by Nicodidiary

  My 9th Birthday Oh yay, my 9th birthday is just around the corner! Hip, hip, hooray! To celebrate this special occasion, my mum had a surprise in store for me and my brother. She whisked us away to the Lexis Hibiscus hotel in Port-Dickson. Can you believe it? A birthday party at a beachfront hotel! I was beyond thrilled! On the 17th of October, we embarked on our adventure. You see, my actual birthday, or B-day for short, was on the 18th of October. The anticipation was building up as we checked into our room. And oh my, let me tell you, it was a room fit for a birthday girl for sure! The cherry on top? A private swimming pool! Now, here is the thing about pools. Most of the time, I still need a floaty to keep me afloat. But guess what? In this pool, my feet could actually touch the bottom! It was a magical feeling, being able to stand on my own two feet underwater. Let me roll back a little bit. We kicked off our adventure by buying some beach essentials during our drive to the hote

The Tioman Camp Not so long ago, my brother and I went on a thrilling adventure to a camp on Tioman Island in Malaysia. This camp was unlike anything we had ever experienced before, with its focus on ocean projects and a wide array of exciting activities by the ocean. To reach the island, we hopped aboard a ferry. Thankfully, we had taken seasickness pills beforehand, ensuring a very comfortable ride. The ferry journey fascinated me, but halfway through, I decided to catch some z’s and take a little nap. Once we reached the island, we hopped into a 4x4 truck that took us to the hotel where we would be staying during the nights because we were day campers. Meaning we would be spending the days at the campsite and returning to our hotel at nights. I had read so much about outdoor adventure camps, but seeing one in person was a whole new level of thrill. Our room at the resort was numbered 411, and I could not help but notice two peculiar decorations. One was an unframed picture on a canv

  Baking Alone(almost) Have you ever taken a bus all by yourself, with no adult by your side? Do you remember how old you were when you had your very first unsupervised bus adventure? Oh shoot! It’s rare these days for children to experience public transport on their own. But let me tell you, I absolutely love it! Even if it’s just a short trip near my house, it feels like a grand adventure filled with endless possibilities and the chance to meet new people. For me, my thrilling bus adventure took place when I was a mere 6-year-old in a charming Swiss town. And you would not believe it, but I embarked on this daring journey with none other than my best friend, who was also just a 6-year-old like me. So, how did this incredible feat come to be? Well, it happened during one of my worldschooling trips to Switzerland. My brother, my mum, and I were staying with another worldschooling family who were our dear friends. One day, my best friend and I decided to learn to bake a cake together. M

  Makerspace Camping Let me tell you about the time my dad and I went camping on the roof of Makerbay, a makerspace nestled within an industrial building in Hong Kong. You see, I had expected us to go to a traditional campsite, but the idea of experiencing Makerbay at night intrigued me. Once we finished setting up, I settled down while my dad prepared supper in a pot he had brought along. After we enjoyed our meal, we entered the tent to sleep. However, we both found it difficult to fall asleep and soon realized it was because of the cold. Without hesitation, we decided to descend from the roof. We took down the tent and neatly packed away the sleeping bags. I helped gather the remaining items, and together we carried everything down to an empty office. Well, it was not entirely empty as there were shelves, a chair, a table, and a collection of other miscellaneous objects I cannot quite recall (besides a few plastic toys, I think there was a plastic yellow submarine in there). We re

  Mommy, are we homeless? Once upon a time (because it was just too long ago), my family had to spend the night at a forest school. You see, my parents were helping for the summer camp for this forest school in Hong Kong, and there was so much preparation to be done every day. While they were busy with their tasks, my brother also lent a hand, helping out with the teaching. As for me, I often found myself playing with the students during the day. It was a way to pass the time and keep myself entertained since my parents and brother were occupied with their responsibilities. I made friends with some of the students and together we played along the river and at the “Make and Ride” area. These little adventures helped me escape from the great boredom that threatened to engulf me. As evening fell and all the kids departed, my parents stayed back to prepare for the next day. My brother and I were left behind, sent off to sleep in the mostly empty forest school classroom. But here was the

  The Tree I Got Stuck In I have a vivid memory of the time when my family and I went to the UK (I am a worldschooler, remember?). During our visit, my brother and I stumbled upon a moderately tall tree in the park. Without hesitation, we decided to climb it. It seemed like a piece of cake, as I simply followed my brother’s lead. Little did I know that descending from the tree would prove to be quite a challenge. You see, I assumed that going down would be just as easy as going up. After all, why would it be harder? In my mind, gravity should make it even simpler. So, I confidently followed my brother’s moves, unaware of the predicament that awaited us. As we tried different routes to climb down, none of them seemed to work. We were getting in each other’s way, growing increasingly frustrated. Part of me was thrilled by the unexpected adventure, as I had always imagined what it would be like to face such a situation (not that I had thought of how to get out of the tree since all the

 I Collected Small Things You know, I have always had a liking for picking up small treasures from outside, like twigs, leaves, and little flowers. They may seem like ordinary things to others, but to me, they hold a special magic. I love finding new ways to play with them and discovering their hidden potential. However, it often happens that I wake up to find my mum or dad has thrown them away, considering them nothing more than garbage. It saddens me because to me, they are tiny treasures, full of wonder and possibility. I never really liked it when they threw away parts of my little collection, but I did not express my annoyance much. I did mention to them that I did not appreciate it, though. Thankfully, I always managed to find new treasures in the end, which brought a sense of joy and relief. Each one was unique in its own way, and although it made me a little sad that I could not keep the previous ones forever, it was also fascinating to witness the endless variety nature had t

  What Is It(To Me) To Be Perfect? What does it mean to be “perfect”? You might wonder. Well, to be honest with you, I am not really sure. I knew I was not perfect, and I did not know anyone who is. I mean, if they were, they would have definitely told me, right? Although I am not sure I would have believed them anyway. But you know what? It did not bother me that nobody was perfect. We all have our own flaws, even me. That is okay! My mum always told me that nobody needed to be perfect. She said it was not about making everyone happy all the time, but rather, it was about being considerate and avoiding hurting others, especially the feelings of our family. And you know what? I thought she was right! But what about us kids? What did perfection mean to us? Well, I used to believe that I had to follow every instruction from my parents and everyone else around me in order to keep everyone happy. It was so tough to do that all the time. It made me sad when I could not live up to those e

  A look inside my mind You see, I am not just different from you in size, I am different in the way I act, speak, and most importantly, think. And I thought, hey, why not give you a little sneak peek into the mind of a kid like me? I have always had these mixed feelings about grown-ups. Sometimes I think they are a bit silly and just cannot understand me. But other times, having them around makes me really happy. It is a funny thing, you know? Every household has its own set of rules. And most households have kids, right? But sometimes, it is hard for adults to really remember what it is like to be a kid. They think it is all about protecting us and having lots of rules, even when it is just us kids in the house. I am not a big fan of rules, to be honest. It is like we do not know how to live in our own house. But we accept it because we love our parents so much. Yeah, we love them that much! Maybe, just maybe, in the name of love, grown-ups could loosen up a little and involve us

  What Is Chinese New Year To Me? Chinese New Year is a fascinating time for me, although I must admit, it can be quite confusing too! You see, for 362 days of the year, garbage is just garbage. But when Chinese New Year comes around, it is like magic happens. Suddenly, what used to be trash turns into precious gold! We have to keep it all nice and tidy, and then, the very next day, we have to throw it away. It is like a puzzling game of garbage transformations! I do not understand how adults and other Chinese people are not as confused as I am! Another thing that baffles me is the loud sounds. Normally, everyone thinks loud noises are just noise. But during those three days of Chinese New Year, loud noises are believed to bring prosperity. It is like a switch flips, and suddenly, the louder the better! It can be quite fun though because during this time, you can talk loudly without getting scolded. That part is kind of cool, I guess. One of the things I absolutely love about Chines