Growing up, there are just some tunes that really stick to u! I mean, these tunes just represent your childhood! For example, who can forget the famous song associated with Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle! These Turtles in a half shell bring back not just comic book memories, but they certainly make you think differently about turtle soup!

As some associations are “Evergreen”,  I have been teaching some of these famous songs to the kids. Many of the establishments and businesses that these mascots  represent, are still significant pillars for children of today!

One song that I have been teaching the kids, is the “Mouseketeers Song”.  I used to watch the Mickey Mouse Club, every week when I was young and I loved it.  U guys remember the Intro?

And of course, who can forget the ending! Mic…See you real soon! Key….Y..Because we love you…You can watch it, if you are not from my era…

Times have changed and today’s Mickey Mouse Clubhouse is very much different!  However,  I still think that Disney has not lost his “Magic Touch” as the song still speaks to the kids of today. Whenever we catch the introduction on the telly, the kids and I will still dance together to the song and laugh at ourselves. The Songs may be different, but Mickey Mouse Clubhouse is still in the “Cool” category for any kid!

Check out the Current Mickey Mouse Club House song here if you don’t have kids, and you are not sure what I am talking about

Another tune that really clung on to me revolves around a yellow Giraffe! Yes! how can you not like what the yellow Giraffe stands for!

He is the mascot of the Biggest Toy Store in town, and he represents toy!  I definitely did not have the teach the kids to love Geoffrey, but they discovered this yellow animal by themselves, and they just got excited whenever they smell a shopping mall that has a Toys R Us nearby.

Unfortunately, “Toys R Us” does not buy “air time” for their advertisements in Singapore anymore, but when I was young, these advertisements really stuck with me as I watched them on my telly! My eyes just went Mega Big when I saw the toys on display! Check out the catchy theme song!

I showed the kids this advertisement! It seemed to hold their attention for a while, but they immediately took a liking for the current one.

I think it must be the modern Cartoon Characters that are in the current advertisement that really speak to them! Wonder if you guys share the same pleasant memories as me, when you watch these ads!

Cancer is one of the No.1 killers in Society today!

When Caner hits a love one, not only is a patient affected, but the a family’s whole routine and schedule is affected as well. Normal life is dealt with the prospect of a loved one being lost forever.

When Cancer affects a Parent, how does a child cope?

Daddy and Mummy are no longer as active as they used to be, and children have to deal with the fact, that Daddy or Mummy may not be there forever.

Camp Simba therefore aims to bring some normality into the lives of these children. How about a fun-filled camp that will allow these children to just enjoy the simple pleasure of being a child without worries again. With a positive and safe environment for the kids to express themselves, the camp hope to build kids with the self-esteem to help them cope with life. In addition, by helping to take care of their children for a weekend, we hope to give the parents some time alone, and give the care-taker some respite.

Camp Simba 2013, is a 3-day-2-night camp that is oganized annually for the children of cancer patients. Currently in its 5th year of running, the camp is run by Medical Students who have a heart for the community. Here is a brief email interview that I did with Lim Fangyi, who is the director of this year’s camp:

       1) What is Camp Simba and what does it mean?

Simba is a Swahili word for courage. Additionally, Simba is eponymous with the lion in The Lion King, which symbolizes the values of strength, courage & wisdom which we hope the children will learn in order to cope with the added responsibilities & emotional burden of having parents & close relatives being diagnosed with cancer.

2) How did the idea come about?

Camp Simba was conceived in 2009 after our founder was inspired by the meaningful nature of Camp Kesem, a similar summercamp for children of cancer patients which was founded by Stanford University students in 2001 & has since expanded to include 37 student chapters across the United States.

3) Who are the beneficiaries?

Children whose parents & close relatives undergoing treatment for cancer, in remission or deceased from cancer.

4) Why Camp Simba?

We strongly believe in our camp’s aims of:

- Providing children whose parents & close relatives were diagnosed with cancer with an opportunity to have fun

- Building strong lasting bonds between the children & facilitators, & facilitating the formation of a Simba community

- Providing cancer patients’ families with some time to themselves

These children have been forced to grow up before their time instead of enjoying their childhood, taking on added responsibilities & carrying a heavy emotional burden. As such, the camp allows them to have fun & enjoy their childhood, while serving as an avenue for them to form bonds with other children undergoing a similar plight & facilitators who altogether form a Simba community which the children can turn to for help, care & support whenever necessary.

       5) Are all helpers from NUS?

All student volunteers are from Duke-NUS & NUS Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine

6) How can anyone volunteer to be part of this project?

Interested sponsors & parents who would like to enrol their children in the camp may contact us at campsimba@gmail.com or find out more at www.campsimba.org

Last week, we have a chance to go down for the Volkswagen Family Weekend at their Leng Kee Showroom!

True to its fun and family oriented image, there were lots of stuff at the centre to keep the kids entertained, as we walked around and had a closer look at the many Volkswagen Cars on display.

Besides the kiddie rides to keep the young ones entertained, there were mini burgers, potatoes and Ice Cream to keep our stomachs full. Nathan and Nadine loved the Ice Cream booth, as they lined up for their favourite desserts without any prompting from mummy and daddy!

We tried most of the activities at the centre and our personal favourite was the fun Photo Booth. As it is a green energy booth, the kids needed an adult’s assistance to work the machine. In order to get your photos taken, Daddy had to cycle like crazy to power up the Photo generator. Believe me when I say that I literally had to pay for the price for Fatherhood, as my legs were aching like crazy after cycling like a mad men to get the generator running!

With the Photo Machine up and running, Nicole seemed to have no problem posing for a photo, as she readily adopted various positions for the camera!

But more importantly, lets talk about the cars on display!

Volkswagen has got 2 MPVs that really cater to the family. There is the 1.4 litre Volkswagen Touran which is a mid-sized MPV, and there is the 2 litre Volkswagen Sharan which is a full-sized MPV.  Both MPVs cater to different family compositions, and as the kids are getting bigger, I decided to take a closer look at the Volkswagen Sharan

This is a dream car for Daddy, and he could not wait to test drive the Volkswagen Sharan. Tagged as the Ultimate MPV, the Volkwagen Sharan can go from 0-100km/h in 8.3 Seconds! A mean feat considering that cars this size are known to be sluggish and slow in their pick ups!

With electronic sliding doors and tailgate, the Sharan also has a fuel economy of  11.9 km/litre. This is especially important, considering the fact that MPVs do “drink” a lot, as you rush the kids from their ballet classes, to dinner to with the grandparents.

A cool feature of these continental cars is that they know what styling means! The Volkswagen is not just great to look at, but it gives drivers and passengers a panoramic overview of their surroundings. Check out the integrated Sunroof that comes with the car.

As the Sharan is a full sized MPV, I had lots of room, even on a full load. I was seated in front together with the Volkswagen Staff. Mummy , Nicole and a Baby Seat were on the 2nd row, Nathan and Nadine were on the 3rd row. All of us were comfortably seated, and with air-con vents found on the 2nd and 3rd row, everyone was happy!

I definitely liked the car, and if it was cheaper, I would be a serious buyer! However, with the new car rulings, it will be sometime before I can afford a dream car like a Volkswagen Sharan.

If you are looking for a full-sized MPV, head on down to the Volkswagen Showroom, and I am sure that you will be well taken care of by the Volkswagen staff.

(Find out more about Volkswagen by clicking here)

The Navy Open House is coming up and it’s going to an exciting time for the family! If you love to get your family out to sea on a missile corvette, catch some of our Navy Seals up close,or fire a GPMG or M16, this is the Open house for you!

Last week, we were invited by the Navy to preview the upcoming Open House at Changi Navy Base. I truly think these Military Open Houses are a guy thing, as there were 3 Daddy Bloggers took leave to attend the Media Briefing, and No Mummy Bloggers were in sight. I guess this clearly shows why Men and Women are different

Anyway…the Open House was definitely worth it! As it allowed me to fuel Nathan’s dream of being a Fireman, Doctor, Shoot Shooter, Technician…Yes! the whole lot, as the Navy actually trains personnel in a host of vocations. Definitely great fun for the whole family!

Here are  a few highlights that you can look forward to, as you head off for the Navy Open House:

1) Dynamic “Storm and Rescue” Display

Catch the Navy Diving Unit in action, as you catch our Navy protecting our vessels from Pirates or Terrorists. The Guns will be blazing, so do warn and prepare your kids about the loud Gun-Fire. My 2 kids (6yo and 5 yo) went through it without crying, so I am sure that your kiddos will be able to do the same! Get your Pictures taken with our “Navy Seals” at the end of the show as well!

There are only 2 shows a day, so schedule your visits to the Navy Open House:

18 May: 9.30am and 2.30pm
19 May: 10.30am and 2.30pm

2) Cruise on a Missile Corvette

Give your family a chance to take a Cruise on a Missile Corvette.  Go on a cruise to Nowhere, as you get a chance to see the Bridge and our Navy in Action out at sea.

This is a real “HOT” experience, and as a result, you will need to ballot for your tickets!

Do join the Singapore Navy’s Facebook Page to get the latest Ticketing Details!

This year, foreign ships are also in town, and visitors will be allowed to go up US vessels. Cool ya!

3) Experience Zone

If you want your kids to experience an M16, this is the place to go!

I put the gun on my shoulder, and I let Nathan fire the M16. Each rifle is loaded with ink pellets, and you can aim at the targets set up in the firing range. Nathan obviously loved firing a real gun, and the thrill of seeing the pellets hit the target was definitely exhilarating for him.

Besides the M16s and the GPMGs that were available for the Public to “fire”, Nathan got to be a fireman as well! He got to hold on an actual fire hose, and put on a fireman’s suit as well!

There are also anti-aircraft simulators, as kids get to play a life-sized video game and shoot down enemy aircraft. Exhibits are kids friendly, as they have ready-made stools for the kids to stand on!

Personally, I thought that the opportunity to be a surgeon was the coolest! Visitors get to put on surgical clothes and practise on the life-like dummies that surgeons practise on.

I was so glad that Nathan was “game” to become a doctor! Check out all the nice nurses fussing over him, as they put on the surgical “garb” on him.

4) Static Display

Children get to go up the tanks and other boats, as they walk around the open grounds.

5) Be a Sailor for the Day

If you have not done this before, get your kids dressed up in the Navy Ceremonial Dress. I thought the kids looked so cute in their outfits.

How to get to the Open House?

Admission is FREE and Free shuttle services are available from Singapore EXPO Hall 3 to the Navy Open House 2013 Fairground between 8am (18 May) or 8.30am (19 May) to 4.30pm. There will also be return shuttle services from the Navy Open House 2013 Fairground back to Singapore EXPO.

Do take Note that you cannot drive to the Naval Base, as entry is by Shuttle Bus Only.

Tips for Visitors

Put on lots of Sun Screen and drink lots of water, as the Naval Base is really Hot on a Sunny Day.

For Parents who are Parking, do NOT park at Singapore Expo. Singapore Expo has ridiculous parking charges, and you are better off parking at alternative venues. Do not Park on the double yellow lanes at the offices as well, as the Parking Aunties are very active here, especially on the weekends!

If in doubt, take the MRT to the Singapore Expo.

Event Details and Timing

18 & 19 May 2013 – 9am to 7pm (Public days)

Venue: Changi Naval Base

Recently, Nicole has been harping on the fact that Mcdonald’s is 24 Hours! She keeps on telling me, “Daddy, it means that we can go there anytime! For Breakfast, Lunch or Dinner!”

Needless to say, I did not share the same excitement. A fast food diet isn’t one of the most healthy diets around. As she was harping on this 24 hour service, she began to ask me…

“Daddy, does it mean that the Auntie at Mcdonald’s does not go home?”
This was when the discussion shifted to shift work, and I explained to her the shifts that the workers needed to work. Nicole then innocently exclaimed, “So, she earns a lot of money?”

“Er…Not really…” I replied, “They don’t get paid a lot!”

It is definitely intriguing to realise that even though the cost of living in Singapore has gone up, wages in certain industries have not risen by much. I remember I used to ask my friends why they were working at Mcdonald’s or any other fast food restaurant. The pay was a miserly $3.30 an hour, and the shifts were just so LONG! Through the years, the hourly wage for this low paying job has increased only by a few dollars and at a slower rate than higher paying jobs. As presently, wages are still under $6 an hour for the fast food industry!

That’s why many people are calling for minimum wage to help our lower income citizens. Unfortunately, minimum wage may not lead to progressively higher pay as the years go by! To put it simply, is there a justification for companies to adjust the pay a cleaner or security guard more than the minimum wage of $800 (assuming there is one) if they are still doing the same duties and having the same job scope? That’s why in many countries that have minimum wage schemes, the difficulty is in raising the minimum wage level year after year.

Hence we simply need a proper wage system to help our lower income citizens. I have been watching the news lately, and I have been intrigued by the Progressive Wage Model advocated by NTUC. It’s like a minimum wage but with an upsize package!

This means that instead of just setting a minimum wage, the Progressive Wage Model aims to help workers like cleaners and security guards upgrade themselves and make their jobs more productive too. Besides their original duties of cleaning or security control, companies will develop career paths to enlarge their job scope, upgrade their skills, productivity and career experience, and increase their pay accordingly!

With better wages and better promotion prospects, workers will tend to stay on longer with their bosses, and the shortage of workers in places such as the cleaning, F&B and hospitality industry will be addressed. Companies become more competitive with a pool of experienced labour.

As Ordinary Citizens, many of us would like to help our lower income compatriots. However, simply supporting the easiest way to raise wages (by calling only for minimum wage) without thinking about the long term effects will not help the lower income earners to earn more in the long run.

With progressive wage, profit margins for businesses can improve sustainably with new processes and automation. Because workers can now do more with the same number of work hours, the company can afford to pay them more too. The best thing is this arrangement is not contingent on subsidies, grants or artificial wage controls, but based on profit and productivity growth.

The progressive wage model definitely sounds like a good package. When workers are encouraged to upgrade, they will be more valuable to the company and the company gains a strategic asset too. Not only will the well being of lower income workers be looked after, but these companies will be more competitive as well!

This article was written in collaboration with NTUC