It was a Saturday and the ritual is the same if I am not playing golf. I wake up, I get my coffee and my crackers, I sit at the sofa and I crush some candies.
It was Level 733 that I was stuck at. Somehow, I managed to pass the level and you know what? The darn laptop froze! Aaaargghhhh… Which means this tough level that I managed to pass was not captured and I am still stuck at Level 733.
So annoying.
Over the weekend, it was a surprise when I decided to launch Candy Crush on the iPad to find myself transported from Boneyard Bonanza to Marshmallow Mountains. When was the update that resulted in this chapter appearing on the iPad? I don’t recall.
I was at the end of Boneyard the last time I crushed some candies on the iPad and during the weekend, I was on the laptop most of the time to attempt Level 733. And when the laptop froze, I still did not go on the iPad until much later.
A good surprise nonetheless. I am now at Level 735. And yesterday, Candy Crush officially released the actual update, announcing the new levels of 724 to 740.
So I kept to my word and handed over to M2 the iPhone4, which amazingly has been still surviving well without battery issues after I upgraded to the iPhone5S. Hubby even upgraded the SIM card and had the old mobile number reactivated for use. Like a giddy child on Christmas morning, M2 began customizing my old iPhone4 to her liking.
The ‘Angie’s iPhone’ ID has been renamed to reflect her ownership. The layout of the pages have been moved around with most of my stuff either filed away or deleted. Slowly, my presence on the phone was reduced and her preference put in.
I guess this is really goodbye forever to my old iPhone4. No more relying on it for my Farm Heroes! Oh no. But thank goodness for the latest update of it on the iPad, the game is now more stable.
Old as it may be to me, the iPhone4 is a new phone for M2, a new beginning. Goodbye iPhone4, be good to M2 and serve your new owner well.
M2 called me the minute she got home yesterday. I could hear the frustration and agony in her voice when she told me the remaining results and the final average mark, 73. No further improvements from the last count and one short from achieving the 74 mark set.
Ouch. The almost there is not quite there. So near yet so far.
In my mind, I recalled the hubby reminding me to be objective and to look at the bigger picture of things. It shouldn’t be that small failure that determines the situation.
I talked to her while in my mind, I was analyzing the bigger picture and realized that M2 did study hard. Only one subject came in with a horrifying result, a plunge from a ‘B’ to a disastrous ‘D’! The other subjects saw an overall improvement and an increase in total marks. For this improvement, how can I fault her and say she did not study and try her best? A bit unfair, no?
So rather than focusing on the near miss of the 74 average for all, I relooked at the qualifying factor and adjusted it so that M2 can have a sense of achievement. After all, our intention is purely to motivate with reward and not punish with frustration.
I decided then to give a probational reward (the right to use the iPhone4) because the fact is evident that there was an improvement and we should not ignore this effort. Come next year, if she improves further on what she has achieved this time, the phone remains in her possession. But if there is a decline in the results, the phone comes back to me, hence the probational clause.
This is the best solution for now. I don’t feel mean, she feels relieved and happy and today, being the last day of school, it should end on a happy note.
Every child is different in their ability and strength. We should never compare in order to nurture and coax the child to grow in confidence. Having said that, it is evident that my M1 and M2 are different in their abilities. As far as studies are concerned, I never have to worry about one but the other, well, a lot of nurturing along the way. But we never compare.
While M1 is still facing her SPM exams, final year-end exams for M2 came and went. The target has been set again—just to push her a little—for her to achieve and have a sense of satisfaction. However, it is set slightly lower than before; she requested for this ‘magical’ number. I could not maintain nor raise it higher than the 80 mark, set for the mid-term earlier, because she and I both agreed it will never be achieved. So in order not to demoralize her, we agreed to set it at 74, an overall average for all the subjects.
I figured better to have something within reach to motivate her rather than something impossible then she will never try hard or taste success. She missed the mid-term mark by a mile and was very demoralized about it.
As it is, some results have come back earlier in the week; she had hits and misses and the average worked out to be 71. Then the next day, four more subjects came back and amazingly, the average went up to 73! Almost there…
But there are 5 more subjects to come back. Let’s just hope she achieves it and understands the meaning of hard work, perseverance and success. The reward: the long awaited inheritance of my old iPhone4.
Ever since I went past Level 525 in Farm Heroes on the iPad, the app quits every time it’s launched. Hrmph! So annoying. I have to resort to playing on my old iPhone 4, yes, the old faithful, on top of my iPhone5S. I am now at Level 566.
To be frank, I noticed this (the quitting) has become more frequent after several update releases and the introduction of iOS8. I am still holding out on the update of the OS for my iPad.
How do I deal with the situation? I’d do a complete shut down of the iPad, count to ten or more and turn it on again, then the app is fine. I just have to remember to do this more often whenever I hit this snag. So silly of me… otherwise I have to carry two phones again and bring the laptop (especially for Candy Crush) to the office to carry on with my games.
Between attending a favorite cousin’s wedding and a golf game over the weekend, I still managed to find time to crush some candies! Boneyard Bonanza has been conquered. I guess it’s another round of waiting for tickets to come my way to move on to the next episode (in Facebook on laptop because Boneyard is the last chapter appearing on the iPad until an update comes along).
A quick check on Candy Crush Wiki (http://candy-crush-saga.wikia.com/wiki/Candy_Crush_Saga_Wiki) shows the new chapter being Marshmallow Mountains. Mmm… I hope my fellow candy crushers will send tickets soon. Tonight when I go home and use the laptop, I will find out.
I seem to have an on-going love-hate relationship with Candy Crush. I stopped playing lately because Level 717 has been just so hard to pass. I figured I should focus on the BMW Golf Cup and not let the candy frustration distract me.
But when the tournament was over (I managed to win the Longest Drive novelty prize, a Garmin Approach S2 watch, with a 213 meter tee off), I came home elated and went back to crushing candies. That was when I discovered the difference in the challenge!
On the iPad, one has to get 4 color bombs to clear the level. Definitely very hard to achieve. However, the same level in Facebook on the laptop requires one to get 4 color bombs as well as 5 striped jellies! That’s difference number one. Difference number two, the board starts off with 3 bombs for you already. What a headstart! All you need to do then is to get one more bomb and make those striped candies, which aren’t that difficult to make. Definitely easier than before, it took me only one attempt to pass the level. Phew.
As for my new Garmin watch, I will definitely be using it for my next golf outing.
My new toy!
Yippee-ka-yay!
Finally the day has come. Today is THE game of all games – the BMW National Finals! Got to stay focused.
Wish me luck.
Angieneering 
Remarks