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Fun Times, Here I Come!
Dear Diary,
What a trip it was to Pulau Ubin! It was crazy. We got lost, but thanks to Ben and Pink, we made it back to camp. How can Sharon be so mean? She gave us the wrong map! Whatever. The best thing for me to do is to keep away from her. She is so toxic. But guess what? I got to ride the bus with Will. Well, it was a short ride but totally worth it! 
I lost to Sharon but won in the end. Yay for me...heeheehee. What else happened? The bus broke down and Uncle Seng came to the rescue with banana cake! School doesn’t seem that bad now. I’m even thinking of joining water polo! I’ve never had the chance to play water polo. Actually, I don’t know anyone who does. I’ve only seen it on TV when they play it at the Olympics. It can’t be that hard, right? And it sounds like fun. 
Anyway, Mom is still cooking away, but she is getting better at making local food, though I can’t really judge what’s good any more. All I know is that her laksa is delicious. Mom’s friends keep telling her that her dishes are as good as the ones at the hawker stalls and she should open a stall too. Knowing Mom, that’s what she’s planning to do next. Or maybe not, ‘cause I know Dad will be stuck doing the dishes. Dad hates doing dishes. LOL!
Dad has been able to sell a couple of homes, which is really great ’cause he’s new to the real estate business here. He says it’s because of his lucky tie. Grandma says it’s because he talks too much, people buy the homes just to shut him up! Hahaha. Grandma can be so mean to Dad, but I know that deep down, she really loves him. Also, Dad is drawing more. I think he’s working on a graphic novel or something.
And my dear brother Alex is still a pain. He goes on and on about animals and insects and how great the Singapore Zoo is. But sometimes he can be a good little brother... Sometimes.
Oh, and guess what? Dad promised to take us to Adventure Cove Waterpark during the next school holidays. Yay! It’s the coolest water park in the world...well, that’s what Pink says. She is coming with us—Ben too. Pink says that the park has a wave pool and amazing water slides. She’s been there once and loves it. It’s going to be soooo coooool. Water slides, here I come!
“Rosie!”
When she hears her name, Rosie turns around and sees Pink coming down the stairs. Her best friend sits herself down right next to her. “Writing about me again?” Pink asks.
“You know it!” Rosie answers. “This book wouldn’t be exciting at all without you in it!”
Pink grins. “You’re funny, Rosie. Hey, are we really going to the water park next month?”
“Yep, I can’t wait! It’s going to be lots of fun,” Rosie replies.
Rosie smiles as she nudges Pink with her elbow. “Ben can’t wait either, ha ha ha.”
“Oh, yeah right,” Pink says, pretending to be annoyed and looking away.
Just then, Rosie’s mom calls out. “Rose, can you come in and taste this?”
Rosie pokes her head out from behind the stair wall. “Sure, Mom. But I’m here with Pink—”
“Really? Even better,” Mom says. “Pink, can you come and try this too?”
The two girls jump up and walk over to Rosie’s flat. When they get to the front door, Rosie hesitates. “What are you doing?” Pink asks.
“I’ve learned from my dad that whenever Mom is cooking, it’s better to do a smell test first, to make sure it’s safe to enter,” Rosie says as she sniffs the air. “Mmm...okay, it’s safe. It’s actually very safe.”
Pink laughs, shaking her head as she follows Rosie into the kitchen. “What are you making, Auntie?” Pink asks.
“Curry puffs,” Mom replies. “I’ve just finished making the filling. Would you girls mind trying it and telling me what you think?”
“Mom, it smells great,” Rosie says, taking a small spoonful of the mildly spicy mixture from her mother. “And it tastes good too.”
“Yes, it’s good,” Pink agrees. “These curry puffs are going to be really good. Are you going to open a stall in a hawker centre, Auntie Tracey?”
Mum gives Pink a hug. “Oh, thank you for saying that, Pink! But no, that would just be too much pressure, plus Uncle hates doing dishes. I’m just trying my best to make good food for family and friends. Now I have to make sure I get the crust for the curry puff just right too. I’ve decided to go with a flaky crust. What do you think?”
Both girls nod. Then as Rosie reaches for a glass of water, she knocks over a plastic container filled with small orange stamps. “Oops, sorry, Mom,” she apologises. “What are these stamps for, anyway? Are these from the supermarket for more pots and pans?”
“You’re right that they are from the supermarket, but with an even better reward: the person who collects the most number of stamps gets to appear on Sammy Lee’s cooking show!”
Sammy Lee is the local celebrity chef that Mom watches on TV all the time. She would do anything to meet her cooking idol.
Rosie grins. “Well, Mom, with the way you cook and all the stamps you have, I bet you’re going to win,” she says encouragingly, as she picks up the rest of the stamps from the floor.