The mr brown blog containing his popular and satirical Singapore National Education Series and other funny musings on the dysfunctional side of Singapore life.
On Saturday, we took the kids to Tai Keng Gardens, a quiet private housing estate at the back of our flat because in my bicycle rides through the estate (a short cut for me), I realised they had this lovely park there.
There was a playground, an exercise area, and lots of grassy space for the kids to run freely.
I took Joy and Isaac on short rides on my Xootr kick scooter too, since you could fit an adult and a child on its huge platform.
Funny how you miss these little discoveries when you drive. Take a walk or a bike ride around your home, you may discover places you never knew were there.
This is the scene that greets the wife and me most mornings. All three kids inevitably find their way into our bed, to giggle and play with us. (Faith is underneath the blanket in this photo but trust me, she's in there too).
For all the turmoil and uncertainty this year has brought, we've also experienced laughter and joy like this. And this is what we choose to remember most... our kids jumping on our bed in the morning.
May you be as blessed as we are in the coming year.
Featured comment by ahkow: "His train is better than SMRT; Joy has a seat!"
Featured comment by Corrine: "This is fantastic!!! (In OT we call this Object Substitution i.e. being able to see beyond the functional use of the item and use it imaginatively in play)"
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Isaac pulled me over one morning to show me his new creation, a train made up of various chairs and stools from the house.
I have to admit it really looked like a decent train. It even had a lever and a "steering wheel".
His younger sister, Joy, wanted to join in too and asked if she could get a ride. So we added one more stool and they were off, with Isaac declaring, "Choo choo! All aboard!"
Must be because of the Thomas the Tank Engine books he so loves. It even looks a little like Thomas.
A child's imagination is a marvelous thing. If only we grown-ups can see a train from a couple of stools and chairs.
I am always happy to see the kids come up with toys with their own imagination. It's better for them, and cheaper for me. It's certainly better than having to buy every dang robot/doll/superhero that a movie or tv cartoon series pitches at the kids.
Sometimes, you take a photo that takes your breath away and shows you a side of your kids you never noticed.
This is my Faith, seven and autistic, in a beautiful moment. Autism or not, that is a beautiful girl.
I had to stick her tongue back a few times to get this shot (she has a habit of biting on her tongue) but she kept still long enough for me to capture her.
The beauty is profoundly ironic, in that autistic children usually know not vanity. There is no guile or malice in those eyes that sometimes seem like they are looking at a world within that is not accessible to us.
And we, from the non-autistic spectrum of life, struggle when we see this association between beauty and impairment.
I am baffled by this all the time. And as we run ourselves ragged dealing with her challenges, it is easy to forget to stop and notice beauty like this.
My youngest brother, nine years my junior, got married yesterday.
Weddings are wonderful occasions. A time for families to reconnect, for old neighbours to be invited, for an entire school to gather, even. Especially when the bride was a former SCGS girl, and your mom taught in the same school for 40 years.
My dad got a chance to be with old drinking buddies from SIA, and childhood friends.
I saw old neighbours I only knew by their childhood names, like Ah Sim, Ah Hong (brother to Ah Lee and Ah Tong) and Bao Nen. To them, the three Lee boys were Ah Mun, Ah Meng, and Ah Wai. My mother was the name invoked whenever the neighbours wanted to frighten their kids into behaving, as in "If you don't behave, I will call Ah Mun's mother over to deal with you."
My mom told me she had to go all the way to Upper Aljunied Lane, where we used to live, to deliver the invites, because she did not even know if the old neighbours were still staying there. Most of them still were.
Some of the parents who were unable to come, sent their kids to represent them. Such were the ties we enjoyed growing up in Block 3, Upper Aljunied Lane.
When I watched the photo montage my brother put up on the screen during the dinner, I felt a lump in my throat.
There was the old round rattan chair we all sat in as kids. It was a default baby photo prop in the seventies, it seems.
There was the birthday we celebrated in our three-room flat with the neighbour's kids, along the common corridor.
There was my brother in the same giant plastic rimmed glasses I wore when I was a kid.
Weddings in my household are loud and rowdy affairs. Even at a supposedly serious affair as the tea ceremony. But that is how weddings should be, isn't it? Loud, joyous affairs.
My mom could not resist the time-honoured wedding tradition in the household, making the couple pick out 4D numbers. Mom is such a lottery queen.
It was also a trip to see mom's old school teacher friends at the dinner. Many of them have known my brothers and I since we were kids. In fact, many were there when my brother, the groom, was in mom's tummy.
When it was time for them to gather for the photo taking, it was like a Singapore Chinese Girls' School photo taking session. I don't know how they crammed so many people into that photo.
The bride, looking particularly beautiful, was her usual cheerful self. Tricia never stops laughing and smiling. My brother is a lucky man to marry her.
Welcome to the family, Tricia. And we wish all the blessings we can wish upon the two of you, as you begin a new journey together.
So now that the wedding is done, when are we catching the next midnight show ah? The wife and I miss your company leh.
Here is a Flickr slideshow of some of the photos I took:
My son, Isaac, I know it cannot be easy to understand why your older sister, Faith, is different from other older sisters.
You are only five years old and I cannot expect you to understand the complex developmental barriers that keep your Big Sister from speaking with you, playing with you, and doing big-sisterly things with you.
One day, I am sure I will be able to explain autism to you and your younger three-year-old sister, Joy.
One day, both of you will be able to understand and accept why your 姐姐 sometimes grabs your toys or food without asking, making you cry.
One day, both of you will be able to understand and accept why your 姐姐 likes to sit at the corner, lost in her own world, playing with her plastic bag and giggling to herself.
One day, both of you will be able to understand and accept why your 姐姐 needs to have her hand held in public places, while we let you walk by our side on your own.
But today, you made your Papa very proud when I told you to help Big Sister put on her shoes, and you did it willingly and without question.
It gives us, your parents, hope that Faith will grow up surrounded by the love of her siblings, long after we are gone.
With lots of love,
Papa
P.S. This does not mean the "No crying in shopping centres when Mommy does not buy you the toy you wanted" rule has been changed. And Joy, if you are reading this, the rule applies to you too.
I was watching the stampede of shoppers on tv, all shopping like crazy on Black Friday, the traditional start to the Christmas shopping season in the US. Stores usually offer discounts to entice Christmas shoppers at this time.
That's what a financial crisis in the US looks like?
One lady's comment jumped out at me. When interviewed, she said something to the effect of, "The country's in recession now, so we are thankful for whatever good sales we can get."
Madam, if you really think you are in a recession, perhaps you may want to consider another economic strategy. It's called stop shopping, save your money, and live with less.
Labour chief of Singapore threw the full power of the Singapore union movement at DBS for retrenching 900 staff... by expressing his disappointment.
Workers of Singapore should now sleep better, knowing how well their jobs are protected by the National Trades Union Congress and their cozy relationship with the gahmen (the labour chief is also Minister for Prime Minister’ s Office).
DBS staff who were retrenched must feel comforted now that the good minister has not minced his words.
Let's see if DBS dares to retrench any more workers after hearing such persuasive union leadership.
Excerpt from the news:
"LABOUR chief Lim Swee Say on Friday slammed DBS Bank for failing to consult its staff union on retrenching its workers or exploring other cost-cutting measures first.
'We are disappointed by the sudden decision,' he told The Straits Times when asked for his views on the DBS layoffs.
'There was no prior consultation with the DBS Staff Union. There was no exploration with the union on other cost reduction alternatives,' he said in an email reply on Friday.
Mr Lim, an advisor to the DBS staff union, said this lack of communication has weakened the trust between the bank's management and union."
Not mincing his words, he added: 'It is regretable because trust takes a long time to build but a short time to destroy.'
On Saturday, we took the kids to Tai Keng Gardens, a quiet private housing estate at the back of our flat because in my bicycle rides through the estate (a short cut for me), I realised they had this lovely park there.
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