CHINESE NEW YEAR (17 - 19 FEBRUARY 2007)

Chinese New Year's Eve fell on 17 February. Whilst most families would be tossing yu-sheng merrily at their Reunion Dinner, I spent a quiet time with my Ah Gong and Ah Ma at home. My parents had to work that night. I had fun nonetheless, watching Ah Ma bake up a storm in the kitchen and doing product testing at the end of it. :) My Ah Ma bakes the best pandan cake in the world. Her chocolate chip cookies and pineapple tarts are top shelf too! I was cleverly generous with my compliments to Ah Ma because I knew it was Ang Pao time the next day. Hehehe...

On 18 February i.e. the First Day of Chinese New Year, I went visiting with Ah Gong and Ah Ma. My parents didn't come with us because they only got home from work at 7.00 am. I visited my great-grandparents and 2 granduncles before it was time to return home to get ready for our family dinner at Hua Ting in Orchard Hotel. The food at Hua Ting turned out to be fairly ordinary, nothing much to shout about.

After dinner, Mummy decided that the whole family should pay Granduncle Siew Choon & Family a visit. It was already 11 pm by the time we reached their house, but I wasn't sleepy at all. I ran around the living room, I chatted with everyone and I danced to ching chong pop music! I had a great time! We stayed till midnight before returning home to rest.

I woke up bright and early on 19 February calling for Lis. I cried out: "Ah Lis carry. Ah Lis carry." Mummy came to me and wanted to carry me, but I refused and continued crying for Lis. Mummy told me that she loved me a lot, but I retorted that Lis loved me a lot too. Eventually, Mummy stopped me from crying by distracting me with her "Tickle Pink" story.

Mummy's cousins visited our family in the morning, and they brought along their entourage of kids. We played together, crawling in and out of my playhouse. After they left, we went to my great grandaunt's house. The entourage of kids was there too, filling the flat to the brim.

Lunch was at Grandaunt Siew Leng's house. I was so pooped that I fell asleep on her sofa. When I got up almost 2 hours later, my parents took me to Grandpa Eddy and Grandma Nancy's house. Grandpa Eddy let me water the plants again!!! He also promised to let me pluck the very first ripe guava from his tree. What an honour!!!

At 6.30 pm, Ah Gong and Ah Ma joined us at Grandpa Eddy's house, and we all went out for dinner at Laguna National Country Club.

Photos of the last few days will be uploaded soon.

BYE BYE LIS! (15 FEBRUARY 2007)

Lis has left our household to work for an expat family. Lis has been with our household for 5 years, and before that another 5 years with my Grandaunt's family (after running away from home when she was 15 years old). She moved to my family just before my parents got married. She saw Mummy through her pregnancy, and looked after me from the day I was born (technically, a few days afterwards, since the nurses cared for me for my first few days of existence).

Needless to say, I'm very attached to Lis. I should have been really upset when she left this morning, but I wasn't. Today sailed by really uneventfully for me because no one told me the truth! One day when the truth emerges, I'm going to feel so cheated!

This morning, Mummy dropped Lis off at Tanglin Shopping Centre (where her agency was) with all her barang barang, and Ipa and I went along. I went along unsuspectingly because everyone just said: "JinJin, let's go for a car ride." When we got to maid agency, the agents said we had to say our goodbyes quickly because the new employer was due to come any minute to pick her up and there were some documents which Lis had to sign, etc. Lis turned and told me: "Ok, JinJin, Lis is going to take an aeroplane. You see all my bags are here. I'm going to Indonesia to buy keropok for you." Mummy held me whilst I waved Lis goodbye and said: "Bye bye Lis. Buy keropok for me." Keropok works miracles. Ipa then bade farewell to her sister, Lis, with teary eyes. With the agents hurrying us, we left Tanglin Shopping Centre shortly.

Mummy had to do some shopping at IKEA, so Ipa and I went along. There was a Ball Room at IKEA and I wanted to play with the thousands of colourful balls there, but the lady at the counter said: "I'm sorry. You're too small." She ushered me to a measuring tape and I tried my best to stretch myself to the desired height, but to no avail. The lady said: "Sorry. Go home and drink more milk then come back one day." I was really disappointed, but c'est la vie.

My vocab in French has been improving after watching Brainy Baby's French DVD repeatedly, and I'll surprise everyone with a few words here and there occasionally. A few nights ago when I was feeling really tired and sleepy, Mummy asked me what's "tired" in French. I thought about it for a little while then answered: "Dormir" (which is to sleep in French). Mummy corrected me by saying that "tired" is actually "fatiguee", but I was close! I will sometimes translate a particular word from English to Mandarin to French.

Pics of Lis and I at the playground which were taken last month. I held onto that monkey bar for 30 counts:-

REUNION DINNER (13 FEB 2007)

Ah Gong and Ah Ma are back from their vacation (with lotsa and lotsa presents for me!). Lis will be leaving us to work for an expat family in 2 days' time (Shhh... this nugget of information hasn't actually been told me yet though, lest I bawl my eyes out and go on hunger strike). My parents have to work on Chinese New Year's Eve. Since everyone was available tonight, we had our Reunion Dinner tonight instead.

Dinner was at the coffee house of Miramar Hotel. The international buffet was priced at $20.80+++. Mummy picked the venue. She figured that it would be cheaper to have a buffet dinner than to go to a Chinese restaurant at this time of the year, when everyone is charging through the roof for set meals with a plate of raw fish and sliced up veggies disguised as something premium. Before this, we'd never been to Miramar Hotel, but the spread was pretty decent for the price.

Earlier this evening, I went swimming with Mummy again. WEEEEEEE... I CAN SWIM... with the help of floats (but who reads fine prints anyway!). I went across the deep end 4 times today. Seeing that I'm quite confident in the water, Mummy has arranged for Coach Mark to give me formal swimming lessons after Chinese New Year. Coach Mark works full-time for Mummy and Daddy at the hostel, but he teaches swimming and models on the side. He was once a National Swimmer and appeared in the papers before for being one of Singapore's most eligible bachelors or something like that. I can't wait to meet him in person!

Aside from swimming, I've been accompanying my parents on their property hunt. They're looking for a commercial building with a built-up area of about 10,000 sq ft, close to Bugis MRT, with a low price tag. If you've lobang, please say something in my Comments section. The earlier they find something the better. Saves me from being dragged around in the hot sun! Thank you!

TIME WITH MUMMY (6 FEBRUARY 2007)

I'm exactly 2 yrs 2 mths today.

Mummy has been spending a lot more time with me lately because my usual caregivers - Ah Gong and Ah Ma - are on vacation in Canada. Feeling guilty for popping in a DVD to entertain me during my mealtimes, instead of reading to me, etc., Mummy took me to Turf City so I could eat my lunch whilst looking at the vast array of fresh produce in the supermarket. The method worked! I really enjoyed the trip to the supermarket and I finished my lunch in record time. Mummy bought lots of fruits, vegetables and cheese for me, and I was able to name her each item which she picked up. Mummy was pleased.

Later in the afternoon, Mummy took me swimming. It'd been months since I'd gone swimming, so I was visibly excited to be in the water again. Mummy taught me how to blow bubbles underwater and I was keen to learn. I told Mummy that I'd like to attend formal swimming classes, so Mummy will be enrolling me in one soon.

SHOW OF COMPASSION (5 FEBRUARY 2007)

This morning, I attended GUG class with Lis. There was a little boy about my age who had joined the class for the first time. He was unfamiliar with his surroundings and started crying from the word "go", even though both his parents were in class with him. Everyone in class ignored him, except me. I went up to him and said: "Bu yao ku. Bu yao ku." ("Don't cry" in Mandarin) It was my way of consoling him, but he continued crying anyway.

Later, our Mandarin teacher came in and she had a teddy bear with her. Everyone was supposed to take turns to give the bear a hug. The little boy, who was busy crying in the corner, missed his chance. I carried the bear to him and asked him to give it a hug, but he continued crying anyway. Well, I tried.

Here're some pictures of me at the Chinese New Year night market at Chinatown:

MY GREEN THUMB (4 FEBRUARY 2007)

Mummy woke up with a stiff neck and aching back. The thought of a massage was just too alluring so she decided to skip work for one! She decided to try this Balinese massage place she'd chanced upon just a stone's throw from Grandpa Eddy and Grandma Nancy's house. Grandma Nancy joined Mummy in what Mummy later referred to as a "torture chamber", and I was thus left in the good hands of Grandpa Eddy, who introduced me to the fine art of gardening. :)

MY TWO FIRSTS (30 JANUARY 2007)

I had 2 firsts today. Today is the first time a dog kissed me and the first time I completed an arm's length transaction on my own.

It all started with our plan to have dinner at Aston's at East Coast. Aston's was once a western food stall in a kopitiam, but they became so successful that they started their own restaurant. We heard rave reviews about their good steaks at affordable prices and decided to join the queue. Whilst Daddy stood in line, I went to a pet store with Mummy. At the entrance of the pet store sat 2 dogs - a really big one and a tiny one. Both of them starred at me. I started talking to them. When it was time for me to go, the big dog walked up to me and kissed me on my cheek. I was so thrilled!

Dinner was nice. I tried mushroom soup, steak, chicken, carrots and corn. We all loved the food, and will certainly return.

After dinner, we walked past a bakery and I saw some muffins on sale. I walked up to the shopkeeper and said: "I would like a muffin please." The lady seemed a little taken aback by what I'd said to her, so I repeated it in Mandarin for her: "Wo yao muffin." The lady then asked me to pick a flavour. I looked at the full array of muffins they had on display and pointed to the blueberry one. "I want this one", I annouced. She then asked me how many I wanted and I replied: "One." The lady put my muffin in a paper bag and I handed her a $2 note. She gave me my change and I said: "Thank you. Xie xie." My first arm's length transaction. :)

We continued walking until we came across this shophouse with a really large metal urn in front of it. We peered in the shophouse and saw many black idols on the shelves. It looked really creepy. We then saw a newspaper cutting stuck on the window with the words "Ghostbuster", which explained it all.

What an interesting trip to the East Coast!