Digital Economy

The library is my new best friend.

I am cheonging one proposal to revive an ailing printed directory business in europe, across america.
gone are the days where having a website and some CD-roms suffice. you've got to give your business a personable touch, interact with your stakeholders like you really care, and be at the touch of your customers' finger tips. the bottom line besides how much revenue you make is how much profit and at what margin. e-business is no longer B2B, it is now P2P - from path to profiting.

Some organisations loose sight of common objectives
my lecturer said that it's like how the fire in Indonesia is also our problem if unresolved.

Have a nice day!

Friday night I came home late after class and that little girl was still awake.

She drew on the back of a small brochure some hearts and clouds, and told me it was a birthday card for me. Then she said - don't fight over it, i will draw another one. (ask me don't fight over it with Brendan) So she drew another similar sketch on a piece of standard drawing block. This is so cheerful, the colours.
I think she still can't draw forms (like nice houses or 2D people) and she seems inclined to have patterns in her mind. Anyway, I've always enjoyed her sketches, bright and sunny.

Once, she came into the kitchen and declared - love each other, don't fight. 
Bren and i were stunned. we explained that we were not fighting, we were just talking loudly. we always put our points across to each other and sometimes we sound like we were arguing but we were just giving constructive feedback all at the same time.

She didn't buy that and repeated her wise advice - love each other, don't fight.
(wherever she heard that from, i don't know)

L O V E

I am very tied up with three concurrent assignments (two more in August!) and didn't have the chance to see the kids for over a week. Plus i was away to Malacca last weekend =P
So many nights of writing till my eyes couldn't figure out what i was reading on the screen.
Anyway, it was so sweet to open up a folded piece of paper placed at the edge of my bed. L O V E. by Rachael, that sweet little girl.

While I was working

 Colin's class had a case of HFMD and Kiki was being quarantined together in that class because of sibling status. I understand that's how the school pro-actively prevent any potential spreading of the disease but that will also raise our risk level up if that class is indeed affected.
So i thought we should take a break from school for a couple of days.
Since Bren has an afternoon job, he brought the kids to the beach in the morning. They had a fun time playing sand.

 As Bren narrated, she was saying "I Love the Beach!"   (like that)

Hei

Kiki scored 49 out of 50 for her Chinese. I was very pleasantly surprised.
I find this question very sophisticated.
It says - "colour the "dot" stroke" (known as dian)
I am not too sure what's the other dot on the right....... is it dian or does it have another name?

While I was away

while i was away, Kico attended baby Adele's birthday party (1 yr)

Malacca

 My parent company organised 2-day-1-night trip to Malacca, it was an enjoyable time; laughing, eating and shopping. It's good to get to know co-workers outside work confines, giving us a chance to bond and perhaps, get to know another side to a person besides his / her work roles. 

 our room had the pool view,

 while my friend boasted she has the beach view.

 this is the city view from our room at eleven.

 river taxi. it was very amusing to do the "Kallang wave" while on river cruise.
every time one boat passes another, the passengers roared and cheered. such a fun thing.

 the famous night market at Jonker Street. lots of local finger food of all sorts, ranging from smelly toufu to cuttlefish and durian pancakes.

 Pedal tricycles all dressed up like Chingay parade.

 Surprise birthday celebration for July babies.

i was so amused with this retro-looking baby high chair that i considered bringing it home.
Iresh said that i am so sua ku, she says it's everywhere (in Malaysia).

Hong Jing's BD

 Hong Jing turned seven in June. It's a milestone (click to see 2007) for a kid with a hole in the heart. She is still going to the specialist every six months for follow-ups but overall, she is doing fine.

 My grandpa and the youngest ones

 so funny

Posing for the paparazzi

The night before

 Now you see me,

now you don't.

The Papa packed a lot of provisions for Kiki..... luckily he brought cereals, that little girl refused many meals and her diet during the three days we were there was mainly milk, cereals and crackers.
-_-"


Side note: i had recently caught the movie "Now you see me" (a show about a group of street magicians' sleight of hand and their code of ethics). i enjoyed that show quite a lot, and even googled on the movie's diamond seven trick. i also thoroughly enjoyed the story about how a magician asked an audience to sign on a poker card, made the card disappear and reappear in a glass case and revealed it by sawing the middle of a grown tree (trunk). i won't tell you how he did it, there is a logical answer to it although you may be dismayed it is not magic per se. nonetheless i have to take my hats off on his idea. hope you'll have the chance to watch the movie too.

Phuket: Departure

 5.30 in the morning...

 She queried me about the life boats and about the plane landing on water.

 Too tired...

The Papa is obviously more excited than her, after all, Phuket is his favourite holiday destination.
He has been there since his biking days, diving days, and our parktor days. 
I remember once, we were on a budget and he didn't want me to spend $30 for a 2.5 minute para-sailing adventure. I was so disappointed and went home (back Singapore) in a gloomy mood. After two weeks, he brought me back to Phuket to do the para-sailing thingy! Isn't that spending more money to satisfy a nudging desire? This remains one of my trump cards whenever I want to bargain for something. Ha ha.
I can't wait for my arms to heal and strengthen as I would really want to go on the tracks to do my go-cart thrill. "One year", I said to him. "next year this time i want to do go-cart"

She touched the velvety fabric and told me - "Mama, it's so soft."
(we ordered pick-up via the motel we're using)

Phuket- Day 1, Thursday June 20th

The receptionist who is an effeminate male, was very warm to Kiki, so warm that he proclaimed that Kiki is stylish and asked if Kiki chose her clothing or if I did the shopping. (of course I did the shopping but still, I can't make her wear clothes she refuses! my money lost.)

Wasted no time, milk-on-the-go.

 went to the supermarket there and bought two sets of sandpit toys.

the waves at Patong were fierce. unlike before.
not much people swam but para-sailing and jet skiing are still popular activities.
the sundeck chairs at 100 baht each to use. (about 5 SGD). they never used to charge, or should i say they never used to tout deckchairs.

Phuket - Day 2, Friday June 21st.

 i thought something familiar like tim sum would interest her but no.... she ate just half a siew mai.... and claimed she has a tummy ache.

playtime

 make-your-own-drink day
the coke in glass bottle cost only 10 Baht (43 cents in S$)

beer there are around S$2.50 from the mini mart kiosks, triple the price at bars and restaurants.

we couldn't contain her excitement getting her first real medi & pedicures.
also, she literally laughed her way through 30 mins of leg massage. she said it was too ticklish.
the next time i go Phuket, i'm gonna do Thai massage twice in a day. they are so good.
unfortunately this time, i can't do the hard ones cos my armpits are still on recovery mode.