Last Sunday, 29th March 2015

We watched the state funeral procession from 12.30pm till past 4pm on TV.

So much tears shed. 

At the end of the day, we've come a long way. 

The challenges our country faces now are not the same as those of yesteryears. 

Of course we pay tributes of gratitude and respect, at the same time, we harness and make good our learning to keep the spirit going. 

We live moment by moment and each moment we have the choice to do good. 

Onward, Singapore.

 Throngs of passionate crowds lined the streets. It was very hard to watch good-byes.
They say Heaven opened and cried.
I say Heaven made it easier for all to cry.

The rain poured down relentlessly, it didn't soften. 

I have never seen Singaporeans this resolute and I crumbled thinking why it always seems a little too late. 

Why do I feel a sense of redemption.

 

Although I played horribly on the violin, I played it nevertheless. 

Thank you, Mr. Lee. 

May you rest in peace.

Last Saturday, 28th March 2015

 Class as per normal on Saturday. We warmed up at the stairwell again. 

I reminded her that she has to give up her Chu-chuk when she turns 6 next week. 

I reminded her that when she was 4, she made a BD wish that she could have her Chuk till 5. 

Not knowing the depth of her attachment, I foolishly told her she could have it till 6. 

And so, 6 is round the bend. 

She is very sad indeed. She tears quietly each time she thinks about it.

I asked if she wants to bury her two Chuks in the garden (down stairs) or throw them into the waste bin. 

She chose the waste bin. 

So,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

I think I should do the throwing lah. Too cruel to make her do it although it would drive home the point that the Chuk era has ended. 

Her teacher gave an impromptu, quick lesson on Majulah Singapura and I was very touched by both her gesture and the music. I think those few days, tears were always threatening at the brims.
She needn't do that but she did it anyway. She was in no hurry with the curriculum and took time to give us a piece of music that was very poignant at that point in time. She said- So now, you can go home and practise and play your national anthem tomorrow. (referring to LKY's state funeral procession). 
 

 In the next heartbeat, her teacher went back to class curriculum.
The kids had an unusual exercise, they paired up, one kid playing the strings, the other bowing. Totally gotta trust your buddy.

After class, my sis came to pick us up and we went to Tanjong Pagar CC to join the community tribute, after all, our parents were settlers from Boat Quay and the Bukit Ho Swee area had our roots.

 Kiki wrote that she appreciates the Playground in the air port. (She forgot "thank you" because she thought Yew sounded like You, in her hurry, she missed "thank you"). Anyway.

Finally, I know what I want to thank Mr. Lee for. 

None other than the banning of chewing gum! 

I know we bear the brunt of being called a "Nanny state" because of bans like these. 

It's like we don't even have the liberty to chew gum. To the West, that's like LKY was an atrociously suppressive person. Perhaps he was. I am not in the position to defend that, however, about the Gum, I say it is a good thing he banned it. Because people basically are uncivilized when it comes to that. They stick used gum everywhere. On seats, under seats. Seats on buses, cinemas, restaurants, coffee shops; in schools, on pavements, inside libraries, inside toilets. ANYWHERE and EVERYWHERE. If you had never had your expensive skirts ruined or your long hairs stuck with gum, you may not understand what a nuisance it was. So until such time when we could prove civility, I say we'd better chew privately if you really miss it. 

After dinner, we bumped into my sis' colleague who lived at the Pinnacle at Duxton.
He lent us the gate pass and we went to the sky garden on the 50th floor to catch the wind and view.

Last Friday

My Parent company chartered five buses and gave staff a day off to pay our last respects to the late Mr. Lee.There were about 250 of us.

Call me cynical; I wanted to witness for myself if the Singaporean crowd there was indeed cordial, orderly, helping out each other, no littering, as read online.

As our buses couldn't stop all at the same location, the staff were dispersed in several small groups. 

We just try our best to stick together while hurled into the tents after being in a walking queue. 

While at the tents, we were told that the wait inside the tent could take 4 hours, after which there would be a 3 kilometers walk. It was hot and humid but everyone stayed on. Among the people there from my company, there were the foreign intern, Malaysian Finance girls, China production workers, as well as Bangladesh, Thais. One colleague had huge boils on her arms due to heat rash. Still no one left although few of us might have wanted to leave because we were preamp that the queue would take 8 to 10 hours. Judging from the crowd, 8 hours looked real. 

After 2.5 hours, suddenly the army guys said we could move. And moved we did. We walked for another 2.5 hours until we reached Parliament House where the Lying in state was held. Along the way, there were volunteers handing out umbrellas, biscuits, buns, packets of facial tissue paper. Among the hundred of people who stood before and behind me, there was only ONE WHINER, she complained about being pushed about. She went on and on and on. I had to move away from her before I flare up. It didn't help that she is obese and had a domestic helper fussing over her. Anyway, that was only one person like that. So for the first time, I saw that Singaporeans are capable of being gracious on a massive scale and I wondered how long this spell would last.

Everyone was penning down- "Thank you for Everything". I thought "Everything" is too vague.  So I didn't pen my thoughts nor condolences. I mean, yes of course, thank you for financial success, commercial success, education standards, safety of country, greening of an otherwise charred brown Singapore, clean rivers, independent potable waters, for marina bays, for our roads, for our international reputation, for many things that became everything. We thank him for post WWII work because our forefathers chose to stay in Singapore while some chose to remain with our original country- Malaysia, and therefore moved back across the border. So those who stayed on, fought on, and we became Singapore. 

All the positive stories we have not heard before, came into light. 

And there was an outpour of tributes and heartfelt condolences. 

You probably won't be able to hold your tears if you read them or watched videos. That is only natural.

"Flowers"

 Today, the PA asked for assistance and our CEO asked her Admin team to make 100 pieces of paper flower brooch. So now, we must hurry because they need these tonight.
Bye!
(I'm doing trimming, taping of stem & tying of ribbon)

 Brooches for female MPs

Yesterday, we made plastic roses from recycled plastic bags. (the - "WE LOVE YOU" wordings)

Cement Mixer

On Sunday, Colin came up to me and said - Mama, can I ask you (for) something?
Me- Sure, baby, what is it that you want?
Colin- Can you buy for me a Cement Truck?
Me- You mean a toy Cement Mixer Truck? (crazy me, of course a Toy lah)
Colin- Yes, and also an Excavator but not with wheels, I want the Excavator with tracks. 
Me- You mean like a belt track wheels?
Colin- Yes. Can you buy books on Construction and Excavators?
Me- Can I borrow the books from the library for you?
Colin- Yes. Thanks, Mommy. 

 Tourists Boat 

 Commercial Vessel 

 Tug Boat

My "Positive Mental Attitude" weaned off after a decade.
So, I begin to read and apply these again. 

Sometimes, I worry too much. Now, I try to snap out of it. 

Sometimes, I can't decide if I want KiCo to enter into Tao Nan. 

I mean, of course I want and I wish. The school is just across the road from us. 

First, there is the balloting. Then, there is the standards.

I have no idea what to expect and I also wouldn't want to hear about the stress from studying. 

I hope we could have a pleasurable Primary School Education process and still do amazingly well academically.

Is that possible? How do I steer that way.

I need to reboot and re-look into balancing my life.

I want to be a Mother who emits quiet strength, patience, generosity, and above all; faith.

Just that day, Kiki said the F word. She said something something fucking smell.

I was so angry, I asked her to clarify what she had just said.  She said "Farting smell" 

I think she might have said Farting but it sounded like Fucking because I am guilty of scolding "Fucking Idiot" when I am angry. Which happened more often the past few months. I should never have done that. It is careless, loose with coarse language and a terrible example. I have to be more aware of my behaviour. 

It is so tough to be patient. 

I carried out an exercise on myself. 

I said to myself, every time I feel my patience thinning, just say it in my head -- "Loving Kindness", regardless situation or subject person. I did that for a few days but abruptly, one freaking event threw me off my well intended tracks. 

Then I thought to myself, what an idiot I am to think that I could hold on to that mantra. 

But still, I hope to try again.

Farewell, Mr. Lee

 I was abstaining from online social media and tried not to read news in great lengths.

But I couldn't stop my tears when I read about the late Run Run Shaw's wife (Mona Fong), 

who visited Mr. Lee's wake. She, kind of got emotional and grieved publicly. 

I feel very sad for Mr. Lee's acquaintances and personal friends he had left behind. 

But well, they had his privileged friendship to remember him by,
and we have his unwavering spirit to remember him by.

 Of Whiskey and Cigarettes. 

Telok Kurau Primary School register book, student #487- Lee, Harry. 20-1-30.

Paella Rice (Spanish)

 The boss catered this for the staff, it was delicious.