So I contemplated for a long while before replying my interest in interviewing Fabrice Grinda., CEO and founder of OLX.

In my reply, I told them that I am neither a tech savvy person nor an economic expert. The interview was arranged a few days later.

So on Friday night, after putting Malcolm to bed, I logged onto MSN. I began the chat with a brief introduction of myself and told him a little about this site. My main reason for the interview was to understand the challenges he faced as a self made entrepreneur and also to understand how his chldhood might have helped to shape him into what he is today.

Many time during the chat, I was blown away by this man’s determination and perseverance in achieving his goals and making things happen. His story has inspired me, a lot and I hope you may draw inspiration from his story as well.

And he quoted
Goethe: “Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it.”

1. What were you like when you were a child ?
I was born in Paris and grew up in Nice. When I was a kid, I basically fell into computers. I was super studious and introverted otherwise and computers were a true passion. In a way it was luck. Because my passion actually turned out to be very practical in the future

2. Why did you choose to study in an American college when you were already doing so well in the French education system ?
I went to the US for college - Princeton because I loved the intellectual curiosity fostered by the American college system. In an education system like the one in France (or Singapore) which is very rigid and structured, there are lots of hours of class, but it’s not as creative and even challenging as the US for college.

3. What were the challenges you faced when you went over to Princeton and what did you learn from them ?
I could not believe that Nobel Prize winning professors had to have office hours!
My English was very limited and the difference in education system. I had a terrible French accent and probably the lowest English SAT score of anyone who got into Princeton. But I worked extremely hard at overcoming those challenges.
I underestimated the cultural challenge but in truth I thought the experience was fun. I had so much fun studying everything and anything - math, econ, the roman empire, molecular biology, etc. The intellectual freedom was incredibly liberating and energizing.
I realised that I had nothing to lose, I could always go back to France and do the “traditional path”.

4. Were you on scholarship when you study in Princeton ?
No. I had 4 jobs while I was studying. It definitely helped that at the time I was shy
All I did was work and study I was a tutor in math and econ, a TA in accounting, a consultant for the economectrics department and I ran a small computer export business

5. Was moving over to Princeton the biggest plunge you had taken ?
The biggest jump was probably not France to Princeton but McKinsey to startup.
Imagine - I had a fantastic high paying well regarded job and I decided to leave it for a startup
My parents thought I was crazy! They felt I was risking a fantastic job for something that would in most likelihood go under and as I had never failed in my life, it would crush me.

6. You managed to start a computer export business when you were in college and you grew your 25k to 300k in 2 years’ time from 1996 to 1998. Were you taught about money since a young age ?
Not really - my parents had several taboo topics. Money was never really discussed, I just observed it. It helped that my dad was a businessman but we never truly discussed it. I just learned from the environment and frankly hands on learning.
The best way to learn something is often just to do it and ask for advice from others with more experience. Several of my older friends ran computer stores and they helped and it also helped that computers were my passion.

7. Was it because of your passion that prompted you to go into internet business ?
Yes and no. I have 9 business selection criteria to help select what business I want to do. Some of them include:
A scalable business - which the Internet is perfect for
Another is: “Do something you love” - and I truly love technology so the Internet was a natural fit.
When I became an Internet entrepreneur in 1998, it definitely felt like I was “at the right time, with the right skills”

8. Since your passion is computers, why not a computer programmer instead ?
The thought crossed my mind, but I did not think it was scalable - as a computer programmer you are limited by the number of hours you can work. As an entrepreneur, the potential is limitless. I love programming, but I love building a company and product even more.

9. Is being an entrepreneur your childhood dream ?
My childhood dreams were not specifically to become an entrepreneur. That’s why my heroes were always people like Octavian/Augustus, George Washington, Alexander Hamilton, Bill Gates.
Given my interest in computers Bill Gates and others of that generation were definitely role models I considered becoming an Economic professor but I felt that I would have a stronger contribution to the world as an entrerpeneur.

10. Was the American Dream part of the reason for choosing Princeton ?
I went to study at Princeton to be able to study everything and anything with some of the smartest people! Pursuing the American Dream was indirect. It was the reason to stay in the US. Princeton was both a means to the American Dream and a fantastic learning experience. I value intellectual pursuits for the sheer pleasure of the intellectual stimulation

11. Were you drill to study hard when you were young ?
No my brothers did not study hard. I just LOVED studying. I LOVED learning. It came naturally and easily. It felt like the right thing to do.

12. What do you think of parents pushing for academic excellence in their children ?
Pushing a child is not necessarily a bad thing. Having high expectations of kids usually pushes them positively.

13. Do you think that academic excellence is the ticket to success in life ?
On average students earn an extra 8% of income per extra year of studying. It leads to high paying jobs - consulting, banking, programming, lawyesr, doctors. So on average it leads to more successful lives.
HOWEVER The most successful entrepreneurs are often the C students or the college drop outs. If you have something to lose - say a high paying job you are less likely to want to take risks by becoming an entrepreneur. Whereas the C students have less to lose so end up often taking more risks and succeeding more. In my case, Princeton led to McKinsey which definitely helped me become a better entrepreneur.

14. Do you think creativity can be taught in school ?
It’s hard to teach creativity - it comes from the environment and structure you create and in countries where
“following the rules” is culturally entrenched it will take time to change. However, with time, I am sure they can succeed. Look at the boom in entrepreneurship in China which only 30 years ago was conformist!

15. What do you think are the main qualities to be an entrepreneur ?
Grit, tenacity, passion, attention to detail.
Grit and tenacity are key - you need to see it through and want to succeed no matter what. Too many people give up too early.
Note that I did not mention intelligence. Sometimes intelligence gets in the way because instead of just testing everything you keep looking and thinking of the perfect solution so it is actually alot to do with character of a person. Especially on the Internet a lot is done through trial and error and I am convinced that can be taught. So when a kid does something well you should always tell him: “good work” instead of “you are so smart” this way when he hits a roadblock he does not think he is not smart enough but merely that he did not work hard enough

16. What has been the toughest part with your startups ?
The hardest thing changed dramatically from startup to startup. For the eBay of Europe it took me 6 months to find the idea, but I would not say it was that hard. Raising money was not extremely hard because it was the Internet bubble days and money was easier to raise. For that company it was probably hiring and managing people. I was 23, I had no experience, I made countless hiring mistakes!
For Zingy, the next startup - raising money and convincing the phone companies was the hardest. It was impossible to raise money because the bubble had burst and people hated telecom and consumer businesses and large phone companies are hard to deal with.

17. Which is the real you, an introvert or an extrovert ?
The current me is the real me
I was an extrovert stuck in the body of an introvert

18. You believe that personality can be changed. How did you do it ?
It’s HARD but if you really want to change you can change. It’s similar to the way I learned English. 2 words a day every day. I definitely wish I had been less shy when I was young, but that’s ok

19. Did you learn determination and perseverance through sports when you were young ?
I always had it though i loved skiing and tennis as a kid

20. So you don’t usually give up? or do you ?
When I realize I am wrong or that it’s not going to work no matter what - but really only after trying extremely hard

21. Imagine you having an idea where everyone says no, will you still go ahead ?
Absolutely. Everytime I started a business people said it was a terrible idea! When I created Aucland, the eBay of france people said:
We don’t care about collectibles like these crazy americans
We have minitel, we won’t use internet
We don’t have a garage sale culture etc.
When I created Zingy in the US people said the same thing: It’s only crazy Europeans and asians who like ringtones etc.

22. So was it about proving them wrong ?
No . It’s not to prove them wrong. It’s to do what I think is right.

23. So does people still say no to your ideas now ?
Of course. I have a lot of ideas Many are going to be wrong. It’s always good to hear people out but if I am convinced it will work, I will still do it There are several types of advice.
Those who say: “It will never work” are usually wrong.
Those who give you advice about how to improve what you are doing, how to approach it differently - that’s usually good advice
In other words “positive advisors” are valuable. Negative advisors are not.

24. What advice do you have for those who wish to start a business but were held back because they can’t get pass the ‘WhatIfs” ?
The good news is that it often does not cost much to start a business. My recommendation is usually just to try it. If it works great. If it fails it was a learning experience. You learned something interesting AND you also have no regrets. You don’t want to be someone who is 90 and thinks “I wish I had done…” Lead live with no regrets! If you do that you WILL make mistakes but you will be glad you tried.
Well it’s like being rejected. You try something that fails and then you realize it’s not a big deal! You are still there. You still have your family. Your friends. Your health. Maybe you lost a little bit of self esteem but you did not really lose anything. So it’s worth a shot. I know the first step is scary but once you get started it takes a momentum of its own and you are too busy to be scared!

25. I realise that you have a lot of your own questions answered. Which do you do more, read or reflect ?
Both. But I definitely read a lot of nonfiction - especially biographies and I network with other entrepreneurs so I learn from them. The power of introspection. It’s very important to know yourself. You can read this

26. How do you describe yourself other than being an entrepreneur ?
I would like to believe I am more than an entrepreneur - I am also a student and lover of life and a wannabee Renaissance man!

27. Are you more of a rational or an emotional person ?
I am very passionate and can feel intense emotions, BUT I am supremely rational. For topics I know a lot about: I trust my instincts. For topics I don’t know a lot about: I trust logic

28. What are your fears ? How do you manage them ?
I hate the fact that we are mortal or the fact that we age. But I face it.

29. What are your failures ?
Well I had lots of small failures. Some companies I invested in failed. And many times within the overall success story I failed to do a deal, to raise money, etc. At the end you look back and say: “It was a success” but I did not know ahead of time how it would pan out.

30. What advice do you have for aspiring young entrepreneurs ?
Just do it! Create your company and pursue your dream. Try it out. You have nothing to lose! And don’t give up! Keep trying until you figure it out!

Note : Fabrice maintains a blog at Musings of An Entrepreneur
Here are 3 interesting articles from his blog
How it all began
How he raised his very first round of financing
Graduating from College: Starting your own business or joining an established company?

I interviewed Fabrice Grinda, the CEO and founder of OLX

The request came together with the email
to share their business with readers of this site
I contemplated for days
I couldn’t decide
or more like
I wasn’t confident of doing it

Then came my husband advice
‘You need to scare yourself once in a while’
and thus this

I can’t describe how nervous I was

I did my homework
YET
I couldn’t stop my heart from throbbing
my hands from sweating
my feet from turning cold

I was stumped for words
I kept going back and forth my list of questions
I could hardly concentrate
and it was not even face to face
it was JUST MSN live chat !

and in case you are wondering why
Why was I such a wreck
here’s why …

because
I was that little girl
in your elementary class
whom you could hardly recall

the one who rarely muttered a word in class
the one who would sit in the most remote corner of the class
the one who wished that the ground would swallow her up
whenever a teacher started calling names
to read
to write
or to answer

the one who struggled in her English lesson
the one who risked losing her place in university because of this subject

the one who had to attend remedial lesson for GP
the one who was appointed as the GP representative
not because she was the brightest in that subject
not because she was the most outspoken
not because she possessed some outstanding leadership qualities
in fact
on the contrary
it was the opposite of ALL the above

and in case you are still not getting it
it is okay

All I really want to say is
By my own standard
THIS IS A BIG DEAL
and I am glad I did it.

It crossed my mind

but I was defeated

even though my favourite line was

Nothing is Impossible

I lack the equipment

which in this case

the ESSENTIALS

Then they have to show this poster here

which made me craved over it for nights

it was UNBEARABLE !

And then …

like a spark of genius

I realised that

maybe I COULD

and the rest was history …

So now I shall thus add

Desperation Creates Possibilities

Desperadoes, here you go !

Recipe for Chwee Kueh (improvised from Auntie Jess’s recipe)

Ingredients

Rice Cake
200g rice flour
1.5 tbsp tang mien fen or tapioca flour
200 ml cold water
800 ml hot water
1 tsp salt
3/4 tbsp oil
3/4 tsp sugar

Method
1. Mix the flours.
2. Add in cold water
3. Then add in boiling water, salt, oil and sugar.
4. Prepare moulds in steamer.
5. Stir thoroughly and pour into warmed moulds.
6. Steam for approx 10min.

Radish
300 gms Chai Por
4 shalots
2 cloves garlic
1 tsp salt (optional)
1 tbsp sugar (optional)

To do:
Saute onions, garlic and in chai por. Fry till fragrant.
Add in salt and sugar.
Serve with chwee kueh.

We will be heading back home in a few months’ time and as much as I am looking forward to returning home, I dread going through my long list of to-do-items. It is getting so long that it is freaking me out. There are the things that are really urgent and need to be sorted out.  I can’t wait and I want to get started as soon as possible, right away, even when I am stuck on the other side of the globe.

A few days ago I received an email from a lady from OLX asking me whether I am interested in sharing their business with readers of this site.

My first reaction after reading the email was, HOW DID THEY KNOW ?!

I am frantically trying to look for a place to stay when we go back and we need to urgently get a car as my husband’s workplace is tucked in the remotest, most rural corner of the island, away from the buzz, away from civilisation.

And just when I was fretting over these, over how to get things started, I received this email.
It is like an answer to my question, a solution to my problem.

For those who are as ignorant as ME, OLX is a global online classifieds community with more features than old school Craigslist and Ebay.  I was quite surprised to find out that OLX is available in 84 countries and 36 languages and it is based in New York and has offices in Buenos Aires.

Overall, I like their interface as it is simple, clean, uncluttered and user friendly.  I can’t tell you how many times I get turned off by sites that are not.  For the geek in me, I was also glad to find out that they allow rich text posting using their WYSIWYG interface.  What this means is that I can customise my ad like  how I customise my blog.

If you have yet to  renounce social networking sites , OLX allows you to display your listings on your Facebook or Myspace profile, which help to increase exposure for your ad.

And if you are one who surf the internet using phone, OLX allows you to do everything via your phone, from browsing, listing to replying messages to your ads. For me, this may have to wait till the day I own a really smart phone.

Currently, postings on OLX will appear for a maximum of 365 days unless users remove them from listing or mark them as sold. This means that we may be looking at ads that are outdated. Personally I think it will be good to make it mandatory for user to set the duration for the ads to be active like how ebay does for their listing.

OLX claims to have 50 million unique visitors worldwide. But I doubt it has much exposure in Singapore as I think in Singapore, the classified ads in the daily newspapers still command the greatest exposure considering our local habits. It will probably take OLX quite a bit of marketing and publicity to break into the local market.

I must confess though, as a typical housewife, what REALLY attracts me to OLX is that
IT IS TOTALLY FREE !
and they plan to remain so FOREVER !
You don’t even need to register an account with them to start listing!

I remember how I was lured to a local classified site, only to be charged a month later for my listing. I don’t blame them, that’s business.

Having said all these, we are going to try and sell our car here in Paris on this site among others and compare the number of responses we get.

At the end of the day, the invasion of OLX might not be good news for local internet classifieds, as they now face stiffer competition from this global giant. It is a cruel reality but survival of the fittest is a known fact.

As consumers, we shall sit back and reap the benefits of this competition.

For those who are interested in what OLX has to offer, check out their news release here.

Spring is here
It started over the weekend
on 21st March

Spring brings spring showers
nourishing the earth
where mossy greens sprout

Spring marks the end of winter
bringing an end to cold winter nights
days are now as long as the nights

It is a time for new life
where flowers bloom
and birds sing

It is a time for outdoor fun
head off to the park
with picnic basket packed with lunch

It is a time where children chuckle and laugh
running bare feet
blowing bubbles
and rolling in the grass

Awwww
I know I am going to miss you already, Spring.

Haven’t we all heard how tourists often fall prey to pickpockets in big cities ? We read, we take precautions and we think we are safe from evil hands.

And there I was, about to rejoice over our peaceful stay in Europe when yesterday, the inevitable happened.

We were on our way home from the library. Inside the metro station, I was lugging a bagful of books and pulling my son’s roller scooter along. Somehow, I had decided to leave my sling pouch together with the bagful of books. The sling pouch is where I usually put my personal belongings.

While we were going through the turnstile, I noticed a tall African man lurking behind me. He was hoping to get through the turnstile at the same time as us, without a ticket. He failed, for there was no way for the narrow turnstile to accommodate a boy, a scooter, a woman, a big bag AND A BIG MAN !

Somehow, I felt that the man was up to more evil than just trying to get through the turnstile illegally. He could have jolly well jumped over if he was really desperate to board the train. I have seen people do that before.

Feeling suspicious, I searched through my pockets to make sure that my purse was still there. It was there and I was too busy with both my hands, helping Malcolm down a flight of stairs to turn around to check on the man. Anyway, I knew he was still caught on the other side of the turnstile. My purse was in my right pocket, my handphone was in my left together with the house keys. All my valuable belongings were in my pocket that day, for convenience sake.

All was well, I thought. Never did I expect that it was during that short instant, the man had skillfully fished out my sling pouch from my bag without me feeling a thing.

So I WAS PICKPOCKETED AFTERALL, right under my nose!

I lost a made-in-Thailand hand-me-down sling pouch
heaps of tissue paper, used and new
and a precious nail clipper from Switzerland

I hope the loot made the crook VERY happy!

BLEH!

IS THROUGH HIS STOMACH !!!

and you know they really LOVE it when they lick their plate CLEAN !!!

Or

it may be because

…

……

……..

WE REALLY MISS SINGAPORE FOOD !!!

Singapore Hokkein Prawn Noodle

Ingredients

Handful of yellow round noodles

Handful of white round noodles

2 bunch of asian chives

Lard (optional)

2 eggs

10 prawns

fried fish cake

bean sprout

3 cloves of garlic

fish sauce

salt

Ingredients for prawn stock

1/2 kg prawn heads peeled

some pork ribs

1 onion chopped

2 cloves garlic chopped

3 bowls of water

oyster sauce

salt

oil

Method

A. Prawn Stock

1. Heat up oil in stock pot

2. Brown garlic

3. Add in onion and cook till soften

4. Add in prawn heads and lightly stir fry

5. Add oyster sauce and salt

6. Add water and bring to boil

7. Add in pork ribs

8. Cover and let it simmer for an hour or till soup reduce to 1 bowl

B. Preparation of Noodle

1. Bring to boil a pot of water

2. Cook both noodles in boiling for a few minutes

3. Remove noodles from pot and drain under cold running water

Prawn Noodle

1. Heat up wok

2. Add in lard, cook till lard turn crispy and brown

3. Add some oil if desired

4. Brown garlic

5. Cook prawn and remove it from wok

6. Crack eggs into wok and fry till fragrant

7. Add in fish cake and stir fry

8. Add in noodles in B, chives and bean sprout

9. Add fish sauce and salt, continue stir fry.

10. Add prawn stock in A, cover and let it cook at low heat for about 5 minutes, stir occasionally

11. Add in cooked prawn and mix

12. Cook till sauce reduce and noodle soften

Serve 2 adults and 1 very hungry kid

For Perfection : Serve with balacan chilli and lime !

My boy has his own bag when we travel
When he was younger
we got him a pull along miniature luggage
it was a red one
an Elmo one

Now that he had outgrown his Elmo
we got him a back pack
a green one
with army prints

It comes with a main compartment
a front compartment
and 2 side pockets

Each time we travel
He will pack his own luggage
with his favourite things
a bagful of LEGO
big and small

He loves it
He loves packing his favourite things

Big chunks in the main section
Small chunks in the front section
and more chunks sticking out from the sides
It looks BULKY and MESSY and DISORGANIZE
and of course it doesn’t pass our inspection
and I have to shift some of his pieces
to ‘neaten’ it
so that carrying will be easier

I used to do so
SECRETLY
when he was asleep
so that he won’t realize a thing

The next morning when he woke up
he would screamed, MADLY
‘MUMMY! WHERE ARE MY THINGS ?!’

I swear
I did not remove anything
all I did was
‘reorganize’

After a lot of explanation, sorries and tears
I learned that
Big Chunks = Tank Bodies
Small Chunks = Tank Barrels
Chunks sticking out from right pocket = handheld pistols
Chunks sticking out from left pocket = mini planes
He knows where he put his pieces so that he can reach for them easily while strapped in his car seat

What seem to us as a mess is actually his way of organizing.

Order in Disorder
maybe it does exist
in a child’s world

Will a painter paint when nobody appreciates ?
Will a dancer dance when she never stands on center stage ?
Will a player play when he is only good for reserve bench ?
Will a writer write when nobody reads ?

praise
recognition
fame
status
gains

these are the obvious that will spur one on
rob the memory of how it once began
a humble start from pure simple joy

Lures and temptations
Desire and wants
Tough to resist
Hard to stay true

but a truly passionate
will eventually come through

To the painter who paints without an admirer
To the dancer who never takes on center stage
To the player who never plays in the field
To the writer who writes without an audience

To the one who stays true
I salute
I thank You
I learn

Survivor Cook
I am one

Cook
Not for a passion
but for a cause

because there are mouths to be fed
because there are cravings to be satisfied
because I am not the adventurous sort
to down a chunk of moldy fromage
and bleeding red steak haché
because home cooked meals beat take-aways
ANYTIME
FLAT

MSG enhanced, greasy soaked, artificially flavoured
Oblivious
Delusion
It’s easy for the demon to win the fight

Yet
A survivor cook is all it takes
to turn it around
and hear the angels sing once more

Actually it is all because ….

I REALLY LOVE THIS PICTURE !!

Spices used for my Vietnamese beef stewed noodle
I called it an ‘adventurous’ recipe loaded with spices!

This is the first time I am doing this. I was tagged by Tin, Rachel and Ruth

The rules are:
1. Go to your Picture Folder on your computer or wherever you store your pictures.
2. Go to the 6th Folder and then pick the 6th Picture.
3. Post it on your blog and tell the story that goes with the picture.
4. Tag 5 other glorious people to do the same thing and leave a comment on their blog telling them about it.

So here it is

It was my birthday in 2005. We flew over to Bali for a week.
We had been to Bali several times before Malcolm came along, but this was the first time that we travelled as a family of 3.
Malcolm was 13 month old and it was the first time he flew in a plane.
I only started blogging when Malcolm was 17 month old so I do not have any records on this trip but I do have tons of pictures.

We love Bali for its food, its surf, its volcano and its greens and padi fields. I remember boarding an old fishing boat at Sanur before day break just to catch the dolphins.

I remember Made’s Warung at kuta area, a restaurant that we frequent when we were there. They served really yummy authentic spicy Indonesian food in big portion at reasonable price. I remember talking to a backpacker who was in Bali for several months and he told us that he ate there everyday!

I think this picture was taken at Made’s Warung. Malcolm tasting Coke for the first time! NO, he did not have the whole bottle, just a sip! Since most Indonesian food are spicy, we ended up ordering something that looks like instant noodles for him.

Malcolm is a rather fussy eater and it is always a challenge to travel with him. He has become a seasoned traveler by now and can sit in his car seat all by himself for a 8-9 hours drive. Looking back, I think we have come quite a long way when it comes to traveling with him.

I am tagging all readers of this site who is keen in playing along. Do drop me a note so that I could pop over to read your photo story.

cooking up a good meal
giving the house a good clean up 
trying something new
stopping procrastination

jogging, swimming
dancing, blading
music

a good workout
a good chat
a good read

Me, myself and I

these are the things that will lift me up

what about you ?

when any black and white portrait of a man
who wears a short mustache is
HITLER

We were at the library
out from the rest room
between those book shelves
he saw a Hitler look-alike
and had to exclaim

I know it is not funny
but I can’t help but laugh
and remind him of his ‘library voice’

He is into World War 2 recently
It started off as
Curiosity over the Machines used
the German Bismarck, the Japanese Yamato
the American Mustang, the German ME262
the German V2 ballistic missiles, the American atomic bomb

Then there were the countries
Germany, Japan, Russia, Britain, America
next came the Axis and the Allies
and how it all started
with Mr Adolf Hitler and his party

When we meet up with Daddy’s Japanese colleagues
he had to ask about Yamato and the kamikaze pilots
somehow I cringed
a 4 year old and World War 2

All was good
for the interrogation was brief

Now I worry
what will happen
when he meet up with Daddy’s German colleagues

Maybe I should ban his history books

We were at the Paris Agricultural Fair where you get to see thousands of livestock animals, farmers and sample fresh farm products which include cheese, wine, foie gras and escargots.

This event is held annually and it is the most popular fair in Paris. It is a rare chance for urban kids, who grow up in weary tiny apartments and overcrowded metro car, to make contacts with farm animals and farming techniques.

We sampled so much food, wine and juices that our tummies hurt. Then we danced to the lively music of Martinique. Audience crowding around the live band, dancing and swaying to the beat of the music. Drunk by the music in broad day light. And of course Mal had to be on his toes with such lively music. He had to be right in front of the crowd, right in front of the stage where the band performed, shaking his bom bom.

Somehow, I get the impression that this island in the eastern Carribean sea is a happy place to live in. The music, the people,  a resort island which Singapore never was and perhaps, never will be.

Admist the dancing, the people started distributing juices. Mal wanted to get some so I let him do so. About 1/2 a mintue or so after Mal moved away, the crowd started to move as well. Everyone was swooning towards the drink area and I realised that I had lost sight of Mal.

I shouted at my husband, I pushed at the crowd then shouting at my husband again to stay where he was in case Malcolm was there.

I barged onto the stage, hoping to get a better view. The people on stage asked me why and I just signaled to them Mal’s height, my frantic way of telling them that I AM LOOKING FOR MY CHILD! I was close to grabbing the microphone and shouting into it when I decided to run around some more.

I knew he was somewhere around for we just lost sight of him for a while. But everyone was so tall and huge and my boy was so little and there was no way I could see him.
Maybe someone had taken him
Maybe he panicked when he couldn’t find us and started running away.
My mind was swarmed with crazy thoughts.
I was a wreck, in total distress.

Then I saw my husband’s head again, popping out from the crowd. He caught sight of me and from the distance, I was searching through his face for an answer.
‘You have found him ?’
‘Mal is with you ?’
‘No, you didn’t ?’
And when I finally got nearer and lowered my eyes
I saw my little, yet not so little boy clutching onto daddy’s hand.

He didn’t look half as shakened
And the first thing he said was
‘I COULDN’T GET THE ORANGE JUICE!!!’

I guess he didn’t really think he had lost us
and he insisted on staying on for more music.

Note : I remember how I wish that someone could invent some kind of toddler/kid tracker, maybe something like a GPS where parents can track where their toddlers are so that they will never lose them in busy shopping malls or supermarkets!

He called these his latest invention

Air and space craft engines
that can bring Mama to the moon
to space, to Pluto, to Orion and even underwater

They can travel faster than the speed of sound
and even faster than the speed of light
To be exact
they can travel 3 X the speed of light
and if speed of light is 2 X the speed of sound
that will make these engines travel at 6 X the speed of sound

These engines can be fueled by ANYTHING
even RUBBISH!
Metal, plastic, paper, water, air, solar, concrete, peanut butter and jam

First you stuff these rubbish into the fuel tank
then you grind it
then you turn on the engine
set to full power
a liquid call ‘EZABENE’ will be pumped
to turn the rubbish into gas
that will not pollute the air

and OFF WE GO !