MGS Ipoh's Century-Old Rain Tree Is Gone!

The Rain tree above is over 100 years old but today its life came to a sad tragic end.  This Rain tree  had stood majestically at my alma mater, Methodist Girls' School Ipoh and had been the school's emblem since the beginning of time.

The school's committee decided to have the iconic Rain tree axed to make way for the construction of a new hall. When my ertswhile classmates and school mates found out about the axing of the tree just today, we signed a Petition to save our beloved Rain tree but it was way too late.





My fondest memories of this grand old Rain tree is of assembling under it with my classmates every afternoon before class when we were in Form 1. We created so much happy memories under this shady old tree ~ giggling, goofing around, creating friendship that would last a life time and at times did our last minute cramming before exams. On some days, we had our PE, practised marching and played under this tree. Many of my Girl Guide outdoor activities (cooking competition, bamboo structure assembling, etc) were carried out under this tree.

When we found out today via our Whatsapp chat group that the tree had been axed, we felt as if our close and old friend's life had been snatched away.  Way too soon. 😭😭😭😭 This Rain tree had created so much fond memories to tens of thousands of girls for over 100 years.  MGS was founded in 1895 by Reverend William Edward Horley.






And this is our beloved Rain tree today, axed. Soon it will be completely uprooted.




I started my early education at the Methodist kindergarten when I was 6 years old, then moved on to the Methodist Primary School where I spent 6 memorable years there and finally spent 5 glorious years of high school at the Methodist Girls Secondary School.  Though at three different buildings, the three schools are  housed in the same vicinity.

Mum was a teacher at the Methodist Primary School upon graduating from the Teacher's Training College until she retired at age 55 years.

Good bye our beloved Rain tree. Our hearts bleed and cry for you.  Hopefully the relevant authority will have the sense to put your branches and sturdy trunk to good use. At least you will not be demolished to ash. You have definitely imprinted a legacy in our hearts, forever 😢

Last Day Of School For 2015 - 20 November 2015

Yippee, school's finally out!

See you lunch boxes and water bottles!!






I sure won't be missing washing them and filling them up with water and food everyday :D

I'm going to repay all my sleep debt this 6 weeks.

In 2 weeks, we'll be off  to Hong Kong :D

Happy holidays to all you mothers, fathers and kiddos!

Our Sunday

Today, Alycia and Sherilyn had a real swell time in Sunday School. They decorated Easter Eggs with stickers and tonight, they even get to eat the Easter Eggs (which are hard boiled eggs). There was a small party in class and the gals had a whale of their time munching on junk food. I had forgotten to tell my new maid that the gals are not supposed to eat junk food given out at parties. Alycia knows that her new kakak will not stop her and quickly gobbled down 3 sausages, 3 jellies, 2 bottles of Vitagen, cookies and some Easter chocolates! Sherilyn also ate a fair share of sausages, fried fish balls and drank a bottle of Vitagen.

During service, there was a very good video presentation on how Jesus had died on the cross to redeem our sins and how Abraham had obeyed God and brought his only precious son Issac to be sacrificed. The video was really very touching and moved many parishioners to tears, including moi. Today, I also met Dato' Ng Yen Yen, our new Deputy Finance Minister face to face in church and I must say that she is indeed very friendly.

After church, we had high tea at PJ Hilton coffee house. Though there was a lot of delicious food on the buffet spread, I could only eat like a cat and did not have much appetite. As my tummy is ballooning, my appetite is being suppressed. I can visualize how my guts are being pushed and squeezed to its limits by the ballooning uterus. Just can't wait for this little one to pop out.

How was your Sunday today?

Farewell Jeff and Shir Lin

Sunday School will never be the same again without Jeff Kor Kor and Shir Lin Cheh Cheh as they will be moving to Singapore soon. Jeff and Shir Lin are Alycia and Sherilyn's Sunday School teachers. What motivates Alycia and Sherilyn to go to church every Sunday are these 2 very dedicated teachers. All the kids will surely miss Jeff Kor Kor and Shir Lin Cheh Cheh.



The kids from Sunday School celebrating the farewell of Jeff and Shir Lin.


Shir Lin -- If you are reading this, all the best to you and Jeff in Singapore. Take care of yourself and your little one too!

To Go or Not To Go To School?

I can't believe that it is already June, which means it has been slightly more than 3 months since I had stopped sending Alycia to pre-school as she has been falling sick continuously eversince attending pre-school in January 07.

As the school term will reopen in a week's time, I have been asking myself this question... should Alycia go back to school? While the health freak mummy and wimp in me keep telling me NO, since her paed said her immune system is not fully developed yet and that it's best to send her to school when she turns 4, the kiasu mummy in me keeps telling me aiyah, just go lah. If she doesn't go, she will be so far lagging behind her peers and how long can you keep her at home? She needs exposure to germs and virus to get immuned to them.

So how? I am really in a dilemma. To go or not to go to school? What if Alycia goes and then the whole sickening cycle of her falling sick repeats itself? This will even weaken her immune system further and may later lead her into developing asthma. That will be big time headache for me and big hole in pocket for DH.

Some friends have asked me to homeschool Alycia and Sherilyn. I seriously don't mind homeschooling my gals as when it comes to teaching them, my enthusiasm is always unbounded but my gals just won't reciprocate the way I want them to. Alycia is for one who learns better when she is with peers. I was surprised that she had learnt so much in school in a period of less than 2 months and loved going to school so much and she is actually raring to go back to school.

So what say everyone? To go or not to go to school for Alycia?