Buying Prescription Glasses Online

The festive season is well and truly over but I find myself needing more and more stuff. I need new jeans because most of the ones that I have are falling off me if I don’t use a belt and I really don’t like using one. A duffle coat is also on my wish list. I think I also need new glasses too. My next check up is due around the middle of the year. I have been checking out what other people are wearing and I desperately wish to get myself a pair of those that gives me a more mature look. I know that I am being greedy because I mostly wear contact lens.

I heard from someone that it is now possible to buy prescription glasses online. I love the savings by buying directly from the manufacturers. An up to date prescription issued by the Optometrist is required to buy prescription lenses online. Most Optometrists do issue one to each customer but I have been to one company that refused to issue one. That was the 90’s. I bought one pair of spectacles from them and that was it. They still send me offers to this day! LOL.

Zenni Optical is one such place to buy online prescription glasses. Zenni Optical: Sell Rx Glasses $8 with case! They manufacture their own fashionable glasses using modern materials. I just had a look at the website and I find their prices very affordable. This is because the customers are buying straight from the manufacturers without going through middlemen. With the option to now buy glasses online, affordability and variety are suddenly more widely available to everyone.

I Got Tagged!

I was tagged by Preemie Twins' Nanny last week. This is the first time something like this had happened to me. She could be my only regular reader of this blog. Since I have not done this before, I will have to ‘study’ what she did with hers!

It looks like I have to list the rules first:
1. Link to the person that tagged you.
2. Post the rules on your blog.
3. Share six non-important things/habits/quirks about yourself.
4. Tag at least 3 people at the end of your post and link to their blogs.
5. Let each person know they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.
6. Let the fun begins.

Here are my 6 responses:
1. I love to collect shoes – no, not just shoes for myself. I actually collect children’s shoes – no, not just any children’s shoes. They have to be Start Rite Brand and they have to be made in England.
2. I prefer to use only white coloured pegs!
3. I don’t like green pickles inside hamburgers but I love the yellow pickled daikon used in Japanese foods like Sushi.
4. I prefer not to kill bugs like spiders. I just catch them if they come into the apartment and then release them alive in the lawn areas downstairs.
5. I love to play pranks.
6. I would like to keep a McDonald’s Cheeseburger to see if it is true that it doesn’t decompose like normal.

There, there, I have done it. Unfortunately, I do not have 3 other people to tag. I read blogs regularly but other than two other people (including Preemie Twins' Nanny who already tagged me for this) I do not know of anyone else online to tag. I really should start networking by dropping comments.

The African Village @ Southbank

We visited the African Village, erected temporarily as part of Australia Day celebrations on the grassy area next to Hamer Hall. It was absolutely good fun. I have been wanting for someone to organize something like this for a while. I know so little about Africa and judging by the reactions of some people to some incidents that occurred at the end of 2007, they are a misunderstood lot just like previous generations of migrants from various parts of the world. This type of cultural experiences help everyone to understand each other a bit better. Cameron said that there was also a Bollywood thingo going on at Fitzroy Gardens. We gave that a miss because we have already been to a Bollywood event a couple years ago.

Here are a few photos I took at the African Village. Most of the photos didn't turn out as well because of the glare from the sun. Here are the better ones:

1. The top photo is of a guy making the roof of a hut.
2. The same guy then joined his mates to play some music. Check out the other guy's hat!
3. This little guy decided to join in as well. I desperately wished that he would turn his head my way but he didn't.
4. According to a board, this is a display of Southern Sudanese Weaving Craft. A lady came over to greet us when she saw that I took an interest. I desperately wanted to ask if they use them as a platter to display fruits at home but was too shy to.

My Yummy Start to Australia Day

To everyone who celebrates Australia Day, Happy Australia Day! The picture above is my breakfast: Vegemite on Toast with a slice of Aussie shaped Bega Tasty Cheese. Hey, look at the picture closely. I even included Tasmania! My Aussie cookie cutter does not include Tasmania but I made a point to include it even though the shape might not be accurate. Cameron and I went for a 4 and a half hour walk yesterday and now we are ready to start the long weekend celebrations with less guilt. There are so many celebrations and events (involving lots of foods) around this time of the year. I sometimes wish that they are all happening in Winter. I don't enjoy food as much in Summer. It will hit 32°C today and I am already feeling the heat when I was taking the photo. The slice of cheese was already beginning to 'sweat'. LOL. I don't know about you but I find 'sweaty' cheese a bit unpalatable. I just love well presented foods - which is probably why I am so drawn to Japanese foods (not whale meat or anything involving endangered animals). I just looked out of my balcony and saw a funny sight. A dad is trying to do synchronize swimming to amuse his baby. LOL. The baby being held by his/her mum didn't laugh. So, he is now trying to be a seal instead. LOL.

PS. If you are anywhere near Melbourne CBD on this long weekend, do make sure that you visit the area under the Arts Center Spire (where the 'waves' are). The area has been transformed into an African Village. One of the things suggested by The National Australia Day Council for all Aussies to do is to visit a community of different ethnic populations and share the cultural influences they bring to Australia.

A Box of Sultanas

This is a box of Sunbeam Sultanas. I really should use the word ‘pack’ but the word ‘box’ has stuck because that is how I have always referred to it since I was probably Bree’s age (2). This is a 40g pack and we usually allow Bree a serve of about a third of the pack. If she has eaten 2 Marie or ANZAC biscuits, I will usually give her less than a third.

Sunbeam also makes mini packs of Apple & Sultanas, Apricot & Sultanas and Pineapple & Sultanas. As a little child, I used to dig into my mum’s handbag to see what she had hidden. Depending on where we were living at the time, more often than not, a small pack of sultanas would be found.

A Trial Run

We gave the children a trial run of being looked after together in the last three days (including today). We were at Bree’s house on Monday and Tuesday, and spent today at Stella’s.

Bree played well with Stella. She wanted to do everything that Stella did. This included wanting to eat Stella’s packed lunch. It was her turn to eat a packed lunch today. She was given a lunch box set by someone for her birthday in November and Ettie bought her a backpack when she was in Sydney. All of these were put into use. Bree came to Stella’s house today all decked out like she was going to crèche. Her backpack was filled with a set of spare clothes, including a nappy for naptime. Wearing a nappy for naptime at Stella’s might confuse her because she has already begun to nap without a nappy at home. Her lunch box and drink bottle were placed in the fridge immediately, to keep them cool. It was very nice for Stella’s mum to offer Bree the use of Stella’s old portable cot. This means that there was one item less for Bree’s parents to bring along. Apart from the backpack and lunch set, Bree also came with her buggy and a potty. The logistics of transporting a child is not all that simple.

Stella played the role of big sister happily. Since Stella’s new fan was so happy to follow her around and enjoyed her company, she got the opportunity to care for someone younger that she would otherwise have little chance to. She helped to put on Bree’s sandals. She pushed Bree on the swings and played together in the sandpit. She was caring and gentle with the little tot. At her own house, she shared her toys with Bree without an incident between them. She even picked a simple book to read to Bree. The little tot looked at Stella’s fingers pointing at each word as she read. I think she was more fascinated by Stella’s actions than the content of the story. Bree probably wondered why Stella focussed so much on the print rather than the pictures. Somewhere along the way, Stella ended up reading to herself (because she was struggling with some words) and Bree ended up snuggling up to me. Bree clapped anyway when Stella finally finished reading. I think Stella felt pretty good that someone else ‘enjoyed’ her reading. LOL.

This arrangement is all new for both girls. They got on very well. There is no way for me to predict for how long this will last. Of course I wish that they will get on well most of the time. Realistically, they can’t be perfect little ladies all the time. I am at the ready for little squabbles once the novelty of being look after together wears off. Right now, I am just enjoying the honeymoon period.

Stella will be going to school from next week. The schedule for Preppies is quite ‘weird’ at first. It is designed to gradually ease the child into the world of school. Bree and I will have to work around Stella’s schedule until some type of regularity is established. There is also talk now about signing up to gymnastics after school. The extra-curricular activity does not really affect my workload because if I wasn’t at Stella’s, I would be at Bree’s.

Good Manners like Saying Thank You

Warning: This is a long post!
In my years of working with families, taking care of little children, I have seen things people do to get their children to behave in a certain way and to say certain words to at least look like they are well behaved. For instance, some new parents are so eager to either be good examples right from the start or for fear of being judged by another adult (especially a nanny), they ask the baby of only a few months old to say thank you when something is handed to him or her. I think that in many of these instances, the parents were doing it for show because the child is way too young to be aware of such social rules and when the right timing comes along, few parents actually consider spending time teaching the child the fine details of good manners. And by the time the house is filled with additional children, some parents are so exhausted; they either give up on these ‘little finer details of life’ and may even delegate the job to teachers or resort to threats and humiliation.

Threatening or humiliating a child is definitely the wrong way to encourage them to practise good manners. I am certain that it will backfire and depending on the child’s personality, it can be quite damaging. The example I gave before does not mean that I am against the idea of setting good examples. Role modelling is the most effective way but it shouldn’t be done as a show and if the child is expected to participate, then it should be age appropriate as well. The child’s adult carers, older siblings, other family members and friends are the role models. They need to be consistent because the young child is learning by observing what and how others behave in different situations. There is little point in teaching values like saying Thank You when no one around him follows that through in real life.

‘Ta’ is the easy word used widely in Australia as a way to say Thank You casually. This is not allowed in a few households because it is considered inferior to them. This is not a problem in the two households that I work for now. Stella is growing out of it while Bree has just begun to use it in the last few months.

One afternoon, Bree got up from her nap asking for ‘tanies’ (her word for sultanas) for afternoon tea. I decided right then that I was going to show her how to say Thank You. As she was sitting on the potty, I simply told her that when I give her ‘tanies’, she should say ‘ta’. She looked at me with a funny facial expression. I wasn’t sure if she was concentrating on what she was doing at the time or if she was having trouble understanding what I just said. LOL. Once she was seated at her little table, I handed her the opened cookie jar for her daily allowance of two Marie biscuits. (By the way, Bree has been able to count to two since before Christmas!) Before I got a chance to prompt her, she said, ‘Ta’. Half way through the first biscuit, I was at the kitchen counter pouring her half a cup of milk; she remembered her earlier request for ‘tanies’ and asked for it. I came back to her table with her milk and a small pack of sultanas. She didn’t thank me when I placed the milk in front of her. She must have forgotten because she was totally focussing on the pack of sultanas. LOL. I then reminded her by simply saying that Bree should say thank you or ‘ta’ when @#*-@#* gives her something. She didn’t say it but she was clearly listening. When she finished her last mouthful of biscuit, I placed two little sultanas on her plate. She thanked me before eating them. We repeated this until she ate about a third of the little box of sultanas. Bree is allowed to have half a box at a time and her allowance is normally placed on her plate except that I decided to play this little game with her that day to encourage her to say Thank You. She had less that day because she also had those two Marie biscuits. Even though little toddlers prefer small meals throughout the day, her parents prefer that she is not overfed during morning and afternoon tea times because food served at proper mealtimes (e.g. Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner) is far more nutritious than biscuits. Since then, we have also role played the sequence using props like her red puppy dog (a soft toy that looks rather like Clifford) and toy food. We have also branched out to other nice things to say (e.g. ‘please’). This is a long process especially with Bree partly because she has only just begun to use short sentences. Practice is the key to success. Apparently her dad didn’t quite know what to make of it when his little girl thanked him. LOL. He wasn’t expecting it and I think Bree is still pretty much the miracle baby that they brought home a little over two years ago.

Stella All Dressed Up

Today is my first day back at Stella’s. She was waiting for me at the front yard all dressed up for school! She called out for me, rushed up to me and gave me a big hug. As we walked to the front door, I asked if she was going to school. Stella was in full Summer uniform from head to toe. She said, “No but I really want to show you my uniform. I will be wearing this to school soon. Do you like my dress?”

Inside the house, her hardworking dad had already left for work. Her mum was busy clearing the mess in the kitchen. She gave me a warm, friendly hug to welcome me back. She asked if I saw the big girl in her school uniform. It was obvious that she was just as happy as her daughter was about school. When Stella appeared, her mum quickly asked her to show me her big backpack and the little girl rushed down the hallway to retrieve it. She commented on how big the bag is on her little girl. It is pretty big. In fact, her uniform is big too. I think they bought a larger size hoping that they can still be worn again come term 4.

It is tricky buying school clothes that will fit for term 1 and then again in term 4 because the child might have a growth spurt in between. The son of a friend of mine wore his first uniform for one term only. When it was time to wear Summer uniform again in term 4, they were too small and my friend had no option but to buy a new set. I remember how she was worried that he might put on weight over the Summer break and might have to buy more in the new school year. LOL. It is worse if a school has a specific uniform for use in the Prep year only.

Something funny happened when I was at Stella’s. She went to her cupboard of art supplies and retrieved a box containing paper art materials. She reached into the box and pulled out something. I wasn’t paying much attention because I was trying to figure out the painting that Stella’s mum had just started. I thought what I saw was a little rude to be placed on display like this. (The art stations for both mother and daughter are right next to each other.) Stella showed me a little package and said, “Look @#*-@#*, we don’t need to cut Christmas decorations again. Mum bought this for us to make more next time, but Christmas is a long time from now…” I turned to take the package from her for closer inspection and saw that it was a pack of blank bauble shaped cards, all ready to be decorated! Poor Stella had to cut the shapes I traced manually to decorate her Christmas tree when I could have easily bought some of these. LOL. Stella can be very chatty and the next thing I heard coming out of her mouth was: “I won’t get sore hands from cutting those decorations again.” At the time, I thought the cutting exercise was great for Stella but she must have been suffering in silence. LOL. I do agree that the pack of bauble shaped cards will make things easier and because the shapes were pre-cut professionally, I think they will look heaps better too. Why didn’t I think of that? I am now pretty sure that I have seen them in shops before. Stella could have spent more time decorating each rather than cutting each one out with great difficulty. She had trouble cutting the curvy outlines and was quite bothered by the quality of her cutting.

Back Looking After Bree

I went back to work on Monday and it was with Bree only. She was still in her pyjamas, having breakfast on her own when I got there. They were all running late and everyone welcomed me back warmly. Bree was reminded by her mum that there was something she had to tell me. She came over, tugging at her pyjama top and said, “Ta, @#*-@#*.” I responded by giving her a big squeeze and said, “You are welcome, little one.” She repeated the words ‘little one’ and squealed. I haven’t seen her for roughly a month and that’s a long time in a little toddler’s world. I was very happy that she was happy to see me and was wearing the pyjamas that I had made her.

Bree’s mother was busy getting herself ready to see a business client and didn’t have the time to properly give me the latest on Bree. Her father was also in a hurry to leave but he must have been feeling chatty because he stayed a bit to tell me about Bree’s stay in Sydney at Ettie’s home. Apparently she was spoilt rotten and almost needed a new suitcase to pack her loot when it was time to come back to Melbourne. Luckily there was room in her father’s suitcase. Bree’s mum did eventually have a proper chat with me over the phone when the tot was having her nap. She spoke about Ettie’s attempt to turn Bree into a shopaholic. Apparently Bree received at least one gift per day. Ettie just couldn’t resist introducing the tot to everyone and taking her everywhere to meet people.

Bree was clingy in the last two days. She just wanted to be physically close to me. When I sat somewhere that was a metre or two away from her, she would pick up her toys and move next to me. She was especially cuddly as well. I felt like she cherished the time spent with me since we had not seen each other for such a long time. I had a similar break at the end of 2006 and Bree had just turned 1 then. Although she was happy to see me when I came back to work after that break she wasn’t as affectionate. I like the attention I am given. I am not complaining. It is a good start to the year.

Strange Maman

Beware: This is a long post!
I will be returning to work tomorrow. Cameron went over to his parents to help them with their computer, so I took the opportunity to go down to the new Spotlight store in South Melbourne. It is better to go without Cameron tagging along because I need to have a good look at the range of fabrics they have.

I was a bit lazy because I stayed up till around 5:00 am and so I decided to take the tram there. This meant that I had to take two trams when I could have quite easily walked. Believe me; I truly regretted not walking after the weird experience that happened at the tram stop.

When I was approaching the tram stop that is virtually outside my building, a mum and her girls were crossing the road heading to the same tram stop as well. Being a kid magnet that seems to attract children’s attention all the time, I chose not to wait for the tram at the stop and proceeded to the stop’s shelter on the other side of the road. This move didn’t stop the girls from greeting me. I sat at the shelter deliberately looking at the city’s skyscrapers to avoid eye contact with the little girls. The older child would be 3 or 4 while the younger child is about Bree’s age. The younger one kept saying hello to me from her stroller. The older one joined in and asked for my name and whereabouts I was going. I just smiled, waved and refused to engage any further. (I am not heartless or unfriendly. I have my reasons as to why I do not respond to children I do not know. I am well aware that I am not practising what I preach.) Because they were talking quite loud, I could hear that mum was talking to them in French and they responded in either French or English. That is not a problem to me. I am all for bilingualism or multilingualism. Some people get very offended by the sounds of people (including strangers) speaking in a different language.

(Get back on track, This Melbourne Nanny!)

Just when I thought the tram was never going to turn up, I heard its screeching wheels rumbling down the bendy part of Southbank Boulevard. I then walked over to the stop to wait for it. By then the younger child was no longer sitting in her stroller and was standing on the tracks. The stroller too was on the tracks. Mum and older child stood behind the white line and all were watching the approaching tram that had just turned into our street. I wanted to say something to warn the mum. She turned to look at the shelter (where I was) and then turned around and saw me at the stop. She had this unfriendly facial expression like she didn’t like me being there. I pointed at the tram and told her that the tram was coming. She turned towards the tram again. The older child was waving at the tram and the younger child was still on the tracks. The tram started to slow down and the driver could be seen waving at the young family to get out of the way. He was also sounding the horn/bell. Instead of moving her little tot and the stroller from the tracks, she turned to give me a nasty look! The tram was less than 10 metres away and I gestured frantically as I asked her to move the child. She picked up the kid and shook her head in disgust like I was causing her a lot of inconvenience. The tram came to a stop at the end of the stop. It was quite a funny sight when she beckoned the driver to come forward while the frustrated driver was gesturing her to remove the stroller from the tracks. The children were entertained, laughing away at what was happening. I said, “The stroller is…” and she put one hand up to block me like she wasn’t interested with what I had to say. Eventually, the driver had to use the loud speakers to tell her to move the stroller. She did that shaking her head again and the tram moved forward slowly. The front doors opened and it looked like I had to go in through the same entrance as them because I couldn’t get to the other doors. Despite being rude to me, I offered to help her. Being a nanny, I am well aware of the difficulties of taking two small children plus a stroller onto a tram. She yelled at the tram driver, asking, “Why did you stop so far away?” and then turned to block me by raising her hand right in front of my face. It was like, talk to the hand because the face is not responding to your offer to help. I gave up and ran up the road (which was free of traffic) to the end of the stop to hop on the tram via the back doors. The driver was clearly offended by being yelled at that he didn’t come out of his cockpit to help them. She was left struggling on her own and no one else came to her rescue either.
I took a seat near the middle door. An old lady kindly left her seat to take up another seat nearby to allow the family the seats closes to the front door. She didn’t thank the lady either. The younger child started to interact with the old lady. Instead of holding on to her for safety, she allowed the tot to stand up holding onto a pole. In my opinion, the pole is too thick for the child to hold on to securely and I would never let my charges stand around like this on a moving tram. Just as predicted, the child fell over as soon as the tram started to move. Imagine if she was the nanny!

I was only on the tram for a few stops before changing over to another tram for another few more stops. During the whole time that I had to share my tram ride with this interesting woman and her girls, she made me feel horrible. She kept turning around to check her fellow passengers on the tram paying particular attention at me and another guy who was sitting right behind her. Her searing stares made me feel very uncomfortable. I was travelling light and didn’t have a book or even my diary in my bag to keep me occupied. I tried to look out of the windows but every time she turned around to stare at me, I became self conscious wondering what I did wrong. The guy she was also staring at got off one stop before me. When I stood up to pull the cord for the next stop, she virtually jumped out of her seat for some reasons. I decided not to get out via the front doors to give her some peace. Besides, the middle doors were closer to me anyway. I was getting stared at even as I was getting off the tram.

She was probably relieved that I was gone but I think that I am more relieved that she wasn’t heading to Spotlight too. I wonder what her problem was. She looked healthy. The kids looked clean and healthy too. I hope I won’t be bumping into them again. The rest of my trip was fun. I bought some material that I may use someday. I think I am like a lot of sewers. We just can’t help spending money on nice fabrics and the nice collection just keeps piling up over time. LOL.

Unique Book Sale

I just got wind that there is going to be a book sale at a Salvation Army Church Hall on next Friday & Saturday (18/01/08 3 pm – 9 pm & 19/01/08 10 am – 5 pm). The exact address is at 61 Guildford Road, Surrey Hills. Victoria. It is a joint effort between two online bookshops (Credo Trust and Chariot Press) catering to parents who educate their children at home. I have nothing to do with this book sale but I believe the collection on display will be interesting to those who are interested in the education of young children. They sell books that are not available in typical bookshops and there may be children’s books with a Christian flavour that may not be palatable to some, but I am open minded. I can’t wait to see if they have anything interesting that I can add to my collection. I will post an update after I have been.

Customised Stationery

Ooh this is my first opportunity to blog about a website for sometime. Do you like personalised cards, stationery or calendars? I certainly do. Have a look and see what VistaPrint have on offer. They make Christmas cards that look more professional than my handmade ones. I know that the next Christmas is approximately another 11.5 months away but VistaPrint have other products as well. They print business cards, marketing / promotional materials, business stationery like letterheads, sticky notes, rubberstamps and sticky labels. They also carry a range of complimentary products like card holders and ink pads. Customers can upload their own design through the website following 4 steps. There is also an interesting range of logos to choose from. Has anyone seen those personalised sticky address labels with caricature of each member of the household printed also under the address? Well, I just found out that VistaPrint prints them also. For business operators interested to better market themselves, this print shop also prints
Postcards that can be sent to loyal customers to notify them of new offers or events. This is one way to improve sales. There are hundreds of designs to choose from and there is also the option to upload a personal logo or photo. On top of that, they are offering a 25% discount off the regular price. So, instead of paying $41.99, 100 full colour postcards now cost only $31.49.

A Thank You Note from Stella

I received a Thank You note from Stella last week. There was a stamp on the envelope but it wasn’t postmarked. I assumed that they must have dropped it into our letterbox in person. They must have returned to Melbourne early or at least her dad did. Stella and her parents spend this time of the year in the country. It was just a simple note thanking me for the pyjamas and picture book. I could see that she tried to be neat in her writing and spotted two spelling mistakes for the words: pyjamas and picture. The y was missing in pyjamas and the word for picture was written as pikch. LOL. Give the kid a break, This Melbourne Nanny! Her mum probably saw this as the right time to introduce the art of letter writing now that she is starting to write and read.

Seriously, I appreciated Stella’s effort. I was very miserable that day because it was very hot and the note cheered me up a little. I wonder if she was made to make thank you notes or did she eagerly take it up after it was suggested? Is it possible that she came up with the idea herself? I think I will bring it up in a conversation when I see her next week.

It really is nice to receive a Thank You note but it is not something I aim for whenever I give someone a gift. I just think that it is nice to thank someone properly if he or she has taken time and trouble to get me a gift. A young child of say between the age of 3 & 4 can be asked to draw a nice picture to thank someone. An adult can help the child to write a simple message. Older children may be able to do both themselves. Because there may be quite a few people to thank, children do get tired of doing the same thing over and over. I have two solutions to this.
1. Spread out the work over a few days. They don’t have to be all posted on Boxing Day. Encourage the child to do a few each day. It is the thought that counts.
2. Now, I am not big on introducing the computer to a child too soon but many parents are big on it. So, if the child has access to the home computer, make use of a simple software like MS Paint for a child to create a picture for the Thank You note and then type a simple message under the picture before adding the child’s name. Just print out the required amount (one at a time) and make sure that each is addressed to the right person because you don’t want to print out 15 copies addressed to Uncle Greg!

The second solution sounds like cheating but it is an easier option to keep the young child motivated and interested. It is far better than forcing the child to churn out multiple copies by hand, under duress.

Just A Few Days Left!

I will be returning to work on Monday. My break went so quickly. There were moments when I thought I would be bored, stuck without a thing to do. How untrue? I found plenty to do and there are still plenty of things waiting to be done. I now find myself wishing for extra time away from work. I really shouldn’t be so greedy. I had a good break doing the things I enjoy doing. Instead of dipping into the pool at the end of a working day, I got to swim whenever I felt like it. I got to spend time with Cameron during his break without having to rush like crazy. I had the time to catch up with dear friends, sew, read books and blogs (including a few that made me really angry) and eat yummy foods. What more do I want? I think the only thing that I really regret not completing is my failure to make these paper dolls because I was unable to download them properly online. I don’t know why but we quite often have trouble opening PDF files.

Please Find Someone Else To Be the Voice of Knut

I heard that a movie is going to be made about the life of Knut – the ice bear baby from Germany. I also heard that a certain actor and his daughter are likely to be selected to be Knut’s voice. I personally think that this was a lousy choice. I am pretty sure that there are other actors out there who are better candidates to be Knut. I hope the producers will consider other actors. I am pretty sure that I won’t be watching it if this actor is really going to be the voice of this super famous polar bear. Sorry, I am just not interested. I hope I won’t get sued for voicing my opinion. Notice how I didn’t even name the actor? LOL.

Had a Chat with Batboy (Lachlan)

Saturday was too hot for grocery shopping. We went on Sunday instead. The cool change was a welcome relieve. Cameron popped over to Borders to pick up a book he had ordered and I waited for him at QV’s food court trying this really delicious pudding in a lovely Orange shape container from Bread Top. As I thumbed through the Big W catalogue, I noticed from the corner of my left eye, the figure of a little person eyeing me. I don’t know why but I am quite a kid-magnet. I made a conscious effort to not make any eye-contact and I might one day write a post about why someday. After a minute or two, I could see the little person approaching towards my direction. I wanted the adult in charge of him to call him back. I didn’t want to engage in any conversation and I definitely didn’t want my day ruined. The little person came over to my table and sat down on one end of the bench. I was still refusing to make eye-contact but I knew I would have to soon. The child spoke first. He greeted, “Hello @#*-@#*.” His voice was familiar and he knew my name! I looked up and made eye-contact but I didn’t instantly recognise him until the adult in charge of him called out, “Lachlan.” To that he said, “Bye” and went back to stand by the man’s side. They were ordering Puffy, a type of cookie with a soft filling.

After a brief chat between the two, the man turned to smile at me. Lachlan came over to my table again. I didn’t recognise him before because he had a haircut. He used to have longish hair. The new look made him more boyish and less babyish. I greeted him politely and explained that I didn’t recognise him at first. He was also wearing this black Spiderman suit which was padded to give him ‘muscles’. As expected, he asked about my orange pudding. He didn’t say much after that. He is a lot less chatty than Stella. I am amazed that he actually came over to greet me though. Lachlan’s father came over to introduce himself. He was surprised too that Lachlan came over to me because he is usually quiet around unfamiliar adults. Before they left, Lachlan’s father urged his son to introduce to me his new nanny when Stella and I meet up with him again at the park. A new nanny? I didn’t know his nanny was leaving. She didn’t talk about leaving. “Which one, Daddy?” Lachlan asked. “All of them. You can introduce all of them.” his father answered. Is there more than one nanny? What is going on? I didn’t ask because I didn’t want to appear nosey but I was curious though.

The first thing I did when I got home was to call Lachlan’s old nanny. Was she sacked? I needed to know if she was alright. I only have her mobile number and I dialled multiple times but I kept getting this message notifying me that she was not connected. I hope she is okay. She seemed to be a good nanny and Lachlan liked her. I wonder what the new nanny is (or nannies are) like. I wonder if Stella and Lachlan will still meet up to play at the park on every Thursday. I was actually anticipating introducing Bree to the duo now that she comes along to be cared for at Stella’s house in the afternoon.

A Name Change for a Certain Somebody

We have decided to give a certain somebody a name change in this blog. The Good Samaritan appears in many of my posts but he is unhappy with the nickname I have given him. He doesn’t see himself as highly as I do even though he truly is a very nice guy. From now on, the Good Samaritan will be known simply as Cameron.

Fire Bombed!

Bonnie and her husband + baby Nicholas came over to our apartment on New Year’s Eve to watch the fireworks. We had a lovely evening and Nicholas was of course the main topic of conversation even though he spent most of the time sleeping in his carrycot blissfully unaware of his popularity.

At 11:58 pm, we (minus Nicholas) gathered on our main balcony to wait for the countdown. Many of the balconies in our building were occupied like ours. Larger groups also gathered on the lawns downstairs. Even the security officers (hired specifically to control crowds on special days) were happily waiting for the fireworks. It seemed like everyone was focussing on the roof of the Eureka building. Well, I was!

The fireworks started right on the dot at 12:00 am. I wasn’t sure which way to look. From the main balcony, we were able to see the fireworks at Docklands, from the roof of the Eureka and the ones on the Yarra near Southgate. Because Nicholas was sleeping in the spare room, I was not able to access the other little balcony to view the fireworks on the Yarra near Federation Square. Okay, I admit it. I love fireworks and we see a lot of them throughout the year.

I think the fireworks went for approximately 15 minutes that night. 10 minutes into the show, Bonnie pointed to two red dots in the night sky and asked, “Are those from the fireworks?” The Good Samaritan said, “They can’t possibly drift that far.” I on the other hand was busy watching this helicopter hovering near us with its search light switched on. When I turned to look at the two dots that Bonnie was talking about, even the crowds in the other balconies and on the lawns have begun to focus their attention on them. One dot was orange while the other one was bright red. As they drifted closer, we saw that each dot was actually attached to a tiny white parachute. The orange dot drifted into our complex first. It suddenly flared up and as it fell to the ground, the parachute itself was also consumed by the flames. One security officer rushed to that corner of the lawn to make sure that the fire was put out. Meanwhile the red one was drifting closer towards the balconies on my side of the complex. Bonnie freaked out and ran inside to the amusement of her husband and the Good Samaritan. The people downstairs were calling up to us, warning us to watch out. One lady yelled out, “Oh no, it is going to fall on my head. I am sure of it. It is definitely going to fall on my head.” I was beginning to worry, thinking that it might land on the roof and somehow start an electrical fire. (Okay, this may not make sense to those who understand the behaviour of fire but I am no expert.) It drifted upwards as it passed by our balcony and then it changed direction, falling towards right where the crowds had gathered. As it fell, it flared up just like the other one and landed right next to where one of the security officers strategically stood. He and his partner put the fire out by stamping on it.

There was a total fire ban imposed on the final day of 2007 and the first day of 2008. That didn’t stop some cheeky monkeys for pulling such a stunt. I believe that the parachutes were released from one of the taller apartment buildings nearby. It was minutes later that I became very angry at what happened. What if the parachutes landed on the roof and somehow started a fire? With the news of multiple house fires incinerating occupants all over Australia in the past month, I sure am entitled to be more than a little angry at these cheeky monkeys.