Cassandra’s High School

Welcoming October 2024

Welcome October 2024!! As we step into the last quarter of 2024, I’m reflecting on how fast the year has flown by and how busy life has become for everyone in the family. My three daughters are all moving full steam ahead with their studies, hobbies, and personal goals, each on a unique journey. Here’s a brief update on where each of them stands as we begin this new month.

Alycia and Sherilyn: Deep into University Life

Alycia and Sherilyn are now in their third week of the new academic year at university, and their schedules are as hectic as ever. Both girls leave the house early in the morning and don’t return until late evening, consumed by classes and extracurricular activities.

For Alycia, this is her final year, and the workload is more intense. On top of that, she has evening classes that seem to fill up most of her days. She’s been looking forward to a well-deserved break, and in just three weeks, she’ll be heading to South Korea with her friend/colleague for a week-long holiday. I’m sure it will be a wonderful experience for her to unwind before diving back into the final stretch of her university life.

Last Friday Alycia went for an interview for her three-month internship set to take place next year. A few days later, the company called her to offer her the job. I hope she will enjoy work life and meet people who will uplift her and be helpful to her.

Sherilyn, on the other hand, has an even more jam-packed schedule. As a first-year student in architecture, her course demands a lot of time and effort. Yet, she still finds the energy to be deeply involved in her university’s Barista Club and Dance Club, which are her passions. In addition, she continues to attend dance classes at two different studios late in the evenings. I admire her dedication, but I also hope she’s not stretching herself too thin.

Cass: Balancing School and Skating

Cass is gearing up for her Senior High 1 (Form 4) Final Exam, taking place soon. It’s hard to believe that she’ll be sitting for her SPM exam in just a year. On top of her studies, Cass is also preparing for her figure skating test (Free Style 1), which is an exciting milestone. She’s been going to the skating rink three times a week and training intensively both on-ice and off-ice. There’s a possibility she might participate in one or two more skating competitions next year, even though it will be her SPM year. While I’m naturally concerned about how she’ll balance everything, she reassures me that her skating won’t interfere with her studies. I can only trust her judgment and hope for the best.

As for Me: Battling Tennis Elbow and Juggling Everything

On a more personal note, my own challenges have been catching up with me. The pain in my right hand from tennis elbow hasn’t improved one bit, mainly because I’ve had no rest at all. With Maria, our part-time helper, still out of commission due to severe morning sickness in the early stages of her pregnancy, I’ve had to take on all the household chores. It’s been nearly a month without her help, and I’m feeling the strain, both mentally and physically.

To make matters worse, I’m not sure when Maria will be able to return. Even if her morning sickness subsides, she might not be in full form to work. Plus, she will eventually need to take time off to give birth and return to Indonesia for several months. I’m trying to prepare myself for managing without her help, but it’s a daunting thought.

Looking Ahead

As we welcome October, I wish nothing but success and happiness for my daughters in their studies and future endeavors. They all have their individual dreams, and as a mother, my greatest hope is to see them thrive. As for myself, I’ll have to muster the strength to push through the challenges ahead.

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A Week in Our Humble Abode

The past week has been an intense period of dedication and sacrifice in our household. For nearly two weeks, the lights and fans in our home have been working overtime, as they haven’t been turned off at all. This might sound unusual, but there’s a perfectly good reason behind it.

Cass has been burning the midnight oil in preparation for her mid-year exams. She has been studying way past midnight and then rising again at 5 AM to make herself breakfast and continue her revision. Her commitment and drive to excel in her studies are truly commendable. The lights and fans stayed on throughout her study sessions to ensure she had the perfect environment to focus and work efficiently.

Alongside Cass was Sherilyn, who had also been pulling all-nighters, but for a different reason. She has been working tirelessly on back-to-back assignments for her Foundation in Natural and Built Environments course. The sheer volume of work and tight deadlines have been relentless, leading to many sleepless nights for her. Sherilyn’s determination to complete her assignments on time, despite the lack of sleep, her dance classes and part-time job, speaks volumes about her dedication to her studies. However, I’m worried about her health as she’s been losing sleep very regularly ever since she started her Foundation course in September last year. It’s only going to get tougher as she proceeds to the degree in architecture soon.

While the lights and fans have been on 24/7, creating a constant hum of activity, my beloved radio had to be turned off. Cass is the type who cannot focus when there’s background noise, be it music or chatter, which meant that my usual companion—the radio—had to take a break. As someone who thrives on the constant company of the radio, this was a significant sacrifice, but one I was more than willing to make to support my daughter in her academic endeavors.

Amidst all this, I’ve been dealing with persistent pain from my tennis elbow, which has little progress in healing, making it challenging to perform household chores and lift heavy items. Consequently, our cooking routines have been simplified. I’ve primarily relied on the air fryer and toaster oven for meal preparations. Thankfully, we’ve had a steady supply of food from hubby’s central kitchen, which has been a lifesaver, reducing the need for extensive cooking.

Despite the challenges and the seemingly endless nights, there is a sense of achievement in the air. The hard work put in by Cass and Sherilyn is bound to pay off, and I am proud of their dedication. As we wrap up this hectic period, we are all looking forward to a much-needed and well-deserved restful weekend.
Here’s to a great and restful weekend for everyone! May it be filled with relaxation, good food, and the joy of knowing that hard work always paves the way for success. Cheers!

Sherilyn’s model is finally ready, after pulling off an all-nighter for several nights.

Below was our lunch at Li Restaurant at Damansara Jaya two Sundays ago, just the three of us – hubby, Cass and I. Alycia was at her weekend part-time work and Sherilyn stayed home to complete her assignment.

Pork shoulder rice bowl, with perfectly cooked melt-in-the-mouth and flavorful pork shoulder.

Chicken chop, which tasted excellent with crispy seared skin.

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Quick Random Updates

Hey peeps, just a quick update as I have to be in bed early tonight for a very early appointment with my physiotherapist tomorrow morning. I think I have tennis elbow, a very painful condition affecting my right elbow, which makes bending my arm and using it difficult. Dang it, it’s on my right arm, my dominant hand. So I’m now training my left hand to do chores.

Someone has just finished her first (of many more) exam for the year. And she cooked breakfast on Saturday.. but only for herself. I managed to try some though, just a spoonful.

She can cook very well too, just like her second sister!

Papaya, banana and orange smoothie bowl topped with granola, chocolate oat biscuits and apples, drizzled with melted peanut butter.

Sherilyn gave me another pleasant surprise – she received another Dean’s List letter of commendation from her college for her second semester exam. I pray that she’ll score another Dean’s List for her third semester, which is her final semester in the Foundation in Natural & Built Environments to entitle her to a partial scholarship from Taylors University for her first year of BA of Science in Architecture.

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Thursday, 2 November 2023

I just found out from Cass today that she’ll be sitting for the JUEC exam this week – commencing this Saturday through next Tuesday. Sunday INCLUDED.

And this girl is still so chill!🤨

What is UEC?
The UEC was set up to unify the exams for independent Chinese schools, which uses Mandarin as their language of teaching. The Junior UEC (JUEC) exam is similar to PMR for Form 3 students in national schools (which was abolished during the pandemic). The Senior UEC exam is intended to be an equivalent to STPM and A-levels, and is recognized as such overseas in countries like the UK, US, Canada, Russia, Australia, New Zealand, South Korea, Japan, Hong Kong, India, and more. Some students in East Malaysia may also have the option to sit for the UEC exams in English.

Students at independent Chinese schools still sit for national examinations such as SPM. The subjects are taught alongside the school’s own Chinese syllabus, and teachers dedicate lesson periods to teaching the government syllabus too.

As hubby has to work on Saturday and Sunday this week, I will have to take over the chauffeuring duty, which means that I’ll have to wake up before 5am on a Sunday 😞 Cass has to reach school before 7.15 a.m. Oh well…

For lunch today, Alycia and I had grilled salmon fish head and bones alongside food from hubby’s kitchen (chicken curry, chicken gulai, and sauteed veggie).

I always take the trouble to debone the salmon head and bones before serving it to the girls. Them pampered girls are too lazy to do it themselves. Since I’m already wearing disposable gloves to savour the head and bones myself, I do it for them as well out of convenience. I actually enjoy doing it as I find it therapeutic 🤭

Packed with extra-tender meat and an abundance of fat along the jawbones, salmon heads are prized by chefs for stock and soups. Salmon heads contain extra-high levels of vitamin A, Omega-3 fatty acids, iron, zinc and calcium.

The salmon head and bones that I buy from this sushi eatery at my neighborhood are one of the tastiest. The soft bones are so crispy that they are edible. The flesh is very flavorful and tender, though it’s grilled without salt or seasoning. I prefer eating the meat off bones and head vs. chunky flesh. Even our picky Haru loves it.

My favorite food – grilled salmon bones and head. The head was already in my stomach when Alycia took this photo. Don’t underestimate these bones as they’re filled with a lot of tender meat. This pack of grilled salmon bones and head (RM19.90) yields one soup bowl of meat, enough for three of us. YUMMMMS!!

Haru waits patiently for her salmon treat. Besides grilled salmon, she loves grilled Shishamo and Saba fish. Funnily though, she doesn’t like other types of fried or steamed fish.

Bought this RUPP triangle cheese spread for the girls today as it’s on offer at the supermarket. It’s yummy and not too salty. Hubby forbids me from buying processed square cheese as he says it’s crap food with a bunch of additives. He only buys natural cheese.

Fruits for the girls today – USA Royalty Autumn King green grapes (super crunchy), Korean persimmon, clementine and orange. Cass popped an Envy apple later. She’s a fruit queen.

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My Life In Photos The Past Week

This past week has been an eventful one in our household as we rallied around our youngest daughter, Cass, who has been tirelessly preparing for her mid-year exam. Her commitment to her studies was unparalleled as she immersed herself in rigorous preparation. Late nights became a norm as she burned the midnight oil, going above and beyond to revise every topic thoroughly.

Witnessing her unwavering dedication was truly inspiring. One of my sacrifices was to ensure that the house was silent as Cass is one who finds it hard to focus when there’s noise. Her sisters and I had to talk softly 🙄 and I had to turn off the radio the entire day. Music is life to me and being in silence throughout the day was hard on me.

The intensity of Cass’s exam preparation led to sacrifices that were both humbling and heartwarming. We had planned a pre-Father’s Day dinner on Saturday, but Cass chose to stay home and prioritize her studies instead. It was a selfless act that showcased her determination and the seriousness she attached to her academic goals.

On Friday night, Alycia accompanied Cass to the skating rink at Pavillion Bukit Jalil for her class. While Cass practiced her movements, Alycia diligently worked on her own assignments on her laptop at Starbucks.

Studying for hours on end can be mentally exhausting, and Cass understood the importance of taking short breaks to rejuvenate. During these breaks, she would engage in her passion for figure skating, practicing her movements with precision. Additionally, she would play her favorite pieces on the piano and found solace and relaxation in the company of Haru, our lockdown cat. These moments of respite allowed Cass to unwind, destress, and return to her studies with renewed focus.

As Cass’s mid-year exam journey unfolded, it became apparent that her perseverance and commitment were unwavering. From her late-night study sessions to her sacrifices showcased the strength and determination of a young student driven to succeed. I am sure Cass’ hard work will pay off.

Not one who would eat breakfast before going to school, today Cass requested to have oats with milk, a banana, and chicken essence at 6.30 in the morning. She believes in a satiated tummy for the brain power to unleash. In her lunchbox for recess today were four pieces of Auntie Anne’s cheese-stuffed nuggets / pretzels.

Sunday lunch with hubby at Chatterbox @ Bangsar Village. Just the both of us as everyone else had their own activities and Alycia was at her weekend part-time job.

After lunch at Chatterbox, we went to Tan Boon Meng (lower ground floor of Bangsar Village) to shop. Hubs bought an air conditioner and stand fan for his office and kitchen. And I got a new toy too – a juice extractor!

I used to have this classic Panasonic juice extractor more than two decades ago and loved how it served me for many years. The new model comes with slightly enhanced features and only costs a little more than RM200. I bought this juicer so that I can make my own carrot milk at home.

A recent incident I witnessed while ordering carrot juice with milk left me deeply concerned and compelled me to reevaluate the importance of personal food preparation.

As I approached the drinks counter at the coffee shop to order my usual carrot juice with milk, I couldn’t help but notice the foreign worker handling the preparation. It quickly became evident that hygiene was not a top priority. To my disbelief, she retrieved two carrots from the fridge, gave them a cursory rinse in a large basin of water without bothering to remove the carrot skin, and proceeded to feed them into the juice extractor.

My concern heightened when one of the carrots slipped from her hand and landed on the dirty and wet floor. To my astonishment, instead of washing the carrot thoroughly, she nonchalantly retrieved it, dipped it back into the same basin of dirty water, and then proceeded to add it to the juicer. This blatant disregard for hygiene shocked me to the core.

Witnessing this incident left me feeling deeply disgusted and concerned about the lack of hygiene standards at coffee shops. It was a wakeup call, prompting me to reflect on the potential risks associated with consuming food prepared in unsanitary conditions. With this experience fresh in my mind, I made a vow to prepare my carrot juice with milk at home, ensuring cleanliness and safety in every step of the process.

Thus, I got a cheap and good fruit extractor, just to prep carrot milk and beet root juice 😁. I still prefer to eat fruits like apple and orange as it is or made into smoothie using our Blendtec where the fiber is eaten as well.

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Wednesday, 26 October 2022

It’s the exam season now. This means that I’m not allowed to turn on the radio at home. And I hear someone purging out her memorized lines throughout the day.

Cass who sits next to me asked me today if she could turn off my radio, to which I said OK. Minutes later when I went to our work area, I heard Joe Hisaishi’s music blasting away from her laptop.

Me – I thought you wanted absolute silence so that you could study in peace?

Cass – But mine is music, without lyrics. Music calms my mind. With songs, my head keeps hearing the lyrics and I can’t focus.

Ok Ok, whatever. I shall sacrifice for a week or two without my favorite songs. I’m so glad that Cass is back to school tomorrow after 5 days of Deepavali holiday. When she’s around, she cooks and messes up the kitchen in the mornings. And I’m deprived of my radio. And she messes up her desk and the surroundings and then gets pissed off when I try to clean up her dirty desk. Next, the ants will invade her space and floor and I can’t put anything too poisonous on the floor to rid the ants or risk getting Haru poisoned again😠

Cass made us overnight oats with chia seeds yesterday. She melted a few squares of my Lindt 90% dark chocolate as topping and sprinkled crushed Oat Crunch biscuits, fresh blueberries and strawberries on top.

Yummy overnight oat and chia, which tastes like a pudding.

A simple overnight oats and chia with gula Melaka, blueberries and strawberries.

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Sourdough Starter – Part 4 (The End)

You’ve read about Enoxella 2.0 and how well it rose on day 2, and it didn’t stink like how Knox did. Cass and I were hopeful that Enoxella 2.0 would be an active and healthy baby. But he died 😢. He didn’t grow on day 3 onwards. On the 7th day I told Cass to discard Enoxella 2.0 as time was running out. Cass has to submit her experiment report by 15 October 2021.

So Plan B has to be executed, which is to make regular bread with yeast.

Cass started to prep the dough last night and set her phone alarm to wake up at 6.30 a.m. today to make the bread. Her online class would start at 7.30 a.m.

Cass googled for a fail-proof, quick and no-kneading bread recipe and found Recipe Tin Eats (Nagi). She knows that Nagi is my favorite food blogger who creates magic in the kitchen. Nagi is a Japanese Australian food blogger who also runs a soup kitchen in Australia.

Long story short, the recipe that Cass chose was for an artisan bread. It sounds and looks hard to make but the steps are pretty straight forward and there’s no kneading required except for a few flips. The dough has to be left to proof in the fridge for 10-12 hours.

The bread was quite a success, despite a few boo-boos. Coming from a 13-year old kid who has never baked any sort of bread, cookie or cake before, I would say that this recipe is indeed fail-proof that even a kid can handle with minimal supervision. Cass told Sherilyn and me not to help her as this is her project.

The recipe requires the use of a Dutch oven (Le Creuset) where the bread is placed in a Dutch oven inside the oven.

This is how the bread looks like when it first came out of the oven. It looks impressive but the insides suggest that the bread isn’t thoroughly baked. Our pro baker Sherilyn took a look at the bread, went to the oven to check the setting and found out that Cass had set the oven wrongly. The mil made the same mistake recently and she discarded two loafs of gourmet bread that she spent 2 days to make. The mil’s bread has very complicated and tedious steps.

The bread, finally. Cass had to bake the bread again for another hour (with the LC lid on and then without lid).

The exterior of the bread is very crispy but the insides are a tad dense and not fluffy. With a slight toast in the oven, good butter, some mashed avocado, omelette and gourmet sausages that hubs recently bought, we’re going to have a Big Breakfast tomorrow with Cass’ homemade artisan bread meant for a Biology experiment on food fermentation 🤣

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Cassandra’s Biology Experiment – Sourdough Starter (Part 3)

Since the remainder of Knox seemed to have died as he didn’t rise after Cass continued feeding him, I advised Cass to discard Knox and to make a new ‘baby’.

I went to the baking supplies shop to get her some cheap flour as she’s been using her grandma’s expensive imported bread flour from Japan! We didn’t know until Cass almost finished the packet of premium flour and asked me to get another packet 😅.

Cass named her second ‘baby’ Enoxella 2.0. Enoxella stands for Knox and Nutella as the consistency of the starter is similar to that of Nutella 😁.

Today is day 3 Enoxella is growing in his jar. He’s been rising pretty well with a little bubbles and he doesn’t stink as bad as Knox. The smell is bearable. It smells of fermented soy beans. At least Enoxella doesn’t smell like a rotting animal and 10-day old dirty socks, like how Knox was. There’s also a tad of Hooch inside. Perplexed, Cass asked me what the liquid was. She was worried that the liquid meant that Enoxella’s not going to make it. I was worried too as time is running out. Cass has to submit her experiment report by 15 October 2021. I told Cass to Google for an answer and we found out that hooch is present when the starter is ‘hungry’ and wants to be fed. Just like a baby, with tears 😂

Whether or not Enoxella survives is still for us to find out in the days to come. If this attempt fails, by 12 October Cass has to work on Plan B – which is to make a regular bread. Sherilyn and I have been encouraging Cass to experiment with something easier and faster like kimchi, yoghurt or kefir but this strong-willed child of mine has her mind set on sourdough starter and nothing could stop her.

The experiment is on fermentation of foods.

So, we’re keeping our fingers crossed that Enoxella 2.0 grows well so that Cass will have some successful sourdough bread photos and write-up to submit to her Biology teacher 🙏. Anyway, even if the sourdough starter failed, a report still has to be submitted and no marks will be deducted. But our tenacious teen wants her first Bio experiment to be a success! 😊

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Cass’ New High School

It’s been almost two weeks since Cass got transferred to another high school, which is her initial first choice of high school. The transfer was a breeze and since it’s a transfer from a public school to a private school, I needn’t have to go through the hassle of making several trips to the Education Department for a request for transfer.

As this high school is well-known for its strict discipline, Cass has no choice but to be punctual for all her online classes, which start at 7:20 a.m. and only ending at 2:30 p.m. Homework must be submitted on time as well. Failure to be punctual in entering any online class would mean that I’ll be receiving Whatsapp messages from her teacher, which has to be followed up with a letter from the parent explaining why she was late and another online form to be filled out. See how troublesome it is!

As Cass has missed almost 1.5 months of homework from the new high school, she has to do every single one from the day online school started in mid January. Thus she’s been very busy since she joined the new high school on 18 February.

Here’s Cass doing her homework with Haru next to her. She moved from her desk to the big round Ikea kiddo table so that she gets more space for her books with Haru sleeping next to her.

Haru is enjoying all the coddling from Cass, who loves to wrap her fur sister up and stroke her to sleep. Such a good life Haru has but Ginger, Haru’s sibling has an even better life. We are always in awe with Ginger’s toys, his beds and feeding equipment that cost a fortune. We’re so happy that Ginger has been adopted by a family who adores cats.

Tell tail sign – found you Haru! Haru loves playing hide-and-seek with us. We can’t find her most of the time and she loves pouncing on our leg from the back to startle us and to tell us that she won the game! 😆

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Switching High School

After a month of attending online classes at her new high school (SMK/public school), Cass finally told me that she wanted to switch school – back to the initial high school of her choice, which is a coveted independent Chinese high school (ICHS). She passed the entrance exam in December last year and was accepted into the school. We had paid the registration and January fee. However, she later changed her mind about going to this school and went to a feeder public school assigned to her.

I wasn’t keen to transfer Cass back to this ICHS mainly because, like I’d mentioned in my previous posts, I do not wish for Cass to struggle studying in Chinese for another 5-6 years in a ‘military’ style tough Chinese high school. Plus, this school is well known for emphasizing importance in academics. It’s not uncommon for students to transfer out from this school to a national school when they can no longer cope with the pressure from this ICHS. There’s a minimum average mark that students have to maintain in order to remain in this school. Another reason is the school fees. Hubby’s business and income have been affected since last year when the MCO was imposed in our country at the start of the Covid19 pandemic. With Cass studying in this private school, another huge cost will be added to our monthly expenses.

But I see it pointless for Cass to continue studying at her current high school when she has shown almost zilch interest during online classes. She doesn’t look happy or enthusiastic since the start of online classes in mid January this year. After spending 6 years in a Chinese primary school, the teaching method and language (in BM) seems to have given her a slight ‘culture shock’.

Knowing that chances of our appeal to be accepted back into this ICHS are slim, I still tried my luck and emailed the school. Several days later, a staff from the academics department of the ICHS called to inform me that our appeal has been approved. I had to confirm the switch in school by 3pm on the same day as a lot has to be done for Cass’ data which has been deleted from the school system to be keyed in again so that Cass can start online lessons the next day. The staff warned me that the school’s academic expectations are high and homework is heavy. She warned me that Cass will have a lot of catching up to do as she has missed out on a month’s worth of studies and homework. I explained Cass’ health issues and her impending surgery this year to the staff and she told me to consider carefully on the switch of school as Cass will have to put in a lot of hard work to catch up on studies/homework that she’ll be missing during the surgery and recuperation at home.

Cass wasn’t worried anymore about the heavy homework load and possibility of struggling for another 5-6 years studying Chinese. She just wanted to switch back to the high school of her initial choice. All Science and Math subjects are taught in dual language in English and Chinese.

I called the school back at 3pm on the same day to confirm Cass’ registration, made the necessary payment and Cass started her first online class the next day at 7:20 a.m. Online classes start from 7:20 a.m. and only end at 2:30 p.m. from Mondays through Saturdays. I’ve never seen Cass this enthusiastic in her online lessons since late last year. I hope that she finds her mojo and zeal in her studies again in her new high school. And she’s happiest as her best friend is also studying in this school, albeit in another class.

The next morning, Alycia had to be in school to arrange tables and chairs in preparation for her final leg exam in high school – SPM, which starts next Monday for a duration of one month! After Alycia was done with the arrangement of tables and chairs, she collected her school leaving cert and helped me to buy Cass’ books. And there goes another RM500+ on books and another RM600 for the school’s yearly miscellaneous fees!

Haru like a koala bear on Cass’ hoodie jacket while she attends online lessons 😁

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Cassandra’s Choice of High School – Updated

After months of feeling unsettled with her choice of high school, Cass has, after going through a tough time weighing the pros and cons, finally made up her mind. She’s decided to let go of the high school of her initial choice. After going through the hassle of submitting the tedious application online and emailing the school by herself, going to the school to sit for the entrance exam and finally getting the results, she has decided to take Plan B.

All the while, I knew that Cass didn’t really want to get into this high school. She knew very well that studying in Chinese for another 5 – 6 years is not what she really wanted. Alycia has been telling us that had her dad given her a choice 5 years ago, she would never choose this high school.

As most of her good friends applied to get into this coveted high school, Cass followed suit. When the freshmen list was out recently and Cass’ name was in, she was happy initially. But when the reality of her going to another tough Chinese school sunk in, she was not enthusiastic anymore. She didn’t even bother to go to the high school’s website to read the instructions on the online orientation. She asked me if she could change her mind. I told her to think about it very carefully as she wanted this high school so badly initially. Finally when the book list was out last week and I had to make payment by last Sunday, Cass had to make the final decision and she chose Plan B. It was a hard decision for Cass to make.

Even though we’d paid almost RM1k to the high school for registration fee and entrance exam fee, it’s OK that Cass makes an about turn now before we pay another few thousand Ringgit in January next year. It’s OK to forgo the RM1k than to spend even more and Cass is not happy in the high school.

So… Cass will be going to a public school, the same school that Sherilyn is going to. I’m glad that Cass made the decision to change high school before school starts in mid January next year. This is the second time Cass had to make a major decision for herself. When she was 10 years old, she told me that no matter the outcome and risks, she would take the risk of going through a CT scan (risk of radiation) and go through another major surgery(s) so that she could be totally healed from her urinary issues.

I hope Cass’ decision this time is the right one for her. But if it’s not, I’ve got her back and we can look at the alternative route, i.e. Plan C. That’s what parents are for ~ to catch you when you fall and to go through the ups and downs with you so that you’re happy, safe and walk on the right path.

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CMCO Day 191 ~ Thursday, 17 December 2020

This is Cassandra’s book list, downloaded from the website of her high school. I have until this Sunday to make online payment of RM581.20 to the school. I have been asking Cass if she really wants to go to this high school before I make payment for the books. Cass chose this high school mainly because her best friend and most of her classmates are going to this school and not because she likes to study in Chinese for another 5 to 6 years. No doubt this is a coveted high school but she knows herself too well. She has always struggled with Chinese language, thus, she is now still not 101% sure if she really wants to go to this high school next year 😟

I’ve asked Cass to sleep over it and to let me know her decision by this Saturday. I would rather she backs out from this high school now (even though I’ve paid almost RM1k for registration and entrance exam) than her regretting it later. It’s going to be costly and troublesome to transfer her to another school later.

Alycia has been telling Cass that had her dad given her a choice, this high school will never be her choice because it’s just not easy to study all the Science subjects and Math in dual language (Chinese and English) and sit for double exams (public exams as well as UEC). Chinese independent high school Math is well known to be mind boggling confusing and it’s been driving her nuts for the past 5 years. Alycia had wanted to get into Catholic High School but her dad is just too, well, pro-Chinese school 😟.

My choice is still international school or homeschool learning (in a learning center) and had we not been impacted financially by the darn pandemic, I would have sent Cass to an international school located right smack in our cozy neighborhood.

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Cass’ High School & Alycia’s Plan Next Year

So Cass is now officially a confirmed student at the high school of her choice. The school emailed Cass’ student ID to us two days ago. This number will be a bespoke number incorporated on the school badge which will be sewn on her uniform, which she will wear for the next 5-6 years. Cass is a very happy camper! But we’re both having a cocktail of emotions on her choice of high school. It’s not going to be easy in this high school and I hope that Cass will sail through the high school years just like her Alycia che che.

Speaking of Alycia, we’ve been toggling between Senior UEC at the high school (equivalent to Form 6) and Pre-U/Diploma/Foundation studies in a private college. With so much uncertainties ahead of us because of the shitty pandemic and not knowing if she can even attend physical classes in college, we have now settled for Form 6. Classes will still be a dual mode of online classes and physical classes, depending on the pandemic situation. When this dang pandemic is under control with a vaccine in place, we can always switch her from Form 6 to private college to pursue her Pre-U/Diploma/Foundation studies. Next year is going to be an exciting year for our girls!

Our in-house chef Sherilyn whipped up some super duper soft, pillowy and fluffy Souffle pancakes for breakfast yesterday. This girl has magic hands in the kitchen. Everything that she cooks and bakes often turn out magical! These are the best pancakes I’ve eaten.

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For those of you who’ve been waiting for my update on whether Cass passed the high school entrance exam that she sat for last Saturday, the answer is a….

No. She’s not going to the high school of MY choice…

but…

she’s going to the high school of HER CHOICE as she PASSED the entrance exam! 😐

And I guess this is also the high school of God’s choice as I’ve been praying fervently to ask Him to get Cass into a high school of His choice.

Is this a cause to celebrate yet? I’m not too sure.

Yesterday when Cass’ friend informed her via Whatsapp that her name is in the freshman list, we were both floored. Initially Cass was ecstatic. Then when the reality sank in that she’ll be going to this school with a tough dual examination system, she couldn’t decide if she should accept the offer as she’s not the studious nor disciplined type with the exception to novels. Thick books especially appeal to her! The thicker it is, the happier the girl is.

Actually I was quite confident that she would pass the entrance exam as she’s been in the top class throughout her 6 years in a Chinese primary school. But whether this school suits her or otherwise and whether she could persevere for 5 to 6 years in the school (depending on whether she’s taking UEC / Form 6 in Senior 3), this looks iffy. This high school was ranked as one of the Best Schools of Excellence by the Education Ministry in 2015.

Students at Chinese independent schools still sit for all national examinations such as PMR and SPM. The subjects are taught alongside the school’s own Chinese syllabus, and teachers dedicate lesson periods to teaching the government syllabus too.

Cass has until next Thursday to decide if she really wants to get into this high school that she’s worked quite hard to get into. She filled out the tedious online application forms and emailed the high school herself as I told her that if she really wanted to get into this school (which is not my choice), she’d have to submit the application herself. Registration fee must be paid by next Friday failing which the seat will be forfeited and given to a student in the long waiting list.

The only pull factor for Cass to want to get into this high school is her best friend and other good friends from her class who are also accepted into the school. She wants to be with her good friends since Primary 1 throughout her high school years.

This girl really needs to pull up her socks if she’s decided to get into this school. The school has a system that compels the student to repeat the entire year if the student’s average mark is below a certain grade. Usually those who are dealt with a letter to repeat the entire year will leave the school and apply for a transfer to a public school in order to progress to the next grade.

So our littlest rascal has her first important decision to make that will affect 5 years of her life in high school. I hope she makes the right decision and my only hope is that she will be very happy throughout her high school years.

No. of times viewed = 29

RMCO Day 116 ~ Saturday, 3 October 2020

Today is Cass’ entrance exam at the high school of her choice. This high school (which is Alycia’s high school) is not my choice but some how, I was the one feeling anxious for her while Miss Chillax was as usual unflappable and cool as a cucumber 🤦‍♀️. I was worried of how she will find her way in the huge school as parents are not allowed to enter the school compound due to the Covid19 SOP. We could only drop her outside the school and she was quickly whisked away by a female security guard. Thankfully there were many teachers on duty at the school compound guiding the freshmen into the respective classes.

I was worried of Cass’ health the most as she’s just recovered from a UTI attack. If she’s not careful and does not practise frequent peeing and hygiene, it’s very easy for her to get another UTI attack as the bacteria that’s hiding behind her bladder walls are just waiting for the right condition to attack and multiply. Honestly, I am not worried at all if Cass passes the exam or not. I’ve been praying everyday to God for Him to choose the high school of His choice for Cass. So we’ll wait and see. The results will be out in a week or two and parents will be notified via SMS.

After an hour of being stuck in the massive traffic jam caused by the mass admission of freshmen into the school compound, we finally reached home. I took Alycia and Sherilyn to Family Mart for a sofuto treat! Belgium dark chocolate sofuto is finally back at Family Mart. How I miss this flavor!

At 6pm, I drove back to the school to pick Cass up. I told Alycia to follow me so that she could get down to look for Cass inside the school. We waited for over half an hour. Cass had to camp half a day in school for the exam, comprising of 4 papers.

While Alycia and I were stuck in school, our very capable in-house chef Sherilyn dished out Tonkatsu ramen with ramen egg and homemade Japanese Chashu. The pork bone soup was boiled for over 5 hours, thus was really flavorful and creamy.

This time, after warning from me, she did not overcook the ramen eggs. Last week, she put the eggs into a pot to prep Onsen eggs but she was too absorbed in playing with her phone and forgot all about the eggs 😆

No. of times viewed = 51

High School For Cassandra

Our laid back littlest brat whom I thought I’d managed to talk her out of choosing a Chinese Independent High School (same private high school as Alycia) changed her mind when almost three quarter of her classmates applied to get into this school, including her bestie, J. I told the brat that I am not in favor of her choice of high school mainly because of her lackadaisical attitude towards her studies, in particular Chinese language. Moreover her Chinese language is not strong with both parents being yellow bananas. She converses in English with her besties most of the time though she’s in a primary Chinese school. But she has been very steadfast in her decision and not at all funked by the high academic stress, high discipline and intense workload.

In Chinese Independent High Schools, students start learning Physics, Chemistry, Biology and high level Additional Math in Form One (in English and Chinese language) and the difficulty level only gets tougher by the year while students in other schools only start learning all these subjects in Form 4 (for Science stream students). Also, they have to learn almost all the subjects in both Chinese and English and sit for two examinations in both languages.

To be fair to Cass, I told her that I will give her an opportunity to apply to the high school of her choice and I challenged her to submit the online application herself. The brat took my challenge and filled out the tedious online forms herself, including submission of all necessary documents including corresponding with the school via email herself. She didn’t want me to help her at all! Her application has been successfully submitted and acknowledged by the high school. The entrance test will be in October and results will be announced in the same month. I can’t wait to know if she makes it to the high school or otherwise. I’ve been praying fervently to God to ask Him to choose the right high school for Cass. Whether it’s the high school of her choice or my choice, I pray that Cass will be happy throughout her 5 – 6 years in high school and will be blessed with dedicated teachers and good friends who are good kids who will be her forever good friends.

Our Korean lunch on Sunday at Seoul Korea — the best authentic Korean restaurant around and our all-time favorite. We really don’t mind having our once a week treat at Seoul Korea every Sunday! ❤️

Our weekly supply of organic vegetables delivered to our condo by our regular organic vegetables seller:

From top left clockwise: ‘Yeh Heong Fah’ edible flowers aka Chinese Violet Telosma Cordata (the fragrant flowers only bloom at night, thus the moniker), choy sum, winged beans and a special cross breed vegetable between choy sun and kailan.

No. of times viewed = 91