After

Before

We had Beatrice's birthday party last Sunday - a bit early but because we wanted to do it together with two boys from her class and the school breaks up already next week (meaning many people will leave) it had to be that early. It was a very good day - at a kid's gym where they did the most fantastic games with the kids. Everything was pirate-themed, which was actually Beatrice's choice and not the boys! The games and props and music. The Philippina girl who lead the pack did really well, all 26 kids were perfectly under control and waited for their turn patiently if need be. We were quite amazed and thought this would be interesting for their teacher to see...

It was great to do it together with two other mums - didn't feel like one has to take care of everything and we actually had a chance to chat to other people and enjoy the party as well. The kids loved it so much, they didn't even want to eat the cake - just couldn't wait to get back to more games. At the end the parents were involved as well - tug rope and snowball fight. Was great fun.

The week has been busy with boys off school. On Monday we went to the Botanical gardens again and met the wife of a new colleague of Robert for a walk. We found some new spots like a cactus garden and visited the orchid garden for the first time. This was fantastic - the flowers as well as the layout of the whole garden. There was a part with fragrant orchids and the smells were unbelievable - like parfume. A small treetop trail led to the cool-house with orchids from high mountains. A great place to escape the heat for a while. We were lucky enough to have a visit there without injuries this time.

On Tuesday one of the boys friends from school came to play here with his brothers and mum. It was quite a funny sight taking 5 little blond boys to the pool. On Wednesday we met some other friends at an indoor playground. The superwisors there were kind enough and allowed us mums to go away shopping for a little while. After 3 hours the boys still didn't want to leave... .

On Thursday it was Beatrice's Christmas play at school. They had put up a massive production involving all infants children from nursery to Y2. Lots of music, songs and dances, fab costumes (I had helped to sew two angel's dresses) and stage. Really good in all. Beatrice had a few lines of her own and did very well. Raoul had taken his harmonica along and joined in the songs.

Christmas season

We had our first tropical Christmas Party last Sunday in the Botanical Gardens. What a setting! It was Beatrice's class and siblings and parents. A great morning. The weather had been really bad and rainy all week but luckily Sunday morning was nice and dry. It was a great opportunity to meet some parents whom you never see. We don't do schoolruns here, so there are not too many chances. Kids had a great runaround and playtime and parents had a chatty morning enjoying the brunch - snacks that everybody had brought including fruitcake and gingerbread men. And then Father Christmas arrived. Quite a sight in the midst of this tropical foliage. He was good fun. However Beatrice has become very suspicious about this whole thing and said afterwards that it was not Father Christmas but Rupert's dad (she was right of course). Also she recognized my wrapping paper and labels. So will have to be really careful. Raoul and Karl luckily did not believe a word of what she was telling and were absolutely convinced that it was the real Father Christmas who brought their presents.

Unfortunately Beatrice fell ill on that day and has been home since then. Coughing and temperature. Hopefully better soon. The boys get really bored when we can't do anything now that their school has finished. They went to play at a friends house one day this week and had great time but not a lot more action for them.

We had parent teacher conferences at Beatrice's school this week. I was very surprized and impressed by her work. I thought with all the assemblies and parties they won't have any time at all for real work but they have done quite a bit. And her maths has caught up so that she is in the top group.

Last night we had another "teambuilding" dinner with Robert's work. Had some great food - the best steak I have ever eaten! But the whole atmosphere was very funny. Since James has left there is a new project manager who has brought in some of his own guys. One of them is here with his wife - they are from Alabama. That means I could hardly understand what they said, and not just because of the accent... . A whole new world!

As a sad aftermath of the boys birthday I have discovered that I have at least partly caused a maid being fired. What happened was that during the week before the party I thought I had a brilliant idea to ask our Kenyan neighbour's (whose son is in Beatrice's class) maid to help us do the BBQ so that I could look after the children and entertain the parents etc. We saw her every morning while taking Beatrice to schoolbus and I had understood that she really is looking to earn some extra on her day off so she can send some money to her son. Our regular babysitter is also keen on extra work but I just wanted to spread it a little. Anyway, Sunday morning a few hours before the party she came here and told that she had asked her Mam permission just in case and she had forbidden it. She was distraught and I was in stress trying to think of someone, who could turn up in 1.5 hours time. Luckily our KOrean friends here were helpful and didn't mind their maid earning a few extra dollars on her day off. So she did it instead. However, a few days later I received a call from the Kenyans maid and it turned out she was fired in the same evening because she had agreed to do it before asking them. As an interesting twist her employers were at the party as well. So now the poor girl has to find a new employer and go another 2 months without salary as that goes for the agency fees. I feel bad about it of course and am trying to give her some babysitting work (which is ok because the kids know her and like her more than our regular babysitter). Still quite a disappointing story.
The rest of the week has been the usual busying around. Helped to sew some costumes for the Christmas play at B's school. But now with the boys at home after Thursday's last schoolday won't be able to help any more.
On Saturday we went to a book launch and changed the Taekwondo class thatswhy. It turned out to be a good thing because this was apparently the first time that the boys finished the class without fighting or arguing. That's because their schoolfriend Yeo Yoo wasn't there. I had always thought that Karl's and Yeo Yoo's quarreling was mostly Karl's initiative, but it has turned out that it really isn't and that Yeo Yoo argues with everyone else as well. His parents seem very nice and kind people but the little boy is quite a pickle.
The booklaunch was great. A mum in Beatrice's class has published her first children's books (3 of a series) - written and illustrated. Greatly inspired by Singapore as well as her kids. The books are brilliant and a good read for 3 - 7 year olds. Really. I am full of admiration and envy... But Borders on a Saturday afternoon is not a worthwhile destination. Apart from the launch party there were hundreds or thousands of kids, taking books from shelves, reading them on the floor and leaving everything there. The place must be a total mess by closing time. Quite surprized to see it actually because whenever we've been to the library everything is very quiet and orderly. How come that people behave civilized in a library and go completely mad in a shop?
On Sunday Beatrice was invited to the Korean twins 11th birthday party. That was quite different to 4-year-old's party. Only girls. And Raoul and Karl. Mostly they played in the pool. But all the eating part was very civilized. At the end everyone went up to their place to watch Highschool Musical 3 - the 17 girls and Karl. He was very pleased with himself when he came back.
On Monday the boys were off school and we had a good rainy day playday with their friend Matthew. Went to Ikea, where they had a good 1.5 hours in the playground while we shopped. Found for the first time something Made in Estonia here - Christmas napkins! Funny.
Today was parent-teacher conference at school. Nothing surprizing there - Karl arguing with Yeo Yoo a lot, Raoul trying to protect him. Raoul still being stubborn at times but much better than in the beginning. The teacher says she sometimes uses Karl to pass a message on to Raoul. I'm glad there is improvement and hope.

Celebrations

It feels as if the celebrations season has started and it will take us right up to the end of the year. A bit early to my taste but thats how it goes. A boy in Beatrice's class had managed to convince his mom into holding a spontaneous Halloween party, so that filled our Thursday afternoon. Kids dressed up and especially the boys in their sceletton and Darf Wader outfits gave the people we passed by the pool and the taxi driver a good laugh. They live in a big house right around the corner from us. Both mom and dad work and travel a lot and the poor little boy has the huge house to himself for most of the time. We carved loads of pumpkins, kids played in the pool and by the sound of it took the house apart. But nothing got broken and everybody had a good time as usual with spontaneous arrangements I guess. That was it for Halloween. We didn't do trick or treat this year, because here we would have to buzz at the intercom in order to get to other people's floors, so that would kind of take the surprize out.
On Friday Beatrice had her Deepavali assembly at school. That was very pretty - all kids wearing beautiful Indian outfits, especially the girls. They did some good dancing to Bollywood hits and that spiced it up nicely.
From there we headed for the boys school the celebrate their birthday with a cake (that didn't raise unfortunately) and goodie bags for the classmates. That was very sweet. Also good to see the teachers. They think both boys are making good progress.
On Saturday we were invited to another birthday party in a condo next to ours. That was for two brothers who turned 4 and 6 and are an interesting mix of a Swedish mother and Indian father but born and raised in the US and Sing. That was absolutely crazy - over 50 kids and their parents. My kids still had a good time. A warm-up for the boys party on Sunday.
Well Sunday was nothing like that. We had BBQ and played some games and the kids played in the pool. Just a few boys from school and some kids from the condo. I had planned to play more organized sporty games but it prooved quite tricky to gather everybody in one spot and the 4-year olds are still not very easy to organize. (For their school sports day they had obviously practiced.) Hopefully everyone still had a good time. The house is full of transformers, power rangers, spidermen etc. Boys stuffed their schoolbags to brim this morning and Karl even tryed to take an extra plastic bag. Raoul got an advanced piece of Megablocks from Mia and Alex that meant Robert spent about 5 hours building this command station. He enjoyed it. I am still trying to work out these transformers. Don't really know how to do it next time. The boys like a big party but that creates too many presents. (And now Beatrice will have a party with the whole class.) They will not agree to the idea of donating at least some of the gifts. Will have to think about it.
Today there was an ad in the newspaper that puzzles me seriously. It covers the whole page and is basically a warning from the Department of Appropriate Behaviour not to watch a cable TV channel during their free preview this week because the programmes are not morally acceptable. If it was in any other country I would regard this as an ad by the cable operator to make people curious. But being Singapore it might well be for real. Also considering that Singapore was in the 144th place on the recent list of press freedom. (Whereas Estonia shared the 4th place.) I have become more and more amazed about this citystate. The argument that economic well-being brings about democracy and freedom simply doesn't work here. They all go around with their designer handbags but that's all that worries them - nice condo, big car, designer clothes, making sure the kids achieve beyond average. That there is no real political opposition because they get locked up or fined millions if they dare to speak publicly, doesn't bother many. A gathering of more than 5 people is illegal. When US invaded Iraq, there were 3 people protesting here. Now there is a speakers corner but you still need prior approval to use it. People are well behaved as long as the good behaviour is stated in laws - like you don't spit on the floor because it is forbidden by law. But you don't help a mother carrying a pram up the stairs because there is no legal obligation to do so. Etc.
Hopefully I will not be kicked out of the country for writing that. It is still a good place to stay with young kids as they can play outside and make friends in a really safe environment. Just a bit soul-less as an Australian friend put it.