Ice-cream man

I like to buy ice cream from an ice-cream man who drives around the neighbourhood on his motor tricycle with a beach umbrella or a van. Again, an old trade that has been existing for many many years.

A dollar each and consumer can decide to wrap the ice cream with a slide of colourful bread or two crispy biscuits or just in a cup. I prefer eating it with bread or biscuit. The ice-cream usually comes in a few favors namely red bean, sweet corn, strawberry, vanilla and chocolate. The ice-cream man will ring his bell to announce his arrival and to attract people to patronize his mobile stall, especially the kids and students.

Instead of buying and keeping a box of ice-cream at home and be stuck with the only favor for awhile, I prefer buying it from the ice-cream man - economical, fresh and with more choices. Another reason is the thrill of running into one unexpectedly, to consider myself lucky to come across one :-) A dollar's joy and enjoyment is comparable, if not better than, having it in Swensen, Hagen Daz or Ben & Jerry's.

There was once that I ran into an ice-cream man in the car park after work. I was happy and prepare to buy one to enjoy it. When I approached the ice-cream man, he was smoking while ringing the bell for business. Though he was smiling at me, the unhealthy and dirty image was just undesirable and killed my excitement or urge to buy an ice-cream from him. The second hand smoke is not good for anyone especially the kids and he is not considerate about it. Another piss-off experience is you are about to rest and read at 10.30pm when you hear the ice-cream man ringing for business. It is a sharp noise in a peaceful night.

Other than the above two not welcoming situations, I am always thrill enough to run into them unexpectedly.

Kanaguni business

Kanaguni - someone who buys over 2nd hand or unwanted household items such as old newspaper/magazines, clothings, fan, television set, radio set, VCD/DVD player, computer monitor etc at the neighbourhood. In return, he or she will then sell it to a collector or an organization for a profit.

It is a old trade that has been in existence for many many years, properly an early version of a recycling programme. When I was young, the kanaguni will move from floor to floor, door to door shouting for business and service. If you have some of the unwanted houeshold items to sell, just open the door and wait for him or her. They will weigh (eg. for old newspaper/magazines/clothings) and pay you on the spot.

Nowadays, they will park their vehicle at the carpark and horn for business and service. They rarely move from floor to floor, door to door. Instead, they move from block to block. It is more economical and less traveling but can cause much noise at the neighbourhood espeically in a peaceful and relaxing afternoon watching a movie or taking a nap at home. :-( Of course, they will drop by your doorstep if u have something for them.

However, there also seem to be another group of kanaguni who will seek out valuable items directly from the shared dustbin area at the void deck. They will ride a bicycle to look for items that are deemed valuable from the dustbin from block to block, day and night. The group seems to come from mainly the senior citizen and foreign workers. While I am encouraged by their action to find a decent way to fend for themselves, many is not very considerate and responsible by making a mess out of it at the common area. They will seek out the valuable items and expect the cleaning personnel to clear up the mess for them next day. Meanhwile, residents have no choice but just have to bear with it.

The old trade has survived by transforming itself in its business operation approach. However, we are definitely still very far from establishing a gracious society whereby we care not only of one self but also others and in this aspact, not to inconvenience others and to show respect of the used of the common space we all share.

Is that so difficult to execrise ?

They grow up so fast

The following case study or example was shared when I was attending a training programme recently:

Sam lives in a 4-room HDB flat with his wife and 3 kids. They are generally a happy family except that every day after work, when Sam comes home, the entire living room and walkway is covered with the children's toys. He always has to put the toys away before he can walk through the living room to reach his bedrrom. he tried reminding, telling, scolding the kids but it was no us.

One day, after a long and tiring work day, Sam came home and found the childrem's bicycles, barbie dolls, transformers, power ranger, Lego sets etc thrown all over the entire living room, blocking his path to the bedroom.

He was so angry with the children that he forgot to close his door. He started to put the toys away and was so engrossed in it that he did not notice that his neighbor, Mr Tan, had came in to help to pick up the toys. Mr Tan youngest daughter had just got married a few weeks ago and had moved out of the house. He had not had a chance to see her after her wedding.

When Sam realized that Mr Tan was picking up the toys after him, he was embarrassed and said "I'm sick of cleaning up after these kids."

Mr Tan said "I hope you don't mind me helping. I miss doing this now that my daughter has grown up and gone. You should enjoy it while it lasts. Your children will be gone before you know it. They grow up so fast."

.....

It is a simple story but with a great insight. As a father myself, I totally agree with Mr Tan. I also see Sam in myself.

Fortunately, I am more aware of it than Sam and has enjoyed the noise, nonsense, etc my daughter has created as part of her growing up. At times, it is not easy to accommodate such behavior and a need to discipline her. It is better to get on her right track early.

Well, discipline should not cause an oversight over her uniqueness and appreciating her true natural originality - the way she talks, smiles, laughs, angers, eats, sleeps, learns, plays, sees things around her. It is, indeed, a master piece of Arts. Good or bad, she also inherited some of your genes, not all her fault.

To me, the keyword here is appreciating. Be part of her growing up.