Toy Soldiers

My boy has a penchant for soldiers, as with most boys. In his toddler days, he aspired to be a soldier when he grew up. I cannot fathom being one in any stage of my life... A soldier is essential as a country's defence force but the association of a soldier with violence seems inevitable in my mind as news of territorial fighting with armed violence in the world seems rampant. The entertainment industry tends to glorify war movies but the atrocities in a war immensely overwhelm any justified victory :-(

While Singapore is a small nation, it is beefed up by a strong defence force. Other than the political argument, I see the mandatory 2 years of National Service for its male citizens at age 17-18 as a plus from a social standpoint. The boys grow to become more mature mentally and emotionally! It roughens their charisma, makes them rugged, fosters comradeship and patriotism. Some may argue it as a waste of time for Singaporean men economically but the character that's built in the 2 years is priceless...

When my boy was introduced to soccer in his kindergarten days, he began a love for soccer and played in league matches with his academy team. His ambition changed - he aspired to be a professional soccer player! We didn't want to discourage 'the ambition' as his passion is admiringly hot at his age. He follows world class soccer players and their matches, his wealth of current soccer knowledge is impressive. 

As he grew into his preteen years and became acquainted with maths and economics, his love for soccer hasn't dissipated. However, his logic grew. It dawned on him that it's excruciatingly difficult to become a world class player with Singapore as the base and when he realised that even the top player in Singapore rarely commands high price, his 'ambition' wavered with his pragmatism. As we all know, our ambitions change over time ;p Nonetheless, he still loves the idea of soldiers and soccer. 

London Trip with Mom

London never ceases to bore me even as I have visited it many times. Its wealth of culture, heritage, arts and scenic outskirts is constantly amusing visitors. Perhaps my comment is skewed - being Singaporeans naturally makes us more familiar with England since Singapore was once its colony, we are more informed due to Singapore's history. It applies more with my parents' generation, as evident in my recent trip to London with my mom.

I had travelled with my mom for vacations aplenty since my firstborn 11 years ago, however it was always as a family vacation. Over the years, I realised that such family vacations were always centered around the kids - the programs were geared towards kids such as beach vacations, theme park vacations or places of interests that appeal to the kids. Even the choices of holiday cuisine were limited as the children are not as adventurous in their tastebuds. Hence, all of us suit our itinerary and meal choices towards the kids. Imagine no sushi nor sashimi when we were in Japan :-(

Meanwhile my mom will make other travels with her own friends, while I ventured on couple travels or adventure travels, which were neither suited to an elderly lady. My mom's circle of friends always chose Asian destinations (especially China and Japan), likely due to language, culture and cuisine similarity. When I decided to bring my mom on a birthday trip this year, one that's tailored entirely to her needs, she surprised me by choosing London. 

So off to London we went. I planned the entire itinerary, bringing her to the essential sights and museums in London, peppering up with gastronomic experiences. Thankfully London is cosmopolitan, there are great restaurants that serve up excellent Asian dishes to satiate her savoury and spicy palate. We had a fair share of fine western meals too. The highlight was Claridge's Afternoon Tea that was reserved months in advance. Lovely assortment of sandwiches, scones with their infamous dollop of clotted cream, pastries over exquisite tea in a regal and charming ambience. The serving was too much for us but I made sure I had a bite of each. 

My mom was particularly delighted to visit any places of interest that relates to the Royal family - Birmingham Palace, Claridge's, Diana's memorial fountain, etc. She chirped happily and repeatedly that Singapore used coins and notes with the royal queen imprinted during the olden days. Even the post box was the exact british post box we see installed in UK now. Then it dawned on me that she was more acquainted with British history by first hand experience :-)

Parking Day SG 2014

September had been a hectic month, with the beginning a preparation of my first roadshow, figuratively and literally! Parking Day, which is part of an annual worldwide event where community members transform parking spots into temporary public spaces, became my first project showcasing my needle felted creations. While it was a simple installation of an Art Gallery, it was a logistically challenging feat, having to almost single handedly shoulder the entire project. Thankfully I had gracious friends and my little ones who chipped in to help, lifting some burden.

My main aim of the roadshow is to promote the art of needle felting - creating an awareness and understanding of the craft, as well as an appreciation of the intricate yet amusing art. The event turned out rather meaningful, having a fair stream of lunch time crowd and friends who came to support and visit the gallery. My girl assisted to demonstrate the craft to the public, as well as teaching the curious ones the art of needle felting.

The day panned out well despite the relentless scorching sun. It poured suddenly during midday and I had to scramble to shift the installations under shade (with the help of visiting friends) and not long after, the sun came scorning on us again. We moved the installations a couple of times depending on the sun intensity and human traffic. Logistically comical but it added to our memory bank of fun moments :-)