Travelling Back In Time (Part 8): Paris, The City Of Love

Paris - the City of Love, the City of Lights. It is a city rife with opulence and grandeur, steeped in age-old glamour. For centuries, Paris had been a gem of a city - glittering, ostentatious, yet bohemian in some quarters. It is like a beacon of light, enigmatically attracting lots of talented artists, fashionistas, politicians, scientists and its fair share of notorious business people.

The view from our hotel room

Paris is a city where we thought we knew lots about, way before we stepped foot into it. But, oh, how wrong were we in some aspects. Beyond the glittering facade lies a city of tired glory and petty crime. We read about the prevalent pickpockets and kept our guards up. Yet, we were accosted a number of times by potential swindlers, and I even found the hand of one young Romanian girl in my handbag when her counterpart pretended to tap me on the shoulder to ask for directions. So, yes, being in Paris may mean immersing in a grand old dame of culture and beauty, but it also means that we had to be on our guard all the time. It was also exceedingly crowded, attracting tourists from all over the world. So it could get tiring at times for me.

We chanced upon a standing protest at a street corner one evening! 

Yet, there were plenty of instances where we were mesmerised by the rich history and culture of Paris, and it was really surreal to see world-famous monuments that we read so much about.

Our Parisian adventure was leisurely and unfettered. We ambled languidly around the cobblestoned streets, indulged in long lunches and tea breaks in the famous sidewalk cafes, spent hours in museums and took things really easy.

Old, beautiful architecture amidst a backdrop of brilliant skies in Paris

When in Paris, do as the Parisians do - we let the Bees sample some red wine. Needless to say, they were not fans! 

Some of the highlights of our Paris vacation are:

1) Train travel

We took the train from Munich to Paris, which was a relaxing and unhurried 6-hour journey. Very much like travellers of yore, we ate breakfast on the train, played chess, read books, indulged in idle chatter and napped!

Rail travel had always been hailed as romantic, and I could understand why. Sitting back, listening to the repetitive chugging of the train, while admiring the pastoral landscape outside the window - that was a truly beautiful and memorable experience for us.

2) The Eiffel Tower

We spent a placid, lazy afternoon lying on the big meadow just in front of the Eiffel Tower. We just sat around, lazily chatting with each other, eating hot dogs and drinking coffee. With the golden rays of the early evening dusk raining on us, against a resplendent backdrop of the Eiffel Tower, life seemed pretty glorious and carefree!

3) Open-Top bus tours
We took the very reasonably-priced open-top bus all around Paris, just sitting back and soaking in the grand sights, smells and sounds of this old city, while enjoying the cool summer breeze.

4) The Seine River
We strolled along the Seine river, admiring the copious love locks on the Pont de l'Archeveche, realising that this river had been throbbing with life and commercial activities since centuries ago.

5) Notre-Dame Cathedral

We were dazzled by the intricate and brilliant carvings of saints and angels on Notre-Dame Cathedral. Sadly, the crowds milling all around this archaic cathedral hurt our eyes too!

Urgh - the crowds!

6) Parisian shopping
We milled with Parisian residents in a weekend flea market, browsing through old trinkets and cheap clothes (yes! It was possible to buy cheap clothes in Paris!).

And we were shocked by the exorbitant admission fee to visit the luxurious toilets in Printemps - all of S$3!! We also sauntered along the entire length of Champs Elysees, which was 1.9 km long

7) The Louvre

We spent long, luxurious hours in The Louvre, exploring galleries of antique paintings by the greatest masters in the art world - Van Gogh, Leonardo da Vinci, Michelango, Raphael, and so many more! It was such a mind-altering experience to see relics from civilisations as old as time, and to admire legendary paintings like the Mona Lisa.

We were fascinated by the artists painting replicas of the great masters in the museum

8) Montmartre
We lingered in the bohemian, cobblestoned neighbourhood of Montmartre for almost a full day, sitting at sidewalk cafes in narrow alleys with pretty cupcakes, peeping at the facade of Van Gogh's old home, and marvelling at the infamous Moulin Rouge.

We ambled up to the grandiose Sacre-Coeur Basilica at the top of Montmartre, and immersed in the magnificent view of the whole of Paris from this vantage.

It was such a beautiful, leisurely day where we could stroll around leisurely, watching random streetside performances by bands, letting Little Bee take some carnival rides, browsing through super-fresh fruits in a fruit stall, and just resting, gazing into blank space beside large fountains. Montmartre is definitely my favourite Parisian hangout place!

9) Choco-Story
We spent a morning in Choco-Story, a chocolate museum! We watched how the chocolate chef make delicious chocolate and ate loads of samples!

We also learned about the history of chocolate, and hauled a whole load of scrumptious chocolates back.

In all, Paris was an experience of highs and lows, of acquainting ourselves with the great masters of the past, while coming to an understanding that all great lords may degenerate into modern-day debauchery. I confess I am not a fan of the crowds in Paris, but I admit I was fascinated by the celebrated historical monuments of this magnificent city of lights.

'Twas The Night Before PSLE...

...and it was a stormy, rainy night. Just the perfect ambience for the start of the tumultuous PSLE (Primary School Leaving Exams), which is the national exams that all Singapore students take when they are 12 years old.

To many parents and schools, this is the culmination of 6 years of primary education, and signifies everything that primary school students had been working for.

Yet, I usually beg to differ when statements like these are mentioned to me because examinations - while an inescapable part of Singapore's education system - are never the be-all and end-all for our children. And I made this very clear to the Bees. So, when Big Bee lamented about how the PSLE will shape her life, she would most probably get a reprimand from me. I would usually tell her all the other things she could do in life if she could not fare well for the PSLE. I had seen a number of cases where young children were despaired and depressed over academic work, which ultimately led to unspeakable consequences. To me, my children's happiness is the most fundamental - and I would never wish to link their happiness to academic outcomes.

Regardless, this post is about the PSLE. I thought I should write a little about coping with the arduous journey of woeful 12-year-old children preparing for a major examination which, in many cases, takes up a significant portion of one of the most amazing milestones in a child's life - tweenhood. To place a major examination right in the middle of a year when our children are gradually growing up, discovering new sensations, emotions and feelings, understanding new perspectives....well, that is somewhat brutal. But this is what it is - we live in Singapore and we should just stop complaining.

Instead, it is so essential to show our children that we are not bothered by the PSLE, that there is life after PSLE (even if you score really badly), and that life still goes on in the PSLE year.

I thought of putting together a list of 3 philosophical approaches that we used to prepare Big Bee for the PSLE year, just as a reminder for me when it is Little Bee's turn!

Big Bee throwing her cap high up in exuberance in a trip to Cambodia in June

1) Maintain status quo in your social life
Do not stop CCAs, outings, gatherings with friends, or vacations, just because it is the big ol' PSLE year. Big Bee was even more committed in her CCA in school this year, and she went through two major exams for her piano and ballet lessons, which she truly enjoyed. We had more gatherings with her friends than before (because the kids just bonded so well as they grow older!), and she hosted her very first sleepover with her closest friends in May this year. We still went ahead with vacations, of which one staycation happened right before the mid-year exams! She also read so many more books than previous years (probably escapism at work here!).

As we inched closer to the PSLE, we had movie and bookshop gatherings with her friends and their parents, and we savoured their friendships even more, knowing that all of their classmates would not be together next year.

2) Communicate incessantly with your child
Kids are highly stressed out in the PSLE year because of the pressure given by school teachers. The amount of homework is fairly astounding....and distressing. The pep talks given by teachers - while helpful - can be taxing on their spirits as well. So at home, while it is important to talk about revision and studies, try to indulge in other topics as well.

Big Bee and I have nightly chats about the books that both of us read and love, the characters and plots in these books, as well as movies and music. When I sneaked into her room at night when she was studying, I tended to distract and lure her from her bookish concentration, and instead yakked about anything under the sun.

Of course I did nag at her to revise her work when I caught her using the mobile phone way too much. But more often than not, I was the main culprit who lured her into escapism...just so she could think about other things beyond the big exams. So much so that she ever commented to me sardonically, "Which mum would keep nagging me to stop revising and go to sleep?" or "Why are you always distracting me? Shhh!!"

Constant communication will also allow us to detect shifts of moods, tension or stress in our children, and we should try to talk it out with them. Just 2 hours ago, Big Bee was feeling the stress of the final D-Day tomorrow. Being a natural pessimist, she kept asking lots of "what-if" questions - what if I fail the PSLE? What if I have a mental block? What if the paper is super hard?

I just tried addressing all these in a light-hearted manner, although it can be alarming to the parents to hear some very pessimistic thoughts coming from our usually-cheery child!

3) Discuss options in worst-case scenarios
This is an issue that my mother and I had conflicts over. She believed in informing the child that a good education is the best option in life, and without it, life will cave in on you. While this advice is truly valuable (it shaped my entire life!), it also gives undue stress to a child, especially one with high expectations.

On the contrary, for me, I had always been telling Big Bee about the alternatives she could explore if she really could not do well for the PSLE. So much so that I decided to test her last week by asking, "What if you fail the PSLE?"....of which she quipped thoughtfully, "Well, I would retake the PSLE next year, and study even harder!" I was really happy to hear her response because it was such an improvement from her earlier, stressful thoughts of "PSLE determines my entire life!!!"

Finally, every child is different. These approaches tend to work for Big Bee, who is self-motivated but easily discouraged, and who is rather pessimistic, having a tendency to think unduly of worst-case scenarios. With Little Bee, our approaches might be very different! This is why parenting different children is such a joy - it is a roller-coaster ride of diverse styles for different children!

Her First Book (Part 2)

This is a continuation of Big Bee's book which she wrote last year, with the first 2 chapters featured here.

Another World; Another Time

Written by: Big Bee

                                          Chapter 3: The Future                                        

I held my breath and pushed the button that will enable me to travel through time. My heart hammered like a machine gun against my ribcage. At first, nothing happened. Suddenly, BANG! My machine seemed to be emitting a lot of thick, black smoke and that did not seem right. Inside my time machine, all I could see was a bright, blinding light and my machine quivered. I started to get a little nervous… Was my time machine exploding? Was I actually going to the future? A ringing sound filled my ears - it was the same feeling you feel when a plane was taking off.

Screech!!! That loud, high-pitched noise reverberated through the air. It sounded to me like a car skidding on a treacherous, slippery road. Instead, I realised that the sound was actually coming from my time machine, even though it had no tires or wheels. I rubbed my eyes and realised that I had actually survived…Am I in the year 2213? I looked around me and came out from my time machine, only to find myself standing on some sort of touchscreen floor.

I was in a totally different world. There were skyscrapers everywhere and they all looked like tall control towers. The whole place seemed air-conditioned. There were no trees, grass, flowers or any plants at all, very unlike the lush greenery we had in our time. People were travelling on hovercrafts, which were cars that hovered above ground, like my time machine. In fact, my time machine actually fit in with all the cars here in the future. There seemed to be a lot of robots drifting about aimlessly. There were even more robots than humans from what I could see, and all the humans looked so plump. Probably because they had robots at their beck and call and no one ever exercised. I stood there, bewildered, my mouth agape like a goldfish. I was really in the future!

The robots that wandered around the city seemed to be smarter than humans. They were able to answer any questions asked. You could ask a robot what would happen tomorrow and it could recite the specific schedule of its owner for the next day. They could foretell the future and even make somebody or itself invisible. Robots could walk through walls, read minds and even fly. The robots in that time had their own minds, and could communicate with you, understanding whatever you say or do. A robot in the year 2213 could help you write a book, for example, or even help you cook meals. The most incredible thing was, it could even invent anything or build anything in less than an hour. If there was a robot like this in my time, 200 years ago, it would seem just imaginary - something that never ever would have existed. 

Chapter 4: Stuck

I just stood there, blinking unbelievably, totally shell-shocked. I was in a loss for words.

All of a sudden, I smelt something burning. I swivelled my head round, only to see a sight that shocked and startled me. Gosh, it was my time machine! My time machine was on fire! My machine must have over-strained itself. I had no water to put the fire out! Unless I put out this fire in less than a minute, my time machine would be damaged, and I would not be able to go back to my time! I would be stuck here in the future! I will not be able to see Aidan again! I started panicking, looking left and right for a fire extinguisher. I spotted a teenage girl not far away, who looked just about a few years older than me. She wore a crimson-coloured silk dress and had a robot who followed her wherever she went. Maybe she knew where a fire extinguisher was.

And at that time, little did I know that this girl was going to play such a big part in my life.

“Please help me put out this fire!!” I begged her, almost turning hysterical. If there was no fire extinguisher or anything to put out the fire, I would be stuck here in the future. For my whole life.

“Sure,” she replied nonchalantly. She seemed friendly and helpful.

Muttering a string of vulgarities, I watched her as she beckoned to her personal robot and whispered something to it. I bit my lip out of frustration and worry. Would my time machine be fine? In a flash, a fire extinguisher appeared out of thin air. I could not help but feel amazed. The technology here was really good. Too good to be put in words.

The robot came to my time machine and sprayed water on it. My hands started shaking from exasperation. Despite the air-conditioning in the city, beads of perspiration formed on my forehead due to my anxiety. Oh no, I suddenly remembered something. My time machine was not waterproof! It would definitely be damaged, whether I put out the fire or not! The water and fire would both spoil my entire machine. My eyes widened in both shock and fear. I stood rooted to the ground, incapable of any speech. Does this mean I’d be stuck here?

I grumbled silently to myself as I paced up and down the touchscreen road. I let her put out the fire as it seemed to be the best solution, even though I knew my machine would be damaged.

“Thanks,” I told her, feeling depressed. I sighed heavily and frowned. I was stuck here forever, unless I find a way to fix my machine.

“You’re welcome,” she told me. “Your car caught fire? I’m Jennifer Lloyd, by the way. What happened? You look so miserable.”

There was a tinge of happiness in her voice that annoyed me somehow. If she was stuck in my shoes, she definitely would have been mad too.

“I’m Alison Taylor. And that’s not my car, it’s a time machine. I came from the past, from year 2013. My time machine isn’t waterproof so it got damaged and now… I’m stuck here for, like, eternity.” I answered, and I knew very well that Jennifer probably will not believe me.

She raised an eyebrow. “Are you kidding me, Alison?”

“No, I’m not, argh. What’s the date today?” I inquired, in case I did not go to the future. Only after my question came out of my mouth then I realised that it was quite a dumb question. When have there ever been flying cars and robots in my time?

“14^th December, 2213. You can stay with me in my house for a while until you find out how to fix your machine,” Jennifer offered, flashing a megawatt smile.

“Okay, thanks so much. I think I will need to take a few months to fix this machine though.” I suppressed a fake grin, and deep down inside me, I felt like throwing a huge tantrum. If I am not able to fix my machine, I would never ever be able to see Aidan again.

I decided to look on the bright side of life, thus I did feel pleased that I had a new found friend and I had somewhere to live while I was stuck here. Also, it was amazing that I was in another world.

To be continued...

Her First Pets

Our house has always been filled with animals from the days when the girls were little. Big Bee's first pet was a hamster, and we learned about death and life through little Pebbles. Thereafter, it was an endless parade of hamsters, fishes, octupuses (yes!) and 3 dogs...and now, 2 little terrapins.

Little Bee had been asking for her very own pet since a couple of years ago, and we had been putting her request off because a pet is not a plaything to us. Animals in our house are treated with much love and care, and every new pet takes up a lot of time and effort. Besides, we already have 3 playful and boisterous dogs which the Bees play with. So, I must admit we brushed off Little Bee's incessant requests for a long time, and hoped that it would be a passing fancy.

However, up until last month, she was still talking about her own little pet. And that was when Hubby and I decided to let her experience ownership and responsibility. Being the youngest in the family often means getting a wee bit more pampering and attention from everyone else, so we thought it might be good for her to start caring for a pet she could call her own.

And so....in came 2 baby terrapins, whom she named Pebbles (you can tell my kids like this name a lot!) and Melody. We told her to feed them daily and to play with them. Of course, kids being kids...it also meant that she needed a little reminding at times to feed them, and at times, we adults were the ones feeding these terrapins, especially if they are a little fussy when eating. However, we hope these terrapins can instill in her values of love, empathy, care and responsibility.

In the meantime, she is really excited and came up with a journal entry about her little terrapins. Here was what she wrote:

"Today, Mummy and Papa bought me two terrapins! The more active one is called Pebbles and the one which is less active is called Melody. My favourite things about them is when I feed them and when I play with them. I dislike it when the terrapins are on my hand because they will keep climbing around. They are both very cute but when I first bought them, they were very timid."

Then, she did a little sketch on the aquarium we set up for the terrapins too!

Pets are such wonderful opportunities to engender empathy, love and care for other living species. More importantly, they make us feel loved and entertained too!

Travelling Back In Time (Part 7): Horrific Dachau

"Arbett Macht Frei" (work sets you free), a poignant symbol of the suffering endured by millions in the concentration camp

A year ago, we were at the chilling Dachau concentration camp in Germany. It was the first of the Nazi concentration camps in Germany and was used as an exemplary model camp for the rest of the Nazi concentration camps.

It was horrifying to witness what the prisoners had experienced. We did not shield our 2 girls from any of the terrifying display photos that were prevalent all around the camp, and they learned about the terrors of war through stories, infrastructure and pictures of untold horrors and devastating evilness. 

The cramped beds of the prisoners

The bleakest part of our visit was at the infamous gas "shower" chambers and the crematorium where the Nazi soldiers cremated the dead Jewish prisoners in eerie ovens that were still in good condition. 

It is essential to engage a good guide who is knowledgeable about the murky history that swirled around this chapter in Germany's past. We were lucky to meet up with a guide who was highly engaging and passionate, who told us plenty of stories and historical facts sprinkled with his own interesting perspectives. 

There were very few children visiting the concentration camp, but for me, I think this was one of the most eye-opening day of our Germany trip. The Bees learned about the meaning of humanity as well as the senselessness of war, despotism and discrimination. It was a sombre day for all of us as we tried to come to terms with a destruction of fellow humankind in such cataclysmic proportions.

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!