Just a few months ago, he was a PSLE kid (like the rest of the Primary 6 kids in Singapore).
But with the drop of a ‘double u’ (like a blink of an eye), he graduates to teen-hood and enters his Secondary School years.
These few weeks of going from tween to teen have been marked by two camps:
In December, we sent him for his first-ever Youth camp organised by our church, where he stayed out for 4 days and 3 nights. He was amongst the youngest, with youths there from 12 to 18 years old.
He learnt to pack his own bag, experienced hostel living and played as a team. He had a relatively comfortable hostel bed and relatively good food.
He gave his best to team games to score extra team points, including waking up at 6am (when everyone else was still asleep) and having the courage to go on stage to sing a worship song.
His team won the Camp games.
A few weeks later, in January this year, he went for a compulsory 4 days 3 nights school camp, where he and his cohort stayed in the boondocks in much less comfortable conditions.
They slept in sleeping bags on hard floors, had the most basic of necessities and food. And used toilets, which brought on salutes for anyone who dared go there.
He did not relish the living conditions. But he enjoyed the outdoor activities and gave his best at the team games.
And he didn’t lose a single item from his camp (which I learnt is quite a feat, given the massive Lost and Found pile which teachers and peer leaders collected.)
He was named Best Camper 2024 (with 4 other boys) in the total cohort of about 300 boys.
It’s an encouraging start to teenhood:
Learning independence.
Building resilience and teamwork.
Persevering through challenges.
There will be much more in the teen journey:
Stumbles and falls
Failure (and failings)
Emotional scrapes
My prayer is that through it all, Caleb will walk closely with God and grow in resilience, wisdom and discernment.
And for us parents, we will need to grow alongside him.
To know when to speak and when to be silent.
When to reach out, when to pull back.
And to undergird it all with love. Because love never fails.
“And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.”
Just signed off on the reprints of my four-book award-winning Toys series today.
This will be the 9th printing of what is a most precious children’s picture book series to me.
My Toys titles were inspired by my personal testimony of losing my voice to a rare disorder and finding a new God-given voice as an author. ❤️🩹
My journey as an author started with my debut picture book Prince Bear & Pauper Bear, which was a Singapore Book Council competition winner back in 2007. I had subconsciously written about a poor teddy bear without a mouth, who could not speak.
At that time (17 years back), I was planning to print 3,000 copies of Prince Bear & Pauper Bear in hard cover.
I received discouraging comments from a few experienced industry folks who told me that I had no idea what I was doing. I was told that local children’s books wouldn’t sell in hard cover as it would be priced too expensively. And that a newbie author like me would be lucky to sell 200-300 soft cover copies.
Ben told me to ignore all those negative voices. So, I went ahead to publish under my own Mustard Seed Books imprint. With tiny mustard seed faith, that if I had God’s favour, I could sell the books. And if I couldn’t, I could always donate the books for charitable purposes.
I look back with gratitude on my author journey, which started with these four Mustard Seed Books and I thank God that these little books have grown in reach – with 150,000 copies in the hands of children (and maybe some adults…😊).
…And purpose – with two of my little mustard seed books Just Teddy and Bunny Finds the Right Stuff baked into Our Daily Bread for kids (through their Discovery House publishing house) for fresh consumption.
Caleb survived a gruelling 4 days 3 nights away from home at his Secondary School 1 school camp!
And he went beyond mere survival to receiving Best Camper 2024 in class yesterday for reasons which I am so proud of him for:
“Showed resilience during the Camp Challenge and didn’t give up even when the team lost interest. Tried to encourage everyone to be involved and was also respectful towards his peers, teachers and peer leaders.”
We were so excited that we passed our phone to the parent at the back of class, where we were standing, to take this photo (rather than to a parent in front). So after enlarging it, this grainy photo is the only one we have of this special badge presentation. lol
The boys brought their own sleeping bags and slept on hard floors, had vigorous outdoor activities through the day, lights out at 10pm (though most ended up sleeping much later) and were up by 6 am to be ready for briefing and breakfast at 6.30am.
His form teacher and Sec 3 and Sec 4 peer leaders were amazing, as they rattled off and affirmed each boy’s best attributes displayed at camp at the badge presentation in class yesterday.
I’m so thankful that, with God’s hand, Caleb has started at a secondary school where the priority the past three weeks has been about team building and fostering camaraderie in such an intentional way. To me, that is precious and a great way to start Secondary 1, instead of jumping right into textbooks.
I asked him what his favourite activities at camp were.
He said: Kayaking, rope course and abseiling.
I had to ask what his least favourite parts of camp were.
He said: hard sleeping floor, the toilets and the food.
Caleb: And there was no ‘char’ in the char kway teow.
Me: You mean it was plain.
Caleb: Yah.
Me: What else did you eat?
Caleb: Rice.
Me: Like fried rice?
Caleb: Yah. But the best rice was the plain rice.
I guess he’s gotten early training for his future army enlistment. Haha 🙂
Very privileged to be in CNA Women’s feature story alongside a line-up of amazing women who faced obstacles in life with grace and gumption.
Losing my voice at 28 years old to a rare voice disorder (right after my marriage and when my career was taking off) was the scariest time in my life. 😨
Giving up my job (with the fear of never being able to interview for another) was my biggest fear and risk. 😓
Starting out as a children’s book author in Singapore 17 years ago was the most humbling decision I made (Acquaintances asked how long I was going to keep at my hobby before I found a real job).😞
As I look back on this path less written about, I can truly say how thankful I am for God’s grace and mercies. 😊💝
As the conventional career door closed, a new door opened. One that opened me on a wondrous storied journey where I found a God-given voice.
Truly, I once was lost (without a voice) and now am found (with a new voice). 😶 🙌🏻
My heart overflows with a good theme; I address my verses to the King; My tongue is the pen of a ready writer. – Psalm 45:1
With gladness that my boy has grown, mixed in with mummy misty-eyedness, I sent Caleb off to his first few days of Secondary school this week.
But without walking him to the gate like I did from Primary 1 through Primary 6.
Because he told me: “Just drop me off here…Don’t follow me [to the gate].” 😙
And I take to heart the wise advice given by a few parents who have gone before me:
“Give him space. But don’t let go too quickly.”
Why?
Because this will be a time when his friends and peers become very important. So, they don’t want you around but they need you around at the same time…
So, I will be there and present – to send him off at the carpark drop off point, just not at the gate. 🏫
I went nostalgic and found this photo of Caleb at the start of Primary 1, when I could walk him all the way into school in his first week. 🥰
On our recent family vacation in Tokyo, I experienced a pain in the left breast. Initially, I thought it was a stitch from a full day of walking in Disneyland. But the pain was localised in my left breast.
The pain went off after about 15 minutes when we were on the train back to the hotel. It came back a second time for another 15 minutes. When I reached the hotel, I did a breast check and felt a new lump.
The next day, I contacted my breast surgeon. I shared the symptoms and arranged an appointment to see her immediately when I returned to Singapore.
“Is it even possible?” I asked my doctor. After all, I had had a mastectomy and full reconstruction of my left breast.
My doctor simply said that she would need to examine me upon my return, and meanwhile, she would pray for me.
It wasn’t what I had wanted to hear. It was also day 4 of our vacation and we had 6 more days to go.
I have never considered the possibility of a recurrence since my breast surgery and chemotherapy seven years ago. I have always believed that I am healed.
I decided to put that out of my mind, enjoy my vacation and hold onto the faith that I am fully well.
When I finally saw my doctor, her initial prognosis was that she did not see anything alarming through the ultrasound scan. But she also could see the lump that I had felt and sent me for a more detailed MRI scan.
This fleeting pain and thorough examination turned out to be a significant moment for me.
Through an anatomy lesson from my doctor (which I am paraphrasing in my own writer-speak), I was reminded of a few things:
My left breast was fully scrapped clean, leaving an empty cavity to be filled.
As I chose to go natural (instead of silicon implant), that cavity was filled with my own flesh. Half of my right six-pack muscles and all my tummy fats were cut and tunnelled diagonally across (and inside) my body into an opening in my left breast cavity, with nerves and blood vessels intact.
(Yes, I scored a flat tummy from this surgery 🙂 ).
The lump that I had felt in Japan was at the entrance of where my muscle and fats (folded like a croissant) had been pushed in to give me a new breast.
What happened since then?
The blood vessels from my transplanted 3-pack have died off. There was a shape change of that part of my muscle – it kind of clumped up, hence the new lump that I felt.
The rest of my new breast has formed new blood vessels with the surrounding tissue. In other words, it’s fully integrated.
And this was my spiritual takeaway:
This year marks 7 years since my breast cancer diagnosis, mastectomy and reconstruction surgery and chemotherapy.
In the week of my diagnosis and surgery, I had providentially received the same words 7 times – 7 No Matter Whats. And the 7th No Matter What ended with an assurance that I would come out of surgery victorious.
I held onto those words and had entered the operating theatre without fear and came out without pain.
This recent pain in the breast time-marked 7 years from my breast cancer diagnosis and chemotherapy.
In this 7th year, my left breast has been made whole:
Some old connections and relationships ended (like the old transplanted blood vessels). I experienced pain with that loss.
But many new life connections have formed. Like the new blood vessels all around my left breast, nourishing my heart.
The old has passed and the new has come. The ‘implant of new flesh’ has been fully integrated.
I thank God for this restoration, rejuvenation and wholeness. And a significant moment of pause to receive this implanted word.
As the year comes to a close, I usually end with a look-back on my writing year. And this has been a full year, with a mixture of commitments and where writing and book talks took a backseat. It wasn’t all-write but it turned out just right/write (pun intended…haha):
Kidsread! at Epworth Literacy Centre (Jan – Oct)
I signed up as a NLB Kidsread volunteer with Epworth Literacy at Bukit Batok at the start of this year. Went through a half-day training with National Library Board and onboarding with Epworth Literacy and was ready to start!
It’s been a meaningful ride as a reading volunteer with two groups of kids (a preschoolers group and a lower primary group). These kids have learning challenges and are going through Epworth’s Literacy Intervention programme.
On Saturday mornings, we volunteers take turns to read to the kids and get them to work on an accompanying craft activity which reinforces the story. It’s been fulfilling for me to sit with two kids, silent for months, who finally started to speak and laugh with me. And it’s a very different experience from my book talks in schools.
Kudos to the literacy teachers who do the heavy lifting through the years with these kids.
2. Writing of a Gala kind (Jan – April)
I put on a different writing hat when I joined Epworth Community Services’ Fundraising Subcommittee this year:
wrote Epworth’s story for the corporate video for the gala fundraising dinner (held in April) and helped with the overall messaging for collateral and script for the evening
I otherwise set my creative writing aside in the months running up to the event as it was all hands on deck in organising, selling tables and everything gala.
3. My Grandfather’s Rojak launch off! (May- July)
My ‘much-delayed-through-Covid’ picture book finally launched off in May during the Asian Festival of Children’s Content.
My collaborator Alycia Teo and I won 2nd runner-up with our manuscript and storyboard at the Scholastic Asian Picture Book Awards in 2019. From then to now, so many life and existential things happened – my mum passed on, Covid happened, Alycia changed jobs twice and got married in between.
So, it was a moment of pause for me as I looked back at this book’s journey and how Alycia’s and my friendship was forged through all this.
My Grandfather’s Rojak took a book tour over the next few months as I made author visits to 5 preschools. The book was selected for Star Learners Book Club, which also saw its 30+ centres go rojak in their theme and set up rojak stalls in their centres! It was bookishly delicious!
4. Signed 1st chapter book contract with new publisher (Sep)
I signed my very first chapter book contract with the Southeast Asian office of an international publisher - a milestone for me. More on that next year!
5. I Really, Really Don’t Feel Well! (October)
I Really, Really Don’t Feel Well! children’s picture e-book launched in October during Mental Wellness Month. This book is a collaboration with my creative charity buddy Josef Lee and Epworth Community Services to raise awareness on early childhood trauma and distress.
It was a really challenging book to write and I felt like giving up midway through. I thank God for the promptings that came when I was at my giving-up point. Slowly, names popped up for me to reach out to for expert views, and one came after another, till the story was nailed down. Very thankful how the book came together.
6. Personal Journey Stories (May/October)
I was invited by two schools to share on my personal writing journey.
The invitation to St Hilda’s Primary School came from an early childhood educator who received the e-copy of I Really, Really Cannot Catch These Words! from a fellow educator.
The second invitation came from the Principal of Methodist Girls’ School. She invited me to speak at the MGS Sec 4 International Baccalaureate Service, the last service of the year before the girls move on to ACS International next year.
As timing would have it, National Junior College’s Principal decided to read my Prince Bear & Pauper Bear to her graduating year of NJCsians. She also shared my personal story of how I lost my voice to a rare disorder and found my new voice in writing.
I’m on the organising committee for LittAsia 2024, a regional conference of Christian writers and publishers. The wheels of planning are moving amidst everything else and we have been Zooming it for our committee meetings. Chugging along…
8. Shiny Shower of Medallic favour (Oct/Nov/Dec)
This last quarter came with a shiny shower of medals, which I am most grateful for:
Marky Polo Travels series won Gold Medal for Best Picture Book Series at the US-based Moonbeam Children’s Book Awards.
This followed with the Covid-19 Public Service Medal (PBM) from the Prime Minister’s Office, which was given out by our Health Minister at a public ceremony.
I was privileged to be on the 2023 Most Inspiring Women List organised by Singapore 40 over 40, based on a nomination by a new friend.
The year ended with receiving the Covid Resilience Medal for my creative work in support of public and private healthcare professionals.
I am thankful for a fruitful, meaning-full and Word-filled year of writing and books-related stuff, amidst other commitments.
And I look to God, the Author of my life, for whatever write stuff the new year holds.
“Thanks be to God who leads us, wherever we are…” – 2 Corinthians 2:24
“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be upon his shoulders. And he shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”
Brought my son along to Singapore Book Council’s 55th anniversary for a bookish evening this week.
Book Council Chair Claire Chiang most generously hosted this event at her beautiful home. So, I brought her my latest book – My Grandfather’s Rojak – as a token of words-worth appreciation.
It was a lovely social and I caught up with many familiar faces:
Kenny Chan (ex-senior director of Kinokuniya bookstores, but to me is still the Qianbei of Kino yah 😊)
Paul Tan (still the face of NAC to me, though he is technically on long leave and working on his thesis).
Chua Hong Koon (Publishing Director, World Scientific) – publisher of my Marky Polo Travels series
Edmund Wee (Publisher, Epigram Books) – publisher of my Tibby Tiger-Bunny series
Josef Lee (my charity-creative collaborator of four children’s e-books to date),
Chris Shaw (Head of Puttnam School of Film and Animation, Lasalle College of the Arts)
Felix Cheong (bestselling author of the Goh Keng Swee graphic novel, and more),
Josephine Chia (Singapore Literature Prize winner),
Evelyn Wong (author of Little Mynah series and Book Council committee member),
Dave Liew (illustrator & SCBWI SG Rep),
and Maureen Goh (of Filos social services agency, who is helping out with Book Council now),
amongst others. 👩🏻💻✍️🎨👨🏻🎨👨🏻💻
Caleb was the only child present, so he wandered the grounds when I was chatting with everyone, and sat with us through a few poetry recitals and other words-worth performances…his first! 🎭
Yesterday, I was privileged to attend a lovely carnival-like celebration at the F1 Pit to collect my Covid-19 Resilience Medal (CRM). 🏅
This second Covid medal follows after the National Awards Covid-19 Medal (PBM) which my co-creative buddy Josef Lee and I received in connection with our collaboration with Ministry of Health Singapore and private sector pediatricians during the height of Covid. ✍️🎨
We had to get the word out on Covid health protocols to our community in a simple, clear and expedient way – it was a creative challenge to work through.🧐🤔
We went with storytelling through the picture book format to connect with families and children and the e-book format for the fastest and most cost-effective way of distribution. With information boxes peppered in for parents, and charts and Frequently Asked Questions added at the end.
With this format, we were able to produce the next updated version quickly as protocols changed with the fluidity of the Covid virus situation. 👩🏻💻👨🏻🎨
The e-books went viral and we were told that the Covid call centres used our e-picture books to explain health protocols to the elderly as well.
I am very glad that we had the opportunity to play a small supporting role to our healthcare heroes in Singapore’s efforts to fight and live with Covid over the past few years. 👩⚕️👨🏻🔬👩🏻🔬
Ben and Caleb came along for the Covid Resilience awards appreciation event, where gaming arcades and pop-up food stalls were set up for recipients and their families to enjoy.
Caleb and I signed up for a complimentary (and our first!) art jam session. We had half an hour before our registered time slot, so we both sat thinking (and googling for ideas) on what we wanted to paint on our canvass. Given the theme of this carnival event being one of Singapore coming together in unity through a never-before crisis, my thoughts were focused on a few things.
Country. Family. Togetherness. Nature in its beauty.
I always tell people that I cannot draw to save my life. But I was rather pleased with what I painted in our 30 minutes timeslot. 🙂
Mum-Mum's the Word 
