Bread and butter #37 (SM's love letters for CK and TW.)

SM came up with a poem, using our names during his leave!I know that you're not so good with words, especially when it comes to all these mushy stuffs, but THANKS A LOT, Mr Lee! (Anyway, you owe me a farewell note last year when I did my attachment lor!) Yes, let's give ourselves 4 years! We have the 默契!!!

-CK from the 默契 CWDS team.

One-week-old baby, Jia Rui.

Got hold of some pictures from my brother and sister-in-law today when I went over to visit them and baby.Look at the tender expressions of both mummy and daddy!

Mum says babies should be wrapped up so as to make them feel safe and secure when adults are not holding onto them... hmm...
Baby has been heaty (notice the red spots on his face) the last few days and has been visiting the Polyclinic for checkups. Hope he'll be fine soon.
Anyway, Baby Jia Rui has several expressions-like my brother, his daddy. Today he peered at both me and his grandma and then quickly shut his eyes, gave me an "ohh" expression, and twitched his nose at me!

And THIS is my favourite photo!

=D

Bread and butter #36 (Children's Day Party.)

1) I enjoyed sitting back and relax, and not running after my children and having to keep raising my voice using my already tired throat. So glad that I have volunteers around. They can manage the children quite well (sometimes much better than me), such that I feel fine with leaving my children in their hands. Of course, this doesn't mean that I did not do what I should do okay...

2) Was flattered when children showered their attention on me, for example, calling "Miss Koh" and "Miss Cindy", saying "I'm very happy because you're sitting beside me!", or simply dragging me along with them, albeit I felt like I was going to be torn apart by them at any moment.

3) Hearing a child saying (various kinds of) vulgarities goes to show how much proper guidance the parents are providing. For your information, I'm saying this because I have prior knowledge of the child's family background.

Annalakshmi with Beauties and Beast.

Finally tried out the pay-as-you-like Indian Restaurant. The food quality is really not too bad, considering the fact that they do not really know how much their customers will pay. And like what BT told me, it's really a psychological thing. We don't dare to pay below ten bucks, haha.Tiredness and lots of carbohydrates made me feel so sleepy after the meal. By the way, I enjoyed my mango lassi the most.

The staff there were pretty friendly, and were willing to explain to us the use of various sauces for different dishes.
As usual, Chichang is always the one taking photos of others. But when he's finally in the picture, he's always the odd one out. Either looks like a mannequin or looks somehow, interesting.

Anyway, notice that Elayne and Alvin the old bear were not here? We miss them! =(

Bread and butter #35 (Intensive and thought-provoking case consultation.)

The last few days were disheartening for me, because particular incidents happened. I was hopping mad and was practically rambling to anyone who's ready to offer their listening ear to me.

And brave me brought this issue up during case consultation. I thought it would be just a simple sharing because SM is supposed to carry out PADI (solution-focus) on me, but it ended up to be a erm... deep sharing session. It got super interesting when CM suddenly raised a point, which seemed to have stunned some of us. It felt like a social work lecturer reminding the social work students about things which they have neglected so naturally.

All in all, I felt better after my sharing. I'm not totally cmi (it means "cannot make it", NOT "can make it", SM!). It's just that when negative emotions accumulate over time, without the right skills, I can't really balance myself well. Perhaps, I really need to give myself some time.

Bread and butter #34 (Diana's farewell.)

Some random photos I took recently... Dinner standard was below my expectations, but the quality time we spent together was pretty nice.Although we didn't get to perform Suki-yaki with the bells, I thought it would be nice if some recognition is given to the super short rehearsal we had. =) The bells really sound very nice!!!

And if you are attentive enough, you'll hear CQ saying "hoot ah!", which means "beat ah!" in hokkien, hahahahahaaaa... It's a challenge to play that note (E) , you know! After she took over, she somehow understood why I made certain mistakes, RIGHT?

One of the things (which Diana said) that i agreed with, was that every working day is filled with laughter. There's no single day without laughter in SCSCC. Even when I get super irritated after certain activities, I will still be able to laugh out loud in office. Laugh out loud, people! =D

Pretty interesting that I realise that I can't verbalise thoughts (especially on the spot) very well. I either need to write or ponder about my thoughts first, or I will just keep my thoughts inside my head. Eh, that's why I always write postcards? Next time I must prepare and write what I need to say during farewells, haa. But then, I won't wish to have anymore farewells.

Bread and butter #33 (CWDS Groupwork Finale!)

Wee-hoo! The weekly torture of waking up at 6am is finally gone! I sincerely hope that we'll not get the first period again. It's a mental and physical torture for me (not sure if it's similar for my 默契 folks).

Last night, I spent about 2 hours solely on churning out affirmation postcards for my kids. And I'm definitely glad to see some small positive impact that the cards made.

Albeit the fact that I was (and kept being) not being able to process learning points, I thought the time I spent with my kids was really good quality time. I could tell that everyone enjoyed themselves, and everyone enjoyed each other's company.

How I wish I could have more time for them. =)

Bread and butter #32 (Random photos taken at work.)

On Monday night, SM, BT and me tasted mooncakes from various hotels. Actually I don't quite like mooncakes, as all of them are too sweet for my liking. But I had fun tasting and judging them. :PToday, we went over to JJ's house during lunch hour to visit her and her newborn baby.

This boy of JJ is cute and handsome! He chose "his favourite kor kor to play with" and "the most handsome kor kor"!!! Hahaha...
Guess what are all these expensive and colourful bells for? Answer will be out this Thursday!CQ suggested that we can pose with the bells... lalala~Oh, this is very random, I know. But I love staring at the activities board. It is kind of therapeutic eh.
And look at what this man is doing!

Ahahahahahahaaaaa...

An ear is all I can offer.

I'm unable to give good advice.
I might not even understand your problem.
All I can offer is my loyal listening ear.
If you ever need one.
I'll be glad to offer it to YOU.

Say hello to my nephew, Jia Rui! =)

Got news from my brother in the morning that my sister-in-law was admitted into KK Hospital for delivery, and at 4.59pm, Jia Rui is borned! And, he is 49cm tall! Hahaha...He is sooooooooooooooooooooooooo CUTE!!!
He kept yawning and even shivered twice. So adorableeeeeeee...
See!!! He yawned again!
I'll take more photos of Jia Rui this coming Sunday! =P

I must break that unhealthy cycle!

There seems to be a weird cycle in my life. Everytime something nice happens, something bad will follow. It was like that for August, and it happened again in September! Oh my... am I simply sway or what.

Bread and butter #31 (Dinner & intimate chat.)

This was a quite-early-initiative by Seng Meng, which is aimed at self-care for ourselves. We simply just plan to have a meal together and chill-out thereafter. Our kong bah dinner at Westlake.
Seng Meng's photographic skills still need some brushing up, but my criticism advice did inspire him to have some minor improvement, hehehe...

Picked up Peiyi from town and moved on to our secret chill-out venue. Along the way, we kept playing with our walkie-talkies.

Thanks to every single one of you, for the initiative, the yummy kong bah dinner, the cranky and hilarious walkie-talkie conversations, the Silvery Moon and Mandarin Orange rides, the very useful picnic mat (with the toilet paper, hahaha), the drink and snacks, the crazy truth or dare game, the endless fun-filled moments, the truthful, deep and intimate sharing from each and every one of you.

I enjoyed myself. =)

The Which Punctuation Mark Are You Test.

Your Score: Parenthesis

You scored 23% Sociability and 29% Sophistication!

You enclose and envelope life, as well as things that aren't vital to the main topic. You are something of a loner and take pleasure in the simple things in life. You are uncomplicated for the most part, and don't need anyone (though you are strangely attracted to LISP programmers). The apostrophe is your natural enemy. You like periods (and commas), but tend to keep them somewhat outside.

Link: The Which Punctuation Mark Are You Test written by Gazda on OkCupid Free Online Dating, home of the The Dating Persona Test

Bread and butter #30 (Gorgeous Girls become Angels!)

CM says she can imagine what we'll do in our room if we (the gorgeous girls) were to be in the same room for Staff Retreat 2007, hahahahahaaa...Many things not done yet. I'm so melancholic, because I list out all the things (hopefully I didn't miss out any!) that I have to do by tomorrow. And now that my case consultation is coming soon, I'm a little stressed up. Information is everywhere flying around me, but I can't seem to catch them and keep them in my brain. How how how...

I need to slow down a little to be in touch with people's emotions. How weird lor. I'm supposed to be sensitive to other people's feelings (which I think I am) but sometimes, I'm just so task-oriented that I feel I neglect other people's feelings. Just a guess. I hope I didn't. But if I do, I shall be more careful the next time.

Yucks, the word "task-oriented" only reminds me of someone irritating.

Bread and butter #29 (Groupwork Finales.)

NTPS groupwork ended off last week quite peacefully. I was expecting a big blast, but was glad at the same time that it was not disastrous. Oh well.

Today, NTSS groupwork ended off on a positive note. I was originally terrorized by this groupwork, but I gradually grew to love it because of my gentleman of the gentlemen, and the overnight cycling experience. It's so satisfying to see what I hoped for happening right in front of my eyes. Too wonderful to be true. Really hope that it will sustain. -prays hard-

Finale was to get them to collect "money" for their BBQ in the river-crossing method.

The only thing that I'm worried about is the lack of contact with them for the next few months. Continuity is crucial if we want to witness concrete and evident impact. Currently, I'm trying to recall the nice things that they've done and preparing affirmation cards for them. This is one of the rare groupworks which I look forward to. (Another groupwork which I look forward to is Parents and Teens groupwork!)

Anyway, the way my gentlemen thank each other at the end of the groupwork was super cute! They were all giggling and fidgeting- seemed so excited about the positive feedback.

For some other groupworks, I will feel like a serial killer. I seriously don't have a good temper and the challenging groupworks and workshops really present me great chances of practising patience and tolerance. Super buay tahan sometimes. It's really not easy to keep calm when certain situations arise.

And when you're super stressed, it's always comforting to know that you have bubble tea, ice-cream, air-con in office, a comfortable cubicle, and supportive and entertaining colleagues around. Gott sei Dank. =)

Bread and butter #28 (Chicken pie.)

For last Saturday's Reading Stars, we made chicken pies. The chicken was specially seasoned by me, with mum's tips. =)
Both Theresa and Peiyi love the pies! Thanks for the bubble tea treat! Actually I only helped to spread the cheese and wash up. Will bake for you folks in the future! =)

Pretty excited about taking over the whole of Children Programme. Feels like a whole lot of responsibilities lying on me- a little stressed but at the same time, excited about planning and executing various stuffs for the children. Sincerely hoping that someone or some organisation will sponsor or plan programmes for the children. A programme was cancelled due to lack of funding or budget.

And what's worse is that I have not gotten a (good) hang of handling the financial stuffs. Praying hard that I will get used to the flow soon.

Felt a slight change in self. I seem to be talking in a slightly different way (no, not the motherly way, Yujie), behaving in a slightly different way. I wonder if my friends noticed.

But anyway, though there were times when I was insensible to a hilarious extent, I'm glad that I'm still sensible on the whole. Yes, just some mini-reflection I had for today.

Bread and butter #27 (Plain happiness.)

When I recall all the sweet sweet moments that I've experienced at work, all the bad things that I've encountered seem to be able to disappear into thin air... or rather, I would feel that all my sufferings are worth it.

During one of my outings, a child who's always very stubborn and rude, extended his small hand for me to hold. I thought that was pretty sweet because usually when I greet him, he'll simply roll his eyes at me and walk off. But the moment he extended his hand to me... I totally melted. Awww...

There's this kid who is a little hyperactive. He was running all about during an outing. As an overprotective adult, I kept holding onto his hand. There was this moment when I let lose of his hand, and he ran away. I was chasing and chasing... until towards the end of the outing, he turned backwards and looked at me, as if hinting to me that he's waiting for me to go over and hold his hand. Awww...

I keep calling my darling boys gentlemen, because I really hope they can be trained to become gentlemen. Anyway, think I keep harping on my gentleman theory such that when a boy and a girl were squabbling about something, the boy ended the conversation by saying, "Miss Cindy teach me to be gentleman. I don't want to argue with you!" Awww...

To think about it, I really really wish to stay and see how my children grow over the years. I also hope to see through the making of junior soccer team and junior Youth Cop. But sometimes I wonder how long will I stay in this field. -doubtful-

SW girls.

Brought my SW pals to the paper steamboat place at Tiong Bahru. (Yes, I'm eating again, TN!) They seemed to have enjoyed themselves there. This is especially so for Sabrina, because we love our salmon steamboat! Yums. I don't trust other people to help me take photos. Everyone seems to have shaky hands leh. So in the end, I made used of Ming En's bag of books to support my camera.Ming En looked so like a teacher, isn't she...? Good afternoon, MISS FOOOO...
Here's us, after our dinner. Notice Ming En's black book bag?As you can see, a girlfriends gathering can't do without photo-taking.So glad that I don't live in Tiong Bahru, wahahahahaaa~

Bread and butter #26 (Overnight Cycling.)

Night cycling was a blast. Although I didn't cycle, I did my part in directing traffic at certain parts, taking calls, running errands... all very simple but I think, erm pertinent tasks?

What made me really happy was when I see all my gentlemen waiting patiently for the bikes to come, and participating so actively in the games we introduced. Ahh, and my boy still loves Big fish-small fish! We played Murderer, Reindeer, and some game which required us to pose as different animals. I had great fun being the reindeer, seriously. My kids were all united and they caught us one by one. I was the last one to be caught, as my colleagues were attacked first. Little did we notice that we waited for 3 hours.

Throughout the event, I had fun remembering a rather cute road name (Chee Hoon), taking photos, playing over-extended icebreakers, chatting with BT on the car, and of course, cheering for my gentlemen. Hopefully I can still participate as safety vehicle in the future even though I do not know how to cycle. Please don't force me to learn cycling... I have my own reasons.Thanks everyone for the memorable night, and cheers to CQ who did most of the coordinating! =)

Bread and butter #25

Realised I've been blogging lesser and lesser. Just feel lazy to share the super mundane, and (of course) interesting facts of work and life.

There was this groupwork session, I think a couple of weeks ago, when I was getting a boy to keep his gameboy so that I can begin the groupwork. He insisted to save his game first and then switch it off. He took about five minutes to switch it off. Although it may seem very short, it was challenging for me to endure with the wait. Every minute during groupwork is important for me, because I need every minute to get my kids' attention. And as long as I get their attention, BAAM! I need to get my ideas across. Everything needs to be done in a chop chop (quick) manner.

I forgot how exactly I reacted when he refused to keep his gameboy. I probably did not know how to react, so I just simply stood in front of him until he kept it. Halfway through groupwork, my colleague talked to him, and he apologized to me. I was pretty irritated and angry with everything until he apologized. Perhaps he need some push to initiate an apology, but the point is, he apologized. So glad that he did.

I brought my kids out last Tuesday. They were so so excited and happy... and their enthusiasm made me happy as well. After some good advice some time back, I tried my best to avoid making certain mistakes (which I have a high tendency of making) again, and the outing turned out great. We had fun! :)

Proud of a boy, whom upon first impression, seem immature to me, but helped me took care of two boys during the outing. Proud of some of my boys who went for the soccer camp too.

Still need some more time to balance myself between disciplining and building relationship roles. Afterall, I'm still a budding worker right? I need more polishing, more practice, more time, more patience, more will.

Lastly, I'm going for night cycling later. But no, I'm not cycling. I'm going to be stationed as safety vehicle (does my sentence make sense?) though, because BT is driving. Yeah!!! :P But I think my eyebags will grow leh, sigh, I might need more eyepacks... -groans-