A School Excursion to the Farm

Just before I left for HK/China. I managed to fulfill the role as a mother by bringing Ziv to a school excursion. I recalled vividly that it was pouring in the morning and I almost gave up by returning to bed. Kevin nagged at me all the way until I decided to wake up and go to the excursion. Lug my Speedy and overloaded it with lots of stuff, brolly, raincoat, wet tissues and whatnot (never took so many Ziv's stuff ever since he turned 1.)

As expected, we were 15 minutes late, and it was also foreseeable that the class would not leave the school so soon since it was raining. We had nothing much to do but stayed in class from 8am to about 915am. Nothing to do, so we took pictures. And I was famished that I sneakily took some of Ziv's biscuits to eat.


And finally, the rain stopped... Welcome to the Animal Farm. Geese...

Giant Rabbit.

Peacock?

I forgot what is this.

Spent $2 to buy some food for the animals. Ziv enjoyed feeding them. He was bold.

Horsey.

As a shifless mother, I decided not to venture too far because of the muddy ground. I turned back half way and convinced that it was not worth going down to see other animals. And I warned him that the geese were all wild and he might not like them.

The farm tour ended early. And so we took pictures and had fun making funny faces while waiting for Daddy to fetch us home.

Yes, its Zoo again!

Going to the zoo is almost like visiting Barracks (my favorite restaurant in Singapore). Ok, maybe I am exaggerating, but… but…that is the life of a mother.

Zoo is nothing big to me, but it means a great deal to Ziv, a place of great delectation. Children are easily satisfied, as long as they see the familiar animals such as elephant, tiger, zebra, lion etc, it made their day just being in the Zoo with them.

Unlike the first time where we visited the Zoo with my neighbour, the weather was disappointing; however, at least it shined later on. That sort of made the Zoo trip kind of complete.

And may I present the boys. They finally made some physical contacts after almost 2 years of orientation.

Jayden is still pretty reticent, whereas Ziv enjoyed being called, “Ziv kor kor!” Even at this point of time, he still shy away, grins at the ‘promotion’ of being a kor kor.

Ziv loves water.

So E, what's next? Bird Park?

Meeting with J and S

Initially it was dim sum, then it got postponed… J needed to work on weekend, and then Kevin’s turn to work.

It was an arduous mission to organize a get-together, with 2 busy men.

However, I’m glad we made it. And finally…

On National Day eve, J, S and our family revisited Jones at Dempsey Hill. We love Jones because we can dress casually and loaf around without being glower at from the servers that translate, “Aren’t you guys done?” at some Lucullan level restaurants.

I had the usual Salmon dish, and Kevin the usual enormous brunch set. Ziv finished off his muffin for the first time, it must be good, cause the boy is quite an epicure despite of his age, of course not including Macs.

Anyway, here are some precious moment shared with J and S. We love hanging out with them, and towards the end of the luncheon, we were invited to their abode at The Arc, the views surrounding the house was breathtaking, if not for the haze, we can oversee Malaysia.

Nevertheless, I present the smiling Ziv. Its hard to capture moments like that, because he always smile after the flashlight. I must salute to J, either he has a good camera, or he has fast finger!

Actually behind all these pictures, J was making funny faces and playing toy car with Ziv. He knows how to make pusillanimous boy let loose.

Equinox Brunch

Singaporeans are weird.

What do we do during Chinese New Year gathering? We eat.
What do we do during ex classmates gathering? We eat.
How do we celebrate when one of the family members strike 4D? We eat.

So naturally and undoubtedly, Kevin and I celebrated our 11th Year Anniversary with food, glorious food.

Having ‘recession’ at the back of my head where money frittering are falling out of fashion rapidly, I was thinking that Equinox must be battered hard by the recession since a meal up there can easily cost at least a hundred for a twosome. Therefore, I made use of the opportunity to ask for ‘window seats’ during my telephone reservation. Under normal circumstances, a surcharge of $30 will be obligatory for such request. Guess what? Adding a little perk to our dinning experience, the reservationists whose frosty condescending attitude seemed to have miraculously vanished, turned into a friendly gal-next-door, veritably agreed without imposing surcharge on us.

Equinox hasn’t really instituted bargain menus or price reductions yet, their Sunday brunch is priced at $128+++ per person.

However, when I reached the top, 15 minutes late, I was greeted with palpable warm welcome that translated more like “thank God, you made it here!’. During the economy downturn, all sorts of rules and rigidities crumbled and they really do. I saw Japanese diners were allowed entry when they came dressed in shorts and tshirts, and children of all ages were all welcome with open arms.

So at this point of time, can you envisage the scene of the restaurant?

No more chic dinning experience, more like a weekend market visit with a fantastic view of city skyline.

Kevin and I didn’t eat much; the buffet spread was great with varieties, however, we are just too lethargic from the daily work and chores back at office and home. In fact, we were enjoying the champagne that was available to us, free flow and the breathtaking panorama that we have seen many times but were never sick of it. I told Kevin I could drift into a deep slumber just sitting there, facing the sky.

It was just not our style to sit down there, talk, drink instead of feasting and we sat there for about 2 to 2.5 hours, idling. We will definitely go up there again, since Ziv will be welcomed at Equinox, we shall plan one trip up there in due time.

Oh, Happy Anniversary to Kevin.
11 years of happiness and more ahead of us.
Cheers.

Zooooooooo

Just before Ziv attended the childcare center, we brought him to the Zoo, together with our neighbour, Aunty Shemaine, Uncle Alvin and Cutie Trisha.

We intially planned for an early start, however, Ziv overslept and woke up at around 930am, hence leaving the house only at 10am.

Lucky for us, the sun wasn't so strong. We drove there and had an oily breakfast, KFC. Its strange that they don't serve breakfast menu over there at the Zoo. So it was crispy chickens in the 'early' morning. Who enjoyed the most? Ziv, of course, he just realised his newfound love, pop corn chicken, weeks ago and he is loving every bite of it. Well, not so finger-licking good for me though.

We made an entrance to the Zoo about 45 minutes later, and we saw this cute little explorer trolley that some of the people were seen dragging along with 2 kids on it. So we decided to get it for the 2 kids. Guess what? The rental fee for the plastic was $15! Bollocks! Utter bollocks! Well, in Japan, stroller-renting and note, branded stroller-renting is FOC and without deposit, and here we have to pay $15? Dream on?! I won't pay a single cent, even if that means I have to carry Ziv in my arms throughout the journey. It is not a matter of $15 or $5 or $50, but why is it that we have to pay such steep rental fee when we already paid a great deal amount on the entrance fee? A deposit will be good enough to make sure that the kiasu Singaporeans will not disappear with the explorer just like they disappear with the supermarket trolleys.

More grumbling, at the entrance, we were greeted by 'photograhpers' asking us to take pictures with NOTHING, just trees at the background. Evidently, some cheapo money-spinning tactic that absolutely pissed me off. My neighbour's wife was almost shouting, "No No No!!" She was even lamenting that at least they should make some effort in getting an Ah Meng or Ah Seng to take pictures with us, so perhaps we will fall for the trap volunteerily. True. I couldn't agree more.

Sorry to the Zoo, but I don't feel like a celebrity when the 'paparazzi' were asking me for pictures. Next, we walked near to the parrot area, and there were 2 young 'pleasant' looking ladies from the Zoo (of course) offered to take pictures for us FOC. Thinking what a rare chance that we can have something FOC, we, of course agreed without thinking that it might be a 'trap'. So yes, we were in for a trap, unknowingly. Before using our camera to take the pictures, they used their camera first and as you know, children's attention span is super short, and the best pictures taken from children will be the first few shots and yet they are using their camera to take the first few best shots and what was left was as good as NOTHING. Darn! (Don't blame me for being tetchy!) We were in for the trap once again, after a lesson learnt at the Night Safari.

So what did we do?

Pay and Forget.

Ok, better stop with the complaining else, this entry will look more like a complaint letter than a blog about our oh-so-fun trip to the Zoo.

Where shall I start?

Alright, apart from the 'paparazzi', we were greeted by some weird looking animal. I know it has a name, but I think they looked weird, but also in a way cute.





Up next, the White Tigers. Ahh... we all heard about how the White Tigers ripped a zoo keeper apart and seriously looking at the White Tigers, they looked like Coby. Maybe its a warm afternoon, all the animals seemed to either fainted or sleeping under the shades.

Talking about White Tigers, I eagerly wanted to take a picture with them and so, our photographer made a blunder. Where is the Tigers? Can you spot them?

Well, maybe the Zoo can try to tempt tourists to take a picture with the White Tigers. I may be one of those people paying for the picture to be taken.

Next, my favourite animal. Zebra. I love Zebra. They are picture perfect animals. Cause of their color, they looked good in every of the pictures, even with the most unprofessional photographer (ahem... Kevin), they still look great.


Nice isn't it?

Kangaroo, I wanted to comment about this, while I was in Perth, visiting the Zoo, I remembered that Kangaroo is HUGE and active. Over here, the Kangaroo looks like baby Kangaroo and they were all sleeping in broad daylight. Disappointed!


I don't see Tigers, I don't see Cheetah, I don't see Leopard. They all went on hiding. Its sad. I can't see those popular animals from the Zoo. :(

Of course, other than the animals, the most important people of all. The adorable kids. See how they bond. Even holding hands!

Ziv trying to look all cool and handsome with a gal around. Posing for the camera without checking if his galfriend is ready.

Lunch was fish and chip for me and sausage bread and fries for Kevin. Yet another oily meal.

I love the Zoo.

6/7th February 2009

No cake.
No lavish and calorie-laden, fat-riddled, sodium-swaddled, sugar-spiked dining.
This year, we did not helicopter over, “Where to go?”, “What to eat?”.

Cause we have 2 other people “celebrating” or rather “contributing” to my birthday ang bao.

What can 4 people do when they meet?

Mahjong, without a doubt.

On 7th Feb, I played MJ for almost the entire day and ended with some simple maid-cooked dinner. And that’s it.

How uninteresting? The most mundane birthday in my entire 20 something years. (See, me being very heedful and sensitive about numbers now.)

However, on the eve, my neighbouring family and we went on an excursion to the Night Safari. It was our 2nd time there and theirs first. I recalled that the first time Kevin and I went there was during one of my birthdays, about 5 years ago.

The aim of the trip was not to celebrate my day, but to let both kids (Ziv and Trisha) bond since both Daddies already have reasonable amount of bonding time daily and I repeat, “DAILY”.

Nothing much has changed or improved noticeably, or perhaps the tiger is 5 years older now and the elephant has gained a tonne. Well, there are more money-spinning eateries and alfresco dinning along the main entrance. And the tickets to the safari are unbelievable costly with the fact that the numbers of animals one can actually see in the dimly lit vicinity is somehow limited and the varieties of animals pale in comparison with the Mandai Zoo, even travelling on the tram cost $10 per person and for about 20 to 30 minutes. And by the way, it was free back then.
To make our tickets worth, we bought the 2 in 1 package that includes entrance to the Zoo (within a month) and a family of 3 including an 18-month kid cost $80. Not mentioning about being hard sell for your own picture taken on the tram that costs $20, easily, an innocent excursion can fritter away $100 from your already tight wallet.

Never mind about the moolah, let’s move on.

I remembered vividly that we did not managed to catch the animal show 5 years ago and that day, I came with a mission. That is, to catch the animals show by hook or by crook. When we reached there about 830pm, the show was full and hence we went on the tram first. The tram ride was interesting, not because of the animals, the commentator on the tram but my neighbour. He was exaggerated his fear of the animals that would suddenly went berserk, escaped from the boundaries and attacked him. He went on narrating what he would do if such thing happened and so on. His humour is indeed entertaining during the boring tram ride. All animals seemed to turn away from us, perhaps they have seen many of us tourist and immune to us. During the tram ride something hilarious happened, the mischievous elephant blew water on us and luckily we weren’t drench. Kevin blocked the water for me and Ziv.

The animals show was pretty interesting for first time viewer like us, however, a revisit to the show is definitely not recommended. The animals appearing on the show were not big, fierce animals, mainly those monkey-like, furry animals which I have no idea what they are called.
The trip ended with an over-priced 2-scope ice-cream cone from Bens and Jerry’s costing $9.50.

Verdict for the Night Safari?

Visit it once and there is no need for a revisit. Just in case your foreign friend asks you how is it, you can at least reply to him/her.

Some pictures taken…
Even picture taking is a chore, because the lighting is just so dim!

Is Santa Coming?

With the financial crisis, major companies folding up, retrenchment woes, frozen salaries, no hope for bonus... I told myself, SANTA IS NOT COMING this year.

Well, I was wrong. He came.

Santa has crept to our house (the Christmas tree), booked our schedules (parties) and brighten up our lives for the month of December.

All of a sudden, the urge to buy presents came back, just that it came a tad too late (usually November for me). Well, I always feel for Christmas especially when I started buying presents and wrapping them up myself. I remembered I started Christmas shopping, as early as Nov, but this year, the mood didn't came until early December. When all the malls start to get squeezy and when the rain starts pouring for days without stopping.

Now, that feels like Christmas. A rainy, wet Christmas like every other year.

And not forgetting the jam-packed Orchard Road. It takes forever to park my car in Taka.
There isn't much of a Christmas mood for work yet, everyone is rushing for deadline, caught up in rat race. In fact we have a few major milestones and testing to be carried out on eve of Christmas. That is how sad for work.

Nevertheless, yes, Christmas is finally coming when one started to attend parties, lined up parties, organize parties etc. This year is no exception. Exciting, no less. On 14 Dec, we had an early christmas dinner with Dylan, Emily and bb Jayden at Kuinshin Bo, followed by a night on the overrated Singapore Flyer. We were all thrilled about the flight cause, we have not been to any of such flyer before and hearing all the raves and hype about the flyer, heighten our expectation, undoubtedly. However, when we went up there, nothing but just breathtaking views. Breathtaking views that can be also seen from a cable car, so why flyer, which in fact is more costly.

Anyway, can't complain much cause they were compliementary tickets from Emily plus, the wonderful company from the family. So what can we ask for?

20 Dec, an unexpected invitation. Kevin was invited by his long term customer whose husband is a pilot with the SIA. At this moment, we were still cracking our brains to think of what to buy for the host.

21 Dec, friends reunion. it is almost like an annual tradition event that the "usual suspects" gather at my abode, pig-out, indulge in glorious food, get juiced up (No way!) and snatch presents from one another.

25 Dec, church service and parties goes on...

More update to come.

Meantime, here's some pics at the flyer.

Public Holiday means Fun Day

Hello, its me, Ziv the feature writer for this blog. Mummy claimed that she is busy and so I will blog on behalf of her. Pardon me for my spelling mistake, cause I am only 15 mths 2 wks.

Today, Mummy and Daddy brought me to the Botanical Park - Children's Park Jacob Ballas. If I am not wrong, the park was named after a type of orchid. Apart from Mummy, Daddy, the usual 'suspects' are here too, aka, Aunty Emily, Uncle Dylan and didi Jayden.

Anyway, Mummy woke up at 830am this morning to prepare sandwiches. I asked her, why she did not ask aunty to do it, she told me, she preferred to do it herself, aunty is quite 'dirty'.

She made ham and cheese sandwiches, low fat tuna mayo sandwiches and boiled egg for me.
We were all confused about the carparks and ended up reaching fashionably late... and Mummy framed me by letting me wear long pants in this unbearably hot weather. She explained that she feared that there will be mosquitoes.

Sorry, no pictures taken during our picnic, cause all the hungry adults started eating as soon as the mat was laid. I don't understand adults, they seemed so hungry. They didn't even bother to check if it was pigeon "xu xu" (urine) that wet the mat, they just continue eating. Eating seems everything to them. :- For me, what matters most will be... BUBBLES. And stupid Mummy, spilt the whole bottle of bubbles and soaked her bag. So see, no BUBBLES, no FUN. What I could do is to look at other people playing bubbles from afar...

Anyway, it is already a fact that BUBBLE will never exist in today's outing, so I decided to walk along the lake and ponder why Mummy is so careless.

After a good half an hour of eating (non-stop) for the adults, finally we set off to the park. That was the time when both Jayden and I were waiting for. Can you believe it? The adults even wanted to eat the eclairs & durian rolls! Luckily they didn't and decided to save it for much later.

Yeah! The journey begins...

The park was relatively small. Nothing really interest me, except the mist station. Wooo... what a nice way to escape from the scorching sun...

Oh, being a affectionate boy, I love all sorts of soft toys and today I met 3 new friends. I gave each of them a hug and a kiss.

The day ended having us all warm and sweat drenched through our skin. I don't know what time we left, but Mummy was asking Daddy to drive her to the nearest MAC for some coke. I went home, played for 1 hour and fell into a slumber. I woke up 3 hours later.

After porridge, Mummy and Daddy brought me to Terminal 3. Sian... the same place again. I have been there 3 times! They are so boring. We had dinner at the Swensen and then hang around the airport. Running and playing hide and seek.

After that, we went to Ah Ma and Ah Gong's house. Sat there for 1 hour and went home.

Here's a picture of my best friend, Coby. He likes to burst my bubbles.

Mummy attempted to take a picture of me and Coby (seated close together). She failed... badly. I hope she did not see my mouth, cause I just stole a sip from her glass of watermelon juice.

I have a fun-filled event today. How I wish every day is a holiday so Mummy and Daddy can bring me out frequently so that I can also eat french fries everyday.

Yawn... I am so tired now. Zzzzz...

Good night.

Ziv