20250530- Mui’s first wall climb @60!

I have been thinking of trying out this rock climbing for sometime.  Must really thank Aaron for accompanying me on 30/5/25! John expected me to only climb the first few rocks ?

Guess what? I managed to scale this 9m wall ! Quite a first time feat for a 60 old lady! 😂 

Some interesting stuff learnt?

1. How to belay and be a belayer with the 1-2-3-4 grasp of the rope!

2. ⁠How to use the leg muscles power to scale up this wall like Catwoman!

3. ⁠How to scale down in finesse! Like Spider-Man!

Reflections?

Must say that this particular exercise can be exerting on the body. We perspired after the first attempt. 😂 Looking at the climbers seem easier. But the climb can be an uphill gravity cardio exercise! Guess climbing requires a little thinking and planning too. Which to step and which to grasp to make it to the top. 

Aaron did not manage to scale the purple one. Kept giving up after the 3m height? So perhaps another time to try!

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Mui’s Climbing Video!

Aaron’s Climbing Video!

 

20250510- English Tuition !

Early this month of May, At the request of the parents of little 14 YO Ting, I started offering twice a week Conversational English with her. 

Reflection 

1. Technology changes many things!

This brought back my memories of Tesol teaching to foreign students back in 1998 and my tuition to another little 12 YO in 2003 

After more than 30 years? No more physical classroom learning! But via WeChat video!

You see, Ting is actually from Guangzhou China! 🇨🇳 

I am also learning Malay via an apps Duolingo! Amazing technology  But still, language is best mastered with practice and environment of use!

2.  Discipline is the Key to learning!

Many a times, I too , SLACK OFF in my Duolingo practice? With Ting, I was a little unsure as to how discipline she would be? Surprisingly, she was quite an encouragement to me  Why? She was very “automatic” in her WeChat video to me so far in this past one month! She was on time ! Hardworking! And I was amazed   

I think her study environment back in China is very competitive   She comes back late at about 8 or 9 pm from her school everyday! Shocking  Yet she kept her appointment with me around 9:45pm each time! And we had a 45min to an hour of lesson!

3. Committment is another key to learning?

Initially I was not really prepared to undertake this project   Simply because it requires some commitment of 3-6 Mths at least   It was a trial too    Distance learning    🤔 

Reliving a bit of my past encounters with W and H for this English learning in 1998 and 2003   Fastword 30 over years later? Another little Ting to commit too? 😂 

Final Thoughts

John thinks I enjoy teaching  So he urges me to take up such a task  

Well , he is not that all wrong 

I did relief teaching in a primary school after my A levels  Did some tutoring - earning some of  my pocket money back then. 

I applied for Teaching as a career after my university cos I thought that was my First love.     Alas I was rejected by MOE and so ended up in the finance industry instead!

But in 1997, I did a career break by going for a Tesol course!

Well well  so here I am    30 years on… English tutoring again!

So here’s my little ting ting thoughts ! A full circle?⭕️ 😂 

20250505 Played Spontaneous Host to XY, Yibin Chengdu!

Proud to be a Red Dot ambassador to a new found guest from Yibin , Chengdu!

A strange encounter on a Sichuan flight back.

A lovely chat with XY on flight !

Her first footing into Spore!

So from 2/5 arrival Home?

We played a tour guide on 5/5!

Very proud to showcase her some

Beautiful spots at Fort Siloso, Marina Barrage and dining at Newton Hawker!

What a bunch of Crazy Brave Asians? 😂 

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What a beautiful Red Dot Nite skyline!

20250502- Chengdu

Covered Chengdu in about 4 days itself. Fun facts!

1. Chengdu population now 23mio. After the major earthquake in 2008 & 2017?  Chengdu pp seemed more chill about material stuff. Saw broken! If they earn 3000? They save only 200!  But other main bigger cities like Shanghai or Beijing does the opposite? 😂 earn 3000 save 2800!

2.  Pandas! Less than 2000 in the whole world! And there are about 5 main panda breeding research centres in Chengdu! The one we went was supposedly the biggest with 200 But we saw only 20 +\~! So the loaned panda in spore is now in Dujiangyan Panda Centre!

3. ⁠Chengdu - main river Is Minjiang River which was dam in Dujiangyan. To prevent flood and provide irrigation to Chengdu.  Quite an amazing Li Bing the engineer in Qin state to come up with such a unique way of separating the river into 2 parts and also making the filter of the sand and rocks to prevent clogging !

4. ⁠ There was a lost civilization called San Xing DUI.  Remains found in 1929. More excavated in 1980s and 2021/2. So now the museum has great artifacts collections. Weird looking bronze and jade masks! 

5. ⁠Sichuan - home to Mala food. Rabbit stuff! And their opera is good! ESP their magical face changing dance. And they love to have their ears dug with Services all over!

6. ⁠Several old ancient streets In the city centre itself. But we managed to over only 2 old ones: Wide and narrow and Jinli streets. The other 2 are the modern “orchard” road kinds in Chunxi and DaKooLi :)

7. ⁠Restaurant Food is Michelin but a fraction of the price here in spore! LOL.  And after this? Gerry and I waved white flags to other mala toufu and hot pot! So so so spicy!! 🌶️ 🥵

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Here is Chengdu!

 

20250424 Jiuzhaigou 4D3N

 Long lake? A bit like Lake Louise in Canada?

Juizhaigou… hmm. Not the right season to come? Not too colourful … 😂 only comfort- nice weather 

JzG- big earthquake in 2008 and 2017. Then came Covid. So the place is pretty quiet ?

The Romance JzG musical is a nice one to watch. As usual- the standard is high! So here is the recap! On the way back to Chengdu on first class train :)

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Here is the JzG video!