The Unending Weekend

1. Feel-good stories

I hate to say this, but after going to a few too many weddings this year, I'd lost my "aww" for them. This one over the weekend, however, sent everyone in weepies, and not because the groom involved was something of the Prince of our peasant church. A sweet love story: bad boy comes full circle and marries his childhood friend, someone he was afraid would never see him "that way". Couple looks fresh and glamourous together, groom cries thinking about how far he's come, wedding banquet is seventy-five tables full of people they hardly know, and it's a western dinner with lobster bisque and tenderloin steak. Some people are born into beautiful weddings. And I, I was one of the receptionists, who the couple probably won't recognise. Anything to attend the Royal Wedding.

2. Photo Studio Surprise

Between church and sunday school and the wedding dinner, I made it to Joy's birthday surprise. Two hours of hamming it up under studio lights, trying to perfect the hair-flip. It takes skill to choreograph a hair flip so it looks glam, and not like it's a) a lightning shock of Einstein hair, or b) like you're chinning the camera. Despite our most valiant efforts to pose, our photographer kept saying, "That's GOLD," meaning it was...really bad.

3. Exhibition at Broun

And in the middle of all that, I lent this old drawing to Broun cafe for a lovely little art/music youth event. It felt like something I hadn't done in a long time, listening to a band play a full set of covers, and enjoying it over old-fashioned brownies and ice cream.

At the end of it all, I promptly fell sick. But I'm all rested now, and almost ready for the next wedding of the month. Almost.

There's a thank-you dinner for all the peasant ushers, and ironically, three of us have already replied that we can't because we're helping out with other weddings this weekend.

Friends, please don't all get married in the same year when it's your turn, ok?



These days I have been out cycling in the rain with happy girls,

at a late-night tea party with a very glum tea hostess,

and my cats got a bath, which they enjoyed despite this one's mournful moans.

And I have had quite an obsession with beautiful living spaces, and triangles as roofs.

Yesterday my family joined the ranks of Jurong's kite flyers. My father and I were perched on our bicycles looking at the rain sadly, like little kids thinking they can stare it away. Then the sun came out, and you should have seen my dad beam. We gave up the bicycles, and my mother came along in the car. A never-before family park event!

I started flying an eagle, but it wasn't high enough.

Then our kites got high,

and higher!

My mother's a pro. Actually, she got help from a charming stranger.

We met this little boy on the field, about ten years old. My dad said, "How did you get yours so high?" and Kite Boy replied, "You help me hold mine and I'll do for you." 

Kite Boy ran up and down between us, helping us launch kites and untangle strings, and keeping an eye on all our flight statuses with commands: "Forward! Forward! Let go! Backward!"  We couldn't move an errant hand without his swift correction; that boy had us covered. On how to untangle string: "Follow the lines." On the amazing equipment the pro kite-flyers held: "You can buy in Malaysia." On seeing me fumbling with my Spiderman who wouldn't sit upright for his launch, "You'd better go help your daughter." At one point he told me, "You go take photo." while he worked out my hopelessly tangled spool.

Hence me being handsfree and taking all these photos.

We spent the rest of the time being very impressed by the regular kite-flyers, with their night kites with wingspans larger than a man, and their professional spools that they proudly told us cost hundreds of dollars.

Mr Blue Polo on the right there is the residential kite master, and his kite got so high that he anchored it to the floor and walked around surveilling other flights. He invited us to tug on the kite's string, and tug we did. Our body weights couldn't bring the kite even an inch down. His kite was timed to light up automically at 7:30 pm. Mr Orange Polo on the left is the owner of this massive lighted kite, and he turned on its lights just for this photograph. He said, "With this hobby, I don't need to think about eating, just sit here!" He also pointed out other regular lighted kites aross the field: "Later Fish will come out, and Star is going up now"--like a sage mapping out constellations.

So we, newbies on the kite playing field, got our eyes full of the more charming side of Singaporeans yesterday. Now when the rain stops, we look towards the field and see the triangles pop up almost immediately, and I know. They must have all been waiting with their kites, gazing up at the rain like children, waiting for the first moment to fly.

Finally found the photographer who did this favourite picture of mine!

Jason Lee photographs his daughters here.

So funny!

Capturing the little bright sparks of the daily rut can make it all wonderful.

Like yesterday's nice evening cycle by the lake, seeing the people come out of their boxes to sit around the lake on all the new steps, and stand on the new bridge. And all the kite fliers filling the field next to jurong point. Am I too late to join in the kite action?

I got a new toy! Funny that a nice new camera can make everything in a common weekend seem extra special:

ET's perpetually judging, quizzical expression.

Muji cities, occupied by sylvanian babies.

Fiver in his favourite spot in the whole house: the middle of the floor

My dad looking at his arrowana, trying to communicate with him.

Judgmental ET looking sweet when she sleeps

Lunch at vavavoom for vietnamese

The poor cats got a bath.

Words of my mum: "the white ball is good for taking photos with"

Scrabble on Hari Raya

Our furniture

On Sunday the sec one girls put together a notice board.

Most hilarious girls ever.

And back to work, with eyes open to new picture possibilities!