YowCH & Grace

Swimming pool implemented social distancing, and limited the number of swimmers. With cancellation of group classes, the pool is quite empty. Our family gets 2 lanes for our swim!

Our coach Francis helped us take a family photo underwater.

Unfortunately, the underwater photo using YowCH’s phone caused some moisture leak into phone and the cameras are now blurred. Sad…

David’s 16th birthday on 24 Mar passed quietly, with the COVID-19 situation. We will have a small dinner with the Yongs on Saturday to celebrate, instead of the party that we originally planned for. Photo below was taken on Sunday, a very empty pool.

YowCH has been consistently running 2.5km 3 times a week, clocking the fastest 10 runs all within 2020. In fact, the fastest 2.5km was achieved on Saturday 21 Mar in 11m50s. He also ran a 5.0km on Tuesday night 24 Mar and clocked 28m00s, the best timing for 5.0km. Two best runs within 3 days!

Tags: David, Family, YowCH by yowch
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We got this from PJ, creamer and gula melaka in tubes! Very convenient.

This are screen captures of David in action playing basketball for his school in competition game. The video was taken by a parent who attended the game. Unfortunately, games will be postponed due to the nCoV virus pandemic. David is no. 7.



So, to help prevent spread of nCoV, masks are recommended.

YowCH bought cheap OEM air-filter to replace the very dirty one in the Odyssey. $16 per piece, better than originals at $80 each.

Tags: David, General by yowch
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Our first soccer training in 2020 on Sunday, 5 Jan. Joseph and Samuel both trained well.

On Sunday night, David helped cut and fry arrowroot for snacks. Not easy to slice them evenly and thin with a knife, and frying takes a long time.

Here are some final photos of Redhill Close, our home from 2001 to 2005, before they are demolished (likely some time in 2020). YowCH regular runs and the daily commute to Gan Eng Seng Primary School still goes past these flats. We stayed in Block 10 unit 04-122, the corner unit at level 4 furthest from Jalan Bukit Merah.




Refer earlier post here.

Tags: David, General, Joseph, Samuel by yowch
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Samuel enters primary school today, joining Joseph at Gan Eng Seng Primary School.

And here is a photo of all the children on the first day of school. This is the year of major exams, Joseph taking PSLE, David taking O-levels and Esther taking A-levels.

We pray for God to bless them with focused minds for their studies.

Tags: David, Esther, Joseph, Samuel by yowch
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This year’s Junior Camp, from Saturday 16 Nov to Sunday 17 Nov, was Joseph’s last and Samuel’s first.


On the first day, they made lava lamps.

They brought containers and utensils for their meals. Good food prepared by Mrs. Loo.



The performances on Sunday night, after dinner with family and a parenting talk for the parents.

On Sunday afternoon, YowCH and Grace took Samuel out of camp for 2 hours to attend his Swim Safer Stage 3 exam. He skipped Stages 1 and 2. YowCH had to read to him the multiple choices questions as he could not read. He had to swim breast stroke, survival back, wear a life vest in water, swim survival back with life vest, tread water for 30 seconds and dive 1.5m to retrieve an object. He did all that fastest and smoothest, although he was the youngest and smallest guy in the batch of students taking the test.




UPDATED 25 Nov 2019: He got his cert!

The same evening, David played football for our church, The Bible Church, Singapore, in the regular friendly match against Mount Carmel Bible Presbyterian Church. Esther took the photos.

Tags: Church, David, Esther, Samuel by yowch
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Samuel really enjoys in-line skating now. He wears Joseph’s skates, Joseph wears David’s and David wear YowCH’s.

We picked up a beautiful and undamaged tea set from the dump under our house. Things people throw away…

Tags: David, General, Joseph, Samuel by yowch
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Our new West Coast Wolves uniform:

We had soccer training in our new red West Coast Wolves uniform. David helps out with coaching.

That’s Joseph in training.

And that’s Samuel. Nowadays, YowCH trains the youngest age group.

Here’s a photo of Esther at her piano class.

And here’s YowCH in his running garb. He now runs 2.5km once on a weekday after work and 5.0km on Saturday morning.

And here is Grace lying in the pool.

Tags: David, Esther, Grace, Joseph, Samuel, YowCH by yowch
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YowCH has been running regularly (2x 2.5km each week), even when the haze from Indonesia is attacking Singapore. He ran a decent 12m50s 2.5km, which completed 2.4km in 12m15s (Napfa standard A for age 45+). The haze was about PSI 90, getting a bit high.

In the evening, for Church, YowCH, Esther and David lead worship. It was fun and exciting to have an uplifting worship with the children.

Tags: Church, David, Esther, YowCH by yowch
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We have shifted from Delta to Queenstown for swim because Delta is starting renovations (for at least 1 year)

The Queenstown main pool is deeper and wider (9 lanes). It uses salty water.

In the afternoon, we had our regular football training. Samuel is still not too interested, but Joseph is doing well. David helps out with coaching as part of his community service activity.

Tags: David, Family, Joseph, Samuel by yowch
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The car is almost 3 years old, and YowCH sent the Odyssey for inspection ($70.62) with total traveled distance of 55,573km.


The inspection passed, and we can continue to renew road tax and drive the car.

While Gene, mom and dad were away from home, the washing machine hose burst and and Sorrento was flooded! Neighbours called Gene after seeing water floor out from the floor. YowCH went over to help rescue the situation, and managed to clean up the water in about 2.5 hours, using a makeshift squigy and a mop. Hair dryer was used to help heat up and dry under the cabinet.


Lesson learned: turn of the mains when water not in use.

David has worn out his Nike Air Max. He wore this for runs and to school, and the air bubble had burst after all the rubber was gone.

YowCH’s running shoes are also getting there.

Tags: David, Family, General by yowch
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