Greetings to one and all. My name is Leong, Chun Yu, and I also go by my callsign from my air force days “Dumex”. I am from Singapore, and I was invited by Alvin Yong to be the guest judge for the month of June’s blog posts by the wonderful contributors from the Children’s Garden Home.I met Alvin when we were both studying in London under scholarships from our Ministry of Defence. Our paths crossed again when we had both left the force, and we have kept in touch ever since. I am always amazed by what Alvin has done in his social work and have always been happy to do what little I could in support of his social enterprises and philanthropic endeavours.Now on to the blog posts. As many judges have mentioned before, it is really difficult to choose a winner. I also must state upfront that Purity is the child I am currently supporting, and as a former fighter pilot and current private pilot, Stephen’s blog on his dream of becoming a pilot obviously strikes a chord with me. Having said that, I believe I have been fair in my assessment.There are six posts for the month of June, and I will review each one briefly. Alloys wrote about his passion with football, how he has been playing since he was a little boy, and how he looks up to his idol Phil Foden of Manchester City, who started out as a ball boy and eventually becoming a great player in England. Alloys also wrote about the challenges he faces in pursuing his dream, and I like the fact that he reaches out for help for the supply of basic equipment such as balls and boots. Keep pursuing your dream, Alloys!Margaret wrote about her love for drawing, especially flowers. She finds drawing a means of expressing herself. She also draws a reference between the process of art and life, on how she feels it is better to focus on the big picture rather than the “spots”. My interpretation of her expressions is that the big picture can look lovely and beautiful without worrying about the mistakes made here and there, and I truly love her positive view of life. She is filled with gratitude, and I certainly hope that Margaret will post her pictures in the blog and tell us about her art!Purity wrote about her favourite things such as chicken and chips, the giraffe, drawing, reading novels, learning life skills, English, nature and trees. I would certainly love to know more, such as what life skills she has learnt that are helpful for her, what novels she has read and what she likes about the novel, maybe share some of her drawings and so forth. Keep blogging Purity, keep sharing, keep learning!Raphael wrote about his love for entertainment, his talent as an acrobat, and his appreciation of the need to take care of the environment and plant more trees. He also believes in encouraging others to take care of the environment too. He is also grateful for the Chat Club for helping him socialise more, gain confidence to speak in front of a crowd and to raise his self-esteem. Continue to do what you love, Raphael, and keep encouraging others!Ann wrote about how reading and watching cartoons and movies has helped her become better in speaking and writing in English. It also helps her ability to chat with fellow students as well as visitors to the Children’s Garden Home. Reading and watching movies also encourages her to keep going and helps her de-stress. I like her expression of gratitude to those that chat with her. I look forward to Ann sharing the stories she has written one day!Lastly, Stephen wrote about his dream of becoming a pilot, so that he may travel the world, see and experience different cultures, and make friends all around the world. He likes Science as it would help him in his pursuit of his dream. My heart was warmed when he shared how he would love to tell his future children about his travels, to educate them about the world, and put a smile on their faces just like his Mum did. Keep pursuing that dream, Stephen!And now, the winner for the month of June. I chose the blog written by Margaret. For me, it is important to have an empowering perspective of reality, and I like how she makes the connection between her art and her perspective of life. There is usually one reality, but many perspectives of that same reality. Shifting one’s mindset to an empowering one helps us weather life’s challenges and helps us see the beauty in life. Congratulations Margaret! Well done to Alloys, Purity, Raphael, Ann and Stephen for your courage and time for writing in the blog! Keep writing, keep sharing! Best wishes to all of you!

Namaste,

Dumex