Dear Santa

Speech festival

Mum took me to some hotel basement where there were a lot of other children and their parents. For several weeks, I had practised my poem for the speech festival at Kids' Gallery.

Shell

Myra Cohn Livingston

When it was time
for Show and Tell,
Adam brought a big pink shell.
He told about
the ocean roar
and walking on the sandy shore.
And then he passed
the shell around.
We listened to the water sound.
And that's the first time
I could hear
the wild waves calling to my ear.

All the other children recited the same poem.

Dad asked me if I was scared going on the stage. I told him it was fun.

Speech festival

I competed in the HK Schools Speech Festival today. All the children are to recite the same poem. I've been practising it for several weeks now – Papa has been helping me with it at home, and Teacher Andy has been helping me rehearse it at Kids' Gallery. I enjoyed being on stage, and wasn't the least bit scared.

The poem goes like this:

'Shell' by Mary Cohn Livingston

When it was time
for Show and Tell,
Adam brought a big pink shell.
He told about
the ocean roar
and walking on the sandy shore.

And then he passed
the shell around.
we listened to the water sound.

And that’s the first time
I could hear
the wild waves calling to my ear.

Calamity

Hibou is gone. I am very sad, because I love him. He's not actually an hibou ("owl" in French). Since I was very little, Papa has always sung the "Hibou-Cuckoo song" to me, using my toy giraffe as a prop, so I have always called him 'Hibou'.

On my way to Kids' Gallery this morning, I put him in the seat next to me, and forgot him when we got off the bus. I was thinking about him all through the class. I cried so much after losing him, and Lorielyn bought me two cars and a soft hippo to make me feel better. I sometimes want to take my friends when going out. Today Doggie and Mr Tiger went out with me out in my bag. I now wish I kept Hibou in my bag.

me and Hibou with my family, in happier times

Papa said he put out an APB on Hibou - he phoned up the bus company many times, but nobody had handed him in. Papa said he hoped I learned my lesson. Goodbye Hibou :.....-0

Midnight visit to hospital

Duncan was ill since school started last week, and this week, I have been at home indoors for 4 days. I didn't go out once.

My two upper front teeth are getting very wobbly. With my two teeth sticking out, Duncan says I look like Mater.

On Tuesday, I lost my upper right front tooth. I woke up a few hours later and told Papa my ear hurt. Luckily, we live next door to a hospital, and Mummy and Papa took me to the Emergency immediately. The doctor saw to me and I was back in bed one hour later. Doctor said I had an middle-ear infection, and that I should stay at home and rest. I am not allowed to go swimming for two whole weeks.

Back to school today

I started the new school year today. I am in K3A; I have the same teachers and the same classroom. It was good to see my friends again. I also have some class-mates who I don't know - they just joined. Miss Elisa was very busy looking after the new class-mates' parents. Duncan was due to start at the same school today too, but he had a fever and had to stay at home.

After school, I had a swimming lesson with coach Lok.

Visit to Uncle Roger

Mummy and Papa took me and Duncan to see Uncle Roger today - he's not really my uncle, though. He's grandpa's friend, and a dentist.

I told him about my new teeth, and showed him my wobbly front tooth. He said were no problems with my teeth. :-), but was a bit worried because I had big gaps - he thought there may be some missing. So he took an X-ray just to be sure. Papa says is the only way you can see through bone. I need to see him again in 9 months.

It's still the school holidays, but Duncan has already started classes in the afternoon. Mummy and I took him to school.

Concert

For my cultural education, Sai Gugu took me to a classical music concert today which featured McDull. It was a lot of fun, and I now know what a 'conductor' is. I especially enjoyed being back stage and meeting McDull and Musical Director Yip Wing-sie afterwards. I took this picture of him, from behind... hehehe - I did ask him first, though.

Is this what "back stage" means? ;-)

Justin's birthday

This week, I had lunch with Ivan, unfortunately, his brother Terence couldn't be there. I also attended my good friend Justin's birthday party on Sunday afternoon. It was a pizza party - Duncan and I each made a big pizza. I put lots of tomato cheese and ham topping on my pizza. I ate two slices, and I offered Papa a piece. I ate the rest of it for supper.

Duncan and me at the Pizza Express

Since school broke up for the summer, mummy has enrolled me in several classes in the clubhouse at home. I have been attending a magic class, and a class where I learn to use an abacus. I don't enjoy the magic class, but I can count to nine on the abacus. Duncan and I also have two swimming lessons a week downstairs at home. Because he is a beginner, we swim at different times.

Piano

I have a new piano, which was delivered last week! I'm having lessons once a week with Miss Amy.

Bye-bye tooth

I said goodbye to a second milk tooth this evening. It was so wobbly when I started brushing my teeth this evening that I asked Papa to pull it out for me. Papa said I was brave - I did not wince at all when he pulled it right out.

New tooth

My new tooth started to come out yesterday, and another milk tooth is getting wobbly.

Afternoons

Mummy said I was a big boy now, I started going to class 4 afternoons a week. I still have my swimming lesson on Tuesday afternoons; Duncan and I now go to judo together after school on Thursdays.

Snoopy World

Jenny is returning soon to the Philippines. She took me to Snoopy World after school today. I had my picture taken with Snoopy and Charlie Brown and his gang.

Bunk bed

I have a throat infection, so I'm off school yesterday and today. I missed swimming, and stayed at home; I watched 宝葫芦的秘密 (The Secret of the Magic Gourd) twice yesterday. I called the film "The Little Peanut".

I was a bit bored today, so I asked to take Duncan to the YMCA in the morning. In the afternoon, two huge boxes were delivered. Mummy said my it was my bunk bed, Papa would set it up when he got home. I watched "The Little Peanut" again tonight.

Egg custard tarts

This afternoon after lunch of pasta, I went down to the clubhouse to make egg custard tarts.

Papa said mine were "perfect", better than those from Tai Cheong Bakery (泰昌餅家) :-)

School outing

Today Mummy and Papa took me on a school outing. In the morning, we went to Pak Tam Chung Park (北潭涌). Me and my friends had a buffet lunch together at a hotel, and we went to the Science Park after lunch.

Back row L->R Me, Lincoln, Miss Li, Wu Han Lin, Ms Qiu, ? Tyler
Front row L->R Brian, Sum Yuen

group photos are boring

After the school trip Papa took me to Ikea for the bunk bed he promised me:-) We also had dinner there. Papa let me eat a cheesecake and a hot dog.

I took this picture of an Ikea delivery van

I liked this pretty horse outside the shop and asked Papa to take my photo

Teething troubles

I'm back to school today, after my Easter Holidays in Beijing.

I woke up with a wobbly front tooth. It's kind of bothersome. Papa says that I am getting a new tooth, and it is waiting come up, but that it usually happens to kids when they are 6 years old. When I got to school, Tyler told me he also had a wobbly tooth.

I kept touching the tooth, and it fell off this afternoon during Baby Gym. Mummy put it in a tissue for me. I washed it and cleaned it when I got home. I want to keep the tooth forever, so I won't put it under my pillow for the tooth fairy.

I'm living with Mummy and Papa and Duncan now. Tonight, Papa and I went back to Grandma's house. Grandma, Sai Gugu, Gugu Big, and the jiejies had all missed me, and Gugus got all emotional. They made a great fuss over me, and I was so happy to see everybody again. I showed them all my tooth, and the gap in my mouth. Gugu said that the tooth fairy will still know to give me $100 :-)

Overdoing it

It was my school friend Pak Hei's birthday party today. McDonald's did the catering. Papa allowed me to drink a whole cup of Coca Cola, and I also helped myself to some Yakult and Ribena to wash down the party snacks I had wolfed down. Then Mummy noticed I suddenly started looking very pale....

sipping a Ribena during the magician's show

Papa rushed to get me out of the room. Just out of sight of the other guests, all that I had eaten and drunk gushed out of my mouth; some got into my nose. Papa caught some of it using an empty cup he grabbed on the way; I felt very yucky. It shows that one can have too much of a good thing. Papa took me to get cleaned up.

Within a few minutes, I was ready to have some 'Happy-birthday-to-you cake'. Papa refused :-(

The Great Wall at Badaling

In Beijing, we stayed in a flat belonging to Mummy's friend. It was warm, comfortable, and there were lots of toys to play with. It was cold outside, but fortunately there was central heating in the flat. Gonggong and Popo (grandpa and grandma) were also in town to see us.

We also had a day trip to the Great Wall at Badaling today. We took our time getting ready, so had quite a late start. Being a Saturday, the traffic was awful, and it took us ages to get there in our hire-car.

Once there, we climbed a long way to the top. We got back into town just in time to have dinner with some of Mummy's relatives who live in the city. Papa let me drink some shandy :-)

Our stay in Beijing

Today, we went to the Natural History Museum and the Paleontology Museum. In the evening, we ate in a famous Peking Duck restaurant. It was very popular; my Grandparents arrived at 6, but we still had to wait until 7:30 to be seated. Luckily, they had cooked up some dumplings so we had something to nibble on while we were waiting.

Duncan and me outside the Paleontology Museum

The day before yesterday, we went to the Beijing Zoo, where we particularly enjoyed the penguin house, and looking at the stone animals. I took a picture of a huge stone turtle, and a stone croc with Papa's camera.

My picture of the stone turtle

Slow train to China

This afternoon, we got off the train at Beijing West Railway station: Mummy and Papa decided to take Duncan and me to Beijing for Easter. We took the sleeper train all the way from Kowloon, via an inland route.

The trip took 24 hours, and was a new experience. Papa had brought along some snacks, but we still had our meals in the dining compartment. I slept in a bunk bed on the train. I wanted to sleep in the upper bunk, but didn't feel safe. I made Papa promise me to buy me a bunk bed with a fixed ladder for home.

Fifth Birthday

I celebrated my birthday today. It wasn't so easy to organise this year because my actual birthday fell very soon after Chinese New Year, and school had not yet resumed. I invited several friends, and Gugu organised the catering. Papa found Gary the Magician to come and perform for me. He played some excellent magic, and I couldn't understand why his wand wilted several times in my hand.

Gary then twisted balloons for everyone. I got carried away and started snatching the balloons from some of my invitees, making them cry. Grandma whisked me off home.

In the evening, Papa and Mummy took me to my judo exam. Sensei Ho examined my technique and understanding, and passed me to the green belt.

Swimming gala

Today was the Jockey Club swimming gala in Shatin. Coach Lok advised Papa to enter me for 3 events in my age group.

We got there early for lunch, but I was so tired that I fell asleep on the way there. Papa let me doze in the car. I was still tired when Papa woke me, and told him I didn't feel like swimming.

I felt much better after getting changed; I took first prize in the 25m breast stroke event, and third prize in the 25m kick event. I took second place in the 25m freestyle. Papa said I would have won the gold medal if I had not stopped because my goggles were leaking water. Overall, I was the Champion for the age-group, and I got a cup in addition to my three medals.