When I was only .....

I am currently at my parents' place and I chanced upon these two photos in the house PC....

Oh man... how time flies.....

I was only 23 then! So young , so slim....and now .....SIGH SIGH SIGH

I think my oldest students now are about 23 years old - those were among the graduating batch when I first stepped into the teaching world. Two or three are already married, one or two with kids...

OMG! I feel so oldddddddddddd..............

The next photo is my most recent one with the ex-students @the recent YOG Opening Ceremony. I was with them throughout their 5 yrs in secondary school. One of them just turned twenty.

I shall embrace the old age and age gracefully :)

Well, I have no choice! : P

My Very First Order!

If you had read my previous entry on my little project , let's just say it has progressed a little.

I had my very first order done for a single-tiered cake.

The customer wanted it to be in a yellow/green theme. She had a slightly smaller budget so I had to carefully source out for the ingredients. But when it comes to shopping , you can depend on me anytime! Hehe....

And so a cake is baked.....with much love and passion :)

So what is inside this cake?

Ingredients: 

21 M size diapers 

1 Mothercare bib

1 Mothercare bodysuit 

1 pair of Mothercare sandals

1 bath towel

All cakes will be wrapped in bridal tulle ( yeah, I pick the bridal one as it the softest one around ...) .It costs quite a bit but I throw it in FOC as it adds an extra touch of class and keeps the cake clean !

I have another 2 cakes on hand to be done in 3 weeks' time. That gives me plenty of time to go shopping *rubs hands gleefully*

How much do the cakes cost? Well, I do not have a fixed charge. You give me a budget and I will try to work around it . The higher your budget , the higher the cake will be ( eg: 3 / 4 tiers) and obviously, more things will be included.

I have decided to go official and will include a 'Diapercakes' section on my sidebar. All creations will be placed there for easy viewing. Maybe one day , I can set up my own website but let's not get too ambitious here ... :)

So , if you do not have any ideas for friends who are giving birth, have given birth or attending a baby shower, why not consider getting a diapercake? It is definitely cuter and more attractive than normal gift hampers!

Here's how to order. Email the following details (you can just copy and paste) to D_Fairycakes@yahoo.com.sg :

NAME: 

CONTACT NUMBER:

EMAIL ADDRESS: 

BUDGET: $

COLOUR THEME: 

MODE OF DELIVERY: COURIER / SELF-COLLECTION:

(Pls note that deliver charges apply)

DATE OF DELIVERY / SELF-COLLECTION: 

 ------

 

Hear the baby Lions Roar!

It has been a rather exciting journey , I bet , for the Singapore cubs.

I still remember how fascinated I was in watching soccer matches when Singapore was still playing in the Malaysia Cup. My dad would occasionally bring me and my sister to Kallang stadium for the home matches. How I enjoyed screaming my lungs out and moving with the beats of the drums !

I was only about nine years old when I learnt the terms such as "Referee kayu!" and many other vulgarities. LOL.

When Singapore got into all those mess about bribery and eventually pulling out (or were they kicked out? Not sure...) of the Malaysia Cup, I tried to take an interest in the S-League.

But I got bored and never bother since.

So , it was definitely a good surprise to watch the Cubs in action. Bearing in mind they are youths, their fighting spirit is something that we should look up to.

They lost to Haiti sadly. That wasn't a top form for them but I also felt that Haiti players were sooooooooooo dramatic. ..... can go put up a play or something! Haha.....

I could only catch the second half of the match last night agianst the Montenegros. And it was a very warm feeling to see the delightful faces of our youths.... innocently happy with their victory.

I have read some negative comments on the Internet - about how they are able to get a Bronze only because the other powerhouses did not send their teams in. Gosh! Such dampeners... Come on! Why can't these people just be happy for these youngsters and give their congratulations? I wonder if they could have done it when they were 14!!!!!

Grrrrrrr....see, pissed off already....

Oh well..... Congrats, Singapore Cubs! A bronze at YOG is something you can be proud of!

Hear the Kallang Roar.........

The art of giving - Zakat

One of the compulsory items on the agenda during Ramadhan is the zakat.

What is Zakat?

One of the most important principles of Islam is that all things belong to God, and that wealth is therefore held by human beings in trust. The word zakat means both 'purification' and 'growth'. Our possessions are purified by setting aside a proportion for those in need.

It is to contribute to the poor and disabled.

What better way than to start instilling such values from young?

Montel putting in money in the annual donation

box at Geylang Bazaar. The cheeky boy got

 pretty excited. I think he 'donated' about six times! :)

My project - DIAPERCAKES!

Remember I once mentioned I have a little secret , a little project going on?

Time to reveal what it is all about!

I discovered Diapercakes about two years back.

What exactly is a diapercake?

Well, as you can probably guess from the name , it is a 'cake' or made to look like a cake ... and the 'ingredients' are baby diapers. You can make it as high as possible , the highest I have seen is a 7-tiered one. You adorn it with frills, ribbon and whatever that creative mind decides on. It makes a very good gift for a baby shower or for an after-birth gift.

The original diapercake is very simple. Just diapers and ribbons.

Over time, 'bakes' got creative and started to add into the list of 'ingredients' things like baby rompers, bibs, pacifiers, toys .... basically, anything. Some creaters are even more creative and are able to make thematic diapercakes.

Here are some pictures of the diapercakes I have ordered before for my then-prgenant friends.

Creative and inspiring , aren't they?

Well, I was talking to (or rather texting with ) my sister some time back about my 'retirement' plan .Heh. Well, it is never too late to plan , right? So she suggested doing up diapercakes myself and see where I can go from there.

I was rather excited about her proposal and immediately started scouring the Internet and watching Youtube tutorials on how to 'bake' a diapercake. Alas, every tip found on the Internet was simple and basic.... no lessons on how to put all the other ingredients inside together -  besides the diapers , of course.

Thus, I decided to try it out myself. I borrowed nephew's clothes , bought the diapers and did a little shopping for my materials.

It was my first attempt and I think I did not do too badly. :)

Apple of Mommy's Eye

INGREDIENTS:
29 M Size Diapers
1 baby blanket
1 romper
3 wash cloths
2 baby bibs
4 baby clothes pegs

I was pretty much excited with the outcome. It took me about 3 hours since it was my first time and there were many things that I learnt through trial and error.

I put up the pictures on FB and received positive comments. This is definitely a motivation for me to further improve my skills :)

Oh, and I have my first order! Yeah! ....Actually, it comes from my sister. She has already placed an order with my usual contact for her friend's baby but since mine looks quite 'edible' , she has decided to cancel hers and let me do it!  I am super excited ! 

Now , I have 2 projects on hand... one as mentioned and the other for my lovely cousin who is popping soon.

Things like this make me happy :) :) :) 

I've got the feeling...

Once in a while , the feeling creeps in.

And I don't like it one bit. It only reminds me of the few insecurities I have about life. About myself.

Each time I get the feeling , I can end up thinking and imagining things , getting really upset and stressed.

No one can help alleviate this heaviness in the heart. The husby tries....I know he understands. But often, my brain / heart would refuse to take in his consoling and comforting words.

And I get upset all over again although crying is something that I try to avoid.

I know I have to be positive and strong myself, in order to get over this.

The only way I know is to talk to Him - theAlmighty. ..

:(

I don't feel like doing anything.

I wish I can just go home.

It's all because of YOU!

EEEEEEEE......... COMPLAIN, COMPLAIN!!!

Ok, I have been very sick this year. I shall not say why yet ...

My entry is about taking blood test. You know , the one that involves a needle being poked into your arm (on the other side of the elbow - what do you call that part?) for about 30 seconds , just to draw out blood to send for lab test.

The procedure always looks scary  but it is even more so when I have to go through it.

So far , I have taken the blood tests 9 times this year!

1st time was at Clinic C. They could not find my veins (this fact was known to me when I tried donating blood once. FAIL), no matter how many times the clinic assistant slapped the intended area. But still, she tried. It was painful and unsuccessful.

They tried on the arm.... still cannot. In the end, the doctor confirmed that only the finest needles (they call it baby needle) should be used on me for any future blood tests. They tried again with the little one and blood was drawn in less than 30 seconds, with no pain.

And so , that happens for the next 4 times at the same clinic.

A couple of weeks back, I was sent to SGH A&E and they had to do blood tests on me THRICE that day. OMG! I told the doctor he must use the fine needle or I would just die.

But of course, the ones who were supposed to carry out the jab were nurses. One tried with normal needle although he could not locate my veins. The excuse given was that they did not have the baby needle.

As expected, it was bloody painful and nope, he did not succeed. They called the doctor.

What was the solution? Well,  I was on a drip so the doctor just used the same tube inserted for the drip - he took my wrist, tilted it and let the blood flow out (imagine pouring tea from a teapot). Blood flow was really slow so the whole process took a minute or two, with the doctor squeezing my hand every now and done.

Pain level: Still tolerable

However, the nightmare came last Friday! I had to go for a few more tests at SGH and the first one was (sigh) again , the blood test.

Husby was with me and I told him I wanted the baby needle, but I was also very sure the nurse would be too stubborn or think she was too smart to listen to what I would have to say.

I was never far from the truth.

Me: Nurse, I have very fine veins. For all the previous tests, baby needles were used for it to be successful.

Nurse: Okay..... * taps taps my arms for veins*

Me: Cannot find , right? Normal needles won't work. 

Nurse: *Ignoring me and took the normal needle*

            Let's try.....

It was F&%*&^%##**^  painful lah! She literally forced her way in and because she could not find whatever she wanted, she twisted the stupid needle in different directions. SUPER OUCH! To make it worse, she was talking to her colleague at the same time... so I could feel the tiny jerks caused by her muscles movements.

Husby:  It never works. She needs the finest needle.

Nurse: Yah ah.... her blood doesn't flow ... *continues poking around for quite some time*

Is she stupid or what? By this time, I was already crying ...I have never cried for any blood tests in my entire life but I really could not take it!!! The nurse totally ignored my tears and after about 3 minutes (yes, it was that long! I saw the digital clock ), she pulled out the needle and said,

"Oh, I think I must use the fine syringe.."

DUMB DUMB DUMB! 

I mean , I was the one suffering here and you could be so nonchalant about it! Luckily, it is the fasting month or I would have shown her my bitchy self.

Because of what she did, this was how the skin on my arm looked like .....

Two purplish spots where she poked and prodded. 

Very sore and painful when I moved. 

There was no mark of the fine needle.

I took another photo after five days ...

The colour has turned darker , probably because of

much movement. 

And it is all because the nurse was way over-confident of her own skills, to the extent of ignoring what the patient said.

The next person who refused to use baby needle on me when drawing out my blood - I am going shove the stupid syringe down his/ her throat!

YOG photos!

It has been a long journey and it finally ended last night!

I am really glad that the students persevered throughout the months (there were 2 who pulled out though) and they have realised that it is actually an enriching experience.

Ok , less words, just photos!

 TORCH RELAY EVENT  @ TEMASEK POLYTECHNIC

REHEARSAL AND PREVIEW DAY

YOUTH OLYMPIC GAMES 2010 OPENING CEREMONY

Let's hope the Singapore youth athletes will do us proud!

Sub-standard Food

Did you read the online news about the sub-standard meals given to YOG volunteers?

 It is VERY TRUE.

All the students and teachers have also been complaining about the super cheapo food. And mind you, on rehearsal days, we can be at the rehearsal ground for  10 - 15 hours! To be served with food that can barely be consumed is seriously an injustice. 

 Now, I am not being a typical Singaporean - forever complaining. Some may claim , at least we get food, yah?

It was already bad on the first day and some of my students didn't even finish half of their food. I told them to be thankful that at least we have food on our plate - unlike those in really poverty-stricken countries. But after a few more sessions of such meals being served, I also cannot take it lah!

Today is the opening ceremony - the last stage and the day we have all been waiting for! ( because it is afterall, the first YOG event and secondly, no more burnt weekends!). A fellow teacher mentioned that perhaps since it is the last day  , they will give us a final good meal. 

 I would say , let's not hope too much. 

You can read the article from Yahoo below. 

 Contrary to what it says, we do not get any meal coupons whatsoever. Perhaps, that only applies to the YOG adult volunteers like the NS / SAF officers. Haiz....

Ok, shall try and see if I can snap pics at the event later. 

Enjoy your Saturday while I serve the nation today :)

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Taken from yahoo.news

Controversy over meal packs for YOG volunteers

By Fann Sim – August 13th, 2010

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By Republic Polytechnic’s Fann Sim

Local internet forums are buzzing over the sub-standard food being served to the volunteers at the Youth Olympic Games (YOG).

The issue surfaced after a volunteer snapped a photo of the meal and uploaded it onto his Facebook page.
According to the volunteer, a typical lunchbox consists of a piece of meat (fried chicken in this case), long beans, corn and white rice. Debate has raged on since the photo was posted on Tuesday.

Netizen Chris Liew, 33, an investment banker said, “Even if the meal was an isolated incident, such a logistics oversight of providing sub-standard meals to our volunteers should have been avoided at all costs.”

Another full-time NS man Leslie Wong, 20, who was stationed at the Marina Bay floating platform, was quoted on The Straits Times as saying, “One of the meals was a dry, tasteless piece of chicken with a few slices of carrot and soggy rice. I ended up throwing most of it away.”

Online socio-political website The Temasek Review even had an anonymous volunteer comparing the bland meals to “dog food”.

Food for the volunteers is provided by Singapore Food Industries (SFI), a subsidiary of the Singapore Airport Terminal Services (Sats). Sats has confirmed that the meal in the picture above was indeed part of a meal that was provided to the YOG volunteers.

“We have received feedback from the workforce regarding the meals served. We take their feedback very seriously and have promptly taken action to improve and ensure that the portions and variety served will provide the workforce with a balanced meal,” said the Sats spokesperson.

YOG’s organising committee have also been quick to respond: “We are aware of the feedback (on the meal) and have taken immediate action. We will work with the caterers to continually improve the meal standards.”
YOG volunteers Yahoo! Singapore spoke to had a mixed experience.

20-year-old Audrey Ng, a volunteer at the National Sailing Centre had a better dining experience.
Ms Ng said volunteers there are given meal coupons they can redeem at various food vendors.

When asked if she’s been given lunch like the one pictured above, she said ‘no’.

“The food at the other venues seems lousy. Ours is not that bad and we have free flow of drinks here. I’ve heard from my friend that the food provided was quite bad on the first day of rehearsal but it’s getting better,’’ said Ms Ng.

But 21-year-old Md Raziman Sani, a full-time NS man activated to volunteer at the YOG floating platform, agreed that the food he’s being served is similar to the lunchbox pictured above.
“Our meal consists of rice that’s cold, vegetables and a meat usually chicken or fish. It’s nice and generally enough to fill us,” he said.

For dinner, volunteers are given free drinks such as a can of Coca-Cola, green tea or ice lemon tea. On top of that, they get a packet of wet wipes and dry tissue and once a week, they get ice cream.
“We also got vouchers from McDonald’s and some Old Chang Kee vouchers,” said Raziman.

$3 Old Chang Kee voucher given to the volunteers at the Floating Platform.

Clearly, there are different caterers for different venues so standards vary.

And surely the YOG athletes at the Games Village are being treated to a different kind of feast.

So it would seem that the very least YOG organisers can do is ensure that Singapore’s own army of volunteers — many of whom are sacrificing their precious time — are well-fed and taken care of.
Coverage of Singapore’s inaugural Youth Olympic Games is brought to you by students from Republic Polytechnic’s Diploma in Communication and Information Design (DCID), in conjunction with Yahoo! South-east Asia.