Exploring Our Children’s Potentials

Orchard Central Shopping Centre.

Hardly anyone around.

Two spotlights.

Ah, too tempting to NOT do that Mr Bean thing! Hehe.

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PS: Btw, THANK YOU so much for the encouraging comments left on the ‘Stories behind Anya’s 6th Birthday Cake‘ post! It’s always heartwarming to read about your thoughts and stories. Thank you.

[Kids happily helped out with the sifting and whisking]

So this is what I’ve been trying to write since last week.

Get ready for a REALLY LONG post!

Here goes.

Three weeks before Anya turned six, I sort of decided that I’d try and make her birthday a special and personalised one this year.

I guess it was rather ‘ambitious’ since I’ve NEVER baked a cake before.

I don’t know. Somehow I just wanted to give it a try and make something special for her.

I mean, we wouldn’t have known about anything if we hadn’t (at least) given it a go, YES?

[Anya tested out my Steamed Brownies]

So I shared my little ‘mission’ with the kids, and we went to buy some basic baking necessities and ingredients, like, plain flour, self raising flour, baking powder, a whisk, cocoa powder, a measuring cup, a sift and a round baking pan.

(I know, it may sound shocking to some, but no, I had NONE of those prior to that ‘shopping trip’)

[Shopping trips with kids can never be dull. Captured with my Nokia phone.]

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I was clueless about SO many things.

I didn’t know which flour I should get. I mean, there’re so many different ones! Cake flour, bread flour, self-raising flour, plain flour, etc.

I didn’t know the difference between ‘baking soda’ and ‘baking powder’.

I didn’t have any baking scale, and so I tried converting ‘grams’ to ‘cups’ using an online conversion formula

Everything was just TOTALLY new to me!

(In the end, I did buy a baking scale one day before Anya’s birthday! YAY!)

[My first ‘Steamed Brownies’ experiment]

And, I did a few ‘tests’ before attempting to make Anya’s birthday cake.

I made a chocolate cake. And I thought it was too sweet.

I tested out a friend’s ‘Steamed Brownies’ recipe, and I thought it was a little ‘too dry’.

I found a ‘Steamed Banana Cake’ recipe from the internet, and in my first THREE attempts, the cake tasted more like ‘sandals’!

(And I think, the fact that I cluelessly used ‘baking powder’ instead of ‘baking soda’ had a LOT to do with THAT result!)

[The ‘sandal-like’ Steamed Banana Cake]

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And since we have NO ovens at home, I STEAMED all my cakes.

And this is how I did it:

– I poured some water into the wok and turned on the stove

– I used a metal stand (see above picture) and placed my baking pan on it.

– I closed the lid when the water’s boiling

– To prevent ‘water droplets’ from dripping onto the cake mixture during the steaming process, I ‘wrapped’ the lid with a clean cloth (and I just tied the top with a rubber band, heh).

…

When you steam a cake, I learned that :

– the baking pan must be ‘low enough’ and NOT touch the cloth on the inside as the cake could ‘stick’ to the cloth when it ‘raises’

– you need to roughly gauge WHEN you must quickly open the lid and pour ‘MORE HOT WATER’ into the wok (ie. before the water’s all dried up!)

[DO get an electric mixer, if you can. I didn’t have one at the time, and I manually ‘whisked’ everything, including the cake’s cream!]

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Finally the day came.

It was Saturday night and Anya would have her birthday celebrated the next day, at Sunday School.

I decided to use a cake mix (where you simply add eggs, butter and milk to it) to lessen the possibility of seeing Anya’s little friends go, “Eeewww… the cake tastes funnyyy!’

I mean, we all know kids openly express their frank opinion.

If they don’t like the cake, well … to the bin it goes.

And I sure don’t want THAT to happen on Anya’s special day.

So that was my solution, ie. have the ‘cake mix’ ready and STEAM it.

Right until then I had never tried icing a cake, whipping a cream or decorating a cake though.

So, I watched a few ‘How-To’ videos online and went to the kitchen when everyone’s asleep, armed with sheer determination to make it WORK for Anya’s special day!

(read: If I tried my best and I totally failed, well … I could always go and buy a simple cake tomorrow, I told myself that night!)

But then.

Of course, there’s a little drama in store.

You see, just before dinner that Saturday, we bought a few things, including a spatula (to help ‘flatten and neaten’ the fresh cream’s surface) and a set of ‘decorating tools’ (you know, that thing with a metal tip that helps you make those decorations on the sides of the cake)

AND.

When I was ready to start on the cake’s cream, I looked EVERYWHERE for the spatula and the decorating tools. But I could NOT find them anywhere!

We probably have forgotten THAT particular plastic bag on our back home or something!

And I was like, BUT I NEED THOSE THINGS NOW. Anya’s birthday celebration is due in A FEW HOURS!

Then, I told myself, ‘Look! People in the olden days probably didn’t have any of those tools when they made cakes! And YET, they managed! So just think of something!’

And so this was what I did.

I used the back of my CLEAVER to neaten up the cream’s surface!

AND, I rolled a piece of baking paper, used a scotch tape to tape the front end together, filled it with cream, twirl the end to push the cream forward towards the tip, and used THAT to decorate the cake and do the ‘writing’ on the cake!

And it WORKED!

Sort of.

Well, anyway … I was SO happy!

And when I saw the look on Anya’s face when she spotted her cake in the fridge the next morning, and how she enthusiastically shared the cake with everyone at Sunday School … it all felt so REWARDING!

It was SO worth the time and effort!

Which was why I happily did it all again on Sunday night, and made another birthday cake for Anya’s little celebration at school on Monday (March 8th), her actual birthday!

And since we had a Strawberry Shortcake birthday cake on Sunday, we had a little Hello Kitty birthday cake for Anya’s little celebration at school on Monday!

*smile*

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Really. I must say, this whole experience felt more like an adventure to me. A rewarding one filled with ups and downs.

And I’m thankful to God for a hubby who supported the whole idea from the very beginning (read: He didn’t comment nor make any discouraging / questioning gestures, body language or facial expressions upon hearing my ‘make-own-birthday-cake-though-I’m-totally-clueless-about-it’ plans)

I’m glad too that I went ahead with the birthday-cake-making decision although it was something that I’ve never done before.

Because, when I now share with my little ones how we should NOT say ‘I can’t do it!’ simply because we’ve NEVER done it before, they themselves had seen me walk my talk too.

…

Anyway, here are MORE birthday photos!

Enjoy …

[Anya helped and sprinkled ‘more colours’ onto her birthday cake on Sunday]

[Anya: ‘Have you had a piece of my birthday cake?’]

[Anya’s Hello Kitty Birthday Cake for her little celebration at school on Monday]

[Time to cut the cake. Btw, the cakes were gobbled up by everyone on both occasions! YAY!]

[My half-eaten chocolate and Butter Cake, with a layer of fresh cream in between! Good thing I remembered to stop eating and take a shot of the cake first before finishing it all up! Heh]

Our little fishies came down with a terrible ‘bacterial infection’.

And we soon found out that it’s called : ‘tail rot and fin rot‘.

One nasty infection.

We were given this green solution to pour into our little fish tank to (hopefully) cure the disease.

Just a drop or two a day.

I did that, and each time I did, I was always intrigued by the way the green solution glided through the water.

Like, it was a scene from the X-Files or something.

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Photo:
Captured using Canon PowerShot S90.

Hey hey hey … so here’s THE NEWS that I’ve been wanting to share with everyone!

Early next month (Saturday, 3 April, to be exact!), there’ll be this Bloggers Symposium, the first ever, organised by Nuffnang, and sponsored by Canon!

Basically it’s an INTERACTIVE conference (on PHOTOGRAPHY and BLOGGING) where the speakers get to share their experiences and tips, and the participants get to ask just about any questions.

During the event, there will be FIVE separate workshops, held in FIVE different rooms, and six different bloggers will speak on FIVE different photography and blogging topics.

And the topics are:

Lifestyle, Food, Fashion (blogshops), Technology and of course, PARENTING!

*smile*

I’ve been invited to speak on the Parenting Photography Workshop! Yes, it truly is an honour!

I look forward to sharing heaps of photography tips there! (And perhaps even some blogging and parenting-related topics too if you like! Just throw the questions over, and we get the discussion going!)

Anyway, it’ll be a fun yet insightful session!

I SO look forward to meeting and chatting with fellow bloggers, parents, and blog readers IN PERSON!

SO excited!

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Okay now, here’s MORE info.

REGISTRATION

It’s FREE of charge (Thanks to Nuffnang and Canon!).

You’ll have to register online (Click HERE) and sign up for the topic of your choice (choose PARENTING, yes? Yes?)

There are only 60 seats available for each workshop topic though, so please HURRY and register!

And please do share the news with friends and everyone else, so they too can benefit from the workshop!

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WHO IS THIS PARENTING PHOTOGRAPHY WORKSHOP FOR?

Just about ANYONE.

Come and join me at the workshop if you’re ANY of the following:

– A blogger
– A parent
– A photo enthusiast who’s keen to find out more about photography using your own camera

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CAN WE BRING ALONG OUR KIDS?

SURE!

The organiser will arrange a children movie screening next to the Parenting Workshop Room!

*A fantastic idea, if you ask me!*

So really, parents with kids have NO reasons for not being able to attend the workshop! *smile*

Btw, if you DO have someone who can help and babysit your little ones that day, I’d personally recommend coming without them just for that one event. This way, you can totally focus on the event’s programme without minding the little ones at the same time.

BUT, if you’re just like us who have no one to babysit Anya and Vai, the FOUR of us will be there at the Bloggers Symposium that day! Yep, Anya and Vai will be there too!

[Not sure if they’re willing to volunteer and be the ‘subjects of photography’ during the ‘live demo’ at my workshop though, haha]

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I SHOOT WITH A POCKET CAMERA, WILL THAT BE OKAY?

Definitely!

I shoot with a pocket camera too, and using one should NEVER stop us from capturing life’s precious moments!

(THIS is one of the things I’d be sharing at the workshop!)

[Shots I took over the past years using a Canon point-and-shoot camera]

Some people have told me how Anya and Vai are relatively comfortable in front of the camera, and this makes it easier for us to produce better photos of them.

While it’s quite true to some extent, there are still other tips and photography approaches that can really help us capture moments of those who are perhaps more ‘camera shy’.

Here, check this out.

Below are some samples of the Outdoor Shoots I did for different families.

[Yes, just in case you are not aware of it so far, I DO outdoor shoots for families too *smile*]

As we all know, not all kids and parents are naturally comfortable in front of the camera, but yet their photos can still turn out heartwarming and precious.

And at the Parenting Photography Workshop, I’ll share with you these photography approaches and tips!

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YOU CAN STAND A CHANCE TO WIN CANON POWERSHOT S90!

Just last week I wrote a post on this cool point-and-shoot camera! (Read about it HERE)

And now you can WIN and OWN one too!

(Well, as they say, ‘How can you WIN it, if you’re not IN it!)

Here’s how:

>> By simply registering yourself and ATTENDING the event, you’re IN THE DRAW to win the camera!

There are TWO cameras to be won this way! And if you’re one of the first 150 registrants to arrive at the event that day, your chance of winning the camera is increased by FIVE times! (ie. they’ll have five cards with your name on them in the draw!)

>> You can also take part in a Mini Photo Contest, if you wish.

Simply send a photo you’ve taken with the theme ‘HAPPINESS’ together with your registration details to this email: myhappiness@nuffnang.com

Best 5 photos will be displayed at the event itself and ONE winner will bring home a brand new Canon PowerShot S90!

COOL!

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So, what are you waiting for?

Hurry and get yourself (and your friends and spouses!) registered NOW!
(simply click on the ‘Share This Post on Facebook’ link below to let your FB friends know about this event!)

Gathering Point:
SMU School of Accountancy Level 2 Kong Si Auditorium

Date:
Saturday, 3 April 2010

Time:
1.30pm – 5.30pm

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Click HERE to find out more about the event, its itinerary, and HOW to register!

See you at the Parenting Photography Workshop!

Anya turned SIX today, and we had a little celebration yesterday at Sunday School AND another one at her school today.

And, I went ahead with my ‘decision’ to try and make her birthday cakes this year!

[Two weeks ago, I wrote a post on my first ‘make a cake’ attempt, read about it HERE]

Anyway, I’ll share MORE photos and how it all went SOON.

For now, here’re two photos of Anya and her humble little ‘Strawberry Shortcake’ birthday cake she had on Sunday.

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From what I saw, she was a very happy little six year old girl that day *smile*

… I saw a little note from Anya.

It’s sincere. It’s spontaneous. And it’s heart-warming.

I like.

…

To Anya:

Yes, I’d love to be there with you, Daddy and Vai one day.

Oh my. Who would’ve guessed it?

Canon has just sponsored this COOL point and shoot camera, Canon Powershot S90!

And I’m SO loving it! Can’t be more grateful!

*THANKS Canon!*

If you’ve been reading my blog for a while, you would’ve known that I almost always have a pocket camera in my bag.

And it’s always been Canon.

My first pocket camera was Canon Ixus 850 IS.

It’s compact and light. It took great shots and I especially liked its relatively wide-angle lens!

I was VERY happy with it!

But.

Early last year the lens got half-broken after a bad fall (face down!) onto hard gravels. I couldn’t zoom in and out AND in each shot, all the sides of the frame were always ‘out of focus’, heh).

It still faithfully traveled with me UNTIL I was told that I won a Canon Ixus 970 IS last January!

(Read about how I got it HERE)

I was SUPER happy to have won a camera! (Another Canon Ixus too, which I’m familiar with!)

[Left: Canon Ixus 850 IS ; Right: Canon Ixus 970 IS]

Now.

I do get asked about what I think of these two cameras since I’ve used both models, and so here’s my honest opinion:

… between two, I think my earlier Canon Ixus 850 IS is better (before it’s broken, that is!)

And here’s why:

– with Canon Ixus 970 IS, I can really feel the ‘shutter lag‘ (ie. when I shoot indoors or in a less bright environment). So when I turn off the flash (like I usually did with my earlier Canon), the shot will mostly be blurry.

– Canon Ixus 970 IS comes with a less wide-angled lens.

I mean, when I extend my arm, turn the camera around and take a self-portrait of myself and the kids, for example, our faces will ‘fill the frame’, and not much of the background / surrounding can be seen (see samples below)

[Left: Me, Nichol and Will, taken with Canon Ixus 970 IS; Right: At East Coast Park, taken with Canon Ixus 850 IS]

And what do I have to say about Canon Powershot S90?

It’s SO SO SO much better than the other two!

Since I’m not a techie, here’s a good LINK to read more about it and its cool features!

And here’re some things about this point-and-shoot camera which I personally love:

– The shots and colours come out ‘crispier’ (great photo quality!)
– Wide-angle lens!
– Compact and light
– Minimum ‘shutter lag’ in low light condition! (read: it has a cool ‘low light’ function and when you do shoot in such an environment, there’s hardly any ‘shutter lag’ too!)

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[View from an overhead bridge near Four Seasons Hotel, Orchard]

Here are two test shots (read: NO colour enhancement/ photoshop works done on these two below, well, except for the watermark)

The photo above:
I tested out its black and white function last night when I was at Orchard. It’s not set under its ‘low light’ setting, yet it came out great!

The photo below:
This one was taken at around 8pm, at a food court, using its ‘low light’ function.

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Finally, I’d like to ‘partially’ announce two great news (The FULL story is coming up next Monday!)

First, YOU will have a chance to WIN this Canon Powershot S90 too!

Second, there’ll be a photography workshop early next month where I’ll be sharing photography tips on how to better capture moments (especially of those little ones who’re constantly on the move!) using YOUR OWN camera, amongst many others! (And oh, it’s FREE!)

Be sure you don’t miss out on this yeah!

I’ll share all the details next Monday!

Have a GREAT weekend, everyone …