Simple Pleasure of Life

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Originally uploaded by ngoy.

One of the very very few times I took on the kitchen and cook a meal. A very simple dinner this is, but still beats eating out. Eating out 5 days a week can make you "sick".

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Originally uploaded by ngoy.

And by the way, this is originally an experimental dish. SL called it Daniel's Cheezy Scrambled Egg.

PTM

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Originally uploaded by ngoy.

Yesterday was the PTM (Parents’ and Teachers’ Meeting) of NN’s school. So, we went to have a chat with the teacher. Below are some things the teacher pointed out about NN:

1) Not afraid to try new things
2) Like to participate in activities & singing
3) Obedient in class
4) Easy to handle her
5) Talkative and very articulate at her age
6) Can be moody once in a while

It was quite an experience as it was the first of such meetings for us as parents. At same time, we pointed out our concerns like kids being given too much homework at such a young age when they should be enjoying themselves. The teacher said that some parents complain that they don’t give enough homework, huh??? They must be out of their minds!

"Beach" Holiday

We had a great time at the "beach". This is the closest you can get to clean water as far as PD beaches are concerned. Click on the picture below for others.

Responding to Obedience

“Love God, love people.”. The greatest commandment is such a simple instruction, yet so hard to practise it.

SL and I were having our usual bedtime talks last night. She told me that her Finance/Accounts Manager is leaving the company after only less than a year working there. SL talked to him and found out that the boss wanted him to manipulate some accounting figures. We don’t know the details. It may not be totally “illegal” but I bet these are grey areas which he couldn’t tolerate it. As a Christian, he said he don’t feel right doing it, therefore gave 2 months’ notice and tendered his resignation to the boss.

We admired his courage, not only because he stood up for his belief, but also for didn’t need to think twice or worry about consequences of his decision. He has 2 kids, a wife who is a full-time homemaker, and he is close to 40 years of age. He admitted to SL that he knows it’ll be tough for him to get a job but that didn’t stop him from standing firm in his belief. He is also the same guy who encouraged SL consider the homemaker vocation.

I wonder what I or anyone else will do in the face of events challenging our faith. We’re not even talking about life or death situations, just everyday life situations. To me, he definitely showed obedience to God by embracing His commandments, i.e. Love God.

Effects of Petrol Prices

God the Scapegoat

"...when something catastrophic happens, people question where God is in all these...".

The statement is an excerpt I've got from Mr Liew Tong Ngan's message to us on Sunday morning. If someone ever ask me that question, I think I'll say, "To be fair to God, did you give thanks to Him when good things were going your way?". People have often make God the scapegoat of all bad events which occurred, Christians included.

Winds of Change

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Originally uploaded by ngoy.

Guess who that is in the picture. Yeap, it's me. Surprise? I thought it's about time I change my hair do a bit since my previous one lasted me 30 years...8-0.

It wasn't really planned. After SL, NN, and I had dinner last night, they accompanied me to the barber. A picture on the wall caught my attention. Before I know it, voila! My new hair do. It's weird that I spontaneously wanted to do it because I almost never do things out of spontaneity.

It's much more cooling now not to mention that I save on gel, shampoo, and time on grooming my hair every morning. 8-)).

Eye Opener

stevesmithMD
Originally uploaded by ngoy.

Just bought this in MPH yesterday. I was hesitant at first because of the price but after watching it, I'm glad I bought it.

Even after watching the beginning part, to say that it's an eye opener is an understatement because I'm questioning if my very basic foundation of drumming is wrong. Not sure if my late drum instructor shortchanged me 15 years ago. 8-(.

This has definitely wet my appetite again to polish up my skills!

A Piece of Her Mind...

A conversation I had with SL through email...

"Actually I am amazed with what Fun Gates System is doing to bring out the creativity in NN. She is now more imaginative in her play and in her vision of things. At this age I should say she is doing quite advance. I am not boasting about her abilities but I think the system is helping her.

No matter what system we put the kids under, there are bound to be pros and cons. It is the parents' judgment what the limit is for their own kids. Different kids can take different degree of extremity. For eg. Some need to be motivated and some are already self-motivated. Therefore, we need to gauge our own child. Frankly speaking, I think it is still the parents' responsibility to gauge their kids. The problem is the parents nowadays do not spend enough time with their kids to do a good gauge. Sad to say we even communicate less with the kids as we either do not think it is important or we simply do not have time to do it. I still find talking to NN a very important source of finding out her feelings and her opinions on things. Asking and probing her with questions and with her replies, I will know how she feels and how far her character has been built. Kids at this tender age do not know how to lie yet. By telling her the moral and principle of life, even at this age, she is able to understand the do's and don'ts.

Bottom line is the guidance the parents give to their kids ; The love they show to their kids ; The attention they pay to their kids ; The moral values they instill in their kids. Why do we have so much social / teenage problems nowadays??? Parents dump a lot of money for their kids to spend with their friends as they do not have time to do it with them and also they dump their kids' education to the teachers. It is sad but it is so so true."

Home-schooling

These days, I have been hearing quite bit about home-schooling. I think many people have been complaining too much about the M’sian education system so much so that it propels them to think about this option.

However, I don’t think home-schooling is a solution to the problem. In my opinion, home-schooling itself has its fair share of problems. Lack of interaction which others stands out clearly. I believe this will lead to lack of social skills too. Learning should involve others and not be individualistic. Home-schooling gives me that impression that it is. It’s like a Christian saying that one can worship, pray, and read Bible all by himself and need not attend corporate worship gatherings.

I still think that one can’t remove the parents from the education equation. That is, kids should still go to regular schools and parents should also be involved. Parents are often too detached when it comes to their children’s education. That is exactly why tuition centres are popping up everywhere.