Mar 2012 Angela's life size poster for the Open House of Singapore Sports School

2012 Mar 31 Samuel and the Sebastian kids at the Shark and Ray Centre

Samuel in Newcastle Australia Mar 2012

Samuel is painting a mural of a phoenix on the wall of Amanda and Lee Anne's room in Newcastle Australia. He is presently in Newcastle on a holiday and coming back with the Sebastian clan on the 6th of April.

Bboy performance on the last day of school for Yr 12 at SJII

John, Eddie and Zac performed for the school on the last day for the yr 12s. The Yr 12s will be staying home after that to cramp for their very important IB finals in November.

2oth Aug 2010 Mark's One Minute of Fame - YOG Tennis

There was an impromptu dance by the YOG tennis players which Mark happily joined in. He was spotted doing his hand stand and the rest is history...Yay Mark!

A Moment In History

We are very proud that Angela was one of the athletes picked for the inaugural Youth Olympic Torch Relay!

10th August 2010 YOG Torch Relay

A Historic Moment for Angela...


Group Shot of runners on Hougang Ave 4.

Angela getting off the bus to lamp post 41.

Taking over the torch from Sul Mohamad Sulaiman.

Angela waving to the cheering crowd.

At Temasek Poly in the evening for celebrations.

A must-have shot with the YOG flame.

Angela's supporters...

Bear Hunt - Australia June 2010

The Awesome Threesome of Room 1009 going on a Bear Hunt!

Shoot Out - Australia June 2010

Angela and her room-mates (Yang Gin and Claris) entertaining themselves in the hotel room in Australia when they had trouble sleeping...:)

Mark training with Uncle Jon 19 Jun 2010

Highlights of Angela's STA Tennis Finals 11 Sep 2009

Angela played a very patient game. She kept the ball going, focused on placing the ball and waited for the right time to strike. I can't wait for her to play Under 14 in November. Her opponent, Shivani, played well too - a worthy opponent indeed.
(Angela is the one with a white cap and green shirt)

The Great Magician Act

In this very exciting act, the Magician makes his lovely assistant mysteriously appear from an empty box...Its truly a mind boggling act! Enjoy!

Angela - An RGS Girl!

I am very proud to announce that Angela has been accepted by RGS through Tennis DSA. She has been working hard on court despite the looming PSLE. A well earned place! Meng Hwee and I and her brothers are SO proud of her! Hip Hip Hurray!

Mark and Angela at Tennis Training 17-08-09

Celebrating Our 21st Wedding Anniversary

A Winning Back hand against Uncle Jon 18 Jul 2009

ROLAND GARROS - PARIS 6th June 2009

A Dream Come True
by Angela Lim

Everybody has dreams - dreams of going places, doing things, of accomplishments. On the 4th of June 2009, one such dream came true for me – I set off on the journey of my life to Roland Garros in Paris to play in a Charity event with two great tennis legends, Andre Agassi and Steffi Graf. The night my family and I boarded the Singapore Airlines A380 plane, I felt a great sense of anticipation and excitement.

We arrived the next morning and were brought to our hotel, together with the 15 children who were selected from their respective countries to play in the event. The first day in the city of Paris was a free and easy day for the participants and their families. My family and I spent a wonderful day visiting all the must-see tourist attractions. We went to the famous Notre Dame Church, climbed the Arc de Triomphe, saw Mona Lisa at the Louvre, cruised along the beautiful River Seine and went right up to the very top of the Eiffel Tower! The view from the top was spectacular!

Finally the great day of the Charity Event came and I was extremely excited and nervous. What worried me was that it was raining and I was afraid that the event might be cancelled. As soon as I stepped onto the red clay court and saw the two tennis giants, all my worries left me. “Nothing is going to stop me from playing well today,” I thought.

When my turn came, I stepped forward eagerly. We were going to play doubles and I was to partner Andre Agassi. I felt extremely honoured to be standing beside, let alone, partnering a professional tennis player in a tennis match, watched by a few hundred spectators!!

On the final and deciding point, I hit a drop-shot winner against Steffi Graf and her partner from Taiwan. I felt deliriously happy and proud! Agassi and I exchanged a high-five with smiles spreading across our faces, as I had just won USD 10,000 for the Andre Agassi Foundation.

The trip to Paris was indeed an amazing opportunity for me and that it did not just come accidentally. I believe that people create opportunities for themselves by working hard; and when opportunities do come knocking on our doors, we should grab it with both hands and not let it go. Believe that you can achieve and you will achieve. With lots of determination and hard work, you can achieve anything you want, just keep working at it. Dreams do come true!

Angela training at Astoria 12 Jul 2009

Angela's tennis training with Uncle Jon

Pictures taken at Roland Garros

Angela's Dream Match - Roland Garros 2009

The video that got us to Paris...

Stuff I Don't Know by Mark Lim

Sometimes I sit and wonder
Were there mummies in Egypt?
Were there Polar Bears at the North Pole?
Was the Earth so very smelly?

The way to find the answers
Is to search the Internet
But I still wonder,
Were there Dinosaurs we could catch?

I wonder what it was like a long time ago
I wonder, I wonder, I really want to know
Were there meteorites heading to Earth?
I wonder what it was like a long time ago.

Nike Freeze Sketch by Samuel

Do upload the entire clip first before hitting the play button.
Enjoy!

Arthur's Confirmation 3rd May 09

Both Godpa and I are so very proud of you!

Angela is 12 today!!!

We celebrated Shan Min's birthday with the Sebastians and Matt's brother Toby and his family on Saturday 25th April. Sadly, it will be one of the last few of such gatherings before the Sebastians head to Down Under for good.

Tennis Update - by a very proud Mommy

This is a quick update on our tennis prodigies - Angela and Mark.

Angela has made it to the STA sub-elite team. She now trains 11 hours a week (9 hours at the Sub-elite and 2 hours with her personal coach Uncle Jon). She is really enjoying the game now and is finding the Sub- Elite training challenging and fun.

Mark (the one in dark blue t shirt and white shorts in the pic on the left) has just been promoted once again to the next level - Intermediate Advance. The funny thing is that most of his tennis mates are 'giants' compared to him. They average about 1.5 times his height! He played a match with a boy today (the one just to his left in the pic) and Mark beat him 4-0!!!! Way to go, buddy!!!

A Trip To Sungei Buloh ... by Mark

Thursday:11 March 2009 6.00 am
Today I woke with a start. I jumped out of bed, ran downstairs and changed into my school uniform while my mother whipped up a scrumptious breakfast - the most important meal of the day. I was very excited that morning as I was going on a school excursion to Sungei Buloh!

7.00am
I headed to the canteen as I always do every weekday. Then, as fast as my feet could carry me, I pushed past the boys in the crowded canteen to get to the Parade Square for assembly. Unfortunately, I had forgotten to bring a story book to read during Silent Reading Time in the Parade Square. I prayed very hard that the prefects would not catch me not reading a book. Just as a prefect was approaching me, he turned to another boy who was talking loudly to his friend. I gave a sigh of relief.

8.00am
When it was time to go to Sungei Buloh, I saw a massive bus parked at the foyer. It was the BIGGEST bus I had ever seen! I ran up the bus excitedly. I sat ALL the way to the back of the bus where my best friend Brandon was sitting. The bus was very noisy as there were many boisterous boys pushing and shoving each other, all talking at the top of their voices. The teacher-in-charge shouted out loud ,”Stop all that racket!”. The boys ignored her completely and continued chattering away.

9.00am
“Finally we are here!” I told Brandon excitedly. Both of us jumped off the bus joyfully. We were filled with excitement as there were towering trees all around us. We were transported into another magical world of nature!

10.00am
We saw robust Rain trees that looked like GIANT umbrellas. They were filled with loud chirping birds that almost deafened our ears!!!! While we were so engrossed in the wild life, we didn't notice that there were pesky little mosquitoes having a BIG feast on us. We ran around in circles as we tried to evade the mosquito attack. As quick as lightning, we whipped out our insect repellent and sprayed ourselves with it.

11.00am
Suddenly, out of nowhere a scaly Komodo Dragon appeared from behind a shrub. It crawled clumsily towards the nearby river and slithered into the muddy water head first. I was careful not to go too near it as it has a poisonous bite. All my classmates quickly took out their cameras and started snapping away. It was indeed a majestic creature!

12.00pm
When it was time to leave, our class was so noisy that some visitors shot us an angry look. I was so embarrassed. I tried to tell my classmates to keep quiet but as usual, no one listened to me. I was so relieved when the school bus finally arrived to pick us up. I was exhausted and my feet were aching.

When we got back to school, I was impatient for my father to pick me up. What a tiring but interesting day!

Bboy performance by John and friends at the recent SJI International School Cultural Night Concert

Shan Wei (John) is the one with the black beanie and black pants with white stripes.

All About Books

Hello! My name is Mark. I am from 2E and my index number is 14. I am a bookworm. My family and cousins say I am a bookworm. I read and read all day long. My hobby is reading. I am reading "The Little Old Toymaker." The next book I will be reading is "The Magic Brush." I read more than my family members do. Reading is fun.

My Tennis Dream - by Angela

My SPEX tennis tournament is coming up! I am really looking forward to it. I hope I will make it at least to the quarter finals. I've only gone into the third round but lost in that match 9-8 (5-7). I want to be able to play like Tsonga. He really plays tremendous tennis. I even think that he will be able to beat Roger Federer (the men's world number #1) one day. I really hope that one day I will be good enough to play tennis on television...that would be a dream come true!!

Our New Fish Tank

My mother bought a new fish tank. It has a lot of fish inside the tank. It has Neon fish, Harlequin fish, Yamoto shrimps and Leopard scavengers. It is interesting to watch the fishes swim. Sometimes I bring my food in front of the fish tank so that I can watch the fishes swim while I eat. It is fun to watch them chase each other.

My Shan Yao

Shan Yao is my pillar of strength, my reliable helper and my comfort. Although he often gets the 'middle child' treatment from everyone (even me), he never complains. He is often taken for granted and his achievements are often overshadowed by the problems the rest of his siblings sometimes cause.

For the last 4 months, we have been managing without a domestic help. It is during this time that I truly appreciate Shan Yao. He helps around the house without much complaint. I know he feels frustrated at times when his siblings let him down by not doing enough to help out but he does all the chores anyway because I know he does not want me to be tired. His unconditional love for me acts as a reminder for me to do the same for the rest of the family. He humbles me.

I know now that whenever I feel down and out, I just need to think of Shan Yao and how very blessed I am that God has given him to me.

I want everyone to know how fortunate we are that we have Shan Yao in our lives.....

Absent From School - by Mark

Yeah!!!! I did not need to go to school today. I had a very bad cough and threw up last night. The vomit tasted bad. Mommy gave me Ventolin, Benadryl and a glass of chocolate milk. I felt better after that.

It is fun to be absent from school because I can play in the garden, watch tv and play Duel Masters with my brother Samuel. It is fun to play and watch tv all day. It is fun to be sick.

Hooray! The exams are over!! - by Angela

I'm so glad that the exams are over!! Actually, what Mummy had said before was true! I did much better for this SA2 than the SA1 in the middle of the year! I am extremely glad I listened to Mummy! By the way, because I studied, I was second in class for English and third in class for Science! When I heard the second person in class for Science had only half a mark more than me, I wished I had not made any careless mistakes. =( Well, I bet I can do better next year in Primary 5 and I hope to be in the same class as Chloe, Sheryl and Grace!! There are many more girls whom I want to be in the same class with but it's just too much trouble to type all of their names!! Well, I hope all of you have done well for your exams too!! See ya! =0)

I Love Tennis Too !

I am Mark. I love tennis; tennis is fun. My coach is Coach Chris. He taught me half serve, fore-hand and back-hand. My lesson is half-an hour long. I love tennis! I would love to hear your comments too.

I love tennis!!-by Angela

If you have read my title, you should know what my favourite sport is. I love tennis!! I play tennis four times a week. Twice on Tuesdays, once on Saturdays and once on Sundays. I usually play with either my uncle Jon, my cousin Amanda, my brother John or my friend Christy. I play tennis with Christy every Sunday morning at Kallang Tennis Centre. Mummy has arranged for me to play tennis with Christy at her condominium during the hols and I'm really looking foward to that. I LOVE TENNIS!!

Our After-Exams Celebration Meal Plan

Very funny reaction from the kids:

Last night, I announced that instead of our usual rendezvous at CSC for our Friday dinner, we would all have (provided that both SW's and SY's noses are not stuffy) instant noodles for dinner. The jubilation and shouts of joy from the children were tremendous. They would gladly forgo expensive meals at Tony Romas or Marche for a bowl of instant noodles. How fortunate I am for having such undemanding children!

Is Mark popular in school?

The reason why I ask that question is because Mark often comes home with little 'gifts' from his friends in school. They come in the form of erasers, rulers, toys, snacks and today, a very snazzy looking sharpener. When I asked him why his friend gave him the sharpener, he said he did not know why..."He just gave it to me" was his reply.

Here are my theories:
1. He IS very popular in school because he is a good boy.
2. He has been giving his friends 'gifts' as well - I had better check my valuables to see if they are still around.
3. He is a school bully who arm-twists his friends to surrender their possessions.

I find the last theory very funny because he is a rather small built boy whom you would just love to pinch his cheeks and say "So CUUUTE!" But with Mark, nothing surprises me. I am just holding my breath for the phone to ring with a complaint about him.

*********Ah Meng's Aphorisms********

1. The test of the pudding is in the eating
2. Between friends and enemies, it is better to have more friends

Choices

I have just learnt from Li Koon that last night my nephew WL had attended the wake of his best friend from school. WL was devasted at the loss of his dear friend - a loss that was so needless.

Why have I entitled this entry as 'Choices'? Everyday, we make decisions, choices that seemingly do not have any serious repercussions. But in the case of WL's friend, the choices made by the parties involved ended in a fatality. The accident from what I understand happened when WL's friend, while crossing the road, dropped an item. He was standing on the road divider when he bent down to pick up the item. He was hit by a car turning out from the ECP at Marine Terrace exit.

Choice 1: If WL's friend had chosen to look before retrieving his item, he would have noticed the oncoming car.

Choice 2: If the driver of the car had chosen to slow down, knowing that she was driving in a school zone, she would have had the time to react and avoid hitting WL's friend.

I am sure the driver did not intend for the accident to happen - exactly that - accidents are unintentional. I am sure she must be going through the event over and over again in her head; wishing that things had been different, that maybe she could have left her house a little later.....

I have learnt a very important lesson from this sad incident. Being a driver myself, I realise that I too could kill someone with my car; someone's son, daughter, mother or father. Although we cannot control the events in our lives, we can choose actions that can lessen the chance of causing hurt to someone. I have decided from this day forth, to drive with greater care and awareness, to drive slower so that I always have time to react to unexpected situations. I hope that when you have read this entry, you will also make the same decision; the same choice as I have made.

My Very First Poem written in 2004 - by Samuel

What is Blue?

Blue is the sky
and blue is the sea.
Blue is the water,
that runs through streams.

Blue can be hot
and blue can be cold.
Blue can be an alien
from the planet Pluto.

So what is blue?
What can it be?
What is blue,
for you and me?

My Holiday Blues - by Shan Min

I am not enjoying my holidays at the moment because my Mum keeps saying,"More work less play!". I was looking forward to the holidays at first as I thought mummy would let us have fun and play more this holiday but that only happened on Monday. I think you've already read what happened that day on the first blog typed by mummy. Well, I had loads of fun riding the "Skyride" and the "Luge" . Do you know how many times I went on both rides? If you say "four" times, you're right!! I really enjoyed that day but......I'm stuck at home now, doing WORK,WORK and MORE WORK. I hardly have any 'fun' breaks; but I know mummy is right. I would certainly enjoy my December holidays more if I do well for my SA2. I will work hard for a good December holiday - hopefully to Korea!!

Everybody SMILE!

The Happy Foursome ...

They had quite a wild time ... with 3 scooters and a skateboard. Guess whose wise idea it was to bring along the tub of water? And guess who promised to carry it but ended up not doing so anyway? The One-and-Only ..... ..... ..... (clue-> standing apart from the others).

Sentosa Outing

We had a terrific day today at Sentosa. It is a school holiday for the kids today and Meng Hwee is also off in lieu of Saturday being a public holiday. We asked the kids what they wanted to do - SW wanted to go to Laser Challenge at Bukit-something but Mark wanted to go ice skating. Hmmm, MH and I had to think of something fast to please everyone. Aha! Sentosa's Luge!

Everyone seemed keen and within an hour (after walking the dog, bringing out the cushions, having breakfast, putting on sunblock, etc), we were off. The sky grew darker as we approached Sentosa and we all 'put power prayed' for the sky to clear. When we got there, lo and behold, the weather was hot and sunny! "Yeah!" chorused the kids and they dashed for the helmets. Before I could lecture them on safety precautions, they were off.

I did the 'mommy' thing, stayed on the ground and dutifully took pictures of MH and the kids having fun. After about 4 rounds of going up the sky ride and racing down the slope, we headed for the Koufu Food Centre for lunch. Weather was getting unbearably hot and it was such a relief to eat in air conditioned comfort. Food was great and very affordable. MH said it was great BECAUSE it was very affordable.

After lunch, the kids insisted on going for the Miniature Golf but we were spared that 'torture' when the dark clouds came. The sudden thunderstorm put out all possible protests from the kids.

Short and enjoyable - that is certainly my idea of a great outing!

My Humble Resort Home

I love my home.
It's not at exclusive Bukit Timah, nor at fanciful Orchard Road.
Tucked away conveniently near Chai Chee,
I just love my humble abode.