Monday, August 31, 2009

Goodbye Montessori - Hello NEW school

It has been almost a month and the boys are settling very well in their new school. Yes, M is now in a new kindy and Chip is there too.

Parts of this post were drafted a while ago and only posted now intentionally.

11/7/09
Last day of school. I think I am definitely more emotional than M about his last day at school.

Originally I had planned to throw a little farewell party for him so that he could hand out some treats to his classmates. But his school had arranged a year-end party on this day, so I dropped the idea. I explained to him a few times before that, after today, he won't be returning to this school anymore and that he won't be seeing the same teachers and kids anymore. He seems fine. He said he understands and is looking forward to the new school. Ok then. But I still feel the knots in my stomach.

When it was time for him to say goodbye to his teachers, his little face finally betrayed some emotions. His eyes were a little wet and red and his mouth pouted, just a wee bit. Aww... my baby, I had to give him a big cuddle. 

I really like his teachers. However, I feel the change is good for him and after months of deliberation and finally making the decision, we are sticking to it. I hope I am right.

12/8/09
First day at the new kindy. 

I think it is normal to feel a little of the 'post-purchase dissonance', which I did. The whole morning, I kept wishing that he is going to feel alright in his new school. I reasoned that it is not a big deal really. After all, even he were to stay in his previous school, he would still have to leave the place when it is time to join the Primary school. Kids are adaptable and I will help him along. 

Joining this new kindy means a change in our daytime routine. After lots of consideration, we decided to place Chip in the same place for now, which hopefully will make a difference to their settling in. I took the boys to the school for observation during lesson time, a few times before registering them, just to gain their approval. They kept saying they are keen to join the kids in the school. 

When we got to school this morning, both boys were reluctant to join their respective classes. After some coaxing, M showed a brave face, fought back tears and followed his new classmates into class. The whole routine is very different from his previous school which had no assembly and kids just go straight to their own classes. For this one, they spend 20 min daily assembled at a hall for various activities before being dispersed. 

I followed Chip to his class and stayed through the whole session. He was free to explore the play stations and just played the toys instead of joining the activities. That was a good move by the teachers. After about 10 min, he was roaming around confidently and happily. At one point when the class was singing Chinese songs, he even wandered over, squeezed his way into the group and sat amongst them. That lasted for 10 min before he made his way back to the toys. 

He self-fed his lunch and interacted with the teachers and kids. When a child cried, he even went over to ask 'hey, what's the matter?' in a lovingly concerned tone. :>  But when I finally made excuses trying to leave the room for a while, he cried big time. Though eventually he settled down. He is a sociable and confident boy, so I am sure he will be fine within days. 

Both boys looked fine after school. When we asked M how his first day of school was like, he replied, 'I didn't sing because I was shy. And when I am shy, I just want to roar at the new friends like a dinosaur and scare them away.' Aww.... 


13/8/09
Second day at new school.

I brought both boys up to the waiting area to have their temperature taken (precautions due to current H1N1). A teacher came to lead them to toilet to wash hands and Chip got dragged along. 

That poor little kid didn't know what was going on and just looked lost. Out of the toilet and he was ushered along the corridor to the hall with the othrs. When he finally realised mummy was not next to him, he wailed so loud and struggled so hard to escape the 'clutches' of the teacher. My heart broke. I called out 'Peanut, mama is here! I am here, Peanut! I will be waiting here for you. Just follow M and the teachers.' 

By now, his face was already red with emotions and wet with tears. I didn't care what the teachers would say, rushed over and picked him up. Cuddled and whispered to him. His Chinese teacher arrived and took him over from me. He looked so scared. Repeatedly shouting in between screams 'Mummy! I want my mummy! Mummy, wait for me!'.

When they finally came back to the classroom, N had stopped crying. But I made the mistake of peeping at him and he caught a glimpse of him. That started the crying again. Then I heard his heartwrenching pleas to his teacher who was holding him, 'i want my mummy, please let me find my mummy. I really like to cuddle my mummy. only my mummy, please. i really like my mummy.' Aww....  my baby... :<  When he finally stopped, 20 min later, I left the school with a heavy heart. 

I checked on M in his class while waiting for N to stop crying and saw him enjoying his lunch. His teacher told me after school that he has settled in quite nicely. Ate 3 bowls at lunch and participated already, though still a little reserved. But that is good enough for me. I am sure he will be chatty as ever real soon once he makes some friends. 

At dismissal, I went 10 min early and saw Peanut sleeping in teacher's arms. So he ate his lunch, played a bit, then cried a bit when he suddenly remembered me. When teacher suggested he call me, he went to the toy phone 'Mama, why are you so late? Come quick!'. So there were a few rounds of crying, coaxing, stopping etc... and finally he got tired and fell asleep after their outdoor playtime. Poor baby. 

14/8/09
Day 3. 

I decided to skip assembly totally and brought the boys in a little late so they could go straight to class. He was happy to put on his school uniform and make our way to school. But once he saw his teachers, he turned back with tears in his eyes and started running towards me. I didn't want to enter the classroom this time, so I handed him over to his teacher, told him I love him so much, that I will be waiting outside etc etc.. and left the room. I was waiting just outside the room for almost half hour, listening to his crying and occasionally peeking to be sure he was being taken care of. 

Poor little peanut cried for the full 30 min before settling down. In between sobs, I could see him chewing his lunch and looking at the floor. Broke my heart again. Hmmm.... it is never easy to have to watch our babies go through this, despite the fact that I have seen it before with M and knew that he will be (should be, in most cases) fine. Just give him time. 

25/8/09.
Day 11.

For the last few days, M has been telling me how much he is enjoying school. It is very fun. He likes the teachers and the work. He doesn't miss his previous school or teachers. Not even his ex-classmates. Maybe just one boy - Taran. In fact, he has been saying such sensible things, like how he wants to be clever and going to school will make him clever. So he wants to go to school and learn. Wow! I asked him if the teachers said that to him. He just insisted that nobody did. He just feels this way. 

Chip has finally stopped crying. He has been making progress, albeit a little each day. The last few days, he has even admitted that he had fun in school, though he still misses mummy and it makes him sad to have to go to school. But he settles down quite fast upon entering the classroom now and today, he didn't shed a tear when I passed him over to the teacher. 

~~~ 

Sunday, August 30, 2009

No Shortage of Crafts

Just going through my blog archives, I realised that I have not been blogging much about our crafts since the Tots University started. 

It may seem like the kids aren't doing much now, but on the contrary, they have been doing more. 

Since both boys have been participating in my lapbooking classes, they get to make between 3 to 5 art and/or craft pieces for each lapbook. These are in addition to the ones that we make at home, just between the 3 of us. 

Right now, we are all adjusting to our new routine, so I am not doing anything structured with the kids on a daily basis. M is involved in 2 lapbooking classes anyway, so there is plenty to learn. 

Hopefully in another two weeks, I will be ready to charge ahead with a new homeschooling plan for both boys. I love the planning stage when I organise the millions of ideas I have in my head into lesson plans. I won't deny the joy I get in executing my plans too - the satisfaction of checking off each item on my lesson plan, whether it's for my boys or students (of my classes), is immeasurable. 

Just last week, E commented that my work at The Tots University must be extremely rewarding and he can see why I am enjoying it. He is so right - my hours of input are directly translated into measurable output, in terms of completed lapbooks, hours of lessons and I can see the improvement (skills, knowledge gain etc) in the kids I coach. Not every job offers such rewards. So I am loving it! 

Friday, August 28, 2009

When The Wild Came Too Close



The kids had a surprise one early morning when they came up close to a fox. A dead one, that was lying outside the house. We were told it was probably hit by a car and died on the spot. 

The boys went out to examine it really close up and the sight intrigued them for days. It was really an eye opener. 



Apparently, it is rather common for Londoners to find red foxes in their back gardens in the wee hours. We have heard many horror stories of neighbours waking up to find a half-chewed dead torso (or what's left) of their pet bunnies. Years back when my in laws still had two bunnies, they would lock the bunnies up in a big hutch at night for fear of such attacks. 

With their natural habitats invaded by people, these foxes are forced to live closer to human beings. It is now common knowledge that they rummage through the garbage bins and visit gardens for neat pickings. I once saw a fox crossing the road in the middle of the day and that stopped me in my tracks! 

What had happened was tragic. But I was told it is becoming more common. It must be, as I saw many people walking past it on their way to work and not even one stopped for a moment to look at it. 

Thursday, August 27, 2009

London '09: Their Favourite Place

It is no exaggeration when I say that the grannies' garden tops the list of my boys' favourite places in London. For this first trip at least.

Their private swing which grandpa made. So relaxing!



The 30 yr old Wendy House. They begged for it to be set up everyday. Once it was up, they dragged out every pillow and cushion they could lay their hands on, into the garden to pile into 'their house'. 



A little rough play with grandma.


Some gymnastics when the adults weren't looking. Or so he thought.


Enjoying a midday snack with grandpa.


When they were not plucking ripe strawberries, they examined the apples, plums and other plants for potential pickings.



Up close and personal with snails. Getting them ready for racing! (disclaimer: no snails were hurt in the process!)




Watering plants!! So fun! Even I like that.


Mowing the lawn. That was hard work but he loves it!



Trying to make it easy for grandma to strike a goal!! It took her quite a while. :D 

Wednesday, August 26, 2009

Australia


...... made me cry. 

When it was first released, I didn't pay much attention to it though it starred Nicole Kidman, one of my all-time favorite actresses.

But when E brought back the DVD that he borrowed from his gym as his choice of 'chick flick' for me, I decided to watch it anyway. 

Alone. Accompanied by only a bowl of fruits. In the quiet of the night. 

I had no idea what the storyline was and no high expectations to begin with, except for some quality acting by Kidman. 

But as the story unfolded, I was really moved at parts and a lot of emotions were stirred in me. 

I held my breath when the herd was charging at Nullah. I wept at many parts of the movie, either of sadness, relief or just being moved. 

I celebrated quietly when love was found. I sobbed when love was lost. I got all tingly when love was consummated. I love the line 'If you got no love, you got nothing. No stories, no dreams, no nothing.'

On a more light-hearted note, I realize now how watchable Hugh Jackman is. I have actually forgotten about the Tall, Dark and Handsome breed. Hmm.. eye candies are good!  


Tuesday, August 25, 2009

Happy Birthday Grannies!


On the same day the boys made the birthday cake collage for grandpa, they also created another card for grandma. 

We brought both cards to London so the kids could present them personally to their delighted recipients. 

It is so heartwarming to see how much the grannies appreciate homemade cards. How can a child not be delighted to see their creations placed high on a wall, like a trophy? 

Here it is, with a handwritten message on the other side of the card.


Made by little hands with plenty of creativity and love. They are gems indeed. And of course deserving to be treated as such. 

Monday, August 24, 2009

At the Crafty Crow

I was just looking at the numbers at the StatCounter for this blog and I realised to my excitement and delight that my post on Ice Cream Collage craft has been featured at the Crafty Crow. *big smile* 

Saturday, August 22, 2009

My Baby Chip

Blowing a dandelion.

Being totally amused.


Playing a slow-motion chasing game with Auntie H.

Wednesday, August 19, 2009

Bento Itch

When I was in London, everywhere I looked, I saw people eating lunch out of a box or some sandwich wrappers by the parks. I love that sight. It makes me think of the fun I used to have when I was making bentos. And the joy of eating from one. 

I used to make a bento at least once a week for M's school lunch. But ever since he stopped attending that class in the afternoon, he doesn't need it anymore. 

Maybe it is time to head out for our picnics more often, so I have a good reason to make some bentos.

Hmm... I really like these bentos that I made before. Maybe I shall make them for E to bring to office, so the boys at work could either envy him or laugh at him. Haha! 






Or maybe something really cheeky... hmm...  

Tuesday, August 18, 2009

London '09: Home Away From Home

We made plans to visit the grannies sometime in Feb. Boys were so looking forward to the trip. though they didn't know what to expect really, except that they would see grannies everyday.

Finally July arrived and we left for the airport. We survived the flight non-eventfully and both boys were remarkably good on the way there. M was no problem at all since he could be easily entertained with the in-flight movies, some games, reading and lots of Lego. The snacks and meals kept him busy too. We were expecting Chip to be more challenging, but he was good as well. He watched a movie and played some games with me. A little nap and some meals and by then, we were already over the Dead Sea! 

The first week passed quickly with the kids spending plenty of time bonding with grannies.

It was the biggest family gathering ever for us. The kids got to meet their Uncle M for the first time. His sister and fiance also returned to UK for the Summer hols during the same period.

It is just wonderful to watch how the boys played so well with Uncle M. The first day was barely over and we could already hear M running around the house calling 'Uncle M, where are you? Come and play Lego with me'.

My boys were crazily early risers, probably due to jetlag. But by the time they woke at 5am, grannies were already up, all ready to take them over from the sleepy parents. That was real nice. And they did that daily for three weeks! Whoohoo! 

Grandma ensured they were well-fed at every meal as she lovingly shopped and cooked for them. She also single-handedly stocked up toys, books and clothes for both boys over the last few months. Grandpa was not to be outshone. He also had lots of surprises in store that he would pull out every few days to delight the kids.

Despite our list of activities that we wanted to do/show the boys, they were most interested staying home to play with Uncle M and be in the garden with grannies. So we did a few touristy stuff for a few days and just let the kids be where they were the happiest.

M loves the changing of guards at the Buckingham Palace, the Big Ben, National History Museum and London Transport Museum the best. Chip enjoyed some of these but I think chasing squirrels, feeding ducks and dashing about in the vast green pastures probably top the list with the London Transport Museum. Oh.. we can't forget the dinosaurs. 

The youngest driver at the London Transport Museum.


The London Summer which I don't miss. 17 deg cel at midday in mid July. 
We had a similar shot taken in April 2001. Real nice! 

Mesmerized by the Changing of Guards, just outside the Buckingham Palace. 



Some boyish stunts at Greenwich after our picnic and squirrel chasing.

Their pile of sticks. A pile at every park. 

At the National History Museum, with the giant sloth.


Showing appreciation for a busker by dropping coins into the bag. 


Feeding ducks enthusiastically at the Hyde Park.

More to follow... 

Monday, August 17, 2009

From My Brain


One of the most wonderful habits about M is his love for books and reading. 

Every so often, he will pick up a book from our vast collection and just sit quietly, comfortably in a corner and read on his own. That is how he chills.... 

Every now and then, he would volunteer a piece of interesting detail on topics that we were talking about during our conversations. Sometimes I am surprised by how and where he has learnt them from. 

So I often asked ... 

'Wow! I am impressed! How do you know that? '
'Oh! I didn't even know that! Where did you learn that from?'

He would say ...

'From my brain!'  or
'Oh I am very clever!'  

Hmm...  that is not very modest of him. But he has never said it to brag. He always states it as a matter-of-factly, as if it is just another piece of information.

I have always consciously avoided making praises like 'clever boy!' to my boys. I do praise efforts a lot though and teach them the importance of 'feeding their brain'. Perhaps that explains his first response. He reads widely and we do discuss a lot. So all that goes to his brain. 

As for his second, I guess it must be a conclusion he has drawn from comments he got from others. 

His class teachers commented in his term report last month .... 

'M has very impressive understanding of concepts and his general knowledge on a wide range of topics is amazing for a child his age. His English language foundation is very strong and he has such a great love for books. He has made commendable improvement in Chinese and is in fact, one of the few with the biggest improvement in the past 6 months'.

One day, a while back, he came home and told me some incidences that happened in school. He ended with 'I am the cleverest boy!' 

Hmm... 

Saturday, August 15, 2009

When They Meet Again

They first met when M was about a year old. After some gatherings and playdates in the following year, L's family moved abroad.

Then last October, L came back and the boys met up again for a brief playdate. M drew L a momento. At that time, he only gave his drawings to people he really liked, so that gesture showed how much he favoured L. 

A few weeks later, L returned the favour by mailing M a cute drawing of the London tube. :>



This July, they met again. In London instead.

At first, M refused to say hello and kept insisting that he was shy. He had no memory of who Luke is, not even when I showed him photos on the blog. 

But by the time we walked from Harrods to Hyde Park, the boys had rekindled their interest in each other. For the next 3 hrs, they got on so well. 



Courtesy of L's mum. Thanks V! 

It is so lovely to look at photos of them together. 

Thursday, August 13, 2009

More on Pushy Parents

I wrote about my thoughts on pushy parents last month, after being inspired by an article in the Daily Mail. I also shared my views and beliefs that every baby is a born genius which several readers have quoted and shared in their forums. 

Lots of readers have emailed me their thoughts and quite a few local and overseas bloggers have also made reference to my posts in their own blogs. Thank you, all of you, for sharing and passing this on. 

I think it is part of the Asian culture to be more 'pushy' parents than our Western counterparts, especially when it comes to our children's education. 

I know countless Chinese and Indian expats living in Singapore who are extremely competitive and pushy, if I may say so, of their kids' preschool education. Many successful Chinese and Indian professionals I worked with before, also come from middle-class families back home with very pushy parents. 

Despite the negative connotations associated with the adjective 'pushy', the wiser older generations which had suffered understood that the ticket out of poverty is education. So they push their kids to do better than they did.

My dad did the same to us. He was a pushy dad, whom I openly rebelled against. But years later, as a successful working adult earning good money, I realised and appreciated his wisdom. As a parent now, I understand his love even more. 

I still remember the days when he would sit with me after a hard day's work, making sure that I had learnt some new English words every day. I was only 5! Back in my days, there was no Nursery and many kids didn't even attend Kindy. So most kids only learnt their alphabet at age 7. I was more advanced than most by the time I entered Primary 1. 

In my teens, I used to tell myself that it was all my own credit that I earned scholarships (based on merit) and bursaries (because we were poor) yearly from Primary 1 to Secondary 4. When I opted to go to Polytechnic instead of the college for financial reasons, I bagged another scholarship to pay for my school fees. I was also awarded a big scholarship afterwards for my degree course. So basically, all my 16 years of education were paid for. 

A few years ago, during one of my year-end reflections when my dad just passed away, I realised I wouldn't be who I am without him. Especially how he was like in my preschool and primary years. I may not have inherited any 'clever' genes, but he was the one who made the biggest difference in pushing me to be diligent, self-motivated and to always aim high. He taught me to be ambitious, to aim for the stars, so that one day, I will reach the moon.

Tuesday, August 11, 2009

I Don't Want To Be 5!!



That is a common rant we hear from M these days. Actually it has been like this for at least half a year now.

Somedays he will say he wants to be a baby. Other times, he wants to be just 2. Forever. It all started off early this year when we were talking about some grand party plans for him to celebrate his 5th birthday. Instead of a being the excited little boy who has big plans for the perfect cake and party theme, he cried big fat tears and wailed 'but I don't want to be 5 year old. I want to 4. Always 4 and no 5th birthday for me!'

Over the next few months, the number got smaller and recently he said he wants to go back to mummy's tummy! Huh?

After much probing, he confessed that he thinks it is better to be a baby, or 2 year old like Chipsy. Why? Because ...
1. he doesn't have to go to school and can stay home and play all day long
2. he can still drink milk from a bottle (chipsy still does since we are not in hurry to wean)
3. the only 'work' that chipsy does is with Mama in Mama's school

Actually I think there are other reasons like he probably feels he has more responsibilities and expectations from us. We expect him to clean up his toys and keep his room tidy, put back stuff that he takes out, get himself ready in the morning and follow his routine etc....

From his point of view, his little brother must have an 'easier' life, though we also give Chipsy the same rules when it comes to cleaning up, routine etc..

Just today, I asked him again about his upcoming birthday party. He has decided he wants a chocolate cake. But just enough to be shared between him, Chip, mama and papa. He doesn't want to invite any friends, so he said. Just us. Just family.

Monday, August 10, 2009

Our Own Getaway 2009: Paris!



The best part of our 3 weeks holiday is our romantic 4-nights getaway to Paris, sans kids. 

To begin with, E splurged on accommodation as he booked us into a hotel on the lovely Ile Saint Louis. We had decided that it should be our relaxing eating holiday, so all we did was mostly strolling and eating. Suited us perfectly! 

One of the most memorable part of this trip is our return to Montmarte and the very spot where E knelt on one knee to propose with his speech and the ring. That was fun! 

Another highlight was our little picnic by the Eiffel Tower to watch the sunset. 

It was simply what I needed to balance out my life. I love it! 

Here are some of the little niceties to remember.


On a whim one night after a huge 3-courses dinner, we made our way to the Cafe Des 2 Moulins as featured in the Amelie movie. The plan was to get a drink. In the end, we ordered this gigantic cheese platter and ate 3/4 of it! The food was beautiful! But not the cafe. I was disappointed to find it renovated. 


The biggest salad I have ever seen! For one person. 11 euros. At a sidewalk cafe at Montmarte. 

We were walking around looking for some nice places to lunch in. I saw a woman working on her salad which looked pretty good and I thought 'hmm.. I can handle that. It would be smarter to eat a salad now and save the (tummy) space for another 3-course dinner.' 

My jaw dropped when my lunch arrived. The plate was the size of a large pizza. Piled up with a mountain of leaves, roast potatoes and a giant slice of incredibly delicious feuille quiche. 

And this was E's lunch accompanying my salad. 

45 min later, both plates were cleaned up. Ahem! 


I love this! Makes me feel like a princess in a fairytale. 

Saturday, August 8, 2009

Sample Lapbooks

We have made over 70 lapbooks in our classes since we started in April.

Including the ones that we made prior to The Tots University, my boys have a collection of 14 lapbooks since October 2008. The 15th is work-in-progress.




Friday, August 7, 2009

Boys' Kitchen



We bought this kitchen set for M when he turned 2 as his birthday present. He was really into all the pretend play of stirring and cooking back then, so E went out to search for a reasonably priced kitchen set.

When he lugged this back, we just knew it was the perfect set with all the accessories that came with it. Except for the colors, but that is a minor factor which we could easily overlook.

The boys still play with the set almost daily. Not only do they take pride in serving up all sorts of traditional and odd recipes, they enjoy watching me savour their culinary creations with much amusement.

Soon, we will be embarking on a major decluttering and this looks likely to be one of those that has to go as it takes up a chunky piece of real estate. Hmm.... it seems such a shame. But oh well....




Thursday, August 6, 2009

London '09: Days Before The Big Trip

So, we have survived our longest vacation ever. 3 full weeks to be exact!

The few days before our big trip to London was truly exhausting. Right after I wrapped up all my classes on that Saturday, I took a brief breather before throwing myself straight back to work.

Basically I got all these done in the 4 days before we left for the airport.

- made all my lesson plans and got the lapbooking materials ready
- settled all admin related work for the Tots University
- settled all banking and bills related matters
- aircon servicing
- ran errands
- cleared fridge and freezer and grocery shopped for non-perishable necessities for trip and our return
- planned and packed for myself and kids for our 3 weeks stay in Europe
- did all the housework around the house, to prep it for our being away for 3 weeks and also to get it ready to welcome us the night we get back
- did loads and loads of laundry, put away and ironed the necessary
- made enough drafts for the blog to keep it alive while we are away
- finished up some follow-up work with both boys for the last lapbooks we made
- finished up 3 crafts
- went through some Maths and Chinese work with M and some homeschooling activities with N.
- made notes and reminders for myself to follow up on stuff while we are away etc

More on the vacation when I can find time to write. While it was good to be away for vacation, it is also wonderful to be back. It's home sweet home indeed!


Wednesday, August 5, 2009

Disturbing Behaviour

One thing that disturbs me greatly is the inconsideration that some people have. We had some children over recently and it is upsetting to watch the behaviour of these kids and their accompanying parents.

While it is understandable that some parents may have challenges managing the behaviour of their children, it is appalling to watch parents taking a very laid-back approach when their kids are trying to physically attack other children.

That's not all. These kids walked around the house munching away the biscuits they brought and left crumbs ALL over the living room. Instead of asking the kids to sit at one place to finish their snacks (isn't that common sense and good courtesy??), the parents didn't batter an eyelid. Not even when the kids knocked over their bowls of snacks and crumbs went all over the sofa and floor. Not a sign of embarrassment or word of apology from both kids and parents. When I promptly jumped up to start cleaning away the crumbs, the mum had the cheek to say 'why don't you get a cleaning robot? My friend has it and her house is so clean'.

Yah! My house is usually very clean too since my boys never walk around the house eating crackers and leaving food crumbs all over the house, then step on them, jump onto the sofa and walk around some more.

It reminded me once again of what my parents used to tell us - a young kid's behaviour reveals a lot about the parents. Though these kids may not fully understand what 'being considerate' means, it doesn't mean adults should leave the less-than-desirable behaviour unchecked. They (adults and kids alike) must be so used to doing this at home since they have a maid to clean up behind them. Even when I used to have a maid, my boys were not allowed to do that at home. When we are in others' homes, I clean up after them if they were to leave any crumbs or mess. And I always, always, apologise for any mess they make.

The experience left me with a bitter aftertaste.

Tuesday, August 4, 2009

I Admit (Now) I Am A Fan

I have never thought there will be a day when I will be a huge fan of some Hollywood actors. I watch movies and have my share of preferred artistes but I have never considered myself a fan of any. Simply because no one has ever fascinated me enough. I may read an occasional gossip article of who and who and chat with friends over coffee and cake for a few minutes but that is it.

So here comes the confession. In years to come, I shall read this post, be reminded and have some fun laughing at my own silliness.

Sometime late last year, E and I borrowed the Season 1 DVDs of the highly recommended TV series 24 from our friends. E watched the first 2 seasons (48 episodes in all) with me and got bored at the beginning of Season 3, which I eventually got through by myself. I am so hooked that I watched all the subsequent seasons within weeks. I just finished Season 6 after a few nights of episodes marathon.

That is a mighty lot, seriously! I am one who doesn't like following typical soap as I don't have the time nor patience to watch 100 episodes. Which is why 24 is a record-breaker for me.

Not only did I google and read the actors' bios, I caught myself a few nights ago spending precious time (instead of catching up on beauty sleep) reading the Twitter updates of Jack Bauer, the lead character. I was not following his updates but once I chanced upon it, I couldn't resist. Horrors of horrors! Now, I am embarrassed to admit more....




In some strange ways, I am drawn to this guy. He is not even that good looking. But I figured it is the fictional character he portrays that is most mesmerizing. There is something enchanting in those eyes and tender looks that gets my full attention. It all boils down to the fact that there is still that girlish side in me that loves the whole 'hero-rescues-damsel-in-distress-and-saves-the-world' story.

While I am not about to put up pictures of Kiefer Sutherland as wallpapers, I do wonder, if I ever see him in person, would I have the guts to walk up cooly to him and tell him what a fan I am. Or would I just hide behind my shades and a giant cup of coffee and secretly ogle. Most likely, the latter.

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