Happy blessed birthday, papa. May God bless you with good health, a long life, and deep peace. May He guide your path with His wisdom and Holy Spirit, and fill your days with love, joy, hope, meaningful purpose, and prosperity.
We kept the celebration simple—no fancy dining, just meaningful moments together.
The day started with a fun game of pickleball with friends, followed by a short trip to JB for lunch, massage, dinner, and a bit of grocery shopping.
We ended the day with a sweet candle-blowing moment at home with the kids.
Ted was selected for JSA (Junior Sport Academy) and for his first sport training was tennis. He started his lesson last Saturday and continue for 6 months. It's a good exposure for him to learn different kind of sports and hopefully it will help his gross motor as well.
This year's wedding anniversary was rather special as Tromson and Richie will have major exams so we didn't splurge in fancy dining. So we went to JB for celebration.
Sunday was our family day. After church, we had a lovely luncheon with our kids—such a sweet way to wrap up the weekend before papa flew off to Germany for a business trip.
It was truly a beautiful and fruitful anniversary weekend—simple, meaningful, and full of love.
After the raft-building session, I returned to my room and took some time to reflect on the valuable life lessons I had just experienced—and how they apply to the real world.
The Objective
The goal of the activity was clear:
Build a raft using bamboo poles and barrels.
Ensure it’s strong and stable enough to carry passengers to a designated point.
Return safely to shore.
Disassemble the raft back to its original components: just bamboo and barrels.
None of us had any experience in raft building—or even scouting—so we all started from zero. The instructor provided some guidance with clear, step-by-step instructions:
Show us a miniature model of the completed raft.
Demonstrate how to tie knots securely to hold the bamboo together.
Emphasize that the string should be wet to prevent it from breaking in water.
Ensure each barrel is positioned to float and supported by two bamboo poles.
Begin from the outer frame, measure the barrels, and then tie the inner sections.
Was Everyone Listening?
At first, it seemed like everyone was paying attention. But once we started working, some interesting differences emerged.
We were divided into three groups of mixed adults and children:
Group 1: 4 adults and 2 tweens ➝ They finished first, sailed to the designated point, returned, and successfully disassembled their raft.
Group 2: 4 adults and 3 teens ➝ They finished second, completed the journey, and disassembled their raft.
Group 3: 5 adults ➝ They finished last. Halfway through, strong waves hit and their raft broke apart. They couldn’t complete the task.
Observing Human Behavior
From this exercise, I noticed five distinct types of people:
Active listeners — Fast learners who quickly apply what they’ve learned. They're also hands-on and action-oriented.
Active listeners — Willing to learn but need more time to process and apply the knowledge.
Active listeners — Learning isn’t their strength in this context, but they contribute meaningfully in other areas based on their strengths.
Non-listeners — Prefer to solve problems their own way, relying on creativity that doesn’t align with the structured approach required.
Non-listeners — Unwilling to learn and prefer to instruct others rather than contribute directly.
Who Will Likely Thrive in Life?
People in categories 1, 2, and 3. Because they are open, adaptable, and know how to contribute—either by learning or by using their strengths wisely.
This activity was a powerful mirror of real life. It wasn’t just about building a raft; it was about observing attitudes, teamwork, and how people respond to challenges.
This was one of the best holidays we’ve had—everything was fully sponsored by papa’s company.
We hadn’t planned any trips for June because both kids needed to prepare for their final-year exams. But thankfully, my husband’s company organized a Family Day at Telunas Private Island. It was our first time visiting a private island, and we were beyond excited.
Our journey began with a ferry ride from HarbourFront to Sekupang, Batam. From there, we continued by speedboat to Telunas Resort. Each leg of the trip took about an hour.
We arrived just in time for lunch and were treated to a delicious three-course set menu: Thai beef salad as the appetizer, prawn balado with steamed rice for the main course, and Thai mango sticky rice for dessert.
After lunch, we headed to our villa for some free-and-easy time. The kids chose to fish from the balcony. After nearly two hours of patience and excitement, they caught four fish and asked the kitchen to cook them for dinner.
Since the weather was scorching hot, we cooled off with a swim while watching the sunset. The sky was stunningly clear—no clouds in sight. Later, we had dinner with the group, followed by a bonfire and toasted marshmallows under the stars.
We slept soundly that night.
The next morning, we took a short 3-minute wooden boat ride to a nearby island resort for a team-building activity: raft building. It was our first time doing this! We had to build a raft, sail it to a designated point, return, and disassemble it. Challenging but so much fun!
After returning to the villa and having lunch, the kids took part in a pottery class while the adults relaxed and enjoyed some quiet time.
That evening, we had a BBQ dinner followed by a company appreciation ceremony.
On our final morning, before checking out, the kids were eager to go fishing one last time—an activity they can’t easily do in Singapore. After lunch, we packed up and headed home.
It was a truly special experience, even though the weather was humid and incredibly hot. Staying in the villa for 3 days and 2 nights was just what we needed to recharge and reconnect. When we got back home, we felt so grateful for air conditioning—something we often take for granted, yet can’t live without!
