Alamak! Youtube should have a software which detects the right way up and convert the video automatically.
Sunday, January 31, 2016
Badminton game @ JB
Alamak! Youtube should have a software which detects the right way up and convert the video automatically.
Playing the Ukulele
I bought the girls a ukulele as a Christmas present in 2012. The girls loved it but couldn't play a song as none of us know how. Subsequently, I wanted to enrol them with music centres but it never materialised until recently.
Since December 2012, they have learnt how to play a song (Happy Birthday), which I learnt from youtube. Imagine my excitement when the school offers ukulele lessons. I have been waiting for this to happen. Yoohoo... You see, schools aren't what they used to be where students only go there to study and maybe join some co-curricular activities.
Nowadays, businesses are brought to schools for the convenience of the busy parents. You can attend dancing classes, taekwando, badminton, arts, Chinese writing, Olympiad Maths to name a few. This year, there is ukulele too. Without doubt, I enrolled Jesslyn. Jerilyn, on the other hand, has badminton lessons on the same day. It's like killing two birds with one stone. I don't have to go to school at different times to pick them up and Jesslyn can learn to be independent by having a hobby which truly belongs to her. All this while, she follows her sister in her pursuits. This time, she will be the teacher, teaching Jerilyn how to play the ukulele.
That day, she played a song and even sang to it. I have recorded a video, waiting to be uploaded in the youtube before transferring to here. I was pleasantly surprised that she could do all that after just attended two lessons. If it was Jerilyn, I wouldn't be half as surprised as I was with Jesslyn. :p
Take a look.
Since December 2012, they have learnt how to play a song (Happy Birthday), which I learnt from youtube. Imagine my excitement when the school offers ukulele lessons. I have been waiting for this to happen. Yoohoo... You see, schools aren't what they used to be where students only go there to study and maybe join some co-curricular activities.
Nowadays, businesses are brought to schools for the convenience of the busy parents. You can attend dancing classes, taekwando, badminton, arts, Chinese writing, Olympiad Maths to name a few. This year, there is ukulele too. Without doubt, I enrolled Jesslyn. Jerilyn, on the other hand, has badminton lessons on the same day. It's like killing two birds with one stone. I don't have to go to school at different times to pick them up and Jesslyn can learn to be independent by having a hobby which truly belongs to her. All this while, she follows her sister in her pursuits. This time, she will be the teacher, teaching Jerilyn how to play the ukulele.
That day, she played a song and even sang to it. I have recorded a video, waiting to be uploaded in the youtube before transferring to here. I was pleasantly surprised that she could do all that after just attended two lessons. If it was Jerilyn, I wouldn't be half as surprised as I was with Jesslyn. :p
Take a look.
Ops... I just realise that the recording isn't a full song. :-(
2 weeks without dearest Daddy
When I got to know that hubby was going on a 2 week business trip, I was pretty excited. Firstly, it's Los Angeles we are talking about here. Secondly, hmm......... I can't think of the second reason. Hehe....
So, all preparations were made including visas, interview at the embassy and researching. Nope, he did not do any researches on LA. He had no time to waste on it. Therefore, I did some researching. There wasn't much that I could do cuz he wasn't alone in this trip. His decisions were group decisions.
As the days drew nearer, the girls and I were quite apprehensive. There were quite a number of things that I was worried about.
1. His safety
2. I have to chauffeur the girls to school every morning at 7am. What a drag.
3. CNY is close and I have to do some shopping myself. Boring.
4. Kids' homework. Who are we to ask when they need help?
5. Our safety
Well, I can list down a lot of reasons but we can't run away from reality. He had home for LA on 22 January 2016 morning. We miss him a lot.
It is now 31 January 2016, So, what is it like to stay home without Daddy? To be frank, it isn't as bad as I thought. As it is semester break, I practically spend a lot of time at home, which means that I do a lot of spring cleaning to occupy my time. You see, I have to make sure that the house is in spick and span condition for CNY. What have I done to welcome the lunar new year? First, I sent my car for its 70k service and got a new set of clutch. Now, it speeds like a cheetah. I waxed it too. Secondly, the air-conditioner in the living room is repaired. We can all have a comfortable cooling CNY this year. Phew! The malfunctioned light in the guest room was repaired as well. Thirdly, the piano has been tuned by a pro. I had had a few so called pro tuned my piano but I am most satisfied with this man.
I do a lot of shopping with the girls and my dad too. A new shopping mall has just been set up near to our home - very convenient for shopping and 'makan'. Additionally, I have also spent a lot of time surfing the Internet to find the right stuff the buy in USA. The right bag, The right souvenirs from Universal Studios and Disneyland outlets. The right watch. My husband isn't much of a shopper so I have to tell him what is expected of him or he may come back with half the bag empty. Anyway, so far, he hasn't disappointed me. His extra bag is full and complains about opening some boxes to give space for the merchandises.
He will be back in 3 days' time. Can't wait to welcome him as well as our presents.
So, all preparations were made including visas, interview at the embassy and researching. Nope, he did not do any researches on LA. He had no time to waste on it. Therefore, I did some researching. There wasn't much that I could do cuz he wasn't alone in this trip. His decisions were group decisions.
As the days drew nearer, the girls and I were quite apprehensive. There were quite a number of things that I was worried about.
1. His safety
2. I have to chauffeur the girls to school every morning at 7am. What a drag.
3. CNY is close and I have to do some shopping myself. Boring.
4. Kids' homework. Who are we to ask when they need help?
5. Our safety
Well, I can list down a lot of reasons but we can't run away from reality. He had home for LA on 22 January 2016 morning. We miss him a lot.
It is now 31 January 2016, So, what is it like to stay home without Daddy? To be frank, it isn't as bad as I thought. As it is semester break, I practically spend a lot of time at home, which means that I do a lot of spring cleaning to occupy my time. You see, I have to make sure that the house is in spick and span condition for CNY. What have I done to welcome the lunar new year? First, I sent my car for its 70k service and got a new set of clutch. Now, it speeds like a cheetah. I waxed it too. Secondly, the air-conditioner in the living room is repaired. We can all have a comfortable cooling CNY this year. Phew! The malfunctioned light in the guest room was repaired as well. Thirdly, the piano has been tuned by a pro. I had had a few so called pro tuned my piano but I am most satisfied with this man.
I do a lot of shopping with the girls and my dad too. A new shopping mall has just been set up near to our home - very convenient for shopping and 'makan'. Additionally, I have also spent a lot of time surfing the Internet to find the right stuff the buy in USA. The right bag, The right souvenirs from Universal Studios and Disneyland outlets. The right watch. My husband isn't much of a shopper so I have to tell him what is expected of him or he may come back with half the bag empty. Anyway, so far, he hasn't disappointed me. His extra bag is full and complains about opening some boxes to give space for the merchandises.
He will be back in 3 days' time. Can't wait to welcome him as well as our presents.
Saturday, January 30, 2016
Distractions
Kids nowadays are so easily distracted. That's commonly heard and we parents are scratching our heads over what can we do to stop it or at least minimise distractions. Even though Jerilyn and Jesslyn do not come in contact with the distractors (tablets, tv, food etc...), their minds are not centred to their work. They would stare into the air and God knows what goes on in their heads.
I am not so worried about Jerilyn. She picks up very quickly and whatever learnt stays in her head. On the other hand, Jesslyn has a memory like a sieve (she must have gotten that gene from me). She forgets what she reads or listens the very next minute. I find that she reads for the sake of reading. She doesn't understand the content. It upsets me cuz a lot of time is wasted repeating the content and making her understand AND REMEMBER them!!!
I don't need them to work day in and day out but it is essential that they remember what they learnt. Once you understand, you don't need to relearn. Jerilyn has that 'gift' but Jesslyn....
Speed is also another problem. Jerilyn may have a good memory and her ability to grasp concepts is commendable. However, she can be quite slow with work. As the title suggests, she is easily distracted by her surroundings. I have to nag and nag for them to complete their school work on time. That may take the whole time after school, working til 9-10pm at night. Is there a way to make them work faster?
What's New
One more day before January comes to an end. It's still counted as new right whatever that is new in 2016.
1. Academic
Well, firstly, Jerilyn has moved on to Standard 3 while Jesslyn is in Standard 2. As streaming starts at Year 3, Jerilyn has gotten a new group of friends while separated from some close ones. She is happy with this new group as there are less discipline problems being in the top class (top 2 classes as the students are divided by even and odd number in the overall ranking from 1-76). On the whole, she did well, 23 our of 210 students. There are around 40 students in her class. How does the teacher manage the class? Beats me. She is blessed with a not very fierce class teacher too as compared to the other class.
As for Jesslyn, there is no change in terms of teachers and classmates. So, nothing is new. Oh! the venue has changed though. She now has to climb up 1 level to her class. Mind you, the bag is could topple her backwards if not careful. she is only 21kg and her bag is easily 7-8kg. Jerilyn has to climb up 2 levels. To lighten their burden, they have to carry 2 bags. I also see some with 3 bags!!! My, my, my...
2. Interests
a) Music
Jerilyn sat Grade 1 piano exam last year with distinctions in both Practical and Theory. She requested to skip Grade 2. I don't see the point in stressing her up (and also myself) by taking up every examinations, therefore, I allow her to skip Grade 2. However, the teacher is preparing her for Grade 3 next year. Hmm... talking about not stressing her?
Jesslyn is learning Grade 1 piano. I find that her teacher is more random than Jerilyn's. Jerilyn's teacher knows what she is doing and more focus. On the other hand, Jesslyn's is giving her materials from all over the place. This means that from easy pieces to difficult pieces. Jesslyn has 4-5 books of different levels!!! I sometimes wish to change the teacher but I don't want to be caught in awkward situations when I see her teacher at the centre. Sigh! Let's give her a chance.
In the meantime, she is also taking ukulele lessons in school. I am quite impressed as she can play a song while singing just after 2 lessons from the instructor. Even more so as there are 10 students in her class.
b) Sports
Jerilyn plays badminton in school and when we are free, we take her to the club for a swim. She can swim very well. I said very well as I use her friends (boys) as benchmark. She had competed with some of her boy-friends and none could win her. In fact, the boys played cheat. They climbed up from the pool and ran to the end before jumping back into the pool again. Jerilyn is sporty enough not to mind it.Other than that, she seems to be interested in many other sports like taekwando (which I forbid) and basketball (she can dribble for a long time).
Jesslyn, being a princess in the house, is not much of a sportswoman. She plays badminton but not good at it. She can't swim without the float. The sport she likes most is cycling, which we seldom do. It's not that we cycle along with her. We walk while she cycles.
c) Ballet
Both learn ballet but for different reasons. Jesslyn is to build her confidence and character (if relevant). Jerilyn is to control her tom-boyishness. Therefore, Jesslyn goes for exams while Jerilyn doesn't. Jesslyn will be sitting for Grade 1 this year.
That's all that is new.
1. Academic
Well, firstly, Jerilyn has moved on to Standard 3 while Jesslyn is in Standard 2. As streaming starts at Year 3, Jerilyn has gotten a new group of friends while separated from some close ones. She is happy with this new group as there are less discipline problems being in the top class (top 2 classes as the students are divided by even and odd number in the overall ranking from 1-76). On the whole, she did well, 23 our of 210 students. There are around 40 students in her class. How does the teacher manage the class? Beats me. She is blessed with a not very fierce class teacher too as compared to the other class.
As for Jesslyn, there is no change in terms of teachers and classmates. So, nothing is new. Oh! the venue has changed though. She now has to climb up 1 level to her class. Mind you, the bag is could topple her backwards if not careful. she is only 21kg and her bag is easily 7-8kg. Jerilyn has to climb up 2 levels. To lighten their burden, they have to carry 2 bags. I also see some with 3 bags!!! My, my, my...
2. Interests
a) Music
Jerilyn sat Grade 1 piano exam last year with distinctions in both Practical and Theory. She requested to skip Grade 2. I don't see the point in stressing her up (and also myself) by taking up every examinations, therefore, I allow her to skip Grade 2. However, the teacher is preparing her for Grade 3 next year. Hmm... talking about not stressing her?
Jesslyn is learning Grade 1 piano. I find that her teacher is more random than Jerilyn's. Jerilyn's teacher knows what she is doing and more focus. On the other hand, Jesslyn's is giving her materials from all over the place. This means that from easy pieces to difficult pieces. Jesslyn has 4-5 books of different levels!!! I sometimes wish to change the teacher but I don't want to be caught in awkward situations when I see her teacher at the centre. Sigh! Let's give her a chance.
In the meantime, she is also taking ukulele lessons in school. I am quite impressed as she can play a song while singing just after 2 lessons from the instructor. Even more so as there are 10 students in her class.
b) Sports
Jerilyn plays badminton in school and when we are free, we take her to the club for a swim. She can swim very well. I said very well as I use her friends (boys) as benchmark. She had competed with some of her boy-friends and none could win her. In fact, the boys played cheat. They climbed up from the pool and ran to the end before jumping back into the pool again. Jerilyn is sporty enough not to mind it.Other than that, she seems to be interested in many other sports like taekwando (which I forbid) and basketball (she can dribble for a long time).
Jesslyn, being a princess in the house, is not much of a sportswoman. She plays badminton but not good at it. She can't swim without the float. The sport she likes most is cycling, which we seldom do. It's not that we cycle along with her. We walk while she cycles.
c) Ballet
Both learn ballet but for different reasons. Jesslyn is to build her confidence and character (if relevant). Jerilyn is to control her tom-boyishness. Therefore, Jesslyn goes for exams while Jerilyn doesn't. Jesslyn will be sitting for Grade 1 this year.
That's all that is new.
Tuesday, January 5, 2016
Year End Performances
Recently, the girls performed at Kinta City for two different occasions. Jesslyn performed for Halloween while Jerilyn played for Christmas.This is their first public performance.
In the first video, Jesslyn played a simple tune from 'Cat at Night'. Although it was a simple tune, I was worried that she might forget some notes or miss a note or two. You see, she skipped a line while reciting a rhyme for a competition in school. Since then, I am always worried that she would forget something in any performances. Fortunately, she managed to pull it through. Phew!
The second video shows Jerilyn on an electone, playing 'Santa Claus is Coming to Town'. She had stage fright prior to the performance. She complained about how high the stage was. Hehe.... However, once she was up there, she made us proud. She was one of the few who played on the electone. She loves playing on the electone which has more variety in tone and definitely sounds more 'cool' than the traditional piano. No, she is not taking lessons on electone or keyboard but the teacher thinks that it will be more fun for her to try out electone once in a while. The teacher praised Jerilyn for being able to adapt and exchange between the piano and an electone. Apparently, some students cannot coordinate and follow the beats of the electone.
In the first video, Jesslyn played a simple tune from 'Cat at Night'. Although it was a simple tune, I was worried that she might forget some notes or miss a note or two. You see, she skipped a line while reciting a rhyme for a competition in school. Since then, I am always worried that she would forget something in any performances. Fortunately, she managed to pull it through. Phew!
The second video shows Jerilyn on an electone, playing 'Santa Claus is Coming to Town'. She had stage fright prior to the performance. She complained about how high the stage was. Hehe.... However, once she was up there, she made us proud. She was one of the few who played on the electone. She loves playing on the electone which has more variety in tone and definitely sounds more 'cool' than the traditional piano. No, she is not taking lessons on electone or keyboard but the teacher thinks that it will be more fun for her to try out electone once in a while. The teacher praised Jerilyn for being able to adapt and exchange between the piano and an electone. Apparently, some students cannot coordinate and follow the beats of the electone.
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