Sing a song of Singapore

Captains Log: 2nd full moon of July, 2012:

After 60 days at sea, we finally hit land.
According to our maps, we have dropped anchor in the island called Singapore.  Scouts' initial reports say that this is a nation awash in beauty and culture, where vestiges of its rich past co-exist harmoniously with its modern vibrant metropolis.  I am intrigued and eager to find out more about this new habitat we have discovered.  As such, I and my trusted companion shall delve into this place of wonder and mystery.  Our first stop, upon insistence of my little ward, were to be their market places, in search of opportunities to establish trade routes.  

And so, we ventured forth...into the unkown.



Our travels brought us to a myriad of merchant establishments.  The natives were hospitable and agreed to barter with us:

The Marina Bay Sands.  Oddly, there was not a grain in sight

The various spices at Central in Clarke Quay 

Citylink Mall

Vivo City

New footwear from Velocity Mall

Bugis Junction

Raffles City Shopping Centre

More spices at Takashimaya

Establishing contact with the natives at Ion Orchard

On the second day, as we were practicing our skills in hand-to-hand combat, a scout interrupted our session to ask us to hurry and follow him, which we immediately did, seeing he was trembling with fear.  

We then chanced upon the reason for his terror - a giant monstrosity that seemed like an amalgamation of lion and fish.  The natives we had befriended told us that this was The Merlion - the guardian of their great nation, and there was nothing to be afraid of.

A few yards from the Merlion, we discovered a giant monolith that told us that these people already had some knowledge of astronomy. Behind this strange depiction of our world (it was not flat as we know, but round in shape - such ignorance!) lied a city of wonder where we would be totally immersed in the culture of this fine nation - a place called Universal Studios!!!

As we entered its gates, our mouths were agape at the beauty and grandeur of this vast city. 

 We marveled at its architecture...

                                                            Met its wonderful people...

                                                             
                                                              Savored its exotic cuisine...

                                                            Roamed with its wild beasts...

                                                And traveled through time to catch glimpses of its past...

                                                                   ...and its future.

 Yes, never have I seen a place so puny in size but gargantuan in its splendor.  My men and I have decided to settle in this beautiful island, as we are sure that there shall be more mysteries to unravel and things to discover.  For now, we shall sing songs of this great land as we partake of their ale and Hershey's chocolates.

This is your captain, signing off.

Attack of the hormones

Don't you sometimes wish your kids would stop growing old so they would be cute forever? That time comes usually when your kids reach 5 to 6 yrs, the age when they perform song and dance numbers for you on a whim, when they give you drawings of you and mom with an accompanying "i love you" scribbled below, and when you ask them to fetch you a Coke from the ref or give you a back rub they would do so with nary a complaint - totally adorable!

Sadly, if that were the case, our walls would be permanently marked with doodles, and the world's supply of McDonald's Chicken Nuggets and Fries would run out.  So to preserve the balance of the life as it were, God chose for our kids to grow up, which is exactly what my daughter Camy is doing at the moment.

I remember when I would lightly toss her above my head (not too high, of course) and catch her on the way down, which made her squeal with delight.  Now just lifting her would put me in traction.  The cute wrestling matches I had with her before...she now wins.  And never in my wildest dreams would I have thought that my own flesh and blood, the most wonderful thing to have come into my life, would be sprouting, God forbid, a butt.  These and a whole lot of physical transformations are happening to my baby at a such a rapid pace, I wouldn't be surprised if she grew a beard.

From a little angel...

...to a budding hot mama. 

As the physical changes and the speed in which they occur surprise me, it's the transformation of her mental faculties that leave me scratching my head.  For one, she seems more...mature now.  She wants privacy when she dresses up, doesn't watch too much cartoons anymore (except Spongebob Squarepants) and wants to buy shoes, lots of them.  She now also talks like a young adult, meaning she utters phrases such as "I know, right?" and ends her every sentence with "ish".  She also reads the popular online acronym 'lol' (laugh out loud) as one word.  A typical conversation would go like this:

Me: "How was school?"
She: "Oh, fine..ish."
Me:  "That's good."
She:  "I know, right?"
Me:  "Your sister wrote on the walls again."
She: "lol"

Say goodbye to long, meaningful conversations.

Not to say that our love for her has dwindled one bit.  It's just that as parents, we just have to give her a little leeway and let her deal with those extra hormones and accept the fact that we shall be dealing with a whole new set of problems now - from diapers, toys and making a mess, to grades, looks, and (sigh) boys.

Although, she's growing up to be a smart, fine-looking lady (with quirks, of course), I sometimes miss hearing her 'baby' voice and the time when she would sit on my lap while I was typing at the computer.  In other words, when she was...'cute'.

But the good news is...I have a spare :-)