Tapestry

This is the first piece I am writing since onset of 2015... It's been a hectic beginning - adjusting kids back into the routine of school term, attending Meet-the-Parents sessions, social gatherings, work and family. Now I can finally sit back and pen my reflections, which may not be much, as it's a haphazard swirl of thoughts. These thoughts unravel in my mind as I needle felt or weave, which is one of the reasons why I enjoy poking. Needle felting is a slow, philosophic and silent occupation, which keeps you busy but gives you time to think of other things. It allows my mind to wander freely, pondering on life and its mysteries.

Too many incidences have transpired lately, social, societal and global, they serve as food for thought to life in general, leading to no satisfactory answer to each bit of wonder. Restlessness surfaces as the thoughts swim about, leaving me more thankful to each day, to each blessing bestowed, to each love in my life and hopefully I am able to give back all the blessings to all around me.

Maybe life is like a tapestry, with all the entanglements and weavings, everything is intertwined. There's no exact blueprint, the tapestry is weaved based on instinct and freedom of choice, and sometimes due to restraint, it's weaved in a different manner from original intent but still yields a fulfilling result. It echoes my experience with life, as well as my first tapestry weaving. I had an idea of what I want (breads), a vague design of the backdrop (baskets of breads on shelves) and my ideal (French floor tiles) and started weaving without outlining the exact count. I went along as it flowed. Not every tile is perfect but in the big scheme of the entire tapestry, it looks coherent. As I weaved on, I ran short on a color and could not replace it with the exact color and texture, I re-designed the backdrop into a store frontage instead. It turned out pretty well, a French Boulangerie :-)

Hollyford Track

My love for the mountains began when I did a trek in Mount Kinabalu 16 years back. I was awed by the grandeur of the mountain, the magnificent views atop the summit and the pleasing humdrum of simply walking on the tracks. Trekking has a therapeutic effect for my spirit, the mountain my sanctuary. There's always a longing to return to the mountains to rejuvenate my soul...

Tramping in New Zealand had been on my to do list since but somehow I went on other treks instead. I was in NZ this Nov for a fibre retreat and took the chance to extend my stay for a trek, albeit a short one!

I was alone on the trip and sensibility rules - instead of being an independent trekker, I opted for a guided trek. The Hollyford Track seemed luring as it covered a less tramped region, spreading from pristine native forests, valleys and lakes, historical sites, natural seal colony and climaxing it with a helicopter ride to Milford Sound, a wide range for a 3-day trek! I signed up without hesitation.

The experience with the Hollyford Track is in a league of its own! I had many boo-boos during the 3 day trek but every situation was salvaged by the organising team and scenic route. We had to carry our own backpack of 7kg and trekked 19.5km on the 1st day; by the end of the day, my shoulders were sore from the weight. Upon reaching our lodge, we were greeted by a lovely and cozy lodge furnished with beds and fireplace! A good night's sleep on a comfy bed does miracles to the body's healing. Furthermore, we were served a michelin style dinner with wine :-) What better way to pamper oneself after a hard day's trek?

Weather for Day 2 was rainy, which is usually a bummer for a trek. However, our knowledgeable guides perked the day imparting interesting history about the route which we trekked. In actuality, it rains most of the time at Hollyford Valley, making it a rain forest valley, with mists setting in, casting a mystical landscape, beautiful in its own way. We jet boated a bit, reaching the far out inaccessible places due to rain. During mid day, my right boot quitted on me, its sole ripped open - a nightmare for any trekker (I only had a pair of walking shoes)! Thankfully the guides were equipped with a handy kit, my boot was mended to withstand the rest of the trek.

At the last stretch of trek, we traversed the natural colony of fur seals and it was such a delight to watch them up close! Another highlight was the Fiordland crested penguins which were usually shy. However, due to the rain, most of them clambered ashore. In fact, one of them was so curious, it came as close as 1 metre from where I was. I was brimming with smiles :-)

Upon returning to the lodge (yet another luxurious hut), my boot protested after a treacherous 12km walk and totally fell apart. My resourceful guide managed to procure a pair of track shoes for me. It was a wee bit big but with stuffing of napkins, they worked pretty well for my Day 3 trek, which was a mere 5km walk on a sand dune island.

We were again spoiled rotten at Martins Bay Lodge with a generous spread of cheese board and wine, followed by a grilled salmon meal. The bar is certainly raised sky high for a trek! I may reconsider doing any independent trek in future ;p Breakfast affairs were equally sumptuous.

Day 3 was a relaxing trek despite bits of rain and hail. The route was scenic - undulating dunes with breaking waves and misty mountains as backdrop. We bade farewell to the Hollyford valley by climbing onto a chopper onward to a majestic descent to the Milford Sound, absolutely stunning!

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 :-)

Skiing

Winter sports is practically zilch in Singapore as it is a sun locked tropical island. In order to engage in winter sports, we have to travel far north or south at the opportune timing to catch the bountiful snowfall in the mountains. Unfortunately, the Northern and Southern Hemisphere snow seasons rarely coincide with local school vacations, depriving local students the opportunity of experiencing winter sports. 

I am a fervent fan of the mountains. Before I had kids, I would trek the mountains and soak in its grandeur and awe, especially snow capped mountains which serve as a sanctuary to my spirit. However, snowy mountains are far away from the equator or the nearer ones would command heights more than 3500m, rendering a longer time to scale these mountains due to distance. As a mom of 2 young kids, it is almost impossible to pluck myself away from them for more than 2 weeks as homesickness and guilt will kick in. 

In tune with family life, I had stayed away from long treks and greatly reduced my occasions atop snowy mountains. But the yearning will not be doused, leading to an alternative way to reach the summit in a much shorter time - skiing! I managed to escape into snowy mountains a couple of times while leaving the kids at home biding their school schedules ;p 

When the chance finally arose for my kids to ski with their favourite cousins living in Australia, I did not hesitate to take them off school for a couple of days. As young kids, they are ideally suited to learn a new sport - their sense of balance, agility and boldness are amazing! They mastered the green slopes in a matter of a 2 hour lesson, freeing them to ski breezily (I learnt to ski as an adult and had to conquer many psychological fear before achieving their ease!) Furthermore, skiing and bonding with right company adds to a beautiful experience, memories that will last a lifetime, whereas the few days of local school routine would be barely productive in a child's learning nor imprint a lasting memory. Here's a pic of my girl and her best friend cum cousin while skiing - a fond memory etched in her forever :-)

World Cup 2014

My boy started his love for soccer at the age of four when my 1st helper, Duhpuii whose love for soccer so great introduced him to the world of soccer as she followed her favourite teams and players. He would learn the names of the teams and players and became well-versed in them, more than his dad who is also a soccer aficionado. As he turned five, the World Cup 2010 hype was roaring in my household. We didn't subscribe to World Cup TV channels then, thus father and son would wake in the wee hours (as it was held in South Africa in a different time zone) and trot to MacDonald's for live telecast. I was simply amused - a 5 old year waking up at odd hours beyond the comfort of home just to watch a soccer match!

Soccer, on the other hand, was an alien to me. I grew up not knowing much about soccer. While my partner (then boyfriend) was a soccer fan, I was never sucked into his interest of watching the games. I just could not comprehend the thrill of 11 men chasing after a ball?!

As motherhood presents me with a boy whose passion in soccer intervenes with my own life, I was forced to acquaint myself with soccer more and more. He enrolled into a soccer academy after World Cup 2010. It started as a once weekly activity which was the dad's responsibility to chauffeur. As time passed, his skills sharpened, the training increased to twice weekly. During league seasons, it is thrice weekly soccer sessions! I started to chauffeur him to training and become a cheerleader during his matches. At times, his school roped him in for soccer matches or the academy ran friendly matches, so imagine the soccer overdose I had!!!

I learnt bits and pieces about soccer as my boy would be talking about it. In fact, my knowledge of soccer stems from his infectious passion and animated chat which he engaged me. I am certainly far from being an expert but am happy to hold a soccer conversation with my boy.

Now with World Cup 2014, the hype is on again. This time I am genuinely interested after all the influence from my boy. Hosted in Brazil, the timings of matches are even more horrendous for us here in Asia. Some nights I watched with my boy, in an effort to bond with him. However, I couldn't keep up while he continued to follow his favourite teams. His routine is certainly upset - he would go to bed at 530pm skipping dinner and wake up at 4am to catch the match before hopping on to school at 630am. The price boys pay for World Cup!

We are 2 days shy of World Cup 2014 Finals, with Germany facing off Argentina. Whom shall prevail?