每个人心目中都有记忆中的美味。在新加坡，同样地，每个人都有自己最常去的一家餐馆，最欣赏的一道菜，离开新加坡后最想念的一种味道。我个人心中的新加坡十大本地特色美食，是这样的：
1. 螃蟹。Crab. 这绝对最高大上的一道新加坡名菜，没有之一。基本上其他所有的新加坡美食，三到五块钱都能搞掂。唯有斯里兰卡螃蟹，平均要五六十新币一只。价钱不是问题的话，要选块头大，分量足，最好超过一公斤的。啃钳子肉时，大口大口的感觉就像啃大鸡腿一样爽，但肉却是螃蟹嫩嫩的肉感。挖膏或黄就像五六个咸鸭蛋黄放在一起，可以吃个够吃到胆固醇直线上升。有人喜欢辣椒螃蟹，并用馒头蘸着热辣汤汁吃。有人喜欢黑胡椒螃蟹，体验口中麻麻的感觉。有人觉得螃蟹米粉最好吃，因为螃蟹肉鲜美，汤头足，润滑的粗米粉还可以做主食。不要去游客吃螃蟹的地方。要找最好吃的螃蟹，就要深入新加坡居民区，找当地人排长龙的地方。吃来吃去，我最推荐龙海鲜螃蟹王。 地址如下： Mellben Seafood (Ang Mo Kio) Blk 232 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 3 #01-1222. 每次去必排队一小时以上，预不预定都要等很久。最近的地铁站是Ang Mo Kio。
2. 鸡饭。Chicken Rice. 最平民的本地美食。小贩中心Hawker Centre最便宜的只卖两块五新币一盘，还送碗汤。有人喜欢白斩鸡，吃原味，最多蘸酱油。有人喜欢烧鸡，金黄的鸡皮，里面的肉虽干但香。我个人喜欢吃油鸡，鸡皮是卤的，鸡肉是超嫩的，撒上香油，实在是诱人。鸡饭的饭都是用鸡汤煮的，每颗饭粒都喷喷香，干吃都行。每个鸡饭摊都有自制的姜末，辣椒，酱油，专门配鸡饭吃。大酒店也有卖鸡饭的，三四十块钱一份，但我并不以为然。我所推荐的最棒的鸡饭，依然是在街边摊儿上：107 Killiney Road, Chicken Express 快捷鸡饭。地铁站Sommerset附近。这地方颇靠近市中心，从乌节路可以走得到。但真没什么游客去。
3. 炒粿条，炒虾面。Fried Kuay Teow, Fried Prawn Noodles. 同样也是平民小吃，三五块钱可以吃饱。粿条就是宽米粉混黄碱面，用酱油，耗油，鲜蛤，豆芽大火炒制而成，大叔炒粿条时通常浓烟起四方，油香飘八面。虾面用的是粗米粉配黄碱面，蒜蓉炒大虾和鱿鱼。虾面的汤水较粿条多，粿条是干的，虾面是带汤儿的。商业化一点的炒虾面，大叔会带顶草帽，给你点半个世纪前街边摊的感觉。我推荐的炒粿条炒虾面在这里：Block 51 Old Airport Road Food Centre. 在地铁站Dokota 附近。有挺多家都做炒粿条炒虾面，找个队伍长的跟着排，准没错儿。
To be continued...
4. 肉脞面。Bak Chor Mee.
5. 印度大饼，印度馅饼。Roti Prata, Murtabak
6. 马来菜饭。Nasi Padang
7. 叻沙。Laksa
8. 粿汁。Kuay Chap.
9. 肉骨茶。Bak Kut Teh.
10. 椰浆饭。Nasi Lemak
Sunday 5 January 2014
Friday 3 January 2014
Where to Find Cheap and Good Beer in Singapore
Beer in Singapore is expensive, that is a fact. It is probably the most expensive place for beer. Even in supermarkets of Singapore, the relatively cheap but decent enough ones, such as Tiger Beer, is about S$5.20 to S$5.60 per big bottle (633ml), which is US$4.2 to US$4.5. In normal bars, one pint of beer easily costs S$15 to $20. This price I mentioned here has not included the 7% GST (Goods and Services Tax) and 10% service charge. And in some high class bars and restaurants, it is not surprising that one pint of beer can cost $30 or more.
But men love beer. This is also a fact. It makes men happy. If you are happy, you go for beer. Naturally. If you are sad, you go for beer. Also naturally. In fact if you stay in Singapore long enough, like more than 2 or 3 days, you will somehow get used to such price, and realize it is more practical to sit down and enjoy the chilled beer in summer, instead of wasting time complaining about it pointlessly.
If you are still grumpy about getting overcharged for beer, well, why not read on further, see whether you can find something useful to you.
Budget
If you are on tight budget, and can accept drinking at your own house or sitting on your own mat along the beach or in the public parks, following are my recommendations.
1) Duty Free Shops. When you arrive Singapore, buy duty free beer in Changi Airport or Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal. Beer usually cost about 20-30% cheaper than supermarkets. But there is a limit of 1 litre, so with that quota i.e. three 330mil bottles or two 500mil cans, it won't last too long.
2) Supermarkets. Price of beer in Supermarket is relatively fair. In most supermarkets such as NTUC FairPrice and Giant (Shop N Save now is part of Giant), you can get normal brand like Tiger, Carlsberg and Heineken, pricing ranging from S$5.20 to S$6.80 per big bottle. If you have a special craving for higher end beer such as Erdinger (around S$7 for 500ml), Hoegarden (S$4 to S$5 for 330mil), or Kronenbourg 1664 (S$4 to S$5 for 330ml), then you need to go to Coldstorage or Market Place. And if you would like to try some basic, down to earth, no frill beer, you can get those from Sheng Siong, like Zhujiang (珠江啤酒) or Weihaiwei (威海卫啤酒), at $3 per big bottle.
3) Special neighbourhood shops or special alcohol retail shops. I would recommend Ang Mo Supermarket as it offers the cheapest retail Hoegarden in Singapore. S$2.65 per 330ml bottle. Yep it is even cheaper than duty free shop. Ang Mo has many branches. I personally have bought from the branch at Blk 407 Ang Mo Kio Ave 10, and another one at Blk 639 Punggol Drive. Other than beer, Ang Mo in fact offers other cheap life necessities too such as toiletries and groceries. Cellarbration is a beer shop which frequently offers promotional prices for beer. You need to buy in bulk though. 24 cans of Heineken costs as low as $56 and 24 Hoegardens for $65.
Mid Range
Yeah if you choose mid range, you get a more decent place to sit, and probably you get served.
1) Hawker Centres. Here beer costs about $0.50 to S$1.50 more expensive than supermarkets, but you get proper table and seat. In certain hawker centres premier beers such as Erdinger and Hoegarden are available too. Sometimes beer ladies offer to pour beer for you. This service is free, and even if you order beer from the beer ladies they won't charge you a cent more than the retail price from the drink stalls. Their commission is included in the retail price of the beer. If this is the first time you are in Singapore and you would like to talk to local people, it is not difficult to find retirees at your nearby table, and most of them are 24 by 7 for you. Lucky for you, there are as many as about a hundred of hawker centres in Singapore.
2) Coffee shops and Kopitiam. Tables and seats here are cleaner, and lights are brighter than Hawker Centres. However beer normally costs S$0.20 to S$0.80 more than Hawker Centres. If you are lucky, some coffee shops and Kopitiam are equipped with air-con. Coffee shops and Kopitiam, like hawker centres, are available almost everywhere in Singapore.
Luxury
The topic is about cheap and good beer. So even in this section I can guarantee you real cheap beers, with good ambience. Yep by Luxury I mean decent bars. I also mean draft beer fresh from tap, but not cans or bottles.
1) Holland Village. Along this whole strech of a dozen of decent bars, beer normally is not as cheap as hawker centres or coffee shops. However, there is this good thing called "Happy Hour". Most happy hours are before 9pm daily. Some bars offer buy two get one free, some bars offer a fixed price such as $40 for a bucket of five 330ml bottles. I would recommend Baden Restaurant and Pub, which is opposite to the noisy Wala Wala. For happy hour, you can get 2 Erdinger or Guiness Draught for S$16. They don't charge GST, so there is only 10% of service charge. That calculates to S$8.80 for a solid pint of cloudy Erdinger or smoothy classy Guiness. If you can find anything better than this with similar ambiance, man, let us be friends.
2) Clarke Quay. Yep most bars and restaurants here are expensive. Except for one - but must be during Happy Hour. That magic place is none other than Brewerkz. It brews its own beer, and a lot of kinds. From noon to 3pm, one pint costs S$6 only. You can drink that while sitting along the Singapore River and watching to-and-fro boats, in the sunny afternoon. Nothing beats this. From 3pm onwards the same beer gets pricier, to S$9 until 6pm, and to S$12 until 9pm, and tops at SS$15 between 9 and 11pm.
3) APB (Asia Pacific Brewery Pte Ltd) Brewery tour. Yeah this is where Tiger is brewed. Heineken and Carlsberg are brewed here too. The tour is a normal tour, same beer tanks, same brewery processes as other countries'. But the finale treat is fantastic, considering it is Singapore. In 45 minutes to 1 hour's time, you have full access to all kinds of beer in this Brewery, including Tiger, Carlsberg, Heineken, ABC stout, Anchor, Baron and Archipelago beers. All these costs S$16 only. The only drawback is the location of APB. It is at Tuas, the west most part of the Singapore island. So if you have enough time and don't mind taking one hour of bus (taxi will defeat the purpose of enjoying the "cheap and good" Luxury), this should be your top choice.
But men love beer. This is also a fact. It makes men happy. If you are happy, you go for beer. Naturally. If you are sad, you go for beer. Also naturally. In fact if you stay in Singapore long enough, like more than 2 or 3 days, you will somehow get used to such price, and realize it is more practical to sit down and enjoy the chilled beer in summer, instead of wasting time complaining about it pointlessly.
If you are still grumpy about getting overcharged for beer, well, why not read on further, see whether you can find something useful to you.
Budget
If you are on tight budget, and can accept drinking at your own house or sitting on your own mat along the beach or in the public parks, following are my recommendations.
1) Duty Free Shops. When you arrive Singapore, buy duty free beer in Changi Airport or Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal. Beer usually cost about 20-30% cheaper than supermarkets. But there is a limit of 1 litre, so with that quota i.e. three 330mil bottles or two 500mil cans, it won't last too long.
2) Supermarkets. Price of beer in Supermarket is relatively fair. In most supermarkets such as NTUC FairPrice and Giant (Shop N Save now is part of Giant), you can get normal brand like Tiger, Carlsberg and Heineken, pricing ranging from S$5.20 to S$6.80 per big bottle. If you have a special craving for higher end beer such as Erdinger (around S$7 for 500ml), Hoegarden (S$4 to S$5 for 330mil), or Kronenbourg 1664 (S$4 to S$5 for 330ml), then you need to go to Coldstorage or Market Place. And if you would like to try some basic, down to earth, no frill beer, you can get those from Sheng Siong, like Zhujiang (珠江啤酒) or Weihaiwei (威海卫啤酒), at $3 per big bottle.
3) Special neighbourhood shops or special alcohol retail shops. I would recommend Ang Mo Supermarket as it offers the cheapest retail Hoegarden in Singapore. S$2.65 per 330ml bottle. Yep it is even cheaper than duty free shop. Ang Mo has many branches. I personally have bought from the branch at Blk 407 Ang Mo Kio Ave 10, and another one at Blk 639 Punggol Drive. Other than beer, Ang Mo in fact offers other cheap life necessities too such as toiletries and groceries. Cellarbration is a beer shop which frequently offers promotional prices for beer. You need to buy in bulk though. 24 cans of Heineken costs as low as $56 and 24 Hoegardens for $65.
Mid Range
Yeah if you choose mid range, you get a more decent place to sit, and probably you get served.
1) Hawker Centres. Here beer costs about $0.50 to S$1.50 more expensive than supermarkets, but you get proper table and seat. In certain hawker centres premier beers such as Erdinger and Hoegarden are available too. Sometimes beer ladies offer to pour beer for you. This service is free, and even if you order beer from the beer ladies they won't charge you a cent more than the retail price from the drink stalls. Their commission is included in the retail price of the beer. If this is the first time you are in Singapore and you would like to talk to local people, it is not difficult to find retirees at your nearby table, and most of them are 24 by 7 for you. Lucky for you, there are as many as about a hundred of hawker centres in Singapore.
2) Coffee shops and Kopitiam. Tables and seats here are cleaner, and lights are brighter than Hawker Centres. However beer normally costs S$0.20 to S$0.80 more than Hawker Centres. If you are lucky, some coffee shops and Kopitiam are equipped with air-con. Coffee shops and Kopitiam, like hawker centres, are available almost everywhere in Singapore.
Luxury
The topic is about cheap and good beer. So even in this section I can guarantee you real cheap beers, with good ambience. Yep by Luxury I mean decent bars. I also mean draft beer fresh from tap, but not cans or bottles.
1) Holland Village. Along this whole strech of a dozen of decent bars, beer normally is not as cheap as hawker centres or coffee shops. However, there is this good thing called "Happy Hour". Most happy hours are before 9pm daily. Some bars offer buy two get one free, some bars offer a fixed price such as $40 for a bucket of five 330ml bottles. I would recommend Baden Restaurant and Pub, which is opposite to the noisy Wala Wala. For happy hour, you can get 2 Erdinger or Guiness Draught for S$16. They don't charge GST, so there is only 10% of service charge. That calculates to S$8.80 for a solid pint of cloudy Erdinger or smoothy classy Guiness. If you can find anything better than this with similar ambiance, man, let us be friends.
2) Clarke Quay. Yep most bars and restaurants here are expensive. Except for one - but must be during Happy Hour. That magic place is none other than Brewerkz. It brews its own beer, and a lot of kinds. From noon to 3pm, one pint costs S$6 only. You can drink that while sitting along the Singapore River and watching to-and-fro boats, in the sunny afternoon. Nothing beats this. From 3pm onwards the same beer gets pricier, to S$9 until 6pm, and to S$12 until 9pm, and tops at SS$15 between 9 and 11pm.
3) APB (Asia Pacific Brewery Pte Ltd) Brewery tour. Yeah this is where Tiger is brewed. Heineken and Carlsberg are brewed here too. The tour is a normal tour, same beer tanks, same brewery processes as other countries'. But the finale treat is fantastic, considering it is Singapore. In 45 minutes to 1 hour's time, you have full access to all kinds of beer in this Brewery, including Tiger, Carlsberg, Heineken, ABC stout, Anchor, Baron and Archipelago beers. All these costs S$16 only. The only drawback is the location of APB. It is at Tuas, the west most part of the Singapore island. So if you have enough time and don't mind taking one hour of bus (taxi will defeat the purpose of enjoying the "cheap and good" Luxury), this should be your top choice.
Wednesday 1 January 2014
Sengkang Good Food
Is there good food in Sengkang or Punggol area? If you Google that, more often than not you would find threads of web links talking about ""Sengkang no good food". However, having been lived in Sengkang heartland for almost five years, I do have accumulated my own favorite list and I do have some recommendations for people who are fervently looking for good food or drinks at Sengkang area. Like it or not, there are about 170,000 people living in this new town (according to HDB), so I believe not every family cooks at home, right?
At first I intend to dedicate this post to Sengkang good food. As I wrote along, I found that there are a lot more to recommend =) So I decided to write a few articles on Sengkang good food. Perhaps on Sengkang good bars too. Today I will start from the infamous Sengkang Square Kopitiam.
Sengkang Square Kopitiam
Yes I know many people will shout, “I beg your pardon? Sengkang Square Kopitiam cannot make it lah, can't you see that more than half of the stalls are empty?” Well, my thought is, despite the fact that the turn over rate for this kopitiam is ultrahigh, those left behind are really the hard core ones. And the best part about Sengkang Square Kopitiam is, especially compared with the air-coned but stuffy and smelly kopitiam at Compass Point, there are always plenty of clean, empty seats in this windy place.
Tiger Beer
In order to attract customers, I believe Kopitiam has done the right thing - to bring down the price of chilled Tiger Beer to as low as $5.10 per bottle. Yeah man I am talking about the 633ml bottle. In the most nearby supermarkets such as Coldstorage, Prime (百美) or even Sheng Siong, the retail price for Tiger normally ranges from $5.20 to $5.50, and don't forget you still need to top up $0.15 to $0.25 for the chilled feeling. So if you are a beer person and you don't mind sitting in a Kopitiam enjoying the national beer, Sengkang Square Kopitiam offers you probably the cheapest Tiger beer you can ever find in a Singapore coffee shop or hawker centre. There are not only one or two but three drink stalls that sell chilled Tiger Beer in this kopitiam. So don't tell me you cannot find it. Oh ya, I forgot to mention that the drink stalls like to keep the temperature of the beer refrigerators to -1 to -4 degrees. So it is really close to draft beer feelings.
Stew Peanuts and Kuay Chap
If you like to drink beer, stew peanuts are a good company. Stewed peanuts go really well with beer. It is available at the Kuay Chap stall which also sells pretty-not-bad stewed pork knuckle. Each plate of stew peanuts is $1.20 only, and the taste is comparable to those atas Chinese restaurants.
Fried Kuay Teow and Carrot Cake
You will be surprised that although Kuay Teow and Carrot Cake are traditional Singapore hawker food, this stall became one of the most popular ones in this kopitiam by a PRC female cook! The portions are very decent, and the taste is a blend of traditional Singapore flavor and China north-eastern style. I will have a separate article particularly on China north-eastern food, for those who love salty, spicy and oily stuff.
Roti Prata and Murtabak
It simply tastes good. There are always a queue, especially during weekend mornings and weekday nights. And I often saw that their staff throwing all of the same-day cooked stuff off to the rubbish bin at midnight - which shows that their food is always fresh everyday.
Shen Xi Soup (老火汤)
Similar as its other chain stalls but simply cheaper, they have very nutrition-ed and delicious soups ranging from economic ones such as 苹果雪梨排骨汤 ($3.80 only) all the way to 十全大补鸡汤 ($5.00) and 佛跳墙(S$8.00). You can always top up soup when you finishes them.
Other Good Food
Some of my neighbours say that the fish soup stall is good too because of its freshness. Some say that the other Indian shop besides the prata shop offers authentic north Indian food. Well once you are here for sure you can come up your own favorite lists, be it Malay stall, Pontian Wanton Noodles, Nasi Lemak or even economic rice (there are more than one). A number of them open 24/7. And last but not least, if you have Kopitiam card, you get 10% off (except beer).
At first I intend to dedicate this post to Sengkang good food. As I wrote along, I found that there are a lot more to recommend =) So I decided to write a few articles on Sengkang good food. Perhaps on Sengkang good bars too. Today I will start from the infamous Sengkang Square Kopitiam.
Sengkang Square Kopitiam
Yes I know many people will shout, “I beg your pardon? Sengkang Square Kopitiam cannot make it lah, can't you see that more than half of the stalls are empty?” Well, my thought is, despite the fact that the turn over rate for this kopitiam is ultrahigh, those left behind are really the hard core ones. And the best part about Sengkang Square Kopitiam is, especially compared with the air-coned but stuffy and smelly kopitiam at Compass Point, there are always plenty of clean, empty seats in this windy place.
Tiger Beer
In order to attract customers, I believe Kopitiam has done the right thing - to bring down the price of chilled Tiger Beer to as low as $5.10 per bottle. Yeah man I am talking about the 633ml bottle. In the most nearby supermarkets such as Coldstorage, Prime (百美) or even Sheng Siong, the retail price for Tiger normally ranges from $5.20 to $5.50, and don't forget you still need to top up $0.15 to $0.25 for the chilled feeling. So if you are a beer person and you don't mind sitting in a Kopitiam enjoying the national beer, Sengkang Square Kopitiam offers you probably the cheapest Tiger beer you can ever find in a Singapore coffee shop or hawker centre. There are not only one or two but three drink stalls that sell chilled Tiger Beer in this kopitiam. So don't tell me you cannot find it. Oh ya, I forgot to mention that the drink stalls like to keep the temperature of the beer refrigerators to -1 to -4 degrees. So it is really close to draft beer feelings.
Stew Peanuts and Kuay Chap
If you like to drink beer, stew peanuts are a good company. Stewed peanuts go really well with beer. It is available at the Kuay Chap stall which also sells pretty-not-bad stewed pork knuckle. Each plate of stew peanuts is $1.20 only, and the taste is comparable to those atas Chinese restaurants.
Fried Kuay Teow and Carrot Cake
You will be surprised that although Kuay Teow and Carrot Cake are traditional Singapore hawker food, this stall became one of the most popular ones in this kopitiam by a PRC female cook! The portions are very decent, and the taste is a blend of traditional Singapore flavor and China north-eastern style. I will have a separate article particularly on China north-eastern food, for those who love salty, spicy and oily stuff.
Roti Prata and Murtabak
It simply tastes good. There are always a queue, especially during weekend mornings and weekday nights. And I often saw that their staff throwing all of the same-day cooked stuff off to the rubbish bin at midnight - which shows that their food is always fresh everyday.
Shen Xi Soup (老火汤)
Similar as its other chain stalls but simply cheaper, they have very nutrition-ed and delicious soups ranging from economic ones such as 苹果雪梨排骨汤 ($3.80 only) all the way to 十全大补鸡汤 ($5.00) and 佛跳墙(S$8.00). You can always top up soup when you finishes them.
Other Good Food
Some of my neighbours say that the fish soup stall is good too because of its freshness. Some say that the other Indian shop besides the prata shop offers authentic north Indian food. Well once you are here for sure you can come up your own favorite lists, be it Malay stall, Pontian Wanton Noodles, Nasi Lemak or even economic rice (there are more than one). A number of them open 24/7. And last but not least, if you have Kopitiam card, you get 10% off (except beer).
Tuesday 31 December 2013
新加坡小学-入学前准备
开博伊始，年终总结。
2013年初以来一直在跟My First Skool 在关于把孩子送进幼儿园这等大事上纠缠。这事说来话长，以后单开一帖再表。年末好歹算挤了进去，不负一年来的辛苦折腾，口水跑腿和笔伐面讨。年中陪了个中国家长给孩子报名新加坡当地小学，一路东征西战。有点名气的学校早都没了位置，学校也不像往些年还收赞助费，现在给钱也不行了。后来家长想干脆什么名校不名校，离家不远就得了。于是又跑了几家碰了几个壁，战略又改成，离家五六公里之内都能接受。再后来终于面对现实，觉得只要是政府小学，哪怕在Tuas, 哪怕在Woodlands, 能进就行。自我亲历这场奔波之后，更觉着应该提前为孩子上小学做足准备，免得临时抱佛脚，像那个中国家长一样一天天一次次绝望下去。于是拿My First Skool 练兵，提早锻炼二十四孝家长之心态，磨练脾性意志，接受些挫折教育，做好打持久战的准备。今年2013年，为了儿子2017年入学，我正式踏上了我儿的求学之路。
家楼下就一政府小学。当初买房的时候是晚上，我与新婚小娘子被蓬荜生辉的的壁灯亮瞎了双眼，一切家具摆设都显得那么金光熠熠灼灼其华，加上一踏出门走几步就看到了地铁站，心下欢喜，遂购，根本没注意窗口还对着个学校。后来新加坡朋友同学同事们来house warming, 打麻将，喝酒，吃火锅，纷纷说南侨是个好学校，我们也没太上心。毕竟还没孩子嘛，想那么多干嘛，那时候觉得买房子主要为了方便各类聚会，而且下半夜了散伙我们再也不用打的，可以倒头便睡。再后来娘子怀了孕，生了娃，我们仍没把蜗居当成学区房，总是想着娃上学还得六七年，到时候在哪个国家工作生活还说不准。再到后来回了几趟国，发现给孩子的大环境还欠点火候，才刹下心来考虑把孩子留在新加坡养。回头想起新加坡朋友们的话，上网google一下Nan Chiau Primary School , 才发现南侨小学 - 南洋华侨的小学 - 排名列新加坡两百所小学第二十，十里挑一，还是相当拿得出手地。
新加坡高考A Level压力远没有国内那么大，基本上有资格参加考试的考上大学都不难，而且多数都可以进本地大学，如国立大学南洋理工之流，排名均远在北大清华之上，所以找个像样的工作过安稳的日子或是再去欧美闯荡都没啥问题。不错一点的高中呢，又可以从初中部直升，连中考O Level都省了。小考PSLE (Primary School Leaving Examination) 倒是至关重要，因为可以决定你能不能考上好初中，继而把中考省了直接上本部高中。那小考PSLE怎么能考出好成绩呢？除了先天基因风水运势自身努力之外，当然要看小学本身怎么样。所以，新加坡家长给孩子报名上个好小学的压力，跟中国高考生的父母面对的压力，是一样一样的。
那么，怎么进心仪的小学呢？小学虽是义务教育，要尖好强的新加坡父母们多数还是会拼命去给下一代争取个排名靠前的学校，毕竟如上所述新加坡小学的重要性等同于中国的高中。以下是小学报名的依次各阶段：
Phase 1: 此娃已有兄弟姐妹正在此学校就读。
Phase 2A1a : 父母曾在此小学就读并已加入校友会。
Phase 2A1b: 父母为此小学管理委员会或高级咨询委员会成员。
Phase 2A2a: 父母或兄弟姐妹曾在此小学就读。
Phase 2A2b: 父母为此小学教员。
Phase 2Ba: 父母为此小学家长会志愿者。
Phase 2Bb: 父母得到此小学附属教会或会馆认证。
Phase 2Bc: 父母得到社区居民委员会认证。
Phase 2C: 适龄儿童，还未被任何学校录取者。
Phase 2C S: 适龄儿童，至2C阶段还未被任何学校录取者。
Phase 3: 非新加坡公民或永久居民。
作为什么都需要从头奋斗的第一代移民，我跟贤妻最多只能进入2B阶段进行抽签。在2B之前，
Phase 1 - 我们正在为第一个孩子入学奋斗，在他入学之前哪来其他兄弟姐妹。我也希望在南侨小学领养一个在读孤儿做我们大娃的哥哥或姐姐，但后来没好意思腆着脸去问。
Phase 2A1a - 我们小学在中国读的，咋整。（我曾灵光一现，想干脆自己上一个月小学混个学籍借此符合条件，以后再让吾儿用我老人家校友的身份入学，无奈人家有年龄限制，三十多了不让上小学。我愤懑：没上过大学的老头儿可以考上大学读本科读硕士读博士人人称颂，没上过新加坡小学的怪蜀黍为什么不能在新加坡上小学呢!?）
Phase 2A1b - 我们不在该所学校上班，又怎能爬到学校高层管理。又或者，我辞职，来南侨应聘，削尖脑袋进入教育界，在两年半之内爬到金字塔尖上。。。试问我在现今这个行业都干了快八个年头了，都没熬上中层，怎么在两年半爬到尖上捏。。。
Phase 2A2a - 见1和2A1a. 没法整。
Phase 2A2b - 见2A1b前一半。不能整。做教员倒简单，但抛开转业的pay cut不说，做教师之前需要先在NIE National Institute of Education 也就是国立师范学院培训个一两年，之后教育部决定把你扔在哪个学校就扔在哪儿。平均来讲，扔回我们家楼下学校的可能性只有1/200, 折腾一大遭还不如直接在2C抽签。
Phase 2Ba - 学校志愿者！这个看上去有搞头！
Phase 2Bb - 教会会馆不就是入个帮派吗！看上去好像并非不可能！
Phase 2Bc - 要做居委会大妈为社区建设添砖加瓦! 这个虽然有点那啥，倒是可以考虑。
Phase 2C - 这一阶段，就挺被动了，好点的学校抽签率很低。
Phase 2C S - 这一阶段，更被动了，好点的学校都轮不到这一阶段就没位置了。
Phase 3 - 好学校到不了这阶段。外国人们自己拼杀吧。。。
综上所述，Phase 1 和 Phase 2A 就不用看了。2C往后基本也就属于自暴自弃型了。只能考虑在2B上做文章
Phase2Ba - 我发邮件给南侨小学，历数我与贤妻的各类技能资源甚至歪才，热烈申请加入光荣的家长志愿者队伍。一天天一周周过去，邮件悠悠沉入大海。于是打电话给南侨小学，问怎样才能光荣入伍。答曰，志愿者的事儿已经不归南侨小学管了，请联络福建会馆。（注：南侨小学是新加坡福建会馆Singapore Hokkien Huay Kuan 简称 SHHK旗下附属之六所学校之一）。于是联络福建会馆，答曰，若要做南侨小学家长志愿者，需要先成为福建会馆会员。得，直接去下一个Phase。Phase2Ba, Knock Out!
Phase2Bb - 要成为福建会馆会员，除了会费和经常参加会馆活动以外，最重要的一条就是，要证明自己是福建裔。此处省略五百个惊叹号。我是吉林地，太太是苏州地。我的娃，怎，么，是，福，建，地。细查下去，孩子妈妈那边是哪里人无所谓，因为只看孩子爸爸这边。我绞尽脑汁，并google 来google去，地铁上，办公室里，公园内外，我思来想去的都是“how to prove I am a hokkien”，怎么证明我是福建人。我翻看了新加坡同事的身份证，嘁，上面又没有宗乡一栏。据说再老几代的新加坡身份证上，是有注明的。又问别的新加坡同事，据说出生证明上是有写的。好另类啊，就像问我血型，我说我是吉林A啊。你那？你说，我Hokkien O啊！还Hokkien O Siew Dai 那！连血糖一并注明了，多明了。我也曾龌龊的想，虽然当初申请永久居民PR什么的时候，我爸的身份证和护照都交给新加坡ZF了，可没交过我爷爷的呀，要不找根天朝电线杆，按上面的130号码拨过去，两百块大洋肯定能搞掂我爷爷的福建身份证，或者干脆更查无此人地出具某乡派出所我爷爷被福建人领养的证明。顺藤摸瓜，我不也就名正言顺进福建会馆了嘛。我儿不就进南侨小学了嘛。再后来，觉得此想法虽可行，但实在太数典忘宗，太败坏祖上，就算在纸头上也还是保留我儿的纯正东北血统吧。Phase2Bb, K.O.!
Phase2Bc - 在心中默念九遍：我真的要做居委会大妈吗？我真的要做居委会大妈吗？。。。孩子，爹为了能让你在十里挑一的小学入学的命运大抽奖中把中奖率由1/4提高到5/12，爹这就上路，去居委会表忠心了。
于是我现在成为了社区居委会一名光荣的试用人员。
夜深人静，拍着躺在床上渐渐入睡的大娃，望着我们这栋楼跟南侨小学隔出的一小片星空，心说娃呀，今后你要还是进不了南侨，又由于没进好的小学而导致没进名中学名大学，我起码可以问心无愧地，像港剧里的医生一样虽具专业精神却又于事无补地说：对不起，我们已经尽力了。
2013年初以来一直在跟My First Skool 在关于把孩子送进幼儿园这等大事上纠缠。这事说来话长，以后单开一帖再表。年末好歹算挤了进去，不负一年来的辛苦折腾，口水跑腿和笔伐面讨。年中陪了个中国家长给孩子报名新加坡当地小学，一路东征西战。有点名气的学校早都没了位置，学校也不像往些年还收赞助费，现在给钱也不行了。后来家长想干脆什么名校不名校，离家不远就得了。于是又跑了几家碰了几个壁，战略又改成，离家五六公里之内都能接受。再后来终于面对现实，觉得只要是政府小学，哪怕在Tuas, 哪怕在Woodlands, 能进就行。自我亲历这场奔波之后，更觉着应该提前为孩子上小学做足准备，免得临时抱佛脚，像那个中国家长一样一天天一次次绝望下去。于是拿My First Skool 练兵，提早锻炼二十四孝家长之心态，磨练脾性意志，接受些挫折教育，做好打持久战的准备。今年2013年，为了儿子2017年入学，我正式踏上了我儿的求学之路。
家楼下就一政府小学。当初买房的时候是晚上，我与新婚小娘子被蓬荜生辉的的壁灯亮瞎了双眼，一切家具摆设都显得那么金光熠熠灼灼其华，加上一踏出门走几步就看到了地铁站，心下欢喜，遂购，根本没注意窗口还对着个学校。后来新加坡朋友同学同事们来house warming, 打麻将，喝酒，吃火锅，纷纷说南侨是个好学校，我们也没太上心。毕竟还没孩子嘛，想那么多干嘛，那时候觉得买房子主要为了方便各类聚会，而且下半夜了散伙我们再也不用打的，可以倒头便睡。再后来娘子怀了孕，生了娃，我们仍没把蜗居当成学区房，总是想着娃上学还得六七年，到时候在哪个国家工作生活还说不准。再到后来回了几趟国，发现给孩子的大环境还欠点火候，才刹下心来考虑把孩子留在新加坡养。回头想起新加坡朋友们的话，上网google一下Nan Chiau Primary School , 才发现南侨小学 - 南洋华侨的小学 - 排名列新加坡两百所小学第二十，十里挑一，还是相当拿得出手地。
新加坡高考A Level压力远没有国内那么大，基本上有资格参加考试的考上大学都不难，而且多数都可以进本地大学，如国立大学南洋理工之流，排名均远在北大清华之上，所以找个像样的工作过安稳的日子或是再去欧美闯荡都没啥问题。不错一点的高中呢，又可以从初中部直升，连中考O Level都省了。小考PSLE (Primary School Leaving Examination) 倒是至关重要，因为可以决定你能不能考上好初中，继而把中考省了直接上本部高中。那小考PSLE怎么能考出好成绩呢？除了先天基因风水运势自身努力之外，当然要看小学本身怎么样。所以，新加坡家长给孩子报名上个好小学的压力，跟中国高考生的父母面对的压力，是一样一样的。
那么，怎么进心仪的小学呢？小学虽是义务教育，要尖好强的新加坡父母们多数还是会拼命去给下一代争取个排名靠前的学校，毕竟如上所述新加坡小学的重要性等同于中国的高中。以下是小学报名的依次各阶段：
Phase 1: 此娃已有兄弟姐妹正在此学校就读。
Phase 2A1a : 父母曾在此小学就读并已加入校友会。
Phase 2A1b: 父母为此小学管理委员会或高级咨询委员会成员。
Phase 2A2a: 父母或兄弟姐妹曾在此小学就读。
Phase 2A2b: 父母为此小学教员。
Phase 2Ba: 父母为此小学家长会志愿者。
Phase 2Bb: 父母得到此小学附属教会或会馆认证。
Phase 2Bc: 父母得到社区居民委员会认证。
Phase 2C: 适龄儿童，还未被任何学校录取者。
Phase 2C S: 适龄儿童，至2C阶段还未被任何学校录取者。
Phase 3: 非新加坡公民或永久居民。
作为什么都需要从头奋斗的第一代移民，我跟贤妻最多只能进入2B阶段进行抽签。在2B之前，
Phase 1 - 我们正在为第一个孩子入学奋斗，在他入学之前哪来其他兄弟姐妹。我也希望在南侨小学领养一个在读孤儿做我们大娃的哥哥或姐姐，但后来没好意思腆着脸去问。
Phase 2A1a - 我们小学在中国读的，咋整。（我曾灵光一现，想干脆自己上一个月小学混个学籍借此符合条件，以后再让吾儿用我老人家校友的身份入学，无奈人家有年龄限制，三十多了不让上小学。我愤懑：没上过大学的老头儿可以考上大学读本科读硕士读博士人人称颂，没上过新加坡小学的怪蜀黍为什么不能在新加坡上小学呢!?）
Phase 2A1b - 我们不在该所学校上班，又怎能爬到学校高层管理。又或者，我辞职，来南侨应聘，削尖脑袋进入教育界，在两年半之内爬到金字塔尖上。。。试问我在现今这个行业都干了快八个年头了，都没熬上中层，怎么在两年半爬到尖上捏。。。
Phase 2A2a - 见1和2A1a. 没法整。
Phase 2A2b - 见2A1b前一半。不能整。做教员倒简单，但抛开转业的pay cut不说，做教师之前需要先在NIE National Institute of Education 也就是国立师范学院培训个一两年，之后教育部决定把你扔在哪个学校就扔在哪儿。平均来讲，扔回我们家楼下学校的可能性只有1/200, 折腾一大遭还不如直接在2C抽签。
Phase 2Ba - 学校志愿者！这个看上去有搞头！
Phase 2Bb - 教会会馆不就是入个帮派吗！看上去好像并非不可能！
Phase 2Bc - 要做居委会大妈为社区建设添砖加瓦! 这个虽然有点那啥，倒是可以考虑。
Phase 2C - 这一阶段，就挺被动了，好点的学校抽签率很低。
Phase 2C S - 这一阶段，更被动了，好点的学校都轮不到这一阶段就没位置了。
Phase 3 - 好学校到不了这阶段。外国人们自己拼杀吧。。。
综上所述，Phase 1 和 Phase 2A 就不用看了。2C往后基本也就属于自暴自弃型了。只能考虑在2B上做文章
Phase2Ba - 我发邮件给南侨小学，历数我与贤妻的各类技能资源甚至歪才，热烈申请加入光荣的家长志愿者队伍。一天天一周周过去，邮件悠悠沉入大海。于是打电话给南侨小学，问怎样才能光荣入伍。答曰，志愿者的事儿已经不归南侨小学管了，请联络福建会馆。（注：南侨小学是新加坡福建会馆Singapore Hokkien Huay Kuan 简称 SHHK旗下附属之六所学校之一）。于是联络福建会馆，答曰，若要做南侨小学家长志愿者，需要先成为福建会馆会员。得，直接去下一个Phase。Phase2Ba, Knock Out!
Phase2Bb - 要成为福建会馆会员，除了会费和经常参加会馆活动以外，最重要的一条就是，要证明自己是福建裔。此处省略五百个惊叹号。我是吉林地，太太是苏州地。我的娃，怎，么，是，福，建，地。细查下去，孩子妈妈那边是哪里人无所谓，因为只看孩子爸爸这边。我绞尽脑汁，并google 来google去，地铁上，办公室里，公园内外，我思来想去的都是“how to prove I am a hokkien”，怎么证明我是福建人。我翻看了新加坡同事的身份证，嘁，上面又没有宗乡一栏。据说再老几代的新加坡身份证上，是有注明的。又问别的新加坡同事，据说出生证明上是有写的。好另类啊，就像问我血型，我说我是吉林A啊。你那？你说，我Hokkien O啊！还Hokkien O Siew Dai 那！连血糖一并注明了，多明了。我也曾龌龊的想，虽然当初申请永久居民PR什么的时候，我爸的身份证和护照都交给新加坡ZF了，可没交过我爷爷的呀，要不找根天朝电线杆，按上面的130号码拨过去，两百块大洋肯定能搞掂我爷爷的福建身份证，或者干脆更查无此人地出具某乡派出所我爷爷被福建人领养的证明。顺藤摸瓜，我不也就名正言顺进福建会馆了嘛。我儿不就进南侨小学了嘛。再后来，觉得此想法虽可行，但实在太数典忘宗，太败坏祖上，就算在纸头上也还是保留我儿的纯正东北血统吧。Phase2Bb, K.O.!
Phase2Bc - 在心中默念九遍：我真的要做居委会大妈吗？我真的要做居委会大妈吗？。。。孩子，爹为了能让你在十里挑一的小学入学的命运大抽奖中把中奖率由1/4提高到5/12，爹这就上路，去居委会表忠心了。
于是我现在成为了社区居委会一名光荣的试用人员。
夜深人静，拍着躺在床上渐渐入睡的大娃，望着我们这栋楼跟南侨小学隔出的一小片星空，心说娃呀，今后你要还是进不了南侨，又由于没进好的小学而导致没进名中学名大学，我起码可以问心无愧地，像港剧里的医生一样虽具专业精神却又于事无补地说：对不起，我们已经尽力了。
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)