White Chocolates & Strawberries

Hong Kong – Day 6

2011-12-01T22:55:00.000+08:00

It’s another Free & Easy day and after breakfast, we brought the elderly to Sheung Wan to buy their dry goods for the coming Chinese New Year.

As we shopped for the dry goods like dried scallops, oysters, fish maws, cuttlefish etc… the young ones were wondering if there are sweets to buy too. Mum and mother in law were very happy women when they bought about HKD 3,000 worth of dry goods. They mentioned that it was a good buy as most items were cheaper than Singapore.

For the kids, we brought them to the wholesale store which sells all kinds of candy, chips and loads of chocolates. Mother in law also bought quite a bit of them for Chinese New Year as they will open their house for relatives. The kids went back to hotel happy with their sweets.

We continued our shopping in town after lunch and continue our shopping at ladies’ market. The shops opened from noon though not all are opened. We managed to get some good stuff as it wasn’t as crowded in the afternoon. After our shopping spree, we went back to hotel to rest before heading out for dinner.

Cheers Restaurant was our choice for dinner and we ordered their super valued set menu. It was somehow a 10 course dinner and man… the dishes were generous lor! I would say that the menu was totally worth every dollar and it was simply delicious. You can check out my pictures below…

We ate so much but the dishes kept coming and we wondered if they have served the wrong table!! We alerted them but was told that it was in the set menu we ordered… even the drinks were free flow!! You might want to know how much was the set menu right… Alright, the set menu cost HKG 1,588 (abt SGD 260) and there were 10 adults,
2 kids & 2 babies. It was a STEAL!

We wanted to get some desserts (my steam milk) but I was too full to eat anymore! The elderly went back to hotel and the young adults brought the kids out for a walk since we were too full to sleep!

Hong Kong – Day 5

2011-11-30T22:00:00.000+08:00

We are on our own from today after 3 days of planned tour by the travel agent. Hubby planned our schedule and today, we are going for some shopping and then take a tram up to Victoria Peak.

When we arrived at the Victoria Peak, it wasn’t as crowded as the last time we visited. Due to the early breakfast we had this morning, we took the opportunity to have a light lunch at Burger King as the kids were hungry.

We continued our journey and went up to the peak to enjoy the beautiful view of Hong Kong. I remembered the last time when we visited the Peak, it was pretty cooling but the sun was shining so bright today that somehow made us shorten our stay.

Hubby thought it will be good opportunity for the elderly to visit the Madam Tussaud Wax Museum as it will be an eye-opening experience for them. Faith took it quite well at the entrance of Madam Tussaud but when I started taking pictures with the waxed ‘celebrities’, she began to be cry. She was somehow afraid of them despite us telling her that they are unreal… soon later, her cousin Shevaun started to cry too and yes, that was the time we know we have to speed up our tour in the museum.

Well, at least, our parents were happy to see some of their idols and have pictures taken with them though they are unreal. My mum was very happy to stand beside her favorite Elvis Presley, Queen Elizabeth and Princess Diana. Both mother & father in laws was excited to see our LKY and as well as the Lee Ka Seng.

Since we are in the Central area, we took a slow walk down to H&M Department Store. That is one of my favorite hang out whenever I visit HKG even-though we have our own in SIN recently.

After a long day of walking, the elderly decided that they would like to stay in for the night instead of heading out for dinner. We took the chance to put our kids in their room while the adults get our ‘freedom’ for a few hours.

We went down to shop at Ladies’ Market at Mong Kok and even had dinner at the street stall. We ordered beef brisket noodles, wanton noodles, claypot chicken rice and my ever favorite ice-milk tea. The food tasted extremely good without our kids around…. Hahahaahahahaah … we ate in peace and enjoyed every minute of our time shopping.

Hong Kong – Day 4

2011-11-29T22:55:00.000+08:00

After our quick early breakfast this morning, we set off for another full day of fun at the Ocean Park.

When we arrived, our tour guide informed us that we have the whole day of fun and will return to pick us up in the evening. We did not waste any time and went straight to check out the places of good rides for our kids.

Our first stop was to visit the lovable pandas. The kids were excited to see the pandas but there was a long queue as usual. When we finally got inside the air-conditioned room, there was only one panda left as the others had gone back to their nest… not sure why but perhaps it’s time for them to rest…

There was a new ‘ride’ which will lead you to the other side of the park for those weak at heart… The so-called ‘underwater’ ride was like a MRT taking you to the other side, somehow replacing the cable car ride. It was really boring but thank goodness it was a short ride.

When we arrived, we went for early lunch at McDonald’s. Half way through our lunch, Faith and Shevaun was having their meals too and later wanted to roam around the area. I somehow noticed two Chinese Nationals couples seated near our area eyeing on our children. They behaved quite suspiciously and after a short exchanged of words, the men went away to sit about 6 rolls away from us while the women continued to look at our children.

It was a mother’s instinct to protect your child and I immediately carried Faith in my arms and had her entertained with ice-cream for the first time while my father-in-law took care of Shevaun. Not long after, the two Chinese women walked away to meet their men at the other end. When they left, my mum asked if I took noticed of the couple and I was surprised that she was aware too…

After lunch, instead of taking some of the rides in the theme park, we ended up at the game stores playing different games. Surprisingly, even the adults enjoyed playing those booth games… the images of childhood…

By the late afternoon, we were all tied out and took the cable car ride back to the main entrance. While waiting for our tour bus to pick us, we found a cooling place for the elderly to rest while the young ones went to the huge aquarium to check out some sea creatures.

Though we have been to Ocean Park for few times but nothing compared to the new experience of spending it with our little one.

Hong Kong – Day 3

2011-11-28T23:00:00.000+08:00

Today, we visted Disneyland and it should be exciting for the kids instead of the elderly and adults like me… Hubby and I already been to Disneyland during one of our previous visit and we thought it was not too interesting.

When we arrived early this morning, it was already filled with loads of tourists. We saw many Chinese nationals and after listening to many unfortunate stories about Disneyland, we were all on our toes. We told the kids not to run around without an adult’s companion. There were couple of kidnapping incidents here and somehow it’s better to be careful than never.

It was so crowded that we have to queue for rides and even photo-taking with the Disney characters. We only managed to take some rides but not for long, we were all tired out due to the hot sunny weather.

They recently opened the new Toy Story fun rides and it was very beautifully decorated. We noticed that some rides are not ready for public. Hubby and sista-in-law tried one of the rides and said that it was pretty exciting.

After lunch, we decided to leave as the kids were bored too due long waiting time for each rides. We went to shop at City Gate Mall where all the outlets are housed under one roof! We brought the elderly to some their coffee breaks while the young ones shopped around.

This time, shopping at City Gate was quite a challenge as it wasn’t easy shopping while carrying Faith who is as heavy as a big of rice! Though both hubby & I took turn to shop but it wasn’t as carefree…

After spending a good 2 hours of shopping, we took the train back to our hotel to get some rest. For dinner, we set off to dine near our hotel to spare our legs… haaahahhaah…

Hong Kong – Day 2

2011-11-27T22:50:00.000+08:00

We woke up early this morning for our free city tour. It was really tiring for us as most of us went to bed late due to our late dinner last night.

The tour guide came to fetch us as early as 8am and man… my brain was still in dreamland… they brought us for dim sum breakfast but it was too early for my stomach to take in food. After breakfast, they took us to Repulse Bay which housed some of the famous celebrities. It was pretty sunny in the morning though it was winter! Most of us have been to the Repulse Bay so; we were somehow on our own while the rest of the group went to explore the area.

After lunch, we set off to Lantau Island via cable car which was really scary for me. There was some news that many tourists were trapped in the cable car due to some technical issues. I am no fan of great heights but cable car is the fastest way up to the mountain. It took about 25 minutes ride to the top and when we arrived… we were shocked to see a long queue for the cable car back to the city.

We found out that the last cable ride back to city was 7pm and in fact, there wasn’t enough time for us to explore the area as it was already 4pm when we arrived. Some of the family members started to queue while the rest went to walk around the nearby shops. We thought it was totally waste of our time just to travel up and queue for the return ride… simply STUPID!

While queuing, there were some bubble machines to keep our kids entertained as it was really a ‘DRAGON’ queue. It took us an hour or so to reach the cable car station and another 20 minutes for our cabin. By the time we arrived on ground level, it was already 7pm!

We found our tour bus waiting for us and we were the first family to board. The bus waited for about half an hour before sending us back to hotel. It was one tiring day for all of us and we decided to dine at the famous wanton shop near our hotel.

We turned in early tonight as tomorrow will be a long day at Disneyland.

Just to add… our little one turned 18 months and it was a great way to celebrate with her.

Faith’s First Trip By Air

2011-11-26T23:45:00.000+08:00

Today, the whole family is excited as we are preparing ourselves for the long waited family trip to Hong Kong. To me, I was even more excited and worried at the same time as this will be the first time Faith will be travelling by air.

When we arrived early at Terminal 3 this afternoon for lunch but most of us were too excited even to eat… Faith was running around with her three cousins to check out the Koi fishes in the pond.

Onboard on Singapore Airlines, we were given seats at the front and man… it was really spacious! Once we were seated, Faith became curious of the surroundings and wanted to walk up and down the aisle but finally stopped when the air steward talked to her. I told her that she is not allowed to walk onboard the plane otherwise the uncle will catch her and lock her in the toilet…. Surprisingly, that really kept her quiet in my arms for a good three and the half hours of flight.

When we arrived in Hong Kong, it sort of wasted our time to wait for the other groups before we could set off to our hotel. sighz… that’s the down side of having transfers… We checked in at Prudential Hotel which we will be staying for the next seven nights pretty late due to traffic jams along the way.

After freshening up, we went out to have our first steamboat dinner at Tao Heung. This is our favorite joint in Hong Kong and our parents loved it too. Everyone enjoyed the dinner though we were extremely tired.

It was a short day as we arrived in the evening and we can’t go exploring the night life as this time, it’s a different experience. Our little one enjoyed so far and fell to her beauty sleep almost immediately after her milk. Good night everyone!

Hi-Five In Town

2011-11-25T21:00:00.000+08:00

Marina Properties sent out invitation to their tenants at Millenia Tower and Centennial Tower to be the first to purchase tickets to watch Hi-Five.

In the past, I have totally no interest in Hi-Five though I heard of them. Ever since Motherhood, Hi-Five became part of my weekend program. Faith seemed to enjoy watching them and dance along when they danced. It was really cute to watch her dance and trying to imitate their dance moves.

Before the show, I dropped by at the office to say hi to my colleagues and she was somehow quite friendly to some… hahahaahah…. I am really relieved that she didn’t cry at the pantry.

When I arrived at the Millenia Walk centre-stage, I saw a big crowd at the assigned entrance for registration. There were only limited seats at the area and I guess they are planning to have all the kids seated on the carpeted floor.

Dinner started after a simple address from the MC. The buffet style dinner was not too bad as most of the food was child friendly. Faith who wasn’t feeling too well after her flu injection did not want to eat. She was rather cranky after awhile and I really had a hard time to keep her happy.

When the show finally started, she was somehow lightened up and danced for a while. However, after 10 minutes through the show, she became extremely cranky and started to cry… I thought she must be feeling hungry or perhaps tired…

After the photo-session with the Hi-Five, collected the pix and we rushed home to do our last minute packing for our family trip to Hong Kong the next day.

Just The Two Of Us

2011-11-17T22:40:00.000+08:00

Today, we celebrated our 11th Wedding Anniversary.

Hubby managed to leave his work early to have dinner with me despite his super busy work at Jurong Island. I really appreciate it baby!

We went to our favorite joint at Serangoon Gardens for dinner. I told him that it should be a short dinner coz’ our little one will be waiting for us at home. The chances of us having dinner alone have lessened and we find it very precious.

Buono’s pastas have always been our favorite as they are super tasty and reasonable priced. We ordered our usual favorites like calamari, seafood pasta and carbonara. Nope, we did not order wine as it was a weekday… did not have the ‘FEEL’ to drink wine.

Our life changed ever since Faith came along but it is for the BETTER of course. Now, our family is really completed and hopefully she will have a sibling to play with soon.

Happy 11th Wedding Anniversary B. You’ve been my best soul-mate, friend and hubby. Love you lots!

The Grand 21st Birthday Bash

2011-11-13T22:55:00.000+08:00

We were invited to join the birthday party of Serena who is Leslie’s cousin. I would say this is the first time attending family member’s 21st birthday party.

The party venue is at Fort Canning Park where we held Faith’s First Birthday but a different function room. The Gallery is the biggest function room at Fort Canning which can hold up to 200 pax on a seated dinner.

When we arrived to the party venue, I was really surprised to see the beautiful decorations like the balloons, the huge birthday cake (3-tiers), great buffet spread with servers, a photographer and a corner for Polaroid photos with the birthday girl.

There was even an assigned Master-of-Ceremony to welcome the guest and told us the program for the night. The MC then passed the mic to Serena to say a few words before the real party began. It started off with ‘ice-breaker’ game where neighboring tables are to guess the cards given to them on each table... For a moment, I thought I was attending annual dinner and dance!

There are other games like dressing up your kid or kids dressing up their parents. That was pretty funny and got all the kiddos running around the super spacious room. The last game was the battle of mummies… Serena invited all the mummies (the elderly) to the stage and with the flowers given to each table; we were supposed to vote the best mum! Obviously, everyone will vote for their mum… hahahaahaha…. But the winner is based on the number of family members who attend the party…. Kekekeekekek…

Anyway, the cake cutting ceremony was quite grand warm one as she invited her parents to be by her side for that special moment. After the cake cutting ceremony, many of her helpers came forward to cut the cakes into small pieces and have it packed to a cute little box for her guest to take home… I thought that was really thoughtful.

Lastly, we had a big family picture taken outside the function room as it can’t really fit us all in. I would say that this is one biggest party of 2011 besides Faith’s 1st birthday! It was indeed an enjoyable one.

Thank you Serena for having us to be part of this special party! Happy 21st Birthday!

Ethan Scott’s First Holy Communion

2011-11-13T15:35:00.000+08:00

We checked out early this morning from Oasia Hotel to attend Scottie’s first Holy Communion at Blessed Sacrament Church. When we arrived, the car park was already full and church was already packed.

It was a usual Sunday mass but today was a special one as many children will be receiving their Holy Communion for the very first time. When I saw Scottie receiving the Holy Communion with the companion of his proud parents, it really touches my heart. The images of Faith Tabitha receiving her first holy communion suddenly appeared! Honestly, I was moved to tears.

After mass, we gathered for photo taking near the altar and wishing the proud parents and Ethan! We were really blessed to be present to witness this joyous occasion.

The celebration continues at the cozy house of the Tans where they hosted lunch for us. The food spread prepared by the Tans is always fantastic! We enjoyed ourselves thoroughly with the delicious food, wide choices of drinks and of course the company of friends.

Thank you Theresa & Zen for inviting us to be part of this meaning occasion & celebration! Congratulations Ethan Scott! God bless you always.

Baby Shower For Rie & Zhong Li

2011-11-12T23:55:00.000+08:00

Oasia Hotel kindly given us a free trial stay as Rie might use their hotel for her seminar at then end of November. With that good deal, we planned a baby shower for Rie there instead.

We checked in the afternoon and chilled at the club lounge as it was one of the coolest club lounges we have been to. The hotel itself is like a resort hotel where it gives you a causal and homely feel.

However, we left for coffee instead as the group was getting bigger with kiddos around so, it was somehow awkward to hang at the club lounges where it was so quiet… we went to the nearby Old Town for some snacks since the hotel room was not too big to accommodate all of us.

After dinner at Grandma’s located at United Square, we walked around just to digest our tummy as our dear pregnant friend bought so many snacks and food for supper! We went back to the hotel room to chill and the kiddos had a great time with us too.

During supper time, we played card games and chill in the couple’s room till wee hours… it was indeed a nice and relax gathering.

Congratulations Rie & Zhong Li. We wish you a smooth delivery in January! Jia You!!!

Family Outing@Universal Studio Singapore

2011-11-05T18:00:00.000+08:00

My sis-in-law Sheryl has got a good discount from her company to Universal Studio and with that opportunity, she purchased tickets for the whole family.

Universal Studio opened for about 2 years now and this is our first visit. We heard from friends & colleagues that it’s not that fantastic compared to the one in US. I mean… how to compare with the one in USA right…

When we arrived early that morning, I was surprised to see quite a big crowd beside Sheryl’s colleagues & their families. There were lots of tourists and some Singaporeans like us. I have been to the one in LA and I remembered it was more colorful than the one here. There were a couple of cartoon figures walking around for photo-taking session but each session lasted only for 20 minutes.

We went to take some rides which are suitable for the kids and elderly like the Madagascar. It was a slow boat ride to a tunnel where stories are being told as we sail along. When our boat sailed into the tunnel, Faith started to cry… Yes… She is afraid of the dark. We tried to calm her down and told her to wave goodbye to the animals as we moved along, she finally enjoyed the ride though it was almost at the end of the tunnel!!

The journey continued after the boat ride but it was too hot & crowded to try other rides. The queue for each ride took at least about 15 minutes. Anyway, the elderly did not want to try the rides but to spend time with their grand-children.

I personally thought the Universal Studio Singapore was not as good as the one in LA. There should be more shows and cool rides rather than shops… Anyway, there are many rooms for improvement so… hopefully it will get better in future.

A Sunday Morning Walk

2011-10-30T11:15:00.000+08:00

Hubby suggested going for a morning walk at our newly opened Punggol Waterway Park. It took only less than 10 minutes car ride to reach the Park.

When we arrived, we saw many people walking, jogging and also bridal shoot under the scorching hot sun! We took a walk around the park which was really beautiful and clean. The sun was too hot that we had shade ourselves under the covered resting area.

Faith who was sitting on her pram was sweating away too and she even asked for her water bottle. This beautifully designed reservoir is really peaceful and a great place for all joggers. I would think an evening walk will be more pleasant.

Then we drove to the end of Punggol where we found the newly built Punggol Promenade. That was the place that housed the best seafood in Singapore. Now, it has turned into a beautiful park by the sea. Though the park is not fully done up but we could tell by the structure that it will be a great place for family outings.

It was indeed an eye-opening morning walk and enjoyed spending time with the little one despite the super hot sun!

Faith Turns 17th Months

2011-10-27T14:13:00.000+08:00

Our little one is 17th months and we are glad that she is started to talk a bit. She knows how to ask for stuff like food, drink and toys... She is definitely our precious superstar... kekekkeek...

Darling, we love you very much and God bless you always.

Happy Birthday Jana

2011-10-23T20:30:00.000+08:00

It is always an honor and pleasure to celebrate God-daughter’s birthday together and yes, today, we attended Jana’s party.

We were invited to tea-party at Bird’s place for the birthday celebration. She took time to decorate and prepared good food for the party. The food spread was great as usual. She will never fail to leave her guest hungry… hahaahahah….

This year, we were given door gifts not only for the kids but the adults were involved too. (to be honest, the adults are the ones enjoying the party more than the kids). We put on our party glasses and we were in the world of our own…

The kids took their turns to play some songs on the piano and man… those kids were fantastic. I was really impressed on how good they can play and I somehow regretted not taking up piano lessons when I was little.

Jana’s birthday cake was pretty and delicious too. I was too full due to the good food that Bird prepared. There were so much food like our all time favorites, chicken wings, fish balls, dry mee siam and spring rolls… totally YUMS!!!!

What made this birthday party enjoyable was the company of friends and family whom we grew up together… Thank you Kenneth & Elizabeth for having us.

A Well-Spent Childcare Leave

2011-10-18T12:14:00.000+08:00

Took a day’s leave to hang out with little Faith while mum went for her monthly check up…

She woke up this morning smiling when she saw me lying beside her. I really enjoyed waking up with her as she is always happy and at times, she was the one who woke me instead… haaaa……

While mum was at the clinic, I took care of her and played with her… though I did not bring her out but chill at home, we were equally happy and enjoyed each other’s company.

I guess I really have to consider of being a stay home mum man….

Galaxy At JAS

2011-10-09T16:00:00.000+08:00

About two months ago, Mr. Matsuda of our HOA Dept. and also boss of Rie was selling tickets to our staff for the Galaxy concert.

Let me tell you a little about Mr. Matsuda… he is one of our Japanese bosses in our company and he loves to sing/perform. He performed at our D&D and as well as at Rie’s wedding dinner about 2 years ago. I would say that he can sing pretty well and he looked pretty stylish on stage.

Later we learnt that he has his own band in Japan and he actually had concerts done too! He had planned a charity concert here in Singapore and he sold tickets to our staff.

Today, my family & I went to attend his concert held at The Japanese Association. We attended the afternoon concert as we had something on in the evening. When we arrived, the concert had just started… but the seats were not fully filled.

Mr. Okura (Mr. Matsuda’s artiste name) sang very well and he was really stylish on stage. He has that stage presence and his band was great too. Most of his band mates were not young but they are filled with pride and joy while they played their music.

It was quite regretful that we were not able to stay till the end of the concert as our little became cranky due to lack of sleep…

Congratulations Matsuda-san on your concert which was really enjoyable.

Class 95 Retrolicious

2011-10-08T23:55:00.000+08:00

I missed this event last year as I had just given birth and being a first time mum… I was really nervous and everything was new to me.

This year, I did not hesitate to attend this event especially when I heard that my favorite Belinda Carlisle & Bananarama are performing. That was really the best reason for me to go watch them. There as one more group – The Human League. These are all the best groups and singers during the late 80s.

Today, we met early for light dinner at Plaza Singapura and man… I was really excited about the concert in the park. It should be fun but then again… I was worried that it might rain given that the weather these days were strange.

When we arrived at the main entrance of Fort Canning, we saw a big crowd and more walking up. The queue to get in was quick and to our surprise, there were so many people sitting down with beers and snacks on their picnic mats. Thanks to Philip who arrived earlier to get us a good place to chill…

The Human League was the first performer of the night but to be honest, their songs were pretty boring. We saw many people sitting down chilling out, eating and talking during their performance and some were even playing game on their iPads. The only songs that got everyone dancing were the last few ones as they were the popular songs like ‘Electric Dreams’…

Next was Belinda Carlisle, I saw her face through the big screen and I didn’t think that she aged at all. She still looked beautiful but she definitely aged while she sang… she was almost out of breath after 3 songs and even went out of tune at times.

I would say the Bananarama was the best… they not only performed their songs well, they still danced well and last of all, they communicated with the crowd! Thumps UP!

We thoroughly enjoyed the concert in the park though it was really hot! I wished I could stay on to dance the night away with those cool retro songs after the concert. Anyway, I am definitely going to Mambo Jumbo one of these days man… wanna join me?

Gathering At Lee Kui

2011-10-07T23:00:00.000+08:00

We heard the good news that our dear ex-colleague now friend Philip Cho is back to Singapore for good after 7 years working in Hong Kong. When I first received the SMS from him that he will be returning to SIN for good, I was overjoyed!

My Kai-Ye Steven kindly arranged a dinner gathering for him at Lee Kui (Ah Hoi) at Chinatown. It was a Teo chew restaurant and my first time. We passed by many times when we parked our car nearby to dine at Spring Court which is a street away but has never tried their food.

Steven who has been there ordered many dishes. Our starters were the cold crabs which was very simple but tasty. There was no gravy but the sweetness of the crab. Next was the fried pig intestine which was my favorite… that scored man! I simply went crazy when I saw that dish… I know it’s fattening but it was the best dish man!

The chili crab gravy crayfish was good too… the generous portion was already thumps up! Their signature duck was SUPER GOOD can!!! The meat was soft and the sauce was so good that you can’t stop taking another slice of it… the vegetables were great too though it was simple. I did not enjoy the fish much as all you know that I am not the fishy person… then came the meat ball soup which was good but I have tasted better la…

The dessert was slightly different… kai-ye ordered hot desserts instead of the usual cold ones. He ordered something like crystal dumplings; some stuffed with sesame, red bean and the traditional mang kwang. That was really something different and extremely delicious. Our last dish was the yam paste. For that dish, I would say I preferred the one at Kia Hiang… that was much tastier than this…

It was indeed a great gathering for everyone. It’s always nice to keep in touch with friends though they are no longer your colleagues. Friendship is something nothing can replaced but to treasure.

Oasia Hotel Site Inspection

2011-10-06T22:50:00.000+08:00

We were invited for a site inspection at Oasia Hotel located at Novena. This is a brand new hotel that opened recently. The unique structure of the building caught my eye whenever I passed by Velocity shopping mall.

Our super funny Sales Manger Dervyn was our host for this casual site inspection but was a good one. He showed us the Deluxe Rooms, the meeting rooms, and their suite rooms (which is still under renovation). Their rooms gave me a very cozy and resort feel as their rooms are tiled and not carpeted.

The sizes of their rooms were not big but a good size for business travelers, couples and small families. The concept was really refreshing and I like the way they designed their club lounge. Club rooms guest are able to enjoy a beautiful view on the 22nd floor which a good size pool and some chill out area… fantastic view.

After the site inspection, we were invited to dine at their French restaurant Zaffron. This is the only house restaurant and it is an all day dining place for guest. The cuisine though French, but somehow it was delicious.

It was an enjoyable site inspection with the funnyman Dervyn. He was a cool sales manager whose jokes were on the same line as us… Keep it up Dervyn and thank you very much for having us.

Faith Is 16 Months Old

2011-09-27T12:15:00.000+08:00

Faith found her best friend... the Conrad Bear... hahhaahah

Happy 16th Months sweetheart and we love you very much. God bless you always.

SJI Concert@The Park

2011-09-25T21:45:00.000+08:00

We were honored to be invited to attend this cool concert organized by SJI. Theresa’s son Scottie was one of the performers for this concert.

When we arrived at Bontanic Gardens on a hot evening… we saw a huge crowd on infront of the stage. Some families were having panics, some brought along their dogs for walk and fun… and some are just there to sit around.

As for our group, it never failed to be equipped with good food, drinks and snacks. Bird & Theresa kindly provided food and drinks for us... it was something different from our normal weekend outings. It was quite regret that we missed Scottie’s performance as we lost our way… Yes… its funny that Singaporeans can get lost at Botanic Gardens… hahahaah…

I was surprised to meet my Patricia there, a friend from church whom I have not met for a long time. She has always wanted to meet up for dinner and play with Faith but we were all busy and could not make time…today, we finally met!

However, we still enjoyed the companionship of our friends and the performance of other kids. Those kids really can perform… they dance, sing and play instruments. It was also the food that our friends prepared that made the event enjoyable!

After this event, we went to have dinner at Uncle Sam located at City Square Mall. It was our first time there though we passed by a couple of times. We ordered their signature claypot chicken rice, claypot e-mee and vegetables to share. Mmmh… I would say that the food is not fantastic but pretty good la…try again?… perhaps…

Theresa & Zen, thanks for having us at the cool event at Botanic Gardens!

Wedding At Furama Waterfront Hotel

2011-09-24T23:35:00.000+08:00

We were invited to witness this special occasion at Furama Waterfront. Hubby’s cousin wedding and it was somehow a very beautiful one.

When we arrived at hotel, many guests had arrived and not long after, the beautiful young couple marched in. Our table was given at the corner so that the kids has more space to move around but the speaker was there… mmmh… it was kind of loud but was alright after we told the hotel staff to tone the volume down a bit.

The wedding was pretty interesting as the MC for the night was also their wedding singer. He actually sang many songs throughout the dinner and even accepted song requests from his song book. Mmmh… pretty professional la.

Happy Wedding!

Ah Gong’s Birthday Lunch

2011-09-22T15:15:00.000+08:00

I remembered celebrating our Ah Gong’s (GM) birthday lunch at Ootoya at Suntec last year and it was a great one. Not that we were trying to score points but he is indeed someone who is warm and humble.

This year, we brought him to Boon Keng for a local luncheon instead. It was ‘zhi cha’ for a change. Though it was quite hot having lunch in a coffee shop but somehow it was enjoyable as the dishes we ordered were great!

Linda, our food director, ordered all our favorite dishes like asam fish curry, prawn rolls, spare ribs, vegetables with beef, fried chicken with prawn paste and hot plate tofu. Man...those were my personal favorites too… *YUMS*

We were worried that it may not be our GM’s food standard but to our surprise, he simply enjoyed it and told us that they were all tasty. Of course we were relieved to know that he loved our local food…

Happy Birthday again Yasuno GM!

Luxurious Birthday Party

2011-09-18T23:04:00.000+08:00

My family & I were invited by my cousin-in-law to celebrate my cousin Ka Yun’s birthday and what surprised me was the venue… she told me that it will be a surprise party for her beloved hubby so, she told us not to breathe a word about it. I was totally dumbfounded when she told me that the surprise party will be held on a Yacht! Yes… a YACHT!!!

However, we were unable to make it to the boat trip in the day as we were hanging out at my buddy’s place for Hari Raya gathering. We turned up for dinner instead… When we arrived at Keppel Marina this evening, I was really excited about getting on to the yacht. Honestly, I have never been on one… so, I was really thrilled!

My cousin came out to pick us up outside as we were not allowed to enter the dock area. The pretty yacht name ‘Whatever’ was our yacht and it certainly has a cool name… after removing our shoes, we board the yacht and man… it was simply gorgeous inside. The feel of chilling out on it was simply great though it was docked.

Faith too was overjoyed as she played catching bubbles with her cousin Zoe. Soon after, she got curious about her surroundings and started to roam around; she even attempted to climb down the stairs…I thought to myself… how nice if I am one of the yacht owner… that will be fantastic isn’t it…

We surveyed the interior of the yacht and it was pretty spacious. It housed a king size master bedroom, two guest rooms with single bed and an entertainment room for others to chill. Totally cool stuff… as usual, Faith was getting herself involved and trying the bed, the sofas and even checking the toilets…

My cousin-in-law Florence, catered food from a western caterer and it was quite a spread. There were assorted sandwiches, pasta with tomato sauce, roast beef with mushroom sauce, salads and lamb cubes with herbs. Our friend Josephine prepared bread sticks and some nachos for appetizers. For desserts, we have cream puffs, brownies and home-made agar agar by my aunt. I simply love the agar agar that she made as she used to make those when I was very little.

After our food got a little digested, we gathered round the sofa area to commence the birthday cake cutting ceremony. The kids were excited to see the cake and gathered almost immediately. The delicious bakerzin chocolate cheesecake was the best dessert! Hahahaahahahah…. Okay, besides my aunt’s agar agar!

It was indeed a great experience to have party onboard of a yacht and guess we can do that someday with friends… I am sure it will be a different experience…*winks*

Happy birthday Kor and wishing you a blessed one!! God bless you!

Rare Invitation

2011-09-18T15:15:00.000+08:00

Our dear friend Hairon finally invited us to her place for Hari Raya gathering. It’s been more than a decade since we last hang out at her humble nest. I believed it was also a gathering for Hari Raya.

When I arrived, Vivian & baby Julia were already there. Baby Julia, smiley as usual sitting on her comfortable pram… she laughed when I chatted with her and I really missed those days when Faith was at this age. It was so easy to handle…

Hairon’s mum prepared curry chicken and salads for our lunch. It was a simple but delicious meal. I love the feeling of having lunch with close friends on the dining table where we chatted and enjoyed the meal. This is what I called bonding.

After lunch, we sat around the hall to discuss about our trip to KL and there were lots of suggestion and how we can go about. Guess we are really going on a road trip very soon after years and years of discussion…. Hahaahahahaah

Thanks for the invitation to your cozy nest Hairon and we should do it every year la…

Mooncake Festival

2011-09-12T23:00:00.000+08:00

We celebrated our first mooncake festival last year with baby Faith in our arms but this year, she is already running around the corridor with a little lantern in her hands.

As usual, we gathered at the dining table for a meal and mother in law prepared some special dishes for this occasion. This year, dinner finished early than usual as our little one can’t sit still on her high chair and wanted to start the partying…

Once after dinner, the adults arranged the lanterns for the kids while we watched in excitement. Then Maggie blew bubbles and they simply loved it. Initially, Faith was afraid of the bubbles but after seeing her cousin playing with it, she too enjoyed catching the bubbles in the air.

It was such a joy to see them enjoying themselves playing lanterns and bubbles. It reminded me of those good old childhood days when we used to play in our back lanes. Cool stuff indeed.

Day 2 Of Faith’s Bintan Adventure

2011-09-11T20:45:00.000+08:00

We certainly had a great sleep last night and woke up fresh and can’t wait to enjoy the sunny weather. After feeding our little one, we head down to have breakfast at the café and found that it was already filled with people.

It did not take long for us to be seated though it was pretty crowded. I was quite disappointed with the breakfast spread coz’ they do not have much warm food items. I think they should have more warm food than 3 egg stations.

Since the sun is out early, we went back to get changed. Faith finally got to wear her swimming costume for the 1st time. I know some of you must be wondering why I took so long to get Faith down to the pool… well, her dad is worried all the time so… We bought her a float since she is not able to swim yet. She was actually curious about the float and what can she do with that.

When we brought her down to the poolside, she got really excited but scared at the same time. We led her to the pool slowly and put her down to the float where she could sit. We were happy that she did not struggle but was enjoying herself on the float while we pushed her.

She seemed to love the water when we pulled her out of the float and taught her how to swim… she was kicking pretty well though it was her virgin swim. She was indeed happy to be with us and tried kicking hard to push herself. Mmmhhh… I think it’s about time to send her for swimming classes.

We went back to our room for a nap so that Faith will not be cranky when we board the ferry later in the day. It was nice of the hotel to grant us late check out and we had light lunch in our room. Faith slept had a great & long afternoon nap while we spent our quality time watching ‘Hell’s Kitchen’ hahahaahahahaha…

A short trip to Bintan ended with very pleasant memories and we will be back soon as one night is not enough.

Faith’s First Overseas Trip

2011-09-10T21:11:00.000+08:00

We planned to bring her for her first overseas trip last year but it did not succeed due to many issues! This time, we grabbed the opportunity and we are heading to Bintan FINALLY… Before heading to Bintan, I called to check if we can upgrade our room and managed to have it upgraded to a suite room at a good special rate of SD90 nett.

This morning, we rushed out to run our errands and left for the jetty to Bintan. It was certainly exciting for us as it’s our first official family trip but at the same time, we were worried if Faith will be bored or cranky due to unfamiliar environment.

When we arrived at the hotel just passed their lunch time, we headed to have our light lunch as our room was not ready. The weather wasn’t at our side as it started to drizzle during our luncheon.

As usual, little Faith is curious about her surroundings and wanted to move about to check out everything including the ants on the table! She finally sat down when our food arrived though she only could take a few small bites from roast chicken quesadillas.

Our room was ready not long after our lunch and we were happy with the suite. It was pretty big with a separate living and bed room. There were 2 balconies and the bathroom was huge. Faith was really happy to have such a big space to run around. She was exploring the room from hall to the sofa, the bedroom to the bathroom… super busy little lady!

The weather was not good at all and we decided to stay in door to get some good beauty sleep before heading for early dinner. It was quite difficult for us to get her to sleep as she was really curious about the new environment. After an hour of entertaining her, she finally fell asleep.

We went to have our dinner at the Japanese Restaurant in Bintan Lagoon and it was not crowded at all compared to their main café. We ordered teppanyaki set and our little one was totally unhappy as she has nothing to eat. Then we have to order the toufu for her to keep her quiet… super headache!

We wanted to bring her to the beach for a walk but it was too dark… and so, we walked around the poolside instead and went back to the room to call it a night.

When Airi Met Tabi

2011-08-27T20:11:00.000+08:00

It was about one year ago when we (Maki & I) talked about meeting up after we delivered our first baby. Finally today, Rie kindly arranged and invited us to her cozy nest at Tanjong Rhu.

When we arrived, little Airi was already there welcoming us (the late comers) together with the good host (Zhong Li & Rie). They met during Faith’s one year old birthday party at Fort Canning but at that time, our little one was not able to walk on her own yet.

At the beginning, both were a bit shy but somehow kids get warmed up easily especially when both are around the same age. Airi is 2 months older than Faith and they got along pretty well but when it comes to sharing toys… both were quite reluctant… hahaahahaha… that’s usual for kids.

We were happy to see that Faith was pretty well-behaved and seemed to be pretty friendly though she refused to let anyone carry except Maki succeeded. We as adults had fun watching them dancing and hanging together… it was such a joy to have kids around you.

What shocked us was their dog was afraid of these two little babies. They were very friendly to the dog and in fact, OVERFRIENDLY…Faith even slapped the dog by mistake… we told her to ‘sayang’ the dog but guess she used too much of her strength that it became a soft slap… poor dog! She wasn’t afraid of the dog and wanting to get near it but it avoided her instead… haaaahhhaaa….

Anyway, it was an enjoyable time spent on a lazy Saturday afternoon. Thanks for the invite and meeting Maki & family was great! Let’s do it again sometime ya…

Faith Is 15 Months

2011-08-27T14:45:00.000+08:00

Our little one turned 15 months today and we are happy that it falls on a Saturday and will be a long weekend ahead. There are some good programs planned for her. We brought her out for lunch together with mum at Velocity located at Novena area after heading to the polling centre to vote for the next President.

When we arrived, we found a new restaurant ‘Old Hong Kong’ and decided to give it a try. We were surprised that there was a long queue outside the small but cozy restaurant. It didn’t take long for us to be seated and the food they served was similar to Crystal Jade Kitchen but slightly more expensive.

Hubby ordered the traditional dishes to try out like Har Kow, Char Siew Bao for little Faith, pan-fried beancurd skin and chee cheong fun. I would say that the Har Kow wasn’t as tasty as Crystal Jade Kitchen; the skin was quite thick though prawn was big. Pan-fried beancurd skin and chee chong fun were not too bad and the Char Siew Bao was pretty normal.

Apart from the dim sums we ordered, we each ordered our main dish. Mum had century egg porridge, hubby had roast duck noodles and I had the steamed pork & salted pancake on rice in bamboo. I waited for a good 20 minutes for my rice and it tasted only normal or I would say… not worth the wait!

Overall the lunch was not so satisfying la…and we had to buy Gong Cha to square it…

Sweetheart, hope you will enjoy your day with us...Love you.

Lunch Reunion At Otto

2011-08-26T16:21:00.000+08:00

It’s been ages since we last visited Otto with our beloved Minowa-san. He kindly invited us to lunch today after much planning as he was out of town on business trip and finally managed to fix for this reunion.

We left for early lunch as my stupid MONKEY is out of town to find his bananas… we were happy to lunch with Minowa-san as he is such a great boss or friend to hang out with. When we arrived at Otto, we were seated almost immediately as everyone knows him.

We browsed through the menu but Minowa-san ordered for us instead as he is very familiar with the menu and we definitely trust his taste always. While waiting for our food to be served, the waiter served us with a glass of champagne… that’s VIP man…

I was really happy to see the spread of bread they had and I picked my favorite bread with onions. Honestly, I can finish that whole loaf… it was really tasty and the taste of the onions weren’t too strong. Shortly after the champagne, the waiter came with a small starter – cauliflower which was compliments by the chef. That little dish looked very simple but it tasted great. The cauliflower was soft and it tasted like mash potato… it was that soft…

Minowa-san ordered the month’s special Braised Veal baked cannelloni with porcini mushroom ragout and pan roasted Foie Gras with port caramelized apple and arugula. I am a great fan of Foie Gras and this one tasted perfect! It wasn’t oily and taking small bites simply take you higher!! Totally heaven!

As promised, he ordered our favorite Spaghetti with sea urchin and grey mullet bottarga and homemade ricotta cheese and spinach ravioli with tomato and basil sauce. We are great fan of the spaghetti with sea urchin… it was really out of this world I tell you pals… the way the chef cooked it was really fantastic and I am still craving for it even after lunch…

The homemade ricotta cheese and spinach ravioili with tomato and basil sauce was simply great too… it looked like our Chinese ngoh hiang but in the Italian way… hahahaha… But seriously, this is a damn delicious piece man… it wasn’t as cheesy as I thought and it blended so well with the spinach. After having all the two pastas, we realized that it wasn’t enough to fill our greedy tummy.

Minowa-san went on to order the Usda beef rib eye with sautéed potatoes and baby spinach. The first bite on the tender and juicy was totally unforgettable. I wished I could have a bigger piece of it though I am almost stuffed.

As for desserts, we ordered strawberry ice-cream, mango & raspberry sorbet. Mmmh… I think the strawberry ice-cream is not as nice compared to the one at Greenhouse, Ritz-Carlton. There wasn’t any strawberry bits in it and was quite tasteless… quite a disappointment… However, I was woken up by the aroma of the cappuccino.

It was indeed a delicious and enjoyable lunch with wonderful companions. Thank you Minowa-san for this fantastic lunch! We should do it more often as a family reunion… hahhaahahaha

Dinner At Greenhouse

2011-08-24T23:10:00.000+08:00

It was an invitation joint by Katryne & Linda to dine at Greenhouse, The Ritz-Carlton. For Katryne, we celebrated her promotion and as for Linda, she wanted to treat us for her birthday back in July. This is one fantastic arrangement indeed.

It was a fantastic promotion at Greenhouse where it was 1-1 for ladies… Men just don’t get it! hahaahah…. Anyway, there were 10 of us and yes, what a group. We arrived at 6:30pm the exact time when the buffet dinner will begins. It wasn’t crowded then and we were the first few to be seated as our office is only a stone throw away.

The spread that night was really good too but I can’t seem to locate the foie gras though. I remembered the last time I had and it was really tasty. Besides the foie gras, everything seemed to be the same.

Since we have a group of 10 this time, I ordered 4 portions of duck, char siew & roast pork to share. It was delicious but compared to the ones at Chinatown la… the roast beef was one of the dish that I can’t miss… it’s really tender and having it with mustard was heaven!!!

As for desserts, I took the strawberry ice-cream which was unforgettable. The rest of the desserts were not too much to my liking like chocolates etc… but I do like the fondue though with marshmallows, strawberries and pocky sticks…

I would like to thank Katryne & Linda for the delicious treat to such fantastic buffet dinner and it’s everyone’s presence that made it enjoyable! Thank you pals.

Kate’s Visit

2011-08-18T17:55:00.000+08:00

We were overjoyed to know that Daphne gave birth to a healthy baby girl on 7th July 2011 weighing 3.5kg. As she did not have a full month celebration, she came to pay us a visit after Kate’s full month.

They arrived at our office around tea time and most of us rushed up to check out little Kate. She was really adorable and man… she is big! Daphne looked great herself too. I managed to carry little Kate and it definitely felt good… it reminded me of baby Faith… awwww….

Unfortunately Yoyo and I had to leave for our site inspection at Raffles Hotel otherwise we will be able to spend more time with little Kate.

Congratulations Daphne & hubby and welcome little Kate.

National Day Celebration With A Good Cause

2011-08-09T15:50:00.000+08:00

It’s somehow a yearly affair that I was invited to help out for the Housebound mass organized by Blessed Sacrament Church.

When I arrived at BSC, most of my friends were already seated and happily chatting away. We did a few run through of the songs we were supposed to sing. As usual, we will start clicking our cameras especially when close friends gathered together for a good cause on a public holiday.

At 11am sharp, mass started and the choir started work…hahahaahaha…. I would say we sang beautifully despite some misunderstandings we had during some of our practices. At that moment, everyone put everything behind them and served the Lord with their hearts.

I was somehow moved when I went for blessings during the healing section. I could see some of my friends who were in trouble or feeling stressed up tearing away while they said their prayers. I am glad that I went forward for the blessing and I felt really blessed.

Thank you pals for having me to be part of this wonderful celebration.

Double Celebration

2011-08-07T22:50:00.000+08:00

Today is an auspicious day indeed where we have 2 events to attend. This morning, we attended God-daughter Jana & Harold’s 1st Holy Communion at Holy Cross.

It was raining cats & dogs while I was on my way to Clementi with Faith as Leslie had to serve at BSC. I was really blessed to be on time before the mass started. Not long after mass started, Leslie arrived but told me that he left the car in church as it was blocked by another vehicle.

It was quite a happy occasion as it was our God-daughter’s 1st Holy Communion. This is one event we wouldn’t want to miss as God-parents. Honestly, has not been a good God-ma as I did not spend much time with her during her growth but thankfully her mum is a faithful catholic and has been bringing her to church.

We had to leave after mass as we have another event to attend in the evening. Our little one needed her beauty sleep and regret we couldn’t join them for lunch. Faith started dozing off the minute we headed for home.

In the evening, we went to my cousin Ka Yun’s place for his daughter Zoe’s 2nd birthday party. When we arrived, I saw some familiar faces… they were church mates. I know some of them as I used to attend the church when I was younger.

They rented a float in their house this time for the kiddos but Faith was kind of scared when we put her on it. Some of the older kids were enjoying themselves… jumping and rolling all over the float.

Zoe’s birthday cake this time was Mickey Mouse and it was really cute. Everyone surrounded to sing her the birthday song and she was really happy… guess what… Faith got excited too!

It was a tiring day for both of us and Faith as it seemed like a long day full of events though we only attended two. Guess attending events are more tiring when you have kids…

Overdue Birthday Dinner

2011-08-03T23:00:00.000+08:00

We tried to plan dinner together but due to everyone’s busy schedule, we finally managed to meet tonight.

Greenhouse is having so-called their ‘Ladies’ Night’ where they have 1-1 dinner for ladies only. It was definitely a great value as the buffet dinner wasn’t cheap at all. Though there were only three of us, the third lady was given a 25% discount which was not a bad deal at all.

The spread at Greenhouse was really fantastic. The appetizers alone can fill my stomach… there were so much stuff… from sashimi to seafood, from sushi to roast pork, duck & beef! The noodle bar was there too and the best was they served foie gras as one of the appetizers. Totally COOL!

The mains were great too as they had chili crabs, mantou, hokkien mee, braised beef in wine sauce, potato with herbs etc… that’s not all, they had the Indian section too. The garlic nann was delicious especially with their butter chicken… totally YUMS!

As for beverages, they served free flow of flavored teas such as strawberry, peach, passion fruit, blueberry & raspberry. My favorite was strawberry tea… not too sweet. Thumps UP!

The desserts corner is really a killer! The generous spread of items for fondue was simply irresistible! The soft marshmallows, pocky sticks, strawberries, mini donuts etc… how to resist… beside those, there were a good variety of 6 different kinds of cakes and man… my favorite station will be the ice-cream and crepes area. You really got to try their strawberry ice-cream… really tasty and you can taste some small bits of the fruit too. HEAVEN!

A sumptuous dinner and great companion indeed brighten up the evening. Happy belated birthday Kangz and hope you had a great time too.

A Coffee Break

2011-08-02T16:20:00.000+08:00

Was really sick and tired of working today and I took a reason to leave the office for a some fresh air… went down to Millenia Walk to check out the tickets for Retrolicious with buddy Theresa who is working in the same building…

I was seriously not in the mood to work and suggested to take a coffee break… went to Coffee Bean to chill out for a while…

Thanks buddy for the Kopi break ... *winks*

Mitsubishi Corporation Chilled Out At Velvet

2011-07-29T23:45:00.000+08:00

Three years back, we organized a ‘chill-out’ session at Velvet Underground and the response was fantastic. Many actually requested us to do it again especially our colleagues from subsidiaries. They enjoyed the free flow of drinks and buffet dinner we provided.

This year, we did the same but the response was not as good as the previous one. Mainly the biggest group opted out due to their closing term and that really affected the number of participants. Anyway, even with the low rate of participants, we went ahead.

The committee arrived early to double check on the arrangements and checked on the buffet spread. I never doubt Velvet’s management staff as they did a great one during our last event there.

After the arrival of our staff and guest, GM gave a short opening speech and the party started. While everyone was having their dinner, our MC Patrick Ong started the games segment by getting some staff to play the old school game – The Musical Chair. It indeed brought up some fun to our quiet guest.

The drinking competition was another game and it somehow managed to get many staff cheering the participants … cheering them on to finish their beer. Right after the game, we started our disco session and that was when everyone went MAD!

We were pretty disappointed with the Technician who was in charged of the music that night for he put the wrong disc and songs were not continuous which really spoilt the mood. However, after informing the PIC, they managed to change the disc and the party continued.

After the event, some of us stayed on and enjoyed ourselves at Zouk. It definitely reminded of those days when my buddies & I hang out there every Friday night… simply Fantastic…

Thank you Leng, Neh, darling, KK, Kat, Koko, Joanna & PO for helping out at event which was somehow successful!

Happy Birthday Soulmate

2011-07-28T22:45:00.000+08:00

This is the 2nd time hubby celebrated his birthday with his little precious. Both of us got off work and rushed back to have dinner together as a family. We went to Swensen’s located near our nest.

When we arrived on a weekday evening, we weren’t surprise to find a long queue as that is one of the most popular restaurants for family gatherings. However, it did not take us long to be seated. *winks*

It was also our little Faith’s first time to visit Swensen’s and as usual, she got greedy when our food arrived. She wanted to have our food but too bad she has no teeth to chew… hahaahahhahaah … OOOPPPS!

I always have plan B whenever that happens… I brought along her own food like snacks, porridge to feed her while we had our dinner. Even while eating her own food, she was still staring and pointing at the fries on my plate!

After dinner, we had a small cake cutting ceremony for hubby. Faith was really happy while we sang the birthday song (as if it was her birthday all over again!). Bought the cake from Bakerzin again… Yes… 2 Bakerzin cakes in 2 days… the Strawberry Shortcake was delicious la… how to resist….

Happy Birthday baby! We Love you.

Faith Turns 14 Months

2011-07-27T22:40:00.001+08:00

Faith turns 14 months today and man… she has started to walk already. She wasn’t confident at the beginning but once she got the hang of it, she was way too brave!

Our little friend started to get up on her own when she was about 13 months 2 weeks and was really proud of herself when she could stand on her own feet. I remembered she was clapping her hands when she stood up without clinging on to the wall. It was quite a funny scene.

I am sure she will start to run in no time…

Happy Birthday Mummy Dearest

2011-07-26T21:55:00.000+08:00

Best wishes to our dearest mum who celebrated her birthday today. Thank you very much mummy for taking up the task to take care of our little girl, your granddaughter so that we can work without worries. You have been so patient to little Faith when she is so naughty especially now that she is able to walk about.

Thank you mummy for all the love and care you shown to us and we love you very much. May the good Lord bless you with good health always.

Happy Birthday Mummy!

July Babies Birthday Celebration

2011-07-24T22:45:00.000+08:00

There are in total of 5 July babies in my family and we celebrated my mother in law’s birthday about 2 weeks back.

Today, we celebrated the birthday of my father in law, my mum & the most important person in my life, my hubby. Their birth dates are one after another. Mum’s birthday on 26th, Father in Law 27th and hubby on 28th! Totally co-incidence!

We went to our family favorite restaurant Spring Court for dinner and the manager Eric kindly arranged a bigger room for us for comfort as we have kids and babies.

The ‘birthday buns’ were served right at the start of the dinner and it was for good wishes. I would say the buns here were much better than Lee Wah though they tasted the same but the presentation is definitely better here. This time, our so-called cold dish was their in-house special ‘po-pian’. It was everyone’s first time trying and it turned out to be a hit!

The shark’s fin soup was very delicious too and loads of crab meat indeed! Next was the family favorite … suckling pig! I simply enjoyed the suckling pig at Spring Court as the skin of the piglet was really crispy and not that fatty. I would say the meat for the suckling was just as yummy as the skin. Totally heaven!!

The deep fried fish with soya sauce was great too as the fish meat was soft and our little simply loved it… she enjoyed so much that she wanted to feed her dad some… haahahahaah…. Silly! Instead of the usual roasted crispy chicken, we changed it to father in law’s favorite ‘Yu Lan Chicken’. The chicken meat was soft, tender and best… boneless… hahaahah… this dish is very well liked by the elderly.

The chili garlic prawns were very tasty too and though I am no fan of prawns due to my skin issue but it was really good and I couldn’t resist it… mum’s favorite would be the vegetables with mushrooms and dried oysters.

The birthday noodles were served before our ever delicious almond cream paste dessert. To us (hubby & I), the almond cream at Spring Court is one of the best we tried so far. It was smooth, tasty and what’s important, it was served HOT. That is what a hot dessert supposed to be isn’t it?

This time, we bought the cake from Jane’s Cake Station where they are ever-famous for their delicious creamy durian cake. Everyone enjoyed the cake very much and though we had durian cakes for both occasion but we still loved it.

Happy Birthday to my beloved mum, my wonderful father-in-law and my soul-mate hubby! Wishing all of you good health and God bless you.

Meal For The Sumo

2011-07-22T22:50:00.000+08:00

Finally I am able to join dinner gathering organized by my kaiye and Minowa-san. In the past I wasn’t able to join as they used to organize dinner on a Thursday night where I have to serve in church but this time, I was able to join.

It was my first time visiting Sumo Restaurant Chanko Nada located at Orchard Plaza. Most of them were repeated visits. We were given a private room and it was a spacious and cozy corner that can accommodate up to 10 pax.

As usual, Minowa-san ordered all the recommended dishes and I trusted on his taste. The very first dish that arrived on the table was the sausages & fries on a hot plate. It wasn’t a rare dish but it was in a Japanese steamboat restaurant. The sausages were tasty and crunchy… YUMS!! For those of you who love sausages, you can’t compare to German sausages ok… that is better!

Next is my favorite…yes, you guessed it! Ika. It’s a BBQ squid, very springy, tasty and best with mayonnaise! Though it was shared among everyone but I had the last few… *winks* Minowa-san ordered this SUPER TASTY fish called Hokke. It was a simple grilled fish which tasted FANTASTIC! The bone can be easily taken off and the meat was so fresh and tender. It does not have any fishy smell at all and was super YUMMY!!!

The other dish was pig’s tongue. I would clarify this as a delicacy as it is really rare and it was my first time trying it. The look wasn’t too sexy but man… it tasted super delicious! It was very tender and tasted like sliced beef. Then Minowa-san surprised me with raw ika with fish roe. Initially I was a bit reserved to try it as I am not a fan of raw squid, prawns or octopus but this was one of the coolest raw dishes I have tried. It was smooth, soft and tasted quite sweet for a raw squid. Thumps Up!

Minowa-san ordered three versions of soup base here, Shio (Salted Based), Miso & Curry. We added some chicken meatballs for the steamboat apart from the normal ingredients sliced pork, mushrooms, radish, carrots, beancurd and loads of vegetables (bak choy & beansprouts).

Of the entire soup base, I like the Shoi the most as it was simply simple and tasty. The miso was slightly salty and the curry wasn’t thick enough. BUT, the curry base goes well with mochi… it was so good indeed, better than udon or ramen.

As for desserts, I ordered my all time favorite Green Tea flavor. Green tea ice-cream is always refreshing and best for finale of a fantastic meal. This is a great restaurant with super good food… and of course it comes with a GOOD price too la…

Birthday Celebration

2011-07-21T19:45:00.000+08:00

Today, we celebrated the birthday of our buddy Linda at TCC. The whole group went there for luncheon as there was a one for one promotion. It was really worth it when there is such promotion as the food is good and not that expensive.

As usual, the birthday gal ordered our favorite dishes and everyone had their own main course. The prawn Aglio is my favorite dish at TCC as it’s really delicious with fresh prawns, scallops and a pinch of chili padi. YUMS!

We shared the starters like mozzarella cheese sticks and shroom bites. I totally enjoyed both the dishes she ordered especially the shroom bites… man… totally heavenly!

Later in the afternoon before knocking off, we did the cake cutting ceremony at our office meeting room. We asked her to the room when we had the cake and stuff set up. She wasn’t surprised coz’ she went to buy the cake together with Jessie… hahahahahaha… quite funny lor!

The tiramisu cake from Bakerzin was really delicious and though I am not fan of chocolate cakes, I do like tiramisu pretty much… moderate la…

Happy Birthday Leng and may you HUAT all the way!

Dinner At The Outskirt

2011-07-17T22:00:00.000+08:00

I was browsing through my friend’s blog and came upon this recommendation by her. She wrote about the food and atmosphere which sounded so good and what’s best was… it’s situated very near where I lived.

Discussed with hubby and we decided to give it a try. It was about less than 10 minutes drive from our place to Punggol Marina Country Club. It was our 2nd time visiting the country club but the restaurant is a newbie there.

The restaurant is situated at the corner of the county club near the dock. There were several ships or yachts there and it was a very good atmosphere indeed. They have in and outdoor seats but all diners that evening were seated outdoor which was more cooling.

We ordered a couple of recommended dishes which I read from my friend’s blog. The first one was the Champagne & Stout pork ribs. Mmmh… but I couldn’t taste both the champagne & stout, just the simple tender pork ribs. Not too bad for a start la…

Since mummy is not a fan of meat, we ordered the braised tofu which wasn’t in my friend’s recommendation. It wasn’t too bad at all and was surprised that it was quite a big portion for a party of three. To me, I thought the spinach with 3 types of eggs was the winner. This dish has the standard of Crystal Jade Kitchen; it was really nice and not salty. YUMS!

Last but not least, the crab meat fried rice was really tasty too. I always like fried rice’s rice to be a little bit hard, that was exactly what I expected. I could really see chunks of crab meat with the fried rice and it was really delicious.

When we asked for the bill, it wasn’t that cheap for a party of three. We enjoyed the food but we love the atmosphere though there wasn't enough light when you are seated outdoor. We will likely to plan a family dinner there someday.

Faith Enjoying Her Coloring Book

2011-07-15T16:45:00.000+08:00

I called in sick today due to gastric flu and was resting till I enjoyed an afternoon snack with mum. Faith, as busybody as ever wanted to join us but also wanted to have ‘hi-tea’ with us. However, she has no teeth yet and no food for her.

She obviously wasn’t happy not to be part of the hi-tea … therefore; I gave her the coloring book to entertain herself which WORKS perfectly. Seating on her dinner chair, she started flipping the coloring book and checked out the pictures inside. She even pointed at the pen which was on the dinning table… We were quite surprised that she wanted the pen as if she knows that it’s for coloring…

Though I was really not well today but somehow seeing little Faith being very considerate for once was really worth being at home… It is all these beautiful moments I missed when I am in the office slogging away…

Birthday Celebration At Lee Wah

2011-07-10T22:50:00.000+08:00

Hubby planned dinner at Lee Wah for his beloved mum’s birthday celebration. This is one very old restaurant located at Bendeemer Road which is well-loved by our family.

Dinner started shortly when all were seated. Our cold dish was served almost immediately after the birthday bun and with the free flow of soft drinks. I like their shark’s fin soup as it wasn’t too starchy and the taste was just perfect.

Mother’s favorite roast crispy chicken was one of our favorite too as the skin was really crispy and not too oily. It was really perfect with just a pinch of salt… YUMS! Apart from that, the interesting dish was the fish cooked in 2 different ways. Half of the fish was deep fried and the other was just the meat steamed with vegetables. I took some steam fish meat and fed Faith and she simply loved it. Guess she can’t tell whether the fish is delicious but just happy that she was eating the food from the main table.

During dinner, the 2 babies of the family were very impatient and were bored as they were somehow tied to their baby chairs. Shevaun went for a walk while we passed the ang pao to get Faith entertained.

The suckling pig… mmh… not as good as the one I had at Spring Court with my colleagues last month at one of the gatherings. This suckling pig was quite small and it wasn’t as tasty… I would say it was pretty disappointing. The sea cucumber with fried tofu & yam ring were quite tasty and somehow it compensated the not so delicious suckling pig… haaaaa…

We asked the restaurant to change the noodles to the ‘Birthday Noodle’ just for our mother. It was very delicious though I was already stuffed! We got ready for cake cutting ceremony right after they served the red bean soup as our desserts.

Hubby & I bought the durian birthday cake from Goodwood Park Hotel where they happened to have a booth at the shopping mall near our place. Man… the cake was really indeed superb! The texture of the cake was so fine and it really seemed like you are eating the real durian. It was so creamy and sweet… HEAVEN!

Happy birthday Ma and we love you very much.

Kylie Minogue’s Concert

2011-06-29T23:50:00.000+08:00

I can’t remember when was the last time I been to a concert! Anyway, Theresa initiated to watch the concert together with Bird & Tricia. I was all set for it and I remembered we met and went to buy the tickets near our office that early morning.

Finally today, we are all meeting for the concert. Theresa & I took half day to meet Bird & Vivian for high tea before heading to Indoor Stadium. High-tea at Marriott was really enjoyable and the food spread was pretty good.

After hi-tea at Marriott, we set off to Indoor to meet Tricia. We arrived about half an hour before eight and it was already filled with fans at the entrance. We were seated upstairs but view was not too bad.

When the concert started around 8:30pm, a quarrel broke out between some teenagers and 2 working adults. We saw the whole thing and it was the brainless teenagers who were in the wrong as they stood up on the steps during the concert and they were blocking everyone at the back. The 2 guys told them to sit down but then it broke into a quarrel… the security guard was called for after a while and the two guys were sent away. Not long after, the brainless teenagers left the concert.

We continued to enjoy the concert and Kylie was gorgeous though I was seeing her from the huge screen. I thought she didn’t age a bit; she still looked the same … tiny! She sang some of the retro songs like ‘Locomotion’, ‘I should be so lucky’ and got the fans excited!

It was indeed a great concert and am looking forward to more….

Faith Turns 13 Months

2011-06-27T23:40:00.000+08:00

It seemed like yesterday when we celebrated her 1 yr old party at Fort Canning and today, I posted this on my blog when she turned 13 months.

She started to walk quite a bit when she was 11-12 months but yet to have confident to walk on her own. She is usually happy when we hold her hands and guide her to walk around the house. She also started to like wearing her shoes we bought her.

It is really an amazing feeling to witness how she has grown from a little baby. I would say that we are really blessed with this child which was truly God sent.

We love you darling Tabi…

Baby Julia’s Infant Baptism

2011-06-25T17:12:00.000+08:00

We were invited to join the celebration of Baby Julia’s baptism at Church of St. Vincent de Paul today. Vivian told us that the baptism is more like a private affair and will be less than an hour.

It was our first time visiting this church though it’s situation not too far from where I lived. The church is pretty small but cozy. We arrived just in time for the service and indeed, it was a short one.

After baptism, we joined the buffet lunch which was kindly arranged by our friend, Vivian & Jason. The spread they ordered was pretty good. I personally liked the friend laska… YUMZ! The rest was pretty much normal and the éclairs were delicious too. I simply love éclairs…

As usual, our group was the last peeps to leave the church as we are always carried away with talking rubbish and doing silly things. Today, with Marion’s phone, we continuously took plenty of beautiful pictures and that’s thanks to Marion! *muakz*

It was indeed a wonderful gathering for the group!

Congratulations to baby Julia on your holy baptism and may you be blessed with God’s love always.

Father’s Day Dinner

2011-06-18T22:45:00.000+08:00

We celebrated Father’s Day dinner at Roland located at East Coast this evening. Hubby has always wanted to dine there but no chance at all.

Hubby ordered some pretty popular dishes as the set menu for Father’s Day was not as attractive as we thought. The restaurant has been there for a long time and I remembered attending Sheryl’s wedding more than a decade ago. I remembered they served very good food and we also attended a church dinner some years back.

Faith was happy as we ordered man tou for her as her snacks… hahahaah… Ya, she loved bread, bao skin and man tou… just like the MOTHER lor… anyway, it wasn’t on purpose that we ordered man tou but we wanted it to go with the chili crabs we ordered…

I would say that I was really impressed with the food and the chili crabs was SUPER DELICIOUS! It’s definitely better than Jumbo Seafood any time lor. Hubby’s favorite was the steam fish with garlic but that was pretty expensive. I too enjoyed the pan fried mee suan which reminds me of the zi char used to be at Havelock Road.

Everyone enjoyed the dinner very much and it was such a pity that my sis-in-law Cheryl and family were unable to join us as they too were celebrating this special event with her in-laws in JB.

Wishing all Daddies a very Happy Father’s Day and I too remembered my late dad… I wished he is still around to celebrate this day with his granddaughter… Miss you very much Pa.

Dinner Gathering

2011-06-17T23:49:00.000+08:00

We tried to make a point to have dinner gathering as often as possible somehow everyone is busy with their own stuff. Today, we managed to get everyone, almost everyone to join dinner at Spring Court.

We chose the set menu which came with suckling as compliments which was a very good deal. When we arrived this evening, mummy was already seated prettily in the private room waiting for us. We were overjoyed to see her as we definitely missed her presence in the office.

Daphne & Ran, our new colleagues joined us for the first time and it was great that everyone got along very well. Our cold dish was served once Ah Leng arrived after her usual dance class. The dishes were great especially the suckling pig.

I was quite surprised that most of us enjoyed the crispy skin and we actually finished the meat too! The rest of the dishes were delicious too like the sweet & sour pork, roasted chicken etc… since we were given a private room with KTV systems, we didn’t waste a bit. We sang our hearts out and man… we even danced along with MJ MTV… hahaahahah..

I thoroughly enjoyed the night with the ladies and we should do that more often lor…

Faith Turns ONE Officially

2011-05-27T21:35:00.000+08:00

I can still remember how it happened exactly one year ago when I checked myself into KK Hospital in the morning. Everything went through smoothly thank to our LORD whom I believed that he has sent his angels to be with me.

When I was at the delivery room, I was excited rather than nervous. I was also thankful that my friends Theresa & Linda who were entertaining me by playing ‘Words With Friends’ with me on iPhone and at the same time watching American Idol… hahhahahahaha.. Finally after 1 hour of pushing, our little has arrived! Those are fond memories of child birth for me… *winks*

Today, we celebrated Faith’s big ONE and we greeted her in our bed when she woke up. When we sang her the birthday song in the morning, she was clapping though puzzled… after feeding and changing her, we brought her out to meet my colleagues for lunch at Singapore Flyer.

At the Food Trails, Leng was already seated when we arrived. We ordered some food to share too and Faith had some bun skin… haaa… they tried pretty hard to carry her but mostly failed la. Finally, we managed to take some good pictures together.

Soon after lunch, we brought her to Marina Barrage. It is one of the places of interest we want to bring her and yes, we did it. It wasn’t crowded when we arrived and we thoroughly enjoyed the quiet time just the THREE of us. hahhaahahaha… Faith kind of enjoy playing with water at the Water Playground where water come splashing out from the floor. It seemed like Papa enjoyed it very much too. It was very hot so, it was pretty enjoyable la…

Then we paid a surprised visit to our in-laws and they were overjoyed to see the birthday girl. She hung out with them for a little before we head for home. Little Shevaun was there too and she was dancing along with ‘Hi-Five’ on TV.

We went to buy a little cake our Faith since it’s her actual birthday today. We browsed around and finally found a really small cake from Icing Room. I have to say that their cakes are pretty tasty especially their cupcakes. Do try it pals.

We had a small cut ceremony at home for her and she was laughing when we sang her the birthday song AGAIN. hahahahahaah…. She seemed to like that song. Anyway, since it was her birthday, I let her try her own cake as an exception and man… She LOVED IT.

She is one lucky little girl who received lots of gifts for her birthday and she enjoyed opening every one of them by herself. Mmmh… it didn’t take her to long to open all as she tore them up pretty quickly… kids…

Anyway, we want to thank everyone out there who gave their birthday greetings & blessings to our child. God bless all of you.