P6 Parenting | PSLE Final Papers - Game Time!!

Today is the start of the PSLE final papers. Here we are. 

It is finally game time.

I loathe to say or think that it is the "end game", because it really isn't and just puts undue stress on parents and the kids, but it does feel like that to some extent. 12 years of childhood. 6 years in primary school. 2 years of intense preparatory work... all for this major milestone. 

As if it wasn't enough of a challenge, Covid-19 came along and caused even more anxiety. 

It certainly did not help that since PSLE prelims, the number of cases surged the past few weeks, with more and more school-based transmissions... so much so that the Ministry of Education {MOE} announced that P6 students would go on a study break prior to PSLE. 

Not home-based learning with Zoom lessons, but a break from school and self-study at home. 

And even that caused worry because, some kids {and parents!} find the last few days of revision with school teachers absolutely crucial. They need the extra boost of confidence and preparation, even if it is just something psychological. 

But then what's the other alternative? Risk catching Covid-19, or be a close contact of a positive Covid-19 case and not even contract it yourself, and be "punished" for that by not being able to take the first major exam which the children have spent years preparing for?

Note: It was only days before the main papers that MOE announced that only positive cases or those on Stay-Home-Notice could be allowed to take the PSLE under certain circumstances. Before that, just being issued a Leave-of-Absence {LOA} or Quarantine Order {QO}, even if you're not positive, meant you couldn't take the exams. 

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by アイ・サクラ  (@aisakuraharuka)

Throughout the messiness and stress of PSLE prep and Covid-19, I'm really thankful for one thing - that Lil Pumpkin is so chill.

Honestly, it drives me crazy sometimes how she has such a laissez faire attitude towards her academics and life, in general. It's not that she is a bum or lazy, but Lil Pumpkin can be so "bo chup" or to put it crudely, gives zero f*cks about a lot of things. 

I guess in this current situation, this has bode her well. Lockdown for weeks? No worries. New PSLE grading system? Don't care. Uncomfortable mask-wearing for the foreseeable future? Hokay. PSLE entry proof or register number? Absolutely clueless. 

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by アイ・サクラ  (@aisakuraharuka)

Yup, last night around 10pm, there was slight panic when my friend reminded me to make sure she packed her PSLE entry proof but Lil Pumpkin wasn't sure if she had it or not.. or maybe even threw it away??! Gah. It took everything in me not to scream. I had a quick message to some of my other friends whose kids were taking PSLE and Meiru said there wasn't any entry proof this year, while Delphine said they just had to bring their student pass. 

Ah well. Too late to do anything anyway, so I just reminded Lil Pumpkin to just do what she can and tell her teacher if she needs assistance for anything. Most important is to not panic, and that sometimes, sh*t happens and we love her very much no matter what.

Yes, the takeaway message for Lil Pumpkin before she starts PSLE is that Mummy and Daddy love her very much. We know the hard work and effort she has put in for PSLE. We know the potential she has and obviously we want her to fulfil it. 

However, at the end of the day, life is unpredictable and things may not go the way we want it to. So even if she can't take the PSLE, or if she does not perform the way we expected her too, it is all ok. We have come to terms with that.

After all, this is not the end game.

Tweet

P6 Parenting | Prelims Week

Lil Pumpkin is in the midst of her P6 preliminary exams at the moment.

It seems somewhat surreal that we have reached this point. In just a few weeks' time, Lil Pumpkin will be sitting for the biggest exam of her life so far. And in a few months' time I'll be a secondary school kid's mum!! 

Actually, PSLE officially started a few weeks' back with the oral examinations, which she said was "pretty ok" haha... 

As much as I would like to share our experience and parenting tips on handling this major milestone like what I did for her Primary 1 journey, for the most part, I don't feel like talking about it much. Not at the moment at least.

For one, I don't want to "jinx" anything. Like if I say everything is fine and dandy, but then the unexpected happens and something goes wrong? I know I know.. it's quite silly but ya.

Also, I already feel that PSLE is so consuming that I don't want to talk or think about it more than I should. Or have people bring it up to Lil Pumpkin. There's no point telling her to "study hard" or do this or that for whatever subjects because honestly, she's getting that a lot from home, school, enrichment classes etc. Believe you me when I say that she is already doing almost the best she can for the current circumstances. 

Could she do even more or better? Probably so as she still lacks initiative and needs a lot of pushing strong encouragement from us, but then I don't want to bring her to her breaking point. 

In sports, we talk about peaking at the right moment. Peaking is when the athlete is performing at their absolute best during competition. Peaking requires the athlete to have great general body conditioning, good sports specific conditioning as well as great skill execution combined with strategy and tactics that enable them to perform at their best. 

My friend Kitty told me that "PSLE is not the time for the kid to peak, it's actually A' Levels", which to a great extent, I find to be true.

But one step at a time. 

For now, I want her to peak during PSLE so honestly, I am not stressing over her prelims exams, or nagging her about it. Just making sure she does sufficient revision and feels confident, eat and sleep well. Basically keeping her love tank full ❤

I don't have very high expectations for Lil Pumpkin {because life is so much more than academic brilliance}, but I do hope that like for everything she does, she will perform and give the best results to the best of her ability, and potential, which I have tremendous faith in. 

I do not want to leave her to regret that she did not put in her best effort, so we are doing everything we can to support her in doing that. If it so happens that even then she does not get good grades, then so be it, but at least she gave her all. 

Please keep her in your prayers and wish her luck! 

 

Tweet

Hello, It's Been A While...

About half a year has passed since my last blog post.. So sorry about that! The blog is still alive!! Just barely breathing haha... 

Well, I haven't been updating much mainly because I went for my eye Lasik surgery which didn't go as well as I planned so needed a longer recovery, then all the ups and downs of the Covid pandemic made me feel like taking things very slowly and simplifying my life even more so even less blog engagements and upkeeping of this space... and of course, Lil Pumpkin's upcoming PSLE prep and examinations kept me rather stressed and busy.

I do still love writing though... I've been writing a lot more for my job.. but at the back of my mind, I miss writing here for myself {and whoever is still around to read this}.

So this is my first post back in a while and I do hope to update more often *fingers crossed*

After all, I am the memory-keeper of the family, right? 

P.S. Come by my Instagram or Facebook page if you can too xox

Tweet

Pineapple Tarts Singapore - Chinese New Year Goodies 2021

 

One more week to Chinese New Year {CNY}!! Pineapple Tarts Singapore to the rescue if you still have yet to stock up on your CNY goodies and snacks!

Pineapple Tarts Singapore was established with the goal to deliver not only the best quality but also best-tasting handmade CNY goodies, especially for pineapple tarts. They are pretty popular with my friends for staying affordable despite using premium ingredients and if you search "pineapple tarts Singapore", they will be sure to come up in the top hits ٩(◕‿◕｡)۶

 

Their specialty is, unsurprisingly, Hui Wei Traditional Nyonya Pineapple Tarts {500g}. These are handmade with no preservatives, so best to consume within 6 weeks.

 

A traditional Nyonya version where fresh tangy pineapple paste is smoldered on a buttery and crumbly crust. There's a balanced ratio between the sweet filling and savoury crust so that you won't be overwhelmed by either.

My favourite from Pineapple Tarts Singapore, however, is their Pumpkin Seed Brittle {250g}. One of the "healthier" CNY snacks where fresh roasted pumpkin seeds are lightly mixed in sweet sugar syrup. So flavourful and crunchy! 

I ordered even more Crispy Cuttlefish Rolls {230g} for the boy as his #proteinpower CNY snack haha. These are highly addictive with a very slight tinge of spice. 

 

I really like that they don't stinge and their goodies are filled to the brim of the containers!!

 

All these golden salted egg goodness! Oh nom nom nom...

There's the usual Salted Egg Fish Skin {230g}, Salted Egg Fried Seaweed Popiah Skin {230g - currently out of stock!} and something I haven't seen in other stores, Salted Egg Fish Keropok {220g}. The keropok didn't have a strong "keropok" taste but it was still delicious. 

All of them were covered generously in golden salted egg powder and were fried to crispy goodness. 

 

See how carefully packed the Yin Yang - Charcoal Love Letters {300g, currently out of stock!} are..

 

The charcoal black love letters have sesame seeds infused in them while the brown ones are the plain traditional flavour. Light, crunchy and oh-so-delicate, they are the perfect light snack to go with a cup of Chinese tea. 

Pineapple Tarts Singapore is still having a 15-30% promo off their usual prices, but you gotta hurry up and order soon as they are closing orders soon and stocks are getting low for a lot of items! In fact, some items are already out of stock!

They offer free standard delivery for offers over S$100, and express 1hr delivery for a flat fee of S$25. You can also head down to 11 Sin Ming Road, Thomson V Two, #01-30, Singapore 575629 for free tasting or self-collection of your orders. 

Check out Pineapple Tarts Singapore website or message 8127 0477 {Whatsapp only} for more details.

P.S. Have you been down to Chinatown to soak in the CNY festivities yet? Have a look at what to expect from our family walk in Chinatown here!  

Tweet

Chinese New Year 2021 | Family Walk in Chinatown Pt 1

Last Friday I took leave to go for a walk in Chinatown with my sisters and parents. It was my elder sister's birthday and it has been such a long time since it was just the 5 of us, sans any grandchildren or sons-in-law hehe. 

Of course conversations drifted back to the kids pretty often {as they frequently do}, but it was nice to have all of us together again despite all our busy schedules...

There was a report recently of Chinatown being crazy crowded over the weekend like pre-covid times. 

Fortunately for us that Friday morning, it was still pretty quiet and peaceful. So easy to stroll around Chinatown's alleys and take our time to enjoy the sights and interesting Chinese New Year {CNY} wares.

So I guess if you do want to soak in the festivities of coming CNY celebrations, do try to make it on weekday mornings..

Must see when you're there - The Golden Ox. 

This post is titled "Part 1" because I know I definitely want to go back to Chinatown again during CNY with Lil Pumpkin since our darling daughter was born in the Chinese zodiac year of the Ox!! So she must get a photo with this since this is the first time since birth she's celebrating the year of the Ox! #asianparenting

This little fella made the news too...

Is it a rat? Is it a cow? Is it a rat dressing up as a cow?? haha... Nah, actually for some reason Chinatown Point wanted to make otters the star of their CNY decorations to wish visitors an Otter-ly Good Chinese New Year!!! o(*^▽^*)o

This was the "crowd" we faced that day!

If only Chinatown was always as tranquil as this... but then it would make for very poor business for the stallholders. And honestly, I guess given the dismal past year and since most of their businesses come during CNY, it is somewhat understandable that they would get defensive when the reporters questioned them for not chasing customers away to keep to safe distancing measures and wanting to support a crowded Chinatown.

Of course nobody wants new Covid-19 clusters to form and yes we are still in the middle of a pandemic, but it has been a hard year for everyone so a little understanding for their predicament instead of shaming them on social media or the news would come a long way I feel..  

If only it was really as simple as using these windmills to turn our fortunes around and chase away the bad luck of Covd-19!

Anyway, the Asian in me was really happy to see so much red and auspicious decorations in Chinatown hehe...

It really is THE place to go to pick and choose from a wide variety!!

Was contemplating getting a little CNY cow toy for Lil Pumpkin but she doesn't really play with soft toys anymore... will show her when she comes to Chinatown and see if she wants one. 

They're not expensive {start from S$6 if I'm not wrong} but I don't need any more redundant clutter in our home..

My sis was very tickled by this angry ox... 

牛气冲天 means may your business be very prosperous, bright and fiery! Basically it's a good luck greeting for the new year. 

Usually the nuts and seeds stalls would have free tastings to draw customers in, but this year all were already prepacked #becausecovid

The preserved sausages and meat were all still mostly left in the open though...

The highlight of the walk was going to Tai Chong Kok, a famous local bakery that has been making mooncakes and Cantonese pastries the same way since 1935. 

Every year, my elder sis would go with my parents to go buy 年糕 from here. I don't like to eat 年糕 by itself, but I like eating it pan-fried with egg and sweet potato or yam. 

Tai Chong Kok's 年糕 comes in 3 sizes and the smallest costs S$18. 

You can find these lovely sweet candied fruits...

And the usual CNY goodies here. 

I love their melt-in-your-mouth kueh bangkit, pineapple tart balls and pumpkin seed brittles here!

And mooncakes!! You hardly ever see them in shops after Mid-Autumn Festival..

However, I guess I shouldn't be so surprised to see them now since Tai Chong Kok is famous for their mooncakes. Perhaps they sell them all year round??

Really had such a lovely time that Friday morning with my fambam and can't wait to go back again with Lil Pumpkin and the boy!! (/ ‘з’)/

P.S. Check out the CNY goodies we got this year from Ding Bakery and Wang Lai Bakery!

Tweet

Wang Lai Bakery - Chinese New Year Goodies 2021

 

Wang Lai Bakery is another local shop you should check out to stock up on Chinese New Year {CNY} goodies for the festive season!!  

After eating and sharing some of the goodies we got from Ding Bakery with family, there really isn't much left for the actual CNY festivities {oops!} so luckily we've got more from Wang Lai Bakery haha. I mean, the boy can easily wallop a whole container of kueh bangkit in one sitting, while Lil Pumpkin is a pineapple tarts monster!!!

Established in 1968, Wang Lai Bakery has been a popular confectionary booth located in Chinatown that specialises in traditional Chinese goodies. If you visit Chinatown like us during CNY every year, you would surely have come across their humble booth. 

Preserving traditional recipes passed down for 4 generations in the family, extraordinary efforts have been constantly tweaked and improved to make the goodies as delicious as possible. Thoroughly handmade with no shortcuts taken in the processes, especially with the use of machines, to maintain the goodies' true authentic flavour, Wang Lai's CNY goodies are very popular and well-loved ( ◞･౪･)

Wang Lai's Premium Love Letters {250g} are light and crispy. They are a perfect balance of fresh coconut milk, eggs and caramalised sugar which makes them a delectable crunchy snack with a fragrant eggy taste to go with your nice hot cup of tea or coffee. These come in a gold tin that's air-tight and keeps that love letters inside crispy while you slowly savour them over the festive season.

Pineapple tarts are, of course, our perennial favourite and it's no surprise that I ordered their Melt-inYour-Mouth Pineapple Tarts {500g}. These balls have a tangy-sweet pineapple paste encapsulated in a beautiful flakey-soft buttery crust. 

I don't usually like to venture off the original flavour, but the boy convinced me to order Wang Lai's Premium Cranberry Pineapple Tarts {500g}. Really glad he did though as I was pleasantly surprised that it tasted sooooo good! Oh my! 

There are bits of chewy dried cranberry bits embedded in the buttery-soft pineapple tart which makes them slightly sweeter than usual and I like the nice pink or faint red tinge in the crust makes it seem even more "auspicious" I guess since red is a lucky colour for the Chinese hehe. 

Sorry to say that I just checked today and they are currently sold out! Wow! So glad that I managed to get them early... gonna add these to my "must-buy CNY goodies" list.

I usually try to stop at 1-2 pineapple tarts a day to not go over my daily calories intake {see my 8 Healthy But Still Happy CNY Festive Eating Tips} but these Cranberry Pineapple Tarts are making it so hard!! .·´¯`(>▂<)´¯`·.

We also ordered more Crispy Cuttlefish Roll {220g} because the boy thinks they are one of the more healthy CNY goodie options and are a good source of protein hehe. These crispy thin rolls are infused with a subtle tang of sweet-spiciness that will get you hooked on the first bite. Be careful not to give them to young kiddos though!

The Premium Yam Chips {225g} are freshly sliced yam fried till crispy. They are tasty, but I found them just a tad too oily for my touch and taste. 

The Premium Salted Egg Fish Skin {225g} were flawless though. There was a generous coating of yellow salted egg yolk powder coating the crackling fish skin. Each bite has a tangible crunch and perfect amount of richness from the salted egg yolk. I love munching on the crispy curry leaves too! 

The savoury Premium Lotus Root Chips {225g} were one of my faves too. They are fresh juicy lotus roots sliced and deep-fried until crispy. Just like Yam Chips, they were a tad too oily, but as they reminded me of tapioca chips, which I love. A dangerously addictive snack, however they are a healthier alternative to regular potato crisps I guess?? I wonder if I'm able to recreate these at home with my air fryer..

Wang Lai's Melt-in-Your-Mouth Kuih Bangkit {335g} lives up to its name as a light tapioca and coconut cream cookie that literally melts in your mouth. So smooth, they crumble just as you pick it up so be sure to dish them out gently. 

I hope these CNY goodies last for another 3 weeks or so until the actual Chinese New Year, although I highly doubt so haha... (>﹏<)

Promo: Use code "WANGLAI10" for 10% OFF your first order. This is on top of the 30% OFF all CNY goodies on Wang Lai Bakery website from now until 31 Jan 2021.

Free tasting is available at 20 Sin Ming Lane, Midview City, #03-58, S573968 until 31 Jan 2021. You may also choose to self-collect there or pay S$10 for standard delivery, and S$20 for express delivery within 1hr. There is also free delivery for all orders above S$100 and as the goodies are freshly made with no preservatives, do note that they should be consumed within 4-6 weeks.

Tweet

Ding Bakery Singapore - Chinese New Year Goodies 2021

We got our first batch of Chinese New Year {CNY} goodies from Ding Bakery this year!

It is about 1 month's time to Chinese New Year 2021!! Which seems about a legit time where you can start decorating your homes and buying all your delicious CNY goodies without worrying that you seem too "kan cheong" ᕕ( ᐛ )ᕗ

I knew some shops started playing CNY music and selling the goodies the day after Christmas last year, and as much as I love celebrating CNY... that seemed wayyyyyyyy too early for me haha. 

Ding Bakery is based in Singapore and freshly bake their CNY goodies and snacks daily. It is all homemade and handmade, with no preservatives added so most of them are actually recommended to be eaten within 4-6 weeks.

We've tried their goodies before and were satisfied with the taste so were happy to order from them again this year. 

One other thing I like about Ding Bakery is their containers which seem more chic with the metal covers {last year was pink, this year is red}, compared with the usual red plastic covers. They definitely get washed and reused in our household!

To us, the pineapple tart is the quintessential CNY goodie. A real must-have for the season!!

Our family prefers the balls to the open-faced tarts so I ordered both the Award-Winning Melt-in-Your-Mouth Pineapple Tart {Ball} and SCS Butter Pineapple Tart {Ball}. 

There is a slight difference between both types. The Melt-in-Your-Mouth Pineapple Tart {Ball} costs currently S$22.90 {U.P. S$31.90} and has 32 balls/container {450g} while the SCS Butter Pineapple Tart {Ball} currently costs S$19.90 {U.P. S$28.50} and has 30 balls/container {450g}.

Visually, you can see that the Melt-in-Your-Mouth Pineapple Tart {Ball} have a nicer golden-yellow egg coating compared to the brownish SCS Butter Pineapple Tart {Ball}. They both seem about the same size too.

Ingredients-wise, the Melt-in-Your-Mouth Pineapple Tart {Ball} has additional milk powder added to it while SCS Butter Pineapple Tart {Ball} does not. 

The tart layer and pineapple paste portion for both seems about the same and honestly, I think that the Melt-in-Your-Mouth Pineapple Tart {Ball} does seem more crumbly and buttery-soft pastry. The difference is really minute though as both are delicious and have moist pineapple filling that's not overtly sweet.

If you ask me, I would suggest getting the Melt-in-Your-Mouth Pineapple Tart {Ball} simply because they cost just S$3 more but look better and have more pineapple tart balls per container hehe. 

The Premium Almond Cookies {330-350g} are so buttery and full of almond flavour! They are not the crispy or crunchy kind, which is how we like them. 

Just as good as the ones my brother-in-law bakes for CNY actually and Lil Pumpkin can finish at least 5-8 pieces each time haha!

Please note that these contain peanut as well, so do avoid if you have allergies. 

The Crispy Salted Egg Seaweed Popiah Cracker {250-300g} is perhaps a "healthier" alternative to the popular salted egg fried fish skin that's so common during CNY. 

Nori seaweed wrapped in popiah skin is used in this snack that is extremely fragrant and crispy. You can smell it once you open the container! There is a generous coating of salted egg yolk powder over each piece and it is really hard to just stop at one...

If you do love your fried fish skin, Ding Bakery does sell the usual Salted Egg Fish Skin but since we got that flavour for the seaweed popiah cracker, we ordered Mala Fish Skin instead because #malaislife

Like the Salted Egg Yolk, there is a strong whiff of mala {麻辣} spices once you open the container that makes you salivate immediately! 

Each piece is deep-fried to a perfect crunch with a generous coating of their own secret blend of mala spice that is salty, spicy and just slightly numbing so that you can still munch on it comfortably without rushing off for a cup of cold milk to cool down after the first bite.

Ooooo look at the mala powder!! *drools*

On the usual 麻辣 scale, I would say that this is a "小辣" so still quite shiok to eat and not exactly a kids-friendly snack.

We can live without almond cookies or fried fish skin, but for CNY, other than pineapple tarts, another must-buy for the season is kueh bangkit, which are delicate tapioca flour and coconut cream cookies.

The best kind literally just melt in your mouth without even a single bite.

Ding Bakery offers the traditional plain flavours, Melt-In-Your-Mouth Kueh Bangkit and Flower Kueh Bangkit, as well as more exotic pandan and gula melaka flavours. 

This time, it's easier to see which is the more expensive Award-Winning Melt-In-Your-Mouth Kueh Bangkit {S$21.90, U.P. S$30.35} which has a butterfly shape, compared to the Flower Kueh Bangkit {S$15.90, U.P. S$19.75}, even though they are both plain white.

Both also weigh 200g and contain approximately 30-35 cookies per container.

Honestly, before I checked online which is which again {because they weren't labeled in the containers I had}, I thought that the Flower Kueh Bangkit was the more expensive version as it was really soft and crumbly. The first piece fell apart just as I picked it up, and I had to take a second one for this picture above. The Melt-In-Your-Mouth Kueh Bangkit seems to have slightly crispier shell that holds its shape better.

Both are very light and soft, and literally melt-in-your-mouth but if I had to choose between the two, I'd go for the cheaper Flower Kueh Bangkit since I can't tell the difference in taste and I like the flower design better heh. 

If you prefer to try the products before purchasing, Ding Bakery offers free tasting at their shop in 140 Paya Lebar Road, AZ Building, #03-13, Singapore 409015. You can make your purchases on the spot and they also offer free delivery for all shop and online orders over S$100 {super convenient!}, 90 mins same day express delivery and even delivery to multiple locations island-wide daily.

Please note that current CNY early bird promotional prices {about 15-50% OFF} are until end Jan 2021 only and a few items are already out of stock so if you wish to make an order with them, do so quickly! (*⌒∇⌒*) Check out Ding Bakery online shop or call +658890 9055 for more details. 

P.S. Also have a look at Wang Lai Bakery CNY goodies 2021 here.

 

Tweet

P6 Parenting | First Week of School

First week of Lil Pumpkin's primary 6 school year is over! ( ᐛ )و

Lil Pumpkin was happy to be back at school #thankGod and woke up pretty cheerful every day. She is not a morning person, you see, so can be such a grouch sometimes haha.. 

This is going to be a short school year for her with PSLE starting in August for oral and the main papers in end September... and as usual, I'm pretty sure time will just fly by without us knowing it!

Nothing really spectacular happened in the first week of school. Surprisingly, her form teachers changed {usually P5 and P6 teachers are the same} but she remained with the same class as last year. 

The past week, we were just getting accustomed to the routine of her going back to school routine with some after-school enrichment activities {CCA hasn't started yet though}, and me back to work in the office full-time. No more work-from-home arrangement for me since we started Phase 3. 

Although, this being such an important time for her academically, I'd like to dedicate more personal time at home to give her not just physical support, but moral too. 

The PSLE is the first national-level exam a child takes. Naturally, there will be some form of stress and even if I can't help her that much in terms of teaching {my head still spins from what they are being taught nowadays, especially for maths!}... I'd like to be there more to take care of Lil Pumpkin, help her balance life with books, and make sure that she eats well and still exercises somewhat to stay strong physically and mentally. To be there to "mother" her.  

Even though the Covid-19 restrictions during the circuit breaker, Phase 1 and 2 really took away a lot of freedom, I honestly enjoyed my work-from-home experience as I got to keep my job, yet spend so much more time with my family and especially my little girl. 

Being a full-time-working mum for the past decade or so, you come to realise that yes, quality time matters, even if we can't give our family the quantity of our time. However, no matter what, the #mummyguilt never goes away and I do love the luxury of just doing mindless things leisurely and enjoying the little things too, instead of rushing around just getting the pertinent things done.  

Hopefully I can work something out with my boss to help me achieve this, at least until PSLE is over anyway *fingers crossed* 

Tweet