Singapore Mumpreneur Awards

About a month ago, I was asked by my friend to be nominated for the inaugural Singapore Mumpreneur Awards (Mumpreneurs are mothers who juggle being a parent and an entrepreneur). I was hesitant, partly because I thought it would be a little strange since my friend is the organiser and secondly, I'm usually very paiseh to join such competitions lah.

But she assured me that she's not a judge so she'll have no say in the results, plus I wanted to support her since she's doing such a fantastic job helping mothers return to the workplace. She's the founder of Mums@Work Singapore which now has thousands of members. Personally, I think she should win Singapore Mumpreneur of the Year!

So I agreed to be nominated. Then on Saturday night, I received an email saying that I was a finalist in one of the categories! Wah. But then the tricky bit - the winner is based on public votes and that's another thing that makes me uncomfortable - canvassing for votes. So I'll just keep this brief: I'm a finalist in the Most Socially Responsible Mumpreneur category based on the fact that:

1) My business pays it forward by engaging mostly mums as writers (7 out of 9 of my writers are mums). These are capable women who gave up their careers to look after their kids and writing for me gives them meaningful flexi-work.

2) I write a blog (this one, haha!) to share my views on education and parenting with other parents.

3) After becoming a published author with Lesley-Anne, we do our part to give back to the community by sharing how we nurtured our love of reading and writing to school kids.  

So if you feel this is worth a vote, you can cast your vote for me here (my category is the last one). You can actually vote every day, up to 12 September 2014 so if you're feeling extra supportive, you may wanna do that :)

Thanks a million!

Balancing art and business

As a writer, one of my pet peeves is that there's so little regard for originality and creativity. The prevailing mindset seems to be: it's ok to copy a style/storyline/ideas or ride on the success of a formula, as long as it sells. It doesn't help that from primary school, kids are taught to follow model compositions which of course, ends up with all the compositions reading like they were mass produced.

When Lesley-Anne and I were brainstorming ideas for Danger Dan's time-travelling adventures, Epigram Books suggested that the character had a mad scientist dad who invented a time machine. Both of us protested because it was so formulaic and overdone. They said, "it's ok to be formulaic!" but let us have the final say. (That's one of the great things about Epigram Books - they never force their suggestions on us.)

I don't blame them at all because I understand why publishers like things formulaic. It's safer. Doing something original is risky because you don't know how it will affect book sales, vs something that has been tried and tested. However, for Lesley-Anne and me, writing is something very close to our hearts and the books are like our babies - we want to be proud of them. We want to add value to the world of fiction. We want people to love the story we've created, not something that was ripped off from somebody else.

However, I claim this as my personal philosophy and not as a judgement against others because I realise that I'm in a somewhat enviable position of having a day job. Writing books is a hobby and I don't have to depend on it to earn my living. Since I'm not doing this for the money, I have the luxury of being able to write what I want (as long as I can convince the publisher!) Whereas authors who depend on writing for income are under greater pressure to ensure their books sell.

That is the one of the reasons why I don't see myself giving up my career to pursue full-time fiction writing anytime soon. I don't want to be in a position where sales become so important that I feel the need to churn out books and series at the expense of the quality of writing.

Having said that, it would be silly to deny the importance of book sales. Fashion guru Michael Kors once said on an episode of Project Runway, that fashion is both art and business. I totally agree and I feel that this statement applies to books as well. Authors need to understand that a book they put out should at least have a chance at commercial viability. Publishing something that nobody wants to buy is just narcissistic and a waste of trees. Write a journal then.

Before I become an author, I thought how nice it would be to have a book published, end of story. Now that I'm one, I find myself looking at sales numbers, hoping my books will sell well. For the publisher, sales are critical to survival. A book that doesn't sell hurts their bottomline because it translates into real costs for them. Book publishing is a tough business to be in in this day and age where reading, especially fiction, seems to be low on the priority scale of most people. The stats are pretty scary.

In a challenging landscape, there's bound to be politics and underhanded practices and it's the same for the book industry. Becoming a published author has been an eye-opening experience for me. I won't go into detail but I was like a wide-eyed country bumpkin when I heard about some of the cut-throat stuff that went on behind the scenes in the industry.

Did I expect that because this was an industry that dealt with books, people would all be aboveboard and function with integrity? You can call me sotong right now. Even a seemingly minor decision like getting a book agent for school talks and sales created a moral dilemma for me. Originally, I was linked up with a book agent whom I had reservations about because she was rude and abrasive. Later, I heard that she treats books purely as a commodity and found some of her sales tactics questionable. I saw her once at a school book sale and was rather put off by her behaviour.

I couldn't imagine partnering with someone like that, let alone entrust my precious Danger Dan to her. Thankfully, I think God must have been looking out for me because before any arrangements were made, my book agent was changed to Denise of Closetful of Books instead and it has been such a blessing. Even though Denise is less established in the business, she is a fellow book lover and only recommends books that she has read and loves. We hit it off almost immediately and I knew Danger Dan was in good hands.

On Lesley-Anne's birthday, Denise surprised her with a gift - a visual art book of writer Neil Gaiman's speech "Make Good Art". All because she heard Lesley-Anne mention once that she loves Neil Gaiman. Such a sweet and thoughtful gesture. (Incidentally, that keynote speech for Philadelphia's University of the Arts is inspirational - it encapsulates so much of my own philosophy of life. You can read it here.)

For all my naivete, I've been incredibly fortunate. Epigram Books has been a godsend. So has Denise. I don't know how well Danger Dan will do and whether it will take off, but if it does, I'm glad that I will be sharing Danger Dan's success with people who have their hearts in the right place.

For the love of ballet

Lesley-Anne started ballet classes when she was in p2 and over the next 9 years, the once-a-week lessons became a familiar and much loved routine.

In a ballet class, the kids move up the grades as a group so the parents saw the girls grow up together, at least those who stayed with the centre. It's really great to see these cutie pies blossom into young ladies.

Earlier in March this year, Lesley-Anne took her Grade 8 ballet exam. The usual pre-exam ritual - hair done by her wonderful teacher, Ms Chew:

Stretches and last minute practising before the exam:

Since Lesley-Anne began JC this year, her schedule has been jam-packed and I'd suggested that she stopped her ballet lessons after Grade 8 exam, especially since she was already in the modern dance CCA in school. However, she was adamant about continuing - that's how much she loves ballet.

It seems like God had other plans though because right after the exam, her beloved ballet teacher announced that she was moving the classes to the other end of the island. That put an end to the discussion right there and even Lesley-Anne had to admit, "Ok, I think God is telling me to stop."

It's bittersweet for her but the timing was practically perfect. And as a very nice round-up, Lesley-Anne ended up earning a Distinction for her exam.

I wouldn't say that dance or ballet is for everyone but in Lesley-Anne's case, it was truly a blessing. It gave her, a very shy girl, a physical outlet of expression and through dance, she could come out of her shell.

This was her at her very first ballet exam:

And at her last one:

She couldn't have asked for better dance mates or better teachers. What a glorious 9 years.

Mars and Venus

The other day, I asked Andre what topic he was studying in school for science. He told me human reproduction and then followed it up with "it's the most horrible topic ever".

I thought oh, it's probably because he doesn't like to hear the gory details about the birds and the bees, or maybe it's the pictures that embarrass him. Here's a boy who can't hear the word "boob" without covering his ears and emitting a squeal.

Instead, he looked at me accusingly and said, "Your menu-station cycle lah! So complicated! So many different days to remember! And all those words to spell! Like ovulation and o-estrogen!" (He pronounced the 'o').

I almost felt obliged to apologise on behalf of all womankind.

Recently, I was looking at photos of our past holidays and realised how much Andre had grown from his relative height and size with Lesley-Anne.

This was June 2012:

June 2013:

And June 2014:

The funny thing is now that Andre's taller and larger than Lesley-Anne, he's passing her sports t-shirts that he has outgrown. Lesley-Anne accepts them with grace but muses that there's something very unglam about wearing hand-me-downs from one's YOUNGER brother.

However, despite his physical growth over the past two years, Andre is still very much a child at heart. He has given me advanced notice that he intends to be a bachelor forever because a girlfriend or wife would just take up his time and spend his money. "How am I going to have cute grandchildren, then?" I pouted. "Go ask jie jie," he replied adamantly.

I've not given up hope yet. Maybe once the hormones hit him full swing, hearts will start swimming in front of his eyes. While he's no heart throb, I think he's shaping up to be quite a pleasant looking chap (ok, mother's bias) so maybe a couple of girls will start looking his way sometime in the future. They'll probably need to be a lot more obvious than flutter their eyelashes though. And if they're smart, they won't use the word "boob".

Bringing Danger Dan to schools

During the June holidays, we had a break from school talks but once Term 3 began, our school talk circuit kick-started once again.

Lesley-Anne and I were very privileged to have been invited to speak at and conduct a workshop for the inaugural Writer's Congress, organised by the East Zone Centre of Excellence for English Language (Primary).

Some 43 students from various primary schools in the East Zone attended the workshop which focused on creative writing. The kids were very engaged and participative, especially during the game segments.

There was a period when the kids had to wait to leave the classroom and they all whipped out Danger Dan without prompting!

Queuing up for autographs.

After the workshop, the students had to fill in a feedback form and we were sent the results last week. About 80% gave us an 'Excellent' rating and more than 95% gave us an 'Excellent' or 'Very good' rating! Yay! Some of the written comments mentioned that the sharing session was really inspiring and this was one of the best programmes they've attended. Such encouraging feedback - we feel very blessed indeed.

If you're a teacher and would like us to speak at your school, you may contact our book agent, Denise at denise@closetfulofbooks.com or 9146 5522. We have a half-hour talk ideal for morning assembly where Lesley-Anne shares how she grew her love of reading and writing, and how she overcame obstacles to become a published author. We also conduct a 1.5-hour creative writing workshop, similar to the one mentioned above. Target age for both the talk and workshop is p3-6.

Here's a picture of a school talk I did a couple of weeks ago at Corporation Primary School. I did this one solo as Lesley-Anne had lessons in school.

Incidentally, we received this book review from an eight-year-old boy named AJ. We're so thrilled by the effort he put into both the writing and drawing. We think he's enormously talented and we love how he calls Danny's ears "extremely, extremely, extremely, extremely ginormous"! Thank you, AJ, you made our day! 

Increasingly, we've been hearing how kids enjoy our books and that makes us really, really happy. A mum told me that her son has been finding school stressful ever since they returned to Singapore and she's glad to see him chuckle to himself when he reads Danger Dan. Many Singaporean kids are far too serious and have little leisure time, so to know that our books make them laugh is the greatest feeling ever.

So here's a call to action: if your kids are between the ages of 8 and 12 and have enjoyed reading Danger Dan, why don't you drop us a line? We're looking to print readers' reviews in our upcoming Book 4 - Danger Dan Traces the Perilous Poison. Get them to pen a couple of sentences telling us why they like Danger Dan and send us a message on the Danger Dan Facebook page.
 
You can see samples of students' reviews in Danger Dan book 2 & 3 (page 1). Deadline: National Day, 9 August 2014.

Danger Dan book 4 in progress!

Here's a short update on Danger Dan: book 4 - Danger Dan Traces the Perilous Poison is shaping up very nicely! We met up with Epigram Books recently to discuss illustrations and edits and we're very pleased with how everything looks.

This is the part of the process that's the most fun - when the text is 90% ready and we see our words come to life under the hands of our wonderfully talented illustrator, James and designer, Lydia. Sometimes when suggesting illustrations, Lesley-Anne and I would wonder if it was even possible to draw Danger Dan with such complex expressions but we've never been disappointed yet!

Proposed covers. The difficulty was coming to a decision - around the table, we all liked a different one!

Danger Dan Traces the Perilous Poison is expected to be published in October, just in time for the year end school holidays. We're looking to print kids' reviews in the book so if your kids are between the ages of 8 and 12 and enjoy reading Danger Dan, why don't you drop us a line? Ask them to pen a couple of sentences telling us why they like Danger Dan and send it to us via private message on the Danger Dan FB page. You can see a sample of these reviews on the front few pages of Danger Dan books 1-3.

Deadline: National Day, 9 August 2014. We also welcome reviews from social studies/history or English teachers. If you're one and you think Danger Dan is great for kids, we'd love to hear from you!

Just another view on the NLB book-banning saga

Regarding the recent NLB saga, I initially told myself I wouldn't comment on it. It wasn't that I had no views on it - I had mighty strong views. But I found the whole incident distasteful and there was already so much mudslinging, I didn't want to add to the controversy. So I stayed silent and I even tried to stop reading articles.

But my FB newsfeed kept flooding with all kinds of headlines that screamed at me. Then yesterday, a reader Grace posted in the comments column asking me what I felt as a mother, writer and Christian. I told her I didn't want to write about it but later, it nagged at me that she was right. This saga hits me on all three fronts. By not addressing it, I was behaving like an ostrich. So I mustered up my courage to write a post and here are my views on the matter:

More than whether I feel that banning the books was right or wrong, I felt that it was UNNECESSARY. It turned a small matter into a colossal one. It widened the rift that had already begun to grow in recent years and became a battle of us against them.

As a result of the book banning, some Christians may congratulate themselves on having "won" this battle but the fact is we have won nothing. We have turned our backs on people, told them they have no place in our public libraries and in doing so, turned away more people from Christ than ever.

As a Christian, I believe that homosexuality is wrong because it says so in the Bible, which I accept as truth.

"Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality." - 1 Cor 6:9

However, the Bible never said to bring out your pitchforks. That's where I think many Christians trip up. I get the impression that Christians sometimes feel like they're obliged to take certain sides. If homosexuality stands on one side, they HAVE to take the other side because that has to be the right one. It's almost as if how hard I wave the anti-Pink flag is an indication of how strong my faith is.

I beg to differ. Taking actions in the name of Christ is dangerous when it's done without thought or love. Just because you call on God's name doesn't mean what you're doing is holy. For example, the witch trials in Salem in 1692 - where they persecuted and put "witches" to death, was done in the name of the church. I'm sure all the people who were for it thought they were fighting the good fight against Satan. It's mob mentality and religious frenzy at its worst, preying on the irrational fears of people.

Standing up for what we believe in should not entitle trampling on what others believe. Otherwise you might as well disband the Presidential Council for Religious Harmony (of which the Archbishop is a member). And going with the majority is a flawed argument. If you lived in a Muslim country, would you readily accept that you had to live by Islamic beliefs because they formed the majority? Or would you want the freedom to live out your own beliefs?

If only Christians would pour as much energy into eradicating some of the other sins listed in the Bible: greed, lust, envy, sloth, anger and pride, for example. Incidentally, the greatest sin is Pride. Not homosexuality. Pride.

"He is puffed up with conceit and understands nothing. He has an unhealthy craving for controversy and for quarrels about words, which produce envy, dissension, slander, evil suspicions." - 1 Timothy 6:4

Sometimes, I wonder why some Christians make such a big deal about homosexuality vs all other sins. I suspect it's because for all other sins, it's hard to claim we're blameless. We have all lied at some point, been envious (that rich guy throwing money around!) or been lazy (played Candy Crush when we were supposed to be working!) But in the area of homosexuality, straight Christians know they have not and will never sin there. So it's easy to focus on that. If that's true, then we need to take a long, hard look at ourselves and realise that our feverishness against homosexuality has nothing to do with righteousness and everything to do with self-righteousness. Another possible reason is the fear of a community we don't understand. And so instead of trying to understand and empathise, we choose to shun and despise.

Now, let's come back to the book banning and look at the books in question: parents said they didn't want their four-year-olds to accidentally come across the books and somehow be corrupted by the gay agenda. First, there are like a gazillion books in the library and the chance of your kid picking it up is already slim. Second, if you are a concerned parent, you're likely to pick the books for your four-year-old. But ok, for the sake of argument, let's say your child really does pick out this one book unsupervised and reads about two male penguins looking after a baby penguin. What are the chances he'll make the connection: "Oh! It's telling me a family can have two daddies and no mummy!" And then, finally make the further ludicrous connection: "I therefore want to be gay!" Seriously. Adults are the ones who project their own beliefs and prejudices onto things. Not children. Four-year-olds are more likely to think: "That baby penguin is very cute. I wonder if I can get mummy to buy me a toy penguin."

By banning these books, we're enabling a breed of parents I often come across - protective to the point of paranoia, where they feel they need to bubble wrap their children to shield them from every danger in life, real or imaginary.

And why only ban these books? Do you know there are children and young adult books that feature premarital sex? And divorce? These are all sins in the Bible too. (I sure hope I'm not giving NLB any ideas). And why stop there? What about books that depict greedy, envious, lazy, proud children? As a writer, I'm concerned that an institution should decide for me what sort of books I can let my children read. Already sometimes I feel that in writing, I have to be over-the-top mindful of being politically correct, lest people read some hidden meaning in my books, even if totally unintended. And as a writer, I'm completely opposed to the pulping of books because it disturbs me that a national library should think it's ok to destroy books. That's just a slap in the face.

To me, this unnecessary action of banning the books has snowballed into unhealthy territory. It legitimised zealots who now think that with the "majority" and authorities on their side, it's ok to publicly display their hate and disdain for LGBTs. There's already an anti-Pink Dot group formed. I foresee the LGBTs will retaliate with something else, and so on. Kinda like Palestine vs Israel - after a while, nobody cares who's right and what they're fighting for any more. Each side just wants to win.

It upsets me to see so many Christians behaving in such an un-Christian manner. The problem is that none of these actions were done in the "love thy neighbour" spirit. As long as something is done in the spirit of hate and strife, it's not backed by the Bible.

If you remember, Jesus regularly mingled with the people on the fringe of society - prostitutes, tax-collectors, lepers. He never lobbied for these people to be tucked away out of sight. He never lobbied for their rights to be taken away from them. He lived among them and made them feel loved.

It was precisely why the Pharisees were rebuked by Jesus although they were the religious leaders of their time. They were superior and judgmental. Behind their actions was not love for their fellow beings but self-satisfaction.

"Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited." - Romans 12:16

Pope Francis, ever since he became Pope, has steadily conquered hearts and minds across the world. He says unequivocally that homosexuality is a sin. But he also said: “If someone who is gay and is sincerely seeking God who am I to judge? They shouldn't be marginalized.” Here is a man who gets it.

“Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye." - Matthew 7:1-5

These are MY views - I can't stress that enough. You don't have to agree with them. But if it helps seed the idea that perhaps peace is the way forward, not war, then that's enough for me, as a mother, writer and Christian.

"Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: Love your neighbour as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these." - Mark 12:30-31

Student + dying = studying

When it comes to study methods, my kids are as different as night and day (ok, who am I kidding, my kids are different, full stop.)

Lesley-Anne is methodical and focused. She makes her own notes using multi-coloured pens and highlighters, and annotates her texts almost religiously. If there's something she finds difficult to remember, she tries different ways to jolt her memory, like redoing notes in other formats or organising them in little post-its which she sticks on her wardrobe. During exam periods, she holes herself in her room and emerges only for toilet and food breaks.

Andre, on the other hand, will simply stare at his books with a pained expression worthy of a Brazilian today after the World Cup semi-final match. When I catch him goofing off, he'll reluctantly read and re-read his textbooks. I tell him that reading the textbook is a very ineffective way of studying and force him to make notes, which he obediently does. Unfortunately, he copies down stuff in a notebook but without any form of processing so that when I do a random spot check and shoot him a question about something he'd just written half an hour ago, I'm usually rewarded with a blank look.

During exam periods, I suddenly behave like I have a multiple personality disorder. You'll hear me calling out to one kid: "Why don't you take a break? Like, really, take a break!" while screeching at the other: "Go study now! Enough with the breaks!"

Andre was supposed to study 50 成语 (idioms) during the school holidays. During the last week of the holidays, I asked, "Have you studied them?"

Andre: "They're very hard!"

Me: "I didn't ask you whether they were hard! I asked whether you studied!"

Andre: "But they're really very haaaaaaarrd! Even my friend who's very good in Chinese says they're IMPOSSIBLE." (Translation: he didn't do squat).

Me: "GO STUDY THEM NOW."

Two days before school reopened...

Me: "So do you know your 50 成语?"

Andre: "I think not bad. I roughly know 32."

I didn't dare ask what "roughly" meant.

Meanwhile, I asked Lesley-Anne whether she'd finished studying for her block tests, which were sadistically scheduled right after the June holidays.

"Well, more or less but you can never really finish studying for GP." And she scooted back to her room to do more revision.

How on earth did I spawn these two kids? I bet God is laughing at me right now.

These anecdotes make for a funny story but as parents, there's the underlying concern that our kids are not motivated to do well in school. I can keep nagging at Andre to study harder but my personal belief is that by the time our kids hit secondary school, they're too old to be hand-held and constantly told what to do. The motivation to study needs to come from within. They need to take ownership of their actions and understand the consequences, because at the end of the day, it's their life.

For my kids, I feel it all boils down to the fact that Lesley-Anne sees meaning in what she's studying whereas Andre doesn't. Over the past six months or so, Kenneth and I have had chats with Andre about his future and what he wants to do in life. He's told us in no uncertain terms that he's tired of all this mindless studying for subjects which he feels has no bearing on his future.

I've always believed that as parents, our role is to help our kids identify their dreams and goals in life, then provide the guidance and support to help them achieve these goals. The thing about kids is that they often don't know what opportunities are out there so their mindsets are pretty limited. So for Andre, what we did was to consider his personality, his abilities and interests, and show him what the possible options are. We showed him websites, let him talk to various people and the upshot of it is that he's now very keen on going into a particular industry.

I won't disclose what it is yet as it's still early days and things can easily change but for now, Andre's eyes light up whenever people talk about working in the industry. Even though it's a long way for him before deciding on a career path, having a goal such as this is good for kids like Andre who find school dull, because it gives them purpose. It also gives them direction which has immediate value for charting the education journey (eg. what subjects or courses to take). Andre now knows for each next leg of his schooling path, what he needs to achieve, which is more tangible than just "study hard and get good grades".

Little steps but hopefully in time, we'll get there.

The finer points of parent-teacher conferences

Before the school holidays, I attend the Parent-Teacher Conferences (PTCs) for both Lesley-Anne and Andre.

I have mixed feelings about PTCs. On one hand, I want to know how my children are doing in school. On the other hand, sometimes knowing is worse than not knowing. You know what I mean - going to a PTC only to hear the teacher confirm your worst fears about how badly your child is doing is about as enjoyable as having a root canal. Students definitely feel the same way because Lesley-Anne told me that her classmates who weren't doing very well in school were the ones who actively discouraged their parents from attending the PTC.

Another reason for not liking PTCs is that I usually don't really get much value from them. I feel compelled to attend them but I really don't need to meet the teacher to hear that Lesley-Anne should speak up more or that Andre needs to pay attention in class. Tell me something I don't already know.

But this year, I was pleasantly surprised both times. Andre's PTC, for instance. Andre's results haven't exactly been stellar so I was half expecting the worst. Instead, his teachers never once mentioned his grades and one by one, told me that he's a very nice boy with a great attitude.

When we met the Chinese teacher, I thought we would be admonished for raising a son who believed that scraping by with a passing grade for Chinese compo was the pinnacle of achievement. Instead, he said that Andre has a good attitude and just needs to have more confidence in himself. Although when Kenneth asked where Andre's weakness lay, the teacher did say "when he picks up his pen." Alamak! Somebody hand that teacher a trophy for stand-up comedy. 

Ok, I know I shouldn't laugh but sometimes, the best way to approach a situation is just to have a sense of humour. Andre's Chinese is what it is. Angst-ing over it is not gonna make an iota of a difference. I'm thankful that his teachers appreciate him for who he is and don't judge him simply based on his report book.

For Lesley-Anne, I wasn't expecting much since the school term only started in mid-February and the teachers have had limited face time with the students. In the past, some of her teachers barely even remembered her name until later on in the school year. So I was astonished when a few of the teachers displayed a keenly astute perspective of her personality, right down to who she gets along with in class and whose views she doesn't agree with (if you know Lesley-Anne, you'll understand that this is no mean feat because here is a girl who doesn't talk much and doesn't publicly reveal her emotions). They brought up specific instances of her behaviour, which showed that they saw her and paid attention.

But what I was most pleased about was that most of them seemed genuinely interested in her as a whole person. They didn't just zoom in on her schoolwork - they asked about her CCA and external activities. They felt that she had a lot to offer intellectually and wanted to help her grow. It was a refreshing change from PTCs where teachers made general statements based on grades. Oh, and that she should speak up more. I'm not sure if it's this school or just her batch of teachers but when I left the PTC, I felt that Lesley-Anne was very blessed to have such nurturing teachers.

As mentioned earlier, PTCs are a touch-and-go affair. I don't always emerge from them feeling like I've gained anything but this year, I'm very glad I went. I came back less worried about my kids' immediate education journey (for the rest of the year at least) because I know they're in good hands.

Thank God for good teachers.

Wake up and smell the coffee!

It was a decision that took about two years but I've finally done it - I've jumped on the Nespresso bandwagon. 

For as long as I can remember, I've been a 3-in-1 coffee drinker. To be more specific, Super 3-in-1 Rich Coffee Mix. Among the myriad of coffee mixes I've tried, that's the one which stands out for me in terms of taste. Plus it's very convenient. Tear the sachet, pour in the hot water, tah-dah! Coffee.

So this went on for years, until about two years ago when my sister started nagging me to put a stop to the 3-in-1. "It's so bad for your health!" she scolded. More specifically, according to her friends who are nurses, the palm oil and other preservatives in such mixes can have long-term health effects.

One thing I've come to realise: before I hit the age of 40, health warnings bored me. I would have said "Aiyah, it's just another fad! In 10 years, they'll say 3-in-1 is good for you!" But once I hit 40, such bits of info weren't brushed away quite so easily. Somehow, they creep into my mind and cause niggling doubt because I know my body is already on the downhill slope. My eyesight is deteriorating so badly that my kids now read all fine print for me. On the recent trip to London/Paris, I wore knee guards everyday so my knees wouldn't give way from all that walking, and after day 2, I had to pop into Boots to buy anti-inflammatory pills to soothe my aching back. Ageing is not glamorous. The last thing I needed was palm oil to cause my arteries to explode or something.

The problem was finding an alternative for the 3-in-1. My sister suggested a single-serve coffee machine. She had a Martello back then but I tried a cup of coffee and wasn't crazy about it. So I went on a tasting spree. Whenever I came across coffee machines on display at malls that offered samples, I asked for one. The Nescafe Dolce Gusto was released and I was hopeful - finally a coffee machine with a reasonable price-tag! But it was such a letdown. The coffee tasted like those insipid java-wannabes you get at Starbucks or Coffee Bean. No kick. Plus, to make a cappuccino or latte, you need to add a milk capsule which contains preservatives. Well, might as well stick to my 3-in-1 then! 

The cost of the machines and capsules was a big deterrent. My sister tried telling me it's still cheaper than drinking a Starbucks brew everyday, but that argument doesn't hold water cos I DESPISE Starbucks. I prefer local kopi to ang moh coffee any day. My favourite is the kopi from Toastbox (I find that among the local kopi joints, Toastbox is the most consistent in taste). If only there was a Toastbox within walking distance from my home.

So after a while, I tossed out the idea of coffee machines and explored other forms of instant coffee. Instant coffee powder, where you add milk and sugar, 2-in-1 which is basically just coffee powder and sugar. None of them stuck. The taste was disagreeable and some of them caused havoc with my stomach. After weeks of utterly unsatisfying attempts, I reverted back to my good old, preservative-laden Super 3-in-1.

Then about a year ago, my sister replaced her Martello coffee machine with a Nespresso U. She invited us to try it and whadya know, it was actually not bad! I realised that what made the difference was the milk. Her Nespresso U came with a milk frother and adding the steamed milk to the coffee ramped up an ok beverage to a wow one.

But still, I vacillated. I told myself it was expensive. I think subconsciously, I didn't want to part with my beloved 3-in-1. Before I was about to leave for London, my sister told me that Nespresso is much cheaper in Europe than in Singapore and she urged me to stop the 3-in-1 habit. Ah yes, the artery-exploding palm oil. Darn it, I thought I'd put that behind me. (I may be making my sister sound really naggy but she isn't, she's very sweet. She really cares about my health and my arteries.)

I guess God must be on her side because Nespresso recently launched the new Inissia model, which is the smallest and cheapest one yet. (Incidentally, Nespresso releases a cheaper model every few years to try and capture a new market but they all essentially work the same way, so there's no point getting the higher end model. The Inissia has all the same functions as the Pixie). In addition, there was a special promotion until 30 June 2014 where for $238, you get the Inissia and a free Aeroccino (the milk frother). You'll have to buy 10 sleeves of coffee capsules though, but you'll need to buy them eventually anyway.

I checked out the prices in London (unfortunately we were in Paris during a public holiday and the Nespresso boutiques were closed). They were offering a very attractive £40 discount off the Inissia, which made it only £49! The Aeroccino was £50. However, the discount was valid for UK residents only. I calculated that at full price, it would be cheaper to get it in Singapore with the current promotion (plus I wouldn't have to lug a bulky machine back home). So I only bought capsules which are significantly cheaper in London (about 65cts per piece vs 91cts here).

Long story short, after I returned home, I went to Takashimaya and bought me my very own Nespresso Inissia with Aeroccino and a whole bunch of Arpeggio capsules. Singapore only brings in the red and black machines for now, none of the limited edition colours. I chose the red one and the black Aeroccino.

I've used the machine for over a week now and here's my verdict:

It makes a very satisfying cuppa joe and the star is really the Aeroccino. If you drink your coffee with milk like me, it makes all the difference. In a couple of minutes, the Aeroccino whips up a batch of hot steamed milk, topped off with a layer of foam (I recommend removing the whipping ring so you don't get half your milk turned into foam). Besides making the coffee that much creamier, the plus point is that I end up drinking a lot more milk (vs 3-in-1 which is basically dairy creamer and a ton of preservatives).

Some tips: I use the Arpeggio and Decafe Intensio (for night) capsules as I like the taste - strong and smooth. They're meant to be extracted as an espresso (40ml). Nespresso tries to tell you that you have to buy the Lungo capsules if you want to make a larger cup of coffee, eg latte (they cost more), but that's rubbish lah. I've used the Arpeggio to extract 110ml (this is the setting for the lungo button on the Inissia) and it tastes perfectly fine. Add milk to the lower line on your Aeroccino and you'll get a wonderful full cup (as in the picture. Yes, I use a Disney mug ☺)

I think it's a modern marvel, these coffee machines. I can't understand how you can turn on a cold machine, press a button and have HOT coffee instantly flow into your cup. Even a kettle takes time! Same for the milk. It's very easy to use, super convenient. Just fill up the water tank when it runs low. Cleaning up is a cinch too. The discarded capsules collect in a container that you empty once in a while. The Aeroccino is like a large metal mug that you rinse out.

I'm loving my two cups of Nespresso a day. My arteries are safe for now. Added bonus: each time I make the coffee, my home is enveloped in the lovely java scent that lingers for hours ♥♥♥.