Exploring Our Heritage

A week before the Mid-Autumn Festival, we ambled around Chinatown and its surrounding streets just to gawk at the brightly-lit flowers that adorned the main road.

As we were in the region, we also went into some quaint, old shops to take a look at some old knick-knacks and toys, where Hubby and I were transported back to our childhood.

We showed some of these toys to the Bees, and extolled about the simplicity of life before the invention of Internet and complex electronic gadgets.

We were captivated by the sight of so many lanterns, and bought a number of them, in preparation for Mid-Autumn!

We chanced upon a timeworn aquarium shop, selling anything from fishes to terrapins to birds! It was a chaotic labyrinth within, but we wandered around the shop, peering into dark, mysterious fish tanks and ominous-looking styrofoam boxes with big, motionless terrapins. I did not think it was very humane to keep all the animals locked up in these tiny spaces, but this was nostalgia for Hubby and I. It brought back long-forgotten memories of little kids (us!) peeking at animals and fishes, almost as if aquarium shops like these were like mini zoos.

We then meandered down Keong Saik Road, and were amazed at the transformation of this street. What used to be a sleazy red-light district in the 1960s was metamorphosed into a hip, bohemian street with whimsical cafes and trendy motels, juxtaposed against a backdrop of modern, high-rise HDB flats and an exotic Indian temple. Truly fascinating.

I hope the Bees got a glimpse into a past that is fast disappearing in Singapore, understanding their roots even better. Simple jaunts like these are totally free and easy on our pockets, but they are so enriching for our hearts.

Her First Book (Part 1)

Last December was really eventful for Big Bee. She was immersed in lots of experiences and achieved a number of milestones. These milestones had nothing to do with PSLE preparation though! I know lots of parents start preparing their Primary 5 kids for the PSLE even in the December holidays. But I decided to make this holidays totally chillax and enjoyable, so that she is totally rejuvenated for the PSLE revisions this year. 

One of the fundamental things that she achieved was to complete a book with 12 chapters - the idea and plot behind the book was entirely her own idea. She was really proud of it, and truly enjoyed the whole creation process. Most of all, she was really fascinated by the fact that she could create whole new worlds and brand new personalities just through the power of the written language. 

I thought of starting a series with a couple of chapters per post, so for now, here are the first 2 chapters! By the way, it is not edited at all, so you might spot some syntax errors here and there. 

Another World; Another Time

Written by: Big Bee

Chapter 1: Alison Taylor

I added the finishing touches to my time machine - a project that I had been working on for ages - and finally, I believed that my dream of making the world’s first time machine was coming true. I had been dreaming of making a time machine ever since I was a young girl. I connected a few more wires and completed the task of making the machine. The only thing was, I was not sure whether it could really work. Nevertheless, my time machine still looked gorgeous, and I stood back to admire this project that I had been working on for years and years. I was filled with three different emotions: happiness, pride and a little bit of uncertainty.

It had not really been a difficult task for a scientist like me. Well, I was one of the world’s most famous and successful inventors, and I had to admit that I could invent almost anything. Everyone in the whole wide world knew who Alison Taylor, the famous 16-year-old inventor, was. Despite my fame and everything, I was actually an orphan and no one ever cared much for me. I grew up alone in an orphanage without any friends. Now, I even lived alone with my Yorkshire Terrier, Aidan, in this huge mansion which doubled as a science laboratory on Daffodil Street.

Aidan was my pet puppy. He was a typical Yorkshire Terrier - brown and black fur, fluffy and small, with skinny legs. Most importantly, he was the only one so far who truly understood me. He was once a stray dog and he always loitered outside my house in the backyard. He always peered into the windows, staring at me working diligently at my inventions. I could not help but smile at the cute little face staring at me every night. Thus, before long, I took him into my house and he became my pet.

My house had four storeys and an enormous backyard. The first and second floor was used as my science laboratory, and it was filled with whirring machines and tools found from almost everywhere. The third level was where my bedroom, living room and kitchen were. Lastly, the fourth floor was where I had planted a telescope, to look out into space every night. When I was a toddler, I was already inventing little things, so it was no wonder that I would turn out to be the inventor I was now.

When I was four years old, the milk bottle had not been invented yet. With a cup and some rubber found in the orphanage, I just played with those materials all day long and came up with the idea of a milk bottle. I had used it to drink my milk and the owner of the orphanage saw what I had created. Therefore, he stole my idea and introduced it to the world. As I was still a helpless, young child, I could do nothing to stop him.

After all these years, I realised that I was already a child prodigy back then, because not every young child could create such things that the whole world would use.

Chapter 2: My Time Machine

My time machine was metallic but on the inside, it was very comfortable as it had air-conditioning and fluffy, red seats. It was almost like a car, except for the fact that it could hover a few feet above the ground and could travel way faster than any sports car ever created.

“Do you like it, Aidan?” I asked him, tilting my head to one side, admiring my time machine. He stared back at me, unblinking, with those huge warm eyes of his. I knew that he just loved my invention.

The only way to find out if my invention really does work or not, is to try it out, I thought to myself. Another thought flashed through my mind. What if my entire time machine exploded whilst I was on it? What if my entire house explodes too, because of the time machine exploding? I was only 16 this year and making a time machine was an impossible task for many other inventors, so would my machine really function? 

I had to believe in myself. I left Aidan in the house with an automatic food and water dispenser so he could survive by himself whilst I was time travelling. After that, I took my time machine out to my backyard, where I usually conducted my experiments.

My time machine was only controlled by a remote control - by pressing six buttons, my time machine could travel up, down, right, left, forward and backward, so it was no difficulty for me to shift it out to the backyard. I could just sit in the machine as I controlled it using the remote and made my way to the backyard. I had to decide where I wanted to go. To the past? To the future? Of course I should go to the future! And maybe I could even try to remake some of the inventions in the future! I started setting the date in the future which I wanted to go to. I thought to myself, I should travel to the future, 200 years later…in year 2213! Passers-by were starting to crowd around my backyard to stare at my mammoth project, gawking and whispering among themselves in hushed tones. 

To be continued...

Painting Heavenly Dancers

On a cool, languorous Sunday afternoon, Little Bee decided to indulge in a little bout of painting. It was ages since she last painted and she was visibly excited. As we were currently in the midst of a Cambodian-themed homelearning spiel, I initially suggested to her to paint the Angkor Wat. However, she preferred something more feminine and delicate, so we decided on a painting with ballerinas floating above a sea of blue, thus reflecting the theme of "heavenly dancers" that is still so prevalent in Angkor Wat.

We spent less than an hour on this painting, and it was a nice, relaxing piece of art for Little Bee. I really love how ethereal and surreal the outcome was, although my mum kept questioning why these ballerinas can dance on water! Well, it just helped to illustrate the theme of magic and myth that we are exploring with the Cambodian homelearning stint!

Step 1: Brush light blue poster paint over the entire drawing paper, then paint a darker blue for the sea.

Step 2: Using white poster paint (or chalk!), paint a round circle in the sky for the moon with white reflection on the sea's surface.

Step 3: Paint a light yellow ring around the moon (you can smudge or blend the colours if you want), and paint tinges of yellow on the reflection in the water.

Step 4: Using bold, medium-sized strokes, paint one ballerina's body and her tutu in the sky (or anywhere you like!).

Step 5: Using beige, peach or beige-coloured paint, paint in the ballerina's arms, legs, neck and head. Then embellish the ballerina's costume with a tiara or head gear and strappy pointe shoes. Use your finger or the brush to smudge the tutu to create a soft, fuzzy effect.

Step 6: Paint a second ballerina in a different ballet pose.

Tada!

Homelearning: Learning About The World From Placemats!

Homelearning had become much more ad-hoc these days. Gone are the days when we had time to do a month's worth of thematic learning. Part of the reason was because the Bees had developed a lot of their own interests by now. And the other part of the reason stemmed from my own stagnation, I must say.

Still, I tried to grab hold of any small opportunity to talk to them about the world in which they live in, highlighting issues that are not covered in their very academic and rigid school curriculum. Opportunities as small as using these placemats below to talk about geography, animals and the world they live in.

We bought these placemats back in 2011 when we were exploring the theme of Planet Earth. I remember talking a lot about geographical regions, major cities and the animals around the world using these placemats and a globe when they were bright-eyed little girls. 

3 years henceforth, we are still using these placemats for our daily meals. One languorous afternoon last Sunday, when the Bees were in the throes of revising for their primary 6 preliminary exams and primary 2 continuous assessment tests, I told them to take a long break just to "chat about the world".

We relooked at the world maps on these placemats, and I conducted impromptu quizzes (the Bees are fans of quizzes). A small sampling of the questions are: 

1. Point out the city of Reykjavik on the map! Which country is it in? 

2. Name an animal that is unique only to the continent of Asia/China/Australia. 

3. Will polar bears and penguins ever meet each other? Why/why not?

4. Point out the highest point on earth? How about the lowest? 

5. Where did Titanic sink? 

6. What do you call a whale with a unicorn horn? (This was a question that the Bees asked me, and they were shocked that I had not heard about narwhals.)

Easy questions to ask. Fun answers to talk about. Without any writing, crafting, doodling or reading. Just plenty of funny, irreverent (at times) and invigorating discussion-based learning! And I must say it was a good, long reprieve from academic and book-based revision! 

Siem Reap: The Kingdom Of Ancient Kings and Heavenly Dancers (Part 2)

Formidable fortresses,

Decrepit ruins,

Sacred ancient sites, 

Simple bucolic lifestyles,

Beautiful children rising against all odds, 

And a recent cataclysmic history.

This is the Siem Reap that I had experienced and loved. A city of contrasts. Of recent horrors. Of simplicity and beauty. Of majestic temples and awe-inspiring ancient history. 

Here are some highlights of our brief Siem Reap adventure!

Ancient ruins and temples

I loved exploring the temples, wandering along the small passageways of ancient ruins, balancing atop scattered stones which dated back to a thousand years or more, strolling along labyrinths and entrance ways of powerful archaic kings. 

My favourite temples are in this sequence: 

1st: Bayon (built in the late 12^th or early 13^th century)

This entire complex of temples and towers was sprawling and magnificent. Each of its 54 towers was topped with 4 massive carvings of smiling and serene stone faces. The entire temple complex was built into two levels, and walking amidst the mammoth smiling faces on the upper level was surreal. We lost ourselves exploring the narrow, meandering passageways of the ruins, with tall imposing towers and colossal peaceful faces smiling down on us. Definitely felt like Indiana Jones! 

2^nd: Ta Prohm (built in the late 12^th or early 13^th century)

Nestled deep in the forest, this mysterious jungle temple was overgrown with huge, towering trees with immense roots penetrating into every corner of the complex. This was a temple complex that time and nature had embraced into its folds. The entire ambience was enigmatic, mystical and dreamlike.

Ruins still abounded, and there were construction work ongoing everywhere. It was amazing to see how archeologists had dug and labelled copious timeworn stones to slowly re-create the original temple structure. The reconstruction architectural efforts of all these ancient temples are brilliant. 

The Bees perching on lots of centuries-old archaic stone slabs

3^rd: Angkor Wat (built in the early 12^th century)

The opportunity to finally witness the legendary Angkor Wat was magical. As the largest religious monument in the world, the entire complex was gargantuan and formidable. We were very lucky to engage the services of an excellent local guide who regaled the stories of the ancient Khmer empire with so much relish and passion. It is essential to hire good local guides because the stories of the Khmer kingdom will make the colossal intricate carvings of Hindu mythology come alive. Our guide also knew the best entrances to ensure that we avoided the crowds, and our first encounter with the great Angkor Wat at the deserted East entrance was tranquil and solitary.

The Bees at the desolate East entrance of Angkor Wat

We climbed all the way to the top of the central enclosure, and it was really very high, with a couple of steep staircases. Children below 12 are not allowed into the top of the central enclosure, and thankfully, the steps proved to be a little challenging for my father-in-law, so Little Bee and him went off somewhere nice to sit and wait for us.

Big Bee heading towards the steep upper levels of Angkor Wat

Seeing the skills of ancient artisans as displayed in all the fascinating carvings and architecture around us was amazing. Even the architectural skills of layering rocks on top of foundational rocks without the use of cement or any support was incredible. We were captivated by the beauty, scale and brilliance of the entire sprawling complex, and were lost in centuries of history.

Children in Cambodia learn to be independent from very young

Crowds came in around 9am in the morning (we arrived at around 7am), and I must say I did get a little frazzled because of the sea of humans from all over the world visiting Angkor Wat. In all, we spent about 3 to 4 hours traipsing different parts of this “City Of Temples”.

The Bees with our friendly, passionate and highly knowledgeable guide

4^th: Banteay Srei (built in the 10^th century!)

This was a smallish temple that was slightly out of the way. However, it was the oldest temple that we had visited (1,100 years old!) and the carvings were so intricately done that the images seemed three-dimensional and leaped out at us. This temple is also known as “Lady’s Temple” because of its distinctive pinkish and yellowish hues from the yellow sandstone that was used to build this temple complex.

Can you imagine that this temple is 1,100 years old, with these intricate and beautiful carvings?

We met a couple of young Cambodian children who were playing in this temple, using lotus petals and leaves…and reminded the Bees that play could be derived anywhere. We interacted a little with the kids using sign language and these children were just beautiful. Let’s hope their futures would be bright and strong with Cambodia’s increasing development. 

Making friends through sign language and a universal curiosity for humanity amongst children

5^th: Banteay Kdei (built in the mid 12^th to early 13^th century)

We visited this temple after half a day at the Angkor Wat, and my father-in-law was relatively tired, so this was a relatively brief visit. Temple-visiting can get tiring for some elderly folks. Coupled with the hot and humid weather, it might be wiser to use half a day to visit temples and the afternoons to rest and relax in a spa or in the hotel, if one is not used to taking day-long walks.

This temple was small and compact. Compared to Angkor Wat, which was all nicely restored, this temple had more ruins and broken down temple buildings, which I was actually more fascinated with. It was also overgrown with moss and there was a shady, cool, somewhat neglected ambience to it.

6^th: Angkor Thom

This was a whole complex where the royal palace used to be. We meandered through a labyrinth that led to the top of a viewing gallery where kings of yore would travel on their elephants to watch sporting competitions. It was breathtakingly magnificent, standing atop the platform where many kings had stood before, letting our minds wander to the days when good and evil were so defined, where there were not as many shades of grey, unlike the modern era.

We also enjoyed other experiences like: 

Taking tuk-tuks around the city

Taking a tuk-tuk in Siem Reap was exhilarating and akin to a journey back in time. There were very few vehicles on the roads of Siem Reap, so the tuk tuk was able to chug along at a good pace, which brought much-welcomed breezes to our faces. We were also able to take a glimpse into the different street life of common folks in Siem Reap – groups of residents bathing and washing bedsheets in the river, ubiquitous fruit stalls on the roadside, motorbikes with whole families of 4 or 5 sitting on it...

It was truly refreshing to see ways of living that were so different from urban Singapore, and the Bees were amazed.

Night markets!

The night markets in Siem Reap were teeming with eager hawkers touting their wares. They were mostly conversant in English, and I really enjoyed haggling and bargaining with them (80% slash down as first negotiation is a must!).

There were all kinds of exotic foods on sale – we saw deep fried crickets (which Little Bee ate with relish), deep fried tarantulas (yikes!), crocodile meat, menacing-looking shellfish, etc.

Ali-baba styled pants in light cotton material were very popular and after buying and wearing a pair to a full day of temple visits, I started appreciating why. The pants were great for keeping the ubiquitous mosquitoes away, and yet they were so cooling and soft, which made trekking around the old, uneven temple grounds really easy.

Some final tips
In all, we had a surprisingly enriching time in Siem Reap. Frankly, I was not expecting a lot after seeing pictures of Angkor Wat and other temples online. However, pictures really did no justice for any temples in Siem Reap. Once there, the scale, the poignant history, the culture and the ruins made the whole temple-exploring experience truly amazing.

I thought I would add in some tips and advice for families travelling with children. As dengue was rampant when we visited, we made sure the Bees had lots of mosquito patches and we constantly sprayed repellant on them. Do watch out for huge, strange insects and try to avoid venturing into the jungles or tiny, abandoned crevices of the temples. We squeezed into a tiny, dilapidated nook once, and were bitten by a gigantic wasp! 

Lots of insects abounded in the temple ruins, and make for great study in nature! Here, Little Bee was holding on to a huge millipede!

We chanced upon a large group of wild buffaloes during lunch one day

We ate a lot at local restaurants and bought food from the night market, and as with most developing countries, food hygiene may sometimes be an issue for younger children. So, we just avoided drinking water from the tap, always ordering bottled mineral water or Coke, and make sure you order food cooked in high temperature (stir-fried or fried stuff are the easiest, insects included!)

This was a most enriching trip and the experience of being in a very different country remains indelible in our minds. We would love to return and immerse more in this country another time. 

The simplicity of life in Cambodia, where people are still using firewood as a source of fuel

Purging Urgency From Our Lives

The day I read this article, I cried. The article was about letting our children smell the roses. Dawdling in their own little ways just so they can explore the world. Being inadvertently languid because they are curious about so many different things around them. Asking all kinds of thoughtful questions at bedtime simply because they do not understand the ways of the world ("Why are there wars, mama? Is there a God in this world? Why are there different religions? Where did we come from? Did God create us, or did we evolve from apes?")

Yet, how many times have I clamped them down by telling them to "hurry up" or "you need to sleep now. We will talk about that tomorrow. Goodnight!" - only to remember days later that I did not address any of their questions "tomorrow". And how many spurious "tomorrows" have I made empty promises with?

Reading this article was a huge wake-up call for me because I also happened to have a little daughter who is just like Hands Free Mama's second girl - a Little Bee who simply has no schedules, worries or sense of urgency in her life. She is content to just observe butterflies flitting amongst pretty blossoms when all of us are hurrying to our destinations. She is happy to just sit and sing to herself when it is time for homework. She will happily squat down and blow hard at a plump dandelion when we are walking to her tuition class. At the supermarket cashier, she would sweetly (and loudly!) chirped a resounding "thank you!" incessantly, not bothering about the queue behind us - until the cashier acknowledged her with a smile.

The saddest thing is her rebuttal to my copious "hurry up" - "Mama, just one more page, please..." (when she is reading before bedtime) or "Mummy, one more minute, pleaaasseee!" (when she is doodling just before homework time).

In this time-strapped world (and in a very stressful Singapore), and for a working mother like me with very little time with the kids, how can we stop and smell the roses with our children? How do we tell them "To heck with homework and exams in Singapore, just live in the present and do what you want now!"? How do we balance a frenetic life in Singapore with the vivacity of quiescence?

Sadly, till now, I still have no answers to these questions. And although hubby and I try finding opportunities in every second to let our girls enjoy the little beauties of this splendid world, we are still saying "hurry up" in small doses, albeit in a more mindful manner.

Spending lots of time outdoors and just doing nothing helps to perpetuate the "no hurry up" philosophy for us! 

Happy 49th Birthday, Singapore!

This was taken last year when we were at the National Day Parade Preview.

This National Day weekend was spent amidst lots of bonding and lazing around. We hardly meet friends these days because time is precious and with the Bees growing up so quickly, we kind of want to hog them to ourselves as much as possible! Furthermore, with PSLE looming in the very near future, we could not afford whole days captured in leisure activities.

Still, it was a wonderful weekend which started with a secondary school class reunion with a brilliant turn-out and incessant catching up. It was incredible in the sense that all of us viewed one another with the unguarded masks of 15- and 16-year-old teenagers, mentally travelling back to the days before we had factitious and meaningless labels that are attached to our occupations, where we live, where we graduated from, how much we earn, etc. We were all stripped clean of all these labels and were convivial and genuine. It also struck me that time is cruelly trundling on, waiting for no one. A stark reminder of time's breakneck speed - Big Bee is a mere 4 years younger than the last time some of us had seen one another when we graduated at 16.

The rest of the weekend meandered languidly along with good food, lazing by the pool, a walk in a park and of course, watching the National Day Parade as a family, a time-honoured ritual since our childhood days.

The Bees were visibly inspired by this year's show of patriotism on TV, so I interviewed them in jest about what they love in Singapore. Here goes!

Q: What do you love most about Singapore?
Big Bee: "Multi-racial society, non-corrupt government and lots of educational opportunities!" (then she went cackling away and asked if I am testing her on her oral exams, hmph)
Little Bee: "Safe & clean, the trees and flowers are beautiful here, and I like the weather here!"

Q: Favourite places in Singapore?
Big Bee: "Hm, home, school and JEM (the shopping mall in Jurong, where she watched some of her favourite movies with friends and where there is a Kinokuniya)". Then she changed her mind. "No no, it is Universal Studios, Marina Bay Sands and JEM!"
Little Bee: "Oh, lots of places! Do I have any limit? OK - Kinokuniya Bookstores, Universal Studios, Esplanade, Marina Bay Sands, Gardens By The Bay, ALL our beaches, JEM and Westgate!"

Whew. And I notice they did not mention much of the nature reserves or parks that we brought them regularly to. Grrr.

Q: What was your favourite part of the National Day Parade?
Big Bee: "The video about the history of Singapore! So that the younger generation like me can understand what the pioneers had gone through to build Singapore up!"
Little Bee: "The dance performances! And the Red Lions!"

Q: Favourite hawker food?
Both girls: "Chwee kueh!"

How was your National Day weekend?

Reading "And Tango Makes Three"

Now that the furor had died down with regards to the Singapore National Library Board banning a few children's books and then reinstating a couple of them back in the adult section, I thought it might be an appropriate time to finally relate what I had been sharing with my kids about this whole saga.

Truth be told, I was exasperated with the National Library Board (NLB) for initially censoring the books - not because I was siding any side of the LGBT factions here - but because I seethed at the thought that NLB tried acting as an omniscient, all-knowing power who thinks they could control what the general population wants. Unnecessary and partisan censorship was at the heart of the issue for me.

Now that everything had died down, it is not necessary to talk about the antipathy I felt against the banning of these books. Instead, I wanted to relate how I brought my children into the heart of the discussion, as this is something that will be so fundamental in their society in future - analysing how media and society portray different issues to the population. In this day and age where internet and online articles are so prevalent, how do we nurture our children to question what they read and develop informed perspectives of their own?

I always believe in opening all communications with my children from a very young age with regards to knowledge and information. I prefer to expose them to all kinds of issues from young and discussing with them about values, rather than shielding them and compartmentalising different knowledge to age-appropriate categories. Because I do not believe there is an appropriate age for knowledge. Instead, I feel that if they had been sheltered for too long, they might be moulded by societal and peer pressures to form views that I have no control over. Hence, I prefer to transfer knowledge to them directly and have them voice out their thoughts honestly to me. Which is why sex education started at the age of 4 in my household. And why we talked about sensitive issues of death, war, rape and molestation from the age of 7. Of course, values are a big part of the discussions, and I would like to start influencing their value system from a young age, before they form any pre-conceived judgements of their own. (Again, sometimes I also have issues with me being an omniscient, all-knowing entity to my kids...but that is a story for another time!)

Being aware of societal issues and our attitudes towards these issues is very important to me. Which is why I decided to let the Bees read "And Tango Makes Three" during the heart of the saga. So that they could understand all sides of the discussions. It was initially hilarious as we settled down to read a "banned" book. You know how thrilled kids are when they access something that is banned!

As we read the book, the Bees had reactions and insights that were very surprisingly mature, and we discussed about issues of censorship, love, LGBT and society's acceptance of myriad people. I let them know my viewpoints of certain issues, and they responded with their own perspectives. Of course, being 8 and 12 years old also meant that they already had pre-conceived notions of certain issues in life, and I found our discussions refreshing because I also learned unexpected perceptions from them.

It was an illuminating afternoon of open discussion and understanding each of my girls' thoughts, perspectives and personalities. But one thing that hit me was: despite all the belligerence in the mass media, the Bees remained unfazed and nonchalant, and wondered what the fuss was all about. I guess this confirmed my belief that children tend to be more curious if we shield them from knowledge. And instead of letting them harbour misinformed judgements on their own, I would rather be there every step of the way while I can.

Siem Reap: The Kingdom Of Ancient Kings and Heavenly Dancers (Part 1)

Siem Reap is mesmerising, alluring and enchanting. It is like living in another world, where time passes slowly and life is much simpler. We spent 4 days here at the end of June, and despite our short stay, we felt rejuvenated and enriched. Rejuvenated with the understanding that there is so much to life than daily deadlines and stressful to-do lists. Enriched in the knowledge that empires rise and fall from time immemorial, and the realisation that we are nothing but tiny chess pieces in this gargantuan world, along the endless journey of time.

There was so much to see and experience in Siem Reap, and my personal favourite experience was exploring the ruins of some of their ancient and breathtaking temples. There were several memorable indelible moments in our trip, and these were:

1) Little Bee ate a deep fried cricket!
I know Little Bee is brave and adventurous, but her desire to eat a deep fried cricket came as an utmost surprise for me! We were walking around in the night market one night when a female hawker ambled by with a big aluminium tray of deep fried crickets.

Most of us squirmed at the sight of these crickets, but my father-in-law and Little Bee picked up a cricket each and examined them closely. My father-in-law was prodding Little Bee in jest to eat it, with the expectations that she would not. Little Bee was extremely curious about the cricket and I saw her asking lots of questions about the crickets with the hawker.

Being the typical kiasi Singaporean, I told Little Bee that deep fried crickets sold in this manner may not be very hygienic or clean. To my embarrassment, the friendly Cambodians around us insisted that the crickets were completely safe and clean to eat. Before I could say anything, I saw Little Bee's eyes sparkled with excitement and glee when she heard that it was safe to eat these crickets, and immediately popped one big cricket into her wide-opened mouth, much to our shock and surprise!

Can you see the cricket's legs peeking out from her mouth?!

She chewed on it with zest, swallowed down the remains heartily and declared exuberantly that it was super delicious! The Cambodians around her cheered jubilantly and as I watched her hobnobbing with them happily, I was once again struck by her natural ability to connect with all kinds of different people immediately. This is such a rare talent (which is not apparent in any of us in the family!) and I hope she will never douse this wonderful ability of her to connect with people as she grows older.

2) Big Bee and I were stung by a giant wasp!
We were exploring the famous Ta Prohm temple which is also known as a jungle temple, nestled mysteriously within trees and lots of colossal roots. Lots of insects and creepy crawlies abounded - we saw huge, fat millipedes, gigantic termite mounds, armies of big ants and strange flying insects.

As we were taking a family portrait, Big Bee suddenly exclaimed in pain and said there was something really sharp in her bag or around the back of her skirt because something pricked her hand. I patted her down, and encountered a sharp, painful sensation on my index finger, almost as if a needle had pricked me. After a few more moments of search, an enormous metallic blue and black wasp/hornet/whatever the gross insect is called crawled out from beneath Big Bee's skirt. YIKES! Thankfully, our guide helped us remove it from her skirt.

The scary part was when Big Bee told me that she was beginning to see psychedelic colours and felt dizzy. I felt a little nauseous and dizzy myself, and attributed it to either shock syndrome or the venom that the wasp injected into our bodies to shock us into temporary immobility.

Whatever it was, we both felt better after a while, although the swollen insect bites stayed with us for more than a week!

I know these two encounters probably did not encapsulate the Cambodian experience well, but these were some of the more memorable and personal moments for me. I am writing another post on what I truly love about Siem Reap - being like Indiana Jones, exploring the nooks and crannies of myriad temple ruins!