Travel Log 1.1

14/12/04 Tuesday : Shen Zhen - Humen

Touched down in Shen Zhen Bao An Airport on SQ flight with Wilk and two of our friends (henceforth, "the girls") around 2.30pm. Practically uneventful for the rest of the day after my dad picked us up in his battle-scarred MPV. Point to note is how dad has learnt to drive just like the locals, with no regards to lanes and no inclination to signal. It was quite nerve-wreaking being a front seat passenger. As usual, meals were hearty affairs that cost next to nothing considering the exchange rate of S$1 to nearly RMB 5. Wilk and I were pretty used to it by now but it was an eye opener for the girls to have a whole spread of fresh Japanese fare (Ooo more sashimi please!) for a mere pittance.

Settled into the parental slick, if slightly unfurnished, new 25th floor penthouse. Yes, relatively cheap housing too. Ok, so I was fairly impress with the new pad, but service from the locals I was not. It was pretty ridiculous when you have the money to spend and yet the people who do the renovations, deliver the furniture and plant the garden were pretty darn incompetent (kept bringing the wrong stuff, never bring the equipment they need for gardening and sat around drinking coffee instead). By the time we left, the gardeners (all 4 of them) still have not completed planting in a garden the size of two bedrooms of a 5-room flat and they have started almost 2 weeks before I even got there.

15/12/04 Wednesday : Humen

Brought the girls to see the local wet market (roasted dogs!!) and found it rather toned down compared to 2 years ago where there were stalls selling assorted wildlife such as raccoons, cats etc. Guess after the SARS and bird flu epidemic, the authorities have been really clamping down hard on exotic wildlife cuisine. Now all that is left are a couple stalls selling various reptiles like king cobras and bullfrogs. Still it was an eye-opener for city folks like us to see snakes being skinned alive and �drowned� in alcohol to make medicinal wine. Not to mention the abundance of live fishes swimming in numerous pools, ranging from huge eels to octopuses and all forms of clams and crustaceans. Only poor people would buy seafood that was dead and often, the seafood we get on the dinner table were most certainly alive minutes before they were put into the wok.

Afternoon spent bring the girls to the ONLY local tourist attraction, the Lin Ze Xu Museum. (RMB10). For those who have no inkling of Chinese history, that�s the guy who burned down all the opium (more like flood actually, than burned) which propelled the Opium War. That�s probably my 3rd visit there and frankly, it was pretty boring and the exhibits were limited and not well maintained. After dinner at home, we went prawn fishing (1st hr RMB38, 2nd hr RMB33) at the local �prawn pool�. If we were expecting a nice outdoor pond with balmy sea breezes, we were sadly mistaken. The �prawn pool� was just as the title suggested, a pool (which is not very big in the first place) filled with prawns housed within one of the shop houses along the main road. Not much to look at, but we were able to bring our own beer and peanuts, which we proceeded to ignore, being so intent watching our fishing lines. It may not sound like much, but I think the joy was in actually getting a prawn on the hook (using liver and prawn meat as bait). Once that happened, we stayed the whole 2 hours. By the end of the day, we took home around 1jin (kg?) of prawns of various sizes. Not too bad to the end of day 2 for a couple of city slackers who never even fished before.

The Quest...

My wedding notebook (you know, the one filled with secret information which does not make sense to anyone else but me?) is aptly named "The quest for Enlightenment". It was a hand-made 'one of a kind' (and made with love, so said on the introduction page inside) journal made from a recycled indian "philosophy" book i bought originally for the SO. The cover is still intact but the inside pages has been taken out and now it is ring-bound with blank journal paper.

SO didn't quite like it. I thought it was a laugh... so guess that's why i am using it now for the wedding notebook.

I think the heading just said it all, esp in light of our endeavours in this whole fiasco of wedding preparations. I must say that not all quests will bear fruit.

Let's hope this one will...

Hectic Holidays

Well, we are back, in one piece... more or less.
Let's just said that China has been extremely kind to us, gastronomically and financially. And not to forget, the graciousness and generousity of my parents to our friends while we were there.

hmMmm.. starting to sound like a thank you/acceptance speech thingy...

In any case, WILL post up trip details once i have my travel diary with me.

Summary as follows:
12 days
Humen, Guangzhou, Guilin, Yangshuo, Macau, Shantou
Eating,
Walking,
Cycling,
Cruising,
Drinking Coffee
&
Playing bridge.

But, it is actually more fun than that.
So stay tune...

Let's get jiggy with it!

To the tunes of Xmas Jingles!!!

*cough*
*hiccup*

*headache*

Can't wait to leave the country already...

Half-fucked face

One of the more hurtful things i uttered yesterday.

It came suddenly...
"Why don't you put your half-fucked face on it instead?"

Actually what i really wanted to say was...
"why do you have to put my half-fucked face on it?"

I guess i really meant to hurt someone else when the only thing i am really upset with is myself.
Lashing out at others is an easy way to cover up one's unhappiness of oneself.

I have a Jambu Tree...

Actually, make that two.

One tree resided in my garden where it has been planted directly into the ground while the other was planted into a flowerpot outside my gate. They are both huge and yet strangely, while during certain period of the year, the one outside my house continued to flower and bear fruits, in fact absolutely laden with them upon occasions while the one inside the house never did, despite being planted into the soil of the garden.

Then one particularly stormy night, the flowerpot outside my house was blown over. I realized that the reason the jambu tree outside was bearing so much fruit was that the roots has grown out of the pot and into the soil beneath the pot. But due to the storm and the weight of the pot toppling over, the thickest root, the size of my arm, was severed from the rest of the plant. Though we put the pot upright again, from then on, the tree withered and lost all it's leaves within a week. A gardener was employed to replant it directly into the soil outside my house when we noticed that part of the brunches, after a month or so, sprouted tiny leaves. After a few months, the leaves started coming back slowly but the tree itself remained rather 'crippled'. I doubt we will ever get jambus again.

This morning, my maid placed on the dining table, five big bright pink jambus. A miracle of sorts. Though not from the 'crippled' tree. Rather, the dormant tree in the garden had rather quietly flowered and bore fruits for the very first time. Just 5 and nothing more. But it was 5 perfect looking jambus.

Perhaps when given time, the tree outside will flower again.

Somethings i have learnt from my two jambu trees:
1) Things does not always remain good
2) When adversity happen, it does not mean we stop trying.
3) Like all things, it takes time for one's effort to bear fruit.
4) Just because someone else presented results first, you are not necessary out of the running.
5) Miracles can take time too.
6) Life will find a way.

4949

Had a little 4D adventure just a week ago. Though i hardly ever buy 4D (toto still occasionally, especially during birthdays *heh heh*), decided to ask SO to go buy the number 4949 after two particular incidents we witnessed where a dog was ran over along the ECP. In fact one dog was ran over just a few cars before mine and was still kicking its legs when we drove by. SO called the traffic police and we weren't sure what happened after that. In any case, we didn't really stop to think about it till 2 days later, we saw a dead dog on the ECP again. It was a chance remark about what a unfortunate coincidence and luck when the number 4949 (twice si-4 kou-9) came to mind.

On the day of the draw, the number which came up closest to ours was 4749 which sort of made sense if you think about it (si qi-as in last breath, since one dog was still alive the last we saw it)...

Surreal.

Not about the numbers and the dogs.
But the fact that people can see meaning in random numbers or try to give meaning to them. In any case, i am not sure i would feel good if we did win some money. Seems abit... wrong somehow. Perhaps i ought to stick to buying quickpicks from toto instead.

Singapore Idle

Finally watched an episode of Singapore Idols on Thursday because i was 'dateless' for the evening. Yes, blame the SO for going off to cambodia with a bervy of young chicks... And it was also his fault that i did one of the most meaningless things in my life...

I SMS in to 43657 and voted for Taufik.
Only because 1) I was bored 2)the other GUY really sucked big time.

*awkward silence*


Anyway, back to the monotonous scheduled drivel of yours truly...

Realization No. 60

A perfect day can have imperfections too.

Cat on probation...

At least for the time being for showing examplary behaviour for the past 2 days. Shall monitor his progress before lifting his punishment totally and take him off the 'naughty list'.

Which i guess will be soon, seeing how good he is at getting back into my good books.
*roll eyes*

Between Cambodia and Australia...

I've just lost two of my consistent 'entertainment' in my private and work life...

*sniff*sniff*

I wish i am overseas too!

Dream a lil dream

Was startle into a 'deeper' sense of consciousness when in my dream, i suddenly remember that i have to prepare for my history exams. History? Good lord, i haven't studied history since i was sec. 2! Still, whoever said that dreams had to make sense? Anyway, i was flipping pages and pages of thick history textbooks and making notes with my highlighter when i mentally evaluated my 'progress' on history and other various subjects which i then remembered the exams were due in 2 weeks time.

It was a panicky sort of feeling but i think overall i felt in control because i though i was adequately prepared (i.e. i don't think i will fail) for the subjects. That is until i realized that i have done nothing for my maths paper. (Maths? What the heck was i doing maths for?) Then it was a mad scrambling for old textbooks, notes, lecture notes, exercises, piles of assessment books and model answers. On first glance i already knew i have no freaking idea how to do cosine of anything to anything or remember what's the formula for a triangle (is it a2 + b2 = sqrtC. Argh! I was freaking out but not quite knocked-out yet. From the top of my head, i was wondering if i could get tuition at the last minute from the teacher or friend and even planning which topics i ought to concentrate on (draw graphs on planes or something like that and NO trigonometry!).

So i would say i am still pretty in control (hmmm keyword?) though hopping on one foot when the better part of me (left brain probably, or right, or hind or whatever) stopped to ask...

"So what exactly is the paper i am cramming for. Was it C Maths, O-levels? Waitaminute... I finished my O-levels! And my As (okie, so i didn't do that well, but goddamnit, i completed that blasted C maths paper!). University? What the heck! I didn't even do maths in uni. And this ain't no psych stats paper either."

The more the thoughts rambled on, the more excited i became...

"Hang on... i finished my As, my university. I got my bachelor's degree. GEEZ! I even got my Masters already! (EUREKA!!!! - you could literally hear my brain blew a fuse just then) I DON"T NEED TO PREPARE FOR NO MATHS PAPER!!!!!! WOOHOOOOOOO!"

Well, that was probably when i realized i MUST be dreaming and need to wake up.
Besides, i think my phone just rang... *heh*

Off to Siam Reap

No.. not me.
HIM!

Sigh. So fun.
Wish i can bring a whole bunch of pesky, overprotected sec. sch girls on a overseas trip to a 3rd world country for 6 days after fending of defensive and protective parents too.

Some people have all the luck.

I am a part of the UN!!!

It tickled me to no ends when i surf on the web this morning and found that "Aurorin" is one of the nation member of this internet united nations under the umbrella name "Ztorque" (HmMm i don't know, sounds pretty much like a new model of sports car).

Apparent it is named The Commonwealth of Aurorin (WOoHoo! I am rich, rich, RICH!). With a really cool looking flag/crest/totem(?!?) that sorts of look like a desolute planet with a funky blue spike for a hair do (or perhaps a inverted ice cream cone, or mabbe not-so-coolly, like a missile emitting from the moon).

I am under the UN Category of Inoffensive Centrist Democracy (whatda??!?)with good civil rights track record, reasonable economy (wo0oHoo) and below average political freedom (yaY for ruling party!!). I even have my own motto - "Triumph is eternal" (that's right baby! and national animal (atomic superman?!)..

*heh heh heh*.

Being alone

I am in the enviable position where i get to live alone, with all the amenities and comfort of staying with the family (big room, live-in maid who cooks, do the laundry etc) and no nagging parents/siblings to content with. No one to ask me what time i am going to be home. No one to fight over the remote and internet phoneline with. All the peace and quiet i want, with no rent to pay.

Yet, too quiet, i'd say.

More than once the SO has mentioned that to me but i am quite used to it, really. I have my tv and my cat. What more would i need? And SO's company whenever he could come over (which is pretty much 80% of the week). I really don't think after we get married, much will change.

Except perhaps, we should really find a place of our own, to call our own.
Where there's a sense of belonging.

Not transcient migrants living a life beyond our boundaries.

Soon i think, though situation demands that statues quo remain as it is. As least for the time being.

Solitary confinement

The cat has been kept in solitary confinement for doing something naughty.
Really REALLY naughty.
So he has been looking mightily guilty and contrite in the past two days.
Not a peep out of him either.
Will let him stew in guilt for a while before cuddling him again.

Has been in self-imposed solitary confinement too.
Guess that virus which plagued me has not fully been eradicated because i am sick.
Again.
It is always the same problem.
Nose blocked.
Throwing up.
Feverish.
Sore throat.
SO seems to think it is stress related.
Perhaps it is but then i only got sick after i confirmed the 'venue'.

Strange.

I decided to control myself a little bit and not talk too much about the upcoming 'event' next nov *argh. the wedding damnit*

Don't want to have to rename the blog - "The marrying psychologist".

But who knows.
I may become indulgent later on.

Yoghurt and Tuna

For the past two weeks, i have been eating tuna/cheese with softmeal bread, cherry tomatos and a cup of yoghurt with nata de coco for lunch. The yoghurt, especially, is strangely addictive, considerating that i never liked yoghurt much in the first place. In any case, this rather boring combination for lunch every day has been quite good because a) it is cheap (in the long run), and b) it is healthy. However, i doubt i can continue this for long because everyone needs some variety in life, even boring people like me.

So, i decided to have yoghurt with mixed fruit from now on instead.

Salsa!!

Having the second session of salsa tonight. Quite enjoyable though if you asked me, i would still rather prefer the edible kind... HmMMmm with nachos and cheese... yum!
As usual, there was way too many women sharing the pathetic number of men in the class. Whatmore (and that's not being overly cocky), most of the women danced far better than the men. Case in point, one of the guys actually 'danced' by remembering the steps by linking it to military marching commands. Wouldn't that be nice to see on a National day parade? A contingent of soldiers doing the salsa *oops* sorry, march pass the President on TV.

As for me, i don't think i have the flair and aptitude to do good salsa though rhythm i get, steps i remember. Still, a sight far better than 'forward 2 3 4, backward 6 7 8, Kekakan Puseng!' (at least that's what i thought he said).

Deja vu... well, thereabouts

It's a trifle bit disconcerting to be typing in your own blog and the first other website you surf had the name of your blog, as a title to their blog.

Not that there's any relation.
Just something that jumps out once in a while.
I guess in this instance it must be only me (darn! the voices in my head!) who even find the name Madness Monologues vaguely familiar.

3 year-old husky male to give away

Found this friendly and affectionate husky named wiggy at the pet shop near where i worked yesterday whose owner wanted to give him away. Originally the owner wanted to put him to sleep because they are moving to a condo and wiggy needs a compound to roam in.

So anyone interested please let me know?
Preferably someone who has an outdoor area and no other big-sized male dog. Wiggy is quite territorial but is very good with smaller dogs (saw him playing with pet shop's jack russell) and also cats. Doesn't bite but may want to intimidate larger dogs (male ego thing).

Really very very cute. Would love to have him if i don't already have a possessive Rottweiler!

It is Official!

Half my stress burden is gone!!!!!
Well, in terms of work and reports that is.
And i am now free!
Free as a bird!
FREE!

.. to perhaps concentrate on the other half of my stress burden.

Can i elope? Please?

Am bl**dy confused with all this supposably essential wedding prep and it is driving me (& him) quite nuts.

So.

Anyone been to a wedding at beaufort before?
Nice or not?
No one seems to be answering that question for me at the *god help me* *whisper* bridal forum *gasp gasp*...

This is nuts.
Couples shouldn't be ALLOWED to go through all this madness just to be together.
It should be outlawed!

And did i mention the issue about parents and number of guests and bridal gown and videographers and photographers and whatnots and whatnotsnots? I am probably just in denial, unwilling to confront the *cough* issues and who can blame me? I blame the accursed society who invented the whole wedding fiasco and brain-washing everyone (esp parents) on what needs to be done, should be done, have to be done.

Seriously, can i elope?

It is nice for friends to offer to help but frankly, if only i know what i need help in. They should come up with a wedding/marriage manual, to be taught right from the time i was borned.

But i think it's only me. Everyone else seems to be enjoying the preparation. Would you believe that brides in 2006 have already started? And those in 2005 already got their wedding venues? What's this? A society of super women whose major is logistic exist in singapore? Why wasn't i a part of this superior race? Instead people look at me funny because i don't have a actual day planned, a bridal salon lined up, a photographer on hold for the photo shoot and a videographer standing by.

I feel inadequate.
That shouldn't be allowed too. *snort*

So i am trying and trying to get it together with his help. And it seems like our dream of what our wedding will be like gets further and further away from us as we jump into the whole wedding prep loop, along with the other rats. The worse thing is, i am not sure i like morphing into this "get-a-whole-wedding-coordinated" super woman-freak and pulling him along with me.

But i AM stressed not having anything done. And it is going to be Nov soon! And the wedding is Nov 05! See? I can't believe i am saying that and freaking out when i still have a year! But that's typical! That's life! That's Singapore! (see how excited i am?! Count the exclamation marks!!!!!!)

*take deep breath*
Seriously... Why shouldn't i elope?

Lists

Things i do to keep myself sane:

1) Play with the cat

2) Drive to nearest petrol kiosk in the middle of the night and devour a large packet of ruffles potato chips (original)

3) Impulse-shopping at the very same petrol kiosk. Include items like 1 tub of b&j ice cream (which would be promptly forgotten and left in the freezer till its time to be defrosted), 2 cans of tuna, 2 tubes of cling wrap (shrug), cherry tomatos, one vegetable puff which i originally thought was tuna, 1 box of tic-tacs, aluminium foil (add to the two which i already had at home, in preparation of a bbq that would never materialize) and car seat leather cleaner.

Perhaps i really ought to have said, things i do to keep myself in-sane...

Let me start again,
1) Play with the cat (this time sleep on his tummy till he whimpers and surrenders)
2) Stare vacantly at the sliding door while leaving the tv on and clutching a book
3) Allow my other self to talk and scare the weebie jeebies out of him
4) Act on impulse and drive to Bt Panjang to pick up someone for supper across the island in the middle of the night
5) Bite my bolster. Hard.
6) Make crazy faces behind people's backs at work
7) Entertain colleagues by acting strange during dinners
8) Refusing to blog

That said, perhaps i am getting better.

9) Watch tv till 3am in the morning. On a school night.
10) Ignore deadlines and in a moment of hyperactivity, finished my reports
11) Bite my pillow.
12) Act pre-menstrual.

I could BE pre-menstrual.

13) Entertain erractive thoughts.
14) Teach the cat to salsa.
15) Drink tea, A LOT.
16) Make faces at the mirror.
17) Pretend i don't have friends then proceed to go out with as many people as i can find.
18) Eat sushi, A LOT too.
19) Fantasize about ramens.
20) Pretend to be a human sausage roll.

Whatever works.

Not having your choice...

Last night, me and him had dinner at the food court at Bugis Junction after our appointment with the consultant from Shangri-la. Nothing very eventful but... i am really dying to have some ramen. Along the way to Bugis, something got into my head that i would like to have ramen and i guess the idea stuck. He was okie with it, but once we got there, he mentioned eating at the food court instead. I guess i ought to have insisted to have ramen but decided that i wasn't going to 'be difficult' since it was only food. When i was at the food court, i couldn't really decide what i wanted because there wasn't really anything that i wanted from there at all. Still, i had to make a choice and picked yong tau hu. Throughout dinner, while eating yong tau hu, i kept thinking about ramen.

Hot soupy ramen.

Yong tau hu never tasted worse but it 'felt' even more miserable because i could actually be eating ramen instead. In the end, i finished my yong tau hu, a most unsatisfying meal. So much so that i impulsively went to buy an old chang kee curry puff to try and meet that need for satisfaction, despite the fact that i was having a sorethroat. As it turned out, i couldn't even finish the curry puff (though it tasted better) and now my throat seems to be worse.

Not a very interesting story but... while chewing my curry puff a rather interesting analogy came to mind. I realized how much marriage can be like that if we don't follow our hearts when choosing a partner. I could marry someone I never really wanted (i.e. Mr Yong Tau Hu) and have a really miserable marriage because i would keep thinking of Mr Ramen. And to satisfy my needs, started to have an affair with Mr Curry Puff but lived to regret it later, leaving me to wish that I had insisted on marrying Mr Ramen in the first place.

So the moral of the story, if you could call it that is... If i have insisted on what i really wanted instead of going along with what others' wanted, i would not be sitting here typing this, while nursing a sorethroat. But then, thankfully i have defintely picked the right guy for marriage.I just need to work on the choosing where to eat bit. *grins*

Life can't just be time punctuated by events.

Away and back again...

Penang had nice food...
It's a pity that i didn't get to taste it.

Really wanted a break but i think i need a break to recuperate from the break. I guess i should have known it wasn't going to be a typical 'break' when i am travelling with, on one hand, him (aka the SO) and on the other, my mother. Actually, it wasn't too bad since they hit off pretty well but everything else was horrid. For me, at least.

First off, the flight was supposed to take off at 6.15pm but after spending 2 hours on the plane ON the runway, it had to taxi back to the holding area for us to change to another flight due to some problems. But like my optimistic mom said, "Better for plane to spoil while on the ground than up in the air". Finally reached Penang and checked into the hotel around midnight, starving because we only had sandwiches served while we waited on the runway. The hotel was way below expectation, the only consolation being the showerhead works and so did the TV. Woke up next morning feeling pretty sick and had slight fever. Ate medication but may have an allergic reaction to it (it was that or the prawns from lunch) because by 2pm my eye puffed up and i turned red. Good thing i had my kebaya measurements taken in early morning when i was still feeling pretty okie by mom's friend who is a well-known kebaya tailor in penang. Very pretty nonya kebayas that were fully hand-embroidered and took 2 weeks to make.

By afternoon, stopped medication and took just panadol instead. Took a 1 1/2 hour car ride to Alor Star to attend her friend's in-laws' 50th wedding anniversary. Spent the car ride sleeping and woke up giddy. Dinner was a lavish 80 tables affair with possibly the whole chinese community from kedah attending. Couldn't eat much because threw up after the 3rd dish was served. It was an nostalgic 80s experience, full of getai singers and cheesy dancers in hot mini shorts blasting their lungs out singing chinese, cantonese, hokkien and the occasional techno britney-spears' not-so-latest hits. The SO was properly impressed and intrigued, being new to this type of ostentatious "village" affair but for me, it was nice to be a good ole malaysian girl again, if only i was healthy enough to enjoy it. Pity... heard the food was really good too.

Next day didn't fare much better though the fever subsided but couldn't eat much still. Watched the SO and mom wolf down penang laksa, popiah, dimsum, char kuey tiao, ice kachang, goreng yam/sweet potato/green bean cakes, lao ba, etc etc WOULD have been painful, if i was less dazed and nauseous. Managed to exert some energy when i visited the bridal tailor introduced by an old friend. Very nice workmanship and design. Had to keep mentally alert while there but brain collapsed once i came out again. The SO predicted correctly that i would do exact just that. I knew there was a reason why i am going to marry him... hmmm...

Bought tons of tau sar piah and beh teh soh, famous local produces from penang. Attempted a little bit of sight-seeing but body not really into it, so did not register much. The SO took a bit of pictures though, but i have a feeling most of it would be food related. Wish i could remember more. Ah well. Gave up by late afternoon and took the earlier flight back to Singapore, feeling like i shouldn't have left at all.

Didn't i say i needed a break?

Happy Children's Day and I'm off to...

Penang!!
WOohOoo..

I am always so thankful for all the lil 'extra' holidays we get working in a school... like youth day, teacher's day, children's day. So lucky me... a long weekend ahead and i am off to penang tomorrow with my mom and dearest mm to attend a dinner and just chill out.

Have tons of work still left piling... oh well.. what the heck... i need a break.

Methods

I never really thought of blogging this down but it might help me as time goes along...

One of my greatest challenges at work is trying to convince parents and even some teachers that the methods of intervention we propose for our student with autism is the 'appropriate' or even most 'suitable' one. For the longest time, i myself didnt have much clarity on what exactly is the right intervention methods, being new to the job. My basic training back in university when working with children with autism is using the ABA methods, and for the longest time, it was the prevailing method of choice in terms of intervention. But when i started working, i realized that there are a lot of alternative methods as well as 'treatments' out there for the autistic population.

Autism is a tricky diagnosis. No one really knows where it comes from exactly... which genes... which triggers.. even how it affects each individual is different on the autistic spectrum. I guess ABA has the longest history in terms of working with children with autism, stretching all the way back to the time of Lovaas, and the method itself has been evolving as well. Then there is also sensory integration methods, sound therapy, cranial therapy, floorplay, drugs/diet therapy, even acupuncture which is now readily avaliable out there which promises a 'cure'. Then of course, there's TEACCH, the structured teaching program started 40 years ago in North carolina which i went for training in recently. From all the parents that i had worked with in the last 3 1/2 years, different parents/caregivers and teachers have sworn by different methods which they felt work for their individual child.

I am really in no position to say which is the 'RIGHT' methods and at work, we could very well opt for an eclectic approach in our service delivery. However, from past experience, it didn't worked very well, mainly because to be truly effective in having an eclectic approach, i believe we have to be well-versed in the characteristic of autism as well as the various intervention philosophy and methods. If we don't have that, it would be confusing for the child and the one delivering the services.

Personally, i have a few core beliefs in what I can do for a child with autism. I believe in individualization because as i said, different child will have different autism profile. I also believe in utilizing their strengths (in visual learning) to facilitate learning in their weaker areas (auditory processing). And most importantly, i believe in helping the child to be independent. With all these in mind, i felt what's most comfortable for me is to use the structure teaching methods whose philosophy of how they view a child with autism coincide with mine. There is no conflict of interest and i can honestly see how, when applied individually to suit each child, i am creating meaning for the child in his environment.

It was rather amazing for me when i went to North Carolina and see how the methods can work for children with different abilities. Even more so, i am just so impressed by the respect the therapist from TEACCH have for the children stemming right from their philosophy that each child is an individual, hence WE have to take the initiative to go into their world to bring them out rather than attempting to mould them by force into ours like how i see some people attempt to do.

I guess it really bores down to what the therapist or caregiver believe in and ultimately, i do respect what the parents want for their child even though i may not be able to deliver what they want because of what i believe and i am trained in. I think the only thing i can promise is that i will deliver to the best of my abilities in the method which i believe in.

oh ya baby..

What Is Your Battle Cry?

Sprinting amidst the candy store, clutching gilded boxing gloves, cometh Aurorin! And she gives a cruel scream: "I'm seriously going to bruise you harder than God thought possible!!!"

Find out! Enter username: Are you a girl, or a guy ?

created by beatings : powered by monkeys

Sticky Stool

Not quite appropriate material for dinner conversation but somehow it is befitting that i honour the first time i scraped poo off a child's underpants with an entry.

Over the last 3 1/2 years at work, i had been bitten, scratched, punched, and kicked, on top of having to wipe drool, change diapers, and even mope up urine when a child 'shee shee' in my therapy room upon occasions. I guess that's part and parcel of work. Occasionally, the highlights as well because it made my work life quite interesting. A couple of times, the child also 'poo-pooed' but usually i just needed to bring the child back to the teacher or caregiver who will take care of the ermm.. 'problem'.

However, it didn't quite happen that way on monday morning when i brought a 4yr old to my therapy room. He was doing quite well in therapy until i suddenly realized that his pants 'looked' wet. I checked the mat, the chair and the carpet for the tell-tale puddle but didn't find any. Fearing the worse, i brought him back to the classroom only to find it empty and the rest of the class (plus teacher) is nowhere to be found.

In the end, i brought him to the toilet and took off his pants only to find a HUGE lump of stool stuck right to his underpants. It wasn't the runny sort nor the hard kind, it was sticky, similar to the constitunency of clay. Thank god i had a blocked nose and couldn't smell anything. By the time i took off his pants, there were stool on his underpants, legs and shoes. Luckily, most caregivers usually pack along an extra pants and underwear for such emergencies. So i left the dear boy who was quite oblivious to what's happening with another teacher who was there with her students at the toilet and ran to get his bag.

I showered him and changed his clothes before proceeding to try and ermm.. scrap the stool from his underpants and shoes before i wash them. The boy was quite happy by this time, after he was cleaned and dressed while i was busy trying not to think too much scrapping stool from his pants into the toilet. Then i washed the underpants, shorts and shoes while trying to keep the boy away from the sink where he was happily splashing water onto himself. These are the days when i wish i had an extra pair of hands because i had to almost stick out one leg to block him from the sink, while i scrubbed his pants with my hands. It took a bit of coordination but when i finally delivered the boy back to class, he was very happy and looked quite presentable.

Not quite the glamourous idea of what a psychologist do eh? Actually, all those pre-conceived notions i had before i started work are almost, if not all, demolished. But it is not too bad doing this... it only became quite sad when scrapping sticky poo off underpants was the best thing that happened to me on monday. Ah well... i always knew i much rather be with kids who is not toilet-trained than stuck in a meeting with adults who are busy trying to push away blame and responsibilities from themselves.

Swept away

It has been a while and truly quite swept away by... things.

Didn't quite managed to do what i had set out to do... and got a little stressed in the beginning (and stressing him out at the same time) trying to keep to the 'biblical' timeline of organizing the *cough* event for next year. Thankfully he has been wonderfully sane in contrast, a little laid back perhaps but i think it was a good balance. I think we finally hit on the right dynamics and pace *eureka!* Yes.. at least a person who can keep me grounded AND tolerate my special brand of anxiety.

Work hasn't been going quite the way i expected. Tons of curve balls thrown our way and if not for my colleagues, it would have been difficult to stay focused and sane. It was a nice break today when we had our children's day carnival. It was a massive party and we had free flow of candy floss, ice cream, pop corn, drinks, balloons sculptures, magic shows, bouncy castles, games stalls, motorized rides and so much, so much more... Some colleagues and I wore clown costumes sponsored by a costume shop and had our face painted for the carnival. They entertained the crowd while i was the emcee for the event. Most of the kids really liked the clowns though a few were quite frightened by our painted faces. The parents were tickled and we got quite a lot of request to have our photos taken.

We really had to thank the sponsors for coming up with the money and students from SMU for volunteering their time to do up the stalls and dress up as barney. We also had real clowns from the same costume shop who juggled and made balloons animals for the children. The kids had a wild time watching us and playing the games and jumping on the bouncy castles. It rained for a while and the castles were wet, but the kids didn't mind though. By the end of the event, we had a lot of muddy kids running around. In any case, it was really a great day and i had tons of fun (at the expense of losing my voice for shouting so much).

I guess life has a way of balancing out the good and the bad. Each day is a special brew that propels me to want more for the next day, heck the aching bones!

On why Sept 9 is special...

Conspiratory colleagues
Big aluminium box
Opened
Envelope
10 Fluttering Yellow Papers
"meow meow meow"
"Would you be with me "jiu jiu"?"
Smaller aluminium box
Opened
2 bags of scented dried flowers
White T-shirt "yeah! Cos mm love xmm"
Put on T-shirt
Parking lot
Him, tanned & sweating in grey-blue shirt
Blue bouquet of red-tinged roses
One Moshi Mushroom
A locked car
A blue gift box in white netting and blue ribbon sitting in driver's seat
Opened
A ring box tied with a blue-heart hair band
Put on hair band
Opened
A neo-print "mm & xmm" on blue background
A personally designed diamond ring

Could the answer be otherwise?



All i have to say is...
FINALLY... and... thank you...

How do you spell B U S Y?

Sometimes i wished that i didn't go off for training for 3 weeks and having work pile up on me like that. 3 weeks of overdue work and it HAS to be the semester where there are more assessments cases (reports reports reports), PLUS being the year where i had to be incharge of program for D&D, having my co-incharge being sick, AND conducting training sessions on what we had learnt in the US.

Tired & stress doesn't quite describe how i am feeling now. I even dream the night before that it was the first day of school in term 4 and i had forgotten about my assessment case for the day. I had having things overdue and over my head. Bad for my karma and temper. Didn't help that he went off for reservist now too. Sigh. I need a miracle!!!

Okie.

Ranting over and jobs still left to be completed. I am happy to have gone for training despite the work i had to do when i come back.

I guess i'll manage somehow...

The Young'uns

In the new term of school, we suddenly seems to have a influx of young (and pretty) therapists here. There's the two new OTs down the corridor, a very quiet SW and of course, our chatty new psych here in the office. There's a very nice and dynamic feel about the place and it sorts of energizes me. Looks like a good bunch to work with, on top of the other wonderful colleagues i have here whom i already work well with. Most of them are here on their first job and it is really refreshing to see them and of course, at times i do feel a tad (just a tad, mind you) bit... old. Like Angela said, in two years time, i wont be in my twenties anymore. But that's okie. The good thing about aging is, everyone has to go through it with you. *grins* So i am just going to wait on the otherside of the '30' door and wait for the rest to catch up... as always.

Competition...

It was probably 2 weeks ago (gosh, where has the time gone?) when me and him were at a dinner and one of the girls there openly flirted with him.. She was really pretty and had big sparkling eyes and a sweet friendly smile. I could tell she was quite smitten with him and when she sat next to him, she kept looking and smiling at him. On top of that, there was the constantly offering of food. It was quite evident where her attention lies. It was quite blatant and effective, since he had his eyes on her too.

I guess i should be infuriated with both of them. But then, how does one get upset with a absolutely adorable 18 month-old? Gosh. Before the evening was over, baby Joelle had the both of us eating out of the palm of her hand, just like how she did to her parents. A clearly devious little baby but Oh-so-adorable. Sigh...

Dinner & Dance 28th August 2004

Finally... ITS OVER!

Things went surprisingly well during the vintage-themed D&D, though a few hiccups here and there were expected. Practically spent the whole evening standing up and running around on those silly boots(ouch feet ouch). I really should take on less if i can help it. Besides doing the program, overseeing it, partial emcee for lucky draw and getting the acts together, there were also two competition items i was involved in. But i think it is really worth it since people seemed to really enjoyed the evening despite going quite overtime (whole thing ended at 11.30!). The most memorable event though, was getting on stage and getting the rainbow award alongside with a wonderful teacher. I know i probably doesn't quite deserve the staff award (for exceptional performance), especially when my companion is such a great teacher but it makes me feel quite proud nonetheless. Ah well. Seems like i cant really skive off now. *rueful smile* Thanks to all those people who actually bothered to nominate me. You guys sure you all know what you all are talking about? *heh heh*

And a final thanks to my dear mm for shooting the video for the whole night. Erm, it does seem that i appeared quite often on the video ... i wonder why. *grins*

Another silly quiz...

OoooOo.. blue.. my colour! ;D


! You are most Like A Sapphire !Dark, mysterious - but unforgettable. You have a
deepbeauty. Delicate, and shy you try to stay away from
thelimelight but often your intelligence puts you in
at thedeep end. You're like a Sapphire, because, your
beauty is priceless.You're intelligent, full of opinions, and not
big-headed about it all.Sometimes you need to put yourself out there, as
you can be a bit shy.Congratulations ... You're the mysterious gem
everybody wants to have and learn more about.

?? Which Precious Gem Are You ??
brought to you by

It is Wednesday and I...

- have two aching calves and a stiff right shoulder after last night's gym session *groan*
- just finished doing my program flow for saturday's d&d
- need to rest my eyes after staring at the computer for 2 hours *argh argh*
- am still pissed with P about happened yesterday at work
- wonder what should i wear for saturday
- miss walking in New York and the weather
- have too much things to do
- cannot remember what is it that i have forgotten
- have a craving for tao huey and you tiao
- suddenly wanted to see an old friend
- just had a msg that an ex-colleague just gave birth few minutes ago to a baby girl
- realized i shouldn't be so busy on a wednesday
- think perhaps i may not be that busy if i can take time to blog this
- really much rather be home sleeping in this rainy weather

So hard to get away...

Now that I am home... it is just so hard to get away. Plonked (hMmm plonked?!) right into work the very next day i arrived from US and activities has stopped since. Work has piled up higher and higher (as they often do... since they don't disappear just because YOU do) and there is also the added responsibilities once i am back from training. I guess one hurdle at a time, the first being yesterday's presentation to the director and principals. Nearly had a big major hiccup yesterday when my powerpoint presentation suddenly refused to be opened on monday night (suspect photo files too big... duh.. forgot to resize them) but thankfully, i managed to put one together yesterday morning (big thank you to angela for helping and no thanks for boss for telling me that my part was 'just for fun').

Ah well. As usual, more grouses against certain 'team-members' of this trip who purported told us to just give a oral presentation and not to prepare anything (still, the least i thought i could do is do a powerpoint but even that was deem too.. 'showy' at our last meeting last week) but she herself wrote a poem AND prepared projected notes for EVERYONE on the meeting. So much for "no need to do anything too dramatic". Duh.

Now... Better to concentrate on the D&D preparations. So much to coordinate but lucky for me, the other team members for this committee is really on the ball and helpful, and things are progressing smoothly. *cross fingers* :)

Wish that i could take a short break with him before he goes into reservist in early sept but looks like the next two weekends are burnt. Sighh.... sorry dear. Perhaps after that?

Ah.. back to work!

Rest of the photos...

Well... finally finish uploading and rearranging all the photos...
Phew.
There are tons of them in the last album though. :)

Here they are... Enjoy!

Home

Well... I am home after a tiring 18hrs flight from NYC. Had a really jetlaggy day before having to report in to work on wednesday. Work has already been hectic the minute i came back and i think i wont have much luxury to blog about my two days in NY though i will put up the photos soon.

NYC was fantastic and for the short time i had there, i really focused on what i wanted to do and i am pleased to say that there was no regrets whatsoever even though i did not get to see the statue of liberty and the world trade centre site. I visited the natural history museum and the Met, as well as spent luxurious saturday/sunday mornings in central park. I even caught a play at broadway on saturday night (Sly Fox) and had a nice walk down at greenich village for a late sunday brunch. I don't think i could ask for more than that with the time i had.

Spent most of the time on my own because the rest either had no idea what they wanted to do or rather leave earlier on sunday to go shopping near the airport. It seems like a waste of time to me because we were in NY for god sakes. But then, everyone have their priorities, even if it seems a little sad to me to sleep in early in NY on a saturday night instead of being down at times square soaking up the atmosphere. Ah well...

Okie. Back to work.

Day 1 in NYC

Wow...

seems like so many people was, is, will be in New York.
Cool.
Can't wait to get my butt there as well!
Just so pissed that i couldn't get leave from work (duh duh duh) to stay till end of next week.
Sigh.

Day 14

There is only so much one can squeeze into a day and today, it was so stuffed that i'm sure if today was a shirt, it would have burst it's buttons.

Did that make sense? :)

I was the 'hands-on' person today and worked on establishing an independent task through restructuring as well as structuring a new activity in a new environment. The child was one of the lower-level child they had and operated on a purely object-level transition object. He was pretty passive but such a handsome face. He was fantastic with the individual 'put-in' tasks and transit to areas well with some familiar objects. Initially the restructured task we had was a bit too unfamiliar for him (we changed too much component) but the second time we restructured it, he got it down pat the very first time! *HURRAH!* I was so proud of him and we all cheered (while silently la... because cannot disturb the other children doing their work too).

For the second activity, we had to structure the environment out so that he was able to put away his placemat and cup after he finished eating on his own. He has never done that. We tried to make the transition as smooth for him as possible, though he needed some prompts eventually, he did show greater understanding and was able to complete some steps on his own (e.g. putting the cups into the basket). And this was a child who had severe motor planning issues! It was also so funny to see his little face light up when i showed him the transition object (a cassette filled with some skittles) and he immediately knew he had to go to the snack area. Will definately implement some of this ideas with the kids in school who needs them.

The round up for today's session was a dinner at the sheraton's with the trainers and some adults with high functioning autism. Some of the adults (like last week) were just as independent and one even wrote a children story book and worked as a teaching assistant at the local school for autistic children. One of the guys at my table worked in a testing laboratory and told us an amazing story of how he met his girlfriend (who is also a high-functioning autistic adult) and how he felt when he was diagnosed at 19 after having a label of being intellectually disabled all his life. It was also touching how much 'emotions' he has for his girlfriend when all the while we had thought that ASD individuals are so 'emotionally-challenged'.

Of course, there were some social awkwardness such as poor grasp during handshake and poorer eye contact but it was so hard to tell that some has autism on the first or even second look! In particular, there was one guy who worked in accounts and had a graduate degree in geography, we talked about clean fuel, travels and he made jokes and was also very witty. In fact, i couldn't believe he was autistic and would have thought that he was just quite shy and reserved. Just like my sentiments last week at the adults supper club, if any of my kids can grow up to become like these unique individuals, i would be so.. SO happy.

This has been a truly enriching trip. I know i have been wanting to go home and all that (well, i still do), but i wouldn't regret coming here. In fact, if possible, i would like to come again, perhaps for the module 2 training. I guess we'll just have to see...

No photos today because all the 60 something photos on my computer for today are all tasks and activities designed for kids. Doubt anyone will be interested. :D

Day 13

Today's topic for training was communication. Our group had a good time observing the child and designing a specific task to help the child in directing her initiation to interact appropriately because though she had plenty of language, she was usually not using it very well to communicate with others. Hence she often has delayed echolalia or tends to label things around her. We observed that she did once or twice tried to initiate to interact with her peers but never did follow through with that effort and often she couldn't even request appropriately without some form of visual cues. It was a very good exercise in term of taking needful data (in this case, a communication sample) and coming up with a task that specifically aimed at targetting on the emerging skills (while incorporating the interest). It was wonderfully successful and it was great to see the smile on the little girl's face when she finally managed to get her intention across and see her engaging with others purposefully.

Okie... Hands up if no one understood all that.

*grins*
I had a great day and it was great because i felt like i did something good. It wasn't anything dramatic but it made a difference. And that made me feel like the king (hMm queen) of the world, and i did it with people whom i enjoyed working with (okie... not necessary colleagues *heh heh*). In fact the days were just so pack filled with activities that even though it was tiring, you hardly feel it there and then because you would be so busy! I enjoy the energy despite the fact that i need 3 cups of black coffee (i usually only have 1 back home but it is really diluted here *urgh*) to function in the morning. I also had a chance to eat lunch with the little girl we were working with today and it was just plain fun. She was a really sweet girl. Too bad, we couldn't take any pictures.

Dinner was with one of the singaporean phd student at UNC whom we knew long before and used to work in the hospital. He and his wife ate with us at Crook's Corner (aka hogs'head - just going by the deco infront of the place) and later brought us to UNC for a stroll while pointing out some of the buildings to us. The food was fantastic (mainly southern cruisine) and we were so stuffed that we had to be rolled out of the door. It was a relaxing dinner and no one talked about work *yay*! It was nice to walk around the campus in the evening and though it was pretty quiet (being summer holidays and all), we did saw a live band gig (jazz music) while some people gathered around the lawn to listen. It was peaceful and serene, there were also plenty of fireflies. Makes me wish i am back in school again, though not quite in UNC because the town is just way too quiet (aka ulu) for me.

I need a more vibrant atmosphere... which is perhaps why London worked really well for me, with it's nice blend of the old/quirky, peaceful parks and 'happening' events. Geez. I miss it already. I think i do feel a sense of belonging to an old city like that, where one can afford to be an individual and dip in and out of the current whenever one feels like it. In singapore, you tend to have to 'plug' into the system whether you like it or not. In melbourne and NC, it is the trouble of finding a place to 'plug in'. *chuckles*

But, sadly, i don't think i will have much chance of doing all that (i.e. study) back in london again. Guess, its just too expensive. I bet wilk miss it too (don't you dear?). *smiles* Well, maybe one day (I hear you say).

Right. Photos time!

I am pretty small...

in the general scheme of things...

Despite all my ranting and ravings, i do have a pretty 'easy' job, not quite your bomb specialist or nuclear physicist or A&E doctor. The things or people i come into contact with, some despite their disabilities, are still generally a cheerful, upbeat lot. Sure where i work, we have our difficulties and problems (geez, i even have a complain or two about a couple of people *heh heh*) but we are still in our little protected little circle.

I lead a good life. A mainly-wholesome one at that. I don't smoke or party/drink too much. I have regular friends (well, most of them i think, except for a couple of nutheads) and a mostly functional (than dysfunctional, though at times i do wonder about that) family. I have a dog and a cat. I have a car and a nice roof over my head. At the age of 28, i may not have many savings but i am not in debt of any kind. I don't overspend (hell, i don't even like to shop!) and knows my credit limit.

I have a great relationship with a caring guy whom i think i can share my life with, which i worked at for many years (and finally paid off). I don't come into contact with death or sadness as often as i think i do. I had my share of trials and suffered through my 'valleys of depressions' but there were always a helping hand even when i least expected it.

I don't hold big thoughts though sometimes i think i can. It is humbling when i meet people who has sacrificed and people who in my mind, are great people. Not so much by the materials that they have acquired but by the qualities and what they have given to others. And there are so many people like that. Like the therapist who had worked 27 years and has an interest in politics. Like the middle-age lady who is so proud to have held on to a job for 15 years despite being autistic. Like the guy who quit his high-paying job just to travel and volunteer.

So many of them.

And so, i am small. In my itsy bitsy way. Secure and snug at times.

This blog is my indulgent i know and i write about all these little things that mean so little in the bigger scheme of things. I know. I am aware of that. But i am aware too of other things. But just seldom 'self-less' enough to look beyond myself to put it down into words here.

I miss my cat...

I wonder how is ruski doing.
Did he try to jump out of the window again?
Did he over-eat?
Did he try to scratch my drawers?
Did anyone play with him?

sigh.

I also wonder how's sambar...
I hope he is doing okie.
Not sick or anything.
One of his eyes was quite red when i left, i wonder how is it now.
Geez.
Did he throw up while i was gone?

hmmmmmm....

Can someone help me go check? :(

Day 12

Long day, but short blog.
It was tiring but exhilarating, the training i mean. We got a chance to work with a child and learnt about informal assessment. Very enriching and we had to 'unlearn' some of our previously held concepts. But it was great, especially for the teachers. Dinner was macdonalds in the hotel room while we had a lively discussion. I think our thoughts are finally coming together and we are reaching the same platform. Finally! A breakthrough! Hallelujah!

So tired now but relieve and happy.
I think we are going to make it ladies and gentlemen despite my personal feelings for certain people. At least we are doing what we are doing for the same reasons. Sigh.

No pictures today because we are not suppose to take photos of the child.
Besides, i had no time. *grins*

I wonder how weather is like in singapore. Luckily hurricane alex just passed offshore (they name their hurricanes! the first one always starts with letter A and so on and so forth). But another one is coming in its wake. So happening meterologically (is this the right term?). Another long day tomorrow and another, and another. Then NEW YORK!

On elaine's loss...

You know.. i know how that is... and hard it is to get over losing something so precious despite the fact that it may be some inexpensive piece of costume jewellery. It is the significance it holds for oneself. This is exactly how i felt when i lost the very first necklace he put on me the day we left for london, at the beginning of the r/s. I never took the necklace off and it went everywhere.. i think it was the first gift he has ever given me as a couple and it IS special. So the day the necklace fell off without me noticing it, i was a wreck. Totally and completely. Especially when it was at a time when our r/s was rocky. I blamed myself over and over again. Despite the fact that afterwards he surfed the internet and got me a new one which was quite like the old one, it was not quite the same. The attachment just wasn't there anymore. No matter how much i tried and before long, the new necklace tarnished and i never felt like i needed it to be replaced... and i still missed the old one so.. So much...

I still have the other piece of jewellery of significance for me (my trinity ring) though the necklace will always have a special place in my heart because it was the first. But i have come to also realized that my attachment to the person, as objectified by the necklace, is still there and that too, never changed. I guess it is important too despite the loss, and that helped me move on.

Dear elaine, I don't know if it makes any sense.. but i really feel for your loss. *hugz*

Day 11

A new day starting with another round of new training conducting at the holiday inn hotel down the road. The training thus far reinforced all the previous knowledge i had from other conferences but there are fresh insights here and there. It was pretty helpful but i still think that the training at Wilmington was more helpful and indepth because of the smaller group where we can have more focus on what we lack. Now there are about 20 participants and they all came from various states with different background, so the information were slightly more general. Perhaps tomorrow, when we move into the classroom teaching where each group of 5 will have a real child to work with, it will be more interesting.

There was a clear distinction between the two schools today where we will sit in different groups for lunch and so on... but it is okie for me. The main thing now is now to make our school's program a better one. That IS a challenge and E and I are pretty geared up for it despite others' being patronizing about it and constantly tell us not to worry etc. We also heard from some parents during today's training and it is abit sad to find out what the struggles they go through and a little bit comforted for our parents back home that things are not necessary better over here compared to back home. The same issues such as financial support, lack of resources, waiting time, exist here just as well. So our parents aren't really in such a bad shape after after all.

After the training ended, we had a wine and cheese reception back at the sheraton's and we met Dr Gary M. who came to singapore before, as well as Kenneth who worked at KK the last time. We will also have a dinner reception on thursday where some adults with autism will join us. So that's the plan for the rest of the week before we fly off to New York on saturday. I wish it would be sooner so that i can go home! *grins* Ah well. Time for a bit of rest before the boss ask us all in to her room for a 'discussion' in an hour's time (by now, it is more like 'them' telling us what 'they' think needs to be done, rather than something of a reciprocal nature).

Had a glass of wine and feeling quite relax, so shan't try to fight with anyone.
Just chilling... heh heh heh

View photos : Pictures from day 9 - 11

PS: the discussions went okie with everyone having a turn to share. Y was quite quiet in general which was surprising but the P still pretty clueless. Ah...

Day 10

Had a relaxing day by myself and slept in for a bit (well, relatively if you consider sleeping till 9am as sleeping in). The others gathered in my 'previous' room (the twin bedded room i shared with E) for breakfast because that's where all our groceries were dumped before my boss went to check us into a smaller room with one single king sized bed. It wasn't too bad, as long as E or I don't snore or flop around, i think we'll managed. It even has a little balcony facing the pool where i can hang off clothes to dry. Mavellous. The only glitch was when my boss saw how 'nice' the room was, contemplated moving into that room instead with Y and D by getting in another roll-in bed. *sheesh* Some people just wants to have the better deal i guess. Thankfully no one really paid any attention.

Returned the car to the airport. E's friend was so kind to let me follow his car and then he drove me back to the hotel before both of them went off to do their own thing. The others wanted to wait for me in the hotel but then i thought, "what for?" since i am not sure if i wanted 'company'. Told them to go on ahead and do what they want while i returned the car. When i got back, relaxed abit by the pool, went for a swim, wrote wilk a postcard and ordered in room service (fantastic alfredo pasta and cheesecake $23 in all) while i watched The Sum of All Fears on cable. Hey, i could think of worse things to spend my time.

My 3 other colleagues arrived and herded off to explore shopping places (shakes head). I am perhaps the only oddball in the company. After i finished my food and movie, strolled out and hitch a free ride on the hotel shuttle to franklin street where i explored the campus of university of north carolina for 2 hours and hanged out at Ben&Jerry's for abit having a double scoops of dublin mudslide and choc chip cookie dough. YUmMmmy. And deliciously peaceful too. Without hawks preying on cheap bargains.

I know i sound terribly insolent. I really ought to be more mindful (what if any of them read this?!) but then, it is tough travelling with people not like-minded like yourself or share any similar interests. Worse still, treat you patronizingly as if you are a child and consider my main flaw to be my lack of humility. Being young does not mean i am ignorant or immature or not humble. Perhaps i am terribly ungracious because i don't really try to make myself "fit in" just for the sake of being 'normal'. Arrogant? Perhaps a tad bit but then i just don't feel like making myself liked by people whom i have no interest of. And the more i 'know' them, the least incline i am to try to do so. In a lot of ways, during normal conversations, i find myself not being understood by them because... their understanding of what interest me is so limited while i am just as uncomprehending of what's the best bargain on shoes and kiddie clothes.

Maybe, i am just too independent for these people and feel restricted in a lot of ways, which explains all these resentments but that's the way i am. I feel bound to a group which i do not enjoy being with or appreciate their so-called superior 'quality'. That irks me to some extent, hence trying as much as possible to keep aloof other than work purposes. I don't see why i ought to stay 'within' their boundaries just because we came here on the same 'mission'. So much for following group dynamics.

Won't up load any pictures today because it isn't worth the trouble lugging down my laptop when i have only got 38 pictures in my camera. Perhaps when i have more...

@$#(*&!

Bloody hotel disconnected me and made me lose my post!
FuCK!

I got arthur!

Nancy, one of our trainer at wilmington who enjoys talking about politics, came by the hotel yesterday and dropped off a book by arthur miller about the art of acting and politics. An interesting dissection of current politicians and the need to put on a persona during elections. She is just so nice and i really enjoyed learning from her and talking to her. She is such an interesting character and i think the trainers are really what made this whole trip worthwhile. Hopefully they will all come to singapore one day.

Day 9

The worse has happened...
Dumb hotel has not free internet access in their rooms!
*#$&@(*&

Oh well. The business centre do provide computers for the guests' use but then this ancient IBM doesn't support java so i can't even use my icq2go. Drats. I am so... so... SO not pleased. The rooms here are also smaller... and instead of twin beds, my boss is going to move me and E to a room with one king sized bed tomorrow to save cost. I guess if 3 of them is sharing the same sized room as us now, we shouldn't really be 'enjoying' ourselves by having more space. Especially since the other 3 girls arriving tomorrow will be in the same predicament. Yes. I truly see the point of everyone suffering together. It's all about be FAIR right? I'll bet my boss won't be moving rooms if we switched places. *close eyes* *groan*

Okie okie. I am just being grumpy. Shucks. Must be the afternoon sun.

Anyway, now i am in chapel hill, sheraton hotel after a hard day drive up from Wilmington. There was a couple of really heavy thunderstorms along the way which sort of reminded me of how it was when we drove in the snowstorm in scotland. The visibility was terrible and roads were slippery. Thank goodness i did not get anyone killed. Stopped halfway at smithfield so that others could go shopping at the carolina factory outlets. It was a whole stretch of outlets from GAP to levi. Okie. First up, I did not get anyone anything. So don't anyone bug me about not getting 'cheap' branded goods and what nots. It was hot and humid and i was already feeling damn pissed about it. I had to occupy myself 3 whole hours while others laden their hands with more and more purchases. Not my kind of day. In fact i was so bored, i slept in the car, in the HOT SUN (where else could i go? there wasn't any airconditioned sitting/waiting area!) for almost an hour. What a rotten experience.

Dragged myself out of the car to show a semblence of interest to keep people from gossiping about my already "anti-social" behaviour. Did go into Levis to try and get into the mood of things by trying on some jeans. Tough luck. Adult cut stopped short at size 6 which was still 1 size (at least) too big for me. And the juniors? They only had hipster/low cut jeans which i didn't like. Met Y and went off to fossils with her and got a couple of t-shirts for wilk and my brothers only because i felt like i ought to be a little more 'participative' (& the fact that they 'only' cost $9.99ea). I did eventually got a fossil leather wallet there for myself because i don't have one. So there you go. One wallet and 4 t-shirts. I am soooo... pathetic.

Weather (other when it was raining) was clear, with cornflower blue skies and brilliant sunshine. Along the way, i finally encountered my first roadkill (a raccoon, and i didn't do it) and for the first time, saw a herd of cows which was pretty unusual because unlike UK or aussie, there is hardly any livestock to be seen while driving along the roads. Maybe i am in the wrong state (ha! ha! ha!).

Arrived at chapel hill around 7pm (still bright!) only because we took about 4 hours to shop and 3 hours for driving. It is such a crazy day. And now i don't even get the internet in my room!! Shit. So no more uploading of photos for the time being. Not that it matters since it is really New York which i will take most personal photos. This place really don't have much to offer in terms of photo opportunities (especially since we will be stuck in training).

Had dinner at a chinese place called Charlies. Not fantastic but then you know how chinese food are in the small towns of america. I will be surprise if it was anywhere near decent. Ah well. E has a friend who flew in from oklahoma to see here and i have no idea where she is now or if she will even come back. HmMMmm.... Oh well, that means i will get the tv to myself then.

Returning the car tomorrow because it will be unnecessary for the coming week. The dumb thing is that i have to drive the car back to the Raleigh-Durham airport a couple of miles away because Thrifty doesn't operate a outlet here. After returning the car, will have to make our way back here from the airport. Sigh.

Can't wait to fly to new york next weekend!

Moving off...

Will be driving to chapel hill tomorrow after we finish packing up. It is about a 3 hours drive away but since some of the others wants to stop over at the factory outlets out at smithsfield along the way, the trip will take considerably longer time. I am SO not looking forward to it. Ah, well, i guess when in rome...

Will be staying at the sheraton's hotel in chapel hill and will keep the car till sunday. It seems we will not need the car during the training in chapel hill since it will be close by. I wonder if there will be free internet service. I sure hope so. Or else i will have to watch tv the whole night! *chuckles*

Day 8

End of Wilmington TEACCH training on PEP-R. It was a half-day training where we went through some social group ideas and had some questions and answers. We also presented everyone in the centre with gifts and the slideshow we did of them which we cut onto a CD. They were so tickled by all the photos and thought bubbles we created for them. After that, they brought us out to lunch at the Dockside which is next to the marina. The weather was great; nice and sunny and we really enjoyed chatting with everyone on any topics other than work. In fact politics was a hot topic at our table. It was a nice farewell, though i wasn't overly affected like some others in the group. Not that i am unfeeling, just that i am quite used to saying "goodbyes". I guess i am rational to a point of being heartless sometimes. Ah well. Only on business trips. :D

Later i drove the rest of my colleagues to the Dollar shop (well, self-explanatory isn't it?) down at Carolina Beach road. It is quite amazing how much everyone else trust me with driving and finding my way around now, so much so that no one really bothers if we were lost (we weren't). I guess having a good spatial and visual memory helps, as well as a certain amount of logical thinking. And to answer the doubts of my 'amusing' colleague, i can only say, i rather it be me getting others lost than trust someone less capable on the job. And that's not to sound cocky. I am just better at this kind of thing than the rest of them on the trip.

Now, if it was shopping though, i would have failed miserably. The rest wanted to go to wal-mart again and i truly, truly have no way of occupying myself there. So while others went around merrily buying tons of things for themselves, all i could do was amuse myself taking senseless pictures around the place. I guess it is only frivolous shopping which i am helpless in because while at the dollar shop, i bought plenty of things for the school, in terms of toys and materials which we would find useful (it is also very cheap there). Already, everyone is sort of looking at me funny, and probably thought i am more 'male' than 'female' in that aspect.

Anyway, think i will rest abit before the rest are ready to go for dinner. I think it is seafood again. Heard that things in chapel hill are more expensive. Hmm maybe that's why all the urgency to shop now. Shrug. It is quite mind-boggling.

Oh ya. All you folks who got shopping list for me? Don't be surprise if i don't get anything. I just realized, with all those toys i just got, my luggage might be a little be full for the moment. Not to mention that next week, we will need some space for books and materials at the next training.

Sorry... :)

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For he's a jolly good fellow...

Today is the day of my youngest brother's graduation ceremony in Canberra. My whole family is over there now celebrating this happy day for him. I think my parents are probably the happiest of the lot.  As i recall, i wasn't there for my second brother's convocation either because i was still in London at that time. I feel bad not being there especially since both of them have been at mine. What pathetic timing. If it wasn't for this training, i would have taken leave for a couple of days to join all of them. Sigh.

Well done bro.
You made it... finally. *wink*

Day 7

Almost halfway through my trip and i am quite ready to fly home, if for nothing else but my dearest and my friends back home. Perhaps i am older now and becoming more nostalgic or maybe just more mellow and wants to seek some comfort and security in what i know. So much for wanting to be an intrepid explorer when i was younger. Guess i am a homebody at heart no matter how independent i want to be.

Today passed on with a blur and i don't think that there is much for me to write about. I guess it is boring enough just writing about work for the past few days. The only highlight today was joining in the social group with 4 high-functioning pre-schoolers at the centre. Very cute. Reminds me of some of my boys back home. Pity we couldn't take pictures due to confidentiality issues of the children but we understand. Had a late dinner where we order in take out from a grill steak place because we were putting together a slideshow CD for our trainers in memory of our visit here as tomorrow would be our last day for training in Wilmington. It is a rather cute CD full of photos we had taken in the last few days and we also included cutesy little dialogue and thought bubbles. We also wrapped the gifts we bought for them and will present all these to them tomorrow when they bring us out to lunch.

Came back to my room at 10pm dead tired.

Guess i will have to skip the upload of Day 7's photos for another day. Doubt i would put up the link since it is really boring work stuff as usual...

*stretches*

Postscript: Okie... so i uploaded the pictures afterall but only SOME of them

Day 6

A most 'successful' i.e. enjoyable day!

We started today's training with a live assessment of a ASD child at the centre in the morning. It was a wonderful learning experience where the trainer ran us through how she prepared the room for the assessment beforehand (structure! structure! structure!) and then watching her assess the child after that. It was amazing how much clinical skills were needed during the assessment; when to push the child, when to ilicit responses, when to back off, what would motivate the child and how much more can the child accomplish. The whole session took around 2 1/2 hours and after that we break for lunch before returning to score the assessment on the protocol. There were some discussion about some of the scores but in general, the discussion helped tremendously in my understanding of the tool and even how to clinically assess a child. It was great to be able to learn the whole process and see how the 'experts' synthesized all the information and using it for the programming afterwards.

During the discussion about the possible educational programming and goals, again a feeling of tremendous energy which really made me sit up and want to plunge myself right into all the excitement of handling the information we have gathered during the assessment. E and me were so active and excited that i worry afterwards if we have been too forward in our enthusiasium but i think it was okie. The rest of the colleagues were OK too and i think the tension has defused at least for now. It was a tiring session because the discussion was so energetic as we came up with ideas after ideas on what can help the child learn better.

The next fantastic thing which happened was that we had a chance to join a Adult Supper Club which organize an outing once a month for high-functioning  autistic (HFA) adults. It is amazing how independent some of them are; they have jobs, some stayed on their own and even drives a jeep! I am so privileged to have met the 7 men and 1 woman who came today for the dinner and outing to Barnes & Noble (bookstore) at the Mayfaire. I never had a chance to interact with adults with autism before and it is an eye-opening and humbling experience. It is unmistakenable that these adults are odd in some ways and have their little eccentricities but they are so terribly sincere and sweet in the ways they interacted with us. And so giving as well... I never felt so touched in my life and to see the trainers organizing such fun activities and to watch how they interact with the HFA adults were one of the best experiences in my life. It is not only the trainers but the general community is so accepting of people with disabilities! We were at the restuarant and no one gave us funny looks and the waiters treated everyone with respect and such patience and care. We had strangers smiling and offering to help us take photos and it just felt so good and comfortable. It was... just so amazing that words can hardly describe how i feel.

It may be that these HFAs have some problems with social interaction and a degree of handicap in communcation but it didn't really matter because people around them were so understanding. I think everyone enjoyed themselves tremendously so much so that despite most of them having to return back to the clinic (where some parents were waiting to pick them up after the outing), one guy stayed with us and wanted to join us (though he did not express it) after that. He was one of the most shy person in the group but also the most independent. He works a in a newspaper writing sports statistics and drives a car on his own. He is going to finish his undergraduate studies in computers in the local community college and has a GPA of 3.5. He was really sweet and understood all our jokes. He has a great laugh and when we were leaving, he gave us each a hug, something that was so spontaneously and genuine, and so un-like a person with autism. I think i nearly cried.

It was a truly unbelievable day for me. I know it didn't sound like much but i guess you have to know these persons to know how amazing it is. I only hope that singapore could have been as accepting of our children in school to give them a chance to grow up to be like these adults. Perhaps, one day, it will be possible.

28/07/04  10.21pm

View Photos (Work! Work! Work! Perhaps a little play..)

Nights

The nights in Wilmington has been quite calm and cloudless in the last two days. It is a picture of serenity outside my hotel window where everything is still and the moon grazing on the sporodic buildings around here. There are plenty of street lamps but no sign of any traffic, just silent signboards of various fast food in their bright distinct colours that immediately draws your attention.

Peaceful.

Strange. Given the same thing last night, i probably wouldn't have felt that way.
I guess conflict resolution is always nice when the day draws to a close.

Sleep well everyone.

D&D is on the way...

Heard that the posters are up and are quite attention-grabbing all thanks to my beloved for helping with the design and printing it out free for me. I am so glad! I trust the colleagues that i entrusted the job to to do a good job in the best of their abilities. Anyway, i am not worried at all, just abit hard-press for time when i returned to finish the other parts of the programming. Very exciting!! I can imagine i will be like a headless fly for a bit once i return but hey! I don't mind!

A sense of calm

Tonight's discussion was more of a breakthrough!
Finally, the others understood where E and me were coming from though they did not acknowledged that they have changed their minds. We could tell that their views and feedback today has changed greatly. I am not able to go say "I told you so" and i guess i expected that they have totally ignored the fact that these points were what we have been saying all the time.

Anyway, seems like it may be possible to "work as a team" now that our directions are aligned again. All thanks to the trainers for making it so much clearer, not just for us but also for the "misguided" ones!

Domo.. arigato

Thank you for the "domo" mms.. really made my day when i got it halfway through the training. Just want to let you know that everything is okie and that i will be home soon.

Miss me okie?

x

Day 5

Another day of sunshine and blue skies though we could not enjoy much of it because of the training and by the time we were done, we were generally tuckered out. "Causalty" rate amongst us are pretty high with two colleagues down with coughing and one who has a swollen gum due to heaty food and not enough sleep. I am still alright though, seems like my mom's insistence of me taking omega 3 and cod liver capsule every morning helped quite a bit. Even my morning sinus problem seems to have stopped. But nonetheless, i am still pretty tired. Not only physically, but mentally exhausted as well.

I started today pretty subdued and was still quite troubled after what happened yesterday. Didn't sleep very well either, in fact, had a dream of the person who 'attacked' us last evening. Not a happy dream, i tell you. Actually E didn't quite sleep either. Guess what happened really bugged us a great deal. It was apparent we would get no help from the HOD as well. Breakfast was a quiet affair and there was definitely some underlying tension with me and that person. I guess having two opinionated persons on the same trip who don't see eye to eye is a major pain in the ass. Anyway, at the training, on a few occasions when i asked the trainers some questions, she would disagree and distort my questions, which of course i then had to clarify again. It is horrible always trying to prove to others when they keep thinking you are wrong and naive. Thankfully, more often than not, she was the one who got the concepts off tangent. It didn't helped then that she made some snide remarks about how important it is to "work in a team" during lunch to the trainers just as i finished making some clarification on today's training.

My 'amusing' colleague would be please to know that i kept a straight face throughout (i really tried! if i couldn't i will look the other way). It has also occurred to me what the 3 of them were, what i observed, having difficulties understanding the tool, was because they had started using it the wrong way (without guidance) and fomulated some notions (not entirely accurate) of the tool. It was hard trying to undo or disconstruct the platform they have made for themselves and in some ways, they were also not quite aware that the platform was inaccurate, while it was easier for me and E to understand because we are getting the first hand true picture from the expert without preconceive expectations and notions.

The sad thing is, while today's training really made the whole picture clearer for me and E, the others do not quite see it that way and i know we are still going to disagree. However, i am quite tired and doesn't see how i am going to win this battle and 'work as a team' with them. It is also possible that we may have to embark on a different route from them in our different school. I don't know. Hopefully it didn't have to be that way. Perhaps who is right can only be proved in time. Yet, i can feel it in my guts that my impression of the tool cannot really be too far off and there are examples to back it up. Or perhaps it is just that i do not understand THEM and what they really mean...

It is only day 5. I guess there may be still hope.

27/07/04    5.40pm

View Photos (more work photos... mainly example of tasks)

Thank you!

To my 'amusing' colleague:

Thanks for reminding me what i have to do with those people at work. It really helped when you pull me back to reality and what i ought to do realistically, as well as understanding what i am going through...

If i haven't spoken to you online.. i believe i would wake up in the morning still frustrated with not knowing what to do.

At least i know now.

:)

Attacked...

Just came back from dinner after a rather heated discussion with my colleagues from "the other side". I already knew there were some differences in our perception of the assessment tool but what i did not anticipate was that E and me would be 'attacked' the minute we stepped into their room. That's why i don't like some of the people on 'the other side' because while they professed to be 'not personal' about things and have the need to seek clarification, they also immediately make assumptions about us (E and me). The thing is, before we had the discussion, E and me actually shared a little with HOD about how we felt that the immediate needs of the teachers is to understand the developmental milestones of children and inculcating the basic mindset BEFORE we even introduce the tool. Or else, what would happen would be similiar to how training was conducted before which was a dismal failure and looking at how our teacher-colleague is faring despite 'practising' with several children, he still have so much difficulties grasping the rational and concepts to use the tool effectively.

What was shocking after this particular sharing was that when later we moved on to the HOD's room to have the formal discussion, before i could even sit down properly, one of them launch straight into 'what we have to do'. It was apparent that the HOD had shared our 'views' and they have decided to launch right into correcting what was perceived to be 'idealistic' and perhaps 'wrong' views which we have. I never had to defend my stand so hard in my working life before and to have my views devalued just because we have not actively tried out the tool seems to justify their superiority in the matter. Frankly, i don't buy that. In fact, we have a certain advantage in keeping our minds open about this tool while i felt they have lost all objectivity because they are on the platform that this tool is THE way to go. It was also quite apparent that despite their 'practises', none of the experiences helped them today while we went through the test because they weren't able to score the items accurately nor were they well-versed in the developmental levels themselves. In fact, their idea of it needed to be corrected several time during the training when they showed themselves to understand it superficially and even inaccurately (e.g. taking out the items in parts when it should be targetted to be completed in full).

I am close to losing my respect for them because while i acknowledge my lack of experience and is willing to learn, i am not willing to suffer an attack from people who professed to know more when actually they did not know qualitatively more than i do.  It was actually better to start the right way than the wrong way and having to correct yourself out of all the bad habits you formed. THAT is what have to be avoided when we enskill others!

It is very infuriating and despite the discussion coming to a close, nothing is resolved. I am a fairly expressive person but i am also introverted. Hence all this defending is extremely draining for me. Suddenly, i really feel like going home... sigh.

Perhaps things would improve.. but i highly doubt it, especially when it is clear to me that we are not 'valued' on the same platform as others along this trip and is perceived as being idealistic and 'didn't know better'.

I have a sudden urge to kick something or bite someone.

Day 4

Weather has been great today. Lots of sunshine and it actually started to feel like summer. Today we started training at the Wilmington TEACCH Centre, where we will spend the next 4 days before going to Chapel Hill for the next round of training. We arrived at the centre, which was 5 minutes drive from the hotel at 8.45am. After a round of introduction to the staff there and having a bit of chit-chat about ourselves, we started training proper with the introduction of PEP-R, which is the assessment tool we will devote ourselves to for the rest of the week.

A lot of this would probably make no sense to most but i thought for my own clarity, i would just list down some of the things i learnt and have concerns about here. My platform of understanding this tool as a psychologist is definitely quite different from my colleague who is a teacher, and i can appreciate his difficulties. Some of us came with the expectation of using this tool back home while i came with reserved judgement in using this tool. Rather, i wanted to see how this tool is before i decide if it could be implemented effectively. In this way, there began a slight diversion in views amongst the trainees. For them, they need to see, by hook or by crook, how to fit the tool in while, for me, there is not such complusion.

However, the training is very helpful in terms of understanding how to teach a ASD child effectively and the underlying importance for teachers to have an understanding of normal developmental levels for children in the different domains. I feel that the key would be to inculcate a new "mindset" in everyone involve with the child to think of what is developmentally appropriate for each child and when looking through the curriculum, constantly refer back to that RATHER than expecting that a new 'assessment' tool which help in setting educational goals to perform the miracle of doing that for the teachers. If different psychologists already have difficulties having a same platform, i can foresee what problems teachers would have if the  rational and the process of using the tool is not imparted correctly. Since our objective in coming here for training is to think of a better way to help teachers understand and set developmentally appropriate goals, i feel then just solely depending on the PEP-R would hardly meet this objective when what we are missing is really a whole generation of RC teachers who does not even have the fundamentals of understanding appropriate development levels.

Was just discussing it with my boss and another colleague about this and i think i am already having some problems conveying my views to my boss while my colleague who works closely with me agrees with my view. Anyway, we will have to continue the discussion later after we rested a bit. It has been quite tiring though it wouldn't seem like a very long training when we started at 9 and ended at 3.30pm. But it was refreshing and i am glad how much thoughts and ideas this training have brought forth in me after only ONE day of training! The trainers were fantastic and helpful and i really glad to be able to participate in it and give me more clarity in what i do.

Quite exciting actually and all i want to do now is to plunge back into the discussion and forget about dinner.

On a more entertaining note, we found out today that Wilmington gets hurricane fairly often, especially during the months of June till November. Looks like we better keep our ears out for hurricane warnings. Fingers crossed.

26/07/04 5.16pm

View Photos (warning: mostly work related photos)

Early morning and i am missing...

my mm..
my morning black coffee..
the cat..
my bolster (yikes)..
the girls..
the food..
my "sole amusement" colleague..
my car..
my privacy..

sigh

Day 3

Day 3: Wilmington, NC

The weather appeared pretty gloomy this morning. The skies were overcast and it looked like it had rained during the night. Over the breakfast table provided by the hotel(nothing but bread and more bread, different breads... bagel, french toast, raisin, etc etc) the weather information indicated that it would be a week of thunderstorms ahead. Things don't look good weatherwise at least. Personally, i had no agenda for today and yet, i did feel a certain amount of trepidation letting my fellow colleagues plan the the itinerary. Being the CDO (i.e. chief driving officer), my primary duty was to get everyone where they want to go without accident, whose service, i am sure, others have no complains about. We started with Wrightville beach which was across town 15mins drive away because we thought it would be wiser to go there before the 'thunderstorm' hits town. Lucky for us, it never did rain the whole day and the weather remained balmy, even a tad warm during the late afternoon.

Wrightville beach seems like a coastal summer resort for people in NC. There were a lot of motels and private summer cottages along the coast with their own little private launch for motorboats. There were plenty of surfers, though the surf wasn't too fantastic, and families enjoying a bit of sand and sea. Some of the interesting things there were beach toilet stalls without doors (made a friend through the communal *ermm* 'relieving' session) and a doggie poop station (where people can get free poop bag) dedicated to billie holiday and her dog. Charming...

After the beach, we drove to the historic downtown at the riverfront where we walked around and explored some of the little shops. Nothing memorable but there was a WWII battleship anchored across the river which one of my colleague visited (guess shopping isn't quite his thing). Had lunch in one of the darkest cafe i have ever been to (in the bright afternoon). Food here, i realize, tend to be quite salty. I think i would have to ask them to cut back on the salt the next time i order. After lunch, the 4 of the ladies (minus the sole gentleman onboard the battleship) drove off to Westfield Mall at independence drive a short 8 minutes drive away.

At this juncture, i think i ought to state quite clearly that i am not much of a shopper and actually have a mild aversion to wandering around a big mall "shopping" most of the time unless i know that i wanted to buy something. Hence, it was more tedious than pleasurable to follow 3 ladies around a mall for two hours. Actually, it wasn't just the mall... i think there must be something quite wrong with me because i realize i just don't really enjoy being in a group in general and most of the time rather preferred to walk on ahead on my own. Anyway, despite myself, i did ended up getting a shirt for myself (only because it was 50% off and i needed something formal to wear for work) and some stuff for friends. After two hours and covering only 1/4 of the mall, we had to drive back to pick up the gentleman away from his battleship and proceed to wal-mart at market street. By this time, i am tired and bored, and it was pure torture trying to occupy myself for a solid hour while waiting for the rest of them to finish shopping.

Some of the things others bought: toiletries, bath towels, toys, cosmetics, cherries, medication.

Some stuff i can understand but a bottle of hair conditioner just because it is S$3 cheaper here? And 4 bath towels??? What is the rationale? Maybe it is me... but i just cannot understand why would one buy bags of unnecessary items (not small somemore) so early on in the trip and knowing that we have to travel around quite abit. But then, i am not exactly a bargain shopper either.

Dinner was back at the historic downtown again at a little corner bar overlooking the river. Salty clam chower and chicken sandwich. Yawns. Returned back to the hotel by 8pm and helped 3 of the colleagues move from their original room (too small for 3 since there were only 2 small double beds and hardly space for a rollaway bed) to a slightly larger suite with 2 double beds and 1 pull out sofa bed. On top of that, was also trying to fix my HOD's laptop because for some reason, it would not connect to the network using the LAN cable. So much for being the CTO (i.e. chief technical officer) for this trip. I suspect that there is something wrong with the LAN port because the cable worked on my computer. Ah well. At least i get to have the internet in my room which i shared with Eliz.

Finally the end of another day and tomorrow we start training officially. Yippee. Can hardly wait.

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