What a Ride!

Was having coffee with a friend when we saw a booth with these kiddy rides outside Toys R Us.

Ivy: Look at those animals. Cute, eh? If I were still a child, I would want to sit on one.
M: Gave me a look of belief.
Ivy: Come on, don’t you have a childhood?
M: Alright. But still…
Ivy: I would allow my (future) child to go for a round if (he/she) requested.
M: I believe you. Like Mother like child.
Ivy: Hey, why not? But he would have to convince me first. Man, those rides sure don't look cheap.

After a while, we saw a fortunate kid climb onto one and start riding laboriously around in circles.

Ivy: It does look a tad ridiculous. Gosh, moving back and forth to manually move that animal. Now, this is crazy.
M: So, still want a ride?
Ivy: Rolls eyes and shakes head.

Before we left the café...

Ivy: Say, how much do you think a ride like that cost?
M: 2 bucks max.
Ivy: I think you don’t know the market rate. I dare say, it’s at least 3 bucks. Let’s go check it out.

Walked over to the booth and I asked the bored looking counter teenager:

Ivy: How much does a ride like this cost?
Guy: $3.20 for 5 minutes for the smaller animals, $4.50 for the big ones.
Ivy and M: (Faints!) >_<

Grim fairy tales

Books. Oh, how I love them so! My experience extended beyond mere reading. Like a greedy child pigging out on candied treats, I devoured my books voraciously, consuming them with eager relish. I immersed myself in the stories' setting—be it a country manor, the dusty outback or a little house on the prairie. I lurked among the shadows, watching the events that unfold in the characters’ lives, like an omnipresent being. Unfortunately, just like a spectator who can only cheer at the sidelines, I was never allowed to partake in the exciting adventures of the protagonists. Ah, but those were memories of my distant childhood.

Storybooks were my beloved companions. I took them wherever I went. To birthday parties, family gatherings, trips to the doctor, on long car rides. In a way, I wanted to occupy myself during those boring waits and events, but I ended up shutting the noisy world out. Far from the maddening crowd, oblivious to the shouts and screams of playing children, there I sat, in my corner, reading away.

I wasn’t an anti-social child, but I lacked the inclination to socialise with my contemporaries. A game of ‘police and thief’ inevitably gets boring after the third round. Most games are repetitive in nature. Predictable things bore me.

So, my growing up years were spent reading fiction. Unfortunately, they too lost their appeal. After all, Sherlock Holmes and Hercule Poirot can only solve that many crimes. Things became predictable again. And I was too young to appreciate the literary styles and techniques employed. I moved on to non-fiction and have been there ever since. Call it inertia (I know of so many fictional works that I shouldn’t miss) but I can only muster up enough will power to get a vague idea of their content through reviews and synopses. Why? I am still in the midst of unraveling the secrets of the universe—literally. And those are mostly scientific writings.

Therefore, I am glad to have received a book from dear S.T yesterday. We share many passions and one of which is a love for books. She reads fiction extensively and is a fan of Austen.
This gift comes as a reminder that I should indulge in fiction once again.

The Complete Fairy Tales of the Brothers Grimm


Back Cover Synopsis:
Perhaps no other stories possess as much power to enchant, delight, and surprise as those penned by the immortal Brothers Grimm. Now, in the new, expanded third edition, renowned scholar and folklorist Jack Zipes has translated all 250 tales collected and published by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm, plus twenty-nine rare tales omitted from the original German edition, as well as narratives uncovered in the brothers' letters and papers. Truly the most comprehensive translation to date, this critically acclaimed edition recaptures the fairy tales as the Brothers Grimm intended them to be: rich, stark, spiced with humor and violence, resonant with folklore and song.

Entry Trivia:
By the way, The Brothers Grimm wrote down their collected oral tales mainly for the bourgeois audiences of 19th century Europe so the stories were mainly intended for an adult readership. Don’t expect the sweet and innocent Disney versions. Some stories are rather gruesome and downright unappetizing. Uncensored and not watered down. Ah, I like. =)

Que Será, Será

Do you guys know this song sung by Doris Day? It’s called Que Sera Sera (Whatever Will Be, Will Be).
And it goes like this:

When I was just a little girl
I asked my mother, what will I be
Will I be pretty, will I be rich
Here's what she said to me:
Que Sera, Sera,
Whatever will be, will be
The future's not ours to see
Que Sera, Sera
What will be, will be.

I guess all of us have gone through primary/ secondary school writing an essay entitled “My Ambition”. I had a tough time with that one, because I already know that there are so many professions in the world that I can take up. I want to be a forensic pathologist, a mega bookstore entrepreneur, a fighter jet pilot, a detective (thanks to Nancy Drew) and the list goes on so I wonder why kids stop at aspiring to be a doctor or lawyer.
One fine day, in Primary 5, my Chinese teacher popped the class this million-dollar question again and when it was my turn, I stood up and with a steely resolve in my eyes answered, “I want to be the prime minister of Singapore.”
The idealism and naiveté of yesteryear have long since been replaced by a sense of world weariness. The coming of age of a pragmatic young adult helps to reinforce that although in theory, nothing is impossible, limitations do exist, especially when you are a woman and live in a certain environment.
Still, the world is my oyster and I am still left pondering what would become of me 15 years down the road. How very exciting. Maybe I should look for some inspiration from the past…


Set up my very own tour agency?


Be a world renowned pianist?


How about training to be a National Team swimmer?


Be a tiger tamer and travel with the circus?


Be a railway transport tycoon?


Have green fingers and be a botanist?


It would bring children great joy to visit any theme park. So, shall I just build a theme park and call it 'Happy World'?


That's one small step for Man, one giant leap for Mankind. So, fly me to the moon cos I wanna be an astronaut!


A dog trainer for the Central Narcotics Bureau--but those dogs are HUGE!


Be part of the engineering team for Sentosa Express?


Just marry a prince to be a princess and live in a palace. Then appear on balconies to do a royal wave once in a while to appease the taxpayers...


Be an explorer, go on an expedition to the Arctic and see the polar bears!


Be the CEO of a broadcasting corporation and set up a 'Cartoon Network' like channel


But my ultimate ambition is to be a teleco magnate. Cheers to the $$ rolling in from all your yakking, texting and ringtones download. MUAHAHAHA!

P/S Yes, if you haven't noticed, all those shots are of me, the young Ivy. =)