We are very lucky to be staying in Toa Payoh. This is because our estate is surrounded with children's playgrounds that cater to different age. Just below our block is Yee Sinn's favourite hunt because it comes with 2 swings and slides. Also, that's where she'll meet her regular friends on most evenings.

Just across a small service road is a stretch of new 40 storey blocks, and of course it comes with newer facilities - 3 brand new playgrounds!! At the extreme end is a playground with "Spider Webs" and slides for bigger boys and girls. We will sometimes bring her to another at the middle of the stretch that was designed for toddlers like Yee Sinn. It comes with 3 slides, a few "tunnels" and a bouncy tortise and horse. Actually, though newer, we prefer to hang out at the old and rundown playground just downstairs because the kids, parents and the maids are so much more friendlier.

Yee Sinn has made many friends since we started to bring her down. The boys there usually call her "Mei Mei" and often show-off their naughty tricks to amuse her. There is usually a group of Indonesian maids chatting at the benches and they will also look out for Yee Sinn as she plays on the slides. Since we started bringing her to the playground many months back, Yee Sinn has became more sociable. I noticed that she'll now take the first step to be near other kids instead of just sitting in a corner watching them play. Bringing her down to the playground every evening is one of the simple joy that I enjoy doing after a hard day's work.