Mobile Art Lab Combines iPhone and Children's Books
It truly combines print (my first love) with the inevitable - interactive.digital.mobile stizzuf that's taking the world by storm. NICEEEEEEE.....
I like it so much! Trust a Jap company to be the brains behind it!
Valente SmellyBottom
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Monday, December 14, 2009
Would you drink raw milk?
Interesting issue. But I don't think Singapore's AVA would ever permit raw milk, not even if we have live cows here.
I told a friend looking for raw milk locally that raw human milk is available here and da best!
Sunday, December 13, 2009
2 year old iphone addict: the tech dino mulls on the issue
Razor TV has two stories on the iphone craze, centred around a 2-year-old girl Inez who is apparently "addicted" to the phone. It's really exaggerated cos I don't see that she is an addict since she only spends an hour on it a day but okay our standards may differ.
Apart from the bad voice over (the reporter needs better voice training!), the stories do raise the issue of the extent to which parents should allow their kids access to the iPhone or any other kinds of tech gadgets. My cousin's kids were, for a while, hooked to the PSP - same difference. I think it's all about moderation, with everything we do. And realising that as parents, we have the moral responsibility to control what our children get to see, touch, hear, and say. The debate is not about the iPhone at all. It's about how much effort parents put in to communicate with their children, and whether we spend quality time with them, engaging them in their games. For me, the Ipod Touch or Iphone will always be a "good-to-have", but never a "must-have". More importantly, I crack my head each weekend to think of where to bring Val to instead of cracking my head over which new app to download. He asks for it occasionally, "Where's the ipooot?" (LOL) but is always easily distracted to do something else. And even when he plays on it, I am always watching over his shoulder, playing with him. That's the point of downloading those apps, and even wanting to develop my own kiddy apps for other children (that's a post for another day!).
Go the middle way, the tech dino says. While keeping up with techy stuff, make sure too that the kids sweat it out on the beach - I know of kids who think that sand is ickieee cos their parents say so! Help your kids get used to being in the sun. Too many children these days are kept away from the great outdoors. A few mossie bites are okay la! Slap on the bug repellent and traipse the trails. Catch some butterflies and tadpoles. If need be, bring the iphone to snap pix! Make a video of the trail. Even going to a playground beats being cooped up at home. Surf the net for great ideas from other parents. IMHO, if parents blame it all on the gadgets, it means they have been a bit lazy in trying to figure out what's exciting out there. We need to realise that gone are the days that staying at home means you're nurturing a bookworm. It means you could be bringing up a 宅男 or otaku!
Apart from the bad voice over (the reporter needs better voice training!), the stories do raise the issue of the extent to which parents should allow their kids access to the iPhone or any other kinds of tech gadgets. My cousin's kids were, for a while, hooked to the PSP - same difference. I think it's all about moderation, with everything we do. And realising that as parents, we have the moral responsibility to control what our children get to see, touch, hear, and say. The debate is not about the iPhone at all. It's about how much effort parents put in to communicate with their children, and whether we spend quality time with them, engaging them in their games. For me, the Ipod Touch or Iphone will always be a "good-to-have", but never a "must-have". More importantly, I crack my head each weekend to think of where to bring Val to instead of cracking my head over which new app to download. He asks for it occasionally, "Where's the ipooot?" (LOL) but is always easily distracted to do something else. And even when he plays on it, I am always watching over his shoulder, playing with him. That's the point of downloading those apps, and even wanting to develop my own kiddy apps for other children (that's a post for another day!).
Go the middle way, the tech dino says. While keeping up with techy stuff, make sure too that the kids sweat it out on the beach - I know of kids who think that sand is ickieee cos their parents say so! Help your kids get used to being in the sun. Too many children these days are kept away from the great outdoors. A few mossie bites are okay la! Slap on the bug repellent and traipse the trails. Catch some butterflies and tadpoles. If need be, bring the iphone to snap pix! Make a video of the trail. Even going to a playground beats being cooped up at home. Surf the net for great ideas from other parents. IMHO, if parents blame it all on the gadgets, it means they have been a bit lazy in trying to figure out what's exciting out there. We need to realise that gone are the days that staying at home means you're nurturing a bookworm. It means you could be bringing up a 宅男 or otaku!
Val turns 2!
Yeah, he turned 2 yesterday and all we did was to attend his school concert which, unfortunately coincided with it! But it was great seeing him in action on stage - he didn't fret, didn't cry, didn't run off stage, didn't do much either! haha, just shaking his bells, and his bum to "Lemon Tree" - he's been showing off his moves for about 2 months now at home, especially from the day we took a cab and heard the song on radio. I was quite a proud mommy, seeing my handsome little boy (with sparkly hair gel which i had a lot of trouble getting off!) behave so well, and looking absolutely charming. Took videos for Grandpa so had no time to snap pictures!
We celebrated his birthday on Saturday morning instead with a yummy cake from Choc.A.Bloc, which is just a few blocks away from our place. Auntie Connie and Uncle Max came along, tooting the party whistles, wearing cheerful party hats, and a huge helium-filled Thomas the Train balloon! Val promptly used it as a bunching bag, and sang his "不倒翁" song. Anyone knows what is 不倒翁 in English??? Then we finally gave him Auntie Shuhui's present, a Thomas the Train & Big Loader set, which he saw 2 weeks ago but i managed to persuade the good boy to be patient and only open it on his birthday. Set up the complicated tracks and all with Uncle Max's help and we were chugging along! It's also my first motorised train set, so i was quite thrilled seeing the trains deliver the ball bearings from place to place.
I got Val a Little Tike pedal/ push bike but that he saw 2 weeks ago, accidentally, as I had set it up while he was at school and hid it in a spare room. When i went into the room one day, he followed me, spotted the bike, and the rest is history....
After the cake and prezzies, we trooped down to Jacob Ballas Children's Garden when he had a swell time playing at the water feature, and then hugging calabashes and other fruits he saw at the garden. Got too hot to bear, and escaped to Plaza Singapura for lunch at Lao Beijing. Sumptuous, albeit, expensive lunch later (the tiny plate of pickles cost $5!!!), we got home and all snoozed.
That was it, another year's passed and my boy is growing older, more sensible, yet also more prone to tantrums! The terrible twos are officially upon us but i'm loving every moment - especially when he throws himself upon me and smother me with kisses.
Oh, and we deliberately did not celebrate his birthday in school last Friday. I've decided that there's no need to go OTT for birthdays. IF his bd falls on a weekday next year, we will celebrate in school, and might even do the whole goodie bag shebang. BUT, as long as it's not on a weekday, I will not succumb to the double-triple celebrations that some kids get. I can't afford it anyways, and since I grew up fine, without much fanfare on my bds, i shd think Val will be fine. I'll just wait for him to request for a celebration before thinking what's next. This seems like a straight forward opinion, but trust me, i spent DAYS pondering on this OKAY!
We celebrated his birthday on Saturday morning instead with a yummy cake from Choc.A.Bloc, which is just a few blocks away from our place. Auntie Connie and Uncle Max came along, tooting the party whistles, wearing cheerful party hats, and a huge helium-filled Thomas the Train balloon! Val promptly used it as a bunching bag, and sang his "不倒翁" song. Anyone knows what is 不倒翁 in English??? Then we finally gave him Auntie Shuhui's present, a Thomas the Train & Big Loader set, which he saw 2 weeks ago but i managed to persuade the good boy to be patient and only open it on his birthday. Set up the complicated tracks and all with Uncle Max's help and we were chugging along! It's also my first motorised train set, so i was quite thrilled seeing the trains deliver the ball bearings from place to place.
I got Val a Little Tike pedal/ push bike but that he saw 2 weeks ago, accidentally, as I had set it up while he was at school and hid it in a spare room. When i went into the room one day, he followed me, spotted the bike, and the rest is history....
After the cake and prezzies, we trooped down to Jacob Ballas Children's Garden when he had a swell time playing at the water feature, and then hugging calabashes and other fruits he saw at the garden. Got too hot to bear, and escaped to Plaza Singapura for lunch at Lao Beijing. Sumptuous, albeit, expensive lunch later (the tiny plate of pickles cost $5!!!), we got home and all snoozed.
That was it, another year's passed and my boy is growing older, more sensible, yet also more prone to tantrums! The terrible twos are officially upon us but i'm loving every moment - especially when he throws himself upon me and smother me with kisses.
Oh, and we deliberately did not celebrate his birthday in school last Friday. I've decided that there's no need to go OTT for birthdays. IF his bd falls on a weekday next year, we will celebrate in school, and might even do the whole goodie bag shebang. BUT, as long as it's not on a weekday, I will not succumb to the double-triple celebrations that some kids get. I can't afford it anyways, and since I grew up fine, without much fanfare on my bds, i shd think Val will be fine. I'll just wait for him to request for a celebration before thinking what's next. This seems like a straight forward opinion, but trust me, i spent DAYS pondering on this OKAY!
Lift Up(down)grading
So you are all familiar with LUP (Lift Upgrading Programme) on this lil red dot. Recently our block of flats joined in the frenzy (not that it was our choice) because, apparently, when the architects designed our block (which has 13 floors), they decided to let the lifts stop at ALL the levels, except Storey 13. Why? Beats me? Perhaps the technology then didn't allow it? Anyways, presumably in anticipation of the ageing population, and to make people on Storey 13 happy, upgrading came along.
Upgrading is a misnomer for us because no one - NO ONE - feels uplifted by the new lifts. They are s...l..o..w.., s..l..o..w..e..r... than the OLD lifts, so it takes forever for the lifts to come, especially when one was sealed off for works, leaving only one lift available for the entire block of residents. Not only are they slow, they no longer have those screens up above that tells you which floor the lift is at! Gasp! And... sometimes, when you press your floor, e.g. 8, and someone comes in, and press, say, 6, your floor number disappears but you're probably not aware, and then suddenly, 'bing' you realise, oh %^&&**, you're on the 11th floor and have missed your stop!. arggghh....
The frustration is clear...the sucky lifts have become the most popular conversation starter for all the residents here. Formerly, we would step in and step out, nary a smile or hello, but these days.........things are different! We have a common enemy - we all grouse in chorus about the sucky lifts - shake our heads in unison - and then let out sighs in symphony. Oh, our lives, damned by these lifts...oh how LUP has raised the quotient on social capital in our block. Perhaps, LUP does have some merits then?
Wait, and then we find out something from one of the PRC workers. They heard us venting as usual, and told us that the new lifts cost a third of the old lifts (Fujitec from Japan). AHHH....the truth emerges. We now know why LUP is really LDP.
But you know wat? I can deal with that. At least i now know WHY. It's the austerity drive, la. Economy not good so better bite the bullet too. I'm all for saving $, if the $ saved can benefit more people from having lifts that stop at their floors. All I ask is that whoever is sourcing these lifts make sure that they are SAFE for us. Yup, that's it. Nothing more. I can get myself to adapt to the slowness (I mean, we city rats do need to relax a tad!.
Just as long as those lifts never shudder and drop kerplunk into the shaft. Join me in prayer...
Upgrading is a misnomer for us because no one - NO ONE - feels uplifted by the new lifts. They are s...l..o..w.., s..l..o..w..e..r... than the OLD lifts, so it takes forever for the lifts to come, especially when one was sealed off for works, leaving only one lift available for the entire block of residents. Not only are they slow, they no longer have those screens up above that tells you which floor the lift is at! Gasp! And... sometimes, when you press your floor, e.g. 8, and someone comes in, and press, say, 6, your floor number disappears but you're probably not aware, and then suddenly, 'bing' you realise, oh %^&&**, you're on the 11th floor and have missed your stop!. arggghh....
The frustration is clear...the sucky lifts have become the most popular conversation starter for all the residents here. Formerly, we would step in and step out, nary a smile or hello, but these days.........things are different! We have a common enemy - we all grouse in chorus about the sucky lifts - shake our heads in unison - and then let out sighs in symphony. Oh, our lives, damned by these lifts...oh how LUP has raised the quotient on social capital in our block. Perhaps, LUP does have some merits then?
Wait, and then we find out something from one of the PRC workers. They heard us venting as usual, and told us that the new lifts cost a third of the old lifts (Fujitec from Japan). AHHH....the truth emerges. We now know why LUP is really LDP.
But you know wat? I can deal with that. At least i now know WHY. It's the austerity drive, la. Economy not good so better bite the bullet too. I'm all for saving $, if the $ saved can benefit more people from having lifts that stop at their floors. All I ask is that whoever is sourcing these lifts make sure that they are SAFE for us. Yup, that's it. Nothing more. I can get myself to adapt to the slowness (I mean, we city rats do need to relax a tad!.
Just as long as those lifts never shudder and drop kerplunk into the shaft. Join me in prayer...
Friday, December 11, 2009
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Competition is great for the iphonetics!
Truly, the beauty of an open market for telcoms has presented itself gorgeously these couple of days. M1 certainly began it all with its "unbeatable" plans - truly, its plans were on all fronts stronger than incumbent Singtel's miserly ones. There was even a tariff to get Singtel's users to jump ship, offering them some cushioning for their penalty fees. In response, Singtel had an 11th hour update of its iphone plans late Tuesday night, in a desperate move to stop the migration - - overnight, current iphone Singtel users went from 50mb or 2gb data plans to 12 gb! how wonderful huh! And today, i've just found out that M1 has also upped its ante to match the 12gb offer, and the same price cap of $30 for data usage.
And guess what, Starhub, which had the lousiest plan (a cap of $48? come on!), has also followed suit to offer 12gb at $30 cap. Sweet is the sound of competition! WOOOOT! I say, go, competition, go!
And guess what, Starhub, which had the lousiest plan (a cap of $48? come on!), has also followed suit to offer 12gb at $30 cap. Sweet is the sound of competition! WOOOOT! I say, go, competition, go!
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
An old post.............
An installation artist whom I had met 4 years ago recently emailed me that he had kept my old blog entry (from previous blog that I can't even remember the address to!) and is using it on his blog now.
Reading it, i think I had a lot more colour in my writing then. Sigh.
Traces of 'A Roomful of Old Ladies Clattering their Fingernails'
This was a blog entry by Bridgette See, a person whose kindness i can never forget.
PENCIL MARKS: 0055hrs, Feb 17, 2005
We saw him today, sitting in a glass display window along an underground walkway leading to an arts centre. No, to be accurate, sitting half in and half out of the display window. He looked like a technician employed to set up some lights for an advertiser. He was crouched over a small makeshift table, focused on a small object in his hands. J and I walked up to take a closer look. But first, our eyes were drawn to a gorgeous hanging display on his left.
It was a huge cluster of hanging pencils! Wooden pencils that had been sharpened and skinned with a paper cutter. The bodies of the pencils were exaggeratedly short, while the lead insides so long. They made up a pencil chandelier, hanging skinny and sharp.
So what was M doing? We peered and he looked up. 'Hi' 'Hi' 'Hi' we said in unison. He was sharpening pencils with an old school pencil sharpener, the type that has a handle you turn and make shavings that are all small and wiry. I asked him why he didn't use a newer type of sharpener. He pointed to a whole box of shavings. He's planning to scatter them (like sawdust) all over the floor of the window display. My first question was 'How many pencils are you going to use?" He shot back "Are you from Greenpeace?" J and I laughed. That was the furthest from my mind although I am a bit of a greenie. But after i assured him I wasn't about to tie myself outside his window display to protest against his raping of entire forests, he loosened up and began to talk.
This artist at work was M: he was born in India, raised in Dubai and has been in our city studying art for 5 years.
Apparently he had been commissioned by some guys to create an installation piece here after those guys saw his work at his arts school graduation show. So he's using about 2000 (!) pencils to create an art work, harnessing all parts of the pencils, from lead, to shavings to create installation art. Then he showed us another box of pencil shavings. These are the type you get when you use a new moden pencil sharpener. They have curvy edges and all, quite unlike the small wiry types. It was amazing the patterns he could create using a small beat-up sharpener. Some of the insides were star-shaped, some flower-shaped and even one that was square-shaped! All he did was apply different pressure at different points. WOW!
He had some more weird contraptions using little pencil nubs and all. I was so enthralled by his work. Suddenly I remembered that I had a pencil sharpener on me! (okok, dun ask me why i have one on me in the first place!) . I whipped it out enthusiastically and shoved it into his hands. 'Try this' i said. 'You'll love it'
M looked at the purple sharperner hesitantly. It's not everyday someone walks by and gives you a pencil sharpener, and a pretty slick one too! He put in a fresh pencil and began sharpening it, carefully and slowly - unsure of this new instrument. 'Shrccch' the first turn sounded so crisp he was startled. He paused and stared at my sharpener with new found respect. 'Wow, it's so sharp, the blade..." he continued again. 'Ah... it's almost orgasmic for me to hear that sharp crisp sound!' M exclaimed. I was delighted! Really, how many people can you cheer up in a day this way? This time, M unscrewed the sharpener, peered intensely at its inside, and said 'wow, it's even made of plastic. I can't believe...'
We laughed. I'm glad i've found another soul who is still full of wonder for life's little surprises. Many of my friends have lost that naivety. Instead, they often look at me in puzzlement when I squeal in delight over simple matters like being able to Skype or if i spot a funny cloud in the sky.
So J and I sat there chatting with M for almost 15 minutes, finding out the fate of different pencils. This chap's going to be around for another week. So J's going down on his off day on Friday to help him shave some pencils and snap some pictures of this cool dude. The brief encounter with M brought back fond memories of how me and my friends had helped out a bunch of installation artists at 5th Passage - an alternative art space in a shopping mall in the east of the city. This was 10 years ago but I can still remember the excitment as each installation piece evolved; the sheer thrill of seeing genius and creativity boiling over; the irresistible vibes in the air. It was a pity the alternative arts space closed down because it was way ahead of its time.
Thank you M for delighting my evening. i'll see you next week when I bring lunch for you and J. And my dear purple sharpener, I am so proud of YOU!
Reading it, i think I had a lot more colour in my writing then. Sigh.
Traces of 'A Roomful of Old Ladies Clattering their Fingernails'
This was a blog entry by Bridgette See, a person whose kindness i can never forget.
PENCIL MARKS: 0055hrs, Feb 17, 2005
We saw him today, sitting in a glass display window along an underground walkway leading to an arts centre. No, to be accurate, sitting half in and half out of the display window. He looked like a technician employed to set up some lights for an advertiser. He was crouched over a small makeshift table, focused on a small object in his hands. J and I walked up to take a closer look. But first, our eyes were drawn to a gorgeous hanging display on his left.
It was a huge cluster of hanging pencils! Wooden pencils that had been sharpened and skinned with a paper cutter. The bodies of the pencils were exaggeratedly short, while the lead insides so long. They made up a pencil chandelier, hanging skinny and sharp.
So what was M doing? We peered and he looked up. 'Hi' 'Hi' 'Hi' we said in unison. He was sharpening pencils with an old school pencil sharpener, the type that has a handle you turn and make shavings that are all small and wiry. I asked him why he didn't use a newer type of sharpener. He pointed to a whole box of shavings. He's planning to scatter them (like sawdust) all over the floor of the window display. My first question was 'How many pencils are you going to use?" He shot back "Are you from Greenpeace?" J and I laughed. That was the furthest from my mind although I am a bit of a greenie. But after i assured him I wasn't about to tie myself outside his window display to protest against his raping of entire forests, he loosened up and began to talk.
This artist at work was M: he was born in India, raised in Dubai and has been in our city studying art for 5 years.
Apparently he had been commissioned by some guys to create an installation piece here after those guys saw his work at his arts school graduation show. So he's using about 2000 (!) pencils to create an art work, harnessing all parts of the pencils, from lead, to shavings to create installation art. Then he showed us another box of pencil shavings. These are the type you get when you use a new moden pencil sharpener. They have curvy edges and all, quite unlike the small wiry types. It was amazing the patterns he could create using a small beat-up sharpener. Some of the insides were star-shaped, some flower-shaped and even one that was square-shaped! All he did was apply different pressure at different points. WOW!
He had some more weird contraptions using little pencil nubs and all. I was so enthralled by his work. Suddenly I remembered that I had a pencil sharpener on me! (okok, dun ask me why i have one on me in the first place!) . I whipped it out enthusiastically and shoved it into his hands. 'Try this' i said. 'You'll love it'
M looked at the purple sharperner hesitantly. It's not everyday someone walks by and gives you a pencil sharpener, and a pretty slick one too! He put in a fresh pencil and began sharpening it, carefully and slowly - unsure of this new instrument. 'Shrccch' the first turn sounded so crisp he was startled. He paused and stared at my sharpener with new found respect. 'Wow, it's so sharp, the blade..." he continued again. 'Ah... it's almost orgasmic for me to hear that sharp crisp sound!' M exclaimed. I was delighted! Really, how many people can you cheer up in a day this way? This time, M unscrewed the sharpener, peered intensely at its inside, and said 'wow, it's even made of plastic. I can't believe...'
We laughed. I'm glad i've found another soul who is still full of wonder for life's little surprises. Many of my friends have lost that naivety. Instead, they often look at me in puzzlement when I squeal in delight over simple matters like being able to Skype or if i spot a funny cloud in the sky.
So J and I sat there chatting with M for almost 15 minutes, finding out the fate of different pencils. This chap's going to be around for another week. So J's going down on his off day on Friday to help him shave some pencils and snap some pictures of this cool dude. The brief encounter with M brought back fond memories of how me and my friends had helped out a bunch of installation artists at 5th Passage - an alternative art space in a shopping mall in the east of the city. This was 10 years ago but I can still remember the excitment as each installation piece evolved; the sheer thrill of seeing genius and creativity boiling over; the irresistible vibes in the air. It was a pity the alternative arts space closed down because it was way ahead of its time.
Thank you M for delighting my evening. i'll see you next week when I bring lunch for you and J. And my dear purple sharpener, I am so proud of YOU!
Sunday, December 6, 2009
Snow+us=happiness
Need we say more???!!!! Fake snow or not, it was splendid fun! Wear shoes that won't get ruined, bring a change of clothes, and plenty of good humour and imagination!
MEEEERRRRY CHRISTMASSSSS to ewessssss
MEEEERRRRY CHRISTMASSSSS to ewessssss
Fire fire burning bright....
Although the Central Fire Station's open house (Sats, 9-1130) has been a regular feature for years now, it seems that many Singaporeans are still unaware of this wonderful (and free) place they can bring their kiddies to! As a reporter, I had the privilege of even climbing up the clock tower when the fire station's museum opened some years ago. I also covered quite a number of Civil Defence stories so it was nostalgic to see the vehicles like the Red Rhino (above) when we visited the Fire Station last Saturday.
Hop onto the Combined Platform Ladder (CPL) for a ride up high!
Vertigo! View from the top
GULP! He cried a lil when he first got on, and then was wordless, stunned to be up so high for the first time.
A really big truck for a really small boy.
Channelling his inner paramedic.
And the chaps who made it all possible! Cheerful, funny, and obliging firefighters who let us see their more light-hearted side. They joked around, and thrilled the kids with their fire pole descending stunts - even stopping to pose for pix midair!
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Sleeping mum smothers baby on jet
Shocked to read the news below cos I b/f all the time in half-awake state! But i think this is really rare. Never heard of this before! but very sad indeed for the mommy, who must be a really deep sleeper or, i suspect, might have taken some kind of medication that knocked her out soundly. SAD!
But on the point of co-sleeping, there's still lots of debate raging over how safe it is for babies. I have been co-sleeping with Val from the time he was days old, cos i am a very light sleeper. Mothering Magazine has lots of resources on co-sleeping for anyone keen to learn more.
AP News:
Sleeping mum smothers baby on jet
She fell asleep while breast-feeding; doc on board failed to revive infant
LONDON: A breast-feeding mother accidentally smothered her four-week old child aboard a United Airlines flight from Washington DC to Kuwait, a British tabloid has reported.
The Sun newspaper said that the mother, who it said was a 29-year-old Egyptian-born woman, fell asleep as she breast-fed on the jet and awoke after about an hour to find that she had accidentally suffocated the baby.
Crew on the jet were alerted by the mother's screams and the flight, which was over the Atlantic, was diverted to Heathrow Airport for an immediate landing, the paper reported on Tuesday.
Scotland Yard confirmed that a United Airlines plane had been diverted to Heathrow after reports that a four-week-old girl was in distress. The incident occurred last Wednesday.
The police said in a statement that the baby was taken to a nearby hospital, where she was pronounced dead. It added that an autopsy had been performed last Friday, but the results were still pending.
'The death is being treated as unexplained and the Child Abuse Investigation Team is investigating the circumstances,' the statement said.
Scotland Yard did not go into further detail, although Britain's Press Association news agency reported that such investigations were standard practice. No arrests have been made.
A police source told The Sun: 'This appears to be a tragic accident. The girl comes from a loving family. Her mum was going to Kuwait to show her to relatives.'
United Airlines spokesman Robin Urbanski said that a doctor aboard the flight tried unsuccessfully to revive the baby while the plane was still in the air.
The ground authorities later took over. Ms Urbanski said she had no information about what happened to the passenger after that, although the flight later proceeded to Kuwait.
The American Academy of Pediatrics has warned that sharing a bed or sleeping with an infant can be hazardous under certain conditions.
The British Association of Breastfeeding Mothers has said: 'Sitting up in bed while holding your baby is very dangerous, especially if you fall asleep.'
But on the point of co-sleeping, there's still lots of debate raging over how safe it is for babies. I have been co-sleeping with Val from the time he was days old, cos i am a very light sleeper. Mothering Magazine has lots of resources on co-sleeping for anyone keen to learn more.
AP News:
Sleeping mum smothers baby on jet
She fell asleep while breast-feeding; doc on board failed to revive infant
LONDON: A breast-feeding mother accidentally smothered her four-week old child aboard a United Airlines flight from Washington DC to Kuwait, a British tabloid has reported.
The Sun newspaper said that the mother, who it said was a 29-year-old Egyptian-born woman, fell asleep as she breast-fed on the jet and awoke after about an hour to find that she had accidentally suffocated the baby.
Crew on the jet were alerted by the mother's screams and the flight, which was over the Atlantic, was diverted to Heathrow Airport for an immediate landing, the paper reported on Tuesday.
Scotland Yard confirmed that a United Airlines plane had been diverted to Heathrow after reports that a four-week-old girl was in distress. The incident occurred last Wednesday.
The police said in a statement that the baby was taken to a nearby hospital, where she was pronounced dead. It added that an autopsy had been performed last Friday, but the results were still pending.
'The death is being treated as unexplained and the Child Abuse Investigation Team is investigating the circumstances,' the statement said.
Scotland Yard did not go into further detail, although Britain's Press Association news agency reported that such investigations were standard practice. No arrests have been made.
A police source told The Sun: 'This appears to be a tragic accident. The girl comes from a loving family. Her mum was going to Kuwait to show her to relatives.'
United Airlines spokesman Robin Urbanski said that a doctor aboard the flight tried unsuccessfully to revive the baby while the plane was still in the air.
The ground authorities later took over. Ms Urbanski said she had no information about what happened to the passenger after that, although the flight later proceeded to Kuwait.
The American Academy of Pediatrics has warned that sharing a bed or sleeping with an infant can be hazardous under certain conditions.
The British Association of Breastfeeding Mothers has said: 'Sitting up in bed while holding your baby is very dangerous, especially if you fall asleep.'
mid-life crisis?
Recently I met someone from that company that everyone wants to join - 5000 people apply daily to this place; that company whose name has become a verb. It made me start thinking once again of my future. Methinks the 30s is a strange spot to be when it comes to one's career journey - not young enough to just quit and go places (like I did when i was in my 20s, twice!), and not old enough to say, "i think i'll retire with this job".
I can't help but wonder what lies ahead for me. Is this it? What else can I do with my career? Do I have one in the first place? Questions, questions, questions. Is this what we term the mid-life crisis? When we're neither here nor there? So what when i FINALLY finish my Masters (just threeee more modules to go..)? So what if I'm darn brilliant at it as well? Will I be able to up and go - apply for a post in a war-torn country when Val is still a mere toddler? Noooooooooooooo....So what am I doing here? I'm certainly not content to merely eke out a living, despite working with one of the most flexible employers in Singapore: I can work from anywhere I want, as long as I finish my work and there are no meetings to attend in the office. I really should be thankful, and trust me, I am.
It's just.... that something within me, that flickering flame of wanting to see more, do more, try more isn't quite put out yet. It's still there, glowing, even as the rush of everyday life and the practicalities and demands of reality try so hard to snuff it out.
Suddenly I was inspired to apply for a job. Any job, just to see if i still have any market value left in me. Quite impulsively, and dare i say, during working hours, I fired off a cover letter, and clicked "submit" to upload my resume at a company's recruiting website (i ain't telling!). I've heard nothing yet but going back to explore the site now, at night, I just realised that I didn't include one thing they wanted in my resume: references! DOH! so hohum... there you go. I doubt i'll hear from them at all now. Maybe i'll apply again next month if the position's still open. You know, this would only be the SECOND job I've ever applied since graduation. Well, even if nothing turns up, at least this 'lil exercise has invigorated me, and will help to prod me out of being too comfy in whatever i am doing.
Feeling uneasy and questioning one's place is a good thing. Slumber in life is not.
I can't help but wonder what lies ahead for me. Is this it? What else can I do with my career? Do I have one in the first place? Questions, questions, questions. Is this what we term the mid-life crisis? When we're neither here nor there? So what when i FINALLY finish my Masters (just threeee more modules to go..)? So what if I'm darn brilliant at it as well? Will I be able to up and go - apply for a post in a war-torn country when Val is still a mere toddler? Noooooooooooooo....So what am I doing here? I'm certainly not content to merely eke out a living, despite working with one of the most flexible employers in Singapore: I can work from anywhere I want, as long as I finish my work and there are no meetings to attend in the office. I really should be thankful, and trust me, I am.
It's just.... that something within me, that flickering flame of wanting to see more, do more, try more isn't quite put out yet. It's still there, glowing, even as the rush of everyday life and the practicalities and demands of reality try so hard to snuff it out.
Suddenly I was inspired to apply for a job. Any job, just to see if i still have any market value left in me. Quite impulsively, and dare i say, during working hours, I fired off a cover letter, and clicked "submit" to upload my resume at a company's recruiting website (i ain't telling!). I've heard nothing yet but going back to explore the site now, at night, I just realised that I didn't include one thing they wanted in my resume: references! DOH! so hohum... there you go. I doubt i'll hear from them at all now. Maybe i'll apply again next month if the position's still open. You know, this would only be the SECOND job I've ever applied since graduation. Well, even if nothing turns up, at least this 'lil exercise has invigorated me, and will help to prod me out of being too comfy in whatever i am doing.
Feeling uneasy and questioning one's place is a good thing. Slumber in life is not.
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Jingle Bwells
Val came home in a positively festive mood: he sang Jingle Bwells the whole night after learning it in school.
Anyways, i joined in the festivities by playing my VERY OLD (15 years!) Kenny G : The Holiday Album. Okay so the man with the instant noodle hair is cheesy, and his ballads soppy, but this Xmas album is great, okay! Listening to it is like getting into a time capsule: you fastforward to Xmas land faster than you can say "chestnut". Now, I'm thinking if we should get a mini Xmas tree to get into the whole hog of things....Is it too late? What do you think?
Jingle bwells, jingle bwells, jingle all da way....Once again, I am amazed and touched by how quickly kiddies learn things - really like a dry sponge just sucking up the water. Also reminds me to be careful what i teach him!
hmmm hmmm hmmm hmmm hmmm hmmm hmmm
hmmm hmmm hmmm hmmm hmmm
hmmm hmmm ... hey!
Anyways, i joined in the festivities by playing my VERY OLD (15 years!) Kenny G : The Holiday Album. Okay so the man with the instant noodle hair is cheesy, and his ballads soppy, but this Xmas album is great, okay! Listening to it is like getting into a time capsule: you fastforward to Xmas land faster than you can say "chestnut". Now, I'm thinking if we should get a mini Xmas tree to get into the whole hog of things....Is it too late? What do you think?
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Calling citizens of extra-ordinary Earth...............
Couldn't help recalling this wonderful song from the Carpenters after catching Val in the alien outfit at Pasir Ris Park. :-O Like the song, my memories of the park are hazy and though I always remembered it to be fun (more like walking through the mangroves and up the bird watch tower), I never saw it from the eyes of a child so this afternoon was quite enlightening for me!
First stop HAD to be the fire engine truck that was almost screaming out at Val: hop onto me, i've got bouncy wheels, and double-steering too! He hogged the driver's seat for a loong while, i was so glad there was another steering seat, and only after much cajoling did he give up his coveted throne to another child. I had to pretend to walk away FOUR times..........
He had a ball of a time on this UFO-looking carousel. Didn't dare to let him try the bigger saucers cos they looked too thrilling for me! Plus, this chap wanted to sit on top of the saucer and not on the plate!
Couldn't miss cooing at the wonderful layangs out there. There were a couple of huge big stunt kites too...but i wonder about the space for these things cos there are so many people and trees around............ i still think the Barrage is still the best place to fly layang...
Wheeee! Monkee time! He surprised me by getting on and balancing rather well throughout, even managed to negotiate two "passes" when bigger boys crossed in the opposite direction.
We didn't manage to capture the most exhilarating bit of our afternoon adventure - climbing up a slope (it had fake grass patch and mini rock climbing boulders) and then zipping down the metal slides. For a while, Val was content to struggle up the slope via the "right" way (via said rock wall), then he discovered that he could effortlessly scamper upslope (once his shoes were off), and then, he discovered that he could run crazily down the slope and leap into Mama's arms........... I tell you, if the Gramps were around, it would not have happened! There would be an endless chorus of "too dangerous, cannot, come down, you might break your head, no..............." . Aiya! But i did drill into him that he can only play like so with Mama waiting for him. I was real glad how sporty he was.... oooo am just envisioning the days of cycling, trekking, rock climbing that we could do together!!!!!!!!
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Photo diary
A peek into Val's childcare: I sprung a surprise visit one afternoon to catch him in action. I love observing him when he's totally unaware of my presence. Somehow I think he behaves quite differently without me so I do love watching the lil guy being his own person. This picture was taken, obviously, after he found me out.
Gallop Stables: I got inspired one Saturday afternoon while Val was napping and logged on the Internet to hunt down this horsey place. Surprised how close it is to White Sands mall - truly a well-kept secret. Nice to see how once the taxi veered into Pasir Ris Green, we seemed to enter a different world. The other place i really love is Mount Pleasant Road, where I used to canter with horses while volunteering at Riding for the Disabled (RDA). If you love horses, volunteer@ RDA!
Sandcastles in the sky: We are regulars at the beach, living so near to it. I love hanging out there, taking in the breeze, and listening to the waves. Val loves messing about in the sand, occasionally ingesting handfuls of sand (yikes), and destroying all my sandcastles. I am still contemplating buying that professional set of sandcastle building set from Colin who runs Castles can Fly. He happens to be my uncle's next door neighbour in Joo Chiat.
Fly layang!: this was most exciting... we were given a simple paper kite by grandma's friend who just returned from Dalian, China. Brought it out to the beach one Sunday afternoon and decided to see how it would fly. By George! Fly it did! the multiple kites literally flew out of my hands, eager to dance in the wind. They fluttered, they pirouetted, they tugged, they flirted with the trees and the waves. They delighted us all to bits. There were plenty of shrills coming from the little one and from grandma who has never flown a kite - imagine that.
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Confessions of a HotShot fan
Guess who's been hogging the Ipod Touch these days? :-) Yours truly.... I finally learnt how to download all sorts of videos from YouKnowWhere to watch on the Ipod. Recently the (might i say, very dated) Taiwanese serial HotShot has been showing on free-to-air TV, i've kinda become a groupie and was too impatient to watch just one episode per night. I heard of the series at least 2 years ago but it just never showed here and it never ocurred to me to go online but the Ipod had unlocked all the latent web-surfing talent in the techno-dino and everyday i've been downloading 4 episodes and absolutely loving the commute home. Yup, i have become one of those you see on the trains - eyes glued to a small gadget - worse, i giggle and even guffaw aloud cos the comic moments are just so damn funny. A great comic relief at the end of the day...Never mind how old the series is, the Taiwanese are just great in making funny serials. Oh and thank you thank you to those who made the effort to splice the episodes into short snippets and upload it onto YouKnowWhere. :-O
Monday, November 9, 2009
Viva Vivo!
Went to Vivo with May, Ian and Vera some weeks ago. It was the perfect place for people who want a bit of fun, splashing about on the rooftop water features, coupled with glorious sea breeze, the warm sunset, and air-conditioned comfort within easy reach. :-O
needless to say, the lil boy was absolutely thrilled to be let loose in the wading pool. He ran, he splashed, he fell, he "swam", he crawled, he picked up leaves for Auntie May, and he even tried to slurp some of the water! Yucks! It was an afternoon of simple fun for him. Thanks M, I & V for an afternoon of easy fun.
He looks like "Ah pek" with his baldy look. This was before his haircut! He is generally thrilled to be chasing me, while i am trying my best to get him to stand still for a proper shot!
weaning off the diapers
Yeah i had great ambitions when Val was a mere babe to go diaper-free before he was one. For a while, EC (elimination communication) worked well. I knew when he would pee and poop, and so I was a proud mommy for a few months until I began working part-time and then full-time and then had no more time to do EC. It all went downhill there until recently.
Thanks to his childcare centre which began (about a month ago) letting him go diaper-free for the entire day in school. The teachers bring them to the loo regularly and ask them to say when they need to pee and poo. Val's pretty mixed up - he says he needs to pee when he actually needs to poo. So there've been times when bits of his poo has dropped out on the floor in school! the teachers thought it was amusing. It's a lucky thing we've got teachers who are so keen on potty training.
And so, back home, we're trying our best to complement their efforts. Last Saturday afternoon marked the very first time that i actually ventured out of the house without any diapers on him. So we let him pee before leaving, and then once we got off the car, I brought him to pee again. Peeing needs precision and speed, cos if i'm not fast enough, Val pees before i've had the chance to take off his pants. We had a 50-50 success rate cos half of his pee dripped onto my shoes but we did it! We went diaper free that afternoon outside. Not bad huh! Val has also developed an aversion to wearing diapers at home cos I think someone's been drilling it into him that diapers are for little babies and he obviously wants to be a big boy. SO these days he even goes to bed without any diaper. I just change him in the stealth of the night (about 11pm) when i'm about to sleep. So far, only had one night when he wet the bed. But it's no biggie for me. I'm not a clean freak so i can deal with a bit of pee on the bed.
I'm really liking this diaper free thingie. Although we are using 90% cloth diapers and 10% disposables (for night and going out), I still would like to stop choking up the earth with the disposies and wasting water washing the cloth diapers. Most of all, i like the idea of his tush being aired instead of being wrapped like bazhang the whole day long. Thanks teachers once again for helping Val go diaper-free!
Thanks to his childcare centre which began (about a month ago) letting him go diaper-free for the entire day in school. The teachers bring them to the loo regularly and ask them to say when they need to pee and poo. Val's pretty mixed up - he says he needs to pee when he actually needs to poo. So there've been times when bits of his poo has dropped out on the floor in school! the teachers thought it was amusing. It's a lucky thing we've got teachers who are so keen on potty training.
And so, back home, we're trying our best to complement their efforts. Last Saturday afternoon marked the very first time that i actually ventured out of the house without any diapers on him. So we let him pee before leaving, and then once we got off the car, I brought him to pee again. Peeing needs precision and speed, cos if i'm not fast enough, Val pees before i've had the chance to take off his pants. We had a 50-50 success rate cos half of his pee dripped onto my shoes but we did it! We went diaper free that afternoon outside. Not bad huh! Val has also developed an aversion to wearing diapers at home cos I think someone's been drilling it into him that diapers are for little babies and he obviously wants to be a big boy. SO these days he even goes to bed without any diaper. I just change him in the stealth of the night (about 11pm) when i'm about to sleep. So far, only had one night when he wet the bed. But it's no biggie for me. I'm not a clean freak so i can deal with a bit of pee on the bed.
I'm really liking this diaper free thingie. Although we are using 90% cloth diapers and 10% disposables (for night and going out), I still would like to stop choking up the earth with the disposies and wasting water washing the cloth diapers. Most of all, i like the idea of his tush being aired instead of being wrapped like bazhang the whole day long. Thanks teachers once again for helping Val go diaper-free!
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