SimonSimple

Hi People

First off, a Blessed, Happy & Healthy Chinese New Year (CNY) to one and all.

Last week was a significant time in my life. 14 February 2007 will be remembered by me for a long long time. Yes, it was Valentine’s Day. On that fateful day and to be exact, at the stroke of midnight, we bade our second child goodbye at the airport as she began another part of her journey in life. She had raised over S$20,000 from her one and a half years of work as well as past savings from ‘hong baos’ and birthday gifts - this is enough for only the first year of studies to pursue her university degree in Sydney, Australia.

Where is daddy and mummy in the picture? We have raised our children not to expect a free ride for their university education. Early in their lives we have impressed upon them that a university education is a privilege in our household and their ‘monkey’ to carry. Her elder sister went to a local bank for her study loan to fund her university fees at the National University of Singapore a few years earlier. She is none the worst off not having had her university education on an MND scholarship (read Mum N Dad). In fact she cherished the thought that she found her way through university giving tuition to several students (she still keeps in touch with one she taught at Primary 5 and has the satisfaction of seeing him grow and acing his English papers because she taught him to love the language).

Talking about our eldest daughter - last Saturday in the early hours of the morning, I was at the same airport sending her off on an 18- hour flight to Canada to see her beau during this holiday season. I guess we are being prepared for the impending empty nest!

The week was filled with a tinge of sadness but yet the butterflies I felt in my stomach while no doubt anxious were also happy ones. When our children are in their twenties, we parents must not hold on to them lest we stifle them. We must learn to let go and let them fly. If we had helped them grow roots, we must now let them grow wings.

That same Saturday brought us some great reassurances. Our son returned from his recruit training in Tekong on a weekend pass for the CNY holidays. The first thing he did when he saw his mother was to hug her and give her $40 gesturing while nursing a sore throat that that was his contribution from his first month’s army pay. It should have been $35 being the 10% requirement that his sisters had been following when they received their monthly pay packet. Mother could keep the $5 change!

Decades ago, when I was serving my full time national service, we had to march up to the Pay Officer and on receipt of the monthly pay, count it, take a step back, salute and shout “PAY CORRECT, SIR!”

If you raise your children with the objective of seeing them grow up to be Happy, Healthy, Confident, Cooperative & Responsible young adults, then it will always be “PARENTED CORRECT, SIR!”

God bless you all as you allow your children to grow roots and sprout wings.

Hi People

Have been down with the flu and experiencing a little writer’s block.

Last weekend, the army loaned our son back to us. I must thank the army. The young man seemed more polite and considerate. Not that he wasn’t a nice person in the first place.

This weekend he got to book out again. The first thing he requested of us was to have a family meal together. Since on weekends it’s “Mum’s NOT cooking!”, we proceeded to one of his favourite Chinese restaurants - Din Tai Fung at the Paragon for a Saturday lunch. It was great catch-up time. Amazing how a short 3 weeks have transformed a teenager into a young adult.

After the meal and as we were about to go our separate ways, I commented that I felt a little envious of his mother for getting hugs from him while daddy had none. So he gave me a BIG one. At 6 pm today, he had to say goodbye again, and guess what? He gave his mother a hug and I got a BIG one too! Reminds me of this Bible verse - “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.”

My vehicle road tax is due next month and like clockwork, the motor insurance company sent me a reminder. Last year I received some $60 worth of shopping vouchers as an enticement for me to renew with them. This year nothing came with the reminder. So I thought I would just call them up to enquire. They said there was no more promotion this year. So I said since there is no incentive for me to continue insuring with them, perhaps I should shop elsewhere to see if I could get a better deal. The girl politely said she would see what she could do and get back to me the next day. She kept her word and the next day she came back with the good news. Sir, we are able to knock off almost $100 off your annual premium since you are not able to enjoy the 5% discount Certificate of Merit (remember I got fined $130 for driving in the Yellow bus lane last year?).

I recounted this episode to an office colleague. Guess what? A similar incident happened to him. He wanted to switch telco for his mobile phone subscription - and it offered him some 6 months worth of rebates.

Sounds familiar? Try calling your Credit Card company when the annual premium appears on your bill. Some foreign accented voice would ask a few questions and promise to waive the charges provided you promise to spend a minimum sum for the next 3 months or so.

Moral of the story? Don’t be shy, just ask. How often do we miss out on the blessings just because we are too shy to ask? If you are lost on the road, don’t be shy, just ask for directions. If you are in doubt over some instructions at the office, don’t be shy, just ask. It will avoid misunderstandings.

A funny thing happened to me last month. After my treatment at the massage outlet in Hougang (more of this in my later blogs), I was asked to purchase some sachets of “Sizzling Ginger”. Boy, was I glad I asked about how to prepare the mixture. They realised my Mandarin was not great and reminded me that the “Sizzling Ginger” was not meant for me to drink, but a seaweed mud mixture for my bath. What a mix-up it would have caused and it certainly would not have been that funny, at least not for me!

Until the next blog….have to catch the Asean Football match between Thailand and Singapore, you know, national pride and that sort of thing…take care and keep warm.