Illustration Friday 08.04.09 - Modify

The name plate J.A.N represents the three of us: Janelle, Andre and Narelle, in our birth order. Simple?

Back on the Island

These days, besides cleaning the house, Mommy is busy with packing. Even though she does not want us to eat unhealthy food from outside, she has very little time to fix us proper meals. More often than not, she simply cooks a big pot of rice and makes it last through dinner; she will make soup from everything in the fridge or get Daddy to buy some dishes back after work.

We had lunch at the Laguna Café in Dusit Thani Laguna Phuket on Saturday. Daddy wanted to get everyone out of the house, so Janelle and Andre could get some fresh air besides staying home watching TV or playing games on their computers, phones or PSP. After lunch, we took a stroll around the resort and fed the fishes and birds with our lunch leftovers.

Mommy will miss the beach and tranquil lifestyle here in Phuket. It is so different after coming back from the hustle and bustle of Singapore, to peace and quiet after a week of noise and crowd in the city. Although we like going back and visiting family and friends, home is still the best. Bangkok is more like Hong Kong than Singapore, so we will have to get used to city life. Two more weeks till we say bye bye to Island Life and hello City of Angels!

Snippets from my travelogue

My wonderful family

My first jam session

I might have been the first timer, but I was grooving like a pro.

While we were away...

About a week before we left for our vacation, a buzz began to build around our part of Phuket. More and more policemen and soldiers appeared on the streets as each day passed. Checkpoints sprouted. Potted plants decorated the roads. Fresh saplings were planted and unruly trees were pruned everywhere, especially inside Laguna Phuket.

Daddy said his workplace was going to host a big meeting, with lots of VIP's from many different countries. It was lucky that we had scheduled our trip during this time, so we did not have to go through the hassles of road blocks and security checks.

Soon, in addition to the neighbourhood roosters, I was getting startled by the sounds of another type of birds, the big green metallic kind. 4 - 6 helicopters were using a school field just outside Laguna Phuket as helipads. They presented quite a spectacle for the kids living nearby, but Mommy did not like the idea for us to join in their impromptu exploration of these military aircraft.

Daddy found out that even for those who were on duty, only a few managed to catch a fleeting glimpse of celebrities like US Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton. Besides, it really could not have been much fun, as it rained almost non-stop the whole time... was it because I was not here to sing, "Rain, rain, go away; come again another day"?

Child of God

Last Saturday, the whole family went to Ang Mo Kio Methodist Church. Besides us, Grandpa and Grandma, Uncle Bob and Auntie Lyn, King Yu and his parents were there too. There were supposed to be more guests, but confirmed and suspected H1N1 cases kept some away.

It seems like everyone was talking at the same time, catching up on news and old times. Then the strange man in a black robe - they called him Pastor Stanley - asked us to open up the thick red book, the United Methodist Hymnal, and respond accordingly.

After some reading and Q&A, Mommy carried me to him, and he said a few more words before putting some water on my head. It was very warm in the church Sanctuary, so the water felt cool and refreshing. Soon, the ceremony was over and everyone clapped their hands and went back to their chatting and photo taking.
So, it is official: I am a Christian. A Methodist, to be precise, although I really have no idea what it means yet. I suppose Daddy and Mommy will explain to me when I get a bit older.