I previously put the contact details of the contractor who did the renovation for us. I thought about it and decided to remove as it might have been a breach of his privacy even though the intention was to give him some publicity. My apologies if he had any inconvenience as a result. No harm was intended on my part.
I feel so much like the lady from NTUC.......
Friday, October 26, 2012
Wednesday, October 24, 2012
Renovation excitement
Last week was very exciting by our standards. We had contractors replace our kitchen cabinet and tear down the cabinets in our study. The work started on Monday and stopped temporarily on Wednesday. The contractors returned on Monday to finish the work. We were very satisfied with the work although it meant no cooking for a week and living with a lot of dust.
I took 3 days off work to provide support at home. It was 3 days of sending the children to school, going shopping for furniture and furnishings, buying food and keeping the children out of the way of the contractors.
This is what the kitchen cabinet looked like before.....notice the broken door below the sink, the small piece of tissue used to hold the door (next to the drawers) and the yellowing top. The cabinet is 10 years old.
The part with the sink was remodeled 4 years ago. The original sink was place on top of a wooden frame. Unfortunately the sink was not placed correctly, resulting in water seepage, wood rot and termites. That was a horrific incident. We had a contractor come in to replace the wooden frame with a cement one. We decided to preserve the cement base this time round to save some cost. The contractor was accommodating and did their best to save the base. They did a good job!
This is what the kitchen looked like after Day 1. Everything was cleared within 4 hours!!!
Similarly, the study room was transformed.......from this room with a lot of junk..................
................to one empty of junk.
Where did the stuff go? Check out the following pictures!!!
Mess..............................................................more mess....
............................................................. and even more mess.
BUT....the painful process was worth it! The bomb shelter a.k.a. the store room had a make over!
The kitchen is much easier on the eyes and a lot more functional than before. We now have a lot more storage space due to the design provided by the contractor. See the top row of the hanging cabinets. They used to flush with the bottom row and could not accommodate anything due to a strategically misplaced ceiling beam.
And the study is also more functional, thanks to Ikea. The books have a proper home, Vincent and Xavier have proper desks and we finally have a nice computer table!!!!!
All in all, a worthwhile week of suffering!! If anyone needs a responsible and reasonably priced contractor, please let me know.
Sunday, October 7, 2012
Gym ethics or the lack of it
I have been going to the gym since April this year. The thrice weekly workouts are more regular now that my fitness and discipline has improved. I would try to run about 2km before my personal training session.
At the beginning it was more difficult to go three times a week due to work. When I was less fit, I would jump at any excuse to miss a session. As my fitness improved, I find that I have developed an addiction to the exercise. I almost feel uncomfortable if I have to skip a session.
The good thing about regular exercise is the result. I have dropped one dress size, lost a couple of kg and improved my cardiovascular strength. I actually enjoy the exercises now that I am able to do them better. And I secretly enjoy trying to meet the challenge of my trainer although I complain. Yes, I feel good that I can do 15 instead of 12 push ups. I am guilty of vanity.
The good thing about personal training is that you benefit a lot more than going to a class if your trainer is good. A trainer who understands your condition and knows how to push you can help you improve by leaps and bounds. Of course the competitive side of me also thrives on outdoing the lady next to me. I know, I am horrible in that sense. When I see someone struggling, I feel good. When I see someone doing better than myself, I push myself to put in that bit more effort to perfect the push up or row. I am still guilty of vanity.
My trainer would challenge me continuously and begin almost each new exercise by "I know you can do this". When he says that, I know I can do the exercise but it would take some effort. If he says "This is a bit complicated" or "This is harder", I know that I may not be able to do it for the full minute or number of counts he tells me the first time.
I have seen and heard of some trainers who would have their trainees do cardio exercises on the treadmill or other machines within the one hour of training. That's absolutely poor ethics because the trainee pays by the hour and such exercises do not require a trainer present. It's almost like a driving instructor asking your read your highway code book for 15 minutes before letting you go into the car for the rest of the hour of driving lesson. I'm lucky that my trainer not only doesn't do that, he makes sure I complete all the exercises he has lined up for me even if I take slightly more than an hour.
There are some things that one should not do when training in the gym but I have come across people who do:
1) Talk excessively when training. One lady I came across was chit chatting with her trainer throughout the entire hour of training. It was not only distracting but also very rude. She said, "I thought that I would be the only one here, but it's so crowded!" And there I was, 2 metres away. She started to grumble, "I pay you $80 an hour, don't idle!" to her trainer and then later, "You are like Saddam Hussein. That guy (referring to other trainers) is like Osama." Talk about irony.....
2) Not putting on deodorant before you work out, especially when you have body odour. There is the smell of sweat, and there is the smell of SWEAT.
3) Putting on too much perfume. Yes, perfume is not the same as deodorant. One day I almost chocked on the cloyingly sweet perfume of a lady training next to me. I was suffocating and had to pretend that I couldn't take it more than twice. When she left, I felt like I had walked to a meadow full of fresh dew.
4) Wiping the soles of your feet after a shower with the towels provided by the gym. Need I say more?
5) Putting your face towel on one machine while you are working out on another. Total inconsideration.
6) Not pulling the curtain to the changing stall aside after you are done. I have had to bend over to check for feet almost every time to avoid barging in on someone who is half naked. Yes, I am still respectfully shy.
7) Farting in the exercise area, especially after you have had onions for lunch.
8) Grunting extremely loudly. I cannot take it when someone grunts very loudly when they are trying very hard to push themselves with the weights. I've been guilty of squealing though, when it gets too hard, but only for a couple of times. After that I decided to politely just grimace with pain in the direction of my trainer.
I shall try to continue with my efforts to work out. It's not only for looking good but also for the health. Yes, still guilty of vanity.
At the beginning it was more difficult to go three times a week due to work. When I was less fit, I would jump at any excuse to miss a session. As my fitness improved, I find that I have developed an addiction to the exercise. I almost feel uncomfortable if I have to skip a session.
The good thing about regular exercise is the result. I have dropped one dress size, lost a couple of kg and improved my cardiovascular strength. I actually enjoy the exercises now that I am able to do them better. And I secretly enjoy trying to meet the challenge of my trainer although I complain. Yes, I feel good that I can do 15 instead of 12 push ups. I am guilty of vanity.
The good thing about personal training is that you benefit a lot more than going to a class if your trainer is good. A trainer who understands your condition and knows how to push you can help you improve by leaps and bounds. Of course the competitive side of me also thrives on outdoing the lady next to me. I know, I am horrible in that sense. When I see someone struggling, I feel good. When I see someone doing better than myself, I push myself to put in that bit more effort to perfect the push up or row. I am still guilty of vanity.
My trainer would challenge me continuously and begin almost each new exercise by "I know you can do this". When he says that, I know I can do the exercise but it would take some effort. If he says "This is a bit complicated" or "This is harder", I know that I may not be able to do it for the full minute or number of counts he tells me the first time.
I have seen and heard of some trainers who would have their trainees do cardio exercises on the treadmill or other machines within the one hour of training. That's absolutely poor ethics because the trainee pays by the hour and such exercises do not require a trainer present. It's almost like a driving instructor asking your read your highway code book for 15 minutes before letting you go into the car for the rest of the hour of driving lesson. I'm lucky that my trainer not only doesn't do that, he makes sure I complete all the exercises he has lined up for me even if I take slightly more than an hour.
There are some things that one should not do when training in the gym but I have come across people who do:
1) Talk excessively when training. One lady I came across was chit chatting with her trainer throughout the entire hour of training. It was not only distracting but also very rude. She said, "I thought that I would be the only one here, but it's so crowded!" And there I was, 2 metres away. She started to grumble, "I pay you $80 an hour, don't idle!" to her trainer and then later, "You are like Saddam Hussein. That guy (referring to other trainers) is like Osama." Talk about irony.....
2) Not putting on deodorant before you work out, especially when you have body odour. There is the smell of sweat, and there is the smell of SWEAT.
3) Putting on too much perfume. Yes, perfume is not the same as deodorant. One day I almost chocked on the cloyingly sweet perfume of a lady training next to me. I was suffocating and had to pretend that I couldn't take it more than twice. When she left, I felt like I had walked to a meadow full of fresh dew.
4) Wiping the soles of your feet after a shower with the towels provided by the gym. Need I say more?
5) Putting your face towel on one machine while you are working out on another. Total inconsideration.
6) Not pulling the curtain to the changing stall aside after you are done. I have had to bend over to check for feet almost every time to avoid barging in on someone who is half naked. Yes, I am still respectfully shy.
7) Farting in the exercise area, especially after you have had onions for lunch.
8) Grunting extremely loudly. I cannot take it when someone grunts very loudly when they are trying very hard to push themselves with the weights. I've been guilty of squealing though, when it gets too hard, but only for a couple of times. After that I decided to politely just grimace with pain in the direction of my trainer.
I shall try to continue with my efforts to work out. It's not only for looking good but also for the health. Yes, still guilty of vanity.
Thursday, August 16, 2012
Gifted or not gifted.....is that really the question?
The Gifted Education Programme (GEP) in Singapore is designed to nurture gifted students in an environment that is different from that of a normal school. However, over the years the programme has managed to create a lot controversy. What has seemed to happen is the clamour of parents to get their children into the GEP, regardless of their child's ability. Many try to find tutors for their children, in the hope of being able to boost their child's chances of getting into the GEP. And I thought that a gifted child was a gift of nature not nurture.
There has been a lot of talk about tuition being offered nowadays. This is mostly a result of the exposé on a certain man who made several false claims related to GEP on his credentials. Initially I didn't understand why these parents trusted the man and sent their children to his home for tuition at S$500 per session. After thinking about it, I can understand their desire for their children to get into the GEP. On the surface it is normal for parents to want the best for their children so they do whatever they can to give what they think is best for the children. The key question here would be "What is best for the child?". There would be parents who would argue that children do not know what is best for them, so parents should make the decisions for the children. I will tell these parents in the face that they underestimate the power of children.
Let me relate the story of how Xavier ended up going for Chinese tuition from July 2012. Xavier has always been doing well in school both academically and socially. He gets very decent grades for all his subjects. Decent being more than 90%. Some parents might say that I am expecting too much. I always expect him to do his best and I do not expect him to be the best. Just be the best that he can be. Who would know a child better than his parents, other than the child himself? One day Xavier came out of school looking very miserable. His daddy asked him why he looked so sad and he said he received his Chinese test results that day. When asked what he scored, he said he had 14 over 20. That set off the alarms because he never did this "poorly" before.
We went through his test paper during lunch and found that he made several careless mistakes and he didn't put in effort to go through his textbook before the test. I told him that if he continues to show such grades he may not be in the same class as his friends next year because his friends get very good grades consistently. He said he wanted to be in the same class as his friends. So I offered him tuition if he doesn't improve his grade for Chinese in term 3. He refused. I thought that he didn't want to go for tuition and was very prepared to drop the subject. To my surprise, he said he wanted to go for tuition immediately. We agreed to let him attend Chinese tuition starting from the next available class at a tuition center near our home.
This is proof that children can evaluate a situation if it is clearly explained to them. They know themselves and they can tell you clearly what they want. Take music classes at Yamaha for example. Xavier loves music classes but he is too lazy to practise at home. I told him that his music classes will get more difficult as he progresses and he would need to make a conscientious effort to practise daily if he wants to progress. I offered him a chance to give up music. But he refused and has been making an effort to practise at least 3 times a week.
Keane, on the other hand, wanted very much to go for music class. After 2 terms, he started to show the same lacklustre effort in practising. So I offered him the same chance to give up music and he took it. At the end, we realized that he wanted to go for music class because it was an opportunity to go out on a weeknight and have fast food! After we started to bring him along when Xavier started a different schedule at Yamaha, he gets fast food without having to attend the class. So he decided to give up his music. We didn't force him either. Ryan has no desire to go for music class whatsoever.
There is an increasing number of children who attend tuition classes, starting at a much younger age. You may ask how I know. I didn't check statistics but I can tell by the number of tuition centers that are mushrooming all over the island. One good example is Sembawang Shopping Center. There are now about 4 tuition centers on level 3 of the mall. I cannot imagine how the centers can survive if not for the demand. Nearby, opposite Sun Plaza, at the building where the HDB town council is located, there are 3 centers on level 2. That's where Xavier goes for Chinese tuition. It seems that tuition is compulsory for many children nowadays.
I truly understand that many parents are both working so they do not have time to teach their children personally. It is acceptable that these parents send their children for tuition in subjects they are weak in. What I cannot really accept is how some parents pack tuition and enrichment classes for their children on weekdays and weekends. There are some exceptions where the children enjoy and in fact crave for these classes. However, that is the exception rather than the norm.
I think we should let the children take the lead in their lives. My parents never sent me for tuition except when I was supposed to keep my brother company when he had a private tutor come to our home. This was when we were in primary school. It was more economical to have the tutor teach both of us so my mom thought "Why not?". It was quite enjoyable for me because there was no stress. I didn't have any tuition from Primary 4 or 5, I cannot remember exactly. My parents didn't tell me which school I should to apply for after my 'O' and 'A' levels. In fact, they didn't even have much of an opinion and let me make the choice myself. I think I turned out fine academically. I don't have an honours degree but I managed to graduate from NTU!
To all parents, encourage your children to be the best they can be. Give them the support that they need. But let them take the lead and que sera sera.
There has been a lot of talk about tuition being offered nowadays. This is mostly a result of the exposé on a certain man who made several false claims related to GEP on his credentials. Initially I didn't understand why these parents trusted the man and sent their children to his home for tuition at S$500 per session. After thinking about it, I can understand their desire for their children to get into the GEP. On the surface it is normal for parents to want the best for their children so they do whatever they can to give what they think is best for the children. The key question here would be "What is best for the child?". There would be parents who would argue that children do not know what is best for them, so parents should make the decisions for the children. I will tell these parents in the face that they underestimate the power of children.
Let me relate the story of how Xavier ended up going for Chinese tuition from July 2012. Xavier has always been doing well in school both academically and socially. He gets very decent grades for all his subjects. Decent being more than 90%. Some parents might say that I am expecting too much. I always expect him to do his best and I do not expect him to be the best. Just be the best that he can be. Who would know a child better than his parents, other than the child himself? One day Xavier came out of school looking very miserable. His daddy asked him why he looked so sad and he said he received his Chinese test results that day. When asked what he scored, he said he had 14 over 20. That set off the alarms because he never did this "poorly" before.
We went through his test paper during lunch and found that he made several careless mistakes and he didn't put in effort to go through his textbook before the test. I told him that if he continues to show such grades he may not be in the same class as his friends next year because his friends get very good grades consistently. He said he wanted to be in the same class as his friends. So I offered him tuition if he doesn't improve his grade for Chinese in term 3. He refused. I thought that he didn't want to go for tuition and was very prepared to drop the subject. To my surprise, he said he wanted to go for tuition immediately. We agreed to let him attend Chinese tuition starting from the next available class at a tuition center near our home.
This is proof that children can evaluate a situation if it is clearly explained to them. They know themselves and they can tell you clearly what they want. Take music classes at Yamaha for example. Xavier loves music classes but he is too lazy to practise at home. I told him that his music classes will get more difficult as he progresses and he would need to make a conscientious effort to practise daily if he wants to progress. I offered him a chance to give up music. But he refused and has been making an effort to practise at least 3 times a week.
Keane, on the other hand, wanted very much to go for music class. After 2 terms, he started to show the same lacklustre effort in practising. So I offered him the same chance to give up music and he took it. At the end, we realized that he wanted to go for music class because it was an opportunity to go out on a weeknight and have fast food! After we started to bring him along when Xavier started a different schedule at Yamaha, he gets fast food without having to attend the class. So he decided to give up his music. We didn't force him either. Ryan has no desire to go for music class whatsoever.
There is an increasing number of children who attend tuition classes, starting at a much younger age. You may ask how I know. I didn't check statistics but I can tell by the number of tuition centers that are mushrooming all over the island. One good example is Sembawang Shopping Center. There are now about 4 tuition centers on level 3 of the mall. I cannot imagine how the centers can survive if not for the demand. Nearby, opposite Sun Plaza, at the building where the HDB town council is located, there are 3 centers on level 2. That's where Xavier goes for Chinese tuition. It seems that tuition is compulsory for many children nowadays.
I truly understand that many parents are both working so they do not have time to teach their children personally. It is acceptable that these parents send their children for tuition in subjects they are weak in. What I cannot really accept is how some parents pack tuition and enrichment classes for their children on weekdays and weekends. There are some exceptions where the children enjoy and in fact crave for these classes. However, that is the exception rather than the norm.
I think we should let the children take the lead in their lives. My parents never sent me for tuition except when I was supposed to keep my brother company when he had a private tutor come to our home. This was when we were in primary school. It was more economical to have the tutor teach both of us so my mom thought "Why not?". It was quite enjoyable for me because there was no stress. I didn't have any tuition from Primary 4 or 5, I cannot remember exactly. My parents didn't tell me which school I should to apply for after my 'O' and 'A' levels. In fact, they didn't even have much of an opinion and let me make the choice myself. I think I turned out fine academically. I don't have an honours degree but I managed to graduate from NTU!
To all parents, encourage your children to be the best they can be. Give them the support that they need. But let them take the lead and que sera sera.
Tuesday, August 14, 2012
Nice food places in Manila
I was waiting for my flight to Shanghai on 30 July and decided to try to post an entry on my trip to Manila the week before. But things got side tracked for a couple of weeks. I finally got myself round to the front of the pc to make a post.
I wanted to share about this restaurant that serves good Italian food in Alabang. It's Mona Lisa Ristorante. You can find them on Facebook. Their address is:
The Commerce Center
2nd Floor Commerce Ave
Alabang
Muntinlupa
Tel: +6325560708
The food is very delicious, servings are hearty and the atmosphere is unpretentious. Translation: yummy, huge portions and relaxed.
Here are a few pictures although one of the pictures make the food look very unpalatable.
 |
| Tiramisu |
The Tiramisu is not really to die for but it is yummy enough.
 |
| Poached pears |
I ordered the poached pears just because I never had poached pears before and they turned out fine. Only fine. I guess I still love my chocolate.
 |
| Cheesecake |
The cheesecake was not too bad.....
 |
| Minestrone soup |
The minestrone soup is more delicious than it looks. It looks all pale and tasteless but it actually has quite a punch.
My favourite is a salad with pomelo and shrimp. Each time I visit, I order the same salad and it never disappoints even though it looks slightly different.
 |
| Salad on visit 1 |
 |
| Salad on visit 2 |
Another place that is worth a trip is Alba Restaurante Español which serves Spanish food. Check out the website and some of the photos here.
The food is authentic, to me anyway. The atmosphere is much more romantic and there is a trio who goes around the restaurant belting out songs with pizzaz. Just be sure to give them a nice tip and you get a second song!! It is nice to have dinner in a candle lit restaurant with some gentlemen crooning love songs. Although it doesn't help if you are there to gossip with a colleague!
The paella is a must try but you need to pre-order because it is a 30 minute wait. I cannot remember which one I tried but it was good.
The food is authentic, to me anyway. The atmosphere is much more romantic and there is a trio who goes around the restaurant belting out songs with pizzaz. Just be sure to give them a nice tip and you get a second song!! It is nice to have dinner in a candle lit restaurant with some gentlemen crooning love songs. Although it doesn't help if you are there to gossip with a colleague!
 |
| Serenaders at Alba |
 |
| Paella |
They have a wide selection of tapas but my favourite is the mahi mahi, fish. It is fish soaked in vinegar and wrapped around some stuffing.
But ooh...the desserts!!! It's the chocolate.
There's also a good Italian chain Italianni's Restaurant which is also good. The Sicilian Chicken Salad they serve is fantastic. I think it's even nicer than the pomelo and shrimp salad at Mona Lisa's but the downside is that the fruits used seem to be from a can.
That's what I have for nice food places in Alabang, Muntinlupa, Philippines. These are highly recommended and anyone whom I brought there have nothing but praises for these places. Either the places are genuinely good or the people are just too polite. Judging from the lack of leftovers, despite the gigantic portions, I am guessing it's the former.
Bon appétit!
There's also a good Italian chain Italianni's Restaurant which is also good. The Sicilian Chicken Salad they serve is fantastic. I think it's even nicer than the pomelo and shrimp salad at Mona Lisa's but the downside is that the fruits used seem to be from a can.
That's what I have for nice food places in Alabang, Muntinlupa, Philippines. These are highly recommended and anyone whom I brought there have nothing but praises for these places. Either the places are genuinely good or the people are just too polite. Judging from the lack of leftovers, despite the gigantic portions, I am guessing it's the former.
Bon appétit!
Sunday, July 22, 2012
Taekwondo grading
Xavier has been learning Taekwondo for almost a year. He had to go for grading, which hopefully sees him attain a green belt. He attends weekly classes with this club called the Raiders.
The letter from his club states we must be at the sports hall by 8am. We arrived at about 7.45am, which is a good thing because the car park was full by 8am. I learnt this from previous experience. I used to have to park at the Toa Payoh Hub because the car park at the sports hall was full.
I take my hat off to the numerous black belt instructors who take time off their relaxing weekends to accompanying a group of mostly kids for their grading. I don't think these instructors get paid. Maybe a small allowance or just drinks. They do it out of their passion for the sport. I have not found a passion for any sport after I left school. The only sport I do is to go to the gym and that is for personal vanity.
The Raiders club conducts classes at several locations, including Sembawang and Sengkang. It is quite a big group compared to the other clubs at the same grading. You can see the size of the group in this picture. It took up virtually half the length of the hall while other clubs take up only one quarter or one fourth.
The thing about grading is that the "junior" belts go first. So it is white belts, yellow tips, yellow belts, green tips, green belts, blue tips, blue belts, etc. I think blue is followed by brown then black. So I have to wait for longer periods as we go for more gradings. I upgraded myself in the process, moving from a book to a laptop for the wait.
The grading went smoothly for Xavier but there was a girl in his group who had to do her routine twice after the group completed the routine. I think she didn't kick correctly. But I had to give it to her for not giving up! Hope she passes!!
After the grading, it was off to Ang Mo Kio Hub for a nice sushi lunch at Ichiban Sushi. Then we went home for a rest before heading off to Sembawang Shopping Center, our weekend haunt. Jolly good weekend I must say. At least I did more than bum around.
Thursday, July 19, 2012
Mega Angry Bird
The boys like to build things with Lego blocks. Rockets, aeroplanes, Beyblade tops and angry birds being the popular ones.
Ryan decided to combine 3 angry birds into 1 Mega angry bird. There are 2 birds on the side, 1 red and 1 yellow. The yellow one is Keane's and the red, Xavier's. The colorful one right on top is Ryan's. He said he wanted to be king.
Ryan decided to combine 3 angry birds into 1 Mega angry bird. There are 2 birds on the side, 1 red and 1 yellow. The yellow one is Keane's and the red, Xavier's. The colorful one right on top is Ryan's. He said he wanted to be king.
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