Mama came across this photo on FB when I was searching for the video for Biaogu's wedding speech. Alas...those days when I was young and zany. These were some of my favourite colleagues at my first workplace. oh well...I only had two workplaces in my entire working life.
Oh the squishy little darling...who was getting very mischievous. She seemed to have found her loud voice. Ahem...she used to talk in this dainty wispy cooing voice that was really so endearing but now she liked to say "RaaaRRRR" at the top of her lungs and could really make a ruckus. Once, we were on the train, coming back from Sentosa, and she was making such a din that Gor Gor kept urging her to be quieter and quit being so embarrassing...hahaha
Well, I told Gor gor to imagine how frustrated I felt when he made such dins too with his thunderous voice (especially when he was so easily excited and/or provoked by didi and they would go into childish LOUD arguments) and he did not pipe down despite reminders...and he was already mature and could choose his actions whereas mei mei was still a baby and could not control her actions...haha
Haha needed a photo of jie for the new passport...eh...kind of dark-skinned eh?
The ebullient Jie who achieved the top/second position in class. She ambitiously stated that she wanted to beat the other girl in sem 3. Jie was growing up beautifully, learning how to question what adults said, forming her own judgements and opinions of matters...she was all together lovely, being a really helpful doting big sister to MM. She could even carry MM in the car ride to Ah gong's house every Fri.
And our darling Jun Jun? Still as impish as ever. Still prone to outbursts but gradually learning to cope with his emotions better...
And tong? Still the smart alec… That day, he asked me if I would help him take care of his children. I stated that he would have to pay me double then. He agreed initially...then quizzically asked me if I was giving Wai po double for taking care of them. That very sly and quick-thinking boy. I said no, but it was because Wai po needed not help others. But if all my kids wanted me to help, then I would help the one who paid me the most. WAHAHA...evil laughter. Well...Tong said he could not pay me double since I did not do it. HA.
At another wedding - a cousin's house at AMK
Ooo matching in pink
On one of those boring Mondays, I saw an offer for the Boston lobster (ah, reminded me of the holiday in Boston with Lan Shu Shu and they bought back $10 fresh yummy lobsters from the supermarket.) so I bought two (it was some 1 for 1 promo so it was $20 for two). Ah.... it was easy to cook them. I merely had to boil them...I also tinkered with the dipping sauce and made one to my liking...alas....it was so tortuous having to dig the meat out...so much work for a little meat... NAY. Should just get GIANT prawns or the gigantic lobster (albeit expensive, $35 for a tail?) in future.
Oh talking about cooking, Jun declared that I was the best cook in the world, better than wai po, better than ah ma, simply better that everybody in the whole wide world. (he liked to use that phrase, that monkey)
A new bubble tea store in Bukit Panjang Plaza!
KIDZANIA
Ah...and coz Uncle Xingshun adored the kids and knew how they loved playing at Kidzania, he secured free passes for us again. Here we were on a Monday school day. New establishment! Growing seeds.
Ah.... always good to come to this establishment as we could get free bottled water.
New establishment - learning to be pharmacists.
Jun's favourite occupation - being the brave firefighter
Were they not the most handsome firefighters?
Ah...sleeping on the job again...if only one could really make a living out of doing this...
Well, they did 5 or 6 jobs including being pilots. Jie scooted off to play on her own (the radio station and tile shop) sometimes....we spent 3.5 hours there, ate pizza for dinner and took the train home. Ah...washed up, Jie did her homework...just in time to go to bed at 830 pm. What an eventful day.
Our little lass was growing up so finely...she turned on a balmy Sunday evening. The big ones were so thrilled that they cheered enthusiastically when she turned.
Went to Kreta Ayer CC to support Wai po as she participated in an art exhibition as part of the bicentennial celebration.
The place was so quaint and peaceful. I really loved the ambience of the place. Wai po told us that she wanted me to learn opera singing but my ah ma castigated her badly as only the poor folks sent their daughters to work with the opera troupes in the past...
Waipo's creation
She displayed 10 and her friends had bought 3.
I must say, Wai po was very talented and artistic. Sadly, I inherited none of those artistic genes.
A Chinese heritage gallery next to their exhibition hall. Had many amazing displays...like this opera singer (Hua Dan) costume, replete in all the details and finery
Their favourite was the puppet stage! We tried out hands on acting out a puppet show...
I wished....there were still such shows around. Unfortunately, it was a lost art. Even opera singing was a dying art..
The dolls were so intricately made and droll
Ha, mayb Xun could go and learn instead to fulfil Waipo's wishes.
Our little cutie pie with her ever attentive ah gong
There were many wall murals and we had a whale of a time taking photos. It was similar to the art street we saw in Malacca. My favourite mural and photo...hahaha
ha our feeble attempts at putting up a performance...
Time....how it had passed so quickly simply eluded me....I was left baffled and lost often in its wake...not comprehending how I could have let it slip through my fingers...with its quiet caresses and soft murmurings...as I sought hard to immortalize it through documenting the memories...what a futile attempt... what an ineffectual effort...oh time oh time...I was left to lament...I wished I had done things differently... I wished I had lived life more gloriously...only to retreat to the mundane old comfortable life.. with its many demands and grinding burdens...and time imperceptibly ticked on....
Ah.... a poet's heart with its ramblings on a Tuesday night in the wee hours (ah, more of Wed morning)….
