Mid-Autumn Lantern Festival @ Chinese Garden

Went to the Lantern Festival 2008 @ Chinese Garden with our friends Akiko and Chris. Met Akiko when i was studying in Arizona State in 1999. She is in Singapore for 3mths for training and Chris, her hubby is here for a holiday.

First time going to the Lantern Festival and it's quite pretty. The lights and the big lanterns and most of all, i think the theme played a part. Cutey Sanrio cartoons, Hello Kitty, My Melody, Badz Maru and Keropi.

These are Japanese Cartoons that I grew up with. I remember being obsessed with buying their pencils, notebooks, hankies and etc in Primary school and this obsession actually continued on in my early 20s. There is this Sanrio store in Arizona Mills mall (phoenix) that is constantly on sale!!! You would definitely catch me there atleast once a month to check out the sale items and also lugging my purchases home. Was so tempted to buy the hello kitty radio, luggage bags, telephone and even a toast maker!!!

I still like these cartoons very much but have grown out of buying them. Good to admire but a waste of money to buy them. With 3 kids now, got to save for their future and I'm sure the kids will definitely have the chance to use my collection of Sanrio stationeries.

This is a first family outing for us since I delivered. Miss having such outings and hope that we'll have more to come. Although I wish that we could have brought the twins along but i guess it'll be more stressful than fun. Can't wait till they grow a little older so that we can enjoy outings as a "whiole" family.

Spare the rod and spoil the child?

Was taking my morning nap and was awaken by cries and screams of a boy from another household nearby. He was screaming, "mummy, mummy, I don't want" repeatedly. I was wondering why is he screaming & crying so loudly. Then the little boy continues with "mummy, i don't want bit. I want to study" Then I realise that his mom is probably punishing him (caning/smacking) for not studying.

I started to tear when i heard all that screaming and crying.

I pray and hope that my neigbours will never hear my girls cry and scream that way. It is quite heart wrenching to hear the boy's cries & screams even though i know that he's probably been naughty. Yet i started to feel that if the parents had instill a sense of learning since young, would the child be lazy or not wanting to study? And is there a need to resort to spanking?

I know i'll be faced with such a situation when Valerie starts school.... and to think that Valerie will probably get more disciplining than the twins since she's the eldest and as inexperienced parents, there will be many trial and errors when it comes to parenting and disciplining.

I still remember I have never been spanked by my parents. But funnily, always spanked by my tuition teacher. In my days, it is very common to use the cane in tuition centres. But we were told very specifically why and when were are being spanked. For example, we're given 20words for spelling. And for every word that we misspelt, we'll be caned once. So all of that seems very "diplomatic". And we even get to choose the thickness of the cane and the location of where we preferred to be caned, palm, buttocks or legs.

I hope that I will be able to instill good values/discipline in my children that I will not need to ever use the cane.