hello again!

I have just been so busy and lazy to blog lately!

It's the season of festivities! Chinese New Year is coming up, earlier than usual this year. And it's the year of the Rabbit!

So...I have left Paris for good - Au Revoir!

and it's almost the end of my short holiday in Singapore :(

I will be back in Sydney in about a week's time.

I still have tons of photos to sort through, like christmas ones in Italy, trip with mum to Lyon, and other random stuff! I do miss Paris, there's still so many hidden treasures i haven't discovered, and after all, it's Paris! It's a great place for a holiday, but i have to say, a bit overrated, and not the best place to live - for me at least. But the Paris sales was awesome! I totally should have blogged about it before but i was procrastinating. heh.

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I am back in Singapore! :D

okay i'm feeling a bit lazy to  blog. I actually mainly wanna share this article i read about a week ago, and then came across it again today.
It is a rather controversial article about parenting 'chinese-style', by a Chinese mother living in a Western society. Here are some excerpts.

Why Chinese Mothers Are Superior 

By AMY CHUA

"What Chinese parents understand is that nothing is fun until you're good at it. To get good at anything you have to work, and children on their own never want to work, which is why it is crucial to override their preferences. This often requires fortitude on the part of the parents because the child will resist; things are always hardest at the beginning, which is where Western parents tend to give up..."

"Western parents worry a lot about their children's self-esteem. But as a parent, one of the worst things you can do for your child's self-esteem is to let them give up. On the flip side, there's nothing better for building confidence than learning you can do something you thought you couldn't.."

"All decent parents want to do what's best for their children. The Chinese just have a totally different idea of how to do that. Western parents try to respect their children's individuality, encouraging them to pursue their true passions, supporting their choices, and providing positive reinforcement and a nurturing environment. By contrast, the Chinese believe that the best way to protect their children is by preparing them for the future, letting them see what they're capable of, and arming them with skills, work habits and inner confidence that no one can ever take away..."

credit: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704111504576059713528698754.html

Though some of her parenting styles can be a bit extreme (i'm speaking from the receiving end, as in me imagining my parents doing that to me), i do see the message she's trying to send. Maybe it's because i'm Asian and I received a similar parenting style (not as traditional or strict though), and am likely to do the same for my kids in the future. Regardless, i think it's a very interesting article in highlighting the differences. Funnily enough, the more exposed i am to the West and their culture, the more rooted i am in home and being Asian. Not that the West isn't good, but it's just different. haha that's the best way i can describe it. Of course it's easy to generalize West vs. Asian but its the only measure of understanding the differences too. I think this article has sparked some debate and received some critics but well, each family is different and on what basis is one's method superior over the other? A very similar argument to the asian values debate, i would say.

Either ways, it's worth a read - click on the title, and worth a thought (:

bisous!

An Education

I just watched An Education. And i loved it!

Well, to be honest, the whole 30year old man and a 16 going on 17year old girl is a bit hard to understand and get used to at first, maybe it's just me, but that's not the point. Once you get past that, this movie is just amazing! Carey Mulligan did an awesome job on this film, and she's so gorgeous, especially in Audrey Hepburn style!!

Don't you agree? She's 23 i think, when she did this role as a 16 year old, and she was able to pass off as both the younger and more matured Jenny, with the help of make up of course. But i think she played the role of an intelligent, charming, young girl in this coming-of-age film really well. Not to mention the british accents. haha.

The movie kinda questions what education really means, and its value. I love how there's so many meanings beyond the surface that the film tries to portray. The subtle messages that make you think, adds to the charm of it all. I think it's quite cool that this movie took place in 1961, but the same questions are still relevant today. Watch this trailer below, and if it interests you, i'd strongly recommend you watch it! (:

j'espère que vous l'aimez autant qu'à moi (:
bisous!

Happy New Year! Bonne Année!

Happy New Year! Bonne Année!

Well, i was supposed to go for a dinner but i'm feeling quite sick so I am staying home instead. Quel dommage :( What a bad time to be sick seriously, and quite a bad flu, my body aches so much, sigh. When the clock strikes 12 and enters into the new year, i will be well-tucked into bed, and somewhere off in dreamland...

Night folks!
bisous!

[edit] It's new year's today, and I saw a friend post this link on fb. It made me laugh out loud. hahaha. Well, at least i know i didn't miss out on anything ;)

p.s. i don't know the source though...if anyone knows, let me know!
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