Penang

This will be the first time we travelled as a family with Ye Ye, Nai Nai, Yi Sok, Gu Zhe, Gu Jiong, Gor Gor Evan and WeiEn. We went to Penang on the 19th and got back today after 4 days there. Although the logistics were quite a headache, Mummy and Gu Zhe managed to finalise all the details and successfully planned for the trip.

We travelled on AirAsia and stayed at the Golden Sands Shangrila Resort. The main objective of this trip was to spent time together as a family but secondary objectives were to let the children have fun at the resort and also to check out the famous Penang food. On the 19th when we got into Penang, Daddy arranged for a taxi to pick us up and the first stop was to New World City. We ordered like there was no tomorrow and ate like we have not eaten for days. There was Char Kuay Teow, Penang Laksa, Sang Mee, Curry Mee, Rojak, Chendol, Ice Kachang.

On the second day, after a sumptuous breakfast, we spent most of the time at the pools. Even Andrea took a dip in the pool and had lots of fun. In the late afternoon, we decided to take the free shutter bus from the hotel to the town area. From the drop off point at Traders Hotel, we walked for about 10 mins to Sunway Hotel where there were lots of road side stalls with many selections. Again we ordered like we have not eaten for days but we managed to finish most of the food. Nai Nai felt that the food were not that great like before but still better and cheaper than in Singapore. After dinner, Daddy managed to arrange for a taxi van to come pick us up. It was quite a drive back to our hotel and we got a good price of MYR150.

I turned 4 on the 21st with Mummy and Daddy wishing me a Happy Birthday the moment  I woke up. Mummy initially planned a day of activities for all of us at the Kids Zone with Coconut Bowling in the morning and cup cake making in the afternoon. However, when the adults came to visit us during our coconut bowling session, they were not at all impressed and decided that we should just skip the cup cake making and hit the pool instead. It was a great idea as we had more fun there in the pool. We played monkey in the pool and even saw an iguana swimming in the pool. Like the day before, we took the last free shutter bus at 4.30pm and asked to be dropped at Gurney Plaza. It is a big shopping center and we decided to have an early dinner at Old Town. After dinner, we decided to shop around and only got back to the hotel at about 9pm. We had a little birthday celebration in the room and i was treated to some chocolate cake and more cartoons before I fell asleep in Gu Zhe's bed.

We all had a good time in Penang and will likely visit it again in the near future.

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Birthday Celebration in School

I celebrated my birthday today in school as I will be away in Penang from tomorrow onwards. Mummy and Daddy got me my favorite chocolate cake from Jane's and this year I requested for the cake to be topped with banana, strawberries and M&M chocolates. Many of my classmates were not in class as they are on holiday but I still had lots of fun with the rest of them.

After the celebration, Mummy and Daddy brought me for a Japanese lunch at Mohd Sultan Road. The reason for lunch there is so that we can go to the Polliwogs after lunch. It was a birthday treat for me and I had a good time there.

Gardens by the Bay

Pat's Schoolhouse is closed today and Mummy and Daddy decided to also take the day off to spend time with me.

We decided to check out Gardens by the Bay as we have not been there before. Many of Mummy's friends told her it is nice so thought we will go on a Monday to avoid the crowd. As Gor Gor Evan is on school holiday today, Daddy brought him along together with Nai Nai for the outing.

When we got to the park, Daddy surprised me with one of his old camera. I like to take pictures and always asked for his big and heavy camera which he is afraid I will drop it one day. I hang the camera around my neck and went around shooting.

We bought tickets for the tram ride which brought us around the whole park in comfort. It is a very big park and with Mei Mei Andrea's pram with us, I don't think we would have walked very much. So the tram ride was good. We decided to check out the Flower Dome. It was very big and cooling in there and we saw many different types of flowers and plants.

After the Flower Dome, we wanted to check out the Cloud Forest but unfortunately it was closed today for maintenance. We then move on to the OCBC Skyway. I like the Skyway as it brings me up very high and I can see a lot of things from the bridge that hangs in the sky. We took a lot of pictures here and spent some time looking at the tall buildings around Raffles Place. I saw Mummy and Daddy's office buildings too.

We had to cut short our visit to the park as there were dark clouds forming and besides it was lunch time. We headed to Chinese Swimming Club for lunch as it is usually not very crowded there during weekdays. We had a good time at the park and will probably come back again in the evening when the lights are on.

ARPC Church Camp

I attended my first church camp with ARPC over the weekend. It was a 2 day event held at Catholic Archdiocesan Youth Centre at Hougang and many kids from different age groups were there. Gor Gor Evan was at the same place but for the Primary 1s and 2s, they get to stay over from Friday evening to Sunday. The younger campers like Weien and myself do not stay over. 

I had a lot of fun with my friends from the Moses group. We sang songs and also did quite a bit of art and craft. We also got to play outdoors and of course not forgetting the numerous snacks we had. It was a good experience and I look forward to staying over next time when I am older.

Happy Diwali 2012

Today we celebrate Diwali which is popularly known as the Festival of Lights. Mummy decided to dress me up with an outfit which Uncle Som and Aunty Mou gave me some time ago. Mummy herself also dressed up with an outfit given by Aunty Tresor. Unfortunately Mei Mei Andrea does not have any special outfit so Mummy tried to dress her as close to an Indian outfit as possible. We visited Uncle Som and Aunty Mou in the morning and brought Sumit's belated birthday present to him. He was delighted to receive his first scooter.

Kallang Riverside Park

Today is Hari Raya Haji and a public holiday. Daddy and Mummy decided to check out this cafe inside Kallang Riverside Park called Loysel's Toy. Apparently the reviews for this cafe were pretty good and mentioned that it will be crowded so we decided to go there earlier to avoid the crowd. It wasn't that bad when we got there. The food selection were not very encouraging and didn't have my pancakes which Mummy promised me. Thank goodness they had Babycino and I was bought over. Mummy and Daddy didn't think the food were that great there. Maybe the fact that it was located next to the Kallang River gave it some appeal.

I brought my scooter with me and after breakfast, we checked out the park. It was quite quiet for a public holiday and that was great for me cos I was just learning to play with the scooter and didn't want anyone to get in my way. Mummy and Daddy were very impressed that I picked it up quite quickly and I even showed off with I how stop with the back brakes. Mei Mei Andrea was running around the park and obviously very happy to roam around. Bu the weather was very hot and after a while, both Andrea and myself were drenched with perspiration. Daddy decided it was enough sun for the day and we headed home. I had fun in the park.

Port of Lost Wonder

Today is Nai Nai's birthday and also the Hari Raya public holiday. We decided we'll spend the day with everyone at Sentosa at the new Port of Lost Wonder because Kor Kor Evan said it is very nice and that we should try. It was a very hot  day but it didn't stop anyone from going there. While waiting to get tickets for the water park, we bumped into Kayne Jin and Asher. We were suppose to join them but wasn't sure if we could make it there so we had to plan separately.

The park is very big and had this big pirate ship in the middle just like the one at The Zoo. In fact the whole set up looks very similar to the one at the The Zoo except that this one has more sitting area and picnic area around the water park. 

I had a good time with Kor Kor Evan going down the slides and playing with the various water features. WeiEn was not too keen and did not really join us for most of the time. Andrea was with Nai Nai and Mummy at the picnic area they call The Hatch Patch. Except for the hot weather and the crowd, everyone had fun. We had to leave early because Daddy had to catch a flight to Bangkok in the evening for his business trip.

Kid's Kampong

Mummy is away in Bangkok with Aunty Sue this weekend so I got to spend the whole weekend with Daddy. Unfortunately I fell ill and was down with a high fever. We spend most part of Saturday morning at home resting as Daddy wanted me to get well soon. However, seeing that I was getting better, he decided to treat me to some longkang fishing at Pasir Ris to cheer me up.

We have never been here before and it was quite nostalgic for Daddy to drive there as Great Grandparents use to live at Pasir Ris and he spent quite a bit of time there when they were around. We found Kid's Kampong nestled in one of the farmways of Pasir Ris. It was surprisingly very quite for a Saturday afternoon and we had the whole longkang almost to ourselves. I didn't really catch any fish as they were too fast for me. Daddy caught about 5 fishes to humor me but I surprised him when i insisted that we let all of them go.

Besides longkang fishing, there was also a feeding area with many different sorts of farm animals and fishes. I think I spent the most time here feeding Japanese kois, rabbits, chickens, ducks and even turtles.

After all the fishing and feeding, it was time for me to get a treat and Daddy started with a cup of ice cream. I finished almost the whole cup myself and only offered a spoonful to Daddy. We also drove to the children's playground at Pasir Ris beach where Daddy used to play at when he visits great grandparents. It was a very big park and a lot more children here than at the Kids's Kampong. It was fun.

SAM Art Garden 2012

Today is a special day. It is a weekday but I got to leave school after lunch and spent the rest of the day with Andrea, Mummy and Daddy. Nai Nai and Ye Ye left for Genting this morning together with Gu Zhe and her whole family so there is no one to look after Andrea. Ended up Mummy and Daddy took leave to spend time with us.

We started with the Singapore Art Museum as they are having their annual children's exhibition. Mummy and Daddy brought me here last year but it seems it was more fun last year. Nonetheless, I got to watch a short cartoon about this boy and his new found friend, a penguin. Emo as I was, I ended up crying near the end of the show because the boy had to part with the penguin. But like all cartoons, there was a happy ending and the boy and his friend were reunited and they live happily ever after.

After SAM, we popped by to Food for Thought for something to eat as it was still too early to go home. Daddy gave me his ice cream from his root bear float and it was yummy. I also had fries but as it was rosemary flavored, I didn't quite like it.

On the way home, we stopped by Cold Storage and bought some grocery for tonight's dinner as Mummy will be preparing dinner. And while Mummy was preparing dinner, Daddy and I got to swim for a while and that was just awesome. It was a fun day and I enjoyed it.

Charlie & Lola

Daddy came to get me from school today because we were going for a play at the DBS Arts Centre. Charlie & Lola had great reviews from UK so Mummy got 2 tickets for a father and son bonding session.

The play was about Lola being a naughty sister and how Charlie had to help her get rid of some bad habits like not tidying up her bedroom and refusing to sleep at night. There was quite a bit of talking during the play and some kids were getting restless and we could hear them talking. Daddy wasn't very impressed with the play and didn't think they deserve all those rave reviews. We had fun nonetheless.

Breakfast at Kayne Jin's

I was invited to my friend Kayne Jin's house for breakfast today. Kayne Jin's mummy Aunty Pixim decided that the three boys who used to play a lot together when in Eton should get together again. Since I left for Pat's, I have not met them so Asher was also invited and it was really fun. While the mummies and daddies were having their breakfast, the three of us were just having lots of fun with the toys and running up and down the stairs. We were there for about 4 hours and it could have been longer if not for the fact that Kayne Jin's had to attend The Wiggles concert at MBS. I hope we get to do this again soon.

Asher's Birthday Party

We celebrated Asher's 1 year old birthday party today at Food for Thought at The Botanic Gardens. Cindy Yee Yee blocked off a part of the restaurant expecting about 40 adults and 10 children to attend. Unfortunately, some of Uncle Ivan's relatives came down with HFMD so couldn't make it. There were quite a lot of food for those who were there. I had fun at the playground with Zhe Zhe Faith and was drenched with my perspiration even before the party started. Happy Birthday Asher!

Down by The Bay

I learned a new song from school today. Apparently it is a very popular children's song but Mummy and Daddy doesn't seem to have heard of it before. Probably before their time I guess. Here is my version...

And here is the normal version. The lyrics goes like this...

Down by the bay

Where the watermelons grow

Back to my home

I dare not go

For if I do

My mother will say

"Did you ever see a bear

Combing his hair

Down by the bay"?

"Did you ever see a bee

With a sunburned knee

Down by the bay"?

"Did you ever see a moose

Kissing a goose

Down by the bay"?

"Did you ever see a whale

With a polka dot tail

Down by the bay"?

"Did you ever see a pig

Wearing a wig

Down by the bay"?

Happy Mother's Day

Tomorrow is Mother's Day and I am at the drawing class today drawing a picture for Mummy. I know my Mummy looks a thousand times better than what I can draw but Mummy knows that I did it all by myself and it is my first drawing of her. I am sure with more practice, I will have a more accurate portrait of her soon. Mummy, I can be stubborn and mischievous at times, making you upset and even causing you to raise your voice at me sometimes when I know you hate that, but I want you to know that I love you and hope to be a good boy. Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Birthday Yi Sok

Yi Sok is back from Dubai for about 10 days and he planned it such that he is back on his birthday. We were very excited cos we will get to sing the birthday song and blow the candles and cut the cake. It was a pity Ye Ye was not back from Batam otherwise it would have been perfect.

Pat's Schoolhouse

After spending 20 months in Eton Schoolhouse, Mummy and Daddy decided that I should move to Pat's Schoolhouse. The main reason is because the curriculum there is more suitable for me as it will prepare me for the local primary school. Apparently Eton has many expat kids and the curriculum is more for children who will join the international schools or go back to their home country. The other reason is because the timing is more suitable for me as I will reach home at about 6pm which is not too early for Nai Nai. I will miss all my friends there in Eton especially Kayne Jin and Asher, 2 of my best friends. They call us the three musketeers of Eton. I will also miss my teachers especially Gu Lao Shi who cried when she heard that I was going to leave the school. I hope to visit them whenever I get a chance.

My new school as located at Meyer Road just behind Katong Park. The park is very big but apparently we don't get to go play there which is a pity. My new teacher is Ms Jessica and she looks quite nice. I hope I will adjust well to this new school. Will update more later.

Daddy and me.. Day 3

Today is the last of three days that Daddy will spend with me. Tomorrow Mummy will take over and spend the next 2 days with me.

Daddy was very exciting this morning as he told me to hurry up with my breakfast so that we could go get some food and head over to Botanic Gardens. We went to Shop and Save at Simpang Bedok and bought a loaf of bread to feed the fishes, 5 bottles of Yakult in case I am thirsty and some biscuits in case I am hungry. Daddy also brought along a mat for our little picnic if we are up to it. It was very crowded at the Botanic Gardens when we got there at about 10am. The sheltered car park was actually full and Daddy feared there could be some events there. Fortunately it was just the morning crowd and not really any events.








We took out the loaf of bread and started feeding the fish. There were many different types of fish in there but the Japanese Kois were the biggest. There were also lots of turtles and eventually even the pigeons came for the bread buffet. I had lots of fun feeding the animals and I asked Daddy to bring me back here again.








After feeding the animals, we decided to have our little picnic and Daddy took out his army poncho and we had our Yakult and biscuits. I got a little bored after a while and asked to go home. Daddy readily agreed cos I think he was feeling uncomfortable from the heat. As we walked passed the entrance, Daddy decided that maybe we should just have lunch at Cafe Verde before heading home. I had the kids combo which included spaghetti, chicken nuggets and fries. I didn't finish my food cos maybe I was feeling a little tired. Daddy had his beer to cool himself down.

Daddy and me.. Day 2

The second day with Daddy started early as I woke up at 6am asking for milk. Jie JIe Lastri made french toast and that was my second breakfast. It was a good start to another exciting day.









Daddy brought me to the East Coast Park for another session of cycling. We passed by a pond that looked kinda filthy (a new word Daddy taught me on the way to the beach) but had lots of turtles in there. I couldn't really tell how many cos the water was polluted but I could see many heads bobbing up and down. We then cycled along the beach and Daddy wanted to head to the East Coast McDonalds but I got lazy after like 100 meters of cycling so Daddy thought it's best we drive there instead. Now it was a good thing we did cos as we were approaching McDonalds, Daddy realized that they are tearing down that whole place so he decided to bring me to Carl's Jr at the former Big Splash for fries and milk shake. We had a really good time there.
After Carl's Jr, Daddy brought me to the beach. I wanted to play with the soft white sand and even wanted to build a sand castle but the sand was very dry and I couldn't really stack them up. We were also fooling around some fallen leaves and Daddy said it felt like we were in Vancouver during autumn.

Daddy and me.. Day 1

Etonhouse decided to voluntarily close down the school for 10 days starting today due to the rising HFMD cases. Daddy had to take leave for 3 days while Mummy rostered herself for Thursday and Friday to attend to me.









We started the day by sending Daddy's car to the workshop to fix the lights. After we got back from the workshop, we packed up our stuffs for a swim at SAFRA Tampines. Daddy thought since we have not been there before, that we should go check it out. It was not impressive at all, just a normal swimming pool with a children's wading pool. We had fun nonetheless and left at about 12pm. We then headed to Simpang Bedok hoping to eat the Jalan Tua Kong Bak Chor mee but unfortunately it was close. We settled for this fish ball noodles and I impressed Daddy when I finished three quarters of the noodles. After lunch, Daddy decided to treat me to ice cream, even though I am still coughing and he made me promise not to tell Nai Nai about this.
Mei Mei Andrea was awake when we got home and we played with her until I fell asleep from exhaustion. When I woke up at about 4pm, Daddy had another treat for me. He put on my cycling gears and we went to the track behind and cycled to the playground. We were having fun building sand castles until it started drizzling so we had to hurry home. We got home, took my shower and had my dinner.
I had a fun day with Daddy. I hope the next 2 days will be just as fun as today.