Exploring Our Children’s Potentials

This Chinese New Year, we are back to crafting with the kids!!

Chinese New Year theme, of course! =)

We’ve made quite a bit to decorate our door, and I’ll post those photos soon! =)

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For now, here are some shots of Brie when she made her hong bao lanterns!

What we did:

1. I cut out a few A5-sized red cartons

2. Using old hong bao packets from previous years, I cut out triangular shapes

(Why triangles? Just to make Brie familiar with the shape and the name. You can always cut them in whatever shapes you wish =)

3. Brie smeared UHU stick on the red carton, and randomly pasted the hong bao triangles

4. Once she said, ‘I’m done!’, I used a wide scotch tape and ‘covered’ the surface of the carton. This is just to cover the ‘sticky surface’ (and to make the lanterns last longer =)

5. I folded the carton into two

6. I cut out its ‘folded’ side, but NOT all the way (leaving about 1 cm ‘uncut’)

7.  I opened up the cut out carton, and rolled it up into a ‘tube’ (lengthwise), taped the ends with scotch tape

8. I cut out a 1-cm strip, and taped the ends into the inside of the ‘tube’

And VOILA!

Your homemade hong bao lantern is done!!

And oh, the kids were super excited when we did this at night!

We used small birthday candles, stuck them on a bottle cap, and carefully placed them inside the lanterns.

Then we switched off all lights.

Oh the glow … the kids loved it!

Brie especially just sat there looking at the lanterns.

Yep, the lanterns SHE made with her siblings!

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If you haven’t tried making these before, do give it a try!

Simple and fast!

Plus, it’s always a good thing when the kids see their artwork nicely displayed and adored! =)

Happy Chinese New Year, everyone!

Best wishes to you all in the coming year!!

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PS: Btw, the kids love their hand-made hongbao lanterns =) With little candles placed inside, they did lit up nicely, we reckon =)

We need to have compassion towards others, especially those who are less fortunate than usHelping the less fortunate.

Somehow I’m always encouraged and inspired when I see others commit their time, money and energy to help others in need.

And this is something that I also instill in the kids, ie. That we need to have compassion towards others, especially those who are less fortunate than us.

(One example of our way to inspire the kids was when we took them to an orphanage back in 2012. We brought books for them, and did a small ‘Help Portrait’ project for all the children there. Click HERE to read the post)

Lack of money and facilities lead to children getting late and inadequate health treatments, which then lead to permanent health issues, often resulting in deathSo, you can imagine how inspired I was to see a group of people in Chiang Mai, Thailand, who dedicate their time and energy to help needy children and youth in Mekong Sub-region (Myanmar, Laos, Thailand and Cambodia)!

They work in partnership with communities to improve the educational and health situations of these children.

(We all have probably heard about the many, MANY, sad stories about such children in third world countries, eg. Lack of money and facilities lead to children getting late and inadequate health treatments, which then lead to permanent health issues, often resulting in death)

Child’s Dream is the name of this charitable, non-profit organisation that goes all out to help these children.

Stated on its website:

Such activities obviously need lots of financial support.

But you know what?

It’s nice to know that SilkAir has adopted Child’s Dream Foundation as their charity for the next 3 years!

This means, SilkAir will offer a range of support to Child’s Dream and its staff, like airline tickets for work-related travel between various SilkAir points, free cargo allowance for the transportation of donations, etc.

This way, its operating costs can be reduced and the funds can then be channeled towards other projects that go straight to the needy kids.

Now THAT helps a lot, I’m sure!

SilkAir’s chief executive officer, Leslie Thng (above) said:

“As the regional wing of Singapore Airlines, we believe that we have a duty to stimulate positive change within the region. It has always been SilkAir’s goal to reach out to the communities in Southeast Asian destinations we serve and we are thrilled to be able to support the good work of Child’s Dream.”

It was really nice to be there at Child’s Dream Foundation’s headquarter in Chiang Mai, and to witness the official start of their collaboration.

I sincerely hope that even more needy children and youth can be helped through this partnership.

God bless them.

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Here’s a shot of a group of us from the Media (back row), the two co-founders of Child’s Dream Foundation (Mr. Daniel Siegfried and Mr. Marc Jenni), SilkAir’s Chief Executive, Mr. Leslie Thng, and Vice President Commercial, Mr. Ryan Pua.

>> SilkAir

Official Website:
http://www.facebook.com/SilkAir

Facebook Page:
http://www.facebook.com/SilkAir
>> Child’s Dream Foundation

Official Website:
http://www.childsdream.org

Facebook Page:
http://www.facebook.com/childsdreamfoundation

I came across this beautiful sharing on Facebook.

And I just had to share it right here.

I hope it’ll inspire you as much as it has inspired me.

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A man died.

When he realised it, he saw God coming closer with a suitcase in His hand.
Dialog between God and Dead Man:

God: Alright son, it’s time to go

Man: So soon? I had a lot of plans …

God: I am sorry but, it’s time to go

Man: What do you have in that suitcase?

God: Your belongings

Man: My belongings? You mean my things … Clothes… money…

God: Those things were never yours, they belong to the Earth

Man: Is it my memories?

God: No. They belong to Time

Man: Is it my talent?

God: No. They belong to Circumstance

Man: Is it my friends and family?

God: No son. They belong to the Path you travelled

Man: Is it my wife and children?

God: No. they belong to your Heart

Man: Then it must be my body

God: No No… It belongs to Dust

Man: Then surely it must be my soul!

God: You are sadly mistaken son. Your soul belongs to Me.

Man with tears in his eyes and full of fear took the suitcase from the God’s hand and opened it.

Empty.

With heartbroken and tears down his cheek he asks God.

Man: I never owned anything?

God: That’s Right. You never owned anything.

Man: Then? What was mine?

God: your MOMENTS.

Every moment you lived was yours.

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How we choose to live and love our moment is entirely up to us.

I guess, the big question is, HOW have we lived our moments?

How will we live our moments?

Are our moments spent for things that last only for an hour, a day, a month, a decade, a lifetime?

Or are they spent for things that have … eternal values?

Because, well … our body may last a lifetime, but our soul does live forever.

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Whether we realise it or not, … our beliefs, our faith, greatly influence the way we live our moments, day in and day out.

Let’s keep finding our purpose.

Let’s live and love our moments.

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Ephesians 2:10

We are God’s creation.
He created us to belong to Christ Jesus.
Now we can do good works.
Long ago God prepared these works for us to do.

Flood. Dear flood.

What seemed to happen in Jakarta ‘every 5 years’ has somehow become an ‘annual disaster’.

We arrived in Jakarta in March 2012 and since then, we’ve witnessed Jakarta going through this flood problem, once a year.

(And no, I’m NOT blaming the governor for ‘weather issues’.)

It all started with rain. Heavy downpour, starting around midnight. Nonstop!Anyway.

I thought I must blog and share this ‘only-in-Jakarta’ UNIQUE experience the kids and I went through yesterday.

Yep, the day we TRULY experienced Jakarta’s big flood!

Well, here goes.

It all started with rain. Heavy downpour, starting around midnight. Nonstop!

And to cut the story short, we decided to NOT send the kids to school due to the rapidly rising flood water (though they’re already in the car with us, in school uniforms and all).

We went to drop hubby off to work, and we went back home.

Errrr … that’s when the problem started.

On our way home, we apparently entered ‘an impossible to go further’ zone!

I suddenly found myself in a situation where our car couldn’t move further.

It’s pouring rain outside.

I looked out my window, and saw flood water covering the lower parts of ALL other cars!

The 3 kids screamed, ‘Mommy! Water is coming into the car!!’I started to hear ‘engine noises’ coming from OUR car!

And to make things worse, … the 3 kids screamed, ‘Mommy! Water is coming into the car!!’

EEEEKSSS!

It was such a scary moment!

Thank God, seconds later I heard Anya pointing out to an office complex nearby, saying, “Mommy! Look! We should go there!”

Seriously, THANK GOD, we somehow managed to make a quick turn (amidst the traffic jam!) and entered a slightly higher ground!

Phew!

At least our car was no longer IMMERSED!

Heavy rain didn’t stop.

And I thought, we just had to leave our parked car and get out of there before the flood got worse.

Then you know what?

We spotted a big truck!

I did some crazy waves, yells (across the heavy rain!) and hand signs, and phew, the driver understood that we asked if we could get a lift!

All four of us (drenched) hopped on to the back of the truck.

Just as long as we could get a little closer to home, I thought.

Like, seriously?? Trucks couldn’t even make it through the floods?Then, you know what?

In less than 2 minutes, we were told to get off!

Why?

Because the driver told us, they’re NOT going out of the complex because the water level was TOO HIGH.

Other trucks couldn’t make it through the floods, he said.

Like, seriously?? Trucks couldn’t even make it through the floods?

Errrr … then I saw this sight across the road (picture below).

Great. Just great.

We waited around again … for another 10 minutes or so.

Heavy rain. Nonstop.

Then I decided to just go ahead.

I told the kids to get ready to walk through the floods. Since there’s NOTHING we could do, we’re going home!

The kids were like,

‘How about our shoes?’

‘How about our car?’

‘How about our school bags?’

Well, since we’re in a state of ’emergency’, I told them to NOT worry about those things.

Wet school shoes should be the LAST things that we worry about.

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What happened next was, I carried Brie with one hand and held an umbrella with my other hand.

Anya and Vai walked on their own. Each holding an umbrella.

We slowly walked forward.

Trying to feel the ground.

Avoiding holes and whatever big stones and curbs.

I just wanted to go homeIt was mad, I know.

Many looked at us, waving and gesturing from afar, asking if we wanted to go onto the side of the road and wait.

But then I thought, ‘Wait by the road side? No, I better stay towards the middle of the road, closer to the curbs (pictured above), so that JUST IN CASE there’s a truck, a horse carriage, a boat, or ANYTHING that passes by, we could hop onto it!’

What a crazy mother of three. Probably that thought crossed their minds. I don’t know.

I just wanted to go home.

So we walked ahead.

We did see 2 horse carriages, a boat, 2 trucks (filled with people at the back) passed by.

But they were all ‘FULLY BOOKED’.

I gave friendly yet desperate smiles, waved like crazy, yelled across the heavy rain, asking if they’re coming back towards where we’re heading.

But, they gestured how they still had a looonggg way to go, unsure of when they could come back for us. Plus, the flood water was too high and trucks couldn’t stop to pick us up, just in case the engine stopped.

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Despite all that, we still saw amazing things along the wayYou know what?

Despite all that, we still saw amazing things along the way.

We saw people offering us help!

Yes, amidst their own inconvenient situations, they offered us help!

Amidst their own inconvenient situations, they offered us help!When we walked past strong currents, two people offered to hold the two older kids’ hands so they didn’t fall.

A middle aged man, drenched, going towards the same direction as us, offered to accompany Vai and walk along his side!

God-sent help, if you ask me.

After some 1.5 hours, we found a trolley!

Yay!

Weird, I know. But we’re happy to see a trolley!

And into the trolley Brie went. To rest my arms for a while.

Keep ourselves balanced so we didn’t slip and fall into the brown water!Apparently, it took us a good 2 hours to reach home.

But frankly, none of us felt the two-hour walk.

Perhaps it’s because we concentrated more on how to keep moving forward together. To keep on walking and finding a safer ground to tread.

To keep ourselves balanced so we didn’t slip and fall into the brown water!

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Ah anyway … it was SO nice to reach our home!

To have a good warm shower, and to clean ourselves from the murky water.

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As we walked through the floods, Vai was like, ‘Mommy!! I think that was a dead mouse floating away!!’Btw, when we walked through the floods earlier, Vai once yelled out, ‘Mommy!! I think that’s a dead mouse floating away!!’

Hah! I seriously did NOT want to know if it was real, or it was his mere imagination!

I just told the kids to NOT think about what’s inside and underneath the brown water. Just focus and keep on walking, it’s better that way!

And hey hey hey, we survived! Woohoo! =)

You know … I feel, we (especially the kids!) learned so much from what we went through.

The kids experienced for themselves the kinds of help offered by strangers (who were ALSO in difficult situations), and I hope they in turn learn the importance of helping others too.

The kids also learned how important it is to work as a team, to look out for each other! (Read: bickering and silly disagreements should be the last things in their mind!)

They experienced how it IS possible to get through the storm and the flood together, if they just kept on walking past the deep flood and strong currents.

And, most importantly, they experienced how God sent unexpected help along the way, to help us get home. Safe and sound.

And before they went to bed, they prayed for others who are in more difficult situations, who lose their possessions, their homes, their cars, because of the flood. This time round, their prayers felt more real, more relevant, I’m sure.

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Yes, it was not a pleasant experience.

But really, there were just SO many precious life lessons learned from it.

Thank God.

We learn to count our blessings.

And we know there are just too many of them.

I haven’t quite counted how many hours that we actually spend ‘on the road’ here in Jakarta.

On average, I mean.

Being ‘stuck’ with the kids in a car for a long period of time everyday does have its good sideAs much as I wish traffic was better here, I must say, being ‘stuck’ with the kids in a car for a long period of time everyday does have its good side.

A blessing in disguise.

Why?

Because, I get to see how the siblings interact with each other, their tone of voice when they talk to each other, and what they are grateful / complain about.

And, I get to answer their questions, and to correct any wrong understandings and thoughts that they may have.

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In my ‘Car Talk’ series of blog posts, I plan to keep a record of some of the things that we talk about.

Here are some thoughts that we shared with the kids the other day:

– The world may say that being smart is important, and getting high marks in your tests should be your main aim in life as a student.

But really, if we are full in the brain, if we are top students, but we are empty in the hearts, what good would our lives be?

If we are full in the brain, if we are top students, but we are empty in the hearts, what good would our lives be?– If we score the highest marks at school, but we have little or no compassion towards others, if we have no ‘heart’ to help someone who’s just fallen down in front of us, … then it is USELESS.

– If we score 100% in our tests, but we are rude, indifferent and have no respect towards others (young and old),  then it is USELESS.

ON THE OTHER HAND.

– If we are compassionate, respectful towards others and are quick to help others, but we are lazy and we don’t do our best in our studies, then it is also USELESS.

– God gives us a brain, and we ought to exercise it and use it to its best capacity.
 

So, what I am saying?

We must realise the importance of finding the balance between the two.

ie. While we must learn to be responsible for the brain God gives to us, we also must remember to have the heart for others.

Because, sadly, as more and more people today live a life ‘just for themselves’, they too have (unconsciously or consciously) forgotten about what it means to be compassionate, respectful, caring and loving towards others, other than ourselves (and our loved ones)

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Let’s try and find that balance?

Let’s start from ourselves. And our family.

So what else does Chiang Mai have to offer?

Hot air balloon adventure!

During my Chiang Mai trip recently, we went all the way up, some 400m above the ground!

And, to be THAT high above the ground, overlooking the plains of Chiang Mai, and watching the sun slowly rise right in front of your eyes?

AWESOME experience!

I shared heaps of photos and info on this hot air balloon experience on my Facebook.

Click HERE to view them!

 

I brought along my selfie stick to the trip, but ehem, I dared not use it to take a group photo of us in the basket!

You know, JUST IN CASE!

But, Mr Wout Bakker, our pilot, brought along his goPro!

Woohoo!

The above photo was taken with it!

Love it!

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And and and … I managed to put together a quick 2-minute video on our hot air balloon experience!

Click HERE to watch it, just in case you can’t view the embedded video below.

Hope you enjoy it =)

Have a great weekend, everyone!!

We went to Bay Walk shopping centre at Pluit today, and …. ah, finally … some Chinese New Year feel here in Jakarta! =)

Lanterns. Flowers. Chinese New Year stage shows. Sea view. Outdoor decorations.

I really like the whole feel of things there at Baywalk because I guess I kind of miss how festive everything is in Singapore when it celebrates Chinese New Year every single year!

(I especially like the outdoor decorations!)

Anyway.

I was told that there’ll be fireworks show on Saturday, 7 February, at Baywalk!

YAY.

With all the lanterns and lights lit up at night, PLUS the fireworks, … spending our Saturday night together as a family would be quite awesome, me think =)

 
Note: All photos were taken using my phone and my wide angle clip-on lens