What I think about PE- part 1

So come this sat, who would u vote? How would you exercise your power of choice? With the general elections so fresh in many people's minds, will that affect the upcoming presidential election?

We always pride ourselves over the fact that we are rational thinkers. Singaporeans are known to stick to the course, unlikely to move opposite the norm and always extra careful when making decisions.

But of late, with the changing political arena and senses from the ground, this might not be so true anymore. Change has become far less scary for many more singaporeans now. And many now see that change is indeed possible and we do have a choice, a voice to decide.

With this new found power to decide, I guess we have to take the responsibility to educate ourselves more about each individual candidate. Times of going with the flow has ended. Times of 'we live our lives, let the government do the rest,' is long gone.

I can't help but to see that the PE has turned into supporters either taking sides of the ruling party or against the ruling party. Of course this is the easiest thing to do. A voter does not have much research or reading up to know which candidates has PAP affiliations and which don't. It is the easiest and most obvious difference. But if this is the only difference voters know so far, then I hope we do realize that this is not enough for a decision to be made.

The candidates are also painfully trying to distance themselves from any connections with our ruling party. I guess this is their attempt to "connect" with the ground.

When it comes to the voting table, I hope people do realize that it's an individual we are voting and not a political party.

Despite their affiliations with any party, what kind of person is the person you are choosing, their experience, their views, and more importantly their ability to be diplomatic n to communicate exceptionally well with leaders of other countries. Inevitably we cannot deny that our strategic relations with other countries is one of the cornerstone of our success. And as president, being head of state must possess exceptional diplomatic abilities.

How about check and balance? With so much talk about that, how important is that? i'll probably start that on a fresh page later.





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There's an anti government phenomenon spreading like wildfire across the world.

How strange would it be to have even the president of the country be suspicious of the governments decisions and hold a deep rooted view that the government makes decision not for the people and hence have to be constantly checked on?

A sense of distrust is definitely not a unifying factor.

Be rational. Be informed.




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Mak Nenek

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R.E.S.P.E.C.T

I just simply cannot stand rude people.
People who speak, write emails, messages in a very curt, rude manner.

Sometimes I feel like telling them off and say, "look, there are a million and one ways to say this, and you choose to be condescending."

I don't know whether it's me but sometimes I think politeness and respect is beginning to lose it's importance in society today.

I see it in adults, the same adults who try to inculcate values in children.. Emphasis on speaking your mind, standing up for what you believe in, seem to overshadow showing empathy, respect and patience.

Recently I just received an email from a fellow colleague. It sounds curt and it made my blood boil reading it. I can choose to write an equally irritating email back to the person, confront the person, ignore the person or tell it to someone else. I chose to reply the email in an equally curt manner. Curt by my standards. I'm not sure if the person knows how mad I felt reading the email. I'm not sure if I did the right thing.

But to this day, I just cannot let it go. It's something I will remember. WIll it affect our interaction? Probably.

But I'm not the sort who will show the person a black face forever. I will always try to remember that in the grand scheme of things, this is just a tiny bleep. An insignificant one. But keeping the anger and emotions down is a true test of my character.

I notice that there is a growing number of people who feels that letting things go is a sign of weakness in character. "I won't take it lying down!" I hear that phrase a lot these days. As if to imply that taking things lying down shows lack of courage to stand up for what is right. And people who take things lying down are seen as a softie or easily bullied. Although standing up for what is right is extremely important, but in certain scenarios, it'a totally uncalled for.

For me, i still believe that whatever goes around comes around. Experience has repeatedly shown me that a person who pisses me off will usually get into trouble somehow or other without me playing any part in it. Their true character will be obvious to everyone without even me squeaking a word.

Patience is indeed a virtue. Remembering that this life is just a pit stop makes me realize that there is really no point in insisting that you are right or investing in negative emotions just to prove that you are right and someone else is wrong. Because ultimately, the decision is not yours. And you can never get everyone in the entire planet to see your point of view anyway.

So basically your reaction of 'standing up for what is right' could probably be just a result of your overwhelming anger.

Seriously, what Im really worried about is that respect is totally lacking. No respect for authority, for others, nothing. One day, respect will probably be equated to cowardice! And patience to being a doormat! That will be an extremely sad future. :(

Day 4

Irfan setting the table for buka. Was pleasantly surprised by his attitude towards fasting. We didn't even have to reward him with anything to motivate him. He didn't even once beg to eat. He didn't cry when asked to wake up for sahur. Didn't whine or keep asking what time it is! I'm veryyyyy surprised! Steady!!

It's not even a week. I'm hoping he can last a month. Since puasa, everytime he gets back from school, he will head to the kitchen and offer his help in the kitchen. I guess his mentality is; if I don't get to eat, at least, I get to be near food and enjoy the aroma! Hehe.

Press on, dear boy! You can do it!!!

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Ramadhan for a 6 year old

2nd day of puasa for irfan! No complains, no whining. Full of patience and determination. I think the big challenge for him today was when his lil sister insisted on having ice cream and slurped it all up in front of him. But Alhamdullilah he persevered.

Hopefully he will continue for as long as he can!:)


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A blank canvas, a novice painter

My hope, no different from most parents, is for my kids to be anak yang soleh dan solehah. But I am not sure how to get there. The responsibility of raising them, guiding them might be too huge for me.

Especially when I'm aware that I might not examplery most of the time.

But the moment your child is born, that is your hope, your lil prayer for them. Insyaallah, I'm guided the way.








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Another opportunity

This Ramadhan, I hope i can learn to be more patient. To be patient towards people around me whose behaviour I can't comprehend or agree with.

To be more patient towards those who can't comprehend or agree with my actions.

To learn to spend my days wisely. In prayer, in good thoughts, in moderation.

Ramadhan, I'm thankful you are here.


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The Undercover Agent

Spy siapa tak puasa!





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Night at the Bay

Had a wonderful Saturday yesterday. Almost felt like a tourist right here on my own land.

Started out the day at the zoo. Haven't been there for ages. The kids were elated especially at the kidz area where they had their water play.

Headed to marina bay sands to watch the fireworks. Totally unplanned and parking was amazingly a breeze as they had opened up an exhibition hall and turned it into a lot due to the crowd.

The fireworks were lovely. We had a nice place in front of marina bay sands with not much of a crowd, overlooking the whole back drop of Fullerton hotel, and the lighted skyscrapers acrossthe Bay.

That much of the day was expected. We then had dinner in MBS at coffee bean bistro and we really didn't expect a full menu there. Everything looked good! They had an all day breakfast, lunch and dinner. irfan had his pancakes, I had steak and Alim had lasagna. I really didn't know that the coffee bean there had a full menu!

After the meal, we decided to take a walk by the bay. Honestly I have not walked along the bay at night. I must say the place was beautiful and if I was a tourist, I would probably say, this has got to be one of my favourite place in Singapore.

The lighted buildings across the Bay was very pretty, like a backdrop of a musical about to start. You can sit on the steps or at the edge of the platform overlooking the bay, with no barricades between you and the bay. Very nice night, it was.

To top it all, there was a water show like the song of the sea at sentosa right in front of the Bay. We didn't know this until last night. It was about 10pm by then. With the beautiful night and lighted backdrop, the fountain started, lighted, with intermittent fire explosions for impact. Reminded us of a show at Vegas. Towards the end, bubbles filled the air, floating from the sky, much to the kids' delight. The night could not have gotten more beautiful:)
















































No idea this was happening in front of the Bay. Nice!

Photos taken from my iPhone.
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Toilet training

Second time peeing in the toilet! Well done, Alisha. We will practice again tomorrow!:)


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It's 12.35 and I can't sleep. My stomach hurts. Luckily the vomitting has stopped. The diarheora is getting less frequent. But I'm still having a sharp pain on my stomach. Been taking medication faithfully. Hopefully tomorrow I will be better. Plenty of markg n work to do!


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Punishment that backfired?

Alisha was being naughty again. So we told her to go in the room and sit on the thinking chair.
She said, "Ok. Bye ayah, I'm sitting on my thinking chair now. See you later!

Another time she was wailing away because of something. Before I could put her at the thinking chair, she cried, " I want my thinking chair! I want my thinking chair!"

Tak pernah nampak pulak budak macam gini.

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Run away thoughts

I think July and august, are the two months when I think a lot about escaping to a foreign land. Sea, mountain, shopping, ancient ruins, museums... Pictures of them clutter my mind.

The end of the year will be excruciatingly hectic. I can't can't wait for everythg to be over.


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Future holds out an unopened box.

In need of change. Looking forward to next year, many changes in store.

All for the better I hope.

For one, irfan will be in p1. I have decided to put him in my sch. Not an automatic, easy decision but finally made up my mind.
So I've decided to teach in the afternoon too, p2. Have never taught lower pri before and that's the main reason I'm doing it. After ten years, I just need to be doing somethg else to keep the spark going.

And the best part is, I won't be in exco anymore, focusing more on the teaching track now and I can't describe how much I'm looking forward to that!:)

Doing my studies, shifting, new addition, spiritual travel?? All in the cards but not sure when. If HE wills, sooner than later I hope.

So I'm just praying for one thing now, good health. It isn't that fantastic now, 3 monthly check up and hopefully no new symptom shows up.

Praying for the best.

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The girl

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The girl in the red hat

Santorini Landscape

The balcony of our room in Oia

We stayed at Armeni Village, Oia (picture on the above right. Our room is right below the sign, with the steps leading down to the Jacuzzi.

The balcony of our room at Fira, the touristy, vibrant part of Santorini

This is the entrance to the rooms. Just got to follow the never ending steps!

The night sky at Santorini

Sunset

Jacuzzi at Fira

Our loft room at Fira

The big crowd gathering to watch what is reputed as the best sunset in the world at Oia.

Can you tell that we didnt do anything much, except relax at balconies, watch sunsets, take pictures, eat ice cream, play in the jacuzzi and just walked around the island? I think the most strenuous thing we did during the trip was take a hike on the volcano island (asleep but still active). Other than that, it's just spending quality time with the kids and Alim amidst a stunning, peaceful backdrop.

The bull is out to play!

Having difficulty sleeping. Been a week now. The room is so silent and I'm still restless, fiddling with my phone.

First 3 days will be away on course and I've got a couple of things to settle before Monday. (which should have been settled like a month ago!)

The lil girl has been having terrible melt downs lately. At least once every other day. Today, twice. It can be over trivial matters and she would start crying and screaming at the top of her lungs non stop. Tried scolding her, cuddling her, psycho talk her but it takes forever for her to calm down.

She used to have these tantrums when she was younger but it got very much better. Now it's back again, much worst than ever. Her sleeping pattern has also changed quite a bit. Abang was a breeze, no tantrums so I'm a bit confused as to how to handle her screaming and wailing which
most of the time sounds like we mishandled her.

I do not want her to think that by throwing a tantrum she can get her way, but my insistence just drive her even crazier. Diverting her attention does not work at this point. Actually she will only calm down when she wants to calm down or when she gets her way, even a lil bit of it.

For example, she didn't want to bathe this morning and started screaming and wailing. We tried to talk to her but we were running late for a wedding. She then agreed to bathe but wanted to wear the same clothes which she wore to sleep, back again. Of coz she couldn't. I struggled to get her out of her clothes. She wailed her lungs out non stop, refused to let go of her clothes. Then after some time she let go of her Tshirt but insisted on bathing while holding on to her panties. I let her coz, I knew she had to have somethg go her way and it's no big deal if her panties get wet. She cooled down when I let her hold on to her panties and she was still holding on to it when I was changing her. After that she had her milk and calmed down.

She is after all a Taurus, it's symbol being a bull. And she was born in the year of the ox! I don't believe in any of this crap but it seems that it probably isn't all bullshit after all. She has got to have a lil bit of her way or else she will never be pacified. It is exhausting for us. The noise of a screaming child, her adamant nature and most of the time pressured by the fact that we are running late for something and have no time to play her "game".

It's still trial and error at the moment. I have a feeling one of the reasons might be she has been too attached to me over the hols. When we came back, I had to go back school( which resulted in one of the worst tantrum ever. I could hear her screaming for me from downstairs on the first day I had to leave her). Hopefully, when her old routine is back on again, things will be better. Insyaallah.

Hmm, or maybe she just wished she was back in santorini? She was so happy there, not a single huge melt down at all. Very manageable.

Hah, If I could, I would probably be wailing too having to go back to work and to the same routine! I would kick a fuss and throw a huge ass tantrum too! But I'm not 2 and I better not behave like one! Hehe.

Alisha, hope the temper throwing phase will end soon and you'll be your sweet self again.


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Greece Part 2- Santorini Drive

Santorini is famous for its blue doors and white washed architecture. But beautiful beaches also outline the lil island. Because it went through massive volcano eruption centuries ago, there's no white sandy beaches, giving it a unique look. We drove to 3 beaches; the Black Beach, the Red Beach and Perissa Beach. Along the way, we spotted some cool views.

The cute lil white car which we rented

Found a great spot with superb view

Typical roads around Santorini, winding around the caldera.

 Santorini is littered with unique, beautiful beaches. Red Beach is one of them. 

Red cliffs lined the shore.

Black Beach- black pebbles and stones covered the shore.
We spent some time here for a swim.

Jumping off cliffs

 Bought the cute, white dress in Fira, Santorini

Perissa Beach
We had early dinner at a cafe by this beach

The cafe by the beach

 Clear waters of Amoudi Bay, Oia

Typical pictures of Santorini coming up soon; the blue domed churches, the white walls, the donkeys and the cobbled streets. :)