Fatal Flaw

I withhold my praises of the new Circle Line; there's nothing wrong with the CC Line per se, I've just got an issue with how SMRT planned for the pedestrians to cross the road.

Used to be there was a temporary pedestrian crossing while construction work was going on. Now there's a lift at the entrance to the station and underpass right next to our apartment however, there's no way anyone with a set of wheels could manouvre up the escalator and then down a flight of stairs to get out of the underpass at the other side of the road. Worse, there's no way anyone without a working pair of legs could get down to the station as there's a long flight of stairs to tackle on the way down to the station from that same side of the underpass.

Try going through the station pass the ticket gantries and you're gonna get charged. Doesn't matter that you entered and exited at the same station within five minutes. You're still charged.

So.

Damned if you do and damned if you don't.

Looks like I won't be pushing the small fry in the stroller across the road via the underpass to cross the road to get to Singpost or Fair Price.

As If We Need Another Reason

I'll let this speak for itself...

New Line, New Life

The Circle Line's been open since April 17th. Hubby and I watched with glee from our apartment window, around midnight, how the engineering company would dismantle the five traffic lights and close down the pedestrian crossing. The lights were taken down overnight; the road barrier took a few days more to complete. Still, if it was in Malaysia, it would take them weeks to have done a simple job like that.

The next day we tried out the CC line. I LOVE it!

Since its opening, I have not taken the EW-Green line. The CC line's two stations further and takes a bit longer to Orchard, where we need to be on a daily basis for Sophie's playgroup, but it beats having to wait at least three trains before we can get on the Green line. And jostle our way in at that.

The CC line? No jostling, no waiting, ample seating and traveling in relatively way more comfort than the Green line. No more fighting with crowds, especially at City Hall. We change at Dhoby Gaut and our lives are so much easier from there.

I LOVE the CC line!

Oh, and the Paya Lebar Interchange is a really well-designed and well-thought out station. I love the way it looks and feels and I love the colours too.

Malaysia has nothing on Singapore for public transport. And guess what? The CC line trains are driverless too! But, and here's where it differs vastly from Malaysia: the trains are about twice the width of those in KL. Also, helpful SMRT staff have been on hand at the station since opening day to ensure crowds get the help they need, giving out helpful instructions and directions. They're stationed at EVERY CC station that's been opened. And that's eleven (ELEVEN!) stations.

If Singapore gets one thing right, it's their efficiency and their superb public transportation.

Backlogged!

So while I've been sitting around on my butt and my sewing machine's been squeaky clean in the cupboard, here are the projects that I have yet to complete:

1. A birthday bag for a friend (overdue)
2. A tea cosy for mother-in-law (overdue)
3. A small pouch for nenek
4. A fabric 'garden' for the small fry (a few stuffed flowers on stems and a couple of pots)
5. A bag/casing for parents' bamboo mat
6. A bag demanded requested by sis

Yup, I'd better get started on the list before it gets any longer and threatens to drown me.

Fat, Big And Tall

While watching TV this evening, small fry quips, "Mummy, mummy! You are fat!"

"What? Why do you say that?"

Silence and a mischievous grin.

"How about you, then? Are you fat?"

"No, I am tall!"

"You sure you're not fat?"

"No."

"How about Daddy, is he fat?"

"No, Daddy's BIG!"

"Oh, Okaaaay."

About Having Legs

Hubby hoisted the small fry up to go to bed after she'd pestered him away from the PC to tell her a bedtime story.

"No, Daddy, NOOOOOOO! I can walk on my own!"

"I HAVE LEGS!"

This coming from the girl who pesters everyone on a regular basis to "Carry! Carry!"

The Ever Flexible Totoro

"Babe, why don't you want to drink your milk?"

"Because Totoro's in the straw!"

I don't know if I should be amused or aghast at the small fry's imagination. Or her ability to spin yarns.

Trade 1: Conservation 0

At the risk of sounding pessimistic, I'm going to say it: we're going to run the Earth to the ground. I'm not entirely sure that there will be many animal species left by the time the small fry gets to my age, not any that she won't know of that's not in a zoo, conservation park or an aquarium, anyway.

I'm not sure how political a platform is the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species is, but it sounds as if trade really is trumping conservation these days.

Actually, trade is probably trumping EVERYTHING these days.

So, no protection for the Atlantic bluefin tuna (thanks to voracious appetites for sushi and sashimi), the porbeagle shark lost its protection along with six other sharks, which failed to get protection.

Just why do we need to eat shark's fin? The bloody thing doesn't even have a specific taste, just a texture.

Men and their virility complex are the culprits in trade of exotic animal parts: tiger, bear, what not. No, you're not gonna get it up just by consuming the penis of this or that. You have your own, just figure out how to bloody use it! It's not enough that there are enough phallic symbols in our daily lives; our wildlife has been and still is paying for man's vanity and greed.

One day we'll discover we went too far. By then, it will be too late.

Good luck to us. No, good luck to our future generations.

Day 5: Success!

We got to school early today; I was knackered from a business day trip back to KL the day before, so we took the cab. We were one of the first ones at school and the place was quiet.

Small fry insisted that the school was closed, all the way from the entrance till the door of her classroom. And then Xun lau shi came to the door and greeted her.  Teacher Neelima was also in class and there was another of her classmates already busy with the toys spread on the floor.

At the door, she'd told me she wanted me to go into class with her too. When Xu lau shi asked for a high five, she tentatively stuck her hand out and then as lau shi dodged, she got braver. And promptly stepped through the threshold of the door and forgot about me.

Woohoooo!!

I'm dreading the week back in KL next week. Or rather, I'm dreading the regression the small fry will go through after we return from a week without daily school. I'm anticipating an all out bawl session when we start again.

Sigh, it's time to plan for shorter trips back to KL with minimal disruption to her schedule.

Show Me A Little Love

For my birthday tomorrow, I ended up giving myself not one, but TWO birthday presents.

First, a nick on my right thumb while washing the Global knife yesterday. And there I am telling Jona to be careful with that knife when she handles it.

Two, another nick today, this time on my left thumb, with the fabric shears while cutting up cotton duck for a project.

Both required some minutes of sucking on the wounds before they would stop bleeding.

I love myself quite a bit, I suppose.