This is the Day, by Fred Hammond

My First Unknown Friend
This is a song I was taught at Church of St Francis of Assisi, the first church where I met my friend, Jesus Christ, someone whom I talked to… Little did I know that it was all REAL…..

Importance of Our Body
This Daily Bread has been with me since last year’s Advent. But I was not in the mood to read (my body was not at all in ‘working’ condition.) But yesterday, I took it along so that I can read it in the MRT. Though I was not in the optimum ‘working’ condition, but at least I am ‘half-kicking’.

What You See
I managed to have a seat when someone just happened to leave. Everyday of my pregnancy, I feel terrible — inside my mouth, lots of saliva ‘coming out’ (mouth-watering), and it does not ‘taste’ good. It makes me so uncomfortable. This happens for all my three pregnancies. The first one started somewhere in the late trimester. The second one earlier and this third one, throughout. Everywhere I go, I have to carry a plastic bag. Otherwise I need to drink water (not plain water) to ‘neutralize’ the effect of the saliva.

What You Cannot See
Nobody likes to carry a plastic bag everywhere they go. And nobody wants to behave like an alien, so different from people — and it looks unsightly, very disgusting with the bag of saliva. My mother told me to swallow my saliva. My sister told me not to also. My husband is also scared of it, thinking it is very dirty. Do you think I like it this way? Who do not wish to have a normal body like other people do? I just cannot help it, and it is my natural body response!

Plank In My Eyes
At the library, the security guard kept looking at me. He might be thinking what is inside the plastic bag. I definitely don’t feel good, but I cannot help it. Inside the train, I have to eat or drink, otherwise I would spit. Richard always told me when he saw me eating,”Hey, cannot eat!” You think I don’t know?

Plank In Your Eyes?
You are my husband. Did you ever supported me in anything? All you ever wanted is always I supporting you. I have to defend for myself. Fined me if you want, if this is the kind of inhuman society. What is the purpose of setting up all this rules? The main purpose is to keep the train clean, and hygienic. This is the most basic reason. Would you rather forbid someone from eating or to see the train with ‘vomit’? Some people are seen eating on the train too. Some are students, and some are adults. Not many people are doing that. And everyone might have their own reasons which you do not know, such as Type I diabetes. As long as they don’t litter the train, and are not interfering you! Laws ARE SET by PEOPLE. You got to be flexible at times.

Holy Spirit
We were all separated from each other in the train. While sitting at my seat, reading “Our Daily Bread” right from the very first page, I was so moved, and so touched. Tears covered my eyes as I read the words from the pages. (will elaborate more at YrManna.com). But I need to control, otherwise later Richard would ask ‘Why’ again — Ask and I explain. But everytime with disbelief. So I better save the trouble.

Coincidence or Fated
When more people got out of the train, we finally had a chance to sit together. Something caught my attention. It was the banner in the cabin:

The Banner says: Miracles Can Happen To You This April

Good News Singapore

Yes, I believe. Miracles do happen and Miracles do exist and anything can happen if you believe.

Prayers are heard.

It’s my job to bring you the Good News.

It was Saturday again, and I, together with the children, walked to church. Again, it is the three of us, only three of us….hm… or perhaps 3 + 1!

The weather was extremely hot, extremely, extremely and it is so terribly hot…. the same kind of ‘heat’ which I had when I was pregnant with Ricsson in the year 1996…

A Matter of Tails
Walking slowly to Causeway Point, we saw this black cat as shown in the photograph above lying on the floor. It looked like Puma cat, but the skin was not as beautiful as Puma…. We were arguing if the cat is Puma. The children said Puma had longer tail, and this one had a shorter tail — obviously they were right, and I did not notice it until I compared the photographs later!

Cats Are Amazing Animals
This cat was rather ’sickly’, and did not look as healthy as Puma. As we were walking away from the cat, a Malay woman came forward to touch the cat. I asked if she is the owner. She is not the owner of the cat, but from her, I know that the cat is a ‘Female’. She said,”You must know how to handle her!” She told me that she had seven cats at home and one had died… Puma cat owner also has seven cats at home. The Malay owner told me that Puma’s name was in fact called ‘Black’, and she showed me videos of her ‘weird’ or ‘funny’ cat at home — cat eating durian (durian-lover cat), and cat drinking water with hands (scoping up water with the paws). Those were really AMAZING Cats!

These are some more pictures taken on the way walking to the church of St Anthony of Padua.

Harvest Time

Alexandra Palm with many Philippine Glossy Starling. At the time I took the picture, most had flown away, leaving two behind…

The Cinnamon Story

The young shoot of Cinnamon

Family Of God

The same cat, Mary Cat, lying on the rock at Blk 336 Woodlands — used to wear yellow collar, but on this Saturday, it wore red collar.

Mary Cat was seen after church, lying on this rock here.

A Child was born
At this junction where I had always used to meet Puma Cat or Mary Cat, on this day, on the way to the church, I saw a woman(grandmother or babysitter) carrying a baby. Near the orange bus-stop was a group of people. At first, I thought these two groups of people belong together, but later on, I discovered that they walked different direction. The woman stood standing at the pillar of the linked shelter, carrying and ’shaking’ the baby in her arms…

来生缘
I was surprised, very surprised to learn on Friday, 26th September 2008, while I was posting songs of Andy Lau, my favourite song…. and very curious to know about his details (profile) as in Anita Mui… was surprised, very surprised to know that his birthday would be 27th September 2008…

This was my matrimonial home. It was blessed by Father Giles.

This is Richard’s maternal grandmother, a woman of great hospitality. I attended her funeral… the chinese funeral with taoist priests… and I dreamed of her…

This is Richard and me, our Chinese wedding day, offering tea to the elders. That was my mother-in-law’s house. The tea-offering was held in front of the altar, just like my case. I do not know exactly what Richard’s mother prayed to… but if I remembered correctly, it is a statue with white beard (Tua Pek Kong if this is correct).

This is my mother’s house, offering tea to my parents, in front of the altar. The brown Mary as shown in the photograph is the same as that I saw on 7th September 2008.

This is Richard and me at our church wedding. It was not a grand church wedding. I do not even know how to organize a proper church wedding…. it was really a simple and ‘basic’ church wedding only…

Marriage In God’s Plan
The marriage covenant, by which a man and a woman form with each other an intimate communion of life and love, has been founded and endowed with its own special laws by the Creator. By its very nature it is ordered to the good of the couple, as well as to the generation and education of children. Christ the Lord raised marriage between the baptized to the dignity of a sacrament.

It was 9.05am when the teacher called me. I am grateful that the teacher called me. I thanked her… really thanked her for her effort, and later, accepted my ‘request’ and ‘favour’.

Form Teacher
At the beginning of school, January 2008, the class was given a form from their form teacher, and that is how I got to know their form teacher, Mdm Chua. She was a good teacher. Everyday Clara came home, very cheerful, very motivated, telling me stories (what Mdm Chua had told them), asking me questions(to see if I know).

Everything changed when Mdm Chua gave birth to her baby. She had to go on leave to look after her baby. Clara loves the teacher. She even went to her website, sent her message (that was what she told me).

After that, who is the form teacher? One relief teacher after another one. I am also confused. Just yesterday, she told me again about the current form teacher… saying the class is always ‘last’ and the teacher always scolding the class…. Before this teacher, there was another one (relief teacher also)….

What The Teacher Said:
She had given out consent form for Supplementary Classes (long ago she said), and Clara did not sign it. I told her, Clara was absent a few days ago, she was sick. But she said, she had it.

I asked for the date of the supplementary classes. I did not even know any head or tail about it! I asked and jotted down the dates. I asked her for her name. She was reluctant to say her name, but “I am her form teacher.” But later on, she added, Madam Tan.

After saying so much, she was not going to allow Clara to attend the supplementary class. Then she would have missed the lesson! And she had already called me, and I have consented to it! After that, she agreed… and I asked her to help me to ask Clara to call me later.

Look Into It
She asked me to look into it.

Richard asked me: What are you doing?
I wrote about Biofocus International, he said I asking for trouble. I wrote about the school, he asked me not to write…..

I told him so many things, he also never listen. Bad things are so easy to do. Bad things are so easy to learn. And children ‘pick’ up the habits and learn everything, good and bad…

My fault…
I did not check her school bag. I did not check her handbook. I expect her to do all by herself, to be responsible. My mother was illiterate. My mother never had to check my bag. But I do everything myself. There were no student handbook also! So what if there is student handbook? When I check, it was blank…. soon, I also learned to leave the kids alone… let them learn themselves. I am so busy, I am thinking of earning money, money is a problem already!

You think I love to live this kind of life? I can look for a job, and not care about the family, have money, have CPF, but the family would even be worst!

Co-operation
Not every child in Singapore is born rich. Not every child can AFFORD to go school and have TUITION after school. Not every child is so fortunate to be borned into rich families or LOVING PARENTS who cared about their children. It JUST happened that I AM the unfortunate ONE that was sent to REPRESENT the illiterate, the unfortunate, the poor.

You cannot expect every parent to Check the work of the children. The parent can only tell the children. I always ask her, tell her, and if she wants to listen (it also depends on the teacher-student relationship)!

It takes two to tango.

Not Happy, Come Talk To Me
If I had written here, and anyone is not happy, come and talk to me. I need your help. I am most welcome to sit down with the teachers and the principal, if only you want to help. I am only a mother, a wife and I have to do so many things! Come lor, Come and talk to me, call me if you want. This is the kind of students-turned-parents that Ministry of Education had ‘nurtured’. If only you want to ‘entertain me’!!!

And How Do I tell YOU to look into it?
I TOLD, I CALLED the teachers of Qi Hua Primary School, to HELP… (elaborate in some other posts)… did THEY or did SHE…

Links:
QiHua Primary School
QiHua Primary School Crest
QiHua Singapore Sculptures
QiHua Victory
Which School To Go

Frasers CentrePoint Malls: Causeway Point
Address : 1 Woodlands Square
Singapore 738099
Telephone : (65) 6894 2237
Opening hours : 10.30am – 10.30pm

A snapshot of Causeway Point, standing at the entrance of Woodlands Civic Centre, while waiting for Richard (nothing to do… photo-taking another hobby, besides reading)

In 1995, Richard and I got registered, and married the following year… Moving to Woodlands, everything was new and fresh… We stayed at Blk 827 Woodlands st 81, and we took many pictures of our neighbourhood…

Causeway Point was under construction, and as soon as it was completed, we rushed to it. It was so spacious and new then. There were Taco Bells, the Teletubbies, the fountains, etc… It is our shopping place…. This is the place where we bought most of our household things. It is 11 years already…..eleven… and I even dream of it…

On 13th September 2008, I went Causeway Point after church to buy a printer. On that day, Clara told me about Causeway Point giving out vouchers… but I did not know the details. While on the escalator, I saw this big banner, it was nice and decide to take a picture of it “The Big Thank You Celebration”.

The Big Thank You Celebration 5-28 September 2008, Causeway Point

Spend $200 and Receive $5 Shopping Voucher
A lot of people on that day… so many people queuing up for the $5 Shopping vouchers. I did not queue up for the voucher… I had to go off as Patrick would be coming soon to my house.

Looking down from the escalator, this is what I see, the Thailand Exhibition… all Thailand stuff, handbags, jewelleries, etc

This is the final product I bought, Epson Printer…

One year ago, the family went UOB Plaza with Richard’s friends.

This is a photo of UOB Plaza and all high-rise building at Raffles Place. This was taken on my birthday.

UOB Plaza is a development consisting of two art deco skyscrapers in the city of Singapore. The complex has two towers, namely UOB Plaza One and UOB Plaza Two. The former is one of the three tallest skyscrapers in the city of Singapore, sharing the title with the OUB Centre and Republic Plaza. The latter is relatively shorter and older than the former with the building constructed in 1973 and reconstructed in 1995 to have the same facade as the newer and taller building. Both the two buildings are connected by a 45 metre long podium supported by four columns. The podium houses the banking hall of the United Overseas Bank’s main branch. The building was opened by then Senior Minister Lee Kuan Yew in 1995 which is 60 years after United Overseas Bank’s founding.

The towers have an octagonal base and consists of rotated cubic volumes, which is a distinctive stylistic expression of Kenzo Tange’s works in the 1990s. The cubic volumes on the octagonal base, they rotate on a 45 degree plane of reference and diminish in volume towards the top of UOB Plaza One. UOB Plaza One is a 280-metre tall building with 67 floors, and was completed in 1992. It is the headquarters of the United Overseas Bank and major financial corporations such as UBS. On the 60th floor, there is a restaurant, Si Chuan Dou Hua. The basement of the building houses a mosque known as Masjid Moulana Mohd Ali, which is run by Majlis Ugama Islam Singapura (MUIS). This mosque is the first in the Raffles Place district and is unique due to the mosque being located underground. This peculiarity has stirred controversy because to some Muslims, it is not good because it is located “in the bowels” of the earth.

UOB PLAZA: This photo was taken on 1st September 2007. We went there by MRT, alight at Raffles Place.

Our destination is Si Chuan Dou Hua Restaurant. As mentioned earlier, it is located at the 60th floor. We took the lift up. Inside the lift, Ricsson took photographs and I took photographs of the children… we were in high spirit.

This is the entrance to the beautiful restaurant, Si Chuan Dou Hua Restuarant

Si Chuan Dou Hua Restuarant
The address of the restuarant: 80 Raffles Place, #60-01 UOB Plaza 1, Singapore 048624
Tel: 65356006, Fax: 65345878

Being led to our seats: I took this photograph. This is so lovely, so nice. A great dining place, a beautiful place to eat.

Some more variety of seats… great ambience for fine dining.

Authentically Sichuan, Exceptionally World-Class
Spanning over a decade, Si Chuan Dou Hua has honed its mastery of exceptional fine dining, appealing to all senses with its authentic Sichuan cuisine, art of tea and elegant ambience….

60 Dishes Deluxe Feast
Enjoy our popular 60 Dishes Deluxe Feast à la carte buffet amidst the elegant ambience of our restaurants, Parkroyal on Beach Road and TOP of UOB Plaza.

Weekday Dinner, Mon – Thu
$35.80 (Adult) $24.80 (Child)

Weekend Lunch, Sat, Sun &
public holiday
$38.80 (Adult) $26.80 (Child)

Weekend Dinner, Fri – Sun,
eve & public holiday
$38.80 (Adult) $26.80 (Child)

It was a great day. After dinner, we walked around Raffles Place, sight-seeing and taking photographs.

More Photographs
Authentic Si Chuan Food
Si Chuan Dou Hua Restaurant

Can you tell me what the Senior Monkey tell the Junior Monkey?

I just wondered how thick is a THICK BUSHY TAIL, and how long do you think is LONG?

If lesson from the monkeys not enough, we have the cat. If the cat is not enough, we can have the dog.

Taming of Polar Cat

Polar Cat

I have not complete my ’story’ about Animal Behaviour yet, on the Question set by the school! Will continue on that…

This is getting so EXCITING and CHALLENGING.

I MUST WIN.

I MUST WIN THE BATTLE. MY NATIONAL SERVICE

I CHALLENGE YOU.

First, I want to show you my FACE.

Photograph taken on 7th September 2008, one day before my birthday, the day I was touched, and ‘kena provoked’ at the church…. OBEY GOD, NOT MAN.

This is my BIG FACE, two photographs, one above, one below.

Photograph taken on 7th September 2008, At Marsiling Estate, the place where Richard loves to eat the Bak Kut Teh.

How MUCH IS YOUR FACE WORTH?

Let’s see what is the LATEST ISSUE TODAY (I just discovered):

Modern Cosmetology

DETAILS OF WHAT ‘SHE’ WROTE:

# BIO FOCUS INTERNATIONAL PTE LTD Says:
September 12th, 2008 at 10:33 pm e

You been criticize people qualification and lawyer qualification is higher than you. Even teacher you also criticize. A road sweeper also gain people respect. First of all, is you want to accept for the invitation which you can reject. Is you want to accept everything in the first place no one force you. We do business not charity like all the businesses. You try the service people promote to client to buy package and is nothing wrong. Which business do not promote and you do insurance do you promote? Think before you comment. If you do not like beauty you can turn off the offer and yet you accept and make noise. Ask those lady go beauty, is there any beauty center in the world go beauty center with free package? Is you said you are poor don’t even earn $800 per month and just want come for free and want to sign up without forcing of $88 treatment. We did nothing wrong. Open up daily strait time even tv advert. How many center invite free trial to let client try out? Do they later promote package to client? You accepted the invitation yourself first of all. If said we are not right and which mean in singapore all the merchants are not right. You are too narrow minded and our clients did say is you want to try free thing and did we go to your house force or pull you to come. Understanding people and those need to do beauty know well. As you have advertsed your picture with heavy makeup and why criticize my poster of celebraties with heavy make up? You ask my qualification? I may not be higher than you and I let lawyer handle you. But, I may be more capable than you since you like comparison. I have been in business for many years and many clients base. You want proof again? Not only your heart have god, everyone does have too.Maybe, you are too jealous other women can make it going to beauty but you keep saying you can’t afford. Then don’t keep insulting us. Go and ask those go beauty how much they pay for treatment other place and is $88 very common. And go to counters selling products in departmental store and how much per bottles of products? I do not need to say people know maybe just you do not know and make a big remarks. And really a laughing story to our clients and saying you are a”weird” woman. You are focing me to comment out. Maybe, you do not know the law and consequences so you like to post libellous allegations of many others in you blog. Even criticize malaysian ,my staff the “Malaysian Style way” of talking. And is against nationalism. Let me tell you since you do not know the law. I can sue you for bankruptcy if you could not afford for my damages if i sucessfuly won the case. We are still calculation the damages amount $200k to $300K

# BIO FOCUS INTERNATIONAL PTE LTD Says:
September 12th, 2008 at 10:54 pm e
Bio Focus can accept feedback from clients but not defamation and insulting. A geniue and sincere client will feedback but not defamation.

Direct Copy and Paste. NO EDITING.

Let’s SEE WHAT IS WORLD-CLASS EDUCATION.

Some Reference For Head and Tail

Women’s Business
Facial Company Sue Customer

…Not DEAD yet… don’t know when is the last day yet:
BioFocus International Experience
Modern Cosmetology
BioFocus International
Pay To Suffer

Facial Company Sue Customer Matter:

Singapore I: The Divine Revelation; Moulding Our Nation
NUS REPUTATION:Singapore II: Answer Will Soon Be Out
Developing Courage
Do You Want To Save Your Mother
Unity Is Strength

MONEY OR LIFE

One ‘SPAT’ of ‘cold cream’ was what I felt on the face. The woman who at first, I do not even know the name, began the ’sales cycle’. Come on, I was an insurance adviser before. Aren’t I AWARE of any sales tactics? But I know my POSITION well. My position, no longer a sales staff, but a CUSTOMER on that day. I GOT asked about the so-called ‘FREE’ facial. And she said, it is only Vitamin C treatment, and the hands not moving. One ’spat’ on the face, and hands stopped!

Which Idiot also will Understand what this means
My FACE, it is my face IN THEIR HANDS. Can you imagine?? This is my TRUTH and REAL FEELING, at that time and still now. I CAN FORGET WORDS, but I WON’T FORGET FEELINGS, I won’t forget MOMENT. I won’t forget the faces whom I MET. I CAN RECOGNISE THEM if I Still be able to see them.

YOU KNOW COURTESY? PROPER WAY OF ANSWERING PHONE EVEN?
But who is the DIRECTOR? WHO IS SALLY? The phone number that called me, 91728588, who is it I also don’t know, but all I know is woman’s voice, very coarse and LOUD voice, that threatens and said she is going to take action!

Tell you, I am so tired of even mentioning this case. I wonder which lawyer would want to represent them. We shall then KNOW…… what SINGAPOREAN is all about… AND this is all the result of EDUCATION, the emphasis of MARKS, the emphasis of WINNING, blah blah blah…. Strike lottery, ‘THIO TOTO!!!!’

Some Reference For Head and Tail

Women’s Business
Facial Company Sue Customer

…Not DEAD yet… don’t know when is the last day yet:
BioFocus International Experience
Modern Cosmetology
BioFocus International
Pay To Suffer

Facial Company Sue Customer Matter:

Singapore I: The Divine Revelation; Moulding Our Nation
NUS REPUTATION:Singapore II: Answer Will Soon Be Out
Developing Courage
Do You Want To Save Your Mother
Unity Is Strength

MONEY OR LIFE

ANIMALS or MAMMALS
What It Means TO BE A HUMAN. What IT MEANS to be different FROM ANIMALS. What it means to be a TEACHER, and I am an UNQUALIFIED TEACHER.

Teachers’ Day Gifts

This is one of the Teacher’s Day present I received and I had kept till now. Many of the gifts, over the years had been given away when moving house, but somehow, this cup still remains…

I remembered the incident very clearly…..

This is a cup given by David, one of the student from Admiralty Primary School…. See the name of God is holy….

This is another gift, given to me as early as during my time in Boon Lay…… I forgot this is from who, but it must be from Boon Lay Garden Primary School….

WHAT IS A TEACHER?
To teach in school and you are called TEACHER? Is Trainer equivalent to Teacher also? Can Parent be Teacher also? Who is our Teacher?

Once again, THANK YOU Biofocus INTERNATIONAL. NEVER HAD I lived my LIFE so FULLY, so full of VALUES, so WORTHY of my LIFE… the keyword is WORTHY, a life full of meaning and WORTH.

It was such a TERRIFIC day, and this is how I spent my birthday: We went to Outram Park — Ricsson went for dental treatment at National Dental Centre Singapore, SingHealth. My experiences at National Dental Centre will be mentioned later. So many things to share….

After everything was done at the National Dental Centre, we left the building, and decided to walk to Singapore Flyer.

The Moon, with ‘Chang-er’ and the rabbits…

I was so high-spirited. It was the first time that everything was so ‘new’ to me, with ‘new’ meaning. It is the ‘kingdom of heaven’ within me… There is hope, there is life, there is HOPE…

Walking through Chinatown is ‘terrible’. I dislike the smell and the floor. I was so relieved when we finally came to Central Mall, and finally here, Singapore River…

Elgin Bridge, 1929: A wooden bridge already stood at this spot when Stamford Raffles arrived in Singapore. The present structure was built in 1926 to replace an 1863 iron bridge named after Lord Elgin, the Governor-General of India.

This is so beautiful… Never had I this feeling of beauty of Singapore…

City Hall Cat just resting above the entrance to Parliament House, very steady, immovable, staying there throughout the time when I stayed there…

From afar, I saw the Parliament House… again very inspired, very motivated, at the sight of it… such a wonderful and nice building, with the ‘logo of Singapore’ (state crest) and the flag standing on top of the building.

This ‘timid’ cat, came out again… went into hiding among the bushes when Clara ran after it. Just when I was about to leave the place, it came out again, running up the slope… Clara told me about it and I ran after it. It was then spotted here…

The Founding of Singapore Through Education
This is what Education is all about, and the founding of Singapore and the continuation of the story of Singapore, the success of Singapore’s story and the ‘evolution’ of education….

Singapore Parliament House: Walking Cats

The Same Cats I had seen on 3rd July 2008 and on my birthday, 8th September 2008…