The Road to 40 Day 150/365: Sports Day Experience

Vino’s sports day for their year level finally went down after it was postponed by rain last Friday.

It was going to be from 9am to 11am, so Che and I dropped Vino off at school and waited in their cafeteria until parents were allowed in the spectators’ area. Once the event started, we could go and cheer for the kids near where they were playing their games.

All the kids were divided by houses, so they were playing with kids from other classes as well. The points they collect from the activities are going to be tallied up together with the results from the other primary year levels.

For the second activity, it was a nice touch by the organizers to allow parents to join in on the fun. The kids won’t earn points, but they get to play with the parents. We did a somewhat live-action Space Invaders game where we had to throw balls at foam bases on two opposing sides.

I saw that Vino’s side had a lot more parents, so I decided to go on the other side. Our side lost, 2-1. The balls we used were foam ones, and I never got the hang of it to throw accurately at the bases.

After about four games, they got a chance to take a break and have their snacks.

Vino didn’t want to eat his snack, saying his tummy didn’t feel good. But once the games resumed, he was back to his old self. I am not exaggerating when I say the kids went CRAZY for Soda Pop when it played. Last year, APT by Bruno Mars and Rose got all the kids dancing, but this time, Soda Pop had everyone screaming and dancing no matter what game they were playing.

We got a chance to meet some familiar parents and caught up a bit with them. I even met a Filipino parent who just transferred to school this term.

Vino’s team was second for this sports day, and apparently, the other year levels got either first or second as well, so they had a pretty good chance to win it.

Che went straight to work, while I went to Vivo to get some lunch. I figured I would just head straight to pick Vino up since it was already 11:30am and I was going to have to leave the house at 2pm to pick him up.

I still had a bit of cough and cold, so I decided I wanted something soupy. Song Fa Ba Kut Teh was crowded at Harbourfront, which led me to explore the basement of Vivo. I was surprised to see another branch of Song Fa right across Fairprice, and I didn’t have to queue.

Che had this the other day and said she felt super sleepy afterwards. I told her she just might be sleepy. But after having my fill, I felt the same. Instead of heading straight to Vino’s school, I went back home first and took a nap.

When I picked Vino up, he was locked in on his tablet watching random YouTube clips. I don’t really like him doing this, but Che would point out to me that I practically do the same when I’m bored on the bus.

I decided that I won’t bother him and try to see if he would go down by himself. He didn’t, and we almost missed our stop. I told him that if he wanted to go by himself, he should learn how to be aware of his surroundings even if he’s on his tablet.

At this point, it really is possible for him to go by himself. I believe Singapore is safe enough for him to try and go alone. I’ve seen kids younger than him ride the bus or train by themselves. However, I have to be certain that he can actually handle himself outside. He can’t be a zombie on his phone or tablet, and he needs to know what to do if he misses his stop or whatnot.

At home, I made some meatballs for him as requested. I froze some as well for lunch one of these days.

Che came home early and asked to eat already. The rice wasn’t ready yet, but she wanted to bake first, so at least we had a bit of time. When it was time to eat, they got their share while I made a rice mix.

Che bought this gojuchang paste for mixing into the rice and I love using it on my rice when I eat dry food. I put some sesame oil and furikake to make the best rice for any dry viand.

After dinner, Che continued her pandesal version 2. She wanted a more airy version of it and she wasn’t about to give up after her failed test last night. This time, she gave her dough more time to rise, and was pleased by the initial results of her mixing.

While Vino and I went to the room already, she went to check on her bread from time to time. On this rare night, I think I fell asleep before she did. She went out to pack the bread so she could bring it to the office next day, while I fell asleep beside Vino.

I am almost about to believe that Song Fa really has a lot more MSG on their broth now compared to before, because I couldn’t get myself to stay awake longer. It was a good chance to rest a lot, though so I’m taking it.