Paper Cups & Diapers…

July 23rd ~ 30th 2008

View photos from our trip at our photo gallery!!!
http://203.116.91.77/~admin21/Hokkaido.htm

Here’s a picture of Sarah’s Birthday Party (mini-one). Yes our darling daughter has finally turn 1.

Was extremely bored in Amsterdam the other day, so I decided to do some “googling”. Typed in my Dad’s chinese name and this was what I found. Oh he’s the first guy on the left ;)  Josh & Sarah’s 爷爷 - 郭亨升

Our 2 lovely kids…

Here’s the Completed Josh’s photo album: http://203.116.91.77/~admin21/Josh_Photo_Album/Josh_Photos.htm

Enjoy…

Here’s how Lil’ Sarah looks like now….

http://203.116.91.77/~admin21/Sarah_Photo_Album/Sarah_Photos.htm

Away from the comforts of home and without the support from my Father-in-law (Josh’s regular “barber”), we made our first attempt to cut Josh’s hair yesterday. Armed with an electric hair cutter/shaver (got it from dubai at less than SGD10), I started to trim the sides and front. Then I heard a loud scream from behind. It was sl with a horrified look on her face. She quickly picked up a pair of scissors and started to rescue Josh’s hair. I must say, she’s pretty good at it. So this is the result of our combined effort (90% sl and 10% mine)…

Today is Josh’s Poetry day in Playschool. There’s a total of 3 classes and each class will take turns to recite poems they have learnt. Josh’s class is the youngest of the lot and thus recites more kiddish ones like:

小乌龟，爬呀爬，身上盖个大盔甲。掉下的树叶都害怕，缩头缩脑缩尾巴。

whereas the older kids (5+ to 6+) were reciting poems from the Tang Dynasty (唐诗三百首) like:

清明时节雨纷纷，路上行人欲断魂. 借问酒家何处有？牧童遥指杏花村 by Tang Poet 杜牧。(incredible!)

Btw we both missed our dear Josh’s First Performance in school a week ago cos’ we forgot about it! Sigh!!! (Pictures: www.fcbaby.com/lianyang/index_news.asp 英语汇报—大家说英语（2007.6.22) can you find Josh??)

Trying to give Sarah a new hair look today…

An accidental discovery while we’re there for lunch on a Sunday afternoon.

The last 2 weeks before I left Singpore, I had a mild panic attack. Amid meeting up with friends and saying goodbye, it hit me that I’m going to lose my freedom in Shanghai. I can no longer leave the kids at my parents’ place and go out on my own. Nights out (the occasional ones that I have) will be a thing of the past for me. I have actually already given up a large part of my personal time for the kids and I don’t hang out often with my friends. Maybe that’s why it meant even more to me. And for the first time, I understood what it felt like to be the one who is “away”. The one who can’t meet up for dinner and drinks, the one who’s not around to attend parties and gatherings.

For the most part though, I am looking forward to the new adventure. Although I know it’s not going to be easy with the 2 little monsters, I am looking forward to the change and the new experience. I think that it will be a good experience for all of us. To experience a different culture and a different life.

We’ve been here for a week and I’m just starting to feel like I’m settling down. The first few days was madness because our shipment arrived late and I was busy unpacking while Basil left for his flight. Thank goodness my parents were here. We spent about 2 days unpacking and buying household stuff. We stopped using disposable plastic cups and cutlery and slowly the house started to feel more like a home.

It was a busy week, setting up the household, shopping and trying out some restaurants with my parents. Sarah broke out with eczema because of the dry weather here. Her skin is much better now, hopefully she’s adapted to the air in Shanghai. I’m worried about how it’s going to be like in winter but we’ll deal with it when it comes. The Ah Yi seems alright so far. She can feed Sarah and carry her for a while, depending on her mood. Considering how Sarah’s like with strangers, this is a pretty good start.   

My parents left yesterday. Joshua didn’t cry as badly as we thought he would. Just a litle bit of screaming and wanting to follow them into the cab. Maybe we prepared him well. He understands that they’ve gone back to Singapore and he has to stay in China with papa, mummy and mei mei. I teared though and surprised the Ah Yi. Maybe because she expected Joshua to be the one crying haha. She tried to console me and said that it’s the same for them when they leave their hometown. 

Well, I survived the first two days alone with the kids – without my parents and without Basil (he left for a flight on the same day as my parents). I’m sure it’ll get better as the kids get used to the Ah Yi and she starts to shower them, change, feed and take care of them.

I think we are going to enjoy the ride.

Here’s our 2 lovely crawlers… ;)

It has been five months since my last post. I just started work then, and now I have just quit to prepare for our move to Shanghai. What I miss most in the past five months is waking up with Josh, Sarah and Basil in the morning, all of us lazing in bed and not having to watch the clock. Having breakfast together and watching the two of them play together, laughing heartily and infectiously. Only Josh can make Sarah laugh like that (even Basil and I can’t do it) and I’m really glad they’re so close. Josh laughs very easily, and he laughs a lot. A lot of things, even very small and silly things tickle him to no end. I hope he stays this way as he grows up, and maybe some of it will rub off on Sarah too.

Quite a few significant things have also happened in the last 5 months. Sarah learnt to crawl and can now pull herself up to standing position. She can even walk if her grip is good, eg. around her cot. She prefers to stand rather than sit, which explains why she took so long to sit up but can stand up the moment she learnt to crawl.

However, the biggest ”milestone” must be that Josh no longer needs his pacifier! The way it happened was so natural and hassle-free for Basil and me. Josh threw it out of the window HIMSELF — by accident. He was just fooling around and casually threw his pacifier… but with a lot of strength. And it was with perfect aiming and went right through the window grill. He laughed, as usual, when it fell out of the window. But because he threw it out himself, when he asked for it later at bedtime, he knew and accepted that he couldn’t have the pacifier anymore. He was cranky for about 2 weeks every time he was tired and wanted to sleep. In fact, now he sometimes still is. But I’m sure it will pass. And like Basil said, there is a time for everything.

The good times are back.

Just came back from Kolkata 2 days ago. It’s my first visit to this “famous” city that our dear Mother Teresa chose to live out her life as a true Christian. I also took the opportunity to visit the Kalighat Home, which was the very first home that Mother set up when she was there.

I actually have a very long story to write about this trip of mine. From a very controversial book about Mother (Final Verdict) to the volunteers I met at the home.

But I’m now in the midst of packing for my final (hopefully) trip to Shanghai for more admintrative matters in order to ”firm up” my posting there. SL will also be following me on this trip to check out the place, look for apartments, interview domestic helpers etc.

Hopefully we get to catch up with some of our friends there as well. Establish some form of support haha

Will continue my Kolkata story tomorrow…

The Little “Ruffian”…that’s what he’s Ah Gong calls him now.. haha.. Here he is in the 2006 Liverpool Jersey I bought for him last year. This is the first time he has agreed to wear it and Liverpool won 2-1 over Barca last night!!! HAHA!!!

Click on Picture above for more pictures of her… 

That’s how our little Sarah looks now. Picture was taken on the 2nd day of Chinese New Year.

And I thought December was a busy month… then came the New Year!!!

Something came up around the end of last month - an opportunity for me to taste what’s it like to work overseas. And of course at the same time experience living overseas with sl and the kids. Frankly, I really didn’t expect things to happen so quickly. From the moment, I expressed my interest, it’s been preparation after preparation to get me ready to work in Shanghai for a year. It probably seems foolish to many or maybe even impulsive, but to me, I know it’s the path I should take. As to why? Only my BOSS above knows. Of course, I do have reasons I can explain to people whenever someone asks me about my decision. It’s the usual, better prospects, SQ not flying us enough, slightly better remuneration, new experience, free China License etc etc… but deep down inside, I know that the only reason is, it feels RiGHT. Anyway, I’ve always been someone who follows my heart in whatever I do (well, at least the important things in my life) and this definitely feels like one of those times. Though not logical, but definitely the Right decision.

But this time it is slightly different. This time I’m no longer alone, deciding for myself, but for sl and the kids as well. It was really difficult at first when I was pondering about it all by myself. But sl really made it so easy for me. SL might seem like the most practical person around when it comes to the daily stuff. But when it comes to such moments, she’s the best mate any guy like me can have in the world. When I first told her about it, her reply to me was simply “OK, Let’s go”. But of course, we did have a few more chats (long ones) to re-align “our goals, our thoughts, our ideas” with regards to this “long holiday”.

This isn’t a great deal at all, in every practical sense. In fact, it’s totally not meant for one to bring one’s family along. We have no expat benefits except for housing, utilities and a “small token allowance”. But sl and I both feel it will still be a very valuable and interesting experience.

Well enough said, it’s back to the books again… lots of barriers to clear before this trip will become a reality. Wish me luck…

I’m not refering to Lil’ Sarah here… its the new Digital SLR I’m holding…

There’re of course a 2 main person I’ll like to thank for this new toy of mine… SL for granting me the permission to splurge on such an extravagant camera. My Sis for searching the whole of HK to get me this camera at a really good Bargain!

In order to justify the high cost of this new gadget of mine, I lugged it around with me to 3 weddings, Sarah’s baptism and all my overseas trip.. Taking pictures was the easy part but the editing and selection of photos was very tedious and time consuming. Again that’s my reason (excuse) for deserting this blog for such a long time. And not to mention my other dear co-author SL has been busy with work and the kids lately, so she too had join in the disappearing act..

Well hopefully with my new found hobby, I can post more pictures and update more on the growing pains of my 2 lil’ “angels”…

I’ve finally uploaded Sarah’s Baptism pictures…;)

http://www.kwauk.com/Gallery%20Sarah%20Baptism.htm

3 weddings and a baptism + reservist …. all in the month of December!!!!!!