Dream of Amsterdam

Our geography lessons have taken us to Europe this time, after we completed Asia and the Americas. We started off in northern Europe and had fun learning some Norwegian words. Now as we moved a little south, the girls have become fascinated with.... Amsterdam! We watched a travel show (Passport to Europe with Samantha Brown, borrowed from the library) and the girls were awed by the beauty of the Amsterdam canals. Tai Pi insists that we move to Amsterdam ("It's so beautiful, not like Singapore!").

So beautiful!

The girls know exactly what they want to do there - live in one of the houseboats moored along the canal, visit Anne Frank's Secret Annex and of course the museum dedicated to their most favourite artist Vincent Van Gogh.

This morning they watched the travel show for the 3rd time and continue with their demands to go to Amsterdam. Sigh... I would love to visit Amsterdam too, or anywhere in Europe for that matter, having never set foot in that continent except for that little bit of Istanbul that sits in Europe but that doesn't count. Hopefully someday soon, someday soon.

One of Tai Pi's favourite Van Gogh paintings -

Wheat Field with Reaper at Sunrise

One of Pumpkin's favourite Van Gogh paintings -

Portrait of Dr Gachet

Sai Pi's favourite Van Gogh painting - Sunflowers

Our old yellowed copy of The Diary of Anne Frank

which Tai Pi is now reading

How to end a war

Couple of days ago, we were having an NE (National Education) lesson and were discussing the topic of WWII and the Japanese Occupation. We got to the part where the Japanese were defeated and the girls learnt that what brought the Japanese to their knees were the atomic bombs dropped onto Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

I asked them what they thought about how the Japanese were defeated.

Tai Pi: It's not right. We are doing to them what they did to us [referring to the Japanese bombing of Singapore].

Me: What would you have done then to end the war?

Pumpkin: Talk it out?

Tai Pi: Use sexy women as bait and trap the enemy then threaten to shoot them unless they surrender!

Sai Pi: Make them something they like, like pie and if they want the pie they must surrender.

So you see, there really are less destructive ways to end a war if you put three little girls in command.

Green Art

I would like to think I do what I can to help save the environment although I know there's more I could do.

Let's see how we're doing:

REDUCE

The stallholders at the wet market are familiar with KK and I by now - the couple with the Tupperware and their own plastic bags.

RECYCLE

Now and then we make a trip to the recycling bins at Marine Parade to dump our recyclable waste. The bins are always full; I wish they would clear them more frequently.

REUSE

This one is fun! Here's what we did with egg cartons, cereal boxes and soft drinks boxes this past couple of weeks:

Made from egg cartons - colourful caterpillar and a scene from The Story of Redhill (notice the boy lying at the top of the hill which is red with his blood)

Play slippers made using cereal boxes and soft drinks carton boxes. The pair at the bottom right also makes use of the mesh covering used to protect some fruits.

Sai Pi wearing her home-made play slippers