Colours Of Nature: The Tree Huggers

Nothing revivifies our family better than a walk amongst the giants of nature. Even in insanely crowded Singapore, we try to escape far from the madding crowds on a regular basis - just so we can maintain our sanity, breathe a little freely, and retreat into our inner selves.

One recent walk that we really enjoyed was in the MacRitchie Reservoir Park. We hike here regularly because we love the serene combination of a large, tranquil lake and uncultivated forests deep within the park. Being mainly flat, it is also a relatively easy hike, compared to the steeper Bukit Timah Nature Reserve, so we could always stop anywhere and admire the amazing wildlife around us.

On that particular hike, we spent more than 3 hours traversing the edge of the reservoir waters alongside its boardwalk trail and wandering deep into its primary forests.

It was such a leisurely walk where we ambled along, spotting all kinds of wildlife like gigantic spiders, sun skinks, monkeys, kingfishers and all kinds of exotic birds, as well as damselflies and dragonflies. We loved the fact that these wildlife seemed really tame, nestled deep in nature, away from the harmful reaches of vile human intervention.

Long-tailed macaque monkeys

Nature's glorious beauties. Can you spot the spider with its intricate web?

This spider, perched in its huge web high above us in the forest, is as big as my hand (or bigger!)

Can you see the Common Sun Skink?

We loved the feeling of pure isolation in the forests, where we could be trudging along narrow paths without meeting another soul, surrounded only by towering trees that had seen more of this world than any one of us.

We shushed each other at regular intervals just so we could enjoy the pregnant silence of nature. And what deafening silence it was! Once human noises were curtailed, our ears were treated to the vociferous orchestra of the wild - the undulating trills of invisible birds, the hypnotic chirrups of  territorial crickets and the incessant whispering of stalwart trees.

The girls also used this opportunity to embrace these valiant trees, climbing as high as they could on the stout shoulders of these stately elders. They loved the feel of the textured bark on their hands and revelled in the support of the strong trunks and branches.

It was such a rejuvenating morning, and we are truly blessed by the myriad biodiversity in our very own forests!

Pirouette Away!

Dance is an amazing way for children to express their emotions through movement. It defies the usual conventions of using words - which are already laden with social engineering, in my opinion - to express oneself. For me, it is a platform where we can return to the most primitive form of expression through body movements and actions.

We attended a couple of performances in their ballet open house some time back, and it was so heartening to see how they had grown in their journey of dance. 

Little Bee was a little shaky in the beginning of her ballet experience a couple of years ago. As someone who does not enjoy rote learning, she was not keen to remember dance sequences, so this had always been a problem for her. However, attending primary school in the rigid Singapore education system might have some repercussions in her approach to ballet, because this year, she started remembering and practising more advanced ballet sequences much better! 

We were also treated to Big Bee's ballet performance in a class of strapping tall girls. How they had all grown! As some parents commented, these girls had gotten so advanced that watching their open house dances was akin to watching a professional classical ballet performance! The highlight of their performance was a Spanish flamenco dance which was truly energetic and captivating.

It was an afternoon of pride and happiness - at how they had transformed in an art form that they both enjoy tremendously. I would love for them to continue pirouetting along this boulevard of dance for as long as they like...enjoying the journey, and discovering new things about ballet and other forms of dances too! 

The Eternal Optimist

"Don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened." - Dr. Seuss

And that is exactly the fundamental philosophy that Little Bee lives her life by. This girl with the petite frame and a booming voice never seems to be deflated by anything. She trundles through life with limitless energy and infectious zest, and only worries about not having sufficient time to play!

She is like an eternal burst of sparkling sunshine, even at this stage in primary school where most kids are stressed up about academic performances. I remember an afternoon when she came back from school and told me she was the first in class for her Math test...a dramatic pause...and then she cheekily exclaimed, "From the bottom!!! Hahaha!" What an optimist! That night, at bedtime, I asked her if she was really happy with her Math results, and she cheerily proclaimed, "YES! Because I tried my best! Didn't you tell me to be happy once I tried my best?!" What undefeatable spirits!

From infancy, she is never one who cries much. She can fall down and scramble up immediately, brushing her limbs and reassuring me in her loud, clear voice, "It is ok, I am fine! I am ok!". She would look at the bright side of things, and love to greet strangers with a sunny smile and a bright "hello!" that would make even the stoniest adults smile back. At supermarket lines or in department stores, she would yelp out a chirpy "thank you!" to the cashiers, melting their typical icy expressions. And she would repeat herself unabashedly until she gets some form of response from the other party!

My little sunshine pill. My optimistic beacon of light. I hope her indefatigable spirits stay with her forever, and that she will not be assailed by stressful Singapore's education system, or life's multitudinous challenges!

Of Hermit Crabs and Wave-Surfing

Instead of staying in Singapore to revise for the mid-year exams, like what most people did, we decided to take a short break over the Easter long weekend and escaped to Bintan! It was a lovely 3-day, 2-night stay at the Bintan Lagoon Resort which was entirely rejuvenating and refreshing.

Yes, it might be a little crowded there at times, and yes, the food might be a little unsavoury in some restaurants, but hey, we had a perfect view of the South China Sea and was barefooted in white powdery sands half the time! My kind of chillax holiday for sure!

We spent hours on the beach, body surfing with the surging and crashing waves, drinking loads of salty seawater as a result! We dug holes and built clumsy sandcastles on the sandy beach.

We interacted with frantic hermit crabs in all sizes and colours, admiring their resilience and their myriad colourful shells.

We created a protective moat where we gathered a few shy hermit crabs together. Can you spot them?

The girls were fascinated by the hermit crabs!

We had long leisurely breakfasts and other meals, where we did nothing but fooled around and chatted with one another. We took long walks by the beach, encroaching into the part of the shore that resembled no man's land and true wilderness, with deep mysterious forests beckoning at us. We strolled into the multi-hued, tangerine colours of a glorious sunset which gradually faded into mellow lavender twilight...and were bitten by pesky sand flies as a result!

I tried (rather unsuccessfully) to be a typical Singaporean tiger mother as well, so yes, in the lazy sweltering afternoons, we spent indoors where the girls did some revision (not much, but some was good enough for me!). We were truly working and playing hard!

All in all, a wonderful short stay, being so close to the wild, tempestuous ocean again!

Their Reading Adventures

With hubby and I being fairly avid readers, we know how books can open up worlds of imagination, knowledge and creativity - just through plain old simple text. Pretty amazing, isn't it? So, it had been gratifying that both our girls are very much into reading.

There was a little time when we worried about Little Bee because she was (and still is!) more interested in toys and TV, compared to books. However, I had been surreptitiously creating opportunities where she would have no access to TV, computers or toys for protracted periods of time, and hence had to depend on reading as a form of escapism. And then she was hooked!

I thought of summarising very loosely the main types of books that our 2 girls are reading or had read, just to see if there are different reading preferences between the 2 of them.

Big Bee

Big Bee started reading chapter books from the second year of kindergarten (K2). She had a very healthy dose of Enid Blyton when young, discovering the whole spectrum of Blyton's stories, and then went through the usual popular children's classics and now, teenage fiction. She tends to be (very) obsessed by certain series at different stages of her life, and like me, would devour entire series before her fanaticism died down.

K2
Rainbow Fairies and other simple fantasy series

Primary 1
Enid Blyton's fantasy series - The Enchanted Wood, Wishing Chair, the fabulous "O'Clock Tales" which used to be my favourite when I was younger, eg 8 O'Clock Tales (she read my original copy from the days when I was 8!)

Also started on Amelia Jane's (Naughtiest Girl) series but she was fairly neutral to the series.

Primary 2
Re-reading Enid Blyton's The Enchanted Wood's series at least 7 to 8 times...she was that enchanted!
Started on (and was hooked in a major way) Enid Blyton's Malory Towers and St Clare's series, which I believe she re-read many times over as well!

Primary 3
Started reading classics like Black Beauty, The Secret Garden, Little Women, etc. Her personal childhood classic is Black Beauty, even till now.

Hopping around Roald Dahl's books but was fairly neutral to them. Her favourite Roald Dahl book is Mathilda.

Discovered Enid Blyton's adventure and mystery series, and was addicted! Entire series like Famous Five, Secret Seven and all the Adventure Series were chomped down by her rapidly! At her peak addiction stage, she could complete 1 to 2 Famous Five books in a day. This was also the year that her eyesight went drastically bad because she spent most of her time buried in books.

Primary 4
Peer influence set in! Started thinking that Enid Blyton is too childish, and began reading fantasy fiction like Percy Jackson, lots of Greek mythology books, Shakespearean adaptations in the form of novels, Lord of The Rings, Narnia, and the David Eddings series which hubby and I used to love. Unfortunately, she was not a fan of David Eddings or Narnia, but really loved the Percy Jackson series by Rick Riordan (which she re-read multiple times again!).

Primary 5
At the beginning of the year, she went a little overboard on Harry Potter, and completed the entire series in a couple of weeks. Once again, she indulged in her usual re-reading and also watched the entire Harry Potter movie series in a few weeks.

She was feeling a little lost in the middle of primary 5, so I introduced her to Mitch Albom and Anne Frank. I think she could not quite understand the scale of horror in Anne Frank's diary until we went to Dachau in Germany. Surprisingly, she liked Mitch Albom quite a bit!

Her friends started reading more teenage fiction, and she went absolutely bollocks over The Hunger Games trilogy last December (which was when I finally decided to let her read this series, after months of persuasion). Her first discovery of more mature romance in these books should be pretty memorable! I also started reading all these teenage fiction these days, just to make sure that the content is appropriate, and I must say I really like Hunger Games too!

Primary 6
More teenage fiction ensued. She has now wolfed down entire series of Divergent, Mortal Instruments and Clockwork Prince, and is heading for John Green next!

Little Bee

Little Bee is a relatively late reader, compared to her sister. Until now, she still prefers doodling, toys and TV more than books. However, if she chanced upon a book she was fascinated with, she would be totally focused. She has shown a lot of interest in Roald Dahl, which is a complete difference from her sister! She does not really like Enid Blyton's Enchanted Wood series, although she completed the first 2 books of that series. She is also more "practical" and less fanatic than Big Bee, in that she does not believe in re-reading books, at least for now.

K2
Reading was more "academic" for her, as in I used books to get her to recognise more words. Peter and Jane series was a big thing in her life then! She also read lots of Ladybird books. She started on Rainbow Fairies, but was not very fascinated by them.

Primary 1
Started on Enid Blyton's books, mainly The Enchanted Wood series. She was still reading a smattering of picture books then, but was beginning to be intrigued by Shakespeare. She loved the simplified Shakespeare stories in the Usborne's children series, and frankly, I was surprised that Shakespeare appealed to her. I guess dramatic Little Bee loved the plot twists and comic tragedies found in many Shakespearean stories!

Primary 2
She discovered Roald Dahl recently, and for the first time in her life, ravaged a few of his books in a short time! She read almost all his children's books, except for The Witches, which freaked her out. Her favourite Roald Dahl books are Mathilda, James & The Giant Peach and Charlie & The Chocolate Factory.

I bought a copy of Usborne's adapted stories from Charles Dickens, and again, I was amazed that she was captivated by Dickens! She finished reading all the 6 to 7 stories in the Usborne book in less than a fortnight - which was considered a feat for playful and active her.

She also started reading Enid Blyton's Malory Towers, and although she was a little intrigued in the beginning, she still prefers Roald Dahl. I am in the midst of looking for more Roald Dahl's books for her, so any recommendations would be great!

Until now, I still find it really amazing that the Bees' preferences in reading could be so different! What are your children's reading adventures like?

Colours Of Nature: Deserted Island

Cerulean skies, white powdery sands, crystal clear waters with little fishes darting around, not afraid of human intruders. Lush overgrown woods with not a human soul in sight.

Silence. Pristine silence that lets us hear the diligent buzzing of bees and the whisperings of wild lallang that sways in the gentle breeze.

This is not a national park in a foreign land. Nor is it a beach paradise overseas. 

Instead, this is a little slice of paradise in Singapore - Lazarus Island. As part of hubby's and Big Bee's birthday celebrations, we had a bit of an escapade in Lazarus Island. We were far from the madding crowds of over-populated Singapore, and we could finally listen to the silence of nature.

We trudged in the luxuriant, deserted woods, occupied only by huge grasshoppers, crickets and swarms of angry, large red ants that freaked the girls out! 

We plunged straight into the spotlessly clear, unsullied waters and played with the teeming fish all around us. What untouched paradise is to be found just a stone's throw away indeed!

In the journey to the island, we also sailed past many of Singapore's Southern Islands. I find it sad that there are 63 islands in Singapore, yet the majority of Singaporeans had not touched foot on many of these quiet, uninhabited islands. 

After our little excursion, the girls were really curious about Singapore's offshore islands, and we spent a good afternoon exploring some of more popular offshore islands on the internet. Islands with fascinating legends and stories like Sisters Island, Kusu Island and Pulau Hantu. I wonder which island will we hop to next?

Travelling Back In Time (Part 6): Mozart's Home & The Sound of Music!

We spent a day in Salzburg, Austria, and its surrounding regions. The historic centre of Salzburg, which is a UNESCO World Heritage site, is elegant and classy. It is also Mozart's home, and I could certainly feel the inspiration behind the baroque, classical music of Mozart!

I did find the town centre a little too manicured and touristy though.



However, as we ventured into the surrounding countryside, the beauty of rolling hills and huge tranquil lakes in the Wolfgangsee Lake District captivated us.



The Sound of Music was filmed in these very hills, and I could finally understand why Julie Andrews pranced around the emerald-green hills, singing away!! The entire landscape was so picturesque and stunningly beautiful.

It was a truly memorable and splendid day, and the highlights are below:

1) Strolling across the regal Mirabell Palace and Gardens, admiring the gorgeously trimmed flower beds and ubiquitous mythology-themed statues.



2) Our first view of the historic centre of Salzburg was breathtaking. The wide, placid Salzach river with the grand, baroque dome of the Salzburg cathedral and the imposing Hogensalzburg Fortress created an unforgettable and remarkable backdrop. Apparently, the fortress is the biggest (and best-preserved) medieval castle in Europe!



3) Ambling across the Makartsteg Bridge, admiring the collection of charming love locks all over the railings of the bridge!

4) Visiting Mozart's home, amidst loads of interested crowds! We even bumped into Big Bee's best friend there! What a small world!





5) A relaxing lunch at the art museum where we were able to sit back and enjoy the leisurely pace of life in this city, admiring the ubiquitous grand fountains, watching horse carriages go by and slurping ambrosial pasta!

6) Strolling around the charmingly quaint cobblestoned streets of Hallstat, a small village at the gateway to the Lake District of Austria. The architecture remains unchanged since the 19th century, and the surrounding alpine landscape of rolling hills and tranquil lake was stunning beyond description.





7) Taking a cruise around the Wolfgangsee Lake. We inhaled the pure alpine air, dreaming pensively while staring at the cobalt blue lake, immersing in the landscape around us, and listening to songs from the Sound of Music on the boat! The girls were positively blooming in such beautiful outdoors. Meanwhile, Hubby and I dreamed of retiring in these alpine surroundings!

What a beautiful day, and the breathtaking vistas will remain indelible in our memories for a long time indeed! 

Colours Of Nature: The Colour of Drought

By now, everyone must be heaving a sigh of relief that heavy rains had been pouring down on us after a long spell of aridity. I am one who love sunshine and blue skies, but even for me, seeing the first showers of the season never felt better!

It was getting quite worrying when we visited Botanic Gardens a fortnight back - only to be met with ubiquitous brown patches of dried grass and dangerously low water levels!

Botanic Gardens as seen last August

The same spot now. All we see was brown aridity.

We were quietly shocked, and strolled around the ailing gardens with heavy steps. The wildlife of the parks - tortoises, swans, ducks and pigeons - seemed resilient enough, but who can hear their calls of desperation when water levels dipped further? Already, we were able to walk on the former bed of the receding lake, and explore the riverbank by the rushes that the swans called home. How much is this parched weather going to cost for these animals?

Which is why I rejoiced when the rains came pouring down for entire days last week. Even at the expense of blue skies and sunny rays. For I am waiting to see the gardens turn verdant all over again!

Lots of tortoises sunning by the dry riverbank and greeting many curious human visitors!

Little Bee standing by the rushes...the area on the left was formerly part of the lake and inaccessible to people. We took a walk over the wet, squishy former bed of the lake there.

Despite the dry weather, there are still beauties all around us! 

Colours amidst the crude brown of aridity....these leaves were so pretty!