Protected: Assessment
Category: Isabelle, Justin, Mothering Moments
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Archive for » April, 2010 «
Justin’s First Fish Spa
I never fancy fish, except when they are cooked and dead. 
Even when I go snorkeling, I try to avoid swimming into a school of fish. I just don’t quite like the feeling of touching or being touched by a fish. So, I’ve never tried fish spa.
But the other day, we came across a mini fish spa, and the kids got curious. Justin was not keen to try initially, but hubby talked him into it, and they both had a dip. Isabelle dared not try, and would rather watch the trailer showing on Samsung HDTV.
Justin was reluctant to dip his legs in but after awhile, he got the hang of it.
Ewwww….I would be screaming like mad if I dip my feet in. Justin said it’s only tickling.
Gee…I still don’t feel like trying.
Category: Justin
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The Reds
Am I lucky or what? I’m caught in the sea of Red protesters, TWICE!
First, it was last Saturday when I went to pick up hubby from his work place. His office is located along Viphavadi Rangsit Road, so it’s one of the busiest road in Bangkok, and the Reds “stormed” up that area last weekend. I didn’t realized that I drove into the parade of motorcycles and trucks full of Red protesters. But then, they were just “parading” around, doing nothing but congesting the traffic.
I wanted to snap the photos but I was driving, so photos were only taken in the car, with my phone after picking up hubby.
As you can see, we were so close to them but it’s really alright. Stay safe, I know. All of us do. Check out the pedestrians cheering for them from the pedestrian bridge. *slap head*
Not only the main roads, but the Red protesters gathered along the sides of the roads too. There were food and water supplies given free to them. The locals told me that they were given petrol allowance too. :p
There you go, more Reds blocking the road…
One of the poor cars which couldn’t get into the left turning.
More cars got stuck, including us.
Something I hate to see…kids are getting involved in the stupid act, without helmets! Frankly, I don’t know what the parents are thinking. Maybe the daily allowance includes term life insurance quotes, and pocket money for kids?
See the little girl on the left? I wonder if she knows what she’s doing…except maybe having some fun “roaming” around in the city.
And today, the Reds are all over the other provinces, last I read from the news. They are now having a fun parade in front of my office. I got to do some banking today, so again, I got stuck in the Reds. Sigh…
Anyway, it’s a non-violence protest. But if they keep making nonsense and creating so many inconveniences (like some shopping malls in the city closed down just because of the stupid protests!), can someone lock them up do something about this?
Category: Bangkok
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Protected: Finally, A Decision Is Made
Category: Mothering Moments
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Isabelle’s Drawing
I can’t remember where I placed my kids’ first masterpieces. Maybe somewhere in the room in Ipoh. So, it’s best to just snap a photo for my own record.
This is how Isabelle draws lately…
She likes to draw a house, and there must be a car, at least a tree, some birds and butterflies (with faces!) and sun and moon together. Don’t ask her why the sun and moon appear together, she will be very annoyed.
She doesn’t like to use the pencils. Maybe she uses them a lot at school, so at home, she prefers using the pen and paints.
She would love to do it everyday, but the lazy mommy only allows her to paint on weekends. Really boh lat to clean more mess mah…Normally, I would let her place her drawing on a piece of old towel to prevent her from over messing the floor.
She can only use Crayola washable paints but no any other paints! Why? Here’s the reason…
After some usual painting, she will start painting her hand and hand print her drawing. That is when the real big mess begins.
The mess didn’t end here. She insists on washing the palette and brush by herself, at the bathroom sink. So, by the time she’s done, there will be paints all over the sink, so it’s another big mess.
Hence, now you know why I only let her paint in the weekends, and she must always use Crayola washable paint.
Category: Isabelle
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Bilingual and Satit Schools in Thailand
At first I thought of setting this post private, but then again, if you are an expat living in Thailand, who’s interested in knowing more about school choices here, maybe you can take a look. But if you are an expat with living cost covered by the company, just choose any international school of your choice and claim the school fees from your company.
It took me a while to accept the concept of bilingual school in Thailand. Thailand has a few types of schools, and some private Thai schools offer English Program in the syllabus, which is conducted 50% in English by a native speaking teacher, and 50% in Thai. The school syllabus is based on MOE of Thailand, and the syllabus sound “tougher” than international school because it’s the “traditional” system.
In a nut shell, it’s sort of like the system in a typical Chinese primary school, where you will be expecting a lot of homework, a lot of tuition, and children might be trained to be robots instead of thinking out of the box.
But some bilingual schools are adapting the angmoh methods in some sort of teachings, and the learning methods are not as rigid as those traditional Thai schools. We found one system, and Justin will most probably be transferred there, if he can get it!!! Ah…I hope that he can do the assessment, if it’s required, on this Saturday.
Yeap, popular schools pick children. You better be SMART or RICH. So realistic huh?
Hubby’s boss’ wife is Thai. But she’s the HI-SO Thai. Hi-So means high society in Thailand, which is the minority of super rich Thai people. She is nice to clear some of my doubts and talked to us about different school systems in Thailand. If you really want to understand this country, talk to the locals, learn their language, and understand their culture. By just talking to expats…mmm….you might not be able to get the whole picture.
She’s a typical Thai who completed her studies in Thai school, and didn’t leave this country for the first 24 years of her life. She picked up her English in international program and by self learning. And I was so surprised to hear that as she sounds like American accent, and her command of English is the best I’ve ever seen among Thais. LOL! But then again, she’s Hi-So, so Hi-So has higher standard.
In her opinion, bilingual schools have better discipline and tougher syllabus as comparing to international schools. I’m truly aware of that, considering that I was Chinese educated too, and I know what kind of life most Chinese school goers have now in Malaysia.
She even told us another type of schools, which are called Satit. I heard of that from my neighbor, who sends her 4-year-old for extra tuition so that she can pass the assessment at 6 years old to enter Satit schools. The questions are more about logical and problem solving.
Satit schools belong to a few famous universities in Bangkok, for example, Chulalongkorn. Most BIG SHOTS hi-so Thais ( like businessmen and politician) send their kids there, and again, kids must be smart or rich. Sigh…
She’s planning to drop her 4-year-old from international school, to bilingual school, and then trying to register her into Satit. But for me, I think I will just pick bilingual schools first. If bilingual is already like the Chinese school back home, then Satit might be hell to my kids.
So, if you are an expat with long term plan in Thailand, besides international schools, you can try English Program in bilingual schools or try for Satit. The teachers quality at Satit is the best in Thailand (so to said) and your kids will mingle with Hi-So kids, and the circle of friends (which the Thai very very much emphasize) of your kids will be top of the “world”.
For me, I will leave Satit alone first. I don’t think my boy can pass the assessment. Mind you, I’ve seen the papers last year, and I myself, took some time to answer the first page. Let alone an ordinary kid like mine.
Category: Mothering Moments
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