported me by getting a pair of blades for himself. This is his very first pair of blades and I'm so jealous that he could just get on his wheels and do much more than I ever did on mine. He told me the secret lies in GUTS and he has the guts to fall and try and fall again. Perhaps I should adopt this man's attitude to sports. "No pain no gain" I suppose.

Dave's wheels are from K2 and it has the well established comfort and reliability of its name. I almost got the same pair in woman's cut and design but I was seriously wanting a change from the recreational blades that I already owned. This pair has a special feature - the bamboo frame. It is said to be as hard as steel and as light as plastic. Dave shall put them to the test.

You bring out the best in me.

I have this habit of assigning different ring tones to different groups of people. My husband has one really funny one, it actually makes me laugh every time he calls and I'll answer the call with a giggle. That's good because he thinks I'm always happy to get his calls!

And I have a 30sec segment of this song assign to a friend whom at one point in time did bring out the best in me. Unfortunately, I hardly hear that ring tone as she hardly calls me. Well I guess it might be time I assign a different tune to her name. Not that it matters anyway since she doesn't call. But I really do like this song and EJ, you did bring out the best in me and I'm sorry if you no longer think so.

Sunway holiday - Day 3

 

Breakfast that morning was served at the newly renovated restaurant next to the newly renovated pool. So after breakfast, the girls dived into the pool for about an hour before we checked out. They made some singaporean friends there. Play time is always too short for children. They had to be dragged out of the pool and back to the room for a nice warm shower. Then as promised, we finally hit the ice skating rink for a two hour run. It was honestly not as easy as I thought it would be. After all I do blade so I thought balance wise I should do fine and control should not be too far off. However it was so slippery that I almost fell a couple of times. Isabelle fell and on both times "rescued" promptly by the ice police. It does take practice because after about 30 minutes, I can skate further from the circumference of the rink and boldly join dave in the middle. My husband is good with these stuff. Give him a bicycle and he shows you stunts. Give him blades and he shows you moves that you've probably been trying for so long but yet to master it. Give him skates and he glides along like the ice police in the rink. Sometimes I do hate his guts. It's his guts that I need to master the moves that I have been trying for so long. It's his guts that gives him the confidence needed in these sports. I lack his guts.

 

Can you spot my two little girls skating among the crowd? They are good, really. They have their father's guts. I will take them ice skating again.

Maybe someday I will find that guts in me too. I'm hook to these sports now. Ice skating, roller blading, cycling... I'm doing it everyday except cycling because I do not have my own bicycle now. Joelle took over mine. But that can wait because cycling is still manageable for me. I want to find my guts in roller blading first. I want to be confident on my blades by the end of 2011. That's my goal.