Plastic Free July

So for the whole of last month, I decided to put a focus on plastic. The #plasticfreejuly movement has actually started way back in 2011 but I only heard about it on 1st July this year through one of the many environmental advocacy groups I follow. Although it felt late in the game but the idea of being part of the solution really resonated with me so I joined the challenge!

Since embarking on this journey to reduce waste, especially plastic, I have seen enough responses and reactions to know that my efforts will not always be appreciated. So it is certainly a challenge - not so much the actions of reducing plastic but to be prepared to be rejected or even ridiculed. But since the decision was made, I committed to it by changing my profile picture and cover page on Facebook and basically made an online declaration about it.

I do like this year's logo which included a turtle. That video of a turtle suffering with a straw in its nose was probably what started me off on this journey in the first place. What better image to use as a profile picture right? And for the cover page, I applied my creative juices on Canva once again to design my very own with a slogan to boot!

Initially I really thought I would be posting and hashtagging every single day but as I wanted to be authentic and only to relate something I personally do, finding something to post everyday was not easy at all. But I tried my best and really made an effort to at least set some time each day to consider what I could share and managed to post something on Facebook 13 days out of 31 days.

Perhaps because I was conscious of the possible backlash, the text accompanying my posts are "mild"? Well, I am always super conscious about what I post online anyway... I hoped I came across as encouraging rather than imposing and more often than not, I included my failures and shortcomings in my attempts to show how this journey will not be easy but not impossible. Because (see image)

Where I held back in my written stories to the images and posts, I was consistent in the hashtags that accompanied them. #plasticfreejuly is a given. #byobsg and #saynotosingleuseplastic are almost always relevant. #consciouschoices is one I came up with as I realised it was exactly what most people are not making which contributed to the problem. And finally #motherearthisworththeinconvenience is one I thought up last year when I posted about my experience reducing waste for a camp in school because our mother earth really is worth it. 

I am really glad I did it though I was not sure how much of an impact I made. For most posts, I received a range of 5 to 14 likes, usually from the same people. The most likes I received was for a post on OCK [19 likes] - was it because many people liked OCK or the way to avoid plastic using a silicon bag was the easiest to implement? And I received almost no comments at all save for the last one on supposedly zerowaste items I bought for home. I received one comment. So I was not able to start conversations either.

I suppose all these are within my (lowered) expectations. And like a teacher who will never know the extent of the influence he or she has on students, perhaps, hopefully I have planted some seeds of change in some minds in this short time of a month.

Biking from Hougang to Bangkit

Cycling is one of the many outdoor activities I enjoy immensely. This skill that once you acquire you will never forget has enabled me to explore parts of Singapore I might not had gone if without a trusty bicycle - the ends of East Coast Park, Changi Beach, Pulau Ubin, Marina Barrage at night, Coney Island and most recently, the Central Catchment Area. Had not even planned on ever seeing that last one! 🤣

One good thing about working close to home had been the feasibility of cycling to work. Skip the crowded buses and unreliable bus schedules and get some fresh air and exercise at the same time! Thus when I moved into my own place, a bicycle was on my to-buy list. I was very blessed to have one of my closest pal to gift me with one as a birthday cum housewarming present. And that is how my bright red mountain bike came to be at my humble abode in Hougang.

Since changing my marital status, the address needed an update as well. As I had no need to hire a mover to shift my belongings, my first (and only) option of moving my bicycle was to cycle it to its new home. A bicycle is a form of transportation after all! Moreover, a new coast-to-coast trail of Singapore's Park Connector Network was just announced so I was reassured that there would be a safe route for me to cycle from Hougang to Bangkit.

A quick search online brought me to Bikemap which planned out a route within seconds! I was so happy that I briefly skimmed through the more obvious checkpoints on the route and decided on the best day to execute this targeted 1.5 hours journey. Long distance or duration cycling is not foreign to me especially after the overnight cycling excursion I once completed with my Pathlight colleagues. However to be on the safe side, I set a journey time of 2 hours for myself to complete the 21 km route.

The day came and although I was excited to begin, I was deterred by the blazing hot sun. I had no wish to faint from heatstroke with my bulky bicycle in the middle of nowhere! So I decided to wait till late afternoon but it started to drizzle too. 😦 Oh well, at least I would not be burnt and it was kind of refreshingly cool as the raindrops fell.

Other than the sudden downpour, the first half of the journey was relatively easy and smooth. There was only one moment when I was cycling along Lentor Avenue that I felt incredibly small beside the multiple buses and big trucks passing by me at high speeds. It got somewhat challenging when I came to Mandai Road as the route got increasingly inclined. Thankfully, I was able to will myself to continue by dismounting and pushing the bike along.

On a positive note, I was greeted with various pretty scenic views near the zoo, military camp and even at a highway overpass! I also met some fellow cyclists who were all much more better equipped than me with helmets and working lights. Incredibly thankful to one particular uncle who stopped his bicycle at a crossing to signal to drivers that another biker was on the way.





1.5 hours in when I should have reached Bangkit, I finally arrived at what I thought would be the final leg of the route. To my horror, I discovered that rather than the usual park connector paths which I am used to, it was through the off-road condition bike trail in the Central Catchment area! I was not ready for it. It was also nearing nightfall and my headlights had ran out of battery on me... I got to admit that I panicked a little.

Aware I had no other choice, I put my foot on the pedal and pushed on. Ill-prepared for the conditions present, I stayed safe and dismounted to push my bicycle both uphill and downhill whenever necessary while keeping an eye and an ear out for possible visitations by wild boars. I pedaled furiously against time whenever the path was flat and smooth with the single hope of seeing familiar grounds before it turned pitch dark in this forested area with dense overhead canopy.

With each turn that led to disappointment (and anxiety), the emotion I felt when I finally recognised the exit near Chestnut Trail was impossible to describe. So that was what laid on the other path which I had never taken when Axel and I go for our nature walks... I was drenched, exhausted, filthy and grateful. I made it!!

With still a little bit of daylight left, two-and-a-half hour after a 21 km bike/hike journey, I slowly pushed my muddy bike and my spent body the final few hundred metres back home. Not quite the journey to the west but this journey towards the west turned out to be quite the adventure I did not expect.

In search of The carpenter

When we first discussed renovating our house, the hubby's main concern was that we would not be able to find a good carpenter. He had been very impressed with the work of the last carpenter he hired years ago and wanted to hire him again even though he knew the carpenter would likely be retired by now. Imagine that they had no common language but the hubby still speaks of him like a kindred spirit, they believe in quality, excellent, lasting workmanship.

So, the dutiful wife made the call to Uncle Chan as although I am no good at Cantonese, I can still converse with him in Mandarin. I was full of anticipation while waiting for the call to go through as I heard so much about Uncle Chan and his hand in the various furniture at home. 🤣 Uncle Chan was very friendly and understanding, however, he is indeed retired and my hubby would not be able to hire his trusted carpenter.

On hubby's suggestion to ask Uncle Chan's recommendation for other carpenters, Uncle Chan candidly responded that he honestly cannot. 🤯 Is the standard that bad/low now? He continued to ask if we are going to have major renovations to which I replied that we intend to renovate room by room and he said that that was good; we can always change the contractor if the workmanship leaves much to be desired.. 😆

But how to decide on that first carpenter to use? Haus Bedroom was suggested by the parquet supplier we purchased from. They are neighbours in the same industrial estate. Naturally, I checked out its Facebook page first. I like that they offer a variety of configurations for the wardrobe design and the pricing is reasonable. Thankfully, hubby agreed and we swiftly made an appointment.

Michael was my first point of contact and had been extremely helpful. He is knowledgeable and confident of his products and able to give us suggestions and alternatives to our (mainly hubby's 😛) demands requirements. Especially for our bed frame which would hold our 2 European sized single mattresses and movable slatted frames and have sufficient storage underneath.

Exactly a month ago, our bedroom had been totally revamped with new parquet floor, new wardrobe, new bed frame and new wallpaper, paint and ceiling fan  (last three completely done by hubby himself) And we can't be any more pleased with how it had turned out... it is definitely my favourite room of the entire house at the moment. Special thanks warranted for not just Michael but his team of workers, including Moni and Nur. Moni even built a mini-version of the very complicated bed frame design to be extra certain that there would be no mistake in the final product. 👍

I think I don't even need to worry about finding the next carpenter too as hubby was already discussing possible ideas for the kitchen with Michael. 😉

8. Dylan and Erica need to see our faces in the crowd.. cheering

Unfortunately, I have yet to find the chance to be there for the kiddos in this regard. The closest I can think of is smiling and cheering them on from the other side of the glass window while they were having fun in The Little Gym.

Again, their parents are really good in doing so, I think. I believe they have not missed a single session of either of their sports days or school concerts. There are always lovely photos taken at those events of them grinning brightly in sporty action or colourful costumes. Although, I can imagine my brother yelling in addition to cheering them at the same events though... 😝

I did volunteer myself to accompany Dylan on his next school outing! That should be fun and Dylan was rather excited about the prospect. Most importantly, our presence and engagement in their lives will make such a positive difference for them.

7. Dylan and Erica need to trust, at a very early age, that home is safe.

Dylan and Erica are past "a very early age" but they do already trust that home is safe. Today at school-going age, they both are pretty confident and outgoing kiddos. My brother and sister-in-law are certainly doing a great job in this area.

I am pretty impressed by my brother who takes extra time to give each of them separate swimming "tuition" on top of swimming classes they attend with a swim coach. More than just ensuring they learn how to swim, I believe those one-to-one sessions are when he bonds with them individually. Bet he does not know that even science suggests that his actions are going to make Dylan and Erica smarter and better behaved!

This is one aspect, from my years of experience as a teacher, I learn is one of the most important aspects that any parent must take care of. A child will simply have difficulties growing up well-adjusted without a supportive and nurturing environment at home. There are so many "problematic" youngsters acting out in school because they lack the care and attention at home.

For children to be the bright future we expect them to be, we first have to ensure that we adults are providing a safe haven at home for them. Unfortunately there are many unprepared or even unwilling parents out there. Thankfully, and hopefully, the percentage of that group of parents is small compared to the parents I personally know who care a great deal about how to bring up their children!

Just to add, I do not see a safe environment to only be possible in a typical family nucleus with a father and a mother. I know of many atypical families of single parent and even same sex parents who probably do a better job at creating trust at home for their children than many of the "normal" family type I came across at school. The point is, if you have choose to bring a child to life, do it properly?!

Dylan and Erica need to....

Finally picking up where I last left off in the Dylan-needs-to series, except given the 6 years lapse 🤯 it now becomes the Dylan-and-Erica-need-to series. And not so sure if this list for kids is still relevant to these 2 not-so-little little ones (both of them in primary school next year!) but today being the first day of the month and the first day of the second half of the year, I am feeling pretty inspired to keep it going continuously for at least a month?!? (keeping fingers crossed)

Looking at the next item on the list, I can imagine why I allowed such a long gap to transpire...... "dig a hole to China" Why in the world would kids need to do that? And unfortunately I really don't have the best opinion of China right now so that is hardly a desirable destination. If it is about being okay to get down and get dirty playing in dirt, that I can agree! The concept of Forest School is one I wouldn't mind being more involved in personally! Well, both of them are not adverse to getting muddy and playing in sand so I guess that is settled?

Next one is "need to take a nap with their dog".... but they don't have a dog... and given the discussion the family had while we were standing outside a pet shop just yesterday.. it seems highly likely that they might have one in the future... but they do have hamsters! Too tiny for them to take a nap with but probably learning the value of taking care of another living creature just the same.. They are certainly more confident in handling their Pokemon-named pets than me...

So, this reboot of the series shall begin with 6. Dylan and Erica need to search for the end of the rainbow. Both of them definitely recognize the colourful phenomenon and we often would spend at least a few minutes marveling the beauty of it when we do catch one. This endeavour of searching for its end would be an interesting extension. I mean, we all know you can never quite find the end but it does not mean that the pursuit of it is worthless or meaningless. I can already imagine the fun and possible conversation that might arise from such a hunt. And when they do find out that I brought them on an impossible search, I hope they would see the value of it in terms of the intangible enjoyment we gained from that little adventure.

Can't wait to find a rainbow with them!!

International Day of Yoga 2019

21st June - summer solstice - officially adopted by the UN as International Day of Yoga after being endorsed by 175 out of 193 member states. That is a noteworthy record where more than 90% of the countries of the world actually agreed on something. Yoga for better health of the entire world population.

Although this year is already the 5th year that it is being celebrated worldwide, I was only aware of it last year when I was on the search for a suitable yoga school to learn to become an instructor. Having decided to take up YICC at Vyasa Singapore, I was informed of the event for IDY 2018 held at CSC Tessensohn.

Then, I was a participant, quite a lonely one too. But this year, I was a volunteer and really glad to contribute as an instructor, a demonstrator, and an assistant alongside my YICC mates. Had assumed it would be a single day event but Vyasa, as one of the main organisers working with the High Commision of India, oversaw nearly 200 sessions across the island over about 2 weeks!

Preparation began a month earlier with weekly practice of the Common Yoga Protocol prepared by the Ministry of Ayuverda, Yoga, Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy (AYUSH) in India. Volunteers were also invited to a photoshoot at Esplanade before we were assigned to the various venues and sessions.

The photoshoot was set at 7am and it had been a long time since I woke up that early for anything. But upon arriving at the outdoor theatre by the waters, I was immediately refreshed and surprisingly stayed pretty alert for the entire session adopting various asanas for the photoshoot with over 50 other volunteers (an organisation nightmare).

My first assignment was totally out of my expectation. As a first-time volunteer, I assumed I would be taking on the role of an assistant, instead, I became the only instructor available for a session to nearly 20 participants at Boon Lay. Thankfully the teacher in me took over and the session went well. I had one participant inquiring the whereabouts of Vyasa after I mentioned it and another requesting for the sequence of asanas I taught... got to mean something right? 😃

The second one was comparatively relaxed as I was one of many assistants to a regular volunteer. In fact, the number of assistants was more than the number of participants in the beautiful Botanical Gardens. Outdoor yoga was lovely although I really did not enjoy the wet grass we were practising on. The calming and healing sounds of the singing bowls during savasanah were out of the world wonderful too.

Right after that, I went along to my third session at Sunlove Whampoa where I really could put my mandarin knowledge and limited dialect to good use as we guided a huge group of senior citizens in chair yoga. Had the pleasure to meet and hear the High Commissioner of India himself who graced the event.

Later the same day, we ended the day with the main event back at CSC Tessensohn with a full programme of speeches and performances before the yoga practice. It really felt like I came a full circle to where I first started with Vyasa. 😊

My final session was on the following morning at CSC Bukit Batok, semi outdoors in an open pavilion with the pool as our view. So fortunate that the 6yo who gave the speech the previous night was invited here too! I got a much better view to her outstanding performance!! Thereafter, I took on the role of demonstrator and managed to execute all instructions successfully.

Yoga has really become such an important part of my life and it means so much to me that I am now able to introduce it and its benefits to so many more people. Still unsure about becoming a professional yoga instructor as something about linking it to monetary value feels wrong.. Anyway, looking forward to the upcoming thank-you party! And of course, many more IDY to come..