Pictureka!

My kids often bug me to play games with them and most board games, well, leave me bored. The problem is most of them require a pretty lengthy playing time, something I'm too impatient to sit through. So when we discovered the card version of Monopoly, it became popular in our household cos one game usually takes only a few minutes and you can play several rounds.

For Andre's birthday, Lesley-Anne bought him Pictureka by Hasbro, the card version of the board game.

There are 4 ways to play this game but we only like to play it one way.

You take a mission card which has a choice of 2 "missions" (see picture below) and try to complete either one by matching it with 3 cards. The first to complete 4 missions wins.

What's fun is that it is very open to interpretation and depends on whether the other players will accept your rationale. Andre, especially, will try to talk his way into having his mission accepted, no matter how absurd.

In fact, I can almost hear his brain ticking when I see him looking at his cards with a gleam in his eye and mischievous grin. "Get ready," I'd warn Lesley-Anne, "he's going to bedek his way out."

For example, when he got the mission "Something sporty", his choices were:

"A golfer..."

"A boxer..."

"... and a sporty guy who's sleeping!"

In another game, he drew "Something hot". He offered:

"The sun is hot..."

"This is a hot dog..."

"... and the caveman is HAWT!!"

Not to be outdone, Lesley-Anne got "Something with wings" and tried:

"The fairy has wings..."

"The parrot has wings..."

(Pause) "Red Bull gives you wings??"

We're tough opponents, we don't usually buy what the other is selling. But we always end up laughing a lot and really, can you ask for anything more in a simple card game? I also like that it's small and handy to cart around. We'll probably pack it along when we go on our year-end holiday.

Sold at most department stores and Popular bookstores for $9.90 each.

Wallpaper nightmare

What's more painful than watching paint dry? Stripping wallpaper.

The plan was to start the paintwork on our house on Monday and I had envisioned a few freshly painted walls by the end of the day. Boy, was I wrong. The living room area was wallpapered, so before painting could start, the workers had to remove it. And what a time-consuming chore it is.

After 3 hours with only half a wall done (and earlier excitement rapidly draining), we realised it was a sloooooooooooow process. If you think you can easily rip off the wallpaper like a bandaid, think again. It's akin to peeling off a price tag from a non-price-tag-friendly surface. Except this price tag is the size of a cathedral window.

Kenneth discovered that adding water helped the process significantly and to speed things up, we rolled up our sleeves and got into the action. It can be rather therapeutic, especially when you manage to peel off a large piece at a go.

Actually, taking off the wallpaper was easy compared to getting rid of the dried glue. That, my friend, is a real b**** to take off.

When I surfed the Net in a desperate attempt to see if there were secret techniques to this task, I found many forums with large volumes of swear words (worse than mine) directed at wallpaper because of its immovability. Nice to know we're not alone.

That's not all. Andre's room had a full-sized wall mural which was stuck on wallpaper style.

It's pretty but no 11-year-old boy would be caught dead with a monster-sized Mickey Mouse on his wall, so we had to remove it. Apparently, this was some high quality laminate which left a thick impenetrable layer of dried plastic-like substance. Unlike the living room glue, it didn't soften in water and the only way to get rid of it was to chip at it painstakingly as it broke off into teeny pieces of plaster and dust. Enough to make anyone swear.

Finally, after 2½ days, the living room was wallpaper-free. The glue marks, however, were impervious to washing or scraping. Our contractor says he can successfully paint over the marks, so we'll see how that works out. Andre's room, on the other hand, has been half abandoned for now.

If there's ever a piece of advice I could give you with regards to home decor, DON'T USE WALLPAPER. It doesn't stand well to wear, it's unsightly when it starts to peel and as we've discovered, it's a real pain to remove. There are many other better alternatives to dress up your walls.

Meanwhile, we're not disheartened - it's just a little bump in the road. We're still having loads of fun and the kids love to see all the works. Due to the dust in the living room, we had to move our command post to the patio. Of course we have Internet.

And there's always something very special about having a meal in a brand new, empty home. Even if it's just Burger King and prata!

Keys to a new chapter

Back in July, I wrote in a post that we'd bought a new place and will be moving end of the year. Well, we finally got the keys last week and to say we're excited would be a gross understatement.

The place we bought is is pretty good condition and reasonably well maintained but still, there are 101 niggly things that need to be taken care of. I know there are many families who will just move in and take care of these details gradually... but we're not that sort of family. We want everything to be perfect (or near perfect) so that when we move in, we can say "Aaahhh, this is our new home".

Even if this means running around like post-hibernation squirrels, trying to see to every minute detail ("buy extension to Andre's fan cord so he can reach it without standing on his bed"). I suspect there's a little OCD coursing through our veins. There were days when I was so exhausted that I went to bed and was out like a light by 10.30pm, which is unheard of for a night owl like me.

I wanted to record this process for myself since moving house is not something we do often (not for us anyway), so be warned that in the next few weeks, the posts will be predominantly on home and decor issues.

Sorry if you want to read only about education. The only education bit that's happening in my life now is Andre's upcoming SA2, which makes me weary just thinking about it, let alone blog about it. Thankfully, Lesley-Anne's exams are over and anyway, she did all her revisions on her own. Thank God for secondary school!

Back to the house. The first week we spent primarily meeting up with various contractors/tradesmen getting quotes. We didn't want to get a general contractor since we're not doing major renovations so even though it was more of a hassle, we decided to go directly to specialist vendors. Because we tried to get 2 or 3 quotes for every job, I think we managed to get better value in the end.

Of course, the quality of work remains to be seen. Hopefully we made the right choices.

This is our command post aka living and dining area:

The first 3 days were a whirlwind. At one point, we were meeting so many contractors that we almost lost track of who was quoting for what. Hooray for Excel spreadsheets!

Painting starts today. I can't wait to see how it turns out - colour really changes the feel of a house/room. Will blog about the progress, err... progressively.

Sec 2 poetry assignment - "The Cocoon of Change"

This is Lesley-Anne's third poem for her poetry assignment. It's in the style of "Sheltered Garden" by Hilda Doolittle and the theme is growing up.

The Cocoon of Change

I have had enough
I struggle to break free

I have had enough
Of people holding my hand when I cross the street
Of people spoon-feeding me answers that I know aren't true

I have had enough
Of fairy tales and bedtime stories
For I know that in life, an ending is not always happy

I have had enough
Of this that suffocates me
The darkness closes in

But I want to see the light of day
I'm a butterfly longing to stretch her wings

Sec 2 poetry assignment - "In the Attic"

This is the second poem Lesley-Anne wrote as part of the assignment mentioned in the previous post. It's based on the set poem "Under the Stairs" by Frank Ormsby. I couldn't find a link so I'm posting it here.

Under the Stairs

Look in the dark alcove under the stairs;
A paintbrush steeped in turpentine, its hairs

Softening for use; rat poison in a jar;
Bent spoons for prising lids; a spare fire-bar;

The shaft of a broom; a tyre; assorted nails;
A store of candles for when the light fails.

- Frank Ormsby

The theme is forgotten corners and here's what Lesley-Anne came up with:

In The Attic

Step in and hear the floorboards creak
Listen to the dripping water where the roof leaks
Breathe the mustiness of old rotting wood
Spot a box half-filled with cans of petrified cat food

The walls feel cool & damp to the touch
The creepers up the window block out much
Of the light that once used to shine through
While faint rays make cobwebs shimmer like dew

Old Christmas ornaments all stored away
Patiently wait to be seen on that special festive day

Sec 2 poetry assignment - "Good Morning"

One of Lesley-Anne's recent literature assignments was on poetry. The students had to study three poems and write their own rhyming poems following the same style and theme. Out of the three, the kids could choose the one they want to be graded as part of their final examination scores.

Lesley-Anne loves such assignments. I don't know how I managed to bear a daughter who adores poetry. When I was her age, I thought poetry was a blight on the literature landscape. Maybe it has something to do with my pragmatic heart - my daughter's probably more of a romantic soul than I am!

The poem Lesley-Anne chose to be graded was based on "The Armadillo" by Elizabeth Bishop. The theme is something harmless coming to harm.

It's as follows:

Good Morning

Morning has broken and I have broken
Down from your harsh words hurled at me
And humiliation from your torments in
Front of all who can see

But I can’t see, I’m blinded by the pain
Your words are knives cutting through flesh
Causing pain like the burning, scalding fires of Hell
A punishment worse than death

But why punishment? For I’ve done nothing wrong
I retreat to lick my wounds, praying that they’ll heal
But they don’t. They fester and they rot
And emit a pain I’ll forever feel

They say each morning brings a new beginning
A blank canvas to start again
A fresh start? Or a stale end?
Is it still a start if it brings pain?

But as I crumble under your insults
I refuse to show emotion
For I know you would love to see me break
But I won’t give you the satisfaction

With other kids it’s different
For it’s not words they fear
But we are all in the same boat
For when the morning sun starts to appear…

They are beaten, scratched and clawed at
Until they taste something all too familiar
— Blood, crimson and sweet, on the edge of their tongue
Combined with the bitter emotion, fear

Their haunting, piercing, painful screams
Echo throughout the walls
A symphony of desperation,
As eerie as an owl’s call

Their tormentors are like wolves tracking them down
Before going in for the kill
They can smell your blood, sweat and tears
And won't stop till they've had their fill

But those children's wounds are superficial
While mine are buried deep
And it takes a herculean effort
And lots of self-control to keep
Myself from crying, as I’m backed
Into a corner with nowhere to hide
For abuse need not be physical
To kill you on the inside

She scored 24/30 for this. I'll also be posting the other two poems that she wrote as part of the assignment.

Au Petit Salut

One day as a treat after the exams in September, we brought the kids to Au Petit Salut for lunch. It's a French, fine dining restaurant which offers an excellent set lunch for $32++. Not only is it great value, more importantly, the quality of the food is simply top notch.

Our family loves French food and one of the highlights of Au Petit Salut is their half dozen baked Burgundy snails with tomato and garlic butter. Words cannot describe how yummilicious this is - after you've eaten the snails, you soak up the garlic sauce with bread. Heaven!

Another entree, orange and pink peppercorn salmon tartare with baby spinach salad. This one is good too but not as good as the snails.

Lesley-Anne ordered the soup of the day, which was pumpkin soup. I didn't take a photo of it as it didn't look very special but oh golly, was I wrong. It is simply the BEST pumpkin soup I've ever tasted, no exaggeration. We went from "why would you order soup here" to "we must order the soup the next time!"

This is one of our favourite main courses - red wine braised beef cheeks with carrots, mushrooms and parsley potatoes. Melt-in-your-mouth tender. Mmmm...

Kenneth ordered the pork shoulder stewed in wholegrain mustard with creamy polenta. It's not something you can get everyday, the polenta is a lovely change from regular mashed potatoes. You probably need to be a pork fan though. I prefer the beef cheeks.

And finally, dessert. Homemade strawberry shortcake and raspberry coulis for Andre.

Crème brulée infused with fresh Madagascar vanilla beans.

If you're a chocoholic like me, there is only one dessert you have to try - Petit Pot au Chocolat. It's a pot of ultra-smooth chocolate mousse topped with hot chocolate sauce and whipped cream.

The portions are un-Frenchily large, I can barely finish one set lunch without feeling like I'm going to bust the seams on my pants. At $32++, it really is wonderful value and obviously we're not the only folks who think so, judging from the number of diners at this place. Reservations strongly recommended, if you don't want to be disappointed.

Focus on values - Heng Swee Keat

Yesterday, Education Minister Heng Swee Keat gave a speech at the MOE Work Plan Seminar. In it, he gave some broad strokes of his plans for education. This is the first major announcement on education he's made since he took over the position, so I'm sure it was eagerly awaited by many in the industry.

You can read the full speech here and it's also covered in the Straits Times today. Basically, he calls for a more holistic, student-centric education system and outlines some initiatives he will be rolling out.

One of the key points of Mr Heng's speech is the focus on values. He wants values and character development to be at the core of our education system, which is something I totally agree with. But even he acknowledges that it's difficult to implement as it's not something that can (or should) be examinable or assessed. I'm sure he knows it's a mindset issue, not something you can simply institute. But for a start, he's telling principals and teachers that they should not cannibalise civics & moral education periods for remedial lessons. While this is may be a small gesture, I appreciate he's trying to signal the importance of values.

He's also stressing the importance of CCAs for character building. I'm a little skeptical. While I totally agree that CCAs can build character, these are often waylaid in the chase for medals. As I mentioned before, many schools are so obsessed with the medal tally for sports and performing arts, to the point that these override values such as sportsmanship, diligence, discipline, etc. Unless schools completely transform their world view towards CCAs, character building will continue to be an accidental outcome rather than an objective.

This whole issue of prioritising values is a thorny one because it requires a shared mindset among parents and educators. For eg, I was told an incident where a parent hired a professional consultant to help with her child and his friends' school project. Eventually, the project won an international competition. This is clearly an ethical issue and my question was, did the teachers know the kids didn't do the project themselves? And even if they did have their suspicions, would they have probed or just turned a blind eye? The parents clearly had no qualms about what I consider downright cheating. Such is the message we're sending to our kids - win or do well at all costs. I think if we say values are important, the system needs to stop consistently rewarding achievement over values.

The third initiative in the area of values is the introduction of a new Character and Citizenship Education curriculum. I don't know enough details about this to make a comment. Let's wait and see. My personal wish is that our schools will open up many more creative opportunities for the students to help others on a regular basis, the way international schools do it, so that social consciousness becomes part of their psyche. Going to the old folks' home once a year just doesn't cut it.

Yesterday, a Straits Times reporter called me to ask if I had any comments on the new homework policy Mr Heng was calling for. Basically, he says that all schools should study the needs of its students and define how much homework students should be assigned at the different levels. I told the reporter I had no issues with homework. At both my kids' schools, homework is generally manageable and not excessive. I'm quoted in today's ST page A8, by the way. It's not much of a quote, I'm surprised they included it.

My issue with stress at school is not with homework but with the single-minded focus on results and the accompanying kiasu-ism, as previously laid out in my letter to the Minister. When I met up with Sim Ann, Senior Parliamentary Secretary of MOE, following the letter for a chat, she mentioned that she felt the underlying cause of this competitiveness is the scarcity of university places. Mr Heng obviously shares her view as he has tasked his Minister of State for Education to look into this.

I'm not 100% convinced this is the root of the problem. I still think using KPIs to assess schools and teachers is a huge contributing factor and I'm a little disappointed Mr Heng didn't address this at all. I suspect having to overhaul HR is opening another super-sized can of worms and MOE has enough on its plate at the moment.

Incidentally, I found Sim Ann to be a lovely person - warm, genuine and with a great sense of humour (so important!) Not at all stuffy and pompous like some civil servants I've encountered in the past. She invited me to be part of a dialogue earlier this week which I was unfortunately unable to attend.

I think it's safe to say that Mr Heng and his team are taking parent and teacher engagement much more seriously than their predecessors. Perhaps they don't have much of a choice, considering the currently politically charged climate. Nevertheless, I'm encouraged that they have at least acknowledged and taken into account viewpoints from both parents and teachers, and not just at face value.

Is this education reform in the making? Or just a review? I want to be optimistic. As I told the ST reporter (can't believe I'm quoting myself), every little step counts.

Uncovering the Terracotta Warriors

During the one-week September school holidays, we brought the kids to the Terracotta Warriors exhibition, currently on at the Asian Civilisations Museum.

Time for a dose of history and culture!








Brief history of the terracotta warriors: in 1974, an army of thousands of pottery soldiers and horses was unearthed outside Xi'an, near the tomb of the First Emperor of China. This amazing architectural find revealed a great deal about early China and Chinese art. This is a picture of the actual site.

An installation showing how the terracotta warriors and horses were made.

It was an ambitious project. Heads, limbs and torsos were made separately from terracotta and then assembled. Figures were originally painted in vibrant hues but these have decomposed over time.

This is the main display with a good representation of the major figures - the one right in front is the general.

Nearly 150 suits of limestone armour were found in the tomb. However, limestone is too fragile and heavy for battle so historians suspect they were purely symbolic.

Soon after the death of Qin Shihuang in 210BC, the Han dynasty began. The Hans rejected the life-size soldiers of the Qin dynasty and instead, opted for more modest figures purely as symbolic gestures. These are soldiers with shields.

In the tomb of Jingli, the 4th Han emperor, archeologists unearthed not just soldiers and horses but also animals, farming tools and everyday utensils. This is the mould for Han coins.

Figures were almost androgynous in nature but also featured women. Silly question of the day: Guess which is the woman and which is the eunuch in this picture? Andre thought this display was rather obscene, bwahaha!

There is an accompanying exhibition to the Terracotta Warriors - an installation by local artist, Justin Lee which blends Western pop art with traditional eastern sculpture. Very dramatic and cool, I thought!

The exhibition is very educational and definitely worth a visit. Even though it's smaller than I expected (45 mins is more than enough), it's still interesting, especially if you have no plans to visit the actual site in China!

Kids from local schools enjoy free entry and if you hold a Passion card, you get 50% off adult ticket prices. Pretty good deal. Exhibition is on till 16 October 2011.

Kason Age Group badminton tournament

This week was the annual Kason badminton tournament held at the Chinese Swimming Club badminton tournament. The competition for this tournament is always fierce, as it's considered one of the most prestigious children's competitions for the sport.

Andre participated in the Boys Singles 11 and under and category. He only managed to get to the second round but what we're pleased about is that his competition performance has improved and he seems more confident on the court. Hopefully it serves as a motivational boost for him.

Here are a couple of video clips of his 2nd round match. He's the one wearing orange.