P1 Registration (Part 3 - The Finale)

The past 3 days seem to be the longest in my life. The time seem to be crawling and 度日如年is just the perfect description. Each passing day is like a year and the wait for J's registration result is so agonising. Every here and then, wify and I will check on MOE website for the vacancies update, crossing fingers no ballot is required. Initially, I have unshaken faith that J will get into Pei Hwa, however, uncertainty crept in after seeing the first day Phase 2A(2) registration result. Pei Hwa has one of the highest registration numbers in whole of Singapore.Fortunately, Lady Luck smiled on my family and by the end of Phase 2A(2), the number of registrars remained pretty much the same as in day one, so I happily presumed J's seat is secured since available vacancies are more than registered people.

Seats Taken in Bukit Timah District, Updated on 18/7/13 

Wify and I started to congratulate on Facebook to friends who are in the same plight as us. Never did we know another shock was awaiting for us. My friend Jimmy posted a pic of a confirmation slip he had received from the school he enrolled for his son right after the result of Phase 2A(2) was announced. whereas J's situation was based on presumption. Wify and I checked with other friends without any delay and luckily, Jimmy turn out to be the only one who has the confirmation slip. We self assured ourselves is just a matter of time before we receive a call or a letter regarding J's confirmation. So we waited and waited........... The next day (17/07/13) passed without any news, ditto for 18/7/13 till 1140hr. Arrggh ........ this is the last straw and wify finally picked up the phone and called Pei Hwa to check on J's registration status. And Oh Yes, my DS's seat in Pei Hwa is confirmed and chopped.



Pei Hwa Presbyterian
Primary School Crest 

Phew!!!!!!! The Ngs can finally draw down the curtain on the esposide of P1 registration. Here we come Pei Hwa!

P1 Registration (Part 2 - The Day)

The alarm rang @ 0615hr and yes, "The Day" has finally arrived! All parents belong to Phase 2A(2) will start to flood the school of their choice and we are no exception. I bet I will not be the only Panda parent and will have a lot of  "Kakis" all over Singapore primary schools.
J was rather cooperative today. Knowing we are going for his P1 registration, he woke up and get ready w/o much fuss. Great effort Jarrett! We arrived at Pei Hwa Presbyterian Primary School @ 0740hr where my lady used to be a student there. We got into the school hallway and there are already several parents ahead of us. Almost got conned by an old security guard at the school gateway who told us we are too early for the registration. My Mrs PR skills darn good, hit a conversation with one of the mother almost instantaneously while waiting for the registration to commence. Soon after, the door to the eternal schooling finally opened.




The few earliest parents in the registration hall

153 vacancies for Phase 2A(2) 

Easy to follow procedures

Registration is pretty fuss free if you came well prepared and procedures are very clear and simple.
I personally feel that is the parents' moods that stir up the intensity of the registration atmosphere rather than the registration environment itself. I saw a mother's dejection as she was rejected from registering cos she did not bring the original copies of the birth certificate and IC. Mrs overheard a conversation between a mum and her friend which goes like this....
Friend:"Hey, maybe you can see your old classmates here today!"
Mum:"I don't wish to see them here, if they are here, it will only indicate that they are ahead of me (in term of registration)."
As for myself, I sincerely hope that I can received the call from the school and no balloting is required tomorrow afternoon.
Lol. Such kiasuism probably can truly only be made and found in Singapore. Btw, J please don't laugh it off when u read this, cos when your time come as a parent, it may be far much worse off.

P1 Registration (Part 1 - Panic Mode Activated)

Singapore primary 1 registration is a well known stressful and daunting process, as many parents have experienced it, or are experiencing it now. Many parents join as members of associated school Alumni, Church, Clan or Parent Volunteer, Grassroots group or even shifted their house just to gain higher chances of getting their kids into the primary school of their choice. However, these "shortcuts" do no guarantee you a seat and when all these fail, the cruel balloting will be the ultimate decider.
This year, wify and I are one of these unfortunate victims. The "unforgettable" experiences started about 2 months ago when one of my wify gf started messaging wify talking about this dreadful topic. Stress started to kick in and accumulate, and had my panic mode activated yesterday, causing me to have only intermittent sleep thru'out the night.

Jarrett's Special Move


Whenever Jarrett wants something, he tends to use his "special move" as coded by him from Beyblade. He will first push up his eyelids (trying to make a double eyelids which my wife and I adore), clasp both his palms together, then tilt his head and his hands to a side, and show his cute "innocent and sincere" or rather "scheming and cunning" face  and speak in a very "teh" voice to whoever he needs something from. And "Bingo", both my wife and I often succumb to his pleas.



Typical Jarrett's special move

Last Saturday while waiting for my brother at the hotel's lobby, J wanting to play mummy's Ipad and perform his move again.
"Mama, can I play your Ipad while we wait for Ershu, please...............!"
Alas, he failed this round as my brother arrived before he got his hand on the Ipad.

The Beginning

Missing memories of my lovely son earlier stage of growing up have finally make me to start a blog, so fond memories of Jarrett's (J) past behaviours, speeches and times we spent together can be preserve and refresh.

P/S: J, hope you will enjoy reading the blog when you grow older and remember the people that are dear to you.