The year in review

I read a note a good friend posted about how Love was central to all of us, during Christmas time especially.

He's not wrong.

This year was about Love for me too. I've learnt that things DO go smoother when you act from a place of love.

All that screaming and yelling, indignation, having it your way... it's tiresome.

It was also about learning that love makes you do things you never thought you could. It makes you change the way you see others, and perhaps more importantly, the way you see yourself.

It's the ultimate gift. The gift of giving - the gift of love.

Romance is an Exercise

In light of my current situation, I've been asking myself what my next step should be. Those of you who have no idea what I'm talking about, this post is not for you. Actually, this post is for myself, truth be told. But you're welcome to spy on my ramblings.

While I'm waiting for the other shoe to drop, (ok, DJ says change is entirely possible, but I'm still convinced there's a 90% chance the other shoe's going to whack me on the head) I've been thinking about what a friend asked me today. 'So you're dating?'

Well. No. Or at least, I haven't, yet. And I'm not sure I should be. But I wouldn't be entirely truthful if I said that the thought hasn't crossed my mind. There's a line between actually going out and doing it, and merely considering the idea. I'm not opposed to keeping an eye out for potential romances. There I've said it.

But I owe it to myself and other parties involved to give it a fighting chance. At the moment, I still do badly want a happy ending.

And yet following a conversation I had with my dad on Christmas eve, I find myself approaching this whole romance thing more and more like an exercise in recruitment.

It's not very different after all. The idea is that you want to match the right candidate to the job. In this case, the post to be filled is boyfriend with the possibility of advancement to husband and father.

So we have a look at the resume - let's see, there are certain standard requirements : male, eligible, english speaking, catholic, good morals. Then the preferences : cute, witty, able to hold a conversation, has some depth, self-aware. On to the plus points : stable (financially), responsible, independent, emotionally evolved, secure (psychologically). The bonuses : not opposed to drinking and smoking, can drive, sociable, good in bed (yes you heard me right - it's the last item on my list).

So after you've made a shortlist and picked out your best candidate, the next thing to do is sort out the timing. As with hiring an employee, there are issues such as notice periods and start dates to deal with. These are negotiated and agreed upon and both parties enter into a contract when everyone is satisfied. As an adult, often this is the case with our love lives as well. When there are other factors influencing the entering of either party into a relationship (it may well be probationary at first, as with most jobs)  it becomes necessary to lay all the facts out on the table at the very start. This way both parties know what to expect, if options should still be left open and at what date they need to commit to signing on the dotted line to seal the deal. There is still room for shopping around, so to speak.

It's all so unromantic now. Where are the days of boy meets girl, boy likes girl, boy tries to get girl? As a teen, life was simpler. You like a guy, the guy likes you, you get together. When something goes wrong and someone doesn't feel the same anymore, you break up.

My last 4 break-ups have been for practical reasons. That totally sucks. Does love count for anything then?

1-for-1

An older pair of black strappy low-heeled slip-ons were giving way. So after Mass I invited DJ to come shoe shopping with me. We headed to Parkway Parade.

I spent S$43.90 on this :

It's more than I would normally spend on thongs, but the bling on the top (not  typically something I would pick up) was exactly the reason why I did anyway. Having recently discussed my need for rule-making and sticking to tried and tested paths (read:  I'm an  unadventurous, rigid person) I thought I'd go for it. Break out of the mould. Forge new paths. Er, you know what I mean.

So on I went to make the purchase. The cashier at Charles and Keith was nice enough to understand that some of us just can't wait to get 'em new shoes on our feet. I told her I'd be wearing my new slippers and intended to throw the old ones away. She kindly informed me that if I wanted her to, she'd be glad to take the old pair away. Ah. No strange look, no mocking tone. Just sweet simple understanding. Thank you,  Miss nice cashier lady.

I went out wearing one pair. And came home with another. If only other things in life were as easy to replace. Boyfriends, husbands, children. *Smile*

By the way, if you shop online at Charles and Keith the prices are higher than in the stores. That's why they can afford to offer you free delivery in Singapore. (The ones I bought are going for S$59 online.)

Eastwick

My current fixation: Eastwick

Here's the synopsis from the official website:

GET TO KNOW

Have you ever discovered a wealth of inner power that you never knew you had, and it could change the world as you knew it if unleashed? Yeah, neither have we. Eastwick, based on John Updike’s best-selling novel and the popular movie, offers that ultimate wish-fulfillment fantasy.

Joanna (Lindsay Price)—the overly shy local reporter, Kat (Jamie Ray Newman)—the swamped wife and mom, and Roxie (Rebecca Romijn)—the eccentric artist are three very different women living in the New England hamlet of Eastwick. Because of catty gossip and preconceived judgments, they didn't really like each other that much. But after a bizarre encounter at the local park and one too many martinis, this trio not only become BFFs but begin discovering some bewitching talents they never knew they had.

But these three fast friends aren’t just drawing each other closer…

Something wicked is coming their way, and his name is Darryl Van Horne (Paul Gross)—an irresistible combination of wealth, charisma and bad boy sex appeal that turns the town upside-down. The closer these ladies are drawn into Darryl’s wicked web, the more of their unique powers he unleashes—which we can only imagine will spell trouble with a capital T.

As these enchanting women grow into their newfound talents, Eastwick will never be the same. And while that might be ill-fated for a few locals, it's still the best thing to happen to this small seaside community in centuries. I don’t know about you, but we can’t wait to get our front row seat.

 

 

Metro Expo Sale

Metro Expo Sale
25 December 2009 - 03 January 2010

Event type : Retailer & Sales
Venue : Hall 5
Admission : Publice - Free Admission
Event Schedules : Time: 11am to 10pm

GO FOR IT!

Realisation

This year Christmas was entirely different for me.

Oh, the routines were similar enough. Collecting Christmas fare from a supermarket; heading to mum's for dinner then off to church for Mass; back home after that for the usual opening of presents. But something inside me was different.

Peace. and Love. something like that.

A) I didn't lose my temper or raise my voice ONCE the whole time I was with my folks. This is rare. Christmas at my mother's is usually fraught with tension and impatience on everybody's part. That I didn't lose it speaks wonders of the grace of God.

B) I've learnt something about myself - I AM stronger than I thought. And I have to keep believing that if HE brought me here, HE can take me through.  Cos in the midst of a personal relationship crisis I understand now what's important to me. And all this while I'd been focusing on this other thing. Which seemed so huge to me then, yet pales now in comparison to the real reasons for why I might not have my fairy tale ending.

C) It's been quiet - the extended Christmas partying has given way this year to spending quiet afternoons in with one or two friends and maintaining my devotion to attending Novena and Mass. I've also managed to squeeze in a couple of weekday Masses before the 24th, on account I had the evenings free since I didn't have any classes.

All in all it was a special time for me. Not in the usual celebratory way. But in one much, much more meaningful.

Have you had your Soursop Juice today?

Soursop, which is also known as Guyabano in Spanish and Graviola in Portuguese grows mainly in the tropical regions. The flesh of the fruit consists of a juicy white edible pulp that is high in fibre, carbohydrates, Vitamins C, B1, B2, and potassium. Fortunately it is also low in saturated fat, cholesterol, and sodium.

Got some at Giant food court at tampines mega big-big store for $2.50 a cup. No sugar added. Good stuff!

Reflections - NOT from Mulan

Everybody's different. We sometimes go through the same shit and may have variations of the same problem. But at the end of the day we're individuals. And so no matter how much we "understand" what the other person is going through, we'll still never *fully* understand their situation. My point - judge not. You never really know the whole story.

Sure you can ask for advice and you can gather different opinions but what you do at the end of the day, how you tackle a difficult situation is ultimately up to you. By that same token, if you've given a friend your two cents' worth, you've done what you can. In the end, it's their life and you have NO RIGHT to question their decision.

Consequently, if you've decided to deal with something one way, you ALSO have no right to go on and on and on about your plight. I mean, give your friends a break. They respect you enough to be a listening ear, a shoulder to cry on and a myriad of other cliches... the least you can do after you've made up your mind is to own the decision. Asking them why you have to put up with a husband's infidelity, or why you're broke all the time since you quit your job and had to move back home is just irresponsible friend behaviour. If YOU chose not to get a divorce or decided to give up your cushy job (for whatever reason) then it's on you to deal with the consequences.

Don't get me wrong, you can share worries and concerns and pour your heart out to a friend. You can use them as sounding boards. Go ahead and vent ever so often. But recognise at some point that THIS IS YOUR CHOICE.

And if I had to teach one important life lesson to my kids (as yet non-existent tho they may be), this would be it.

Acceptance and love on the one hand, and ownership of your decisions on the other.

I am grateful to have more than a handful of friends whom I can trust to understand this concept. And I wish nothing more than that everyone be blessed with the same.

Lunch at My Place

I decided to have an early Christmas lunch. Friends came, they hung ornaments on my tree and we ate. Here's the spread:

Lapis, Chocolate Cake (with tons of Brandy, courtesy of MW), Chicken Sio (sweet ketumbah gravy thing).

Chap Chye Kering (dry) and Pong Teh

Seedless Grapes, Mango Pudding, and Fried Ikan Bilis to munch on. Oh So Good!

Catch your Cheating Spouse

I was driving back from my cousin's place when I saw this cab in front of me:

The website : www.catchcheatingspouse.com.sg

So I took a look. The company is Kokusai. But that's not what made me "giling kepala" (translated: shake my head).

One of the links takes you to a site where you can buy a book, join a club, and get freebies too!

All for the cheap cheap price of USD$37.00

Here's an excerpt:-

"You'll know in a few minutes that you'll receive a step-by-step guide showing you everything you need to know so you can find out the truth once and for all about whether or not your spouse is cheating on you. Then you can get back on track with your life. No need to spend all of the years and heartache to achieve success. Just follow the instructions and start getting results immediately. And with my instant money-back guarantee, there is literally NO RISK for you."


I mean, I know you can find almost anything on the internet. But this is just sad.

If nothing happens after 8 weeks, you get a money-back guarantee.

Weird, this world we live in.

Scientists discover clue to growing new breast tissue

This appeared 5th Jan 2006. At least, that's what it says at the top of the article. (Right click on the title or else you lose this page).

Here's an excerpt:

Researchers suspect that mammary stem cells play an important role in the genesis of some breast cancers. If a stem cell carries genetic errors, it may start producing cancerous breast cells, in effect becoming a “tumour factory”. This may be why some breast cancers return after apparently being eliminated by chemotherapy.

Chemotherapy targets fast-dividing cancer cells, but the stem cells may prove more resistant as they do not reproduce so quickly. This would mean that, although the primary breast cancer is killed by the treatment, abnormal stem cells are left behind to continue turning out cancer cells, restarting the tumour.

“The ultimate objective is to create a drug that will, in effect, switch off breast cancer cells,” Dr Visvader said. “To do this, the exact make-up of genes expressed by normal and rogue stem cells will need to be determined. Then a drug will be designed to engage with and neutralise the faulty feature of the stem cell.”

Reading it made me think about this inspirational thingamajig that was floating around some time back. To learn the value of a year, ask a student who's failed his end of year exams. To learn the value of a month, ask the mother of a premature baby... and so on and so forth. I'm sure you've seen it.

Anyhoo, I'm thinking of someone I know who has breast cancer. She doesn't have long to live. If only they found a way to sort this all out BEFORE she goes... what if the answers come a day after? or a week? or a month? At what point will I NOT think "What a waste... if she had held on just one more day/week/month they might have been able to save her..." 

I feel guilty now. She's still here, now. And yet I'm thinking this way.

To the people in my life who I don't see very often - I'm sorry. I should try harder. I know. But please do understand that there are other people in my life who I'd regret not seeing more than others. (My family, for instance.) And so I try to make extra time for those people - just in case. Just in case their time is up and I never get to see them again. Just in case.

"There's always tomorrow / the weekend / next month"... what if there isn't?

Packaging is Everything

Recently I found out that Louis Armstrong did a version of "Oops, I did it again" way way back in 1932 for the Decca label. Obviously it didn't take.

And no wonder. It was draggy, he wasn't a hottie and all that sax was just too overpowering.

Sex, on the other hand, sells. I mean, red pleather and choreographed dance moves - who could beat that?

Baba King - Singapore Expo (hall 4)

While this isn't strictly from my kitchen, the food was yummy enough that I decided to post some pics :)

The Aunt and Cousin from Germany are here for 12 days and we took them to Baba King at Expo for lunch today. As some of you may know, Peranakan cooking is such that tastes differ from home to home, and today's spread was no exception. While some of the dishes tasted similar to the ones I grew up on (from mum's kitchen), some others had variations. The chap chye, for example, is typically cooked without carrots in my home, but the one we had today had some in it. Still, it's recognisable so I'm not going to bitch about it. Enjoy :)

Kristang Beef Devil Curry
Itek Teem







Otak Otak
Sambal Belimbing
Achar





Chap Chye
Kangkong Belacan

Global Warming Hoax - final

I was mistaken. Apparently there are only 8 parts. Do note, tho, that in parts 7 and 8 some bits seem to be repeats of earlier sections. But if you sit thru and listen (while multi-tasking and doing other stuff on your computer) there's also new stuff meshed in with the old.

So the conclusion? Go ahead, Use energy, Emit CO2 and Send Bulbs to Africa! Peace all...







And here's something else...

Global Warming Hoax - cont'd

parts 4 to 6...









stay tuned for more! (parts 7 to 9 coming up next...)

Global Warming - Man-Made Hoax?

Maybe it's NOT our fault after all? (9 parts altogether - I think.)

The Whole Tooth

I went to get the last of my wisdom teeth out today. Ouch. And while trawling the web (as usual) for all things related to tooth extraction, I came upon THIS site.

Here are some highlights:

After the tooth is removed, a blood clot forms to help the healing process. This is why you bite down on gauze for up to an hour after the extraction - to help it form in the hole left behind by the extracted tooth.

Once the clot has formed, it takes 24 hours or more for it to set in firmly.

You DON'T want to dislodge this clot because you end up with what is known as a dry socket - the bone is exposed, it will hurt like mad and you can't do shite about it except treat the pain while you wait it out. Eventually it will heal, but prevention is better than cure right?

How to prevent it (this is quoted directly from the website) :

• After a tooth extraction, dentists advise their patients to exert a firm biting pressure on the gauze, placed over the site of extraction, for as long as the next 60 minutes.
• Normally, this will offer time and opportunity for the formation of a protective blood clot at the site of extraction, which is the intention of your dentist.
• It may take 24 hours or more, after a tooth extraction for the blood clot to get settled firmly.
• After, the blood clot is in place, the patient must take care not to disrupt and dislodge it.
• From your side you can do this by avoiding vigorous rinsing of your mouth for the first 24 hours.
• Actions, like sucking on a straw or cigarette can dislodge the blood clot by lowering the pressure around it, than the pressure in the cavity or space under it.
• Abstaining from alcohol and tobacco, exercises, and most importantly from drinking hot liquids, such as coffee or soup can help you in preventing a dry socket after tooth extraction.
• For dental patients with gum diseases such as peritonitis etc, your dentist may advise an antibiotic course for you to counter infection.
• Antibacterial mouthwash may help a patient, who is not a great dental hygienist, in countering the pre and/or post operative bacterial growth near the site of the tooth extraction.
• Following diligently, the specific post-operative instructions deemed important by your dentist for you, may help you in avoiding or having to attend fewer post-operative complications, and in wisdom teeth removal recovery.

And now I'm off to bed. Hopefully I'll feel better when I wake up.

A1 - Curry Chicken Chinese Style

If you're looking for authentic Indian curry (the prata type) this is not for you. The recipe calls for quite a large portion of coconut milk, making it a very Chinese style curry. The first coupla mouthfuls don't do much damage spice-wise. But keep going and you'll find that halfway through the meal it gets spicy enough you'll want a drink.

This particular brand also calls for 1.2kg of chicken, which is significantly more than the other almost-ready-to-serve brands I've used (and blogged about). In general most of these types of one-step gravies ask for between 300-500gm of meat to be added.

Here it is:

Stir-fry everything in the pot till the meat and potatoes are nicely coated with the paste.

Then add water and coconut milk and let it simmer till the potatoes are nice and soft.

The Spices of the Orient brand meat curry seemed a little bit more oily compared to this one. And since I enjoy a good rich Chinese curry, A1 gets my vote. :)

2 Hot Girls in the Shower

by LKG Productions:- "2 Hot Girls in the Shower is a PG-rated comedy advice show with short episodes that run between one and two minutes. Our content is for mature adults who enjoy immature comedy."

Total time-waster... for those of you looking for a quick break in the middle of your hectic work day.

Secret Recipe 50% off at selected outlets

Mashups

Let me just say, this post isn't for everyone. It's got the potential to be extremely irritating, so read on (and click on the videos) at your own risk. You have been warned.

I came across this video on Youtube. And it's kinda kooky and weird-sounding (that whole electronica thing is not something my classically trained ears are used to).  It's a Mashup: Mason Vs Princess Superstar.

First, some info.

Princess Superstar, real name Concetta Kirshner, is rapper, singer and music maker. She has 5 albums and 2 chart hits.

Responsible for PERFECT

Mason : stage name of the Dutch music producer duo Iason Chronis (below) and Coen Berrier. Popular with Ministry of Sound featuring on many of their annual compilations.

Responsible for EXCEEDER

And now, the video. This is Mason Vs Princess Superstar - Perfect (Exceeder). Enjoy.

My title's in the plural form. What's the other Mashup? Thanks to CH who threw this link into my FB inbox, I will now have more Boomz nightmares. Yes. It is her. On the Shan & Rozz show.

Ok, the first I heard about this Shan & Rozz thing was when I saw the Angmo Speaking Singlish video a few days ago which I subsequently posted. Never knew it existed before that. (Er, I don't know everything about everything, you see.) I've decided that I like them. Well, I like what their show represents. Presenters who speak decently enough, a media broadcast that doesn't have beeps put over every potentially offensive word and free use of vulgarities and innuendos. And then they went and spoilt it with a Ris Low interview. Sigh. Bad Mashup. Click to play if you will.

The Pin is Mightier than The Sword

Have you noticed that with time your showerhead becomes lethargic and gives out weak sprays (or even dribbles) of water? Or else you'll find that instead of coming down in a refreshing stream onto you, the angle of the spray goes wonky and the tops of your bathroom walls get wet from  annoying misty semi-sprays shooting out of the tiny little holes - usually the ones at the very edge of the circular pattern.

Go get a needle, or a pin, shut off the water, and poke away. Right into them holes. Ever so often, turn it to face away from you (duh..) and turn on the tap to get out whatever gunk you've loosened.

Do this a few times, and your showerhead'll be good as new!

(If it's really bad, soak the shower head in a bowl of vinegar for a coupla hours before trying the trick with the pin again. Remember to wash thoroughly before use!!)

Yellow Walls n other Stories

A few things happened over the weekend. Well, a lot really. But here are some highlights.

Coming back from church on Saturday evening I had the opportunity to sit at one of those sideways-facing seats at the back of the bus. In front of me were 4 teens. 2 couples. They all had fringes ending right on their eyelids, cut on the diagonal, so that it began slightly above the left eye then slanted to just below the eyelashes on the right eye. I kept blinking. I mean, how do you see anything with all that hair obscuring your vision?

The blokes, in addition to the slanted fringe, sported a zig-zag style. Long in front of the ears, then cut upwards as it went behind the ear, only to fall straight down to the collar. I can't explain it any other way. But you HAD to see it. They looked like Anime characters. Seriously. And they were silent the whole 20 minutes it took me to get home. Sullen-faced and jap-inspired youth. Is this the future of my country?

At midnight I needed a drink. Off we went for Coca-Cola, MySO and I. En route he mentioned how every time he looked across the carpark he thought there was a wake going on - no thanks to the  spattering of yellow-painted  walls at some void decks. They weren't ALL yellow you see, oh no. Some were white, then every 5 pillars or so you'd get 2 or 3 yellow ones. Then they went back to being white for another 5 or 6 pillars. You get the idea.

We eventually got closer and he started giggling. "What's so funny?" I nudged him in the rib. "Look - it IS a wake!" That's when I got the giggles. The one time he chooses to mention how the yellow walls remind him of a wake, there actually IS one. What are the chances...

Anyhoo, remember the coke? Well, it was for the whiskey. Famous Grouse. Cheap and Good. I love that stuff. We polished off half a bottle chatting and munching on nuts till almost 6 in the morning. I concussed after that. It makes me wonder if I'll ever go out to a club/pub again. I mean, it's way cheaper to drink at home. And if it sounds sad, that's only because there's the implication that drinking at home means drinking alone. If you think about it though, it would work as a couple thing, it would work as a girls' night thing, it would work as a bunch of friends hanging out thing. I'm a little more certain after that night that it would take A LOT for me to be convinced to go out and drink at a bar / club.

This weekend I also ventured out to Tampines Mall. I had time on Sunday afternoon so me and the sister headed out to run an errand at Singtel. It was crowded. We queued for no less than 30 mins to get the Q number. Then waited another hour and a bit before we were summoned to the counter. While waiting I saw the new Sony Ericsson Satio. Lovely. Oh so lovely. And expensive.

And since I'm not made of gold, I think perhaps I'll just settle for a HTC Hero. It's supposed to be the closest thing to an iPhone on the market presently. And since I'm enjoying the games on MySO's new iPhone, maybe I'll get it. (Fingers are crossed that I'll be able to play similar games on the Hero).  He's also offered to trade in the phone he was using previously so that I can get this one FOC. Ah, my Hero *smile*. It's good being a girl.

I had a productive weekend. Saw things. Did things. Worked out another small percentage point's worth of my life's problems. That's all I can ask for in one weekend right?

New Moon - NOT the abalone

So I'm a sucker for these teen-angst love-me-love-me-not type films. What's there not to like? Whatever the genre, whoever the actor, 2 things are a must for me when it comes to movie-watching:

1) No need for too many brain cells.
2) Eye Candy.

By that measure, New Moon passes with flying colours :) Enjoy the trailer!

Paying It Forward. Singaporeans how?

I first came across the concept of "paying it forward" a long time ago. A film, I think, it was that introduced the concept to the world. And now as I watch news reports of it actually happening in real life (this isn't the only one), I wonder if Singaporeans could do this too? I'm doubtful, but I just might try it someday. The only problem is, how do I stick around to see if it gets passed on?

Shan & Rozz show...

I'm not quite sure what to make of this... the jury is still out. He does sound kinda Singaporean-like... but then the presenters, erm, I dunno... you tell me what you think leh.

Spicy Dinner in 30 mins

I usually eat alone if I'm eating in. This means I don't want the hassle of having to deal with long preparation times, massive quantities of meat and having to look for storage containers to freeze leftovers in afterwards.

So I'm constantly on the lookout for single (or double) portion ready-to-eat gravies that are yummy, affordable and easy to prepare.

My favourite brands are Brahim and Spices of the Orient for almost-instant dinners, something MySO insists is "making hot" instead of "cooking".

Here's Brahim's Sambal Tumis and Spices of the Orient Meat Curry. (As promised... it's been a long time coming, I know, and I apologise. Still, better late than never, right?)

Instructions are on the back. 2 steps. See? Easy.

It's traditionally cooked with prawns or squid but I prefer frozen fish fillets.

You pour out the gravy from the pack into a pot. Add water. When it starts to bubble a little bit, pour in your seafood. Let simmer and stir till your seafood is cooked.

Done!

This one I've been meaning to try for some time. So here it is.

First you get 250-300g of meat (I'm using pork).




As with the Brahim gravies, you pour it out of the pack, add water and warm it up. When it starts to bubble, dump in the meat, stir it up, let it boil, and once your meat is cooked, you're ready for dinner!

Ta-da!

It was a little oily but you can always skim the top layer of oil off with a spoon. Great with prata!

Agadoo - remember this?

What I've been up to

Last week I spent about 4 days in Malacca. I've put on some weight, renewed my interest in sewing them beaded shoes, and have decided to spend at least an hour a day sewing so that I don't lose steam.

This also means that I probably won't have much time for anything else. I know an hour a day sounds very do-able. But because I'd much rather be sewing out in a coffee shop than at home, it means I'll have to factor in chit-chat and travel time. So an hour of sewing means about 3-4 hours out of the house.

This has prompted me to remove some games from my Facebook account.

Speaking of which, if anybody's interested, here are the fotos of the recent Melaka trip.

If you don't know what beaded slippers (kasut manek) look like, here's a pic of my very first pair, and the pattern of the pair I'm working on currently. Will post more pictures as I make progress :)

And yes, before you ask, each bead IS sewn down individually.

Spices of the Orient - Seafood Spicy Sauce

Following the Melaka trip, I was a little lazy to cook up anything from scratch so I scrounged around my kitchen and found this.

First I chopped up some onions (not necessary but I like the added texture that onions bring to a dish) and wilted them in a little bit of oil.

Then I added the fish (frozen fillets from the supermarket).

Then after letting it simmer for about 8-10 minutes

It was ready to be served with rice. The verdict? Good enough for me! MySO liked it too!

G-Force : Jump

A current favourite. Addicted to the chorus!

Enjoy

He Taught His Teacher

I've always preferred to use time values such as Ta and Ta-Ah for teaching little ones instead of calling them by their proper names (Crotchet and Minim, respectively). The reason being "real" names are difficult words for the kids to learn, or so I thought.

Last month as I flipped the page of the Piano Party book with one of my 4-year-olds, I saw that we had come to that part of the book where it was time to introduce Notes and their Time Names. I immediately thought to myself, if a 7-year-old has problems with it, surely a 4-year-old will too. So I decided there and then that I would introduce the names of the notes, but more importantly, teach the little 'un how long each note should be held. That, I thought, would be the goal of the lesson. And if he (and the other little 'uns whom I teach) can't quite remember these difficult words, then so be it. They'll have lots of time later on as they grow older to learn them.

So I quickly told him that the black, coloured note with the stem (that's the vertical line on those musical tau-gays, for those of you who don't read music) was called a Crotchet and when we see it we clap 'Ta'. The white, uncoloured one with the stem is a Minim and we clap then bounce our clasped hands once and say 'Ta-Ah' (clapping on the 'Ta' and bouncing on the 'Ah', you see). I finished up with the Semibreve and then thought we should play a little game. We did, and he performed splendidly. When I pointed to the various notes, he'd clap and say the appropriate 'Ta's and 'Ah's.

Then I packed him off home feeling pleased with myself.

A week later, to recap the previous week's lesson, I decided instead of reminding him what anything was, I'd  first let him show me how much he could remember. So I pointed to dear old black, coloured note and said "Do you remember what this is?"  Imagine my surprise when instead of saying 'Ta', he said "Crotchet". And continued to give me the Time Names of all the notes on the page. Correctly.

This incident reminds me of something I always knew, but sometimes fail to remember. When you're a child, every word is new. As we grow we learn more and more new words. It doesn't matter if those words are specific to a particular subject, if they're technical jargon, if they're in another language. They're all equally new. A 4-year-old is no better suited to learning one word over another if he didn't know either of them before that point.

And so all this while, I've been assuming that Time Names are difficult to learn, because they're not words we hear and/or use all the time with people in general. A 10-year-old might find them strange words to learn because they've already amassed such a large number of words in their vocabulary. But when the child is as young as 4 or 5, it ain't so strange. Every other word they come across is going to be new. So why not just teach them the proper Time Names?

Why not indeed. Every single little 'un that I've taught these words to since that first incident has managed to remember them. And quite easily I might add. I'm glad I learnt this lesson tho. Or at least that I was reminded of it. I wonder what other adult-acquired assumptions I've imposed on those I teach...

TV Series I love

What (and who) am I watching these days?

Leverage (Gina Bellman, Beth Riesgraf)

 

Bionic Woman (Michelle Ryan)

GLEE! (Cory Monteith)

Better Off Ted (Portia Di Rossi)

Castle (Molly Quinn, Stana Katic)