Marvel Super Heroes

Looking at 2 of my creations for SG50 Needle Felting Personal Challenge gave me an idea - the Samsui woman and NSman crafted for my SG50 challenge were well received by many people for its cuteness and originality, making me prideful ;p Hence I decided to craft more 'cute little people' of diversities and claim it as my signature style! The next inspiration is none other than my childhood favourite heroine, Wonder Woman!

Wonder Woman is probably unknown to my children's generation, their superheroes were some strange forms of Mutant Ninja Turtles, cold looking Transformers and others unbeknownst to me. Fortunately these were transient heroes that do not get stuck in their psyche and they move  on with the flow of current trends. The only character that is still entertaining to them is SpongeBob SquarePants, which I have to admit I find it enjoyable due to its humour.

Thanks to my generation that grew up with classic Superheroes by Marvel, there have been productions of Marvel Superheroes in movies by these talented and creative fans in the film industry - Superman, the Incredible Hulk, Batman, Spider-Man, Captain America, Thor, Ironman and lately an amalgamation of Superheroes, The Avengers! They are big budget hi-tech fanciful movies appealing to both children and adults. Now the next generation takes an interest in Marvel comics and their Superheroes.

Back to Wonder Woman - why is there no remake of Wonder Woman in movies?! It's the heroine of most girls my generation, not Barbie Doll?!! Hmmm, could it be due to the movie industry being male dominated - they fantasised out their own male heroes versus the women's female heroes? In any case, it will not eradicate Wonder Woman in my heart ;p 

Here I present the Superheroes of my childhood - Wonder Woman, Superman and The Incredible Hulk (though Hulk was supposedly chunkier in upper body but will not fit into the signature style) :-)

Samsui Woman

The challenge to needle felt 50 iconic or representative items of Singapore had led me to a journey of discovering Singapore's heritage. As I gather information and google for pictures of some items, I realize I have very little knowledge of some of the pieces I am crafting. It piques my curiosity further and I research more. It becomes my learning adventure of knowing Singapore in depth.

One of my newly acquired knowledge was the Samsui women - they were typical of Singapore's past. Samsui women were immigrants from China's province of Guangdong (Sanshui, hence the name Samsui) in 1930s & 1940s to work in construction or industrial sites of Singapore (some others work as domestic servants for the wealthy households). These women were clothed in dark blue loose shirts and pants with an apron. What's striking about them was their headgear - crimson red flattish bandana atop their weather beaten faces. They were referred as 红头巾 in Chinese. My daughter learnt in school that the samsui women wore 红头巾 as it was eye-catching and would reduce occurrences of accidents at the work site.

I had never seen a samsui woman in my life. They would be in their 90s by now, not many alive, some had left to return to their hometown in China. I remembered a popular TV drama series of 红头巾 in the 1980s and that was my first ‘encounter’ of samsui women but didn’t leave much imprint in me. As I dug out more information about the samsui women, I feel a deep respect for them. They were a thrifty, hardworking and sacrificial lot! Their main purpose for working in Singapore was to earn money to send back to their families in China. Most of them vowed never to marry. They toiled hard in the construction sites, digging and carrying sand under tropical heat, labouring long hours. They lived in cramped quarters, ate spartanly and patched up old clothes, saving every cent they could. Some even took up hawker jobs beyond their long hours at construction sites to earn a little extra for savings. They were also known to be women of integrity and not engage in vices - opium, prostitution, etc despite their hardship.

Whenever I read about women of hardship (or children in disadvantaged circumstances) it is always heart wrenching, wish I could do more to help them... Also, these reads made me count my blessings, that I am fortunate to be born in a modern era and in Singapore!

Here's to the samsui women whom contributed to Singapore’s nation building!

SG50

2015 is Singapore's 50th birthday since independence in 1965, there will be massive celebrations to mark this special anniversary coined as SG50. Many organisations, whether private or public driven, have lined up various programs and events in the name of SG50. The Ministry of Manpower declared an additional public holiday for residents to bask in the celebration, in hope that everyone gets a chance to commemorate National Day one way or another. I am certainly thrilled ;p

In conjunction with SG50, I decided to come up with my personal SG50 needle felting challenge, meaning I will needle felt 50 items that are either iconic or representative of Singapore leading up to National Day, August 9.

It will be a challenge for 3 reasons. Firstly, compiling a list of 50 items is a task. Singapore is a very young nation, with rather weak heritage and culture teemed with non existent natural resources, it is relatively difficult to list 50 icons that uniquely identifies Singapore. I cracked my brain real hard and merely coughed up with 30 plus names. I had to broadcast an appeal for ideas from friends on my Facebook to boost my list.

Secondly, the feasibility of the ideas that poured in. The synergy of brain power yields wonderful contribution :-) However, not every suggestion is viable to be needle felted in this challenge due to intricacy of details, which ties in with the third reason - time constraint.

Essentially any idea may be needle felted so long as one has the imagination and patience. The craft of needle felting is a time consuming process, a project involving complex and intricate details will command man hours in weeks or even months. The 1st item for my SG50 challenge was The Merlion, a project I started last July, hoping to complete in time for last year's National Day. It was supposed to be a mini Merlion of height 5 inches but as I poked, it turned out bigger and bigger due to the detailing. It became tiresome and boring, I dropped it last August and only picked it up again this March to finish it off.

Thirdly, as aforementioned, time constraint. I could only needle felt during my free time, which mounts up to an average of 2-3 hours daily. It is 15 weeks to my dateline of 9 Aug, translating to an average of 3 features per week. It means I have to be selective in my choice of items, that they have to be simple and quick enough for me to complete. Thus friends, if I do not needle felt your contributed idea, it is not because I do not like the idea but due to time constraint. My apologies in advance!

Tribute to Mr Lee Kuan Yew

The passing of Mr Lee Kuan Yew has left a whirlwind of emotions in Singaporeans, as evident in the flood of tributes and comments all over Singapore and social media. Mostly were respectful manifestation of gratitude and awe in grieving, with a minute camp of 'slightly sad' whose opinion lingered a sliver of skepticism on LKY's legacy. Whatever ones' opinion, let this be a mourning week and leave the differences aside.

After 2 days of private wake at the Istana, Mr Lee Kuan Yew's body is lying in State in the Parliament House and members of public have been streaming endlessly to pay their respects. In fact, it is an incredibly long queue of 8 hours wait to enter the parliament building but it doesn't deter most people in queue, despite the hot and humid weather. Such a solidarity show of the Singaporean spirit is heartwarming. Even in the mournful state, the authorities displayed their trait of efficiency and reacted speedily to keep the Lying in State open 24 hours to the public, easing the queue time. Nonetheless, the waiting time in queue stands at 3 hours at 12 midnight... Hats off to my fellow countrymen!

As for myself, it has been a moving target from original plan of 4pm visit with family to 1am visit with hubs but alas, he has limited waking power, as I pen this, he has drifted into dreamland with no holds barred. We will play by ear over the next 3 days depending on queue situation to pay our last respects to the founding father of modern Singapore.

Singapore is where I am born and educated, where I work and raise my own family. Over the years, I feel more and more appreciative of Singapore - for its safety and security, cleanliness and greenness, efficiency and orderliness, compactness and convenience, etc etc - things that my generation has taken for granted. While there is imperfection (as with any place on earth), I have learnt to make the best out of the flaws and whine less. At the end of the day, I feel blessed to have been born and grow up in a progressive and just society, study and work in a meritocratic environment, raising my kids in a safe and  invigorating country. It seems cliché to attribute the progress of Singapore to Mr Lee Kuan Yew but had he not been the driving force, I cannot imagine how Singapore would have been carved out from 50 years back. Think what you wish, but all I want to do is give thanks to Mr Lee Kuan Yew for his vision, wisdom and energy, bringing Singapore to where it is now, including his team of cabinet groomed under his wings.

My Salute to you, Sir!

My Firstborn

My firstborn is 11 going 12! It's amazing how time flies, from a new born baby to an adorable feisty toddler, sweet pre-schooler to an artsy pre-teen. She's been my sunshine since she came into my life, despite short bursts of tyranny - 1st 5 months she simply refused to sleep through the night, demanding to be carried at differing positions to go into slumber and her 'terrible two' stage. In general, she's a sensible, sensitive and gregarious child, with an inclination and passion towards creative crafts, which takes priority over her academic studies. Unfortunately, Singapore school system is not conducive for her type of personality that tends to learn better in a creative environment, even in areas of academic studies.

My firstborn is a cheerful and charming girl. Even as a toddler, she'll be beaming smiles at people. When she was about 14 months old while in the arms of my mom who was doing her grocery shopping at a supermarket, she flashed her signature smile at a lady who was so captivated that the lady invited my mom and daughter to her home right after. My mom called me later to inform me that they were at a 'stranger's' house, to my horror! I quickly went over to fetch them and it turned out that the stranger lady was a kind lady who had a boy about the same age as my girl. Thereafter, both kids became playmates and the stranger lady has become a dear family friend, all thanks to a charming smile ;p

As my first born grows, her smiles and laughters continue to warm my heart, as well as others'. Many people commented that my girl's laughter is spontaneous and contagious and brightens up everyone's mood :-) May my girl be a joyful person always!

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!