A Different Side of Phuket

We spent 5 glorious days in northern Phuket from 18 to 22 Dec, doing absolutely nothing and yet indulging in everything we so desire. Languid days melted into one another, until we could hardly distinguish between each day. The tranquillity experienced in northern Phuket, far from the madding crowd, was therapy in itself, where we were able to feel at one with nature, each other and ourselves. Beautiful.

Here are some highlights of the different Phuket that we had experienced:

1) The Hotel
In keeping to my preferences for hotels situated in remote locations away from the city, I researched for and selected a hotel - Holiday Inn Mai Khao - situated in a secluded part of northern Phuket. The hotel was perched right beside the majestic Andaman Sea, and located right in Phuket's Sirinath National Park. We were truly removed from civilisation - with bustling Patong about 40 to 45 minutes away, ensconced in the arms of serenity and stillness.

The hotel was pretty luxurious with modern resort-like architecture, despite its 4-star rating, and the service was one of the warmest Hubby and I had seen in our manifold trips overseas.

We booked a Kids' Suite, which was the best decision we had made - it provided us with the luxury of space needed by 2 growing daughters, yet allowed us to be close together in one living space for perfect bonding.

Essentially, the Kids' Suite comprised of 2 rooms connected by one huge common bathroom, with bunk beds and bright, colourful bedsheets in the children's room. Needless to say, the Bees were thrilled with the bunk beds and their own little private space!

Food
Another excellent feature of the resort was the promotion that kids could eat free for all buffet meals! When we topped this off with very reasonable buffet prices (usually around S$20 to S$30), it meant incessant gorging for us during breakfasts and dinners - to the extent that I was frankly rather repulsed by food in the last 2 days!

The breakfast spread was good, and dinner buffets had different themes every night. We were very excited by a Southeast Asian themed buffet on a Thursday night, and were stuffing ourselves silly with favourites like Hainanese chicken rice, laksa, beef rendang, kuehs, Thai desserts etc! There were lots of Russians and Eastern Europeans staying in the hotel, and it was quite amusing to see their baffled expressions when they saw all these food that were so foreign to them!

Leisure Activities
We did not get out much from the hotel these 5 days (other than long walks on the beach and half a day of trekking which I will write about later). Firstly, we selected this hotel so that we could be staying within a national park; secondly, we wanted a hotel perched so close to nature's perfect beauty to purge us of our urban toxins; and finally, this hotel had a wonderful array of leisure activities within its confines, which was excellent to entertain the Bees when they got a little tired of long beach walks and wave surfing!

We spent a lot of hot lazy afternoons on team games like badminton and lawn bowling. The trampoline was also a huge favourite with the Bees and us - we loved that free fall feeling of jumping high up in the air, only to be sucked down by gravity, and then to bounce high up again. It was such a liberating, unfettered feeling!

There were plenty of board games and chess sets around. We spent a languorous afternoon amidst a thunderstorm, sipping coffee, eating Lamingtons and black forest cakes, playing Scrabble as a family (well, the Bees beat the 2 adults flat, sigh!).

Big Bee and Hubby also indulged in a late morning game of chess in a little pavilion just beside the sea, whilst Little Bee and I played Jenga (because lousy Mummy here was the only one in the family who doesn't know how to play chess!). With the balmy morning breeze twiddling its insouciant fingers through our hair while spending quiet time with one another, the feeling was divine.

There were also a good selection of DVDs and PSP games (the Kids Suite had a PSP playstation, although we did not use it) - and it was so easy to rent movies to watch in the comfort of our hotel room.

The marvelous thing about these activities was that the games and sporting equipment were all laid out for anyone to play, without the troublesome need to book or register your time. So, for people like us who prefer spontaneous play, it was so convenient and fuss-free!

We only went to the pool a couple of times, preferring to stay by the sea instead. However, the freeform, infinity-edge pool was situated just a stone's throw away from the beach, so it was quite an experience to swim in the pool while enjoying the seaview and sunset at the same time.

I am usually not one for Kids' Club, preferring to spend quality time with the kids instead. However, their Kids' Club was so attractive and colourful, filled with hourly fun activities that Little Bee could not resist them, and kept persuading me to let her spend some time there! There was a huge ball pit with a small playground in the middle of the club, and a huge playground outside.

There were also PSP games to play, movies to watch, and an interesting haxagon-shaped reading area for the older kids who did not want to be disturbed by nosy little children!

In the end, we did put the girls in the Kids' Club, while we indulged in a short spa session. When we returned after our spa to fetch them, we saw happy faces (yes, even from cynical Big Bee!). They had both learned a new skill from one of the club's hourly activities - balloon sculpting!

On the 3rd day of our vacation, the hotel also put up 2 huge bouncy castles on the grounds for the kids, much to the delight of the Bees, especially Little Bee!

Spa
I indulged in 2 sessions of Thai massages on 2 days - once with Hubby (when we left the girls in the  Kids' Club) and another time alone, with Hubby spending quality time with the Bees, watching a DVD movie. Prices were so reasonable for the massage, the ambience was so peaceful and relaxing, and both my therapists were superb!

2) The Beach

Gazing at the boundless expanse of the regal Andaman Sea for several hours a day was a daily ritual that rejuvenated our flagging spirits and jaded urban minds. The horizon was a clear line, unobstructed by any ships or islands. The skies above seemed grander and more magnificent than other skies viewed from other locations.

Staring at these beauties never failed to make me realise the immeasurable magnitude of the universe, and how terribly miniscule we human beings really are, just like fragile chess pieces that could be smashed into nothingness and scattered all over.

Yet, these supposedly insignificant human beings - us - seemed to possess such inordinate powers to potentially wipe out earthly existence with the industrial activities we indulge in. When faced with such breathtaking beauties of nature everyday, it is indeed forlorn to think that urbanisation has taken over so much of Earth, wiping out the colours of nature with ugly grey city structures.

OK...I am ranting! Back to the beach...

Beachcombing
Mai Khao beach is the longest beach in Phuket, with a 11km of near-deserted strip of sandy beach. There would be pockets of hotel guests in the few resorts scattered around, swimming in the sea or worshipping the sun on the sand. However, in between these resorts, when we went for long beach walks, we often ended up being totally alone without chancing on anyone. This was the pure luxury of solitude.

We went on a particularly long 2-hour walk on the beach one late morning, which culminated in us entering another hotel (Renaissance) for lunch and a short coffee break. In that 2 hours, other than the few hotel guests near the resorts, we only saw about 4 other people taking similar long walks. The sand was coarser and darker than the usual fine, white sandy beaches, which made walking a lot harder and more challenging. Little Bee was a little tired from all the walking eventually! Even my legs were aching after trudging through the undulating sand for a couple of hours!

The beach was fringed by miles of uninhabited land with myriad coconut trees, casuarina trees and shrubs. Yet, other than the beachfronts of the hotels, parts of the public beach areas were filled with debris and rubbish washed up from the sea or from campers who had left beer bottles or fishing nets behind. Thinking of how these rubbish could affect marine wildlife just saddened me, and we used this opportunity to talk to the Bees about keeping our beaches pristine (although the Singapore seas and beaches are amongst the dirtiest I had seen, sigh).

We have a tradition of picking seashells from the beaches wherever we are on a beach holiday, so this holiday was no exception. I love this activity for the fact that it gives the family an excuse to pore closely at the sand on the beach, observing minute details, and picking out the best of seashells, whilst observing marine life on the beach punctiliously. We started with a small handful of collected seashells, which expanded to a huge bag of gorgeous seashells on the 3rd day!

Wave-surfing
The waves and currents were very strong here, despite the fact that the sea had become much tamer in December. We spent hours in the sea wave-surfing. Little Bee was a little terrified by the intensity and strength of the waves initially, but gradually got over her fear, although she still preferred to play at the edge of these delirious waves. Adventurous Big Bee was more of a risk-taker. Together with Hubby, they would venture further out to the sea, despite red flag beach warnings. They would ride the surf, with Big Bee squealing in absolute delight. At times, the waves were so strong that they would crash right over the heads of Big Bee and Hubby, pushing them right to the edge of the beach or sucking them in with the strong currents.

I was a little skeptical and worried about the intensity of the waves, and insidious thoughts of the terrifying 2004 tsunami that hit Phuket kept creeping into my mind. On hindsight, I was quite glad that everyone was safe and sound, despite our hours of playing by the beach with rough seas!

Resplendent Sunsets

Both Hubby and I are unwavering fans of watching sunsets. For me, I love the brilliant, changing hues of the skies as the sun descends. Part of the advantage of staying up north in Mai Khao was that we faced the glorious setting sun to the west, and we sat on the beach almost everyday to gaze wondrously at the miracles of Mother Earth.

To be able to observe the gradually setting sun, to be immersed in the enchanting tangerine hues of the sunset, to feel at one with the ever-rotating Earth as we were plunged from golden brilliance to the lavender gloaming, and eventually dusky evening....we feel totally connected to the omniscient rhythms of the Earth indeed.

As Darkness Falls
We strolled on the beach one night, in total darkness, as we wanted to show the Bees a different perspective of the sea and beach in complete darkness. The swashing waves seemed louder, the breeze seemed colder, and the nocturnal world seemed more expansive in its darkness. We also hoped to observe a more active realm of marine life, but found it very challenging to achieve in pitch darkness. It was unfortunate that we had a new moon that night, which meant that sliver of lunar brightness could not emit any light for the mortal beings on the beach to see better.

However, we saw a few sky lanterns floating up in the ebony obscurity, and it was magical to see these little cylinders of luminance slowly but steadily progressing up to the high heavens, transforming into little baubles and speckles of radiance, to join the brilliant stars.

3) Marine Wildlife 

Elusive Marine Turtles
We are very fortunate to be staying on a beach where the endangered giant leatherback turtles (one of the largest and most ancient species of marine turtles) prefer to nest, and we are even luckier to be staying here in the midst of nesting season! There were also other marine turtles which will nest here. When I first found out, I was thrilled, and hence, wanted to stroll along the beach at night in the hopes to catch a nesting sea turtle. Unfortunately for us, the darkness acted as a natural shield for these amazing marine creatures.

The Bees standing around a big marine turtle's nesting pit! 

However, in the mornings, we would comb the beach, in a bid to search for the nests of marine turtles, and often, we were not disappointed! As this seemed to be a busy nesting season, we could easily find several large turtle nesting pits along the beach, sometimes on the section of the beach just outside our hotel! Miraculous.

2 big nesting pits were found side by side!

Turtle nesting pits resemble huge craters in the sand, always along the high tide line. The fascinating thing is that sometimes, we could literally see the turtle tracks leading to and from the sea, especially if we were combing the beach early enough. Once, Little Bee and I chanced upon a nest crater with the outline of a turtle's head, its 2 front flippers and embossed shell patterns on the sand! We were awe-struck, and just kept gaping at the nest crater.

The eggs should be underneath the high pile of sand, supposedly created by the marine turtles to camouflage the eggs

On our last morning in Phuket, we discovered nesting pits with tracks of turtle hatchlings (very likely the beautiful olive ridley turtle) heading towards the sea! It was a stupendous discovery for us.

Friendly Dogs, Shy Crabs and Some Nonchalant Fireflies
The beach was also dotted with an abundance of nervous crabs scuttling swiftly away and into their ubiquitous nests. Little Bee was a little spooked by these crabs initially (probably watched too many cartoons with evil crabs threatening folks with their sharp pincers!), but her fear was assuaged when she realised how shy and fearful these little crabs were.

The beach was also home to a few friendly dogs who would comb the beach for goodies from tourists, or look for a fun romp with a cordial beach lounger!

A friendly dog enjoying the sunset view

During our walk on the beach at night, we even saw a couple of fireflies cruising past us indifferently! They were very amiable, unlike the shy ones we saw in Desaru - hovering very close to us on the beach, with their glow accentuated in the pitch-black beach!

4) Treks with Nature

Bang Pae Waterfall
On our 4th day, we visited Phuket's largest waterfall, the Bang Pae Waterfall. It was situated in the Khao Phra Thaeo National Park, which was only about half an hour's drive from our hotel. We had to trek and climb through the lush forest of the national park for about half an hour before we reached the main waterfall (adults might complete the trail in 15 to 20 minutes, but we had 2 city kids with us, so progress was a little slower).

It was the Bees' first overseas trek in a somewhat challenging forest environment - slippery and steep mud tracks, rocky riverbanks, fallen tree trunks, etc.

The walk down was more treacherous than the trek up, due to the lack of a proper path. So, we had to lead the way, and asked the Bees to follow where we stepped, just to avoid the prevalent loose rocks on steeper slopes.

The walking path was really narrow, and the drop down seemed a little precarious...

I am very proud that Little Bee, being the little dainty self that she is, completed the trek up and down the waterfall on her own, without any complaints. And I could tell that Big Bee would be an adroit and adventurous trekker, keenly following behind Hubby and I as we walked through some difficult slopes. I am looking forward to future trekking holidays with them!

While the trek was thoroughly enjoyable, the waterfall itself was a little small, especially in the dryer month of December. However, we could see locals and tourists swimming in the water under the falls - how fun! For us, we merely splashed a little water by a rocky riverbank, as it was getting late and we need to adjourn to other places. But swimming under a waterfall is definitely an item on the family's to-do list!

Gibbon Rehabilitation Project
As we emerged out of the forest from Bang Pae Waterfall, we strolled past the Gibbon Rehabilitation Project. This is an incredible effort to house and care for adult gibbons that are abandoned by commercial touts in Thailand, before releasing them back to the wild.

As we walked around the area, surrounded by the dense forest of the national park, we were treated to the haunting calls of the gibbons echoing throughout the silent, majestic forest. We listened and meditated - and were touched by the fact that Earth is filled with so many beautiful creatures, yet discouraged by the acts of cruelty that much of humankind inflicted on our fellow creatures.

Promthep Cape

From Bang Pae Waterfall, we adjourned to the southernmost end of Phuket to Promthep Cape, known as the best location to view a stunning sunset. Hubby and I were always fascinated by promontories, hence he was lured to this place after seeing online photos of the various islets and the signature Promthep Cape's promontory.

It was a breathtaking place perched on a high vantage point in which we could view the limitless Andaman Sea. The hues of the sunset were indeed splendid and magical from this vantage point, but I thought the crowds of people distracted me from feeling at peace and at one with the world. Hence, I still prefer our little corner by the Mai Khao beach for watching the sunset!

In all, I love this short getaway because we get to see a beautiful slice of Phuket that is not commonly listed amongst the top ten things to do in Phuket. I love it because time literally drew to a halcyon stop. It was restorative and rejuvenating - and I hope the Bees get a few steps closer to nature here as well!

Her First New Year's Countdown

Big Bee enjoyed her first New Year's countdown with Hubby and I for the first time ever! Although her actual first time was when she was barely one year old, when young and fun-loving Mummy carried her out of bed for a countdown walkabout!

As I was settling comfortably on the sofa, watching the countdown programmes on TV, I sensed someone slink behind me, and it was Big Bee! We cuddled excitedly and gossiped about those performers on stage as if we are best buddies. As the countdown began, she was also eagerly texting her friends on her mobile phone!

When the clock struck 12, she was more thrilled to be saying "Happy New Year" to her friends on the phone first, before turning to her dull, old parents. Welcome to the world of tweenhood! However, Hubby and I took all these in our stride, assured by our complete understanding that deep down inside, Big Bee loves us a whole lot more. Letting go and acknowledging their focus on friendships is so very important when raising tweens, thereby allowing them to maintain a solid channel of communication with us, yet not feel stifled by over-possessive parents.

In the end, she slept at a grand time of 12.45am - her latest ever! I am looking forward to many years of counting down the last minutes of the year with her thereafter :)

Happy New Year, everyone! How had your day been?

Transformation

We spent a homely, peaceful and quiet New Year's Eve by ourselves - bonding as a family of four, giggling, chatting and quibbling at times :) The weather was treacherous, with rains sleeting down incessantly. The last day of 2012 did look a little gloomy, a little melancholic, as if the high heavens were crying their hearts out for the end of this year.

Because of the rain, we stayed home the whole day, attaining some quiet time to get to know ourselves and each other, laughing over old photos, playing board games and just lazing around in general, which was such a luxurious thing to do in this society of rapid pace these days.

In the evening, I decided it was time for Little Bee to bid farewell to her long, luscious locks - in readiness for primary school this week!

We headed towards a nearby hair salon, with Little Bee almost bursting with her signature zeal and thrill. She sat through the whole session with big smiles on her face, and after all her hair was chopped off, she fluffed her stylish bob in a haute couture mien, and claimed she loves this new hairstyle!

This was probably the final item on our to-do list for Little Bee in preparation for primary school. As we chomped on a simple dinner at an adjacent restaurant, Little Bee could not resist touching the short ends of her new hairdo, grinning brilliantly and exclaiming loudly, "It feels so soft and fluffy!"

Little Bee pointing to her bunch of cut hair in the salon!

As I gazed at her dazzling optimism, I know that this beautiful image of her at this stage of her life will be etched in my mind indelibly. I hope that she will forever be so full of spirit, gusto and grand enthusiasm for life, even in primary school!

{Thankful For}...Warm Connections

Inspired by Mum in the Making and my good friend Jeanne, I am trying to start a series of weekly "Thankful Posts", in a bid to reflect on the little blessings and beauties in our lives. And more importantly, to leave a legacy of love, hope and optimism for the Bees when they read through the blog, especially as the world gets more complex.

I will not post photos for these "Thankful Posts" (so I can upload these posts even faster!), and will try to update this series on a weekly basis (every Sunday, if possible!). Thanks, Jus and Jeanne, for the inspiration!

This week, I am thankful for plenty of bonding time with family and friends! The week felt so long, simply because we could spend so many luxurious hours with loved ones, soaking in the love and happiness.

1) 24 Dec (Mon): A thoroughly enjoyable Christmas Eve gathering with the cousins and our nieces with sumptuous food and delightful gifts, where 2 generations of cousins can bond and catch up for the holidays.

2) 25 Dec (Tue): A beautiful walk through densely crowded Orchard Road as a family, chatting and yakking, whilst observing the festivities around us.

3) 26 Dec (Wed): A thrilling day spent in Universal Studios, bonding once again as a little family of 4, taking myriad rides and enjoying each other's presence throughout the day.

4) 27 Dec (Thu): The opportunity for the Bees to spend precious time with their friends, just before the hectic school term starts next week. Big Bee spent a wonderful afternoon with 5 of her friends whom she knew from kindergarten days, and Little Bee had a marvellous afternoon with 6 of her kindergarten friends in Amazonia.

5) 28 Dec (Fri): A delightful afternoon for Little Bee, spent role-playing in different occupations at The City in Liang Court with her buddies, WW, WD and Olivia. Followed by a relaxing dinner in a restaurant with a breathtaking view atop Orchard Road with close friends.

6) 29 Dec (Sat): After the hectic week of non-stop play, we celebrated simplicity and close-knit family time with a restful breakfast at a Parisian-style cafe in Universal Studios, followed by a long-awaited trip to our favourite library where we borrowed lots of books, and then a comforting steamboat dinner at home.

7) 30 Dec (Sat): A warm and cheery lunch with both sets of parents, where the Bees were literally smothered in love and affection by 4 grandparents.

What are you thankful for?

Final Farewell To A Grand Era

I looked forward to Little Bee's graduation concert on 26 October with large dollops of excitement intermingled with equal helpings of bittersweet reluctance. With Little Bee's graduation, the days of preschool and kindergarten are officially over for me.

I would miss those carefree days of incessant beaming smiles, minimal homework, games and laughter in school. I would long for teachers with lesson plans that are fundamentally focused on nurturing thinking skills in children, rather than cramming them with exam techniques. Most of all, I would miss the teachers in Little Bee's school - teachers whom the students call by their first names, teachers who care so much for the little kids, teachers who hug and kiss these children daily. Teachers whom the children really love and look forward to seeing everyday.

The theme for Little Bee's graduation concert was "A Night To Remember", and they termed it as a graduation celebration. For it is a true celebration indeed - a celebration of the achievements and nurturing over the past 3 to 4 years, a celebration of the children's gradual but apparent maturity, a celebration of the kids' amazing talents on stage.

Unlike many other kindergarten celebrations, Little Bee's school does not involve stage performances where little kids were decked up in thick, unnatural make-up or elaborate, gaudy costumes. And that is exactly what I like about them. Instead, every one of them donned a simple school T-shirt and black slacks - and that's it. The stage was to showcase the raw talents of speech and drama for the kids. Their essence, their showmanship, their expressions. All these were showcased without any frills on stage, so that the children's pure presence could be magnified.

And magnified they all were. The students acted in plays, recited poems and lines from scripts so intricate that we adults would surely suffer from memory loss, danced passionately, narrated fluently. The 300+ parents' hearts swelled with pride and wonder as we observed our children transform from bright-eyed and excited kids before the concert to professional, adroit actors on stage. That transformation was awe-inspiring, and I hope this would be cultivation that would last them through their lives.

Little Bee's class performed 3 acts in the concert - a post-modernistic play about space exploration, a rousing Chinese drama about Singapore, and a spirited and energetic Bollywood dance number. Little Bee was one of 4 key presenters for the Chinese play, where her friends and her introduced the meaning behind the drama. She spoke confidently, with a loud, robust voice that was ringing clear.

She displayed zero stage fright, and relished her time on stage, getting under the skin of different roles and acts - and performing so passionately, as if she was in her own little world. As one parent told me after the concert, "Little Bee was so focused and immersed in her performances, so much passion, as if she lived for the stage - such a pleasure to watch!"

And that is my Little Bee - someone who truly enjoys being in the limelight, being on stage and performing. And I am eternally grateful to her school who nurtured this aspect of hers so positively, so encouragingly. I am definitely closing this chapter in her life (and in mine!) very hesitantly, very slowly - and I am going to miss it for a long, long time!

Budding Journalist?

Big Bee's class (and their P5 seniors) created the school's first student-produced e-newsletter, which was distributed to the whole school in October. The kids learned all about news gathering, writing, journalistic photography, photo editing and even video production (the e-newsletter was speckled with short video clips, which was really cool!).

The 20-page newsletter was filled with a plethora of news items - ranging from a report on the historical background of their school, to journalistic articles on major school events, to interview features with alumni. There were comic strips drawn by the students, poems penned lovingly by them, as well as heartfelt multimedia slideshows about the school's founders and teachers.

One of my favourite segments were the creative articles about the significance of different parts of the school - from the courtyard to the canteen. Big Bee's article about the piano in the canteen took up a page in the e-newsletter, and I am heartened that she found it fulfilling to read her own article in a beautifully and professionally laid out newsletter.

Here is the article by Big Bee featured in the e-newsletter (the name of the school is omitted and is represented by XX):

*****************************************
Music To Our Ears
Creative Piece by Big Bee

It is a hot and humid Monday morning and classes are over in school. I am sitting in the noisy canteen, staring absent-mindedly at the old piano. Long, snaking queues are forming in front of various stalls while the students are chattering nineteen to the dozen excitedly.

Gazing at that very old and badly tuned piano with keys that are out of position, memories from the past flooded into my mind...

My friend and I once played a lively, merry duet on the piano while giggling away. Playing the piano was one of our favourite activities during recess and we always looked forward to our turns at the instrument. These are fond memories we shared in XX, memories that we would relish even as adults.

On another occasion, one of my classmates played such a melodious and enchanting piece on the piano that a large group of students began to gather around her. We started clapping and singing to her tune spontaneously, filling the entire canteen instantly with zest and vibrancy.

My mind also drifts back to a gloomy day when my best friend cried uncontrollably because she had failed her Maths exam. I tried my best to comfort her but to no avail. I decided to play a calming and soothing tune on the piano and eventually, her sobs subsided and she broke into a smile.

The piano in the canteen has brought much joy and happiness to the students and I cannot help but smile as I reminisce about those days when we were young. Suddenly, I am jolted from my daydreams when a petite Primary 1 girl dashes across the canteen shouting,"Mummy! Mummy! Let's go home now!" I smile at her contentedly and we head to the carpark, hand in hand. I am glad my daughter can relive the days I had in XX.

Overflowing Plates

The last 4 months had been nothing short of intense for me. Work had been inexplicably hectic, and working 12 to 16 hours a day - plus some hours thrown in over the weekends - was the norm for months. Family life had been tremendously eventful as well. Little Bee wrapped up her K2 year with a wonderfully poignant and spectacular graduation concert. There were also plenty of year-end birthday and farewell parties for the little social butterfly. To top it all off, she celebrated her 6th birthday with a fun-filled hip-hop dancing party last weekend!

Big Bee completed her final semester in school with panache - she was really pleased with her examinations' results, and had a marvellous time at her school's final semester fun fair, which I was too busy to help much with. Her voracious appetite for reading remains consistent - she is very much into the fantasy genre now, and had been devouring entire series of Percy Jackson, Harry Potter and the Belgariad swiftly. She is eyeing The Lord of the Rings series next. She is fast becoming a mature young lady, and is becoming more of my pal and companion!

These few months, I couldn't help but think that life is truly all-consuming. Exhausting, yes. But also filled with so much love and blessings from this beautiful family I am blessed with. The light is shimmering brighter from the end of a dark tunnel...and I am definitely looking forward to a restful and rejuvenating holiday season soon!

Expect lots of back-dated entries from now on!

Rock Star!

*Very backdated post!*

It is no surprise that Little Bee is a party queen. She would start planning different-themed birthday parties for herself way before her birthdays, and would never fail to impose her fussy opinions on my choices of goodie bags, cakes, party decor, etc.

Goodies for the party! 

For her 6th birthday party, she wanted a hip hop dance party with her kindy friends and cousins. We booked a studio and a hip hop dance instructor who was really good with kids, and just let Little Bee and her friends boogie the whole afternoon away!

A hip hop party was great to shake off the excess energy from highly excitable kindy kids, so that they were well-behaved and suitably subdued by cake-cutting time!

Little Bee had a wonderful time playing and bonding with her friends and cousins. As we watched them bid farewell to one another, I had a bittersweet feeling that these kindy friends whom she had been seeing daily for 3 years may not be meeting up that regularly once the hectic routines of primary school start. I pray fervently that she would retain her innocence, naivete and zest for life even in the next chapter of her life.

Happy 6th birthday, my little baby girl!

The Amazing Race

*Very backdated post*

I really enjoyed my time at the Bees' kindergarten. It is a school that encourages creative thinking, curiosity and love for learning, as well as articulate expressions of ideas. The Bees flourished in their pre-school, and I was somewhat sad to see them regressing in the learning and expressive curve as they stepped into primary school, which still reinforces too much rote memory and the relentless push for good examination scores above the fundamental need for expression and creative thinking.

Last November, a month before graduation from K2, Little Bee's kindergarten organised an exhilarating Amazing Race in Sentosa. This was a family-friendly activity which involved a parent teaming up a child, and we were given clues to dash around various pit stops around the island a la Amazing Race style!

The children had a whale of a time looking for clues and learning so many new things about Sentosa! As for me, I relished the opportunity to participate in this fun bonding day, and shared plenty of laughter with Little Bee, as well as her classmates and their parents. And I love that we got to see Sentosa in a different perspective thereafter! I also cherish the bonding sessions with her classmates, teachers and other parents, knowing that the end of her journey in kindergarten is nigh, and that we would be meeting new friends and new parents in the next chapter of her life.

I think the easiest way to document the Amazing Race is through photos! Enjoy!

Challenges for the day!

One completed station, whew!

We dashed all around Sentosa (lumbering at some points when we parents were fatigued!), and one of the challenges involved taking the trams, fun!

Some of the classmates managed to congregate at this point, much to Little Bee's delight

Busy writing down what she had discovered...

Notice Little Bee's tense expression as she handed a completed sheet to one of the teachers at a pit stop? Heh.

The best way to take a Sentosa tram - face outside and enjoy the view! 

Everyone was a winner! MacDonald's vouchers were prizes for the day.

Fun With Current Affairs

1) The Diaoyu/Senkaku Islands Conflict From The Bees' Perspectives

With the Bees growing older, I am beginning to inculcate some current affairs and general knowledge of the world to them - through good old newspapers. Both the Bees already have exposure to reading the newspapers weekly (not daily yet!) and discussing/writing articles analytically in school.

This year, Little Bee's usual show-and-tell in school was replaced by a "news sharing" session, which encouraged each student to bring a news article to school every Tuesday, present it to their friends, and then have an open discussion about the news article. I love this activity because it encouraged the little kids to enhance their knowledge of current affairs, motivate them to read the newspapers regularly, and to nurture critical thinking skills when asking probing questions about the articles.

On the other hand, Big Bee's school also required her to write 5 key points about a fortnightly news article she selected, as well as a small paragraph about why she was interested in the article.

One night back in September, Little Bee wanted to bring to school an article on the intricate turmoil of the Diaoyu and Senkaku Islands between Japan and China. Because of the complicated nature of the whole conflict, I had to use diagrams, maps and very simple language to explain to the Bees what these all mean. After a lengthy explanation, I asked them on their thoughts and viewpoints, and also got them to draw out the whole conflict in simple sketching. Here were their respective theories in their own words when I asked them what would they do if they are leaders in China or Japan:

a) Big Bee's theory: Split the islands in half, and get the leaders of Japan and China to shake hands and be friends! OR both countries should agree to bomb the islands and both will have nothing, so there will be no conflicts!

b) Little Bee's theory: Japan and China will stop fighting soon, and then both will forget about the islands!! Then, suddenly the China President will go to the islands and realise that the Japanese are still there. Then, he will get very angry, and China will have a war with Japan to fight for the islands again!

What does each theory tell you of the Bees' personalities? :)

2) Newspaper Treasure Hunt

2 nights ago, we played treasure hunt - not around the house nor in a park - but with good ol' Straits Times. I thought this would be a fun way to encourage them to flip through the newspapers and encourage them to read the latest news through directed questions from me. I had to ask different levels of questions to Big Bee and Little Bee because of their age differences, but nonetheless, they had fun flipping through the papers frantically and smudging their fingers with the newsprint. Here were some of the questions I asked each of them:

a) To Big Bee
- Which country did Obama go today? (It was a tricky question because the front page of Straits Times had a picture of Obama talking to the Thai Prime Minister, and Big Bee almost said he was in Thailand, but changed her answer as she read deeper into the article. He was actually in Myanmar on Monday.).

b) To Little Bee
- How many runners participated in the Run For Hope marathon? Why do you think they are running for hope?

They did not let me off the hook easily as well. They insisted I must be part of the game too - and Big Bee ended up asking me to summarise the whole Israel-Palestine conflict to them (which I had immense difficulty explaining the reasons why they were fighting using kiddie language, so I ended up talking about air raids instead!).

Eyes Brimming With Tears...

These 2 months had been filled with so many activities for Little Bee, who is moving on from her beloved kindergarten to the big kid primary school. I couldn't help but feel constant twinges of aches in my heart as my little baby is finally leaving that carefree land of boisterous play and wondrous innocence.

We had our last parent-teacher talk with Little Bee's teachers, and it was a somewhat emotional session - especially for the teachers. Both of them teared when they told me how they will miss having Little Bee in class, and what a joy it was for them to teach her. I had to give reassuring pats on their shoulders and backs to prevent them from breaking down! It make me truly cherish her kindergarten and all her highly committed and very dedicated teachers who really love their students.

Both teachers were full of praises for Little Bee - about her leadership potential in class, how she was able to rally up the classmates as always, but yet, willing to listen and be an occasional follower this year. Which is a nice indication of growth for her as she expands her emotional intelligence and awareness of a diversity of opinions and ideas. She had matured in the right direction. Earlier this year, one of the concerns raised by her teacher was that she could face a crossroads with her assertive and strong personality - she could be a great leader whom people respect and love, or she could be an impossible dictator that people abhor. This time, Her teacher told me she is kind, and is always helping her fellow students. She is also full of initiative in class - apparently, another classmate and her initiated a class activity to enhance the teacher's lessons, and had much ownership and accountability over this activity, which the teacher was very thankful for. Given her outgoing and gregarious personality, she is also always speaking out in class, asking inquiring questions of depth.

I am still in emotional tangles about Little Bee leaving her kindergarten for good. She had spent 3 beautiful years here, and the teachers had done an amazing job of nurturing her. Most of all, I will miss these loving teachers, teachers who truly care for the development of every student, who do not allow any student to fall behind, and who show so much love for the students with constant hugs and praises. Teachers whose eyes can brim with hidden tears, and whose noses became ruddy shades of emotions when talking about how much they love and miss her...

I hope she will continue to meet wonderful teachers like these even in primary school.

Autumn In Singapore

2 weekends ago, we visited the Gardens By The Bay for the first time as a family. The Bees were fascinated by the misty, mysterious Cloud Forest, and we were all captivated by the brilliant autumn colours of the blooms in the Flower Dome. I could not quite decide which dome I prefer, but I thought the Flower Dome - with its dazzling flowers from different regions and its autumn theme - was a lot more engaging than the Cloud Forest.

The Cloud Forest's key attraction was its colossal indoor waterfall and the cool, temperate climate that was such a welcomed reprieve from the sweltering weather. We also enjoyed the +5 Degrees show a lot, and the Bees were able to appreciate the extent and impact of global warming, witnessing from the large projection screen what the Earth may look like in the near scorching future, if we continue our irresponsible treatment of Mother Nature.

In the Flower Dome, we love immersing in the gardens of different regions, pretending we were far away in another land.
However, the Bees were enchanted by the resplendent displays of autumn delights like pumpkins, scarecrows, harvested wheats and an alluring display of beautiful flowers in red, orange and crimson. We were bewitched by the vivid colours and the magnificent display of stunning blooms.

 

 I was surprised that we were so mesmerized that we spent almost half a day in the 2 domes, plus a bit of time off for an alfresco lunch in the broiling heat of noon. We will definitely be back to explore the outdoor gardens and the skyway walk!