Impressions from China - Crazy Weather

Poor trees...


Willow trees with leaves still green & covered with snow!







We were dumped with at least 6 inches of snow on November 1st after the Chinese authorities seeded the clouds. Temperature that day was a max of 6 degrees Celsius. The poor trees hadn't even had a chance to lose their fall foliage yet. As a matter of fact, many of the leaves are still green! Some of the branches on a couple of trees in our yard have snapped due to the heavy weight of wet snow which was caught on the leaves (as you can see in the pictures above).

It was frigid the next day with a max of about 4 degrees.

Today, just two days later, the max temperature was at a relatively comfortable 15 degrees (thought it felt warmer than that to me). I only needed a light sweater outside.

Next week on Tuesday, more snow is expected (whether due to seeding or not, I don't know) with max temperatures of 2 degrees expected!

All this yoyo-ing of temperatures is really quite annoying. The snow that arrived over the weekend caught us by surprise. I hadn't even taken our winter coats out yet nor our winter shoes! So now, on our heavily laden coat rack hang lightweight sweaters, a denim jacket, a couple of leather jackets, a couple of layered thickly insulated coats, and a couple of medium weight coats - all this to accommodate the rather wishy washy weather pattern we've been experiencing.

Global warming? El Nino? La Nina?

Whatever the cause is, I wish the weather would make up its mind already.

Road Bumps

Whoever said that parenting gets easier as the kids become older have got to be kidding.

College Apps

Early Decision, Early Action, Early Response, Regular Decision, Rolling Decision...

These are terms which we have had to learn as we travel down the sometimes confusing road of college applications with our older son. Even my American-educated husband is occasionally confounded by the new terms & processes that we have to go through in order to try to secure a place in college.

Common Apps, Supplements, "Reach" schools, "Good Fit" schools, "Safety" schools...

One additional challenge are the essays/personal statements that my son has to write to "sell" himself to the various colleges he is applying to. For those of us who enjoy writing, it's not so big of a deal. For him, who finds writing essays a bore & a tedious task, it's like pulling teeth. I am sometimes tempted to write the bl*** essay for him but he needs to do it on his own. But I have to say, the end products of his efforts are commendable. We'll see what the outcome is come mid-December, when the early decision & early response results are released (*fingers crossed*).

In the meantime, he still needs to continue working on the essays for "regular decision" schools.

Sigh.

Singlish*

*Singapore's version of pidgin English which, for the most part, can only be understood by native Singaporeans

This letter was published in last week's ST Forum:

Don't use culture as an excuse for Singlish

RECENTLY, there was a programme on television which discussed the standing of Singlish in view of the recent debate on using correct spoken English. One participant held the view that it was the country's culture which should not be eradicated - it was the flavour of Singapore.

If it is a cultural characteristic pertinent to Singapore, it must be at least more than 100 years old - which it is not.

When our forefathers came to Singapore from their homelands to find a better life, they had no education, or very little of it. Then, English was the lingua franca under the rule of the British. The immigrants were creative and resilient and learnt a few words of English to survive in an alien land. Their dialects were of no use except among themselves.

So, to survive, they had to use some English. From this was born pidgin English shorn of its grammar and sentence sequence.

The situation today is different - vastly different - and the need of our forefathers does not exist any more. Why then is there this tendency to cling to broken or fractured English?

Why must we take mistakes in semantics and elevate them into a culture? Is it because it is too much trouble to master correct usage of the English language and, like water, it is easier to flow down than up?

In the TV programme, Japan was cited as a country that did not speak English and did well, with translators at meetings. I have had business meetings in Japan, with Japanese CEOs who spoke impeccable English (without translators). And the same in China too, where the country's young are being groomed in correct English to make inroads into the English-speaking world.

If one can speak correct English, without translators, the one-on-one relationship gives an edge and develops a much stronger sense of rapport with the individual spoken to.

Our children must be given this edge and not be forced to rely on translators to decode their Singlish for the English- speaking world.

The choice has to be made now.


This is an oft repeated argument, & I wholeheartedly support the author of this letter. I always see the die-hards who argue that Singlish should not be put down, that those of us who speak proper English are trying to show off blah blah blah.

The point of the matter is, many Singaporeans think that they speak English when they actually speak Singlish. It is advertised that Singapore is an English speaking country. But the reality is when foreigners visit Singapore & talk to the average man in the street, they find it very difficult to comprehend what he is talking about.

Recently, a friend of mine whose daughter just graduated from an International school in Beijing & is now attending a university in the UK, told me that her daughter noticed that many Singaporean students there tend to clique together. And when they speak, it is difficult for the British people to understand them. That is the sad state of affairs now, with regards to spoken English among Singaporeans, even the most highly educated ones.

Another friend of mine in Beijing, whose son attends immersion classes in Singapore during summer breaks, told me that her son has to switch to speaking in Singlish during his stints in the Singaporean school (an elite school, no less), otherwise he is ostracized & made fun of for trying to speak like a foreigner!!! A fine example of xenophobia in Singapore, which, unfortunately, is not that uncommon these days.

Singlish should be treated as a dialect of its own. And learning PROPER English is a must for Singaporeans, if they want to be understood by others. Keep Singlish, by all means. But know when to use it, & when not to. Otherwise we will all sound like we are speaking gibberish when we speak pretend English (i.e. Singlish)

Talking Dogs

I love this!

talking dogs @ Yahoo! Video

Happy 40th, Sesame Street!

I grew up watching Sesame Street. Every Saturday & Sunday afternoon without fail, I would be glued to the TV set watching Big Bird, Bert & Ernie, Gordon, Oscar the grouch, Kermit (pre-Miss Piggy days), Grover, the Count & Mr Snuffalopicus, laughing & learning along with the hundreds of thousands of kids around the world.

I knew all the words of all the songs, and would sing along with the muppets & their human friends Gordon, Mr Hooper, Maria etc etc.

This November marks the 40th season of this educational program.

Happy Birthday Sesame Street! And may you have many more!

Impressions from China - Lockdown

I am certainly not going to even try to venture into downtown Beijing tonight. Roads are closing in preparation for the big parade & celebration in Tiananmen Square tomorrow commemorating China's National Day. Heard that there has been some major paranoia surrounding security leading up to tomorrow's big Do. Hotel windows being blocked off, residents in the surrounding area, being asked to temporarily move off site, etc.

I'm going to watch it on TV to see what they have been rehearsing so hard for. I'm sure it will be impressive. The Chinese tend to be very meticulous about things like this.

Unfortunately, the paranoia has also resulted in the Internet being blocked. Many sites are inaccessible & now, even proxies have been blocked!

We have resorted to subscribing to a VPN in order to access Facebook & Blogspot. So far so good....it seems to be working well.

Fingers crossed.

Remember

I can't believe I forgot that it is Sept 11 today until I saw a live telecast of a memorial service on TV.

Why did I forget? Well, like many, memories gently fade especially after 8 years. And especially when we get caught up in the day to day activities of, well, just living life.

But for those who lost a loved one that day in NYC, or those still suffering the after effects of the terror that ensued that day, they will never forget.

I wish them well and hopefully, peace in their hearts.

My son the Senior

One year from today, my first-born son will be a freshman in a college/university somewhere on the other side of the world.

When he was born almost 18 years ago, it was the start of an amazing roller coaster ride of an adventure,nurturing a new life that was entirely reliant on me for sustenence, then seeing him develop to an initially very shy toddler, to a sociable little boy, and now a strapping teenager on the cusp of adulthood.

I am proud of him, my very own teddy-bear-lovable-considerate-intelligent-guitar-playing-born-leader of a son. He is ready to fly out of our nest...more ready than I will ever be to let him go.

But it is a milestone in every mother's life to do so. And I hope when the time comes, I won't be a blithering, blubbering idiot.

It's He...ere...

The H1N1 virus has reached my boys' school. It was a MOT anyway, I reckon.

One child has been diagnosed with it, so his whole class has to stay home for the rest of the week for observation.

I hope they won't have to close the whole school down.

We'll just have to wait and see if the madness ensues...

Homicide

Definition: a killing of one human being by another (from the Merriam-Webster's Online Dictionary)

Michael Jackson's death has been ruled a homicide by the coroner. Whether or not his physician will be criminally charged remains to be seen.

This is a sobering reminder of the power that lies in the hands of physicians, in the form of know-how & accessibility to drugs, equipment, procedures and technology, that, if used wrongly or negligently, can result in death. Sometimes, even when used correctly, patients die, due to errors or unforeseen circumstance. In techno-babble, when something like this happens, it is called an Adverse Event.

When does an Adverse Event become criminal? I don't know the answer. I am positive that Dr Murray did not mean to kill Mr Jackson. But if he did administer all those drugs as reported, IMHO, that would amount to negligence.

Someone once said: "With great power, comes great responsibility."
(No prizes for guessing which movie this came from & which character said it :)... )

Why this particular doctor chose to do what he did...we can only guess that it was likely to be a combination of the lure of money + the fact that it was the King of Pop himself who had demanded the drugs to be administered.

Wealth and Celebrite can be a deadly combination.
Heath Ledger.
Anna Nicole Smith.
And now MJ.

What a waste.

EZPZ

If I were still living in Singapore, I would be gleefully joyful to discover this company that provides a service to help you ship mail ordered stuff from the States to Singapore at reasonable rates.

I'd order from here (my favorite store to shop at in the US!).

And here.

And maybe here if I needed to buy in bulk.

And I just KNOW that my guys would be ecstatic that they could shop from here.

McAllen, Texas and the high cost of health care: newyorker.com

McAllen, Texas and the high cost of health care: newyorker.com

Shared via AddThis

This is an insightful commentary on the state of health care in the United States.

Dr Gawande's suggestions on how to cut costs certainly make sense. Problem is: how receptive would doctors be to improving quality instead of quantity (i.e. making less money).

I see parallels happening (or already happening) in the state of health care in Singapore. I wonder which direction our doctors will follow? Towards quantity where the money lies? Or towards quality?

Different Faces of New York

My attempt at capturing the different aspects of New York with my amateur camera lens...

Grand Central Station


The New York Times building, I assume?


Memorial at St Paul's Chapel near Ground Zero


....supposedly the best hot dogs in town!


3 storeys of candy & ice cream!


...maybe about 10,000 calories total?





42nd Street


This is made of jelly beans



Rockefeller Plaza from the bottom


Rockefeller Plaza from the top


from the top of the Rock...


...and again...


...and again.


where I was touching distance from Constantine Marulies' shoes!


The not-so-pretty side of the Big Apple


We saw 2 film crews working on location on 2 separate occasions...looks like a popular venue of filming dark alley scenes!


Thought that interconnecting bridge at the top was cool.


Brooklyn Bridge in the background, man-made beach in the foreground


South Street Seaport


New York Subway


Chinatown


And some pictures from West Point in upstate New York

Travelog - New England : a pictorial journey

Mystic, Connecticutt



A pretty seaside town with wonderfully fresh seafood. Had a deee-licious lunch of lobster bisque followed by a baked dish aptly named Seafood Ambrosia comprising crab, scallop, cod and shrimp baked in a butter sauce topped with a seafood stuffing gratin at a restaurant called S & P Oyster Company. Mmmmm....
This is the restaurant where we had this...


New England Clam Chowder! And...

Lobster Bisque!





Newport, Rhode Island

The Breakers - a mansion owned by the Vanderbilts

The Breakers' "Backyard"


Another view of the Breakers


A Newport sunset - view from Newport Bridge


Brown University - Providence, Rhode Island


Lovely architecture typical of the buildings in this Ivy League university founded in the 18th century

The Van Wickel Gates - only opened twice a year: once when a new class arrives and once when the seniors leave upon graduation


Cape Cod, Massachusetts (where I pretty much had Clam Chowder every day - I shudder to think what my cholesterol levels are right now)

Salt Marsh Lake - along the eastern coast of Cape Cod

The following pictures were all taken at Marconi Beach, Cape Cod

Kind of reminds you of "Finding Nemo", doesn't it?



That black blob in the water is actually a seal. A group(a herd? or is it a pod?) of them were frolicking in the water just about 30 feet from the beach!


Couldn't resist capturing this picture of the cloud that reminded me of a face


Sand dune

Lovely beach- but the water was freezing!


Boston, Massachusetts


We found this car decal in the Harvard store (where prices of Harvard paraphernalia were ridiculously exorbitant)


Harvard (IMHO, Princeton is much prettier)



Inside MIT - was not impressed by the long corridors. Looked much better in Good Will Hunting.


MIT


The Boston cityscape as seen from across the Charles River

Impressions from China: Back & Blocked

Back in the land of the Great fireWall and am extremely frustrated with the blocks imposed by Chinese authorities on many internet sites.

I have to use a proxy to access blogsites, Facebook, Twitter etc. After being in the Land of the Free for the last month & a half, I feel the restrictions deeply...woe is me...:(

Will try to upload pictures in the coming days....hopefully it will work through proxies. If not, they'll just have to wait till the Chinese government decide to lift the blocks.

On a Break

Don't have a reliable Internet connection while staying at my MIL's place in the Big Apple so will try to post pictures of our travels when we return home to Beijing (provided the Great Firewall of China doesn't prevent me from doing so!!!).

Meantime, I am "tweeting" occasional updates on my Twitter account.....

See ya later, alligator!

Shop Till You Drop

It's almost 4.30 am here in New York City, & jet lagged woke me up from a deep sleep after an exhausting day of outlet shopping at Woodbury Commons. I badly need a massage now & I miss my blind masseure in Beijing! I could use a good ol' Chinese style kneading!

One thing that I have noticed since arriving here is the inflation of prices compared to one year ago. Toiletries, clothes, movie tickets (USD12.50 person!!! On a weekday matinee!), food....the cost of all these seems exorbitant, especially after one is used to the cheap cost of living in China!

I feel like the crowds that usually throng NYC, especially in the Times Square area, have thinned. I notice much fewer people in the stores and those who are there are mostly window shopping. The number of patrons in restaurants are also noticeably less. I guess the pinch of the economic crunch is felt more acutely here in the USA compared to in Asia where the malls & restaurants of Hong Kong & Singapore are still packed with people.

It is quite sobering to see a usually vibrant city like New York hurt like this. Let's hope that President Obama's efforts to stimulate the economy start to bear fruit soon....

New York, New York

I am sitting here in an apartment in the Tribeca area of the Big Apple & listening to the hustle and bustle of the city just outside the window. This really is a city that doesn't sleep (OK, maybe it just doses off in the wee hours of the morning). The background noise of traffic, and occasionally the muffled rumble of the subway can be heard most hours of the day (& night).

The smell of the city is also unmistakable - a mixture of exhaust fumes, a touch of sewage, & in the Chinatown area, the raw smell of fresh meat & seafood.

I have sticker shock and am appalled at the escalated cost of everyday essentials compared to a year ago. Maybe I've been in China too long. Food prices especially are exorbitant. A typical meal for our family of four costs twice or even three times more than what it would have in China.

I am looking forward to our road trip up to Rhode Island & Massachusetts, especially Cape Cod. I miss the beach & the ocean, living in land-locked Beijing. Will try to post pictures as we go along...

No more

RIP Michael Jackson. May you find peace. Finally.

RIP Farrah Fawcett. You fought a brave battle.

Hah???

I read this and said "Hah???!!!"

So I searched and found this and said "What???!!!"

Only 87 responses.

I hope this doesn't mean that the proposed changes will be adopted in its entirety based on this feedback.

That would REALLY suck.

Prelude

It’s been quiet around the house the last couple of days. Both boys are away on school trips and A & I are experiencing a prelude of what our empty nest will feel like in a few years.

I like the quiet. And it’s a whole lot easier planning meals for two (i.e. a lot of eating out!) than for four.

But it feels weird though, this emptiness. Disquieting. A disquieting quietness, how poetic. My mind can’t help but wonder how they’re doing, are they enjoying themselves, what kinds of meals are they having.

I don’t think I like it much.

Ostrich

People like this never fails to amaze me.

I wonder how Mr Tan intends to shield his children from a comprehensive knowledge of sex education, which, in my mind, SHOULD include being taught the use of a condom. Does he think that his kids are not curious about condoms? Does he think that information about using a condom is the same as promoting its use?

Geez.

Origins

Watched Star Trek yesterday & was blown away.

I've always been a fan of the Star Trek universe thanks to Star Trek: The Next Generation, & Star Trek: Voyager (have watched every single episode of TNG, been to a couple of ST conventions in the US & met one of the starts of Voyager, Garrett Wang. The original series was never appealing to me, a large part due to the fact that William Shatner's acting irks me (& still does despite his Emmy nomination). However, I was curious about the origins of how the diverse, & arguably the most ground-breaking ensemble in TV series history was formed & was hyped when I found out about the new Star Trek movie.

And it did not disappoint. It had me in tears (when Kirk's father died minutes after his birth) & laughter (mostly provided by the comedic talent of Simon Pegg who played Scotty). I was amazed that the producers could find actors who resembled the actors who played the original characters especially Zachary Quinto (yes, Sylar himself)who played Spock, and Karl Urban who played Dr "Bones" McCoy and had his speech patterns & enunciation down pat!

The other movie I watched recently that dealt with origins was Wolverine, with the ever-so-hunky Hugh Jackman. It had a darker storyline and more graphic violence, and despite some negative reviews, I enjoyed it thoroughly.

Next up: Night at the Museum 2. It has been a bumper month for movie blockbusters here in China where most English movies take months to make it to the big screen (if ever at all) hence resulting in the booming pirated DVD business.

Impressions from China - Spring Awakening

When I left Beijing for a trip to Singapore two weeks ago, there were snow flurries, the trees were mostly bare, & buds & shoots were just peeking out from their winter hibernation.

Now, two weeks later, there are greens & pinks & yellows & whites & reds all over. Bulbs are sprouting from the groud & temperatures are warm enough for shorts & sandals!

Unfortunately, despite Spring's renewal, there still sits a haze of smog. The Earth renews itself every year. But I wonder what damage we inflict on her with the pollution that spouts into the air every day.

Star Sighting

Guess who I walked past in the transit lounge of Changi Airport Terminal 3?

David Archuleta, runner up of last year's American Idol. Didn't recognize him at first until I heard him laugh the bashful way that he does.

He was smaller & shorter than I expected - probably why I didn't recognize him immediately. He was walking with an airport staff (maybe he is an unaccompanied minor???) in the opposite direction that I was going. When I heard his laugh, I turned around then saw some salesgirls gawking at him & muttering "American Idol...."

If he was David Cook, I would have run after him immediately!

:)

HUMID

I'm sweatin' like a hog here in Singapore....every move I can feel the droplets of sweat forming.

Ugh.

Excuse my absence

I've been awfully quiet lately, not because I have nothing to say, but because I have just been INCREDIBLY BUSY in real life (not that blogging is not real; it's just that blogging is writing about life, but in the meantime, I am too busy living life to be writing too much about it, you know what I mean?).

Meetings on meetings on meetings because of my volunteer work in school has meant less time for blogging. Although the words still churn in my head, especially when I am walking monotonously on the treadmill for 30 minutes, I can't find the time to write it all down. Plus the fact that SATs are coming up soon for son #1 (which means constant reminders for him to do practise tests - yes, I am an Asian parent), AND college lists have to made in preparation for college applications this fall (AAAHHHH!!!!) leaves me with just enough time to religiously maintain my "gymming" every other day, a relaxing body massage on weekends & some chill out time in front of the TV on some nights (although most of the time is spent looking at the screen while hubby channel surfs - Grrr).

I hope to blog more about the process of deciding on colleges for son #1, the impending empty nest syndrome, and peri-menopause (yes, I am that old).

Till then, please bear with me....