Thursday 28 November 2013

小tz's Campfire.

I like to go for Nanyang Kindergarten Camp this year because there is a campfire. I like to go to the campfire because we get to sing songs and dress my friend up for the fashion walk. Ms Ang also went to the camp.

I like the barbeque dinner at the camp. We had roasted marshmallows, chicken wings, cauliflower, nuggets, broccoli, mushroom, fried rice, fish balls and fruit punch. We didn't need to do anything, we just had to eat, eat and eat!

At night, Ms Ang checked on us. I knew because at night when I woke up to drink water, I spied on her. Ms Ang was not sleeping.

For breakfast, we ate eggs, lettuce, croissant, sausages, hash browns , and drank milk.


Written by:
ThE cRaZy dAdDy

Who told him to write this story? 
ThE cRaZy 小tZ


~ ThE eNd ~

Tuesday 26 November 2013

Where is our Little Miss Chatterbox?

Tonight, 21 Nov 2013 will be one of those nights when yt hope that our little miss chatterbox was around. Haha...

"Mummy, I can take everything. Let me do it please."

Caption for the photo attached. I can only guess as I was at work.

The night before, while yt and I were busy with our stuff, 小tz was busy reading the programme sheet for her first campfire and last Nanyang Kindergarten overnight camp.

"Wow! Mummy, see! We are going to have buffet for breakfast. Imagine how I can eat as many biscuits and drink as much Milo as I like. Yummy ~"

"Hey, then we are going to have campfire you know. Campfire, mummy. Great man!"

"Oh, then I can sleep at 11pm. Haha... 11pm! So cool."

And as you could have guessed by now, she just goes on and on, and on, and on...

OMG! Didn't we bring her to try many types of buffet before? What's so great about having free flow of biscuits and Milo? In the first place, I really don't think the teachers going to let them have all the biscuits and Milo they want lor.

#fainted#

She is simply... excited. Pengz...

Her poor mother is just the opposite. She missed 小tz so much that she keeps messaging me while I was on my way home from work.

Oh... Poor me.  ;p

Why?

Upon her return, she asked: "Daddy, why you did not apply leave to fetch me home?"

Oh man, nagging from the 2 ladies.

Oops! Got to make sure the 2 didn't get to see the sentence above.
:x

Friday 22 November 2013

Google Now vs. Siri, a crazy review.

Me: "OK Google. Where is the off switch on tz?"

Sad, Google ignore me. I suppose even with their large database, Google like me, is still unable to find the off switch for tz's voice output.

;(

In case you have all the ??? in your head, I am talking about the latest update for Google Now. In addition to having a hot word "OK Google" to activate Google Search by voice  just like Motorola's Moto X, Google Now is also getting more interactive with voice feedback. With that, I can put my phone in my pocket, long press my headphones button and get Google Now to tell me the time, my next appointment or help me SMS anybody on my contact list.

tz: "OK Google. Can you please tell me which is the tallest building in Singapore?"

Google seems unable to catch what tz is asking and provided with irrelevant answer.

Me: "tz, you don't need to ask Google using such a long sentence. I show you."

Me: "OK Google. Tallest building in Singapore?"

tz: "Mr Ling, you are so rude towards Google. You know."

#facepalm#

Oh no! Calling me Mr Ling some more. Where is her off switch for voice output?!?!

Me: "OK Google. Where is the off switch on tz?"

tz: "Daddy, I told you many times already. I don't have an off switch. Mummy didn't born me with one. Aiyo..."

#double facepalm#

tz ever used a Siri clone application for android I downloaded on my phone. With her interaction with both Siri and Google Now, she seems to like Siri better. Here's my review of Google Now versus Siri.

Google Now is like a man and Siri, a lady. I tell you why.

Google understand short and direct questions just like man. Anything longer than 7 words, you can expect irrelevant response. Cut the "please", "can you", "is", "are", "were", etc. Siri on the other hand, loves long complicated questions in complete sentences. Even when she does not have the answer, she will still engage you with her light hearted and appropriate reply.

Google Now, the man, tends to give you a direct answer and in most cases, with options so that you can decide what you need. Siri, usually provide an answer. However, she doesn't mind engaging in long interactive conversation and provide other options thereafter.

So, you prefer the man or the lady? Haha…

Wednesday 20 November 2013

I love... (by 小tz)

I love to play with my father,
and I love to talk to my mother.

Barbie dolls, Restaurant, 
Coconut, Heart attack, 
Shooting gun, Big bread, 
Ping pong and 一 二 三, 
I play with my father.

I love the phone that mummy lend me,
playing Uno and reading stories I wrote.

I love my dresses, 
I love my t-shirt, 
I love my pants and skirts.

I love daddy, I love mum,
I love everybody, in my family.

~ The End ~

Tuesday 19 November 2013

1.6kg gone while having fun, yippee!!!


Yahoo!!!


3 days of sleep, 3 buffet breakfast and 1 buffet dinner from 5th to 8th November 2013 and my weight is down by 1.6 kg!

Yes, DOWN! Not up, and your eyes is not playing trick on you. Haha...

The good sleep with unplugged environment, ie cut off from SMS and email must have helped. So is the 3 days of swimming and 1 day of 8 hours non-stop walking in Legoland.

Talking about Legoland, it's my first visit to the place. In fact, it's my first visit to a theme park. First time having fun with all the rides, including roller coaster.

Right, on a roller coaster for the first time in my 45 years of life. Thanks to 小tz.

The fun of fatherhood. Haha...

小tz had fun too. I thought that seating at the outer seat of the roller coaster when it turns is more scary so I arranged 小tz to sit at the inner seat. It turns out to be otherwise. After the ride, 小tz keep saying: “你害死我了!” (you sabotaged me!). I have my fun too, for the next half an hour, I am like floating. yt had to carry all the bags till I felt I was back on solid ground.

;p

It's worth the effort. Weight lost, fun, good rest and most important of all the words from 小tz on our way home.

"Daddy, I love you. You know right? Just like the 'I love you' card I drew for you at the hotel"

That's all I needed.

Love you too xiao baobei.


Picture:
The koala bear 小tz and I outside Traders Hotel, Puteri Harbour, Johor, Malaysia.

Sunday 17 November 2013

I can do it, papa.

The latest fun 小tz enjoyed is going to the library catalog terminal, search for a book then locate the physical book in the library.

When she finally located the book she wanted, she was jumping with joy.

Err... so fun meh?

Along with the search, she selected another 3 books on recycling. That's 4 books that I brought home last week.

I supposed it is part of growing up and wanting to be independent. The other day, she asked $2.00 from me to buy her favourite drink from our neighbourhood provision shop before dinner. When she noticed I was watching her, she turned and said:

"Papa, i can do it. Don't follow me OK?"

I guess part of it was wanting to be independent and the other part was worrying that I may comment on her approach.

To me, I just wanted to ensure her safety. I am not concern on her approach as long as she gets what she wanted and I get my change back. If she didn't get it correct, she will have to learn from her mistake. That's independent and the most effective way towards adulthood, my view.

Thursday 14 November 2013

2013 Nanyang Kindergarten Graduation Ceremony.

It's like ages since I last woke up at 4 am in the morning. I used to do that to have my morning taiji before I bathe and go to work.

Laziness, my partner in crime had successfully persuaded me not to do so till today.

Today is an important day. The day I celebrate completing stage 1 of my fatherhood journey. The day 小tz graduated from Nanyang Kindergarten.

So I woke up at 4 am this morning to make sure I have my morning exercise and be ready for the day ahead. 小tz is only required to report at 1 pm. But you know, being Singaporean and being "kiasu" (afraid of losing), we just wanted to be sure to give that extra time for yt and I to be ready. To ensure yt do not need to rush to do 小tz's hair for her graduation and performance. To ensure we gave 小tz enough time to wash up, eat and clear her bowel for her big day. So, the compounded effect is having me waking up at 4 am. 

Throughout the ceremony in the Auditorium of Nanyang Girls' High School, my eyes were wet with joy in seeing 小tz moving on to the next stage of her life journey, hearing from her teachers that her study and behaviour were both good in school, and seeing her being selected to be on the front row during the ceremony in the beginning and ending. Emotion flows when I saw her sing and sign in Taiwanese Sign Language (if I remember those signs correctly). It reminds me of the days when yt and I first know each other through volunteering during SADeaf-Starbucks Christmas Songs Signing.

It's a joyous occasion to realised I survived stage 1 of my fatherhood. 
I am definitely looking forward to the next stage which is coming Monday. 小tz's Primary School Orientation.

Err... Why so fast arh?! 

;-)

Sunday 10 November 2013

Creative advertising. Agreed?

Marketing is always mistaken as having good advertisement, the right copywriting and brand awareness. All of this actually is just one of the 4 marketing mix, "Promotion".

The 4 marketing mix are price, place, promotion and product.

On 5 November 2013, I have the opportunity to see a failed marketing strategy focusing too much on promotion. In their menu, yt and I were attracted to the picture and description on one of their item.

Cheese Chawanmushi.

In its description it says "Japanese egg custard topped with cheese". The picture shows a traditional Chawanmushi cup of egg covered with a layer of smooth silky cheese.

Yummy, we thought. So we ordered the dish.

When the dish arrived, we were shocked. Ok, Ok, we were amazed by the terrific promotional strategy they employed. Creative wording anyway. The cheese, half a piece of those NTUC thin slice square cheese, cut into 2 and placed on top of the cup of traditional Chawanmushi. 

"Japanese egg custard topped with cheese", they were not wrong, did they?

Haha...

"I like the egg", 小tz said. So, maybe they are targeting at the children and not old man like me.

~ The end ~

Friday 8 November 2013

The importance of teamwork!

Dear 小tz,

I know you will not like what I am going to write this time. After all,we spend a good 20 minutes talking about it that Sunday. So much so that most people at the bus-stop turned their heads just to check on us. I could have just asked you to shut up and listen but I know it will not work. If this approach doesn't work on your father, how can it work on you. Right?

Putting it here in writing again so that in future, if you decide to read about it again, it's here. Oh, talking about this blog, it's content is getting more and more. I really need to tag or label them so that it's easier for you to search in the future. Well, when you feel like reading on my nagging, there is a tag you can click to see all your daddy's nagging. If you are unhappy, there should also be an option for you to read those funny post we wrote. If you would like to understand your crazy daddy, you know where you can find those posts.

So, back to the topic.

On that faithful Sunday, I was seated in your dance studio together with all the other parents who were invited to watch the mock examinations. Yes, "s" because like what you always say, there were 2 mock examinations. One after another, your tap and jazz examinations.

Not sure if you are stressed.You looks for like you are having fun. Believe me, I am stressed watching you. Very stressed.

You were in the second group to be assessed. Watching the first group frighten me off terribly. I saw how some of your classmates freezed under pressure and forget all their dance steps. I saw some receiving scolding for not following instructions. I even saw a boy broke down with tears and refused to continue thereafter.

It is not easy. At 6 years old, I went through one of my hardest moment in life. I am constantly worrying if I get to eat my next meal then. However, never, never did I once have to stand in front of a group of adults and be critically assessed for my performance. You had that and you done that. 

Bravo!

I would likely breakdown and cried like what your classmate did. But you did it! You are not very good, there are definitely areas that you can improve. Neither were you bad or among the worst. You do it so naturally as if it is part of you. So natural that I see myself smiling with pride while filming you. 

Oh... see! I talked and talked without going to the point I wanted to say. Sigh...

Old age they say.

Now, back to our 20 minutes of heated argument.

I don't like what you said while we were waiting for our bus. You told me that you didn't like being in the same group with one of your classmate. 

"She was slow and didn't know what to do!" You said.

It is good that you took your dance lessons and examinations seriously (not sure if you will do the same for your studies #facePalm#). It is good that you pace yourself with your classmates to make sure you are not the last in class. However, it is not good at all for you to blame your teacher for putting you in the same group with that classmate of yours. Neither it is good to blame that classmate of yours for her bad performance and do nothing about it. I tell you why...

Your teacher must have her reasons for doing so. I suspected that she wanted a balanced group to be presented to the examiner. A group with strong and weak students so that the whole class have an equal chance to be assessed fairly. Imagine if you are paired with best in class, you will likely score lower as compared when you are in your current group. You may even score lower than the best in the weakest group.

Your teacher may also wanted the weaker student to be guided by stronger students so they have a chance to pass the examinations.

Next, you need to know about reality in life. There are many things in life that we cannot change. Instead of grumbling, why not share what you know and learn from your teammates next time before class? As you share your experience, it gets reinforced in your mind and you will get better. Its a win-win solution. 

Last but not least, not everybody is good at everything. Even if a  person knows a lot of things, he cannot be best in everything. I saw your strength in your determination to be perfect, the hard work you have put in and your calmness in facing the examinations. I believed that is why your teacher put you first to be tested in your group, so that you can show your teammates how to do and not have any false start. However, I saw your weaknesses too. You are weak in certain basic moves and your movement wasn't that well defined. Don't always think you can't learn from people who are weaker because you may never know their strengths that you may need to learn or seek their help.

The best team is a team with teammates understanding each other strengths and weaknesses, and uses their strengths to support the weaknesses of their fellow teammates.

Picture:
小tz reading her thick library book. Definitely her strength and her daddy's weakness.