Short-sightedness

No one in my family has short-sightedness, and I’m the only odd one out. I grew up with perfect eye sight but I started noticing that I needed to strain my eyes to read when I was in university. A test at the nearby optical shop confirmed it – my power was not that high though, it was only 200 and 100, respectively in my right and left eye. I started wearing eyeglasses from then on. I dare not use contact lenses until much later, the thought of poking something into my eyes turned me off.

When I started working in my present company, my job involved a fair amount of driving and it was a great hassle getting in and out of the car as my glasses would get all fogged up. It was then that I decided to try out contact lenses. I started with the permanent lenses which needed cleansing and soaking with multipurpose solution daily, and the weekly routine of soaking the lenses in protein solution to remove deposits on the lenses. When disposable lenses became more affordable, I switched to monthly disposable lenses. My power has now increased to 525 on the right eye and 400 on the left eye.

I still use eyeglasses at night and when I’m at home. Which is why The Clark Howard Show, the popular U.S. nationally syndicated consumer advocate program on radio caught my attention when they recommended eyeglasses from this website that has a huge selection of frames, with single vision lens, sunsensor (potochromic) lens, tinted sunglasses lens, bifocal lens and progressive lens.

I wouldn’t mind having this cool pair of glasses, would you?

Terrible customer service

I needed to take Yiu Yiu to take a passport sized photograph as Juara Cerdik needs two passport sized photos upon submission of the enrolment form. After work just now, I took her to this Foto Zoom outlet in SS2.


Me: I want to take passport sized photos. How much is it?
Shop assistant: RM12 for four.
Me (mentioned casually, with a smile): Wah! So expensive ah? (Knowing that most shops charge only RM10 for four).
Shop assistant (became defensive): That’s the price the company fixed. If you think it’s expensive, then no need to take la. Nobody is forcing you to take!

I was like, what the F@CK! What kind of customer service is this??!! I don’t think I deserved such a brusque reply for that very casual remark. Without saying another word, I walked out of the shop. I wouldn’t have mind paying the extra RM2 – after all, what can you get with RM2 these days but I simply refused to give my business to this shop with such lousy customer service. There are 1001 ways to respond in a nicer way but the shop assistant chose not to do so. On the way out, Yiu Yiu asked “Why we are not taking photo?” I replied loudly “We are going to another shop, the kor-kor is so lan see (arrogant)!” I don’t know whether he heard it as we were already near the main entrance, but I hope he did.

I braved the Friday night traffic on LDP to Damansara Utama, to another shop which I go to once in a while. True enough, it was only RM10 for four. As it was almost 9pm and they have shut down their machines, the shop assistant apologised that I had to go back tomorrow to collect the photos – now that’s customer service!

Presents galore

These are Yiu Yiu’s presents from her birthday party, which we unwrapped the following day.

Before unwrapping

The presents in all their naked glory

I asked Yiu Yiu to pick out five presents she likes best, and here they are:

Winnie the Pooh trolley bag, Barney hanging board, Barney cutlery set, marine creatures jigsaw puzzle, felt pad with alphabets/numbers/pictures

And here are my favourites:

Winnie the Pooh trolley bag, Barney bento box and cutlery set, educational CD

Only four, as I don’t have the same level of emotional attachment to the other presents as I have with these. My reason for choosing these is really simple – practicality. Except for the educational CD, these are exactly what I need to buy for Yiu Yiu in preparation for her starting kindy next year.

Yiu Yiu turned three

Yiu Yiu turned three on Saturday. We marked the occasion with a small birthday party for her with family members, relatives, babysitter and her family, and close friends. This was the invitation card that went out two weeks ago.

I asked Yiu Yiu few weeks ago what cake would she like for her birthday and Barney was still her choice. I started the hunt for her birthday cake two weeks ago and contacted Angeleyes. I knew it was a long shot as Angeleyes is most likely not in KL. True enough, she’s in Penang but she kindly gave me the contact number of another home-based baker in KL. With Angeleyes' consent, I borrowed the cupcake design below and asked the baker to use Barney theme instead of Sesame Street.


The cake turned out mighty fine, appearance wise – far better than the disappointment last year. BJ and Baby Bop looked so real, and she painstakingly recreates all tiny details such as the shoe laces, and spots on their bodies. Simply amazing, she must have spent hours perfecting the figurines. Taste wise, it was rather ordinary, compared to the one last year which tasted really good.




The children loved the cake, and were screaming their heads off after the birthday song, asking me to cut up the figurines. I, of course didn’t oblige – they were just too beautiful to annihilate!

Left: Mummy helping the birthday girl to cut the cake; Top right: Singing birthday song; Bottom right: The children shouting "Cut Barney, cut Baby Bop, cut BJ"

Yiu Yiu fell asleep on my shoulders shortly after cutting the cake but woke up a short while later. The last guests left at about 5pm, leaving hubby and I to clean and tidy up the house. Later that evening, we went out for dinner with MIL and several relatives who came down from Kuantan. Yiu Yiu ate her dinner enthusiastically, as she hardly ate anything, except for a cupcake, throughout the afternoon. She was so tired that she fell asleep on our way home. That was a good end to her special day.

Visit to Juara Cerdik

Juara Cerdik doesn’t offer any trial classes so I could only bring Yiu Yiu there for a visit. I took leave on Tuesday to do so, and we spent about 45 minutes in the centre - with Yiu Yiu admiring the colourful and cheerful interior, and mummy observing the way teachers handle the children. Generally I quite like what I see – the teachers are patient, and most children are well-behaved, surely a reflection of the teaching that takes place within the four walls.

I mentioned about checking whether the main entrance is locked at all times – it is indeed!

We also witnessed the school dismissal taking place. The teacher will get the children to arrange their chairs neatly before forming a line and head towards the main entrance. Security was tight with all children kept within the school building and several teachers at the entrance. Any car picking up a child has a cardboard on the dashboard with the child’s name, class and teacher’s name boldly printed. I thought that was a good measure to ensure the child will only be picked up by an authorized adult. When the car reaches the main entrance, a teacher will announce the name of the children, etc and the child will be brought to the fore. Very systematic indeed.

So what’s my little girl verdict of the school?

Mummy: Yiu Yiu, do you like the school?
Yiu Yiu: Yes. I like it very much.
Mummy: So next year you go to this school, OK?
Yiu Yiu: No, I don’t want to go to school!
Mummy: Oh oh!

Anyway, she keeps changing her mind – sometimes she’ll say she wants to go to school, sometimes she’ll say she doesn’t want to go to school. I hope and pray that things will go well, and she’ll quickly adjust to kindy life once she’s enrolled.

Kindergarten hunting – Part 2

Kinderland, Juara Cerdik, Educare and Peter & Jane

Approach to education
Peter & Jane and Educare employ the Montessori Method but during my visit to Educare, though I see some apparatus, they don’t look like the typical Montessori apparatus, unlike Peter & Jane. There's a clear difference between these two, with Peter & Jane having a more complete collection of apparatus which are neatly arranged, much like the actual Montessori classroom pictured below.

However, I get a sense that the 5- and 6-year old classes become more academic in nature, to prepare the children for primary school. Juara Cerdik belongs to the Damansara Utama Methodist Church (DUMC) and employs the FunGates System, which also uses lots of apparatus in their teaching. The emphasis on academics is pretty strong, with the aim of getting the children familiar with the concept of homework and assessments. Kinderland is also very academic in nature. All four uses the thematic approach (e.g., family, occupation, animals) in their teaching and only Peter & Jane offers Chinese medium classes. Kinderland and Juara Cerdik offers Chinese as part of the syllabus and according to the principal of Juara Cerdik, most of her students attend Chinese primary schools.

Overall, the quality of teachers in these four centres appears to be a GREAT deal better than those of R.E.A.L Kids, Smart Reader Kids and Q-dees.

Physical characteristics
Both Educare and Kinderland have a lot of similarites: both are housed in a double-storey bungalow, both have reasonably attractive façade and interior, both do not have child friendly facilities, and both have a minipool and sandpit in their compounds. Kinderland also has a music room with several keyboards, where the children learn music and fiddle with the instruments.

Educare

Kinderland

Juara Cerdik and Peter & Jane also have lots of similarities: both are housed in a custom built building, not your run-of-the-mill double storey bungalow or double-storey corner terrace unit. Both have really impressive exterior and interior as well as having child-friendly facilities. Juara Cerdik also boasts of a science lab and computer lab, and since it is within the large DUMC complex, it has access to the multipurpose hall for its activities. Peter & Jane also has a computer lab, and its music classes are conducted using the Musikgarten program, no less!

Child friendly facilities at Juara Cerdik

The huuuugggeeee compound of Peter & Jane

Security
Security at Educare, Kinderland and Peter & Jane are pretty lax. Similar to the R.E.A.L Kids and Q-dees centres I visited, though there’s a latch at the gate, it was not locked. At least at Peter & Jane, the first point of entry is the administrator office so there’s still some measure of screening of visitors. The DUMC complex is a guarded complex, but the guards don’t really stop anyone from going into the complex. The main entrance to Juara Cerdik though, is locked, at least at the time of my visit that evening. It’s somewhat similar to the typical office security system where access is only granted with an access card. Not sure if it'll be locked during school/dismissal hours.

$$$$$
Juara Cerdik and Educare costs about the same as R.E.A.L Kids, while Kinderland and Peter & Jane costs about 50% and 65% more respectively.

In conclusion
Among these four centres, I like Peter & Jane the most, but its fee is quite prohibitive. Juara Cerdik is a close second, and given its lower fee, appears to give more bangs for my bucks.

So what’s next? I’ll make another visit to Juara Cerdik when school is in session, to observe the children and teacher in action. I’ll bring Yiu Yiu along too, just to see if she likes the school. And if trial classes is an option, I’ll certainly enroll her. In the meantime, I’ll explore other Q-dees kindies in the vicinity.

Kindergarten hunting – Part 1

Yiu Yiu will turn three in November, but since she was born in 2005, she will be four by calendar year next year. We are planning to enroll her in a kindergarten so at least she doesn’t spend all her time playing and watching Barney.

Our main objective is for her to learn and have fun, to interact and socialize and to develop the habit of going to school. Our initial thought is to enroll her in a Montessori-type kindergarten next year, which is more focused on learning through play, and change to a more formal academic based kindergarten when she turns five, in preparation for formal schooling. The other consideration is the kindy must have transport service to send her back to the babysitter’s house after school hours.

I started trawling the Net for information and shortlisted a few kindies – both franchise and standalone establishments. Then, armed with a checklist by Montessorimum, I started my hunt for the kindy that matches our requirements.

I took two days off work and visited seven kindies: R.E.A.L Kids, Smart Reader Kids, Q-dees, Kinderland, Juara Cerdik, Educare and Peter & Jane. The first four are franchised centres; Juara Cerdik and Educare are standalone establishments while Peter & Jane has several branches. Below are my take of the first three centres (disclaimer: my assessment below applies ONLY to the centre I visited and not a reflection of the general condition of the said franchise):

R.E.A.L Kids, Smart Reader Kids and Q-dees

Approach to education
All three are very much academic-based, with the R.E.A.L Kids and Q-dees centre offering Chinese medium classes for children planning to enroll into Chinese primary schools. Classes are conventionally arranged with tables and chairs facing the whiteboard. Smart Reader Kids and Q-dees also emphasise on reading skills, with both having their own set of reading materials. I think R.E.A.L Kids may have similar reading materials but when I visited, classes were over but daycare was running. The person who entertained me couldn’t tell me a great deal about her school, and I earnestly hope that she’s not a teacher at the centre, coz if she is, I’m afraid she doesn’t give me a good impression of the quality of education offered. I was also appalled when she implied that they use bribery to make the children behave!

Timetable of the R.E.A.L Kids centre

Anyhow, through my visits, I have a hunch that teachers in all three centres are of mixed quality – some qualified, experienced ones, while others are simply SPM school leavers who completed the compulsory basic childcare course (Kursus Asas Asuhan Kanak-Kanak) organized by the Department of Social Welfare, the department that governs the running of pre-schools in Malaysia.

Physical characteristics
As with most kindies, this R.E.A.L Kids centre is housed in a corner terrace house. It has child friendly facilities (toilet and wash basin) but not very well maintained. It also has a swimming pool and computer lab.

All Smart Reader Kids centres, as I understand it, are housed in the upper floor of shoplots, and the one I visited was no different. Despite being a relatively new centre (~3 years), the appearance was less than pleasing, and the toilets and wash basins were not child-friendly. The Q-dees centre is housed in a single storey bungalow building with a swimming pool. The interior is bright and cheery, though a little run-down; the facilities however, are not child-friendly. The kitchen and toilets were rather unkempt but I was told that it was due to water supply disruption. Classes just ended when I visited, and children who stayed back for the daycare service were having lunch. I took a peek and if I’m not mistaken, it was instant noodles! The principal had earlier told me that besides biscuit and bread, the children also get fried rice, fried noodles and chicken porridge for snacks. But instant noodles for lunch?!! I’m not sure if this is again attributed to the water disruption but I didn’t ask.

The exterior of the Q-dees centre

Security
Security was lax at both the R.E.A.L Kids and Q-dees centres. There’s a latch at the gate but it was not locked so anyone can just pretty much walk in. At the Smart Reader Kids centre, the principal installed an automatic lock at the entrance to the stairs, and access is only granted after screening the visitor.

$$$$$
Smart Reader Kids and Q-dees fees are about the same, while R.E.A.L Kids costs about RM800 more per year. Mind you, the fee is close to double what I paid for my tertiary education in a local university! Kids really don’t come cheap these days.

In conclusion
In the website of these centres, there are impressive write-ups about their philosophy, great pictures of their facilites, etc but after my visitations, I can conclude that what I see on the internet is not what necessarily what I'll get. Nevertheless, if I had to choose between these three, I’ll probably opt for Q-dees, but instead of this centre that I visited, I’ll probably scout around for a centre with better facilities.

Next post: Kinderland, Juara Cerdik, Educare and Peter & Jane

Tanjung Sepat and Bagan Lalang

We went to Tanjung Sepat for seafood lunch last Saturday.

The famous Lover's Bridge in Tanjung Sepat

On the way back, we stopped by Bagan Lalang. It was around 3pm when we reached Bagan Lalang. It was low tide at that time and the sea water was far out from the shore. As the sun was scorching hot, we were too lazy to walk out to the water. Just as well as there was water cut in the area, and we wouldn’t have clean water to wash Yiu Yiu up had she gone into the water.

We spent time flying kite at the beach, and Yiu Yiu was contented just building sand dunes.

Patterns in the sand created by tiny crabs

We left about an hour later as hubby had to rush home to attend an evening function.

Waterfalls and natural beauty of Wulai

Wulai is rich in mountain and natural scenery. Directly opposite our hotel is the Wulai Waterfall. With a beautiful epithet "Swift flow from the clouds", Wulai Waterfall rushes down from a height of 80 meters. It is the highest hanging distributary waterfall in Taipei County. One can also view the stunning beauty of the waterfall while taking the Yun-Hsien cable car up to the top of the falls where an amusement park called Dreamland is located.

Our typical Taiwanese (BIG) breakfast in the hotel, while enjoying the beauty of Wulai Waterfall

Cherry blossoms were beginning to bloom and the hillsides were dotted in bright pink. Wulai's mountain cherry blossoms, also known as "Cold Crimson" cherry, bloom mainly between January and February. Cold Crimson cherry is one of the darkest and richest in colour. When they are in full bloom, the entire tree appears crimson, and the green valley turns red.


The Neidong Forest Recreation Area is located 5km away from Wulai where the Neidong River runs into the Nanshih River at elevations of between 200 and 800 metres. This recreation area is surrounded by mountains and filled with forests, and there is large variation in the terrain, creating habitats for a diversity of plants and wildlife. We took a leisuley trek through the recreation area and not far from the main entrance is the Wusha Waterfall.





Further in, the Neidong River tributary forms a stunning landscape made of of three layers of waterfalls. The recreation area is rich in anions, created by the rushing of water from watefalls and the density of vegetation and trees. There are as many as 20,000 – 50,000 anions per sq cm, which makes the air fresher and supposedly has many health benefits, including boosting one's immune system whilst also promoting a sense of contentment and happiness.

Wulai, the town of hotsprings and aborigines

Surrounded by mountain peaks and with an average elevation of 900 meters, Wulai is a popular tourism destination in Taipei with its combination of natural hot springs, waterfalls and other natural scenery. According to legends, two to three hundred years ago, Wulai was a hunting ground of the Atayal aborigines. When the Atayals came to the riverside and found hazy mists, they approached the river and discovered steaming hot water. The Atayals shouted "ulaikirofu", meaning "steaming hot water" in the Atayal language, from where this township gets its name. This tribe still inhabits the Wulai area, making Wulai the only aboriginal township in Taipei County. The rich Atayal aboriginal traditions, the second largest tribe among all Taiwan aboriginal tribes, shape Wulai's culture. The most interesting of Atayal culture is the Atayal facial tattoo. In the distant past, Atayal boys had to hunt human head and Atayal girls has to master the art of weaving to earn the facial tattoo.

We stayed in Naluwan Resort Hotel located high on the mountains of Wulai. The hotel uses the local aboriginal presence for inspiration in everything from its architecture to the patterning on the room bedspreads and curtains. From the hotel, we took the rail carts to Wulai Old Street. The rail carts were first used to transport timber but have now been transformed into a tourist attraction. Along the route, beautiful scenery of gorges and valleys of Wulai can be seen.

On Wulai Old Street is a collection of hot spring hotels, restaurants selling indigenous cuisine as well as a number of gift shops that sell locally made indigenous handicrafts. Wulai indigenous specialties include millet muachi (sticky millet ball) and millet wine. Millet muachi are mostly hand-made with a variety of flavours to cater to people's liking. Because muachi must be fresh, most muachi are sold the day they are made. Rice cooked in bamboo and delicacies from the mountains are almost synonymous with Atayal culture. Guei bamboo shoots, stone grill, deep-fried river shrimp, kakorot, bird's nest fern and common yam are a must-taste for visitors to Wulai.

The temperature of the Wulai carbonic hotsprings is 80oC and the water is clear and odorless, unlike those in the northern areas of Taipei such as Yangmingshan and Beitou which are mainly alkaline sulphuric springs, with water that has a strong odour and light milky colour. The hot spring water of Wulai can be used for drinking and bathing, and is said to be moisturizing to the skin besides promoting metabolism, thus earning the nickname "Spring Beauty". Bathing in the warm spring water in the public alfresco hot spring took a little courage (hubby refused to take the plunge!) but it was a great way to get a feel for the local culture. The bath was refreshing and truly a one-of-a-kind experience.

Hot spring water has also been piped into the many hotels, bathhouses and spas, including our room at Naluwan, so we could also enjoy the hot spring water in the privacy of our room – so that's what hubby did!