Feeling Unwell

My throat was sore when I woke up in the morning. Since we are going to fly off to Taipei next Thursday, I wasn't about to take any chances with my health and my girls' health. I went to see the doctor in the morning at 9am and I only saw the doctor at 10am! It was that crowded and unfortunately, most people were coughing, sneezing and sniffling. Sigh. Think it is the cold/ flu season again. :( 
I had the beginning of a sore throat and hopefully with medication, I have arrested the development of a cold/ flu and recover before we fly off next Thursday.

Partners Award

This is my Partners Award from the school which I have been working with the past 10 years. :) One of the other Partners awardees was surprised to hear that I am not even an old girl and yet have been working with the school for the past 10 years. :) It is my pleasure and I enjoy myself working with the school.

Parent-Teacher Meetings

After my counselling, I rushed down to SCGS for my girls' Parent-Teacher meetings. The first one was scheduled at 2:25pm with Marieann's  form teacher at the school hall. Although I was 10 minutes early, her form teacher, who is also my former SCGS colleague, went ahead of schedule to meet with me. After meeting Marieann's form teacher, I went on to meet Marieann's Chinese teacher and followed by Juliane's Chinese teacher since the Chinese teachers were also stationed in the hall. 
I arrived at my 3.25pm PTM with Juliane's teachers around 2:40pm at the P3 classroom. I waited patiently as I was very early for my session (actually I used the time to play my Candy Crush Saga lol. That stupid Level 147 is killing me!! :( ). However, blessed Juliane's teachers, they felt bad that I was waiting for so long that they kept telling me they would see me next but another set of parents would turn up lol. Told them to follow the appointments scheduled. They finally met me at 3:10pm. :) Juliane's form teacher taught Marieann in P4 and Julie's co-form teacher is my former SCGS colleague. We had a very enjoyable and open conversation.
The detailed feedback given by the girls' teachers have been very constructive and encouraging. :) I can better help my girls now.

Banned!

Singapore AVA banned eleven starch based products from Taiwan due to contents of Maleic Acid. Maleic acid is usually used as a compound in products such as glue, paper and various kinds of wrapping materials. The compound is hazardous to human health if consumed. The starch-based products are mainly tapioca starch which is made use in most bubble tea. 
This ban is timely, happening just before we go to Taiwan next week. We will definitely be avoiding all bubble teas (much to my mother's happiness) as well as fried stuff, I guess. Look at it this way, at least we will be eating more healthily when we are in Taiwan lol. :P  

Retreat at Hard Rock Hotel

Our department had our retreat at Hard Rock Hotel today. It would be work in the first half of the day, followed by lunch and end with a visit to the S.E.A. Aquarium in the afternoon.
The retreat started close to 9.45am and it was a flurry of ice-breaking activities, aimed at giving us the opportunities to bond together as well as providing us with learning opportunities. Kudos to the organising committee that they achieved both of those aims. :)
I particularly loved the activity whereby we, as a group had to put together a puzzle. Apparently there was different conditions for each of the four groups and we were all blind to them. Should have known! What do you expect when a group of researchers get together to come up with activities?! Haha. For our group, we were given the complete set of jigsaw puzzle pieces but with no picture of the jigsaw so that meant we had no overview or big picture to go on. We immediately organised ourselves and started division of labour, picking out different pieces and placing them together by colour and by the edge. Some of us started putting the pieces together as we recognised the characters in the puzzle. There was not much talking but when we did, it was trying to problem-solving. We were so focussed on solving the puzzle that we even forgo our break lol. Through our perseverance, we completed the puzzle! :)

Our completed puzzle! :)

At 11am, the more serious work started. There were some presentations and thought-provoking discussions. All too soon, we had to end our discussions as we ran out of time. We adjourned to Starz Restaurant for our buffet lunch at 1.30pm. We almost had the whole restaurant to ourselves as the lunch crowd had left. :) The food was pretty good. I particularly love the cold dishes and the desserts. :)
By the time we were done with lunch, it was 3pm. We slowly made our way to the S.E.A. Aquarium where we took more group photos. As I was feeling pretty tired after an eventful day and it was close to 4pm, I decided to call it a day. I decided to save my S.E.A. Aquarium ticket for another day as it is valid for 180 days. I can spend more quality time at the aquarium next time. 
I thought the retreat was well-organised and wonderful. I was a little apprehensive that it would be all work and no play. How wrong this Wong is lol. :P It turned out both fun and educational. I also got to know a few more colleagues better too. :)

A colleague took this photo. I can be a watch model if I am out of a job haha.

4 weeks and 5 Days Later

I am still playing Candy Crush saga lol. I am now at Level 147. I have overtaken some of my friends who started playing much earlier than me haha. :P Some levels were pretty frustrating but I have to admit I have been pretty lucky too. I don't really strategise and plan my moves. I just play! Haha. Much to the frustration of a good friend who introduced me to the game. :P

My Neighbourhood Homework

Juliane had to do a piece of school homework about the flora and fauna in her neighbourhood. Easy peasy. We live right next to Botanic Gardens which has no lack of flora and fauna lol. :)
Here are some of the flora and fauna in our neighbourhood, Botanic Gardens.

I think this is an Asian Water Monitor Lizard (?)

Ok, this is an insect, not fauna lol

Yes, this is an Oriental Pied Hornbill, resting in the trees in our estate

Front gate of Botanic Gardens, literally in our backyard! :)

Happy Vesak Day 2013

Happy Vesak Day to all Buddhists. :)
Happy holiday to all others. :) 

There was light showers in the morning. As we arrived at the temple at 10.30am, it was crowded despite the showers. After the visit to the temple, we went home and lazed around. :)

Preparation for Staff Retreat

In the midst of trying to prepare the handout for my staff retreat this coming Monday. Trying to cut down the number of pages for my discussion group on assessment... 19 pages so far... Only 20 minutes for discussion... So must cut down the number of pages further!

Juggling

I had to cancel my counselling today because of two important meetings that I had to attend at my other work place until 2pm. However, after my meetings, I went back to my counselling school at 3pm because there was a case conference with NUH, the school and the parents which I was also involved in. It was difficult trying to coordinate the time for a case conference with three parties so it would be unprofessional of me to skip it, just because I have to travel from one place to another, especially after the effort taken to arrange the case conference.

Communicate with Passion

Blogthings quiz results showed that I communicate passionately lol. Maybe that is why I can build rapport easily with my counsellees. :)

You Communicate Passionately

You speak from the heart. You can't separate your feelings from what you're saying, even in a professional context. You tend to speak dramatically, with lots of passion and emotion. It's easy for you to get swept up in what you're saying. You like to connect with people early on so that you can personalize what you are saying to them. When you converse, you try to find common ground and harmony. Even if you disagree with someone, you try to emphasize where you agree.

What Kind of Communicator Are You?

Marieann's Exam Results

Marieann brought home all her examination scripts. I am surprised that she received the highest marks for Science too, like Juliane. I guess writing notes suits the learning style of both my girls. :)

Bring Home!

That was what both my girls said when they saw the photos of the three kittens. Out of curiosity, I asked them which one to bring home? They said, "All!". Hmm, a bit greedy... They reasoned that it would be so cruel and sad to separate the kitten siblings. Hmm, they have good hearts... :)

meow - a tale of three kittens

Here are photos of the three most adorable kittens I have seen around in Singapore lol. Actually, I seldom see kittens around, only the adult cats. Today is the first time I have seen stray kittens which didn't run away and which are so trusting of humans. I hope that the people around take good care of them.The tabby kitten reminds me of my late cat which was a tabby too. The black kitten which was initially not in the basket was most friendly, maybe because it was not as sleepy as the other two kittens haha. :P

Two little kittens in a bicylce basket

Hug hug

The third little kitten

A regal look

An intimidating look

Three little kittens in a bicycle basket - Cosy!

Someone loves the camera :)

Oi, get off me, you are spoiling my glam shot

For one moment where all three kittens had their eyes opened (slightly for two lol)

The two black kittens being very "cosy" but see the claws on one?! Lol

Marvel at the tabby kitten which can sleep in any position!

This is life! Sleeping without a care in the world :)

Juliane's Exam Results

Juliane brought home all her examination scripts. I am surprised that she received the highest marks for Science. Guess making her write notes as revision for her Science worked lol.

Streaming In

The girls' examination results are starting to stream in...

Camp's Out

Marieann is back from her P5 camping trip. Wah so fast, I have yet to truly enjoy the peace and quiet and she is already back home!
Asked her about her camping experience. Just one word - TIRED! Hahaha. She proved to us how tired she was when she slept from 4pm till 7.30pm! Guess I will ask her about her camping experience again when she is rested. Otherwise her comments would be skewed and inaccurate lol.

Spock vs Spock: Who Wins?

This is an absolutely clever advertisement by Audi. Besides a battle of wits and speed between the old and new Spock, the ad also has other references to Star Trek. A sure way to grab Trekkies' attention lol. 

 (Uploaded by AudiofAmerica)


Love the moments in the ad that alluded to things that only Trekkies would know - tractor beam, ' "I have been and always shall be your friend" with Vulcan salute' reenactment from Star Trek 2: Wrath of Khan, the Vulcan nerve pinch lol. :)

P5 Camping Trip

Marieann has gone for her school's Primary 5 3 days & 2 nights camping trip. It is compulsory for all Primary 5 students to participate in the camping trip. I remember when I was teaching in SCGS, I was also involved in the P5 camping trips. Time really flies and now it is my daughter's turn. :) 
Marieann was upset last night and complained to me that Juliane told her she would not miss her when she is at the camp. However, this evening, Juliane told me that she missed her sister and it was so quiet without her Jie Jie (sister in Chinese) around. Juliane made me promised not to tell Marieann. Lol.
Well, I both miss and don't miss Marieann. I miss her somewhat because it is the first time that she is away from home on her own (even if it is still with school and there are teachers around). But I believe strongly it will be a good learning experience for her. I also don't miss Marieann because there is suddenly so much peace and quiet at home hahaha!

Happy Mother's Day 2013

Here is wishing all mothers a Happy Mother's Day 2013! :) 

May your day be filled with love and happiness.

I actually thought that my girls have forgotten about today because I didn't hear any whispering from them about Mother's Day. They managed to SURPRISE me big time! Lol. Guess I owe them an apology. :P 

Marieann made some Cranberries in Milk Chocolate for me. Besides adding cranberries, to further balance the sweetness of the chocolate, she added cashew nuts and a pinch of salt on top of the chocolates. It was really sweet to receive the chocolates from Marieann, in more ways than one. :) 

Juliane made a Powerpoint slideshow of our photos and her thank you note to me. Unfortunately, after showing it to me, she closed it without saving it. :o Although the Powerpoint slides are gone, I was really touched by her effort and gesture. (I know she spent at least an hour just getting the slides together.) To make up for the lost Powerpoint slides, Juliane made me a card. I love the message behind, made from my name. So in her mind, I am not just "Mama", I am also "Dr Wong" lol. 

Cupcakes and Wedding Sweets

This is the last weekend to get the outstanding items that Marieann needs for her Primary 5 Camping trip this coming Monday to Wednesday. She is still missing a few items on the list. The three of us, mother and daughters, set off for Isetan Scotts in the late morning. Marieann managed to buy the remaining items on her list and Juliane also managed to get her new pair of Crocs as her current pair was slightly too small for her. With our shopping done, we headed over to Far East Plaza for our Yakitori Bento lunch at our usual haunt, Nanbantei Japanese Restaurant. We didn't make a reservation but we were able to get a table which we needed to vacate by 1.30pm. Not a problem, we were done with our lunch by 1pm lol. :P Yes, we were that hungry. :) 
After lunch, we walked around a bit to digest our full stomachs. We were surprised to see a cute little cupcake shop amidst the ladies' fashion wear shops at Level One. We naturally veered towards the cupcake shop, TenEleven Cupcakes. We bought four cupcakes home to try - Keylime, Matcha, Carrot & Walnut, and Chocolate Brownie. They were yummy! And surprisingly not too sweet! :)

In the evening, we attended my family friend's daughter's wedding at Four Seasons Hotel. It was a wonderful gathering for me as I managed to catch up with our family friends as well as my SCGS classmate whom I forgot is a cousin to our family friend's daughter lol. The speeches were really good too. :) But the highlight of the whole wedding dinner/ banquet was the dessert for me haha. Great combination of sweet and refreshing - white chocolate mousse & crunchy royaltine and aloe vera & jelly flavoured with lemongrass. :)

By the time the wedding dinner ended (but the wedding party was still going on with the dancing), it was close to 11.30pm. We (my father, the girls' father and I) went home to find the girls still wide awake and watching tv! Oh well, they had finished their exams so they didn't get a scolding from me. :)

Cups N Canvas Cafe Singapore

Now that the girls' exams are over, I can relax and meet up with friends for a meal in the evenings. We went to Cups N Canvas at Selegie Road, as suggested by my friend. Cups N Canvas is a cafe cum art studio. It is a charming place with its artistic as well as rustic vibes. :)

There is an All Day Special for Pasta today so for every pasta dish ordered, a drink comes free (excluding ice-blend and alcohol drinks). I ordered a Greeno Pesto (chicken, basil, parmesan, baby potato, linguine) and a Ice Cucumber Mint Tea (free). My friend ordered a Blanc Bacon (bacon, mushroom, fettuccine) and a Iced Peach Lychee Tea (free).

Iced Peach Lychee Tea and Iced Cucumber Mint Tea

I was wowed by my pasta. Although some will be put off by the basil in the dish, I loved it. I love the unique taste as well as the strong flavour of basil. :) I gobbled up my pasta in no time! I really love my iced cucumber mint tea too. It is very refreshing. :)

Greeno Pesto (chicken, basil, parmesan, baby potato, linguine)

Blanc Bacon (bacon, mushroom, fettuccine)

There isn't a large variety of dishes on the menu but they are mostly comfort food which we could always do with lol. :) Cups N Canvas is a cool place to hang out. Visit it if you are in the area.

Last Paper!

Today is the last paper for my girls. I felt really relieved as if I am taking the exams myself! During the past two weeks (more so this week), I have done my best to help my girls with their revision. It is now up to their performances at their individual papers.

Cali Cafe Singapore

Being on leave meant that I could also afford to have some time for myself. Since the girls would only arrive home at 1+ pm, I met an ex-colleague for lunch. We went to Cali Cafe which is located within Park Avenue Hotel & Suites, near MOE. My friend had the Pesto Chicken pasta and I tried the Pacific Crab Cakes ($15.50). I "stole" a spoon of pasta from my friend and the pesto sauce was really delicious. Maybe I will order that next time. :)

I love my crab cakes and the mint yoghurt dressing which enhanced the crab cakes. The warm spinach salad which came with the dish was fantastic too! :) The portions were generous and I had to pack home one crab cake as well as the salad. 

The food at Cali Cafe is really tasty and good. I am surprised that it is not packed. Maybe because people haven't really discover it yet (it being inside a fairly new hotel). Looking forward to my next meal at Cali Cafe. :)

Exam Leave

I took leave this week to supervise my girls while they revise for their examinations. I know it is sad that I am doing this and that their exams are stressing me in a big way, especially when I am in the education profession and assessment is my research interest. :( :( But as a parent, when faced with my girls, the researcher's hat disappeared most quickly into thin air even before I could say the word "exam"! I guess only parents will understand how I feel...

Settled

The last detail of our June trip to Taipei, Taiwan has been settled by my mother who arrived in Taipei yesterday. Remember the three days/ two nights that we are supposedly to be staying at my aunt's place? Well, although my uncle-in-law is back at home resting after his operation and we are more than welcome to stay with them, we decided we shouldn't disturb his rest. 
My mother booked one of the three accommodations in Jiufen (九份) that I had shortlisted in the afternoon. :) That was really fast of her lol. Now I also realised who I take after in getting things done as quickly as possible once it has been decided. :P  

Gone Home

My mother left for her birthplace, Taipei, Taiwan this morning. Her flight left at 7:10am and by 12nn, she arrived in Taipei. She has gone back to attend my cousin's wedding on 11 May 2013 and to visit her family and friends. My mother will remain in Taipei until we join her in early June and we will return to Singapore together in mid June 2013. 
While my mother is now in Taiwan, I hope my mother will enjoy herself. She deserves a good break. :) 

Happy Mother's Day 2013 (in advance)

We celebrated Mother's Day today (in advance) because my mother is leaving for Taipei, Taiwan early tomorrow morning. We celebrated Mother's Day with a Blueberry Yoghurt Cake from Four Leaves. Everyone love the cake because it is different from the usual cream cakes that we buy. :)

Blueberry Yoghurt Cake. Yummy!

Happy Mother's Day, Mother/ Grandmother! Hope you have a great Mother's Day in Taipei, Taiwan with all your family and friends.

Breather

Decided to give the girls a break from their exam revision and to give myself a break from being a Tiger mom. We watched Ah Boys to Men II! It was hilarious. : D

Ah Boys to Men II Official Trailer (uploaded by AhBOYStoMEN)

Ah Boys to Men II Theme Song Official MV: Recruit's Anthem (uploaded by AhBOYStoMEN)

PS. Yaw Ming, both DVDs will be coming to you in July. Your nieces are asking if you went through similar things in the army.

Up and Coming

Had a meeting this morning. Up and coming work, which plays to my strength, is coming my way. :)

May Day 2013 Lunch

It has been a while since the girls went out for a meal. Since it is May Day or Labour Day public holiday, we went to Atlantic Mix Grill at Suntec City. The menu is slightly different with some changes in the dishes but the prices remain reasonable. 
I enjoyed my Cod Fillet ($16.80) which came with a choice of sweet potato mash or rice and coleslaw. I chose to have the mashed sweet potato. The mash was creamy with a hint of sweetness. It was a delightful change from the usual mashed potato. :) The coleslaw which was made with purple cabbage and the orange mashed sweet potato gave a cheerful vibe to the whole dish. The cod fillets were nicely done - lightly crisped on the outside and juicy on the inside. :)

Marieann ordered a Crayfish Pasta ($14.80) which was cooked in tomato sauce and came with two crayfish cut in halves. Most importantly, the crayfish were tender and juicy. :) 

Juliane had her Carbonara Pasta (which was not on the menu), a special request which the kitchen gladly obliged. That is good service. :)
It was definitely a good May Day lunch. The girls were recharged for their exam revision in the afternoon. :)

Internet Explorer 10

Updated 10:04pm 
I spoke too soon. IE is still wonky. :( 
 
Last night, I was prompted to install new updates which I did. However, this morning when I tried to load up my Internet Explorer, an error message appeared saying that the IE is not working. Tried restarting the notebook several times but still with the same result "IE not working". It was really strange as my IE was working fine last night. Finally it dawned on me that it might have something to do with the new updates I installed last night. I looked under Installed Updates and discovered my IE has been updated to the latest version, Internet Explorer 10. I went online via Firefox and found out that there are others who had problems with IE 10 on their Windows 7 too. The only way was to uninstall IE 10 and it will revert back to the previous version, IE 9. That's what I did. 
Now my IE is working fine, never mind if it is the older version of IE 9.