"Voice"

 You know what it's like when someone keeps finishing your sentences for you? 

My Gmail is doing it for me now and I actually find it useful.

Am I getting less bothered about having my own voice?

Or less bothered by whom I am talking to?

So what do you do as a volunteer?

During the odd occasions when I help out as a volunteer with the Com Chest, some friends have asked what I do.  I tell them I am a "SHARE ambassador" whose main role is to help spread awareness of the SHARE programme through briefings to businesses and government agencies.

Just like this one where I am giving a briefing to Metro staff on how their monthly donations go towards helping 300,000 beneficiaries in Singapore.  Earlier, Comm Chest staff had conducted a mini training workshop for us volunteers. That helped a lot but it took me a while to feel confident to agree to go solo. Strangely enough, once I started speaking, I no longer felt nervous. The message itself was powerful enough. I was merely a conduit and I hope I did the message justice.

Wake Up & Live

Reading is my all-time favorite past-time. Couch potatoes switch channels; I switch books.

I now have 4-5 library books at home and I have this silly habit of switching from one to another.  Currently, I'm immersed in this particular title.  The title sounds cliche, I know.  But quite a few of the passages inside resonated with me and this particular one stood out:

PSLE - Pressure Starts Life Ends?

It's one more week to PSLE - the much-dreaded Primary 6 exams in Singapore.  Zern is sitting for it.  Keane was spared because he took the iPSLE in Shanghai.

Zern on one of his DIY projects - to "de-stress" so-called

I don't know where to begin.  Let's face it - PSLE is a real drag.  The spoof acronym definition of PSLE as "Pressure Starts Life Ends" was mentioned at a compo-writing workshop and it stuck in both Zern's and my minds.  No matter how many Singapore Conversations held on it, whatever ways you cut it, it is a pressurizing time for the child, and may I add, the parent, and may I specify, the mother.  We may as well admit it - yes, there is pressure.  More than we think.

Three bikes and a runway

The day started very early.  We wanted to avoid the crowd and get a good parking lot for the  National Runway Cycling & Skating 2012 held at the Paya Lebar Air Base.

Organised by SAFRA, it was - as expected - very well-planned.  There were ushers to guide us to our parking lot although it was still a far walk from the event venue.  The three cyclists did a 10km ride on the runway.  And there were stage performances, games and food at the end.  Two thumbs up to the organiser for a great event, and it doesn't even need a registration fee!

Jeju Birthday 济州岛生日

Just arrived home from a 4-day trip to Jeju Korea.   It was really sweet of the tour guide who surprised me with a birthday cake and even getting the group to sing the birthday song on the bus!   One of the most memorable birthdays I've had.  Still missing the place - the sea, food and the interesting sights.  

昨天刚从济州岛飞回来。还好怀念那里的海，食物与地方。游了四天还是不够。导游偶然知道我的生日，还准备了蛋糕给我庆祝。太意外了。

Zern's 10th Birthday 阿振十岁生日

4 June was Zern's 10th birthday.  He had always wanted to celebrate it like last year, with the same group of friends from Dulwich Suzhou.  But we're now in Shanghai; how can we get them to come? With help from my good friend, Annie, the original group of boys did turn up (all except one who had already left Suzhou for good). They had a blast! And I had a great time chatting up with Annie.  A great day indeed!

六月四号是阿振的十岁生日。他的愿望是要象去年一样，跟苏州学校的同学一起庆祝。可是我们现在已经搬来上海了呀。。这能行吗? 还好有我苏州的好朋友Annie帮忙， 竟然能请到去年的那几位小朋友（除了一位已经回国的）坐了一个小时的车来我们的家。他们玩得好兴奋哦！我也好开心，可以跟Annie渡过一个快乐的下午！

Thinking of Home 想家

Saturday saw the whole family taking the Metro for the first time to Century Park.  All for "Singapore Day", a large-scale event organised for Singaporeans resident overseas.  It was really quite enjoyable.

周六全家人第一次乘地铁去世纪公园,就为了参加"新加坡热".这是为那些在外地居住的新加坡人所举办的大型活动.　挺好玩的.　

 

Performances by Singapore celebrities,  goodie bags, games, and of course food!  You have to queue quite long though to get the popular food, just like back home.

It's all free, and very well-organised, so really nothing to complain about (which is what unites most Singaporeans back home)! Met some old friends from Suzhou and even an ex-colleague whom I haven't met in 7 years. Beginning to miss home, just a little bit.

有熟悉(与不太熟悉)的狮城演员歌手表演,免费赠品,各种游戏,当然少不了新加坡最出名的美食!　不过,就像在老家那样,要排队排很久才能吃得到哦.　

想到一切都是免费的,而举办单位筹备得真的很细心周到,就真的没什么好抱怨的了!　　没想到还碰到了一些苏州朋友,连七年没见的旧同事也在哪儿.　有一点点想家了.