Holiday is coming!

Holiday is coming! It feels so good! Children are in good mood, so do I.

This term, time really flies. Paul finishes P4 and Prisca P2. Both of them have got the better grade!

That is great encouragement for Paul. He did not care his marks as much as Prisca, being a boy, I suppose, but I did extra push on him and , of course, more "tender words" (which are like honey combs). He is now more confident to do even better!

Prisca is a bit over confident so that she does not check her works careful. That caused her great damages. I keep reminding her of be humble and be careful. She did improved. Thank God.

Noah will attend P1 next year, oh my, I am not sure whether he is ready. His reading improves rapidly, so does his maths, but Chinese is one of his headache.

Stephen, has learnt to write his own name. He is so proud to show off! He has written his name more than 30 times in a short period of half hour???

Now, it is my turn, I will have my last and final paper on Nov 19. Oh, God helps me, I don't feel confident at all, not only am I quite confused by those contemporary social theorists, but also (quite often) agitated by those numerous presumptions of non-believing, contentious arguments. To me, the root of all these confusion is their unbelief. "To fear the Lord is the beginning of wisdom"

All and all, I give thanks to God, He has been really gracious to keep our family, to provide to our needs, to guide us in each and every step....we shall lead on and keep trusting him. May God help us and God bless you!

Happy Mother's Day

I wish ALL mothers "Happy Always"!

Where are you coming from?

I always feel a bit uneasy when some one asked me "Where are you coming from?". For obviously reason, if they think I am local, they won't have to ask this kind of question.

After many years wondering outside my home country, I have learnt to decode the really meaning behind this harmless looking question.

Sometimes, it could be just curious, for you are standing out from a crowd, "I wonder who are you and you are different from all of us..?" sometimes, it could be suspicious, "Why do you come here." Sometimes, it could be hostile "I don't really like you to be here." sometimes, not so often thought, it could be sincere concern and care "You look so lonely, are you all right?"

I have experienced all of them. Time has taught me to not to take seriously to those with unkind intends, but treasure those with kind hearts.

Once, I was in Amsterdam, I was taking tram back to my hotel in the evening. I told the bus driver the hotel name where I was staying. He signaled me and let me down. Little did I know that in fact there are two hotels have the same name, and I was in the wrong one.

It was quite dark, I was anxious to find my way back. Asking a few people for direction, I waited at a tram station for another tram back. There was an old woman standing nearby, she was observing me for a while, then, she approached me and asked me "Where are you come from?" I can still felt the kindness and care in her tone, at that moment, I almost burst into tears. After hearing my story, she told me with sincere concern that it was not safe for a young girl to travel at night and she offered me to accompany me back to my hotel.

Oh, that was 15 years ago. I don't know her name, but I can still remember her voice and caring tone when she asked me "where are you coming from?'

Other similar questions would be "Are you Japanese? Korean? Or HKnese?"
Or even "Are you from Taiwan?" I had never felt more patriotic that those moments. Raising my back, I asked them straight to their face," No, I come from China, PRC."

The only place where I had not even once been asked this question was in the United Stated. In fact, people are so used to foreigners they don't bother to ask you "Where are you coming from?" After all, almost everybody there was coming from somewhere else. The openness and readily acceptance really makes the United Stated attractive for many immigrants. However, to make a home is more complex than to handle a question like this.

Finally I came to Singapore. I thought I should be quite at home. 72% Singaporeans are Chinese. But my non-Singalish English often betrays me. Even if I speak Chinese, the locals have different tone and dialects from standard Mandarin. I finally married a Singaporean and took up the citizenship. That doesn't stop me being asked "Where are you coming from?" Quite annoying sometimes, I feel that I may be never at "home" after all.

The moment of....

It is privilege to have:


....the moment of discipling...

....the moment of trying...

....the moment of learning...

....the moment of craziness...

....the moment of feeling grown up...

....the moment of proud...
These are but moments of whole mothers' experience.

Exams

My children have finished their exams, it is now my turn. After more than ten years, exam is a rather alienated idea to me. I have witnessed many university students strenuous effects for their exams and also it remains one of most important part valuation system in education system. Whether the exam result really reflect the student's ability is out of the question. What matters today is the exam result is even more important for students in achieving their social mobility.

Anyway, it will be an interesting area for sociologists. Meanwhile, I just finished two papers, not too bad, the preparation for exams is also learning, sometimes more than lecturing.

We are going to have a full month holiday. We are looking forward to having a wonderful time.

Durkheim- the functions of crime- in relation of children development

Emile Durkheim, in his famous "the rules of sociological method", raised an interesting point of crime. He thinks that crime, though undesirable, but a very normal social fact. No society can free from crime, even in a society of saints, " a perfect cloister of exemplary individuals. Crimes, properly so called, will there be unknown; but faults which appear venial to the laymen will create there the same scandal that the ordinary offense does in ordinary consciousness. If, then, this society has the power to judge and punish, it will define these acts as criminal and will treat them as such." Therefore,crime is not only normal, but inevitable. The degree of crime may be various from time to time, but the form of crime will exist in all society.

He further on states, crime is even useful. It can help us to construct and maintain cultural and social boundary, by affirming certain values and norms; it promotes the social unity and encourages social change. As our society develops, the collective human consciousness also develops, the definition of certain crimes may changes, this is part of social changing.

Durkheim says "For the same reason, the perfect and upright man judges his smallest failings with a severity that the majority reserve for acts more truly in the nature of an offense. "..."Indeed, it is no longer possible today to dispute the fact that law and morality vary from one social type to the next, nor that they change within the same type if conditions of life are modified." crime, as one of deviants, makes these transformations possible, the collective sentiments at the basis of morality must not be hostile to such changes.

The better a structure is articulate, the more it offers a healthy resistance to all modification. Therefore, the law to define and punish the acts of crime, helps to maintain fundamental basis of morality.

If I would apply above theoretical framework into child discipline, I am truly enlightened. I was quite discouraged when constant effort of discipline failed. That made me have some questions in method of discipline and attitude of myself. Often times, though the intention and method of discipline are right, it cannot achieve desired efforts without proper attitude.

Durkheim's crime theory leads me to see that for children, mischiefs is normal state of a social fact; it is inevitable and it is even useful. For me, the legislator of law and morality should provide better structured and balanced "home social environment" in order to promote and to maintain the "social/home" cultural boundary; to help the "member of society/my children" to develop the collective consciousness and to encourage "social changes/ children maturing". The next time, I will not be so discouraged, rather to be positively mindful in how I could better articulate the "social structure" at our home. I certainly need GOD's wisdom and gracious help.

See, that is why I said that sociological study is so fascinating.

However, I am reminded that besides all the reasons Durkheim has elaborated, the fundamental reason for crime existed is the nature of human being, the sinful nature. Therefore, in his allknowing wisdom, GOD has known that the falling of human race, the paths of social development and the end of human society. "Except be ye born again" and this hope is only in the Lord Jesus Christ.

The Simply Joy

If you are, like me, a busy mother, you need to have some of these simply joys:

• To watch children wild, happy play,


• To hug your children, let their small arms circle your neck


• To kiss your children, and tell them “I love you”


• To catch every minute extra sleep


• To read a good book whenever you are free and replenish them often


• To go window shopping but don’t bring your children


• To tip toe to the kitchen, after your children are in bed, and share a cup of ice cream with your husband


• To drive on the road, with green, tall trees shadowing on both side, listen some classic and let your mind fly


• To sip coffee at your favorite coffee shop, with one book on hand; or just make a cup of coffee, have a tea party with your children


• To go for a spa and massage

I am treasuring and enjoying each and every moment of these simply joys whenever I can, though not often, I am thankful that I can "make" time for these "joys". The simply joy is for you to catch, it could be a petal of a flower, or singing of a bird, a gentle breeze or drizzling rain.... Whatever they are, if you are willing, you can find them.

May God open your heart and mind to touch them and let these simply joys in return make your life beautiful.

The Blogging World

No one can deny that we are heading a blogging world.

My first blog was born on May 2007. Within a short span of three months, half of my family have joined me in this blogging world.

My son has his own blog "Little Robin Hood" where he writes about what happened in his school, his hero and any things he is interested in; His Chinese is not so good, therefore, he only writes in English;

My daughter is more advanced in language, and more ambitious too, she signed up for two blogs, one in English "my world" and one in Chinese“我的七彩世界”.

My husband, though he has his own website www.truth.sg, but still cannot resist the blogging temptation, soon he opens up his blog called "Truth shall set you free"

Not to mention about me, I have maintain two set of blogs in two languages with diverse interests and topics:

My English personal one is this blog
My Chinese version
Women Issue blog "Full Time Mothers"
Online Knowledge and affiliate Marketing blog
Children stories and poems online collections

So I am really becoming a professional blogger.

Then one day, when I was busy updating my blogs, my yet to be three years old son came to me, handed me a piece of paper with some his scrabbles.

"Isn't it nice? Mom?" He asks

"Oh, yes, it is nice" I relied half hearted without looking
"Can you put it on my blog?" he requested
"oh?" I was really shocked indeed.

I am “superman” s mum

How would you like to be a “Superman” s mum?
Last Friday, my husband and I had to go for a meeting. Since it was Friday, I told my children that they could watch a video after dinner. “Superman Return” was one they picked up. By the time we came back, the movie had not finished yet, we joined them to see the last part of movie that how Superman fell from the sky and was hospitalized. When it seemed no medical helps could revival Superman, the kiss from Lois Lane worked wonder. My son commended, “Superman is like sleeping beauty.”
After movie, I prepared children for bed. The boys were still discussing the movie excitingly, next moment, our youngest son appeared, carried by his big brother, he called out “I am Superman Return”

With great exciting again, Stephen flied around in and out. Finally, I had to call for peace, “All head to bed”. My “Superman” fell from “sky” landed on my bed, with eyes closed. Oh Oh, “He is waiting Lois Lane to kiss him” My husband laughed. “Good night “ I told my “Superman” “Lois may come tomorrow”