How the first day of school went.

On the last day of school holidays, we took the kids to Gold Coast... Morib Resort, which deserved to be a post on its own. Then again, there wasn't much to tell other than a tutorial on flying a kite in the vast beach.

After spending a whole afternoon with a nice breezy cloudy weather, didi and meimei slept in the car on the way home which journey took almost a whole hour and slightly more.

And that was why these two couldn't sleep until pretty late, though I got them to bed by 9.

I myself was so exhausted that I knocked off at 11, thereafter awoke with a bad tummyache at 2am and had to hurry to the loo. Went back to sleep again pretty soon but again, had the urge at 5+, which was about the time to wake the kids up anyway.

The morning was smooth sailing, traffic was expectedly chaotic, but I would say, it's not as bad as last year, same time, same occasion. Meimei was rather upbeat for her first day of school, smiling and yakking away. The other 2 boys were entirely the opposites. Being in the traffic snarl slowly inching to the school for 2km or so, I was getting a bit impatient too.

As usual, I would just relax listening to Hitz FM, but meimei was really interrupting the whole works! It gets much annoying to one point, so I told her to sit quietly for awhile. Then again, I felt bad for attempting to spoil her upbeat mood. *pout*

Finally reached the school after 45 mins, which would have taken 5 mins under no traffic condition (just for a comparison), and dropped the kids off at school's backside. I was thinking of just driving home straight but then I saw that I could park the car at the roadside somehow. Seeing noone around to tell me no cars were allowed there, I parked, got down hurriedly and went to check on the little girl.

When I got to her classroom, she was standing outside, trying to figure out her next step for the rest of the Pri 1 were already in the school hall. I should have just peeped and see what she would do, but I just impromptu showed up and smiled, took her hand to lead her to where her gang was.

All the parents later were shoo-ed out from the school hall, and seeing no point staying around anymore, I went on home to enjoy my peaceful morning finally.

Fast forward to near school dismissal time, I went earlier to beat the crowd. Of course there was already a crowd, but there was still ample parking space. Went in and met a few parents, chatted while we wait together. The sky was turning dark and soon, it was pouring!

I had no umbrellas with me so I thought might as well, let the kids just eat their lunches at the canteen while we wait for the rain to subside. Meimei's ballet friend's mom was around too and I suggested to her that she wait for me with the kids at the basement carpark while I take my car and then I would drive her and her kid to her car which was parked much further away. She was so happy that she agreed immediately, cos I think she too felt uncomfortable walking in the rain with her dotter in the wet narrow road full with cars.

When I went to take my car, bugger, I was so ripped off! A malay guy was standing at the parking entrance, collecting so to say, carpark fees! THREE bucks!!! I was so so blardy pissed. First, there's no signboard saying we have to pay, which if there is, I would NOT have parked there. Then, it's blardy hell 3 bucks!!!! What is that? Daylight extortion!!!

But it was raining, and the cars were moving slow and I was afraid of him! So, I paid ever so unwillingly and cursed like mad. Cursed at the land owner, if it's real, or cursed at that malay guy, who might just be a hoax and grab the opportunity to make some real easy money.

Anyway, I told myself, no way I'm going to park in there again, unless it's confirmed that it's FREE and I just treat it as a sedekah for a beggar! May him drown in pee if he's really a hoax!

Traffic was mad crazy, as the Q was still so long even after 1 hour after dismissal time. I could imagine the frustrations. What a first day of school for parents! Totally not fun at all dealing with a rainy weather. To the kids, they are still sulking holiday time is over!