22 SEPTEMBER was a milestone in parenthood for me. This day, my daughter Ying finally graduated with Double degrees. Without doubt it was one of my proudest moments in life as I heard her name called and watched her stepped up the podium, right hand touch the hat as a mark of respect, the march forward to the vice chancellor to be conferred her degree.
In a few minutes, her part of the convocation was over. In the last few days, I had reminisced the journey that took her to this podium. Although it was not a dramatic journey with trial and tribulation, but it certainly was a memorable one as far as a father can testify. It defined the meaning of fatherhood, the worries and the hopes every parent placed on their brood.
When she was 18 months, we sent her the Childcare Centres. I took the responsibility to walk her to the centres. Initially, I stay with her in the class or within viewing distance. She wouldn’t allow me to leave her. Each time I leave her; she would cry and really break my heart. Only after two weeks, she settled down and would let me go. But I would still peep through the window to soothe my own fear. Finally we both feel comfortable, she enjoyed her class and I felt assured she was coping well.
She attended a few years of Kindergarten. In the morning, the grandmother will walk her to the kindergarten. In the afternoon, our maid will fetch her back. And when I was in Singapore, I would bicycle her home. Those years, she was confident and well behaved except she could be very playful. She once punched a boy so hard in the stomach that he cried.
Then came primary school. Being the first born, getting a place in Primary 1 was always a challenged. Somehow, I was able to place her at St. Anthony Convent. I spent the first days with her in school, just to be sure she know how to take care of herself. She settled down very fast. A private school bus fetched her to and from school daily. The years passed quickly and she joined the school Percussion Band.
At the end of Primary four, it was streaming time and she was posted to EM2. This was the one occasion I never forget. She was adamant in getting to EM1 even her Chinese grades was just nearing the requirement. I took her to see the vice principal and spoke to her. The VP advice me against letting her enrol in EM1. But she was so focus and determined that I support her decision and the VP could not turn her down. When the PSLE result was announced, she did not disappoint. She qualified to go SAP school. That made me very proud.
She went on to Chung Cheng Secondary School. Both my wife and I attend the first day in school. The school has a large campus and a very scenic lake. I know this few years will be very important to her and soon she will be maturing into a teenager. Every morning, one of us will drive her to school. She took up basketball and represented her school in both district and national level. She was a striker. I had watched her in competition many times and each time I am really proud of my daughter. She was also a school counsellor.
In JC, she went on the Meridian JC. She played basketball for JC and was the captain of the team. Academically, I know it was a struggle and challenge but nevertheless she was able to complete her JC with very decent result.
She went on the Monash University in Melbourne and completed a double degree in Banking and Finance and degree in Accounting.
The convocation ceremony is truly the summit of the academic journey. As a father, I take immense pleasure in watching her grew up, matured, gain self confidence and acquired all the values I had inculcated in her. Personally her achievement meant a lot more as I never had the university life. She was to live this part of the life for me and sure she did.
Sunday, September 25, 2011
Sunday, September 11, 2011
911 TEN YEARS AFTER
10 years ago, I was staying in Seoul Hilton. I had early dinner of Korean Ginseng Chicken. As usual, I will listen to CNN just to keep in touch with the latest news. The next morning, I was due to fly to USA. I never did and spend 5 nights in Seoul as the entire USA airspace was locked down.
I remembered very clearly, CNN came on air with its trademark Breaking News. Apparently a light aircraft had flown into World Trade Centre and there was fire in the building. There was plenty of speculation on what type of aircraft it was. Nothing was mentioned about terrorism and the news anchor kept reminding listeners and update will be available soon.
Soon live report of the smoking tower become available. I am one of those that can be hooked on news and kept the channel switched on 24/7. To my bewilderment, I watched live, another plane slammed into the other twin Tower. It was then CNN knew something big, strange and terrifying was happening.
The next few hours, streams and streams of news just flooded in. Then there was also news of another plane slamming into Pentagon and another crashed somewhere. Anyone watching such news would be mesmerised and consumed by what happened subsequently. I saw the first tower crumbled unbelievably, it just sank into the ground. Greyish smoke and dust billowed into the clear blue sky. Soon the second tower crumbled and sank as the first. It was like a war movie shot on epic scale in Hollywood.
It was now clear that America has been attacked. That’s the way I remembered 911. And today is ten years after. All the news media around the world had something to write or telecast about 911. Yesterday, BBC even ran in a special broadcast about the 911 ‘conspiracy theory', as many events and facts cannot be explained and reconciled.
911 have certainly changed the world. It has made my job tougher and more inconvenient especially those in the aviation industry. My perception of all the security measures implemented, does not seem to make the world safer.
I remembered very clearly, CNN came on air with its trademark Breaking News. Apparently a light aircraft had flown into World Trade Centre and there was fire in the building. There was plenty of speculation on what type of aircraft it was. Nothing was mentioned about terrorism and the news anchor kept reminding listeners and update will be available soon.
Soon live report of the smoking tower become available. I am one of those that can be hooked on news and kept the channel switched on 24/7. To my bewilderment, I watched live, another plane slammed into the other twin Tower. It was then CNN knew something big, strange and terrifying was happening.
The next few hours, streams and streams of news just flooded in. Then there was also news of another plane slamming into Pentagon and another crashed somewhere. Anyone watching such news would be mesmerised and consumed by what happened subsequently. I saw the first tower crumbled unbelievably, it just sank into the ground. Greyish smoke and dust billowed into the clear blue sky. Soon the second tower crumbled and sank as the first. It was like a war movie shot on epic scale in Hollywood.
It was now clear that America has been attacked. That’s the way I remembered 911. And today is ten years after. All the news media around the world had something to write or telecast about 911. Yesterday, BBC even ran in a special broadcast about the 911 ‘conspiracy theory', as many events and facts cannot be explained and reconciled.
911 have certainly changed the world. It has made my job tougher and more inconvenient especially those in the aviation industry. My perception of all the security measures implemented, does not seem to make the world safer.
Saturday, September 10, 2011
WORSENING EUROPEAN DEBT CRISIS
Once again, stock market around the world has been rocked and pounded by this unnerving round of panic and fear brought about by the uncertainty of the European dept crisis. It was almost 18 months since P.I.G.S has been coined to refer to the country with sovereign debt crisis. Today, Portugal, Iceland, Greece are on life support and Spain are exhibiting worrying symptoms.
Lately, Italy has joined the list of sick countries. France and Germany, the health ones are suffering from the global slowdown and all the woes that come with the American sovereign debt downgrading.Investors around the world are getting more worried about Greece. Clearly we see the European market pummeled this week and the American market too was badly battered this week. Asian market was not spared as well. Many have even speculated that Greece will default this weekend. The price of Greek bonds do suggests that this is a certainty, only a matter of time or some intervention from the richer countries will help it wriggle out sovereign default.
When this happens, no one knows the calamity and tumult it will generate in the world, especially the European banks. How it will spread and whether it is contagious enough affect the rest of the weaker European countries whose debts are also on the brink of collapse..
Many analysts have voice the need to change the way European Union operated. The eurozone nations have enjoyed the benefits of a shared currency and uniform monetary policy since its inception in 1999. However, the country never had a common approach to fiscal policy. The German are by far the most discipline and prudent. But other countries are very much driven by domestic politics. In a democratic environment, the desire to win an election has compelled many politicians to do popular things that eventually hurt the country financially in the longer term.
Lately, Italy has joined the list of sick countries. France and Germany, the health ones are suffering from the global slowdown and all the woes that come with the American sovereign debt downgrading.Investors around the world are getting more worried about Greece. Clearly we see the European market pummeled this week and the American market too was badly battered this week. Asian market was not spared as well. Many have even speculated that Greece will default this weekend. The price of Greek bonds do suggests that this is a certainty, only a matter of time or some intervention from the richer countries will help it wriggle out sovereign default.
When this happens, no one knows the calamity and tumult it will generate in the world, especially the European banks. How it will spread and whether it is contagious enough affect the rest of the weaker European countries whose debts are also on the brink of collapse..
Many analysts have voice the need to change the way European Union operated. The eurozone nations have enjoyed the benefits of a shared currency and uniform monetary policy since its inception in 1999. However, the country never had a common approach to fiscal policy. The German are by far the most discipline and prudent. But other countries are very much driven by domestic politics. In a democratic environment, the desire to win an election has compelled many politicians to do popular things that eventually hurt the country financially in the longer term.
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