Name game

You know how some housing estates get named after the road or area where they are located or they get named for their views. The condo where we live is named after a tree, pinetrees to be specific, and indeed you will find pinetrees on the estate grounds. Yesterday as we were driving off to Taekwondo class, I asked the girls how they think our estate got its name.

Tai Pi: Because there are many pinetrees. They didn't notice at first. Then when they were building the houses, they saw the pinetrees so they decided to name the place after the trees.

Me: You think the pinetrees were here first?

Pumpkin: They built the houses first and then they dig a hole and plant a little pine seed and put a bit of water and then grow grow grow into pinetrees. They look at the pinetrees and they said I think I will name this place Pinesville [that's not the name of our estate but Pumpkin keeps confusing it with Townsville where the PowerPuff Girls live].

Tai Pi is adamant that she is right, and well, it does make sense to name a place after the trees you see in the area. But Pines are not native to Singapore so most likely Pumpkin is right in saying that the trees were not already here. I guess we can't always name housing estates after what we see there before the place is built. If not, we would have condos like Swamp Gardens, Muddy Mansions, Kampong Tower and Mosquito Lodge. Don't think those would sell very well.

Time to panic?

Thank goodness I'm a bochap parent. Because if I were a kiasu parent, I surely would have suffered a heart attack today when Tai Pi showed me her mid year results. Just 6 months ago, she was graded Band 1 for English and Chinese, and Band 2 for Math. And now? Band 2 for English and Math, and Band 4 for Chinese!!! Band 4!!! I think that means she flunked Chinese. And she didn't do so well in English either, although she's actually pretty strong in English.

Me: Do you know Malay or Indian?

Tai Pi: No.

Me: Well, you're no good in Chinese and your English is also not so good now. So you know some other language or what?!!

Sigh... I'm not surprised really. Her results are very much reflective of the amount of effort we have put in. I guess you reap what you sow. What Tai Pi lacks is discipline and what's worse is that I'm also lacking in discipline!!! Although she has a home timetable, she doesn't follow it and I don't bother to enforce it. Nearing the exams, KK and I did get her to do some Math practice papers, but I dreaded it because once she was done, I had to mark them and then she had to do the corrections and then I had to check her corrections and then she had to do corrections on the corrections and then I had to.....what a pain.

I did try something easier, something requiring less effort on my part. I resorted to threats.

Me: If you do badly in Math, I'm going to have to get you a tutor and I can't afford to get a tutor so I'm going to have to cancel your Taekwondo class and use the money for a Math tutor and you will be a yellow tip belt forever.

Tai Pi: Nooooooo.......

It didn't help that we only had some idea of how badly she was doing in Chinese just a couple of weeks before the exams. Great. Now I have to worry about her Math AND Chinese. We knew her Chinese was rotten but she somehow still managed a Band 1 last year so how bad could it get, we thought. Then just before the exams, we were told by her teacher that she had to attend a weekly remedial class for Chinese. The others at the class have a good excuse for their poor standard of Chinese - one is European, another is a girl with an Indian name who claims to be Taiwanese, couple of Indonesians, etc. You know it's bad news when you get grouped with this bunch for Chinese remedial.

So now I'm thinking I really really have to instill some discipline into Tai Pi and myself or face the prospect of all her grades sliding to Band 4 by year's end. We'll start tomorrow. Or maybe day after.... or day after.....

Munchkin

The first drawing Sai Pi created at the age of two, KK and I couldn't quite believe that it was hers although one of her sisters said it was. It was of a face complete with eyes, mouth and other features. It seemed too advanced for a child her age. I kept the drawing for a few days and then threw it away thinking that it couldn't have been drawn by her. Later she reproduced more of such drawings which was when I realised my mistake.

Since then, Sai Pi has moved on from head-only drawings to head plus body drawings. And now I see she is a Edvard Munch in the making. Look at her drawings. Don't they bear a strking resemblence to Edvard Munch's The Scream?

The Mess

I can't take it any longer!!!!!!! I am fighting a losing battle and I feel about ready to throw in the towel!!!

I'm talking about the Mess in my home. I know I should pack up the place every night to keep things from getting out of hand but I'm just too tired after work to pack up and come the weekend, I pay for it when I am faced with a whole week's mess to clear.

It used to be that I could beat back the Mess but over time, the Mess has slowly gained strength and is now getting quite formidable. Look at how it threatens to overwhelm us.

Look at the Mess sitting on top of the shelves!!!

The Mess relaxing on top of the shoe cabinet. The inside of the cabinet is a more pleasant sight than the outside.

Interior decor tip: Do not waste your money on a B&B Italia dining table if you are going to hide it under a pile of rubbish. And look in the background - we believe in multi-functional furniture so the ironing board also acts as a side board for items such as bills, magazines, plastic bags, clothes that need mending, clothes that have been ironed, clothes that need ironing, etc. What happens when the ironing board is actually used for ironing? The Mess considerately shifts itself over to the designer sofa.

Every home should have some conversation pieces. I have some on the TV cabinet that would inspire conversation such as, "Er, why do you have a big ceramic peanut on your TV cabinet?". Keeping the big ceramic peanut company are - a ceramic rabbit, a bronze tortoise, two Narnia snow globes, two tael-shaped nian gao, a clock, a bonsai plant made of wire and stones and a scattering of ang pows. I owe my eclectic taste in TV cabinet decor to well-meaning relatives who take it upon themselves to improve the feng shui in my home. Despite putting up with the eyesore, I have yet to be rewarded with a lottery win.

The Mess likes to hide behind bedroom doors but here you see that it has grown so much that it no longer confines itself to dark corners. Look at how the Mess unabashedly displays itself like a hideous piece of installation art.

HELP!!!! Get me outta here before the Mess swallows me up!!!! I need to move to a new home and start all over again!!! I promise to be good this time. I promise not to underestimate the unstoppable force that is the Mess. I promise to appease the Mess and build lots of storage cabinets for the Mess to reside in comfortably. Yes, that is the only way we can hope to achieve peaceful co-existence.

Opposition Politics 101

Note: This posting is about the kids and is not political in nature. As I mentioned in my previous post, I am refraining from posting persistently political content on my blog.

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On our way home today, seeing a Worker's Party poster on a lamp post reminded Pumpkin of the "TV programme" last Saturday night and she commented, "Aiyah, why always Worker's Party, Worker's Party", in reference to our sporadic chanting during the telecast. (At this point, Sai Pi starts chanting "Worker's Party! Worker's Party!") I explained to the kids that last Saturday's show was a coverage of the results of the election where we would see which party wins.

Tai Pi: So did Worker's Party win?

Me: They won in Hougang. There are many different parts of the country. Worker's Party won 1 seat. In many other parts of the country, it was the PAP who won.

Tai Pi: So who was the winner?

Me: PAP

Tai Pi: So why do you support Worker's Party?!

Daddy: You can't always support the winner.

Tai Pi: [Pause] I cheered for ALP (her best friend) on Sports Day even though she can't run very fast.

That's opposition politics lesson no.1 for you:
If you intend to run for elections as an opposition candidate in Singapore, be prepared to lose. That's what Mr Low Thia Khiang says to his team and that's Tai Pi's introduction to the world of opposition politics in Singapore.

GE 2006

Yesterday, between 11pm and 1am, as I witnessed the TV coverage of General Elections 2006 results, I experienced such as range of emotions - anxiety, excitement, jubilation, disappointment, disgust. Now the day after, I don't know what to think or to feel, still numb from the thought that the number of opposition representation in Parliament is as miserable as it was for the past 5 years.

But the following are for me the most memorable moments of GE 2006:

Lee Hsien Loong's slip of the mind/tongue -
"What is the opposition's job? It's not to help the PAP do a better job ... because if they help the PAP do a better job, you're going to vote for me again and they're going to be out of a job for a long time. So their job is to make life miserable for me.
Right now we have Low Thia Khiang, Chiam See Tong, Steve Chia. We can deal with them. Suppose you had 10, 15, 20 opposition members in Parliament. Instead of spending my time thinking what is the right policy for Singapore, I'm going to spend all my time thinking what's the right way to FIX them, to BUY my supporters votes, how can I solve this week's problem and forget about next year's challenges?"

"FIX" the opposition? "BUY" supporters votes?
When I heard him say that, my first thoughts were, my oh my, he is going to get a thrashing from his daddy for being so unpolished. Having enjoyed walkovers the last three elections perhaps made him a little rusty and maybe he made that slip under the pressure and stress of campaigning. He later apologised or I should say clarified what he meant by "fix" the opposition. But he neglected to explain what he meant by "buy my supporters votes". I would be very interested to know what the deal is, although my vote is not for sale but I want to know what it is worth anyway - how many millions worth of upgrading works, or abalone porridge perhaps?

At one of the WP rallies I attended, Sylvia Lim, referring to a "I love Sylvia" poster held up by supporters, said, "If 2 or 3 of you love me, it's OK. But if 10 of you love me, I can't concentrate" - a joke in reference to Lee Hsien Loong's comment that he would be distracted if there were more opposition MPs in Parliament. That's another thing I will remember of this GE - the Worker's Party was really back in form this time, with candidates who not only appeared credible but also displayed a sense of public spirit, humility and graciousness I felt was lacking in most of the ruling party candidates. Led by Mr Low Thia Khiang whom I hold in great reverence, they did not resort to name-calling or mudslinging while the same cannot be said of the ruling party who looked like they were out to smear the opposition candidates when really they should have concentrated their energies on more important issues. While the ruling party and the media continued with the circus act, the WP touched on issues of concern to the everyman. And in contrast to the PAP's colourful brochure filled with smiling faces and vague statements, the WP had a 52-page Manifesto (available from their website) with concrete proposals on a variety of issues.

And what about the people of Potong Pasir and Hougang? I am so proud of them and also grateful - I'm sure they know that many people across the island depend on them to keep the hopes of opposition politics alive. They proved to be people of integrity, refusing to be bought over by the multi million-dollar upgrading works promised by the ruling pary and even gave the incumbent opposition MPs Mr Chiam See Tong and Mr Low Thia Khiang a better margin than at the last GE. And we're talking about serious piles of money here - $80 million upgrading for Potong Pasir, a ward that consists of only 8,000 households which works out to $10,000 per household! Chiam See Tong's daughter said, "We really worked hard and we managed to beat abalone porridge and that $80-million carrot," referring to the abalone porridge the PAP candidate organised for residents. Similarly, the residents of Hougang did not fall for the tempting $100-million carrot that the PAP dangled before them. In any case, Goh Chok Tong had already said that $100 million was earmarked for upgrading works in ageing Hougang. So let's see if they keep their promise.

But the one thing I will remember the most of GE 2006 is the recitation of the National Pledge at the WP rally at Serangoon Stadium on the night before polling day. I am not naive and I know that this was a nice touch by the WP to move the crowds but it was pure genius anyway. Saying the pledge that night reminded me of my duty as a citizen to work towards a "democratic society based on justice and equality"; it was exactly what the WP was preaching. And yet ironically the pledge was written by one of PAP's founding fathers, the late S Rajaratnam, which served to remind the crowd that night of how far the PAP had veered away from what they had set out to achieve for Singapore so many years ago. I can see Mr Low Thia Khiang's political savvy and this is going to help him do well against all the odds that are stacked against any opposition member in Singapore.

This is my second consecutive post about politics and it will be my last at least for a while, because if I go on like this, the powers that be may decide that I "persistently promote political views" and I may be asked to register with the Media Development Agency and who knows, maybe they will ask me to change my blogname to better reflect the content, but I like "Road to PSLE", I don't want to change it to "Road to Political Freedom" leh.

If you are interested to read more about GE 2006, I would recommend these websites:
Singabloodypore
Yawning Bread

So it's back to the regular broadcast. But before that, I leave you with a glimpse of my own "renewal process" of raising the next generation of pro-democracy Singaporeans. Majulah Singapura!

I have a choice

Today, I have the privilege that not every Singaporean is lucky to have. I have the privilege to vote for my representative in Parliament while many wards in the country go uncontested, leaving the ruling party to bring in more yes men to fill up the backbenches in Parliament.

Last night I attended the Worker's Party rally at Serangoon Stadium. As with all Worker's Party rallies, the crowd was a huge swarm like an army of ants, with the crowds spilling out to the surrounds of the stadium. And as with all their rallies, the closing speech was made by the charismatic Mr Low Thia Khiang. But last night's rally ending was especially emotional, not just because it was the last rally before polling day, but because WP closed the rally by saying the National Pledge with the crowd. This is the same pledge that everyone recites, PAP supporter or opposition supporter; it is a pledge we make as citizens of Singapore, committing ourselves "to build a democratic society, based on justice and equality, so as to achieve happiness, prosperity and progress for our nation."

With the National Pledge in mind, when I go to the polls today, I will use my vote wisely, for my future, my children's future and the good of our country.

Bank of Mum and Dad

It was just crying out to be blogged about - page 14 of yesterday's Sunday Times - "All grown up... and still getting handouts from mum and dad". The article describes young adults who are gainfully employed but depend on financial assistance from their parents to sustain their lifestyle.

Meet some of our parasite singles (names have been withheld to protect the guilty):

1) A 24-year-old pupil at a law firm whose parents pay for her $340 monthly parking bill and extravagant purchases such as a $3,000 Chanel handbag and $600 Ferragamo shoes.

2) A 23-year-old PR executive who uses supplementary credit cards from his mother to indulge in shopping at Hugo Boss and DKNY. Mummy Dearest also pays his mobile phone bills which can reach $600.

3) An auditor who received $1,000 spending money from Daddy when she went to New York for a holiday and also has her bank account topped up occasionally (hey, a bit like our Gahmen).

Says the auditor, "Everyone wants to be independent but I don't think I can support my current lifestyle on my pay. If he is willing to give, I'm willing to take."

And this is very funny - the father of one of these kids says that he sees giving his daughter financial support as a way for them to bond. Wah ha ha!!! How absurd!!! Giving money as a way to bond!!! Wah ha ha!!! (Eh, maybe our Gahmen also thinks this way, that's why they give out money now and then to everyone whether you need it or not).

Don't these kids have any shame?!!! But you know who I blame? I blame the parents!!! Parents who allow their children to think that their parents owe it to them to give them the good life.

I reckon that these kids were already enjoying a certain standard of living as they were growing up - eating out at nice restaurants, designer clothes, the latest gadgets, etc. It is a lifestyle that they have grown accustomed to and are loathe to give up and it is a lifestyle that Mum and Dad funded all the while. So really this is the reality that these kids grew up with and therefore perceive as the norm. Who's fault is it that these kids see this as the norm? The parents!!!

That brings me to the question of whether parents should indulge their children in their growing years. I think a little treat now and then is fine, but too much of the good life courtesy of Mum and Dad and the danger is that the child may

1) develop a materialistic outlook and become a slave to material possessions

2) become depressed or suffer from low self-esteem when he can no longer enjoy such luxuries either because his salary does not enable him to, or his parents' financial circumstances no longer allow for it

3) experience financial troubles and in turn marital problems as a result of an inability to manage his expenses

4) choose not to have children (which means no grandchildren) as that would mean cutting back on extravagances; in any case, I don't think such people would want any children since they know they can't even take care of themselves so why would they want to take care of someone else?

5) realise at the age of 40 that he will have to keep working till his dying day as he has neglected to put money aside for retirement

6) dump his parents when they are old and have run out of money (financial drain caused by selfish kids of course) and need him to pay for their medical fees. "But I thought you were supposed to give and I take?! How can you now expect me to do the giving and you do the taking?!! It's not fair!!!"

Many adults of my generation grew up in humble circumstances and only experienced a more indulgent lifestyle when we started work, also the time when Singapore's economy enjoyed strong growth. As we enjoy a higher standard of living, our children too get to come along for the ride. It is all too easy to forget that children who grow up with a very comfortable lifestyle will find it hard to adjust to something less. They have to realise that either they make do with less or they make sure they land a very well paying job (or a rich husband!).

As for me, to save my children the pain of possibly adjusting to a lower standard of living, I make a conscious effort not to indulge them too much and to always remind them how lucky they are. Yes we live in a condo and go for overseas holidays, but no extravagances (well ok, there's the occasional luxury holiday villa) and no giving in to their whims and fancies. But maybe I am not doing enough. Maybe we should switch from Ben & Jerry's to Meadow Gold..... gee that's hard... very hard.