System Progress Update

Been a while now since I posted anything on my system progress. The past few weeks its just been a day to day routine thing, where I have been feeding the fish and at weekends emptying out the fish waste. We use the fish waste on the garden and the plants seem to like it.

Its not so exciting at the moment. That makes it difficult to write a lot but .... Today we had a good clean up and checked the water quality, pH of 8.0, bit on the low side but OK. Im still looking for DO and Nitrate test kits. So if any of you out here can point me in the right direction please do!

The plants are doing well. Tomatoes are turning red and the chillies are surprisingly hot! Also thinned out a few of the basil and will be planting some more in next few days.

Wanna is beginning to take an interest which can only mean one thing. They are nearly ready for the Bar B Q!!!!

On a separate note Ive been looking into a commercial system and will be getting round to my business plan shortly. Need to decide just how big to be and as long as it is sustainable I can employ someone to look after it up on our farm. Will keep you updated on developments.

Old Photos Equal Memories

Date:  Oct 23, 2015

I bought a new gadget.  Jumbl High Resolution Digital Scanner.

It scanned old photo film (Kodak or Fujifilm) into digital photos.

I bought it from Amazon.  US$99 + shipping.  I am a Amazon Prime member, so local shipping in US is free.  Borderlinx shipping from US to Singapore is about US$24.

 

unboxing it.  It has the power adapter, the USB cable, the film (big or small) or slides container, and the Jumbl scanner itself.  Very simple packaging.

And a TV output cable.

The film scanner feels very light in your hand.

Very simple control.  Basically OK button to say OK, left right button to navigate or flip or mirror flip the photo.  And the scan button.

You can plug in the SD card.  (IT DOES NOT COME WITH SD CARD), whatever you scanned will be scanned into the SD card.

You can output the photo onto a TV screen.  Or you can plug the USB into the computer and use whatever software to view the photos.

Let’s get ready my old photo films.

Open the compartment of the film container.  Fit the film onto it.

You will notice that the rails on both side of the film will click and fit nicely onto the container.

Close it, and you are good to go.

Just slot in this film container to the scanner like this.

Turn on the scanner.

Move and position the photo container correctly.  And simply press SCANNED button.  Oh ya, make sure every time when you turn on the scanner, set the photo resolution to 22MP.

You can see from he LCD screen your photo you just scanned in.

What this device is actually a camera inside and you place the film on to a lightbulb.

Once it is done.  All the photos are saved onto the SD cards.  So, unplug and SD card and plug into your computer to read the SD card.

Every photo is 4032 x 3024 in pixel sizes.

But most of the photos are quite yellowish.

That is why you need the Photo app on Mac (For PC, use the one you familiar with).  Photo app can do a lot of amazing thing.

Change the white balance, change light exposure, contrast, or simply press the AUTO button in each modification… 

So, you remove the yellowish color, and it becomes like this.  Or you can change it to much vibrant color.  I like it this way the natural grey.

Compare to the photo I scanned from the actual photo itself.  It is much smaller.

The resolution quite sucks. (this photo is the actual size I took from my iPhone without enlarge it).

This is the big scanned photo I just scanned and change the color.

After the editing, this become a new album in my digital photo collection.  And look at the color is much better to my taste.

Also all photos are scanned into Jan 1, 2011.  I don’t know why and there is no way to change date.  So, select all the the scanned photos, and go to Menu to select Image -> Adjust Date and Time… and you can mass change all the dates.

Scanning old photos is a quite fun work.  I can now sent this photo to my brother’s friend.  hahahaha  His 17 years ago photos.

It is portable.  I will bring this home to my mom place one day and get all his film and scanned it for her.

P3 Chinese Compo Few More Tips

Date:  Oct 8, 2015

A big Happy Birthday to Jay Jay!  Today is the actual day for his birthday.

As usual, we did a Chinese Composition practice during the drive between Millenia Walk and Home.

My aim was to build it Jay Jay’s thought process when writing a Chinese Composition.

Tip #1.  Sometimes, the ???? (helping words) can be useful, but most of the time, it can bring some damage.  So, I told Jay, if you see some words that you are not familiar, you can choose not to use them.  You don’t have to use all the words given.  Those words are given to help you write, but most of the time, the examiner already have a story in mind which is not shown in the pictures and they thought you can write the story they want to see.  Unfortunately, P3 is the first year they really learn how to write.  So, one must know how to crawl first before walking.  Don’t stress your kid too much.  Give them guidelines, such as P3 only need to write 30 words, As long as you describe 2-3 picture correctly with some excellent words, it is fine.  Don’t imagine and describe too much.  ????.  And try to get rid of the “Direct translation from English” habit.

Tip #2.  Write as simple as possible for a start.  P3 only requires 80 words.  So, if you write 120-150 it is enough.

Tip #3.  Of course, Jay Jay uses dictation to write his composition.  You have to trained your kid to first clean up the thoughts before he or she can write out.  So, this easy method has help him come up with the skeleton of the story fast.  In fact, I timed him, give him only 10 minutes to look at the picture, look at the helping words, put the helping words beside the picture, imagine what you going to write, cross out those helping words that you not going to use, and count in mind do you have 15-20 words for every picture.  That’s it.  Once that is done, he will repeat the sentence for the picture in his mind, and uses the other 10-15 minutes to write or dictate the composition.

He wrote this down within the 30 minutes back and forth ride.  And I am truly so proud of him.  It is getting there.  So, there are one more week for the Composition paper 1.  These few days we going to go thru all the words that he had been given ?? (Spelling) so that he knows how to write those words fast.  And of course, train him 1-2 times not using dictation, instead write it down.  So, if he can construct the story in his mind within 20-25 minutes, he should be able to write it down within the next 20-25 minutes.

Tip #4.  Build the confident up.  Not to destroy it.  I don’t care at the moment, what is his teacher’s expectation.  To me, for P3, they need to produce error-fee writing for minimum 80 words which best describe the story.  So, I don’t actually allow him to read the modal answer.

Yeah.. this book come with modal answer.

Building the base is very important.  So, why show the kid a perfect composition, while you already think he did a good job in writing his own version.

Because, you do not know what your kid will think when he reads the modal answer.  So, I usually cover it up and I have never ask him to take a look at the modal answer.  

This is to send a message to him that Daddy expectation is for him to write well for 80 words, not more than that.

And the book is always on his desk.  He can read the modal answer himself.  

So, the tip is never ask the kid to read the modal answer.  The kid is learning how to write, and they have to learn it with his own pace.  Forcing him to learn from modal answer is not a good move.

Tip #5.  Listen more.  Read more.  To help Jay Jay to read more.  I recorded down my reading on all the story in his text book.  Jay Jay has been listen to these readings every day bit by bit.  Once he listen many times, I will ask him to read to me aloud.  You only need to ask him to read it once a day.  Not twice or thrice.  only once a day.  On a few chapter, and then, ask him to read aloud.  By doing so, the kid become more confident in reading, and understanding of Chinese will be better.  The online material from the school has the reading too.  But it is read by a Chinese (from China).  So, sometimes they do read too fast.  So, I decided to record my own voice, as it is very familiar to him, so that he can learn Chinese in a familiar way.  You can search my blog on this, try search “Learning Chinese” in MiniLiew.  Of course the ?? (Flash Card) is very important too.

If you don’t mind listen to my not so sexy voice, here are all the recordings for P3.

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B_2LIa_dWu8sNUpRY0Yzak1sbVE

Good luck in teaching your kid Chinese.  This is probably the last blog entry from me on this Chinese Composition for P3.  Have fun!

Adding a few prawns

Watching fish grow?.....However does it really sound so interesting?... If you were to tell me yes I dont think Ill believe you!  But for me yes...
It is a patient business and I can assure you that they, the fish grow slowly. In fact they grow very very slowly.
Last night to add to the interest we purchased some jumping prawns and added them in. The prawns were small. Only ones available in the market. I felt sorry for them really as I expect the cat fish to eat them all. Will be checking this evening to see if there are any left. If not, I will need to make an additional tank and have a seperate section of the system just for prawns.  Exciting?... I can watch them grow as well.
Well, if the cat fish have eaten the prawns then they will have had an extra special dinner. Well worth watching... err....
What is worth watching is the video of these type of prawns. Make for tasty eating for us let alone the cat fish.... This much I do know.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HXQ2XO1wvJY

Kay Kays Pre School Graduation Concert

Date:  Nov 6, 2015

LWPS Year End Concert 2015.

[Note:  For complete photos and videos of entire event (a lot of photos not posted here in this blog), you can scroll down to the bottom of the blog to see where you can download these photos]

This is the last year Kay Kay going to LWPS (Lorna Whiston Pre-School).  Next year, he will join his brother Jay Jay in Pei Tong Primary School.

Both me and my wife came from Malaysia.  Our parents are not staying with us.  Therefore, we make a choice to sent both Jay Jay and Kay Kay to Lorna Whiston Pre-School as young as 18 months old.  Practically, half of the time, the two boys were brought up by Lorna Whiston Pre-School.

Seeing both of them grew up is a fun journey for us.  

Today, finally, Mr. Kay Kay has gone thru his last yearly concert.   Yeap!  His Pre-School Graduation Concert.

The teachers in Lorna Whiston has taught him well.  Kay Kay is very very happy when he received his report card where he scored all “3” except but one “2” in a Chinese Pinyin category.  So, he asked Wei Lao-Shi why?  Wei Lao-Shi explained the school only teach to the mid-level, they have not teach that subject yet, that is why have to give a “2”.  hahahaha And he satisfy.

He has become a kid that is 180 percent way different from Jay Jay.  He has his own character, and he has his own thinking.

But overall, we are glad of what he has become today.  Thank you all teachers in Lorna Whiston Pre-School for bringing up our Kay Kay. 

Let’s look back how Kay Kay gone thru his pre-school years concerts.

Mar 1, 2011 is the first day he wore this Lorna Whiston Uniform.

I am going to Lorna Whiston Pre-School, just like Ko Ko (Jay Jay).

This is where I learn.

Where I play.

Where I drink milk.

Where I play water.

Where I become a pirate.

These are my friends.

First birthday celebration at school.

Kay is a fish in 2011 LWPS Concert.  He was in PG (Play Group) class.

Kay is a grasshopper in 2012 LWPS Concert.  Here is a nice photo with his buddy - Colette.  He was in N1.

Kay is a Polar Bear in 2013 LWPS Concert.  He was in N2.

Kay is a Clown in 2014 LWPS Concert.  He was K1 back then.

Let’s walk thru the LWPS Year End Concert 2015.

Kay Kay received his certificates from Ms. Lorna Whiston.  The person who setup this pre-school.

We help him write a very short speech.  Not so short.  But short and sweet.

This is the transcript of his lovely speech.

This is what Ms. Lorna Whiston wish to see in every kid.  Be able to stand in front of the audience and speak confidently.  Although can see a bit of fear, but I think he is just OK.

Let’s see what the kids present this year.  Around the World.

Every parents is anxious to see what their kid is performing.

This is a performance that surprise the parents.  We didn’t know there are this performance, because they did not bring back the Africa Costumes.  And they keep on saying “it’s a secret”.  And now we see the secret African dance.

The secret African Dance.  Every one wear the African natives costumes.

This year, there are a lot of songs and dance, and it is very well done!  We love this.  We also love the soccer game with pom pom girls, we love the San Zhi Jing, we love the Kangaroo, etc etc.  Very well done year-end concert.  And every one has put in a lot of efforts and all their efforts turn into good comments.

Here comes the nerd.

And they are going to perform the SG50 song.

It is a very touchy song.

And a top grade performance from the kids.

The part where Kay Kay speaks.  And the first song.  SG50’s Home.

Mo Li Hua.  (Jasmine Flower?)

HaHaHa...

Looks very happy.

I like this dance.  Mo Li Hua.  Very nice.

Although the song is a bit girly.  But the boys are having lots of fun with the flower too.

Don’t believe the boys having fun?  Take a look at the video.  HaHaHaHa...

The kids had been practicing this song - Xi Shui Chang Liu for months when ever I need to pick them both.

Kay Kay is so good in “shaking” his head.  I think he next time will be expert in shaking head. hahaha

Memorable song.  I love it too.

The kids really enjoy singing.

????

It has come to the end.

Thank you kids for the great performance!  All the best to all the kids in their future school. 

It’s photo taking time!

Kay & Colette.  His best friend.  His every Friday playdate.  (Almost every Friday).

Kay & Yusuke.  The only one who can talk to him about Ultraman X, Ultraman Ginga.

Kay and us.  Sorry Jay Jay could not be here as he has to go to school.  No “ponteng school” allow.  hahaha It is a strict rule at home.

Kay, Gwen and Colette.  The occasional playdate group on Friday.  Gwen is the one who can play badminton very well at her age.  ???.

Sofie & Kay.  Another best bud.

Kay, Sofie & Kayla.

Kay, Gwen and Colette.

Kay and Colette ???? is like movie stars.  So many camera locking on them.  hhahaa

Kay & Russell.  Best bud.  phew phew phew (laser gun sound).

Kay and Ms. Serene.  She has taught him for 2 years.  Thanks Ms. Serene for teaching Kay.  Hmm.. where is Wei Laoshi?

Li Li LaoShi has seen Kay Kay grown up from day 1 at LWPS.  She is the one who bring Kay to Principle office because of Kay mischievous behaviour while Kay was in N1 or N2.  Li Li LaoShi asked for Kay’s forgiveness and Kay accepted. hahahahahahahahahahahaha.  ?????.  See so many fun thing.  Li Li LaoShi and Kay becomes best bud since then.  hahahaha

Kay & NaNa.  Kay told mommy:  “Please pick me up only after 6:30pm.  Because NaNa’s daddy always pick him up around that time.  And all the kids has gone home.  So, I need to accompany NaNa at that time.”  NaNa becomes Kay Kay’s 6pm-6:30pm play buddie.

Wu Laoshi is from Malaysia.  Went to China to train to be teacher.  He is the only male teacher in LWPS.  No wonder all the kids like him.  He is like a rare species.  hahahaha.

Sarah & Kay.  The girl asked me, why she cannot play the Lightsaber.  She said the boys don’t allow her to play.  So, I brought her to all the boys and said, Sarah is the only Jedi I see, and she gets to hold the lightsaber.  (During Kay’s pool side Party). 

Yi Xuan, Kai Den, Venlentius, Kay.

Ms. Melissa, the PG class teacher and N1.

That ends the concert.  Great performance from the kids.  Thanks kids for letting your parents had so much fun.

So we have to buy kids big meal after the concert.  (Thanks uncle Rusdi!)

Cool down in the pool.  They were too excited during the concert.

Even uncle Ken gets to relax in the pool.

And they know uncle Ken will import all the photos and videos so that they can get to see it first hand on the iMac.  

And they just pop by to see videos.

They love it.  Jay Jay and Ashlyn never skip school, so they can only see the whole concert from all the videos.

The Links to all the Videos and Photos of the entire Concert.

OK.  Thank you for my wife, Ai Loon’s brother, and Lee Hooi for contributing the photos.  All the videos and photos are available here.

You can just click the link to enter.

http://132.147.92.184:80/photo/?t=Albums/album_4c575053203230313520436f6e63657274#Albums/album_4c575053203230313520436f6e63657274