Though Frozen is still very popular, and many girls I know would want to dress up as Queen Elsa, Ch chose to be a Minion from the Despicable Me movie as part of her costume for Children's Day in school. I secretly rejoiced with that choice as she has never really been the princessy type anyway. Plus, I highly suspected I would see plenty of Elsa(s), and I was right.
I wanted a costume that I can add my personal touch to. Ch wanted a yellow beanie with DIY goggles made out of toilet paper rolls, matched with a yellow top and a blue overall. But boy! It was really difficult to find a bright yellow beanie! They come in all sorts of colors except bright yellow!
I gave up searching and decided to see what else is available online.
And I found this!
Imagine how excited I was! I wanted to challenge my crafting skills further, but was also hesitant as the last time I crocheted something was at least 20 years ago! And this would be the first time I crochet something in a 3D form.
To add to the problem ...
Even buying the crochet hook and yarn was difficult. I was told to buy yarn which costs $26 for one roll! A beanie that cost $100 to crochet was totally out of my budget. In the end, I settle for acrylic yarn which I got at $2 from Daiso. The thickness of the yarn was probably not similar to what was suggested in the tutorial, hence the beanie looked a little off standard - the brown and white parts of the eyes looked unproportional.
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| Click picture to go to Youtube tutorial |
It took me about 3h to complete 7 rows of the beanie. It was difficult at the start as I had to re-crochet the first 3 rows THRICE. I couldn't figure how to do a double crochet and slip stitch. Fortunately, my persistence was worth it. It became much easier once I got the hang of it. The Youtube tutorial is excellent. I can rewind and replay as many times as I wanted to in order to get it right.
The other difficult part was to figure the number of single and double crochet for each row instead of just following the tutorial mechanically, so that the width of the beanie fits Ch's head.
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| Match the beanie with a yellow top and a blue overall, and top it off with black shoes to get a happy Minion! |
I added a smile at the side of the beanie to complete the look after the celebration. This project certainly allows me to realise how much I can achieve by persevering through the process. It was also a learning point for Ch as she knew I found it difficult at the start, and saw how I coped with my frustrations. While allowing my irritation to take over my emotions at the start, Ch said this as a-matter-of-factly, "So now you know why I was so frustrated when I did my rainbow loom last time?" That sentence stopped me immediately. Thank you Ch, for that timely reminder. There were so many moments where I got angry with you, for being frustrated when you couldn't figure out the next step while doing the loom bands. Yes, now I know, and I am able to understand you better too.
I am definitely pleased with the finished product cos it's made with love for Ch.
I am definitely pleased with the finished product cos it's made with love for Ch.
Memories of the Haw Par Villa - Our SG50 e-book project
Exploring Singapore Thursday, October 09, 2014
If you were born in the 1980s or earlier, I am sure you will remember this well-known place in the picture, and most probably, have a picture of yourself taken there. Yes, I am referring to the Haw Par Villa Dragon World, or originally known as the Tiger Balm Gardens before 1988. This majestic garden was built in 1937 by Aw Boon Haw for his brother, Aw Boon Par, who were both tycoons of the Tiger Balm ointment that the locals would be very familiar with. Back then, it was THE attraction and 'oriental Disneyland' of the era and families would spend their weekends or public holidays there, viewing the statues and giant dioramas of Chinese mythology and Confucius teachings, and scaring their kids with stories of hell. The name was later changed in 1988 after the Singapore Tourism Board took over the running of the place, and iconic features like acrobatic shows and two water rides - a slow boat ride through the dragon's body and a rollercoaster-like flume ride - were added. Sadly, these iconic features have been removed since 2004.
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| The flume ride which was so popular in the 1990s. |
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| Stage performance (1991) |
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| Funny street performance about Wu Song and Pan Jin Lian (1992) |
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| Stage performance (1994) |
As I flipped through old photo albums of my parents' collection in search of pictures for a SG50 e-book project initiated by the Ministry of Education, it brought back many memories of this place. I wouldn't say that the recollection of this place is all fun and pleasant, considering gruesome images of the Ten Courts of Hell still haunt me till today. Despite that, the Haw Par Villa was built with the intention of imparting traditional Chinese values. Through the Chinese stories and fables revealed by the sculptures all around the park, children learn the importance of being filial, and to have a good character grounded on sound moral values which are relevant in modern times. That is the beauty of the Chinese culture and values - being diligent, respectful to the elders and upholding integrity are some of the many values we still impart in our Chinese families, in the hope that our children will be exemplary in the society, especially when they are independent.
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| Even small things, like the water mist, fascinated us back then |
I do have mixed feelings about the Haw Par Villa though. Much as I loved this place when I was younger, it was mainly for the water rides and the company as the visits were usually gatherings with my extended family. Never did it once occur that I should revisit the Haw Par Villa with my children each time I drive past this place. Maybe it was the (too) graphic human sculptures with their heavily-painted faces that gives me the creeps... or animal sculptures that look too real for comfort. It is just too visual for young children and parental guidance is highly recommended. Also, stories about the punishments in the Ten Courts of Hell are no longer relevant for my family due to differences in religious beliefs, although there are strong learning points we can glean from each court and its reasons for the extremely harsh punishment.
Nonetheless, this place comes with a rich heritage and all things traditional, should not - and must not - be replaced with modernism. For a place like the Haw Par Villa which was initially built on strong brotherly love, and deep-rooted in values and virtues of the Chinese culture, it will be a physical reminder of the long history and significance it holds in the past as it sits quietly on the hill of Pasir Panjang Road. We need to continue preserving this area to give locals and tourists a chance to learn about our culture through a unique educational experience. We are already seeing many Chinese traditions and customs being slowly replaced by modern thinking in the hearts of young Chinese families. Will we come a day where our children only knows ang-moh stories like Harry Porter or English fables, and no longer recognises Chinese stories which were once popular and widely read by our older generations? I too, realise that Ch and L have not been very exposed to Chinese stories and folklore which I am familiar with, and I attribute this to my own doing. I am starting now, and am doing a little more to read stories about the Monkey God to them.
Singapore Tourism Board (STB) can certainly step up on its strategies to promote the Haw Par Villa to the younger generations which are lured to more happening theme parks like the Universal Studios. I am heartened to read that in March this year, the STB organised a Reliving Haw Par Villa Festival and saw an overwhelming turnout. Currently, guided tours of the place are also available for a fee for those who want to gain more insights about the sculptures and dioramas. Hopefully, with more support from the public, this faded attraction can once again, relive its glorious days.
What do you remember most about Haw Par Villa?
(I could not find any pictures of the gruesome sculptures from the old photo albums. Perhaps... it was an intentional act by my parents to leave only the fun memories of that place, and not the giant dioramas and statues that probably scared me back then.)
Other information:
Opening hours 9am to 7pm daily
Admission fee Free
Address 262 Pasir Panjang Road Singapore 118628
How to get there Easiest by MRT. Alight at the Haw Par Villa MRT station
[This post is a contribution to the SG50 e-book initiated by MOE to commemorate Singapore's 50th birthday next year. You can read more about the heritage of the Haw Par Villa during its glorious days here and here.]
I've been wanting to write about K's experience on the ECMO as a record of her battles won at the PICU. Today, I found the motivation to do so. This is for you, Chiew Nee. Though we have not met before, the text exchanges make me feel like I've known you longer than the actual. Maybe it is because of the familiar worry we have for our little ones. Remembering your family as you make decisions on how to help little R, and for R as he fights to overcome his heart issues and pulmonary hypertension problem.
It happened on 3rd of Feb this year - the fourth day of the Chinese New Year celebrations. The usual festive celebrations and visits to our relatives were replaced by camps at the paediatric ICU as K had a severe bout of respiratory infection (bronchiolities followed by pneumonia) due to the metapneumovirus. By the third day of admission, she had regressed so much that the doctors had to intubate her to support her breathing. Even then, she did not do well. Doctors had to increase her oxygen and nitrous oxide gases, as well as the pressures from the ventilator. She had to receive a blood transfusion, which unfortunately, triggered some reactions in her body and made the situation worse. It probably caused some kidney damage, resulting in the need for kidney dialysis. Thankfully, this was just a temporary treatment.
On the fifth day of admission, Dr Terence broke the news that I was dreading to hear. K had worsened so much that she had to be put on ECMO (Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation) and that was her only hope of survival. Dr Terence has always been very encouraging and positive in how he handles K's case, and though his words came out with love and concern, they cut through my heart.
If she were my child, he said, I would let her do this.
I started crying. Very badly. It was one thing to know that my child had to go through this high-risk treatment, it was another thing to realize that she was dying. I must have looked very "unglam" at that time, but I couldn't care less.
What is ECMO then? ECMO is a heart and lung bypass machine that takes over the functions of the heart and lungs so that the organs get to rest and heal over time. Two cannulas (tubes) are inserted into the right side of the neck to allow blood to be drawn from the body into the ECMO circuit and back to the body (note: there are other ways of administering ECMO). This treatment is administered to patients as a last resort when all other treatments fail to improve the condition. K almost needed ECMO when she was first hospitalised and diagnosed with pulmonary hypertension in 2013, but she managed to pull through before that happened. So naturally, we (ZY and I) associated ECMO with dying and wanted to avoid it. It also comes with high risks that will lead to many complications - even death. For example, there could be bleeding in the body due to Heparin (an anti-clotting medicine) which thins the blood to prevent blood clots in the ECMO circuit. If bleeding occurs in the brain, it can cause brain damage or death. There is also increased risk of infection, as blood is exposed to the outside environment of the body. A stroke may occur if blood clots form in the body. The ECMO process works by having an intricate balance of all the components involved to prevent any of the complications we feared. There were many children who still lost the battle despite being on ECMO. However, this scary process was the only option left to give K a chance to rest her frail body, and hopefully to be able to survive it all, else she would definitely lose her life.
During the 9 days of ECMO, the (big) team of doctors, nurses and respiratory therapists were vigilant in their care for K. There were so many doctors involved in K's case and they met up every morning to check on her and to discuss the next course of treatment as a team. The team constantly monitored her vital signs and watched for signs of discomfort. The Bair Hugger Blanket, an equipment which blows warm air, was brought in to prevent K from losing too much heat during the process (I love that name! Sounds like a furry teddy bear hugging K when it is switched on and keeping her safe and cosy in that big bed). The staff went in and out of her room numerous times, adjusting the equipment around K and tweaking the medications K was receiving. They performed constant checks and maintained the ECMO circuit. They talked to K in a loving way like she was their own. They were also so compassionate to our grieving hearts in their small ways - bringing a chair to let us rest while we kept K company, asking us if we had our meal, and updating us of K's progress every day without fail. Seeing the familiar doctors and nurses around her room gave us a confidence booster, and definitely helped us to have more faith and assurance of her recovery. We can never thank each of you enough!
K stabilised and progressed positively throughout the ECMO process. There was more life to her body after a week of ECMO. We even spotted her peeping at us through her half-open eyes for a short while. ECMO for her was so successful that when the doctors wanted to stop ECMO for her on the 9th day, I actually asked "Really? Are you sure?" because I didn't want to rock the boat. K was successfully weaned off from the ECMO machine and responded well to post-ECMO treatment. No complications met, except that she required kidney dialysis longer than expected. Though we feared that she had to be put on kidney dialysis after her recovery from PICU, God was merciful and she didn't have to.
Trusting the medical team and leaning on support from everyone helped us tide through this stressful period. Praying for her on my own, as a family and as a church, tripled that peace in our hearts many times more. You may have stopped here because you are looking for positive stories of ECMO patients, or you may have a child who needs ECMO soon. By sharing K's story here, it is my wish that this ECMO warrior has brought hope and encouragement to at least one of you. As her earthly parents, we pray that she will never have to go through this painful path again, but if she had to, we know that God will always be watching over her and giving her what is best. Despite the physical challenges she faced, our princess warrior won the battle through the God's love, and through the help from loving people He sent into our lives.
It happened on 3rd of Feb this year - the fourth day of the Chinese New Year celebrations. The usual festive celebrations and visits to our relatives were replaced by camps at the paediatric ICU as K had a severe bout of respiratory infection (bronchiolities followed by pneumonia) due to the metapneumovirus. By the third day of admission, she had regressed so much that the doctors had to intubate her to support her breathing. Even then, she did not do well. Doctors had to increase her oxygen and nitrous oxide gases, as well as the pressures from the ventilator. She had to receive a blood transfusion, which unfortunately, triggered some reactions in her body and made the situation worse. It probably caused some kidney damage, resulting in the need for kidney dialysis. Thankfully, this was just a temporary treatment.
On the fifth day of admission, Dr Terence broke the news that I was dreading to hear. K had worsened so much that she had to be put on ECMO (Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation) and that was her only hope of survival. Dr Terence has always been very encouraging and positive in how he handles K's case, and though his words came out with love and concern, they cut through my heart.
If she were my child, he said, I would let her do this.
I started crying. Very badly. It was one thing to know that my child had to go through this high-risk treatment, it was another thing to realize that she was dying. I must have looked very "unglam" at that time, but I couldn't care less.
What is ECMO then? ECMO is a heart and lung bypass machine that takes over the functions of the heart and lungs so that the organs get to rest and heal over time. Two cannulas (tubes) are inserted into the right side of the neck to allow blood to be drawn from the body into the ECMO circuit and back to the body (note: there are other ways of administering ECMO). This treatment is administered to patients as a last resort when all other treatments fail to improve the condition. K almost needed ECMO when she was first hospitalised and diagnosed with pulmonary hypertension in 2013, but she managed to pull through before that happened. So naturally, we (ZY and I) associated ECMO with dying and wanted to avoid it. It also comes with high risks that will lead to many complications - even death. For example, there could be bleeding in the body due to Heparin (an anti-clotting medicine) which thins the blood to prevent blood clots in the ECMO circuit. If bleeding occurs in the brain, it can cause brain damage or death. There is also increased risk of infection, as blood is exposed to the outside environment of the body. A stroke may occur if blood clots form in the body. The ECMO process works by having an intricate balance of all the components involved to prevent any of the complications we feared. There were many children who still lost the battle despite being on ECMO. However, this scary process was the only option left to give K a chance to rest her frail body, and hopefully to be able to survive it all, else she would definitely lose her life.
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| The numerous machines supporting K during her battle |
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| The cannulas that bring blood to the ECMO machine and back to K |
During the 9 days of ECMO, the (big) team of doctors, nurses and respiratory therapists were vigilant in their care for K. There were so many doctors involved in K's case and they met up every morning to check on her and to discuss the next course of treatment as a team. The team constantly monitored her vital signs and watched for signs of discomfort. The Bair Hugger Blanket, an equipment which blows warm air, was brought in to prevent K from losing too much heat during the process (I love that name! Sounds like a furry teddy bear hugging K when it is switched on and keeping her safe and cosy in that big bed). The staff went in and out of her room numerous times, adjusting the equipment around K and tweaking the medications K was receiving. They performed constant checks and maintained the ECMO circuit. They talked to K in a loving way like she was their own. They were also so compassionate to our grieving hearts in their small ways - bringing a chair to let us rest while we kept K company, asking us if we had our meal, and updating us of K's progress every day without fail. Seeing the familiar doctors and nurses around her room gave us a confidence booster, and definitely helped us to have more faith and assurance of her recovery. We can never thank each of you enough!
The constant worry over the 9 days of ECMO was stressful and tiring. We worried about the potential complications and the quality of her life after ECMO. Though we could not help much in terms of the medical aspect, we sat beside K and held her small, lifeless hand every day. We had to be careful not to move her body else the cannulas could be shifted out of place and that would be disastrous. We sang to her and played her favourite playlist on our phones to calm and comfort her, but watching the monitor closely else she was too conscious and that would affect her vital signs. We wanted her to know that God was watching over her, and petitioned for God to be merciful to this precious soul and to heal her body. We also asked for God's blessings to be upon each member of the medical team so that they have the wisdom to decide on the most appropriate treatment for her. We prayed for the best outcome, but were also mentally ready for the worst that could possibly come.
Whenever K was hospitalised at the PICU, the sister - sweet Ch who has a tender heart for K - would rally the brother and our helper to make cards for K. They could not visit her at the PICU due to the age limit for visitors, but this was their way of showering her with love from home. They would also request for prayers from the class when they attend Sunday school.
The love from supportive family members, friends and brethren was overwhelming too. We felt it all (thank you!). We are grateful for everyone's visitations to the hospital and prayers. I know many of you offered prayers for K every day. Special mention to K's godparents for initiating virtual prayer sessions so that brethren from different parts of the world could gather together and petition for K at the same time. And a big thank you to the FB group of parents who went through similar experiences! Your advice and words of encouragement helped to allay our fears and kept us focussed on K's recovery instead of allowing our minds to wander into the scary unknowns.
K stabilised and progressed positively throughout the ECMO process. There was more life to her body after a week of ECMO. We even spotted her peeping at us through her half-open eyes for a short while. ECMO for her was so successful that when the doctors wanted to stop ECMO for her on the 9th day, I actually asked "Really? Are you sure?" because I didn't want to rock the boat. K was successfully weaned off from the ECMO machine and responded well to post-ECMO treatment. No complications met, except that she required kidney dialysis longer than expected. Though we feared that she had to be put on kidney dialysis after her recovery from PICU, God was merciful and she didn't have to.
Trusting the medical team and leaning on support from everyone helped us tide through this stressful period. Praying for her on my own, as a family and as a church, tripled that peace in our hearts many times more. You may have stopped here because you are looking for positive stories of ECMO patients, or you may have a child who needs ECMO soon. By sharing K's story here, it is my wish that this ECMO warrior has brought hope and encouragement to at least one of you. As her earthly parents, we pray that she will never have to go through this painful path again, but if she had to, we know that God will always be watching over her and giving her what is best. Despite the physical challenges she faced, our princess warrior won the battle through the God's love, and through the help from loving people He sent into our lives.
To God be the glory, great things He hath done!
The school celebrated Children's Day last year with a Super Hero theme and Ch went as Spidey Girl. This homemade costume was an easy assembly of different components - the mask, Spidey shirt, a pair of blue tights, and a red tutu (idea taken from here).
Buying a Spiderman costume off the shelves would have cost me $30. And I'll be stuck with another costume in the cupboard after the kids have outgrown their superhero-crazy phase. My actual total damage for this homemade version was less than $10 including unlimited joy of making it. Most of the cost came from the pair of blue tights and the red tulle material and these can be reused in other ways.
The Spidey shirt was borrowed from a friend but you can easily make one with a red blouse and draw the webbing pattern using a fabric marker or do an elaborate version like what this mom did at Shannon Makes Stuff. My friend happened to also have the felt Spiderman mask that I was going to make so I conveniently took it from her too (thanks Pamela!)
I love how the red tutu transforms a Spiderman costume to a cute one for a girl that isn't too feminine! And it's a NO-SEW tutu! How's that as a time-saver!! To make this, I used an elastic band and measured around Ch's waist. Following the instructions by Paging Fun Mums, strips of the red tulle was cut to the desired length and looped around the elastic band. A no-fuss, red tutu completed!
The only problem to this costume was that I couldn't get a better quality tulle, so Ch complained that the tutu was very rough on her skin and poked her when she sat.
You can also make cuffs like these using felt or toilet paper rolls which I did for my simple Teachers' Day Spidey Mom costume last year (don't laugh... teachers do have fun too).
Have fun making your own Spiderman costume!
