Samuel is going to Kagoshima-Japan from 26 Sep - 01 Oct. He went with his school choir team to perform at the Kagoshima Art Festival - Asian 2007. Nina was also the choir members, but the trip is too closed to her PSLE. What a waste that she can't make it.

Whole trip is $1550. After deduct from edusave of $400 and susidise by the school base on income, I only need to pay $230. What a relief. I also changed S$266 to JPY of 20,000 for him to spend.

He is departing from Singapore at 1am 27 Sep.

When he is back from school on 26 Sep, he just cant bare to part with us. He start to cry and refuse to go. He is worry that teacher will be very strict, worry that teacher will force him to eat vegetables, worry that he will hv no freedom, worry about loneliness, worry .....

He pray that Singapore got thunder storm where airport will be closed. He even plan to fall asleep just half an hour before reporting to school.

I keep telling him that he will enjoy there and will have different experience there where he can meet up with people from asian coutries shuch as China, Philippines, Malaysia, Korea, Japan, HongKong etc.

He just cry and pest me to listen to him this time round, just to keep him at home. As if like i going to give him away to other families like that. But I have to let him go, let him be independance, to experience something outside Singapore. It is a great opportunity.

Finally, he reach school with swollow eyes, with the friends around, he just control his tears. We didn't go airport to send him off, just in case he start to .....

During the trip, he sms back a few times, but dun allow me to call him or sms him. He afraid that he will cry when he hear my voice too much. I believe when he is there, with new environment and the tight schedule will occupied him.

Time fly, after 4/5 days he is back. He is great that he went for the trip. The vice principle even award him with Most Improve Traveller, because he from a crying boy who doestn't want to go, to a having fun and enjoy shopping traveller. The vice principle also praise him as a independence boy.

Of course la, jpy20,000 for him to spend without me around to say no to this, no to that. They went shopping at Daiso, Takashimaya. He bought himself soft toys, key chains, tip bits. And bring back exchange gifts from friends from other countries. He also won himself during Bingos games, is a Japan tradition drawing.

I glad that he enjoy his trip and hope that he will be more independance as he growth. Furthermore, he is a boy, one day, he will still have to go army and have to leave home. So got to train him.

One thing I cant stand it. Samuel is back, one of my SIL keep asking, never buy thing for Ah Ma huh?, never buy thing for 大姑huh? never buy thing for the cousins huh? Comeon la, he just a kid that when overseas without the parents around, what you expect from them? But for the oldest to the youngest, u know how many people or not. Feel like going Daiso and buy Japanese foods and thing for them to keep her mouth shut. Sickening!!