I need time management!

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My firstborn is 10 years old this year, and he is mid-way into his primary four education (aka grade 4).

Since he is out of the zero to nine years age range, the age range of 'early childhood', well, I can safely say that Afzal is into his middle childhood. Now, what does that mean?

It just mean one thing for me. His mathematics subject is getting harder, and it is definitely a steeper learning curve this year, not only for him but for me. On top of the mathematics, there's the science that is a lot more demanding this year.

The problem sums are getting more complicated, and there are layers of layers of problems to solve before you even arrive to the actual answer that the question wants. My speciality has always been early childhood maths, and now I realize  that I am not as productive as I could be in assisting him with this middle-hood maths.

I have reliquished my teaching role to the hubby, partly maths is getting a bit too complicated for me. It has been less fun to teach without using manipulatives and hands-on materials, because at primary four, there's very little creativity involved in the teaching. Maybe I have not researched enough how to solve the problem sums more creatively.

And partly we have an addition to the family, our 2nd born son. As a growing baby, Aqil needs attention, and at 6 months, he already knows whose attention he wants to seek. ;P And now I am re-starting my early childhood strategies cycle once again this time on Aqil.

It's going to be an exciting ride ahead! With the trials that Afzal had gone through with me, I definitely have a better idea of what, how, why, and when to do things with Aqil, I surely hope so. But one thing that I have to remember is that every child is different, but every child has the potential to learn anything and everything. And in order for Aqil to maximise learning, it really depends on me as the parent to nurture and harness his capacity. However, it is always so easy to get sidetracked and distracted with the daily grind of life.

As a working mother who only wants the best for her kids and our lives ahead, I have to keep reminding myself that my children are only young once. If I missed that moment, that opportunity, that milestone, it will never, ever come back to me. So, this reminder is for me to spend my time wisely with my children. Time management! is key to my sanity as a working mum!

Our Tipping Point

Before she left the company for greener pasture, she asked me to read a chapter from The Tipping Point, and she wanted me to relate it to our community - the Malay community.

Why is it that most Asian societies are doing well academically than the first world countries?

This is especially so in mathematics for instance, supported very much by the TIMSS study (Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study). The top-achieving countries in maths hailed mostly from East Asia.

The possible reason, if I were to gather the thoughts of this author is that, "no one who wakes up early in the morning before the sun rises to work in padi fields cannot be rich."

Hmmm... he is assuming traditionally or rather by heritage, most people in Asian societies are padi farmers who are hardworkers. And if you worked so hard starting from dawn, you should be able to gain wealth.

Now, but why isnt it so for our Malay communities? Well, for one, most of us Singaporeans are not padi workers!!!

Ok, but if we are not padi workers, so are the other ethnic groups in Singapore but why is it that the other ethnic groups are reaping the wealth, not us?

So what's our tipping point?

Understanding Islam

I bought this book when the author came to town but only managed to complete it last night, due to my own procrastination. It is very factual and insightful, even to a Muslim like me, whose knowledge of Islam is rather incompetent in many ways.

To a certain someone who was disillusioned about terrorism and feel that Islam is at fault in many ways, I can only say, read this book, especially the three chapters on Jihad. It was clear and succint, and even help to clarify the many questions I have in my own mind.

And contrary to media attention, Jihad is NOT defined as Holy War. And of course, this book is not just about jihad, but present the basic tenets of Islam in very easy to understand ways.

Well I can only say, read this book - Understanding Islam: A Guide for the Judaeo-Christian Reader by Jerald F. Dirks, cos only if you seek knowledge, then you will understand and make informed decisions.

For more information about the author and his books, click his website. For a detail account of his journey to Islam, click here.

Destiny detoured...

After I came home last Thursday, I did not return to The Alchemist. I have bought The Alchemist and two other paperbacks at the same time at an MPH sale at the Expo and on that Thursday evening, one of the paperbacks still tightly wrapped in its clear plastic beckoned me.

It was another of those 'destiny' book, and for that night alone, I read 48 pages of it as compared to 28 pages of The Alchemist on the first day of reading. However, you can't compare one with the other as one is a work of fiction, while the other is a non-fiction.

After ploughing 48 pages, I am glad to say that I was less perturbed about my own situation. You would understand the situation if you have read the previous blog entry. It made a difference in the way I see things. Within that hour or so, and after 48 pages, a more positive mind emerge from me.

I should have read it much earlier. What power that book has given me - if it's only to make me feel better. Thanks to Rich Dad, Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki.

My destiny?

I wonder what my destiny is. Perhaps I shouldn't think too much as it's probably 'maktub' (it's written)

I'm in the middle of reading The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho. And I'm not done yet.

***

I never expected to be living in rental houses, at least not in Singapore, my birth country.

When we were holidaying in Melbourne back in 2005, we bumped into a Malay family who were formerly from Singapore and had made Melbourne home. The husband had become an Australian citizen but the wife was still a PR. The wife told me that prior to the husband becoming a citizen, they had lived in rental homes for about 10 years. Only after the husband had changed his citizenship and withdrew his money from CPF, they bought their very own abode in Melbourne.

10 years living in rental property! That sounds quite right. But for the fact that I'm Singaporean, living in my own birth country - putting up in rental houses don't seem quite fit the profile of the typical Singaporean family. And I don't own any property either. Well, perhaps we are not so typical after all.


***

This has made me think about my destiny. I don't think I am destined to live in a rental home indefinitely. Yes, we have given ourselves deadline. But before we even get to that deadline, the landlord has decided to change our destiny again but increasing the rental ...

This has made me feel very perturbed. The high cost of rental vs the high cost of owning a home in Singapore. Everything is $$$-driven. Even the price of rice has increased 100%, but not our salary.

***

Could I be a businesswoman with a successful business? That's a destiny I'm thinking. But I'm fearful to embark on the unknown.

"...I'm going to hold on to what little I have because I'm too insignificant to conquer the world" p41

I just don't know and not ready to take any risks!

"I'm just a tiny speck of dust in this whole wide world." That's me saying.

***

Ok I'm back to my old real world...let me finish The Alchemist first.

All that I want, is just another...

What shall I blog about? Reflections and resolutions ...nah. It was an uneventful start to the new year. No reflections, no resolutions... just a fancy do. I rebonded my hair for the first time. I would still like a nice crown under my hejab without the unruly kinks, and yes, I'm pretty delighted with the outcome. It wasn't about vanity, it was about not having a bad hair day. Yes, I could have a bad hair day eventhough my hair is covered.

That aside, I didn't ponder about 2007, but I guess now that I am writing this, I am beginning to think about the shape my life has taken this year. I went back to becoming FTWM in March but in an industry totally different from what I used to be in. It was more sane, I guess, clocking in sane number of hours, and leaving on the dot or even lesser than the exact dot. Some people may think that I have caved into the rut of the admin lady - the one who does not care about the grand vision of the company, who just need to do her part and off she goes home to her loving husband and child.

Hey, but I do have a grand vision, a vision of a good life for me - that without a doubt. If you believe in Maslow's Hierarchy of Human Needs, the higher we move up the ladder, the more self-actualization we want. And I believe, I'm selfish enough to make it all about ME now. Yes, ME! Like the song goes, "All that I want, is just another..." (FILL UP YOUR OWN WORD).

I have had some great fulfilments in my career in the last decade, and though there's more higher peaks to scale in that area, I'm happy to leave it for the others. But if I do decide to climb that same peak again, it has to be different. It has to be about a cause, a personal cause. A cause that will lead me to the right path and direction, not necessarily the highest peak.

That's fulfilment.

A Thousand Splendid Suns

I bought The Kite Runner and The Da Vinci Code on the way back to Singapore from Alabama, knowing that it will be a long flight home, and I need something to keep me occupied in case there are no other forms of entertainment and I couldn’t get any forty winks. As I have not read novels in such a long time, I wondered whether I will be able to finish reading these two acclaimed and one partly, controversial novel. I did, much to my own amazement.

I read DaVinci on the flight, and it kept me awake while hubby and little kiddo were catching up with their much needed sleep. I was intrigued, and can’t help wondering the truths or myths of Dan Brown’s claims. It definitely requires much discourse with someone who has read the book, or someone in the know of things, if there is ever such a person.

What’s more astounding is that, I read The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini in double speed time. Sidney Sheldon used to be one of my favourites when I was younger and I have read many of his novels and simply can’t put them down. With The Kite Runner, I am so immersed and felt transported into its fictional realm, and yet it felt so real. I imagined myself being there, observing the going-ons in the lives of Amir and Hassan.

After I reached Singapore, I introduced both books to my dad. He said, he’ll read it sometime. Unsuspectingly, my youngest brother took The Kite Runner since it was highly recommended by me and he took only two days to read it. Seeing that, my dad read the book, and he too, couldn’t put it down, until he finished it.

With both The Kite Runner and Da Vinci Code, it makes me forget the world that I’m in, neglecting people around me eventhough I could be in the same room as them. I felt like I was somewhere else, and I’m not too sure whether a good book is good for me, since it can make me neglectful of my chores and responsibility.

And to my surprise, it was dad who introduced me to A Thousand Splendid Suns, Khaled Hosseini’s second novel. He had bought the book at the airport at a discount since he was a staff there, and is now reading it. He has not finished reading but I have stolen 10 chapters of it in between dad’s read. Again, Khaled has brilliantly transported me back to Herat to share the life of Mariam, as of now, this is the only character I knew that is central to the book at this point in time of the read. And I can’t wait to see what awaits Mariam, or how life is unfolding for her. He is definitely a brilliant storyteller.

“Father, can I read it now, please….?!!!”

Singapore Math and Kitchen Table Math

I came across this blooki (part blog, part wiki, part book) called Kitchen Table Math, started by two mummies whose mission statement is to have fun, to share ways of teaching kids math and to support people who wants to help kids learn math.

I don't know whether I felt surprise or proud the fact that one of the mummies, Catherine, cited Singapore Math as a coherent curriculum. This time, to my surprise, Singapore Math Inc is a company based in Oregon, USA supplying maths textbooks and workbooks from Singapore to US parents and teachers. In fact, some users from UK as well.

Well done to maths-curriculum-made-in-Singapore for doing so well overseas!
(yet our Malay kids are not doing so well in maths, sigh.)

Books used in the K classes in the first week.

Miss Bindergarten Gets Ready For Kindergarten Author: Joseph Slate Illustrator: Asley Wolff

If You Take A Mouse To School
Author: Laura Numeroff
Illustrator: Felicia Bond