I've found Katie Gillespie on Facebook and I'm so happy! Lost pretty much all contact with her since she last moved and after I lost her email address a few years ago. Saw her sister Claire (who btw was my sister's best friend) when we were back in Australia the other time and was supposed to meet up with the whole family for dinner but she never got back to us.

She's a dancer. The sweetest kind of friend who'd write little notes for you now and then. I still have them. It used to be me, Anita, Katie and Emma. A pity that the drama that comes together with high school tore them apart. I'm quite glad, on hindsight, that I came back to Singapore for secondary education. Life would really be so much more complicated if I'd stayed there. Instead of having little spats and worrying about grades and all, I'll probably be going through the turmoil of going out, dressing pretty, donning makeup and all. I'll also be witnessing things like drug abuse, promiscuity and the likes. In high school. I'm serious.

But childhood there is nothing like Singapore's. If not because of the world renowned education system, then the amount of land - or lack thereof. I remember the excitement of completing our little fun homework - doing it as perfectly as possible for hope of the cool rub-and-smell stickers Mrs Zeller use to reward our notebooks with. (I still keep my exercise books just for the stickers. And maybe to remember Mrs Zeller.) We'd run outside - barefooted - with either our bikes or blades and head over next door to get Kumi and Selena, our Japanese fused with Aussie blood neighbours. Cycle all the way up to the top of the mini hill and take turns "flying" down and enjoying the breeze against our faces - always armed with that trusty helmet.

Then there's the field beside our houses with the two horses. We'd pry the red juicy berries from their thorny skin and feed the horses - this alone would take us a good half an hour, as we'd retreat our tiny hands too quickly, dropping the berries, for fear of losing our fingers.

And if the day's wet, Nintendo came into the picture. Both us and the Dobsons had a Nintendo set each, so we had four controllers in total, meaning no one would be left out. Mario Kart was perfected and we could easily beat boys, who are supposed to be inclined to such things. Their trampoline too was available to jump around on till our heads ache. Ahh, those were the days.

Sleepovers were a common event. PJs were coordinated, parents knew each other. It was all so nice. Mrs Gillespie's dinners were really good. Her lasagne is better than Pizzahut or Pastamania. In fact all her cookings have that homemade goodness. Her muffins were to die for. Katie would bring them to school and share them with all of us. Muffins that oooozed chocolate out. I could blog a whole post on sleepovers.

HAHA. I have digressed.

I want my kids to have this kind of childhood. Yet I want them to have Singapore's education. Yes, having my cake and eating it. I guess it is a give and take. You can't be smart and enjoy life. LOL (pinch of salt please)
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