Bags

my parent-office colleagues are all crazy buying anello bags. 

well, i have no idea what are those except that i do see many youngsters using those bags.  (but we are youngsters no more isn't it?) turned out one of my colleagues went Japan for a holiday and bought some bags home. then, another colleague was seen carrying one, and that started a fad in the office and they began going online to purchase. the first time they received fake goods, so they became wary and advised everyone to seek carefully. eventually they bought separately from three other online sellers and asked if i want to hitch on their order, which i did.

one for holidaying. one for weekend classes use. one for Colin. 

In any way, i've told my colleagues, if they are really that concerned about the originality of the goods, they should just shop from the official website instead of anywhere else. but of course they should be prepared to pay the prices they command.

other than the regular canvas haversacks backpack, there are many more designs and other items too.

carrot-online.jp

I was at Tokyu Hands to replenish my loose power make-up. I don't use compact powder, I only use tinted loose powder and I found the ones there cheap and good. Trust me, I have tried all sorts of brands from premium ones to mass brands ones and I have been using tinted loose powder for the past..... 30 years. Anyway, I was at Tokyu Hands and we saw Anello bags there. I inspected the bags there, and I really couldn't tell if the ones we had bought online were any different, from materials to zippers, to buttons, to sewing, they are all alike. However, due to the price difference, I honestly feel that the cheaper ones found online are not from the original manufacturer, regardless what the seller claims. So really, I will not encourage anyone to knowingly buy any fake goods. Please buy original or don't buy at all.

At Tokyu Hands

Friday - September 30th

 Lunch at Sam Yat Coffee place (by Tiong Bahru Pau) near Outram MRT. (not very near... probably 10 mins on foot)

 Nicer than whatever Toast Box kind of dishes.
Sam Yat's laksa is not bad $4.20

 Chicken curry with plain toast & prawn crackers.

 Very thick coconut milk over a heap of finely shaved ice Chendol.
Free flow of Gula Malaka brown sugar syrup, you can help yourself to the entire bottle.

My colleague had the red rubies and shredded jack fruit.

Erasers, erasers.

why does children always destroy erasers?
buy new ones also wouldn't last for three days.

I don't think teachers make students write lines anymore.
But if they did, you can tape a bunch of pens / pencils together and write your lines.

Is "Sharity" a real word?

okay, first, let's take a look at Kiki's monsters doodle.
funny right?

an angel bridging love, the boyfriend was trying his darndest to stretch and reach his girlfriend.

 okay, the school gave us an envelop for "Sharity". (monetary donation).

Is Sharity a made-up word? because to share is more inclusive than to give, as in "Charity" is more of a top-down, trickled down form of giving, while "Sharity" probably is more self-initiated and palatable.

Here are the stickers that came with the campaign:-

Asking my parents about their day (and listen!) 

 Helping my siblings with their homework (and not fighting!)

 Holding the lift a family member (and your neighbours!)

 Making a Thank You card for a family member (& others!)

 Encouraging my parents to donate to a good cause (but her mommy told her she has 'donors fatigue')

 Singing a Sharity song to my siblings (name me a Sharity song!)

 Introducing Sharity to a family member. (okay, thanks!)

Helping my parents to wash the dishes (why can't they put a boy's picture there too?)

Mini-s

Mini Chupa Chups, have you tried them?
One way to combat parents' resistance to given kids sweets is to reduce the quantity and volume of sweet, so some parents might not mind to give their kids a smaller sweet.

 At Chicken up after class.

my cousin gave these to her daughter who is taking the PSLE today. 

she says one bottle a week?

 

customized labels on Brand's chicken of essence!
wow, customized this, customized that, from Nutella, to Coke, to m&n, to Brand's.
next thing you'd know, customized Chupa Chups sweet wrappers.

Ikebana

KiCo returned from the playground all excited. They are especially cordial when they have a joint project. In this case, they had wanted to give me a surprise.

Colin lamented- Oh no, Mommy's home!
I asked- Why don't you want me home?
He replied- We want to surprise you but you're here! 
I said- Okay, I won't look then. 

The two of them busied themselves, hushing each other, excitement in the air.
After ten minutes, they came up to me and exclaimed- Taadah! 

Oh wow, oh wow. It was a beautiful thing she was holding in her palm.
They made a tiny flower pot (with Playdoh) and filled it up with random wild flowers they've found at the playground's garden.

Colin explained- this is Dandelion, this one is also Dandelion. 

wow, who says he can't speak well?  I thought to myself.

This little pot of flowers looked like an Ikebana arrangement. 

I know the flowers will wither overnight, so I took in the moment, looked at its randomness and soaked in the innocence of my children's love.

After that, I placed the tiny Ikebana at Bren's work desk, sharing the moment with him.

Saturday September 24th 2016

Disney Tsum Tsum EZ Link Card $12 (I think there's a stored value of $10)

 Root beer float.

 Design your own burger.

I will never order this dish at Fat Boy's again.
I woke up at 2.10am, throat dry and body demanding water.
I do have a problem with food that had been laden with whatever salt, MSG or preservatives,
my body automatically wakes me up to drink water whatever the hour is.
It could just be me with this problem but I would be wary of such dishes.

(I don't think the burger has this problem. next time, I would eat just the burger and let you know if thirst develops or not). 

Her first time at Fat Boy's- the burger bar.
My second time there in eight years.

While my guitar gently weeps- Theme song in Kubo and the two strings

Kubo, the movie, is not an easy movie to watch.

But of course not every person who watches it is a sensitive soul. 

So before I let you know how I feel about that movie, first let me tell you about the theme song. 

While I was still recovering from the sad movie, the credits started rolling and the theme song unfolded and my mind went like this -- hey, don't I know that tune? hey, don't I know that song? I thought to myself. Oh, is this another rehash? Oh, yes, it is another rehash. hey, isn't this "While My Guitar Gently Weeps"? was it by The Beatles? I know that song from the time I was a kid. 

Turns out this is indeed a rehash from George Harrison's original. 

Yes, George was member of The Beatles. 

You can catch the rehashed from here -- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qJcCcU62-7c

Okay, about the movie Kubo. It's full title is, Kubo and the two strings. 

Firstly, as with most folktales, it is magical, good versus evil kind of magic. 

As with most folktales, it is about the spirit of love, humanity love, parental love, a child's love. 

So while Kubo had one eye missing (taken away by his evil Grandfather), he has to attend to his mother who was largely,,,,, starring into space. She was mentally unwell, having fought her evil and powerful father & sisters. Kubo was without a father. His father died defending Kubo and his mom.  So for most parts of Kubo's life, he grew up an orphan even though he wasn't born one. He lived in a small village with elders and families with young children. He had no parents to guide him but he watched and learned his ways around. Kubo's 'role reversal' in being a parent to his dysfunctional mother, touched so many of my raw nerves. 

To "make matters worse", there is the mother. 

Although seemingly absent, it was not absent by choice. She was more or less under a spell. 

In her feeble, final attempt to protect Kubo, she transferred the last of her spirit into the monkey charm and the monkey came alive, to protect and accompany Kubo in his quest to find the ultimate armour. However, she did not reveal to Kubo that she (now the monkey) is actually his mom. 

Mother and son spent days and nights facing danger, fighting and protecting each other. 

She was later asked why she didn't reveal her identity to her son. She explained that she didn't want her son to lose her twice (knowing her impeding death as the monkey after her powers are gone). 

This is so heartbreaking. As a parent.  

Lastly, it was about rising above it all. 

The villages did not have hate in their hearts. They have fear but not hate. Neither did Kubo. 

Despite having lost two parents (all over again!), he did not develop hatred.

They even had the space in their hearts to forgive and took the onus to set things right even though they have no super-natural powers. Their only power is love.

I want

Love: Rachael!!! Kiss XOXOOXX

 I didn't see this earlier. She made a Birthday card for Colin last month.

It's a beautiful day

After dropping Kiki off school.

Entering ECP

 Halfway to work