We, the citizens

I try to stay away from the topic of politics in my socialmedia updates. I know of people breaking up their friendship on Facebook because of politics. They do this by 'unfriending' a friend (or should I say then friend?). Curses are exchanged online between 'friends' because they are rooting for different parties. Even objective comments are received with venom. Suddenly, I see a side of some friends and acquaintances which I otherwise don't get to see when they are posting pictures of their food.

(Taken with the Fujipet Thunderbird, Lomography Color Negative Film 400ISO)

Kit's school is located near the Elections Department, and he always asks if he can go in. I don't know why. I always tell him it's not THAT kind of place you can visit just for fun. ("Why, why, why," the questions continue.) I think most of Singapore forgets about the Elections Department until voting time. I think most of us don't think about our role as a Singaporean until election time or until August every year.

(Taken with the Fujipet Thunderbird, Lomography Color Negative Film 400ISO)

During our last trip to Japan, I was bowled over by just how often I get thanked for the simplest things like when I gave way to a stranger on a crowded street, for instance. But as we were queueing to board the plane after a two-week stay, I was transported back to Singapore although we were still in Tokyo. A Singaporean mother had dropped her family's boarding pass. I picked them up and passed them back to her. With just a blink of her eyes, she took it from me sullenly and walked off.

I don't read eye language, thank you very much.

But on certain days, I get pleasant surprises. Bus drivers who waved thank you when I gave way to them. A truck driver who stopped just so I could turn although he had right of way. That dear man really, really made my day.

Nasty people exist everywhere but somehow it feels worse when you're treated badly by your own countrymen. And if I could pick a song to describe this feeling, it'd be "We take care of our own" by Bruce Springsteen.

And then there are days where it feels extra nice, extra special when that someone who is kind or who responds with kindness is your fellow countrymen. I don't have a song for this; just a pledge that starts with "We, the citizens…."

When my boys bicker

Taking turns on the iPhone (Fujipet, Lomography 400 ISO film)

The boys are older now and Kit is definitely independent enough, so why is it that I can't wait to tuck my boys to bed at 9pm sharp every night?

It's not the running around after them or with them that's the problem. It's the bickering/fighting/arguing and tantrum throwing. Most of the time, they love playing with each other. In fact, they really want to play with each other. But when they get unhappy with each other, I end up having to plead, negotiate, punish, explain, argue etc. etc. with the boys. So mentally exhausting!

(I learned something though. I learned that Kit is a very forgiving boy and that he simply adores his older brother. He gets really, really, really upset if Kai is angry with him, even if the older brother was behaving like a spoilt brat!)

Life in purple

I like purple. Many of my friends like purple. So I naturally bought the LomoChrome Purple XR film (in 35mm) when it was launched. The premise behind LomoChrome Purple is that it is modelled after the Kodak Aerochrome -- a discontinued infrared film developed for government surveillance. LomoChrome Purple changes natural tones of your photos into something more surreal, for instance, transforming green to purple (yay!), blue to green, and pink to yellow. Mostly, the photographs take on hues of purple and cyan.

Here's what the world might look like if all the purple-loving people of the world could will it to happen.

(Pulau Ubin; Taken with the Diana F+ using a 35mm back with sprockets.)

This is what the photo looks like in natural tones.

There were unfortunately lots of misses in my first experimental roll. So here's just one more just to show the crazy results you get with this film.

(Giant Baby at Gardens by the Bay; Taken with the Diana F+ using a 35mm back with sprockets.)

Of days gone by and confronting fears

Taxi uncles on Pulau Ubin. There are taxis on the island, ready to ferry visitors who don't fancy cycling around the island. (Photo taken with Fujipet Thunderbird.)

When Terence said he'd like to bring me cycling on Pulau Ubin on my birthday, I was pretty sure I'd have a horrible time. I don't cycle well. There were occasions where I've been reduced to a sobbing, snivelling wreck while cycling as I was convinced I'll crash and kill myself.

It's an issue of confidence or lack thereof.

So. I was surprised by how enjoyable it was to cycle on Pulau Ubin, and how nice it was to see the island again. I didn't crash into a tree. I didn't fall. I didn't kill myself or anybody else. All I got were mosquito bites while riding to Chek Jawa.

Bumboat uncle ((Photo taken with Fujipet Thunderbird.)

If you are unlucky, you can end up waiting a long time for a ferry to and from the island because the ferry operators have to wait for enough people before they'll power up their engine. It costs S$2.50 per ride.

Everything's broken down. (Photo taken with Fujipet Thunderbird.)

I kind of forget how backward Singapore was in the 70s. But we were really backward. I remember collecting the colourful SBS bus ticket stubs from all my bus journeys. And how Chinatown really smelled. You can get a glimpse of those colours in Pulau Ubin.

A broken-down jetty points to the mainland. (Photo taken with Fujipet Thunderbird.)

Even then, I can see how progress has caught up in Pulau Ubin. There were actually people manning the remote information kiosk at the entrance to Chek Jawa. There were bins right smack in the forest for your trash, and a few wild boar would walk pass them without even lifting a curious snout.

Seriously?! The National Parks Board sends people to clear trash and answer questions in the middle of nowhere? Wow.

This experience is a little poetic. I confronted my fear of cycling on a not-so-backward island. I kind of missed the old Singapore but I was glad to be back in the air-con comfort of my room. :p

My Fujipet experience

At Tekka Market, taken with the Fujipet 35. (Using Fujifilm Superia X-Tra 400)

I try to make sure I still have a life outside of kids, and photography is a way for me to stay sane.

After a looooong search, I finally laid my hands on the Fujipet camera, in fact two Fujipet cameras. The Fujipet is a super cute toy camera manufactured by Fuji Photo Film Co. from 1957 to 1963. (You can read more about the Fujipet here on this excellent blog by moominsean.) It is considered a rare camera as it was never made for sale outside of Japan.

I now own a Fujipet 35 as well as the Fujipet Thunderbird (isn't it a cute name?), the first uses 35mm film while the second uses 120 film.

I am still trying to figure my way around the cameras but what I've discovered is that the Fujipet 35 can take some really sharp photos while the Fujipet Thunderbird gives somewhat a muted, mellow, softer tone compared to the Diana F+. Which do I prefer? I don't know yet. There were certainly a mix of hmm and wow moments with both.

For the full set, check out my Flickr site:
- Flickr set for the Fujipet 35
- Flickr set for the Fujipet Thunderbird

The dustbin called "266", taken with the Fujipet Thunderbird.

Curious

Curiosity didn't kill the cat this time. They had spotted a kitten, which slunk into the safety of the shadows when it saw the boys approach. They were desperate for it to come out and play.
(Photo taken with the Fujipet 35, using Fujifilm Superia X-Tra 400.)

July had just been crazy. Going through Primary 1 is hard work... for me. *slump over keyboard*

It has been interesting lately. I still call my boys, "baby". But they are coming into their own as unique, independent individuals. Kai has always been a very quiet boy. Shy even. But he's shown to be individualistic, very firm and steadfast in what he wants or believes in.

I see that coming out more and more as the days pass. I used to think perhaps he's in a dream world, oblivious to what others are doing or what others think. But he isn't, really. I saw that loud and clear when samples of his class photos came back. There were four versions: the serious one where everyone's lined up neatly and almost not smiling; two fun/cheeky versions where you could make monkey faces; and one that's taken with a fisheye lens. He wasn't smiling in ANY of them.

How disconnected. I thought, and I was concerned. Did he even know what he was suppose to do? Would people think he's an oddball? (God forbid.) I gently brought up the subject when I asked him to decide which photo he'd like to have (the school's taking orders).

"Hey, this looks like a fun photo of your classmates! But you weren't smiling. Did you know you can make funny faces at the camera?" I asked.

"Yes. But I didn't want to because I just wanted to be myself," he said without hesitation.

That's that. I don't know what you think but that is rather mature for a 7yo. And it's also "that's that" when it comes to play. He would tell his friend he wants to take a break and read a book or rest, often to the chagrin of some. A few would threaten to stop talking to him and some would pester him and ask me to intercede. But nope. "I am tired," he'd say firmly and continue doing what he's doing. That's that.

It doesn't mean that he is impervious or immune to bullying, harsh words, or nasty actions. He'd cried buckets when a friend taunted him, called him names, and put him down. In these instances, I've always told him yes it hurts, but if what the person says isn't true, then just walk away from the bully. I told him: To always stand true to yourself. Be firm in what you believe is right.

So I think in Kai's universe, there are things that matter and things that don't.

That's that.

I am curious. I am curious to see how things will unfold for my 7yo. What kind of person will he be?

Blue sky

Kit ran and ran to the end of beyond at Farm Restaurant Chiyoda in Biei, Hokkaido. It was a super sunny day, and my baby spent a happy day there feeding ponies!

I was told by Kit's pre-school Chinese teacher that all the children love to be with Kit. "Yes, I heard from his father that the girls love him," I quipped. "Oh, the boys too," she said. "They fight to sit next to him during my class. I have to get him to sit next to me."

Hilarious.

Yes, Kit reminds me of blue sky, sunshine, and happy thoughts. And everyone's drawn to blue sky, sunshine, and happy thoughts. :) This made me think of some pictures of the happy blue sky that we saw in Japan recently.

The Curb Market in Sapporo took on retro colors through my Diana F+.
(Taken with 38mm super-wide angle lens, Lomography Color Negative 400 ISO 120 film.)

If there is a pantone for retro blue, this is how retro blue would look like.

We were just standing outside the entrance of a flower garden when I looked up and saw the criss-crossing electrical wires. No birds on the wire.
(Taken with Diana F+, 38mm super-wide angle lens, Lomography XPro Slide 200 120 film.)

Dreamy blue sky. I like the graduation of light blue to dramatic blue.

The ferris wheel outside the Trick Art Museum in Furano. Its cabin was stifling hot in the summer heat.
(Taken with Diana F+, 38mm super-wide angle lens, Lomography Color Negative 400 ISO 120 film.)

Sky in blue flair. Some photographers would use a filter to cut out the glare. But lomographers love the imperfection.

A winner in mediocrity

Terence likes to tease me sometimes, calling me an under-achieving mum. I don't sign my boys up for a   slew of enrichment of classes. I tell my 7yo to perform to the best of his ability, and that it's ok if he doesn't come in first or score a perfect 10. It doesn't mean that I don't push him when it comes to school work. I am also disappointed if his score isn't what I'd like it to be. But I tell him don't get too hung up on grades.

Then, I started wondering: "What if I am wrong?" Together with my 7yo, I am suddenly thrown into the formal school world where I see students (and parents) jostling to be winners, to be first, to be representing the school in a prestigious competition, to be a prefect, and oh come on, be good at something!

So I am settling for mediocrity because I don't want to compete, I am a loser, I am teaching my children to be losers. Those thoughts went through my head. Perhaps I should sign him up for violin lessons, aikido, Chinese calligraphy, drama... I don't know, something, anything?! Then we'd have a higher chance of discovering that he's a music prodigy, martial arts expert, brilliant artist. Something!

So I turned to Google for help. Typed in "mediocrity children" in the search box, and I found an entry by Dr. Wendy Mogel on The Mother Company website, whose tagline reads "Helping parents raise good people". She wrote:

"Really look to whom you've been given. You receive each child as if they are a packet of seeds without a label. You don't know when that child will bloom, you don't know what kind of flower you're going to get. Your job is to pick the biggest weeds, and then just stand back and wait.

Kai has a loving heart. He is kind.

"You may find-out that you have a child that is not an athlete, or does not have a gregarious personality, or may not be a scholar. But, they may have a wonderful heart, they may be a poet, they may be a mechanic.

Kit is never where I want him to be but he is inquisitive and strong.

"You really want to look at your child, and instead of seeking out perfect experiences, you seek what is a nice fit for their nature -- not for your own unlived life."

Sure. For every article celebrating mediocrity, we'll find another (or 10?) saying that parents should not settle for mediocrity. We'd each find one (or 100?) article that reaffirms our believes, and turn up our noses at other parents' believes. "See, I am right because THIS expert says it is so." (Na-nee-na-nee-boo-boo!)

Mediocrity. Under-achieving. Hot-housing. Over-achieving. I don't know. How does one create a balance, and is there even such a thing as balance. It's either you're mediocre or you're a winner. I think I will continue to struggle with this internally for as long as I am a mother.

What I know is my children are pretty happy. I'm a winner in mediocrity. Oh wait. See, I am a winner!

(Photographs taken with the Lomography ActionSampler with the Lomography Color Negative 400 ISO 35mm film. Unedited by any photo/image software or app.)

Trampoline and the Lomography ActionSampler

When we came back from Japan, we found that the building management had installed a new trampoline in the playground. The boys were excited but when we first discovered it, there were some big kids who were doing circus acts in it. So we decided it'd be safer to go back another day.

They loved it but soon found it too hot after 15 minutes. I got some great shots on my new Lomography ActionSampler (clear), which is so much more forgiving than the Diana F+.

The camera takes four consecutive shots in one single 35mm film. The sequence goes anti-clockwise, starting with the image on the top left.

Kit got tossed around so much when Kai was jumping that after a while, he gave up and just sat on the trampoline. Poor baby!

See. Kit's lying dow while Kai's still at it.

I'm so glad I have the ActionSampler to now catch my monkeys in action. :)

(Photographs taken with the Lomography ActionSampler with the Lomography Color Negative 400 ISO 35mm film. Unedited by any photo/image software or app.)

Top of the world

Every time we travel, I see my boys grow up in ways I've never seen back home.

At just three years old, Kit climbed the 30m Play Mountain in Moerenuma Park together with Kai without even thinking twice about whether he can do it.

When they got tired running up and down the slope, they just threw themselves on the grass and rest. Or they simply rolled down the slope.

How cool is that for a pair of city dwellers?

(Photos taken with Diana F+, 38mm super-wide angle lens, Lomography Color Negative 400 ISO 120 film.)