Monday made: Many things

Easiest way to hold paper flowers together while waiting for the glue to dry!

HELLO!  Forgive me for sounding very excited, or typing lots of exclamation marks for this post, because I'm in an extremely good mood today for a certain reason (which I will mention later!).  Anyway, the weekend was spent completing various projects...

My three assignments for Papermarket (its up on their blog today, yay!) for V'day:

:: An altered "love handles" suitcase:

With many of my favourite things: Butterflies, twine, torn paper, inky edges, rolled up papers and folded flowers...

I was inspired by a suitcase done by Sharon and also covered mine with papers (as usual, from "The Secret Garden", which is now my "stock" book for old papers) and paint (gesso to be exact).  Can you guess the original colour of the suitcase? :)

The front of the suitcase:

"Raindrops on roses... lalalala... these are a few of my favourite things!"
I spent a whole afternoon thinking up corny love quotes (ask the hubby, he was so aghast at some of them)
before settling for the lyrics of the song from The Sound of Music.
Can you spot the raindrops?  Ok, those are flowers, not roses, but close enough right?  

And the back has an extra pocket for those extras that you want to keep handy, like pinwheels to catch the wind, tickets to share with your loved ones, and perhaps some love letters? :)

Papers from Pink Paislee's Sweetness collection.  The pretty lettering are Papermarket's Alphabites!

~~~~~

:: Then we also had to do an LO, and I did one about the boy and the dog 

(I was missing Nicky really badly):

Doggy tag was a Type Charm from Tim Holtz... :)

Papers are a mix of Pink Paislee's Sweetness, Bo Bunny's Olivia, and Basic Grey's Curio.
And of course, more yummy Alphabites!  And Junior J gets to hold the doggy's leash!

~~~~~

:: And finally, a card, using some papers left after doing the suitcase:

Stamps from S.E.I, and I like the Webster Pages resin hearts!

Materials from Papermarket ya, and do pop by to take get more inspiration from the other designers as they'll be posting up love projects everyday!

~~~~~

:: Oh, and then I dressed up a jar of coffee for my sup, as a thank you present:

AC details crabby to top the jar.  When I saw all the details that AC very nicely sent me the other time,
I knew the crabby would have to be saved for my sup (her speciality is on crabs!).  

"Coffee keeps me from being crabby": I think she got the joke.  I hope so!

~~~~~

:: Ah, and the final "project" I completed was a non-scrappy one 

(I did think of distressing the pages, and adding stickers in the hope of getting a pass, but anyway...):

The THING (a.k.a dissertation) is done!  YAY!  That's what has been making me so happy, since this frees up all my time (or at least Junior J's nap time) for other things, like planning lessons for the boy and other stuff.  Finished the final "touch-ups" on Sat, and printed and got it bound on Sun, with hubby's help.  He was a great help, baby-sitting the boy for the weekend so I could frantically finish up everything.  (Thanks dear, once again!)  Met up with my sup yesterday to submit it, got to meet up with a scrappy friend, and also had Sakae Sushi with my dad for lunch on campus... which makes a great start to the week (after all those almost-sleepless nights!)... Thank God for all His many blessings! :)

Have a great week!

Weekend wonderings: Darn that dissertation!

What I'm trying to do.  (Poster, from Keep calm and carry on)

My dissertation has met with numerous bumps ever since I started.  I had contacted my supervisor in June last year, as I intended to start my project early to buy me more time.  I had to apply for a permit to catch some of the crabs, and I dutifully filled in the paperwork in early July 09... but the permit never surfaced until Jan this year!  I then started catching the crabs and using the experimental setup I had (which I had to lug up and down to my research site), only to find out, after a few weeks in the hot sun, that the experiments were not working, and the crabs were just not behaving themselves (or at least in the way I had hoped them to be).  But that's just the nature of animal research I guess!  This was followed by a whole slew of email correspondence and meetings for me to re-think up another topic for research.  Thankfully, I managed to work out another topic with my sup, and went about on my behavioural studies, and managed to get all my data by June.

Then came the tedious viewing of hours and hours of videos (and not of the "Desperate Housewives" variety, though it did involve watching alot of "flirting" and courtship!) and the slow, painful process of writing.  My initial deadline for submission of my dissertation for examination was the 15th of Sept, however, just this weekend I'm told that with how things are going, I will need to extend my deadline (and pay another semester's worth of fees because of that!).  Apparently, it takes 4-5 months for the writing process, and that's for those who have NO children to take care of. 

After reading that email, I really felt like throwing in the towel, and just giving up.  After all, if you think about it, I've no need for that extra qualification, and that cert doesn't help me to cook better meals, or be a better parent!  I signed up for my studies with the intent of improving my knowledge of content so that I could teach better, as I was still teaching then.  Then Junior J came along, turned my whole life upside down, and my priorities changed.  I still stayed on for the interest in the subject, and I must say I've learnt ALOT from the courses I've attended, and I've gained quite a bit from the research process.  But something must give, and all this research work has meant I have to sacrifice time and energy, and others like Junior J and the hubby would be invariably affected.  

So now with me having to fork out more school fees, I'm tempted to just give the data to someone else to use, burn up all my journals and make a run for it.  Seriously.  The only reason that I'm still working on my paper starts with the letter "A", and its not advancement (The degree doesn't entail me a raise in homemaker status anyway!), neither is it achievement.  Its accountability.  I feel I'm still accountable to God for doing a good job in what I put my hand to, and to do things to completion if I can.  I'm accountable to my mum, the hubby, to the little boy for all the time they've sacrificed so that I could write my paper.  I'm accountable to my sup, for the time she did invest in guiding me.  But I do admit, I have been feeling pretty frustrated.

Thus, I will still plod on.  BUT!  Its no longer going to take up my time with family.  I'm no longer going to ask the hubby to babysit the boy after dinner so that I could read one more journal, or type another paragraph.  I'm just going to work on correcting it at night when I do have the time (I've already finished my first draft of all the parts), and I'm not going to bother with it during the weekends.  And I'm not going to let this frustrate me any longer.  Oh, and when all this is done, I'm going to Jumbo Seafood, and will go take my revenge on those crustaceans.  Those that I study are way too small to eat, so I'll just take my wrath out on another species: Chillicious crabeus delicious.  

PS:  We had an uneventful weekend, since I had that bad cough, and the hubby was on call again (imagine, the poor man has 3 consecutive weekend calls, which means he'll be at work 21 days in a row!).  We did manage to pop by a warehouse sale to get some cabin luggage, as well as a jacket for the hubby (who lost his previous one).   Like all sales, the place was crawling with bargain hunters once the place opened, so we ended up parking in one of the lots at nearby building (there was quite a few lots, and there was no "no parking" sign), only to come back after shopping and find that they had locked the gate!

Our baggage inspector.  He approves of the bright cheery colours, that's for sure!

Hope everyone has a great week... and teachers, enjoy the well deserved school hols!  (Though I think most of it will be spent marking and preparing lessons!)

Wild Wednesdays: Pottering around Pasir Ris

Ok, I initially wanted to upload a video of Junior J feeding himself (mainly for his grandparents in Penang), but I found out that Google Video no longer allows you to upload videos.  :(  I didn't want to upload it to Youtube for the whole world to see, so I've decided to just talk about something else besides the boy eating.  I mean, everything's still the same (except that he can now scoop food properly): Spitting when he's bored, not eating very much, which means he's still skinny and short.  So unless I find a great recipe for toddlers, or some magic method to solve all feeding problems, I'm going to move on to a happier topic: Little nature spots in the urban jungle of Singapore, that you can bring yourself (and your kids) to enjoy flora and fauna.

The number 1 spot that comes to mind right now would be my research site at Pasir Ris Park.  It's this little stretch of mangrove that borders the mouth of Sungei Tampines where it empties into the sea.  Its really smelly, and loads of trash gets washed up at low tide:

And it's well-known for being the dirtiest beach in Singapore, with its water deemed not safe to swim in last year, since it contains bacteria found in faeces.  Ah... so you'll ask, why bring the kids to such an icky place?  

Because the reaction I see from every single visitor (adult or child) that stumbles upon that little stretch is not about how stinky it is, or how much trash there is.  Its always (without fail, and I've seen a fair share of visitors) "WOW!  So many crabs!"  And most will then spend the next half and hour or so hanging around.

This area is teeming with hundreds and hundreds of little fiddler crabs.  These little critters are quite fun to watch, since the males love to wave excitedly at the female crabs to attract their attention.  How do you tell the males and females apart?  No need to peek underneath, since the males have one enlarged claw (what we term a cheliped), and a smaller claw...

...While females have equal sized claws (You could impress your kids by identifying them with ease!).

The mangrove has predominantly two species of fiddlers:

Uca annulipes, which have narrower black shells (or what we term carapaces) that have white markings, and the males have an enlarged claw that is coloured orange with white tips...

and Uca vocans, which have broader grey shells, with males having an enlarged claw that is mainly orange in colour, while the upper part of the claw may be white...

So if you've booked a weekend at the Aranda Country club or the Costa Sands Resort and have nothing to do aside from watching TV, you might want to take a short walk down the park connector running alongside the country club until you hit the beach.

But before you do go there, here's a list of things to take note (this applies to any outdoor trip I guess!):

1. Do wear proper footwear (avoid slippers), and watch out for your toddlers, since there's loads of trash they could trip on...

2. Do put on sunscreen and wear a hat if you're planning to hang around for abit, and bring drinking water.  

It can get really hot over at the mangroves (at 1030 hrs, the mercury can hit 34 degrees)!  (BTW, the park has a mangrove boardwalk that makes for interesting walks too!)

3. Don't disturb the researchers, if there are any.  They can be identified usually as they are the ones writing furiously on clipboards, or they may be armed with a video camera, or they may be mumbling away to themselves (it makes good sense to let anyone, for that matter, finish their internal conversations anyway).  If there are studies being done in that area, keep a wide berth since small movements from passerbys may send the crabs scurrying for their burrows.  

4. Don't catch the crabs or dig/destroy their burrows. It might a Singaporean tendency to think "food!" whenever the word "crab" comes to mind, but trust me, these little critters are way too small to eat.  Plus, they may carry flesh-eating bacteria which gets passed to you if they nip you (And trust me, nip you they will if you try to nab them.  I mean, if you were a crab and someone came and grabbed you from behind, won't you nip, and nip hard?).  Also, you actually need a permit from NParks if you intend to capture any of these animals.  Oh, and don't try to help the researchers mentioned above to catch any too.  I've had helpful adults and kids who've seen me running my experiments, and actually threw in crabs they had caught into my experiment arena, thinking they were helping... (Then, I didn't know whether to laugh or to cry.  I opted to give the kids a lesson in crab behaviour instead.  It's probably an occupational hazard!)

2 Uca annulipes males fighting

5. Instead of risking their fingers, encourage your kids to watch the crabs quietly (that's what enjoying nature should be about right?).  Challenge them to watch the crabs and list the behaviours they can see (feeding, maintaining their burrows, fighting, waving)... that'll help to improve their observation skills as well!

6.  Update to this post: Eeek!  I realized I forgot one of the most important tips of all... Check out the tide times for the day over at the NEA website, and time your visit during low tide.  The little fellows only emerge during low tide to feed, and if you want more "entertainment", go during the evening low tides, since they wave more at females then!

7. And finally, a quote that I think more or less sums up the ideal way to respectfully approach any place of nature: "Take only pictures, and leave only footprints." :)  Do bring your camera since the place sometimes does have spectacular sunrises and sunsets!

Oh, and the rest of the park's really great for cycling, roller-blading, or just long leisurely walks too.  

What are your favourite nature spots that you've visited?

Thankful Tuesdays: Sun and sea...

Today, we give thanks for:

1. A morning car ride with the hubby: The good man drove me to my research site today before he went to work.  I really appreciated that he woke up extra early to do so, even though he had a major case in the morning.  It was also nice to just chit-chat with him in the car, while enjoying the morning sky as it lit up slowly...

2. A good morning at Pasir Ris collecting data.  I managed to get there in time to catch the sunrise (with the iPhone...), and the gloriousness of the painted sky helped to make up for all the icky junk washed up by the tide (there were balls, water bottles, plastic bags, and all sorts of stuff, but you can't see it in the photos since the beach is dark!).  At my research site, I was accompanied by a whole bunch of egrets and a couple of herons out fishing, as well as all my crabby friends...

3.  Shade provided by trees:  Again, because without them I'll be sunburnt, since it was really hot out there!

4. Prayer: That we can present all our cares and worries and know that He listens.

5. Nicky the dog: Yes, he's a barky nuisance and he's too noisy and rather nuts.  And we have to bring him downstairs three times a day for his pee breaks.  And he keeps pooping or peeing in the kitchen.  But he's affectionate, he makes me feel safe when the hubby is on call, and he's always happy to see you.  And the boy loves him...  In short, he's part of the family!

What are you thankful for today?

Thankful Tuesdays: Breezy days and birds

Today, we give thanks to God for:

1. The rain, which makes these hot afternoons cooler...

2. The breeze, which makes data collection in the mangroves a little more bearable (it was 34 degrees Celsius out there this morning!)...

3. Green plants, especially when they provide much-needed shade...

4. Keeping the hubby safe during his Ironman swim on Sunday...

Beach at East Coast Park, during the Ironman swim...

5. Birds... just because they're pretty! :)

Photo taken in Australia

Photo taken in Kuala Gula, Malaysia

What are you thankful for today?

Thankful Tuesdays: Better late than never!

Whooops!  Its been pretty busy the past few days since I've had to change my dissertation topic, so I had to spend quite abit of time reading up and writing the proposal for the new study... But I do so want to give thanks (even though its not Tuesday!) for:

1. Sunlight, breezy days, and clean laundry:

2. And also, morning showers that have been washing away all the stinky haze...

3. My dissertation making some progress, after a period of freaking out when I was given a new topic by my sup that involved long hours of fieldwork that I could not carry out, since I had to feed/pump milk... In the end, I managed to find a new topic which was given the "ok" by my sup... Best thing is it allows me to finish my field research and rush back in time to feed Junior J or pump... and I no longer need to drag the huge experimental arena to the field, or catch the crabs!  Thank God!

4. My NIE mates, who've been giving me so much encouragement during the period when I was super discouraged and considering quitting my studies since I could see no way of finishing my dissertation... One of them, who also works under the same sup, gave me lots of valuable advice on what I could do to salvage the situation, and her tips really worked! :)  Thanks guys!

5. The hubby, who was a pillar of strength during this period when I was super stressed... and was even willing to fork out the money for liquidated damages, should I decide to quit...

6. Flowers... just for the fact that they're so pretty! :)

Irises (I think, but my botany's not too good!) blooming in New Zealand

What are you thankful for today?

Thankful Tuesdays: Crabby & tired

Ahh... I admit that I've been pretty crabby the past week.  My crab behaviour experiments have not been working out, no matter what modifications I try to make to my set-up.  Each time I go to the field, I have to lug a huge experimental arena made of wood (its the length of Junior J, and so large it can't fit into any bag I own, even the large Ikea shopping bag!) along with other equipment and the video camera, and walk about 15 minutes to reach the mangroves.  Then I spend about 3 hours squatting in the hot sun, with a large amount of that time trying to catch those crafty little buggers.  And at the end of all my failed experiments (if I manage to catch the crabs that is) I have to drag my dehydrated, dusty and hungry self along with all the equipment for another 15 minutes to walk out of the park.  I'm so discouraged, I've entertained thoughts of quitting the Masters program even though I'm down to my last coursework module, since I can't imagine how I can finish my dissertation :(.  And to top it off, those hours in the field means I usually end up missing a feed or feeding the boy late, so I wasn't surprised when I ended up with blocked ducts again.

But hey, wallowing in self-pity's not going to help me, so its time to count my blessings again:

1. I mailed my supervisor after all those failed attempts and she was pretty understanding, and gave me various other options to look at.  Hopefully one of those options will  work and give me data that I can work with!

2. My mum really has been fantastic these few days, taking care of Junior J and helping out with some chores when I'm trying to study for the particularly tough module I'm taking this semester.  Taking care of the boy is not easy, since he's rather difficult at mealtimes and quite a bundle of energy, and I really admire her willingness to help out.

3. The hubby has been really encouraging the past week even when I'm extra snappy and grumpy...

4. Yoghurt: I know its weird to consider this a blessing, but when you've been on a dairy, soy and coconut elimination diet, being able to eat yoghurt without having to worry about your kid refluxing is really a big plus point.  Especially since I'm hungry all the time, and it gives me the protein and calcium I so desperately need!

5. The camera is fixed: I dropped the lens after the image stabilizer conked out (it gave out on us during the Taiwan trip, and ruined quite a few photos thanks to it vibrating like crazy every time we tried to focus), and the entire glass lens dropped out.  We stuffed it back in after that and sent it for servicing, and ended up only paying for the replacement of the IS, since servicing the rest of the lens was covered under the replacement cost.  Phew!  It felt pretty odd not having the SLR at hand for those few days, so I'm glad we have our camera back...

6. And of course, our little monkey of a boy, who although can be a real big handful, never fails to make us laugh.  For example, the other day he decided to learn how to pretend to sleep and "snore" as well (he still can't imitate snoring well, so he ends up sounding like he's gargling!).