Asher's Report Card

Checking-in on my last blog, it was 1 year ago! How time flies?

What brought me back to blog again is because of my children. As a parent, I have to 'set a good example' for them to follow. Since I am hoping that they can pick up the habit of writing, I have to start from MYSELF. Hopefully, as I blog, they get to read it and start to blog like me someday.

Asher is in Pri 1 while Aron is in K2 this year. Yes, they have grown so much. Today, I attended the Parent-Teacher Meeting in Asher's school, Hong Wen School, a SAP school. I didn't know its a SAP school till Asher was confirmed a seat. I was a little panic at that moment of time, as I thought Asher would have to struggle with the higher Chinese education.

Today, I got a surprise. His report card actually shows that his Chinese results is actually better than his English results. Not that his English result is lower than expected, but like any other Kiasu parent, I started to wonder if I haven't focus enough on his English.

Overall, Asher has been doing well. According to the Chinese teacher, he is quiet, yet he is well liked by his classmates. As a monitor, he had done his job very well, very responsible and delivered whatever he was asked to do so. If only he could speak up more in class, he would have gotten better results. He has been a quiet boy since the first day he started school in nursery. But nowadays, teachers are looking for initiative, analysis & creativity. Those who can express more stand to score better.

So, from now on, I must think of ways to make him analyze deeper. I am glad he has picked up the hobby of reading English story books. I probably need to get him to express his thoughts about the stories.

Half a year into the primary school life. I am glad we have chosen the right school for Asher. Hong Wen has been emphasizing a lot on Chinese culture. Asher has enjoyed learning Chinese Calligraphy & learning how to play 'Mary had a Little Lamb' on Guzheng. He also claimed that he can do some simple rope skipping stunts which I haven't had a chance to see. I thankful that he is enjoying his school life.

As for Aron, I am meeting his teachers on the coming Monday. Let's see if I get another surprise.

Gossips

From my last blog since last year, a few times when I tried to update my blog, I was interrupted half way. For most of the time, they come from the same interruptions - mum complained about the maid. With those interruptions, all the thoughts and feelings which I wanted to pen down floated away with the swing of my moods.

The maid came last Dec. She is the 9th maid employed under my name since 2005. On the average I changed a maid every 6 months. I am quite immune to the changes and complains by now. This maid is unlikely to make any miracles... I felt sorry for them, but I can't do anything to help.

My life have been smooth sailing in almost everything. The only and biggest setback would be my differences with my mum over maid's issues. To deal with a mentally strong will, obsessive with control, verbally abusive, but physically weak and almost threateningly suicidal old people is just as draining as taking care of a difficult child.

Some friends ever suggested, instead of letting her stay at home with nothing to focus on, try send her to day care centre, where she could make friends, get occupy with various activities as well as get professional care. I know she has too much pride to accept this kind of arrangement. Most of all, I am too afraid such suggestion would trigger a major 'blow' to her. Doc say she could just collapse and go any time. For such unpredictable life span she had left, its really too much risk to give her such "big blow".

Since CNY, mum has been complaining of gastric and stomach pain, almost everyday. She has been taking panadols to relieve the pain for the past 1 1/2 months. She had lost some weight (maybe about 33kg now) with a drop of her already small appetite. Sent her to SGH A&E, but the doc says she is NOT critical enough to be warded and the earliest scan they can arrange was 3 weeks later. Guess only the almost dying patients will get the immediate attention. Those "won't die so soon" ones will have to go home & wait. Right now, she is still taking panadols as and when, with enough strength to complain about the maid.

For now, I am thankful that i have rather easy children to handle, and a dutifully mother-in-law to help take care of them in the day. I felt sorry that I have to put them in MIL's house, but I really wish to keep them away from the negative ions floating in my house. Cos, with them around, it didn't help make any better for my mum. Instead, the maid get more scolding with more mess to clean up.

As for me, my job scope now is:

- Standby for any emergencies
- Follow up with mum's medical appt (4 appts this month with SGH)
- Handle mum's lunches
- Handle mum and maid's disputes
- Volunteer work with the kindergarten
- Community work with ALife
- Send the children to and fro enrichment classes
- Attend baking classes
- Any ad hoc matters
- And of course a little personal time for myself

Wow! I could finish penning the blog today without interruption. Its a great day, isn't it!

Value of a Wheelchair

Have been sending mum for medical check-ups and scans very often these days. Well, old age comes with lots of health problem. She has weak heart, weak lung, multiple blockages in the main arteries, as well as in both legs. As she is almost reaching 80, she seem to have more difficulty moving around these days. Just with about 10 steps, she starts to feel breathless.

I suggested to get a wheelchair for her, so that its easier for her to go out. For the last few years, she objected to even carrying a walking stick. But now, she agreed with my suggestion. I remember in the last days of my Dad, his family bought him a wheelchair. So I checked with my niece if they still keep it. I am prepared to buy over, but they are kind enough to lend to us, only on a request to return it to them when we no longer need it. Fair enough. In fact, its good deal, as I don't need to spend a few hundred dollars to get a new one and this wheelchair somehow has
some sentimental value as my dad had used it before.

Hubby didn't think its a nice idea to borrow the wheelchair from my dad's family. He felt that it may become a white elephant as we may not use it so often. What if we damage the wheelchair, it will be more "pai say" for us.

To me I see a lot more value in this wheelchair, more than the value of having it as white elephant, more than my face value. Not just the sentimental value which connects to my dad. If I could just use it for once or twice, to bring my mum out for shopping or a meal, I think I have utilise it all.

Dad passed away on 29 Jan 2007, I still missed him a lot. At times I felt remorseful of not spending enough time with him. It has become my greatest regrets for him. Its too painful that I don't want this feeling to come back when its time for my mum to leave.

No matter how much problem she has given me, no mater how much conflicts we have, no matter how others see her as the most difficult woman, I still want to give her the best of time she has left. Cos I really don't want to regret one more time.

Mum has been staying at home most of the time when the rest of my family goes out for meals or shopping on weekends. She refused to join us as she can't walk much. With the wheelchair, I hope it will motivate her to come out more often with us. I am most willing to push her around.

Feedback on Mooncakes

I am very thankful to those who have given me the feedback on my mooncakes... especially the very honest and the very professional feedbacks.

Before I forget these valuable words, I better note it down, so that I can refer back the next time I make mooncakes.

Lynda:

1. Snow skin is too oily. Maybe I added too much shortening fat. Yes I agreed, especially when it is eating at room temperature. If it is eating chilled, its not so bad. Think I better use my teacher's recipe the next time, instead of using the pre-mix recipe.

Alice:

1. The skin of the traditional mooncake is slightly hard and uneven, some parts are thicker than the other parts.
2. The snow skin is a little too hard, it doesn't blend in very nicely with the paste. After trying the snow skin mooncake from Tung Lok, I understand what she meant. One thing nice to note is the paste they used - red bean paste with champagne chocolate substitute as egg yolk. I like that combination, should try the next time.

Neighbour (Auntie ??? , must ask for her name next time I see her):

1. Not enough melon seeds in the paste. She likes more melon seeds.
2. Skin is ok. Paste not too sweet, just right.

Betty (my facial lady):

1. Skin too hard - I might have kneaded the dough too long, or my hands are too warm and it affects the temperature on the dough. Yes, I am too afraid that the dough is not mixed well enough.
2. Colour not even - My egg yolk coating is too concentrated, I must add more egg white or milk. It could also due to the uneven temperature in the oven, maybe I can try turning the tray.
3. White Lotus Paste is good.
4. Pandan Paste - no standard. Want to DIY, must use fresh pandan leaves and coconut juice. I can do more research on that.

Hubby:

1. Think its nice enough for a start, no much negative feedback. But he suggested that I can try creating some unique paste next time, so that I can give people some surprise.

Something I have forgotten to mention to the others on the traditional mooncake - the skin is hard on the 1st day of the baking, but it will be soften on the 2nd or 3rd day, and it will taste better by then.

Mooncakes

It all started with me looking around for birthday cakes for my 2 princes. I was trying to look for something new and different from those selling at Bengawan, Polar Cakes, Prima Deli & Swensons...

Then, one day, I came to know that a friend's wife makes cakes. I read her blog and I was very impressed. I thought it would be cool if I could make the birthday cakes myself and I started to search for more info on the cake baking classes. Just then, I realise the CC near my place has baking classes. There are 5 stages, with 8 lessons per stage. I signed up for it. But I realise it will take me a long way, before I can make a nice cake like those I saw in the blog. So, in the end I just ordered the cakes from the friend and told myself to pick up the skill slowly. Hopefully, by this time next year, I can acquire enough skill to make "professionally" nice looking and yummy cakes.

In the meantime, the Mooncake Festival is coming, I took the opportunity, pull my sister-in-law along, took up the mooncake making class.

We made the 1st batch of mooncakes last Monday, but we forgot to take pictures. Last Saturday, we tried the 2nd round - traditional mooncakes & snow skin mooncakes.

Traditional Mooncakes:

1. Traditional mooncake skin have to be made first and let it rest for at least 5 hours. I made it a day before
   

1. Pandan paste mixed with melon seeds. I also used white lotus paste with salted egg yolks.

For the salted egg yolks, washed away the egg white, season with sesame oil and bake it for 10 mins.

1. Dough with the skin wrapped around the paste. Before and after putting into mould. The most difficult part is to ensure the skin is evenly spread out over the paste. For the not so skillful people like us, its quite a challenging job.

1. Mooncakes just came out from oven. The colour is not very even, cos I wasn't experienced enough in applying the egg yolk over the surface. Needs more training.

1. Though the look is not fantastic, the taste is good!




2. 
   
   

Snowskin Mooncakes:

1. We used different ingredients from what we were taught in class, cos I saw the snow skin pre mix ingredients in Phoon Huat. So, for the "short-cut" way, we used these.

1. Dough after mixing all the ingredients together. I took an extra step, instead of using plain water to mix, I boiled the water with pandan leaves, and chilled the boiled pandan water first.

1. The finished product of the snowskin mooncakes. This will taste better after chilling. Though the colour look nice, but the skin seem to be a little too oily. I also got feedback that the skin is a little hard, compared to the Tung Lok mooncake.

Altogether we made 69 traditional mooncakes (medium size) and 27 snow skin mooncakes (medium size). We started about 9.30am in the morning and finished at about 4pm. By the time we finished, our legs were numb. We gave away some to neighbours and relatives. Well, the good thing is - we saved a lot of $$$. The cost of the ingredients were much lower than those mooncakes selling in the restaurants or hotels!!!

Thinking of doing this as business? Dare not think yet...

The learning of baking is a long way to go. Though now I get hooked in baking, I am just interested in the process of baking, not really on eating. So, people around me got to be prepared to swallow off all my successful and unsuccessful products....till I get tired of baking.