Soul Food for Throught

Prayer is not a "spare wheel" that you pull out when in trouble, but it is a "steering wheel" that directs the right path throught life.

Do you know why a car's windshield is so large and the rearview mirror is so small? Because our past is not as important as your future. Look ahead and move on.

Friendship is like a book. It takes few seconds to burn, but it takes years to write.

All things in life are temporary. If going well, enjoy it, they will not last forever. If going wrong, don't worry, they can't last forever either.

Often when we lose hope and think this is the end, God smiles from above and says, "Relax, it's just a bend, not the end!"

When God solves your problems, you have faith in His abilities; when God doesn't solve your problems, He has faith in your abilities.

When you pray for others, God listens to you and blesses them, and sometimes, when you are safe and happy, remember that someone has prayed for you.

Worrying does not take away tomorrow's troubles; it takes away today's peace.

Article: Dad's time with the kids may prevent bullying

Copyright © 2011, Chicago Tribune

Study from Vanderbilt University shows that kids who think their dads don't spend enough time with them exhibit bullying behavior.

Do your children think you work too much and don't spend enough time with them? If so, their perception could lead to bullying behavior, according to research by Vanderbilt University sociologist Andre Christie-Mizell.

"Our behavior is driven by our perception of our world, so if children feel they are not getting enough time and attention from parents, then those feelings have to go somewhere and it appears in interaction with their peers," said Christie-Mizell, an associate professor of sociology and licensed psychologist specializing in family therapy and the treatment of children with mood and behavior disorders.

His study, published in the journal Youth & Society, examined two questions: "What is the relationship between the number of hours parents work and adolescent bullying behavior?" and "What is the relationship between bullying behavior and youth's perceptions of the amount of time their parents spend with them?"

What he found is that it was children's perception of how much time they spent with their fathers that had the most impact on bullying behavior, such as being cruel to others, being disobedient at school, hanging around kids who get in trouble, having a very strong temper and not being sorry for misbehaving.

Read the rest here.

Hua Mu Lan - Chinese Heroine

Last night, I watched the animated movie 'Mu Lan' on YouTube with DD1. When I was young, I learned about how Mu Lan fought in a war in China on behalf of her elderly father, and how her bravery and piety made her a good role model for many people. I thought now is a good time to start telling DD1 about good role models that she can learn from, so I let her watch the Disney version of this story.

As we were watching the movie, I explained to her the virtue of being obedient to parents and being responsible for one's action. All praise be to Allah SWT she enjoyed the movie very much. I hope that she learns about good virtues by watching movies that feature good role models, Allah SWT willing.

Here is Mulan II in Cantonese!

Blog: The Wejr Board

All praise be to Allah SWT, I just found a well-written blog by a Canadian School Principal, Chris Wejr. Here are two entries that I found really interesting.


Power of a student-designed curriculum

Making meetings meaningful

Chinese Lion Dance

Yesterday morning, husband and I brought DD1 and DD2 to an oriental supermarket in Arlington to get grocery.

Before we entered the store, we saw a group of teenagers dressed in Chinese Lion Dance costume getting ready for a Lion Dance. I heard them conversing with one another in Vietnamese so I think they are Vietnamese-Chinese descendents. Husband brought DD2 into the store to get fruits and vegetables while I stayed with DD1 to watch the performance. DD1 was very excited to watch the exciting Lion Dance. When the beatings of drums and clashing of cymbols were too loud for her, she was not afraid of the noise at all. After the show, she asked me if we could make a Lion dance costume. I told her that I would try my best to make it for her.

During the performance, I remembered when I was young I had watched this type of performance with my family in Chinatown, Singapore. I miss those days when I spent time with my family and was quite emotional about it for a short time.

This summer, my dear sister and her family plan to visit family and friends in Singapore. Unfortuately I will not be able to make the trip with them. Allah SWT willing I hope that they will have a safe and enjoyable trip.

美食寻根2 Chey Sua Carrot Cake

新加坡七十年代歌曲: 伞儿不简单

Snow Days

Hip hip hooray! No school for four days!

School was closed since Tuesday due to icy roads and wet snow that fell on Monday night and last night. The average temperature for the last few days was between 11 and 19 degrees F. Husband had to go to work so I was a bit nervous about the road condition for him. All praise be to Allah SWT he drove at about 20-30 miles per hour speed and managed quite alright on icy patches on the road.

All praise be to Allah SWT we have sufficient food in the fridge and pantry for the last few days. Husband checked the water and food supply for the hens, quails and the rabbit twice daily. We also turned on the heat lamp for the white hens and quails to help them cope with the extreme low temperature.

I am thankful to Allah SWT that I get to stay home with DD1 and DD2 on these days. DD1 helped me to take care of DD2 (i.e. played with her) while I took care of lunch. She is bonding quite well with DD2 and always loves to hug and kiss her sister. I hope that Allah SWT willing they will grow up to be close-knitted siblings.

Weather forecast on the weekend seems to be quite promising with plenty of sunshine and no snow. Allah SWT willing we can get out of the house and get some grocery shopping done for next week.

悲しみにさよなら - 安全地帯 (Anchenchitai)