mommies' night out

the 3 of us... my 2 korean neighbours and i... met in the afternoon for our weekly group study... to learn english... and japanese together...

but we are getting very sluggish... so i introduced the 5 love languages to them... got them to do the assessments to find out their love language...

it was really interesting... with no common language... it was rather funny... i had to explain the assessment to them... statement by statement... using gestures... and even role play..!

then my immediate neighbour prepared dinner for the 2 gals and her 2 daughters...

when the gals have had their dinner... my other neighbour's teenage daughter babysat the 4 gals at my home...

we told them that we;d be gone for about 1.5hrs... but we ended spending 2hrs at the joint... and then adjourned to the supermart for groceries... =P

really enjoyed ourselves... and i later found out that hubby was at the same joint last night with the guys..!

looking forward to more..? =P

activity-filled days... =)

thought that i would be super bored... and grouchy while hubby is away...

today is day one... and i really had no time to be bored...
not when you have such spontaneous neighbours..! =)

it all started out in the morning... i had wanted to walk over to invite my immediate neighbour over for dinner... it's really no fun cooking for jus 2 children and an adult... and it's really easier to cook more... rather than less... for me la...

as i was about to ring her doorbell... i met my other korean neighbour... jus 2 doors away... she said that she was out of toilet rolls and asked if i'd like to go with her to the nearby store to do groceries... i agreed...

and so the 3 of us met jus an hour later to do groceries together... we landed up in shinjuku... they brought me to a korean supermarket... and i found it most interesting... refreshing... and i actually found a frozen whole chicken there..! and it was very reasonable priced too...

then we went to another store... a huge store... much like our mustafa... a little cluttered... but stuff there is really reasonable... so nobody is really bothered by all the clutter... =P

after shopping... we did lunch at a authentic korean restaurant... we all had 炸酱面... nice..! =)

upon reaching home... immediate neighbour invited us over for coffee... and we all chatted till the gals returned from school...

then i had to take rachelle for her check-up... got back in time to prepare dinner...

in the end... my other neighbour dropped by as well... and dinner lasted till 8pm... and during dinner... we made more plans for tomorrow... thursday... and even friday..!

my other neighbour has 2 teenage daughters... and they are going to help look after the 4 younger gals... while the 3 mommies go for a nice dinner together...

so looking forward..!

manga come alive

hubby was with us the whole of last weekend... it started out with us being clueless about where to go... but it ended up pretty well...

decided to visit the Tokyo Dome... never been there... really dunno wad to expect... but with no other suggestion... we headed there...

thought it's jus gonna be much like our indoor stadium... nothing much... large spaces... probably a small amusement park there... maybe good enough to keep the gals happy...

but it turned out to be a very interesting place..!

i was most fascinated by the cosplay there... so many of them...! so interesting... they'd jus be that character for that day... they'd behave like regular ppl... going on rides... eating... hanging out... maybe the only difference is that they are also busy taking photographs of each other...

i must say that some of them were really very nice... i was really so busy looking at them... there were so many of them... it was really hard not to stare... =p

gals have loads of fun on the many rides that they had...
all in all... a very enjoyable family day... =)

wise words

was in msn with a dear friend... sharing about family values... about wad matters... about money... about many many other stuff...

then some where in the conversation... i said...

life's luxuries are in its simplicity...

then i paused... re-read wad i jus typed... fwah... quite profound leh... =P

and it's so true... the luxury of time... of being there for your family... of being a happy unit... of catching a sunset together... of sipping coffee together... of waking up next to the one you love... of preparing meals for the family...

all these... are really simple acts of love... does not even cost much... but yet are labelled as luxuries by many... luxuries because life has become complicated... life has become clouded by the world's standards...

take a moment now...
and do a simple act of love for the one you love... =)

SAHM

have been wondering wad i should be doing when i return home in 2011...

really dun feel like going back to teaching... not when there have been so many more changes (not good ones) since i left... it's actually quite a scary thought... to go back to teach...

full-time ministry..? have been pondering over it... not too sure if it's the same capacity as wad i used to do... not even sure if it's gonna be in tpmc...

so i have asked my gals... on separate occasions... i asked for their views... wad do they want me to do when we get back home...

their replies were similar...

1st choice... mommy to stay home...
cos they like the idea of coming home and seeing mommy... and that mommy is there to help with school work... and cook...

then i said that we are jus living next to yeye... their reply was 'it's not the same'... i guess they are right... who could take over my role..? who could take over the role of any mommy..?

2nd choice... work in church...
then they went on recalling how much fun they had in my office... how they'd come and pick me after meetings... and after courses...

that's it... the option of going back as a teacher... is not an option for them... it's a firm NO...

when asked why... the reason was simple... they wanted more of me... they felt that when i went back as a teacher last year... they had lesser time with me... and they didnt like that at all...

well... i gotta keep praying... duno which doors will open when i get back... jus gotta keep ears and eyes tuned towards Him... and He'll illumine my path when i get there... =)

sweet 姐姐

brought the gals out to a big toy shop yesterday... we had no intentions of buying anything there... jus there to see... and to get out of the house...

joanna has been asking for a pair of boots and a bag since we arrived here... it's not easy looking for a pair of boots for her... as her feet are too large for kid size... and too small for adult size... bag... cos she has no other bag than her knap-sack which she uses for school...

so while there... she spotted a bag and i thought that it was rather reasonably priced... and said she could get one... then rachelle wanted one too... but i said no as she has one brought over from home... then she became upset...

to make the trip a little sweeter for rachelle... i let her buy a pretty little notebook... and then joanna wanted one too... haiyo... made me so mad... this will never end..!

so i said no to joanna... and gave rachelle 1000yen to go get her notebook... leaving a sulking joanna with me...

as rachelle was taking a long time... i went up to see... she was jus at the check-out... looked at me... and said that she had bought 2 notebooks... one for joanna too... so sweet la this gal... but with my money worr...

i later realised that rachelle has bought 1 for herself... then realising that she still has enough money for another one... went to get one more for her sister...

i told rachelle not to tell joanna yet... let it be a surprise for her when we get home...

but joanna's chin was about to reach the floor already... she was still sulking... so i let rachelle tell her that she has gotten one for her too...

wad i witnessed for the minute was amazing... warmed my heart... =)

immediately after rachelle had whispered in her ear... joanna turned to hug rachelle... and with tears in her eyes... repeated 'thank you 姐姐!' many times...

then when i walked over... joanna turned to hug me... this time crying already... and thanking me oso...

so funny ah this gal... happy until cry... haha...

but it was nice to see lar... that's rachelle lor... though she does not always display it... she actually loves joanna a lot...

and i know that it true for joanna too... =)

couple time

before coming here... hubby and i were prepared that we would have no couple time for a year... cos we do not have another caregiver other than ourselves...

but since coming here... we do have quite a few couple times... =)

there were times when hubby did not have to go to college in the mornings... giving us time to sip our coffee leisurely together... followed by a simple lunch...

and jus over the past 2 days... we have had two 2-hr couple times...

yesterday was the gals' school's open day... which means they were in school... hubby took the opportunity to go to college in the morning... while i went to the open day myself...

then we met for lunch... a little shopping... then back home jus in time for the gals' return from school...

jus now... hubby and i wanted to shop at the shopping mall near our place... but the gals would rather go home... so we gave them the option of going back by themselves... while hubby and i walked on...

they agreed... so we handed them the house key... and my mobile phone...

our place was about 500-600m away from the train station... they were to call us when they arrive at the main gate to our place... and then again when they are home...

they did... =)

while hubby and i were shopping... we thought it'll be nice to have dinner at the singaporean restaurant in the mall... so we called the gals and asked if they'd like to have hainanese chicken rice for dinner...

of course they said yes...

so we arranged to meet at the mall at 6.10pm... and we did...

happy that the gals are independent... and also that they are used to us having our couple time... feel that this is important... to give the gals a sense of security... that daddy and mommy still love each other... they still go on dates together...

happy... =)

school on saturday

it's the school's open-day tomorrow... thought it was quite a creative way of allowing the parents experience wad a day in school is like... cos of this... the school is closed on monday...

school will function as per normal tmrw... the only difference is that... parents will be there... there will be time set aside for each level to play with their parents...

and since lunch is provided in school... parents have the option to eat with their child in class...

but lazy me... have opted to be there only till 10.30am... after play time with rachelle... then with joanna... then it's home for me...

when joanna asked why am i not staying till 2.30pm..? i told her that i wouldnt understand wad's going on... and her reply... 'i oso wad..?!?'

so true... but dun wan la... so i told her i wud be home baking cheesecake... ready for their return after school... =P

wad a week

finally... i have time to blog... time to drink my coffee in the quiet morning... munching a sandwich between web pages... =)

it's been almost a week...

the online conference that i had signed myself up for started last friday... the day that rachelle fractured her arm... with her at home... i hardly had any time to go into the conference...

rachelle's arm is healing well... jus that we have to keep going to visit the doc...

1st visit... to steady the arm and medicine to reduce swelling and prevent inflammation...

2nd visit... to change the bandage...

3rd visit... to put on the cast...

4th visit... this was the shortest visit ever to any doc... went into the room... doc pressed her right fingernails... said that the colour loos good... means that blood circulation is good... then that's it... all done in under 2mins...!

next visits are weekly... till the cast is off... doc said about a month...

we checked with our insurance agent last night and thank God... 100% claim will be made as we had the gals covered under some accident plan... which includes accidents happening overseas too...

so... back to the conference...

by wednesday midnight... every week... we have assignments to submit via a forum... rachelle was home on monday and tuesday... so i had planned to complete my assignments yesterday morning... then hubby told me that he need not go in yesterday as there were no classes...

rare... so cannot waste this opportunity to be alone with hubby... so we went on a date... shopped and lunched at places we'd not go with the gals... not cos these places were sleazy... haha... jus that our gals dun like to shop... and walking through the ladies department with them asking 'when are we going home?'... is a really pain...

so i had only last night to complete my assignments... and i had to be the hero to commit myself to 2 courses at the same time... =P

well... i completed the assignments without going through all the audio... video... and reading materials yet... almost there... but not all... so will make use of these 2 mornings to listen and be renewed in the mind... =)

with all that i have gone through... this is good stuff... a little deep... but it sets my mind thinking about worship... and cos i am doing the history of worship... it has opened my eyes and mind about how vast this is... how rich our history is... and how much it has built our worship of the present...

gonna go listen to the audio teachings... and do ironing...
the beauty of an online conference... =)

signed up for conference..!

was searching for online courses...
preferably something to do with worship...

even asked around for recommendations...

after a week of searching... i found worshiptraining.com... it's an online conference... either works for an individual... or as a church...

looked at the line up of trainers and speakers... and noticed that it looked pretty 'safe'... so i asked shifu to take a look-see before i decide to dive into it...

very soon after... shifu said that it sounded really good and i should go ahead and give it a try... which i did... =)

there are weekly assignments... forums... online interaction... live sessions... it looks really interesting...

so here i go... into my first course... out of 4... each course takes about 4 weeks... and there are 4 courses... and 4 essentials to complete in a year...

looking forward to this conference... hoping to learn much from this... getting enriched along the process...

really wanna keep updated... and refreshed... dun wanna be going back to church and be stale and outdated in my trainings... wanna still be relevant and useful... =)

dun complain

learnt a major lesson today...

had been lamenting how restless i have become... about how life is getting boring and monotonous...

this morning... after done with my chores... i settled nicely at my desk... ready to relax in front of my computer...

jus then... my mobile rang... it was a call from the gals' school...i was informed that rachelle is at the sick bay... that she has hurt her hand... and i was to get her to see a doctor...

within 20min... i arrived at the school...

from rachelle... i learnt that she was on the unicycle during free play time... was about to fall off the unicycle... she tried reaching out for a nearby bar... but missed the bar... and her right wrist hit the bar instead...

as i spoke no japanese... i requested for the school to call hubby's liaison personnel for help... and soon after... someone came and accompanied us to the nearby hospital...

the 5min cab fare there was about SGD$12...

at the hospital... x-rays show that rachelle has fractured both bones in her right wrist... she had to be in a sling till monday for the swelling to subside... before putting it in a cast...

today's treatment cost about SGD$450...

the school said that the expenses will be borne by the school as the accident happened in school... i am hoping that this is true... cos there's gonna be more expenses coming... as there will be more trips to the hospital...

we will have to go again tomorrow to check if swelling has subsided... then on monday for the cast... on tuesday for a check... then once a week till the cast is removed...


now with her at home... i face the challenge of keeping her occupied...

when she came home... she played Wii with her left hand... then she was jus watching a movie on my computer... but before she even finished the movie... she got bored... and wanted to do some work in ther assessment book... now she is playing with cards... but i can tell that she will be on to something else really soon...

better dun complain about being bored anymore... =P

'Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, IN EVERYTHING GIVE THANKS; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.'
1 Thessalonians 5: 16-18

Mr Google

starting to get really... really restless at home... on weekday mornings...
many suggestions have poured in from hubby and friends...

brush up on your japanese
but i am too lazy... no motivation... the ppl i interact with each day... are non-japanese... so no chance to practice...

watch korean / jap / HK dramas
i am not a movie person... dun really like to sit around and watch for hours... =P

shopping
scary... sure to increase expenditure... besides... i dun really like to shop alone... once in a while it's ok... but generally... i dun like to do anything alone...

so... that leaves me with Mr Google... most of the time... and i am beginning to enjoy it...

from him... i have learnt to make so many new dishes to satisfy my family's tummy... like today... i learnt how to make chawanmushi... teriyaki chicken... and oyakodon... my gals' favourites... =)

actually... i am also searching for an online course that i can do... hopefully something to do with the study of worship... but have not found anything yet... so please give me a buzz if you have anything to recommend..."

differently

so... wad are the things that i do differently here..?

ironing
the same thing about ironing is... i still HATE to iron...

here... i sit on the floor and do my ironing... was not too used to it initially... so we put the ironing board on the table when we iron...

the ironing board here is designed for use on the floor... it's not even as long as the ones we have back in singapore... it's about half the length... so u can imagine my frustration when i iron pants...

but since... i have adapted to this new style of ironing... jus that i get pins and needles in my legs... each time i finish ironing...

handkerchiefs
think tissue paper... jus that ppl here use handkerchiefs...

when packing for the gals' outing... there was a given lis of things to bring for the trip... among the many... there were at least 3 different types of towels/handkerchiefs that they needed to bring...

one for wiping perspiration...
another for cleaning your after lunch...
yet another for drying your hands after washing them...

socks
hardly anyone here is without a sock... or a socking... or a legging... or tights...

this i have grown to love... =)
cos it's so comfortable..!

they have so many designs... i simply love the lacy ones that jus cover your toes... and are not seen after putting on your shoes..!

i tried getting such back at home... but they were all so disappointing... either too thick... or the heel always slips down after 10 steps...

ppl here are spoilt for choices here... and they dun really care if their socks or stockings show... i had thought it looked kinda weird with their socks showing... but some ppl here really do it quite nicely...

packing your own groceries
at the check-out... your groceries from your shopping basket... is taken out... item by item for scanning... and then they are placed neatly into another shopping basket... the cashier then places the required carrier bags on top of the groceries... smiles and says thank you...

then you carry that basket to a table-top nearby... and start your own packing...

at the packing station... you will notice a damp cloth... for those who find it difficult to open the carrier bags with their dry fingertips... there is a pair of scissors... plastic bags... strings... a dustbin...

i've seen ppl emptying their styrofoam trays of meats into the plastic bags provided... and discarding the trays in the dustbin... guess this is because of their disposal system here... which i will tell you more later...

after packing... ppl will return the shopping basket... though many ppl use the stations... i have never seen a dirty station in any store...

disposal system
the question that the gals kept asking since we came here was...
'is this plastic..? or paper..?'

there are no rubbish chutes here... not private ones... nor shared ones... nothing... jus a designated area...

we are to separate combustibles from non-combustibles... and we are to dispose of different types of waste at different days of the week... different places have a different schedule...

here in naka-megura...

every tuesday and friday... we get to throw food waste... combustibles... i usually look forward to tuesday... cos i will have 3 days of food waste in my house...! pee-yeeew..!

only thursdays are for non-combustibles... like cans... aluminium... pet bottles... plastic containers for food... cling wrap... i really cant wait for thursdays to come... cos there really is a lot of non-combustibles to throw..! so i have to rinse everything... especially meat trays and sauce packaging before discarding them... and they are so bulky... we usually have at least 4 plastic bags full of these to throw on thursday...

the 1st and 3rd saturdays... are for things made of metals... like scissors... and glass...

and if you wanna discard batteries... you'd have to bring them to a store that collects them...

many... many more differences...
that's wad's making this journey so interesting..! =)

happier now

after rachelle's manisfestation of school refusal... I met up with her class teacher that very day...

spent more than an hour with her teacher...

everything seemed to be going on fine in school... teacher reported that Rachelle is attentive in class... and will raise her hand to ask question when she is in doubt... and that her classmates are always encouraging her... and involving her in their play time...

we were puzzled as go what then could have caused so much anxiety in her...
then teacher recalled and showed me a stack of test papers that were used in class... even I thot that they were difficult..! it's all in Japanese..!

teacher told me that Rachelle actually cried during one of the tests... it was a kanji test... which she scored zero...

it was only then that I realized that it could be part of the reason for her anxiety...

she has never scored a zero for anything in school... and with her character... I dun think it went down well with her... and I am also guessing that she is becoming more aware if herself... and does not wanna be different from her peers...

understanding that... I asked if the teacher notifies the class of the test... he said no but will do so for the next test... I was glad that he is doing it all gir Rachelle...

so 2 days ago... Rachelle was informed of the kanji test for the following day... that night... she was so diligent... armed with hubby's kanji dictionary n his electronic jap dictionary... she found out ghe meanings of the characters jus do that she doesn't jus learn how to write them... but also know give meaning to what she was learning...

she came back the next day... beaming... she had scored 100% for the kanji test... :)

so very proud of her...

eco-friendly

of the four of us... lil joanna's the most Eco-friendly of us all... in fact... I think she's the only one..!

she will always switch off the lights whenever she leaves the room... and just before we leave the house... she will ask if we have switched off all the lights in our room... and when she sees any of us letting the tap run while we reach for soap... she'll come and turn off the running tap for us... the best part is... she does it without complaining nor nagging..! it's pretty amazing to watch..

when she noticed that a room light is not switched off... she'll ask the person standing nearest the switch to help switch it off... and I so love the way she asks...

'daddy... can you help ME to switch off that room light..?'

so cute rite..? she said to help HER when it wasn't even her who had left the light on..!

it's like she owns the responsibility to save electricity and water...
jus find it so amazing... :)

expands upon heating

this week... rachelle and i are covering the topic of energy... heat...

we did a few experiments at home... and all the time joanna was listening in... and looking silently...

today... we sort of wrapped up the topic... and got rachelle to state that... matter expands upon heating... and matter contracts when cooled...

then joanna asked...
'mommy... can you heat me up so that i can grow bigger..?'

cheeky lil gal... =)

silent...

one of my friends asked me yesterday...

'hey... not many posts from you lately on FB... what have you been up to.. ?'

well... life can get a little boring here... especially when the hubby has assignment after assignment to do... i actually jus live for the weekend here... so if he needs to do his work... saturdays and sundays are jus another day spent at home...

yea... i could bring the gals out... but the gals dun like to shop... so i gotta get creative... maybe a picnic at the nearby park... but then... i get lazy get thinking of organising it...

spending monday mornings alone after all have gone to school... is something that i look forward now... maybe it's cos after the weekend with the family... i really want to spend some time being alone... jus doing the things that i like... like FB-ing... blogging...

then the rest of the week... is now very much a routine... i spend the mornings tidying up... washing and cleaning... laundry and ironing... then during lunch... the dinner menu will be planned and prepared... cutting the ingredients...

when the gals come home in the afternoon... it'll be their homework... and then homeschool... followed by cooking dinner... usually by 6pm... dinner will be ready...

then after dinner is when the family bonds... with conversations over the dinner table... over desserts... notes from school for hubby to read... then Wii game... or any board games that we have brought along...

very soon after... it's bedtime for the gals at 9pm...

life is simple... it's different... it's relaxing...
it's something that we would never had the chance to experience... if not for this opportunity... and i am grateful for this... =)