Tuesday, May 03, 2005
and now we are 40
It was my little boy's birthday today. Sam is five years old and very proud of it. He has been waiting for May 3 for weeks, asking every day: Is it my birthday yet mum? Are we there yet mum???
Sam is not your average kid. He asked for a label maker for a present, so he could "stick his name all over the place" but try as I might, not one hardware shop in Singapore stocked it. Instead, I bought him a punch ball (complete with bright red boxing gloves) to make up for the disappointment -- He seemed contented with that - and spent the entire afternoon whacking the hell out of the thing inbetween quaffing down large slices of chocolate cake and sugary jelly snakes.
Sam is a very cheerful, sunny-natured little boy which is a good thing cause I feel a little sad for him sometimes being the only little ang moh boy in his class - and trying so happily to fit in with the other kids - laughing and playing with them and sharing his sandwiches (though I think that is because he truely doesnt really care for marmalade on brown bread). The kids are sweet to him to so I guess we are not all that different deep down after all.
In a couple months i hit the Big FOUR-O ... and I am more inclined to ask: "is my bum sagging yet?
I think i want a label maker
Sam is not your average kid. He asked for a label maker for a present, so he could "stick his name all over the place" but try as I might, not one hardware shop in Singapore stocked it. Instead, I bought him a punch ball (complete with bright red boxing gloves) to make up for the disappointment -- He seemed contented with that - and spent the entire afternoon whacking the hell out of the thing inbetween quaffing down large slices of chocolate cake and sugary jelly snakes.
Sam is a very cheerful, sunny-natured little boy which is a good thing cause I feel a little sad for him sometimes being the only little ang moh boy in his class - and trying so happily to fit in with the other kids - laughing and playing with them and sharing his sandwiches (though I think that is because he truely doesnt really care for marmalade on brown bread). The kids are sweet to him to so I guess we are not all that different deep down after all.
In a couple months i hit the Big FOUR-O ... and I am more inclined to ask: "is my bum sagging yet?
I think i want a label maker
Monday, May 02, 2005
Room with a view (and not much else)
Enjoyable is a strong word. Especially when you refer to life in a studio flat on the 25th floor of a HDB block in Outram. Yes it can be enjoyable - and what makes it so is the view from my little shoebox. It is of the entire singapore bay and container terminal.
Every morning, I wake up and leap out of bed (very demure leaping here) and watch the sun rise over the water, rays glinting on the red,black and white boxes all neatly piled up on top of one another. I get to watch the fork lifts busily making their way around the container yard .. and i wonder about the guy driving it - is he just finishing the graveyard shift? (this is a 24 hour operation here) -- is he smiling behind the wheel as he skillfully collects and transfers one big metal box from one end of the huge yard to another?
I wonder how long the ships will be in dock and where they come from.. and what exactly is inside all those containers for god's sake??
Do some of them contain shipments of stuff that some shopkeeper is desperately waiting for? is it going to be the thing that makes him his fortune?
Do some of them contain the fancy furniture of well-to-do expats come to singapore to work for big multi-national companies?
If its a clear day, I can see miles into the distance.. past all the hustle and bustle of the psa terminal (that stands for port of singapore authority or something like that).. to the islands in the distance...Maybe the islands belonging to Malaysia.. those islands where life is not so crazy and hectic and bent on making a buck .. who knows?
The only thing is that once you tear your eyes away from this majestic sight, there's not much else to look at. My flat is just about big enough to swing a very skinny hamster in.
And I have a very excitable five year old who revels in turning up the cartoon channel o the tv to number TEN from around 7am each morning... o well tis the begining of another day
Every morning, I wake up and leap out of bed (very demure leaping here) and watch the sun rise over the water, rays glinting on the red,black and white boxes all neatly piled up on top of one another. I get to watch the fork lifts busily making their way around the container yard .. and i wonder about the guy driving it - is he just finishing the graveyard shift? (this is a 24 hour operation here) -- is he smiling behind the wheel as he skillfully collects and transfers one big metal box from one end of the huge yard to another?
I wonder how long the ships will be in dock and where they come from.. and what exactly is inside all those containers for god's sake??
Do some of them contain shipments of stuff that some shopkeeper is desperately waiting for? is it going to be the thing that makes him his fortune?
Do some of them contain the fancy furniture of well-to-do expats come to singapore to work for big multi-national companies?
If its a clear day, I can see miles into the distance.. past all the hustle and bustle of the psa terminal (that stands for port of singapore authority or something like that).. to the islands in the distance...Maybe the islands belonging to Malaysia.. those islands where life is not so crazy and hectic and bent on making a buck .. who knows?
The only thing is that once you tear your eyes away from this majestic sight, there's not much else to look at. My flat is just about big enough to swing a very skinny hamster in.
And I have a very excitable five year old who revels in turning up the cartoon channel o the tv to number TEN from around 7am each morning... o well tis the begining of another day
