Category: Family/From the Heart

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EllenWood Park For A BBQ

I have been in this town for 10 yrs to date and this is the first time that PB brought us to Ellenwood Park – yes! you see how adventurous PB is. So you all can start feeling real bad for me now – hahahha!! No food – no traveling – no adventure – and gotta deal with some verrrryyy.. verrrry.. strange people at times. PB’s parents/relatives think that I’m outspoken/blunt – but wait till they meet some of the people we meet and have to deal with.

Thank God for good people like Mr B & his family – they invited us for their son’s birthday – at Ellenwood Park for a BBQ – and if you know me – i heart BBQs. So we had a day of outing and we had beef stew ready for dinner/supper when we get home and I did all my housework on Friday night – and PB went out to get groceries with Chloe while i cook and shower and off we went. Ellenwood Park was great – next summer – we have to come here more often for swimming.

The lake was pretty clean and all – but mannnn.. the toilet !! i heard no plumbing ! bad management on the town or the government here – such a nice lake.

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Insuring Chloe’s Future

As you all know – Chloe and I are very dependent on PB – and I never ask for money from PB except for food and the necessaries – nothing more. I don’t feel a need for money truth be told – i’m pretty contented as long as I can get some food from home. But we have to think for Chloe’s future – in case anything happen to us. So a few weeks ago when PB’s insurance guy was in – we got an insurance quote from him and we decided to buy a policy for Chloe just in case anything were to happen to us. You see – the house is insured and so is the business – so there won’t be any debt left for Chloe – should something happen – but we also want to make sure she don’t have to struggle and if nothing happens – well – she still can have the money – when we are not around anymore – when she turns into an adult.

When we were young, our parents weren’t able to buy bonds or any insurance for us – we pretty much have to fend for ourselves. Therefore, when I had Chloe – I never want her to be left with nothing – when we are gone. The business, the house – whatever that is ours – will go to her when we are not around – we want to insure her future. What about you? what have you done to insure your kids’ future?

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Hanging On To Summer

So how was your summer? summer is almost ending for us here – since the summer camp is over for Chloe and school will be starting in 2 weeks. This summer – we didn’t go anywheres – because we were busy re-vamping the store and even though we didn’t get to go to the city – Chloe got to play almost everyday at the camp and going to her grandparents on Saturdays. So yes – this summer was different – i also did a few things different – like started exercising – started going to cut my hair regularly – going for the infrared sauna – started doing my facials as well. I’m not planning to go to the city now – because it would be too rush for us – plus I know I’d already spend a lot on the hair and facials – that i wouldn’t do – if i had gone to the city – so migrating – being a mom and being an owner by association is by no means living a life of luxury – hahahahah!! we still have to weigh our pros and cons before spending any money. Like the spouse said – we are staying ahead and don’t want to fall back. What about you? do you just spend on your credit cards first and pay later..??

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When I Fall In Love …

A few months ago – I happen to chance upon a childhood friend from 30 yrs ago – on Facebook. At first I wanted to add him onto my Facebook friend list but I stopped myself. Why? I checked out his info and pictures and his wall and he is happily married with 3 children and even though I haven’t seen him for a good 20 yrs – I don’t really know if his wife would like it very much. We were childhood friends and attended the same church together – I left to UK to finish my school and he left for USA to finish his. We kept in contact when we were in school – but I was really busy – trying to juggle work and school work – and usually he wrote more than I – we drifted apart.

When I arrived home to Singapore – he met me at the airport – with his fiancee (now his wife) – i guess to introduce us? And no – i wasn’t in love with him – we went out once ! hhahahah!! and I was only but 18 at that time. He wanted to hold my hands and I said no – hahahah! he was like a friend – more like my mother’s friend kid. My life at that time was pretty simple – i just wanted to finish school and survive but I knew at 18 – he wasn’t the man I wanted to fall in love with. Why? Too old-fashioned – too “chinese” with lots of old fashion ideas – like the wife needs to be able to cook and stay home after having kids – stuff like that.

So why I didn’t wanna connect with him? because I had told him – when i fall in love – it will be forever – and he wasn’t the right guy for me. Why he brought his fiancee to the airport to pick me up – hahahha!! i have no idea. But looking at his wife’s pictures now on his FB – i wonder if his wife is his mother or his wife? yes – she looks really oldddddddd… !! not being mean or anything – but i figured if we did connect – his wife might not like it so much. What do you think?

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Special Boys

Today we went all the way to Briar’s Lake to meet up with Chloe’s cousin from Ottawa. I am glad we went – because PB wasn’t too keen on going – because we had things at home to do – and housework to catch up on – plus he wanted to rest – i’m guessing – since Sunday is the only day – where we don’t have to work. But family is very important to me – I didn’t have cousins to grow up with – not because I didn’t have cousins – but our parents weren’t closed at all – due to hierarchy and who is rich and who isn’t. But over here – it didn’t matter if you were rich or poor – plus I also want Chloe to know her cousins – even though they are so far away – and don’t come often enough and we don’t go and visit either.

I haven’t seen Gabriel for a few years now and Xavier – well – i haven’t seen him at all. But both boys are so intelligent and so enjoyable to be with. I know Chloe had a good time and Renette – the boys’ grandmother is always so hospitable and warm. We had a great time – chatting and just catching up. So what did you do this weekend.

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Monkey See Monkey Do

So yesterday after dinner – as usual – the kid would play on her own while i go do the dishes – but she stopped me because she wanted to show me something – so she said. And like any good parents – we stayed and watched her. So she had this rectangular box and she started putting stuff in it and stuffing them in and knocking it around and closing it up and then pushing a pencil out. And then she turned around and said – “See i’m helping grampie!” “roll eyes” – yes ! the kid was helping her grampie roll cigarettes!

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The Sentimental Child

Summer is almost over for the kids – another few more weeks and they go back to school. Chloe saw her childhood friend once this year – and although she was looking forward to him joining her summer camp – she also kinda hope they would get together sometime. Unfortunately, he didn’t show up at her camp and she kept asking why? we didn’t wanna impose on his parents by calling – obviously – they have good reasons why he wasn’t in camp. So we tried to explain to Chloe that he must be busy or something else came up. Yes, she is quite sentimental and even though we don’t see much of her childhood friend these days – because both his parents are very busy now – with work and home obligations – she still long to play with him.

Anyhow, our sentimental child made some new “best” friends in camp this week – we are very happy and proud of her. Hopefully, with these new friendship – she will go again to camp next year and hopefully our sentimental girl will grow up to be a sensible one – because she doesn’t really pursue the matter about her childhood friend anymore. Being sentimental is good – but being obsessive – now that is a different story eh.

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Slide Show Of Home

While I was enjoying a day at the park with ducks – Chloe had asked me more about home and my parents. I thought of a slide show that I can make for Chloe and decided to do it – to let her know abit more about my parents/siblings and more about where I come from. I gave it a little more thought – as to what I want to show Chloe and thought about my mom and Chloe. You see – Chloe and I are brought up quite differently – Chloe’s childhood if shown on a slide show to her grandchildren in the future would be nothing but happy memories – where else mine wasn’t so much like that.

While i grew up with a screaming mom – who would cane us in public – Chloe has never been harshly dealt with in her entire life. But do I want to show her a slide show of my childhood with so many bad memories? of a childhood without a parent or grandparents to love? A childhood without any toys nor bed to sleep on? I only started to have a decent life after i turned 26 – when i decided that I didn’t want the past to hold me back. That was when my life changed – for the better – but how do i tell my child – who is currently so curious to know who my parents were? I don’t even really know my own father – for he was never home – my slide show for my childhood – is but a very short memory to me. It is a past – i rarely want to remember but it gets trigger back once in a while.

As much as I would love to tell Chloe the whole truth – i feel that she is still very young to understand – my past. For now – I’m putting together a simpler slide show of my past for her – a simplified version just for now. I’m just happy that Chloe’s slide show – of her childhood will be a so much happier and blessed one – for her dad and grandparents are nothing like mine.

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Happy Birthday, Singapore!

Tomorrow, my home country celebrates its 45th birthday – it’s easy to remember because that was the year i was born. And while my home country flourishes every year and become better and bigger and more famous – i ended up in a small town in Canada. Singapore has changed so much since i left 10 years ago. A girlfriend who was in New York for 10 days – told me she missed home so much – the minute she stepped into Changi International Airport – she had a plate of Nasi Lemak before going home – hahahhaha!!! I know how she felt – because that was what i did – but i had mee siam when i first came to Canada for 1.5 months.

Do i missed Singapore? that’s for sure ! the convenience of everything back home – the modernness and efficient government – plus a stable job if you wanna work. But having said all that – I know i would never turn the clock back and change coming to Canada – because i wouldn’t have Chloe if i did. I missed the food, the weather – good friends, cousins and a good job but where/what would i be if I didn’t become a mother? or if i am without Chloe? But that came with a price too of course, I’m not in the best of health here because I can’t get to eat the kind of food i am used to back home – I’m trying hard though. So for those who wants to migrate – think very carefully. Make sure you choose a place where there are lots of Asians – else you will end up like me – wanting to go home every other month. I would love to go home for a visit – soon – my Singapore – soon – i’ll come and see how beautiful you are.

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My Kid Loves To Read

My kid loves to read – i even have a picture of her in the toilet reading a magazine – muahah!! I am guessing – she loves to read because she sees us reading a lot – they say the apple don’t fall far from the tree eh. We get all her books from school, or the local book store here but PB uses Amazon books to get his special books that you have to order – like the Forgotten Realms & the Wheel of Time series (we can find it in this small town).

The school encourages us to read to her and we do it every night before she sleeps – she loves for us to read to her – but she refuses to read on her own. So ever since she started “real” school, we were able to acquire some books that was in her level – and she is now able to read simple books. And though she doesn’t read too much yet – she loves buying books and we never refused when it comes to books. My grandfather used to say that books should be our best friend – and at that time – i thought it was so corny – but now i can fully understand why my grandfather preaches it constantly. What about you? does your kids love to read? where do you get good and cheap books ? pray tell.