We first met Yew Chong (Y.C) back last year during an impromptu visit to check out his murals at Everton Road. There he was, unassumingly painting and adding the finishing touches to the Barber mural at Everton Road, under the humid September sun. Take a sneak peek at his murals here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s8XS9lN432Y Since meeting the artist himself, we’ve taken quite a liking to his murals. Not only are they exceptionally well-painted, his attention to details and the … [Read more...]
Penang…with a Penangite
I was born and bred in Penang. Spent 20 of my formative years there before I headed overseas to study. It is no surprise that Penang will always have a special place in my heart even though I've now relocated to Singapore. My family, along with many close friends, in fact, are still there. So what does a Penangite do, where does he eat and go whenever he goes back? Well, here’s taking you on our trip last Dec (Yes! This is a super late post!) when we brought Buddy … [Read more...]
And off he goes…a new milestone for Alexander
Seven years ago, as first time parents, we had no family support. We struggled, oh we did. We tried various ways of making it work: from hiring maids whom we thought we could entrust the baby to after I resume work, to sending the baby all the way to my late Grandma's house at the far western side of Singapore every morning at 6.30am...But reality has it that none worked. Out of desperation, we sent our 4 month-old Dana to an infant-care centre 15mins' drive away from our … [Read more...]
‘Think Happy Thoughts’ – My 1st MRI Experience
I held on to the blue squeezy thing with my right hand…not too tightly. My heart palpitating, my mind racing fast. “Should I squeeze it or should I not ?” this thought raced through my mind hundreds of time within those few seconds. 5 minutes ago, the nurse had just had me strapped in. ‘Alright, Mr. Sim, this will take 20 minutes. We will begin in 50 seconds’. These were the words of the nurse as she strapped me securely to the MRI machine, tugged me in a warm blanket, gave me ear plugs (It … [Read more...]
Say you, Say me: Bringing out the worst…from the best in parents
It's not just sleepless nights that cause parents to argue - divided opinion on parenting can also cause us to snap at our spouses. One of the toughest challenges as a married couple is when we do not see eye to eye on issues pertaining to number one, finances and number two, raising our children. Sometimes, you can clearly state your rationale but your spouse (note the lack of endearing term here) disagree because he/she thinks her viewpoints ought to be validated too. In fact, it … [Read more...]
Supporting Bereaved Parents in Singapore
The morning air was still. I switched on my mobile to get updates of a baby girl whom we've been praying for the day before. Her Mommy is a mutual friend who had appealed to us to "PRAY! Z is not breathing, did CPR, managed to get light breathing back and are awaiting ambulance to arrive...". It broke my heart to learn that Baby Z passed on at 8:30pm last night, 21 July 2015. Baby Z was only two months old... The death of a child can happen in the best of families and to the most capable, … [Read more...]
Life after P1 Registration: Preparing Your Child for Primary 1
Ok, so the annual panic for Primary 1 registration is here again. One year ago, we went thru a nail-biting episode – complete with ‘Toto’ Balls and the monotonous announcer - Yes, we went through the dreaded school balloting! But truth be told, surviving the P1 registration is just the tip of the iceberg. Whether you get the school of your choice or otherwise, your child will be in a school and, from experience, beyond the registration process, there’s a whole host of things you need to do to … [Read more...]
The Road Less Travelled – The Joys and Challenges of Child Adoption in Singapore
23rd June, 2014, the day which I left for work being a father of one and returned home a father of two. This was my standard reply whenever I was asked how it feels like to adopt a child. That was one year ago and three days ago, on June 23, Alexander turned 1. I’m proud and overjoyed to call him my son in every sense of the word. While his birthday, like any child’s, is a time to celebrate the joy of welcoming the newest member to the family and to acknowledge the blessings, love and … [Read more...]
He Chose Us…Celebrating Alexander’s 1st Birthday
A year ago today…this tiny little baby chose us. It happened within a day. A phone call, a trip to the hospital and then we began this journey, all over again… It was a regular day, both David and I were at work and the daughter had just returned home from kindergarten. I was in a long-drawn meeting when I received a missed call from an adoption agent whom I had contacted months back. We had prayed for an open door to adopt a sibling for Dana since 4 years ago but it somehow … [Read more...]
Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum (LKCNHM): Weird & Wonderful World
God made the wild animals of the earth…and God saw that it was good. (Genesis 1:25) With a faint ‘beep’ of the serial code on my ticket, I was in! Having visited the famed American Museum of Natural History (AMNH) in New York twice, I was dreaming of the day when Singapore would have a Natural History Museum of its very own. Well, that day is finally here and I was so excited I made sure I bought tickets to bring my family to visit it on its opening day! What is a Natural History … [Read more...]