gymnastics at home

To be frank, Rey is not that good at sports. He couldn't bounce a ball 10 times on the same spot, he couldn't do a proper back somersault, nor could he skip using a skipping rope. I thought everything would improve if I put him in gymnastics in school. It has been 1 year now and he is lagging behind his peers. Reason being he doesn't practice at home. I used to adopt a 'let-him-develop-on-his-own' attitude but I decided that I just couldn't close an eye anymore. He didn't pass a back-somersault test yesterday and if you see the disappointment on his face, it will tear your heart apart. Knowing his character, if he is left alone he will still not practice unless someone forces him to. And that someone will have to be ME.
I: Do you KNOW WHY you didn't pass the test?
R: Because I didn't practice.
I: Then can you practice NOW? (pointing to the mattress)
R: Can I eat my snacks 1st? (still not motivated)
I: Can! You eat my rotan (cane)!
He sees the cane and scrambles to the mattress.

yah, forced motivation can be detrimental to a child's character. But spare the rod, spoil the child mah. I made him do about 20 proper back-somersaults (the sideward ones doesn't count) and showed him the proper way of bouncing balls (no more praises for lousy bouncing because if you do, he will think it is good enough). He practiced for a whole 1 hour.

End result? A very happy Rey because he realizes he can do back-somersaults like others too! And he knows he too can bounce a ball well, if he practices hard.
So everyday from now, he is going to spend at least half an hour doing these exercises.

Rey's 1st Instant noodles

Although Japanese consumption of instant noodles is No. 1, I don't let Rey eat instant noodles because I don't think there is any nutritious value in it. But Rey wanted to try just once and I see no harm in doing so. His opinion? Mama's homecooked food is the BEST, whoohoo!

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As you know, the swine flu is creating news and 'panic' in Japan. When the latest report of a boy from Kyoto who suffered from the virus came out, the MOE declared a 6-days-no-school for children in Kyoto city. Hooray for the children and boohoo for the parents. This is so different from a typical holiday when you can get on trains and go for outing. Children are required to stay home all the time (if possible) less they contract the virus, and mothers cut their supermarket shopping to the minimal, all for social responsibility and self-protection. Of course, we are not so 乖 lah, equipped with our masks, we went to the library, park, video store and supermarkets at off-peak hours so as to avoid crowd.

happy sad

Rey loves my chicken soup alot.

R: Wow! Your chicken soup is soooo nice!

I: Of course! (watching how he wolfs down the dish)

R: I think mama's curry cannot win my school's curry, but this chicken soup can win the school's curry!!

I: (shocked, mixed feelings....)

He is too straightforward.

Ultraman vs Monsters

Rey's crew of Ultraman get ready for a battle with the bad guys in front of a mountain of shredded paper.

grinding coffee

The fragrance of coffee powder invited us to join the queue, for a try in pushing a stone coffee grinder. It seems heavy even for an adult male. If you take a closer look, you can see coffee powder spilling out onto the drain, which is collected and given out as free gifts to people who tried.

mother's day present

Preparation for rice planting

The day has come for another round of rice planting. But before that, the children get to step and play in the muddy field, just to make the mud soft.

Rey was buzzing with excitement he just couldn't stop jumping about.

Bye bye to this clean set of clothes, I'm NOT going to wash them.

The children just love it! Some started swimming in the muddy water....Rey did too.

Some made the teachers' job more 'challenging'...to clean the wall later.

Now, a photo-snapping chance for the mummies.

Looks like a poverty-stricken kid from a slum.

Enjoying his mud bath.

Rey spotted some earthworms swimming in the mud and tried telling everyone around him. Yeeeks!

Golden week

Planned a tight 3 day scedule for Rey's golden week holidays.

Ultraman show in Osaka. See how excited he is? It was actually a school day but skipped school just to watch the show. Still, there were crowd of mums and children but we got the 1st row (phew)

Ultra-Mebius fought the monster

Ultra-Max and Mebius

the golden handshake!

...and photo!

lunch

Hep-five ferris wheel


1 night in Kobe

digging for fossils

got 1 as a souvenier

Baby T-rex taking a walk

Kobe festival

There was this sky-cruise by helicopter, 4000yen for adult and 3000yen for child..for 4 minutes. No, I didn't take that offer. Would rather eat Kobe beef with that money.

I'm glad I came to Kobe on the right day. There was a flea market and Kobe delicacies festival.

Rey got his additinal Ultraman toys at the flea market.