Happy to be Home

I've been away for a long year and it's good to be back in Singapore again. Touching down to a place so familiar felt nice though I wasn't sure how I would like it after a long absence.

Being away for so many years allows me to appreciate the sheer convenience this city brings and i am not about to take it for granted. I was already planning my appointments and updating my calendar. This is the first time in man years that my birthday was spent here and I'm also happy that I can be here for Christmas.

We are missing big daddy who is in KL and I think he should be bored with the food and lack of space by now. We are all looking forward to Krabi and then HK..l it would be what we call a family vacation. This trip to Singapore is packed with activities as I had signed up with a few baking and cooking classes with chef Aki. I've always want to learn the art of macaron making and good souffle cheesecake. It took me 4 attempts to succeed macaron baking a few months ago so I do like to know how to do it well. And I'm happy that I had made a really soft and nice Japanese souffle cheesecake yesterday.

I'm looking forward to some good Christmas shopping here in Singapore and its quite hard choosing the right gift as there ae heaps of gift ideas. Maybe some funny t shirts for the teens and a masculine gift for the big man in the house. I forgave him for missing my birthday. Now, he cant complain about my shopping spree!

Its on to physio at Physioeficaz before watch shopping at The Hour Glass with my dear friend...

Work At Home Mom's Trip to Singapore

This is my first trip to Singapore via Firefly. It's time for a short break when school holidays is on. It's good for every work at home mom to escape from her daily routine and enjoy a little perk every now and then. It is a great thing to feel recharged, rejuvenated and renewed.

Though it wasn't a long break, it was enough to put a smile on my face. This is our the last month for Garage Adventures, a wonderful place where I can drop off Clayton every time I'm in Singapore. I would have to figure out how to find my 'me time' on my next trip.

Nevertheless, I made the best this trip. I had to visit the new iconic mall in Orchard road - ION Orchard and like many first timers, I was lost at the basement. I didn't have time to walk the entire mall since I wasn't too keen in the high fashion shops this trip. I spent most hours in the basement checking out the food hall - it was impressive! The style of the food hall resembles those I saw in Japan and I only wished DH was here to witness it. He is a lover of F & B! I tried out the pastry in Provence and Bread Society and was impressed with the quality and texture of the breads. The popiah I bought Clayton was so huge that it was lunch for him!

It was that I visited my dentist before I came for this trip. I could then enjoy some nice food in Sun and Moon, Toast and Canele. I was thankful I didn't need Plano porcelain veneers or any fancy treatment for my teeth though the root treatment was something I didn't looked forward to!

Next was the NATAS fair that got me excited about traveling in Nov/Dec. The promotions and travel offers were so attractive and it got some of my work at home moms thinking about taking a vacation too! With economic downturn in many parts of the world, travel is becoming cheaper and it is a great opportunity to fly and take vacations. Having said that, it is also good to be watchful with the H1N1 situation wherever you are traveling to.

After four nights in Singapore, it's time to head back home via Firefly. A good flight experience though the turbulences were bringing some anxieties at some point. I look forward to my next trip to Singapore... it's just another work at home mom's simple pleasures in life.

expressions

It is another good trip to Singapore - it's more like it feels nice to take a break from the daily routine and be walking on familiar streets again. This trip, I took my Nikon D80 with me. I realized that I enjoy taking pictures of Clayton's expressions... it is nice to see him squirm, frown, smile, giggle and do funny faces. Apart from taking mom for an X ray and a short meeting with a good friend, the party at Yarris' place was an eye opener for Clayton. I realized from the kids' party that he was missing out on socializing in a big group of children. Looks like there is some work to be done on our part as parents to expose him to more social activities... he has so much energy, this boy.

wordless wednesday - favourite playground

There's this great playground where I take Clayton each time when we are in Singapore. Situated at The Forum Shopping Mall, the playground is on level 2 and admission is upon membership application. At a low $20 for two years, you can bring your kids to the playground during the stipulated hours. Slides, colour balls and many fleets of tricycles and a little playhouse, you can take a break at one corner while your active ones burn off some energy!



Ready to plunge into the pool of balls...



This is his favourite activity - wallow in the pool!

back from singapore and back to doldrums of life

Clayton and I had a good break in Singapore. Though it was a short one, we did all that 'we' wanted to do. He had a great time in Garage Adventures and I did all my errands including catching up with a couple of friends.

It is kinda nice to feel the buzz and rush in the cityscape of Singapore though it is not something I would enjoy for a long time. I appreciate these busy atmosphere whenever I'm back - it makes me feel very 'local' again. This fits the efficient service culture here in this lion city.

One of the perks for Clayton was to visit the 12th Craziest Toy Sale in Takashimaya podium. It was really crazy with back-to-back human traffic and lots of toys at cheap deals. I examined a few sets of toys and realized that they were cheap for obvious reasons. The quality for a lot of these cheap toys were compromised but seriously, kids won't care abit at all.



I didn't do much shopping this trip cos I simply had no mood to buy anything new clothing. The only item I got was a GG5 jacket and a few skin care products from Jurlique. Spending a few hours in Le Salon was a pampering experience since I had some time to spare on Saturday morning.

That's all for a brief update on my Singapore trip. It's now back at work and back to the doldrums of life :)

my home country

Not only do I miss Singapore, I found out Clayton does too! He was so excited when I told him that we were going to SG 2 weeks ago. DH tried to pull his leg by telling him that he would have to stay back in MY and he started crying. I guess he must be missing the MRT train rides, Garage Adventures, Jie Jie Adeline (owner of Garage Adventures), Ah Ma (grandma in teochew) and maybe the pigeon hole :P

I know I need this time off. I need time to rest my mind, take a break from blogging and gain back my sanity. Singapore may be a busy and fast paced city but if you know where and how to chill, it's a great city to be in. It's not only the shopping. Actually, I don't even need anything. I just like to walk on the streets safely without worrying about my handbag kena grabbed when a motor bike zoomed past me. I don't need to worry about Clayton being wheeled away on his stroller when I step away a few seconds. There are crimes still but it's just not so paranoia for me. Coming home and walking on the streets after 10pm is common... this is my home country. I've learned to appreciate it now.

It's a great place, have you been there?

yea, yea, I'm going back to my pigeon hole!

Yea, yea, yea, I'm going home to the police state on friday. Many locals here always tell me that I come from a police and sterile state but seriously, I have no complaints. Why complain when I don't have to hear all the political bickering, backside stories, bollywood dramas and low class media reports everyday. Well, I truly feel sorry for the folks here - I really do. These days, I only gather my political updates from Malaysia Kini, Malaysia Today and Malaysia Insider. I stop wasting time on The Star, it's just not worth my time anymore. Infact, the only thing I look out for in The Star are advertisements, cheap airfares, travel promotions, food recommendations and world news updates.

I need to breathe some fresh air from my mom's flat. Though Singapore is all crowded and cluttered but it does feel cosy in a pigeon hole once a while. I feel safer, more at ease and less frustrated. The best part is, Clayton gets his break at Garage Adventures with Adeline and I get mine! Retail therapy in Singapore is beyond comparison (for now!).

What is my poor DH going to do while we are away for a few days... poor thing. I think he must be stocking up some new DVDs - LOL!

*Actually, Malaysia is becoming a 'police state' too - just in a different way :P

missing singapore, my hometown

Isn't facebook amazing? I've connected with so many old friends from Singapore in the last few days since I left the city in 2000. Like what a friend had said, "You can take the girl out of Singapore but you can't take Singapore out of her!" That's ME he was talking about - LOL.

8 years had passed and I still haven't fallen in love with where I am now. I've tried, given it many chances but yet, it's still going to be a short term place for me. I have to admit that Singapore has changed so much but there are still so much good stuff in the city. It's definitely more efficient, cleaner, safer and more convenient. My hubby isn't going to say I'm biased this time cos too much nonsensical news in the papers recently are causing him to agree with our migration plan.

Oh yes, you can say I'm ranting :P

for childhood favourite - Kueh Tu Tu

Some of these Singapore local snack foods bring warmth and memories and this is my childhood delight - Kueh Tu Tu. For years, I haven't had it until my last trip to Singapore when I spotted an old fashioned cart store in Food Republic in VivoCity. Tu Tu cake is usually filled with peanut filling or fragrant coconut and the good ones would taste soft and moist. If you haven't tried it before, don't forget to give it a go when you get a chance to visit Singapore.

our spontaneous trip to East Coast Park

Clayton is a city boy... don't blame us cos there isn't any beach near to where we live. Growing up in Singapore, I used to cycle at East Coast Park since I was a little girl. The sad thing is I have neglected this popular local beach after I stepped into the working world. During our last trip to Singapore, while DH was driving past East Coast Park, I coaxed him to stop by for a while since we had our car with us. He reluctantly agreed but that decision was probably the best we made in our trip. We seldom do spontaneous things like that, DH is just not that kind but with a crazy wife like me... just be ready with more surprises!



We walked along the beach, rented a bicycle and cruised along the park. Clayton was worried the sand getting into his feet but he got over it very fast.



Here are some photos of our spontaneous, unplanned East Coast Park trip in Singapore... it was one of the best trips we had... after so long.



Clayton loved his bicycle ride... check him out.

let's go shopping!

The first time I heard about Target Stores was when I travelled to Australia with my group of close girl friends. Target is one cool place to find good buys, contemporary and quality apparel and best of all, variety in a wide range of categories. It's a wonderful place to shop for gifts, homeware, children's clothing, toys and more.

But now, shopping in Target is as convenient as sitting back at the comforts of your home or your lounging chair. With online shopping being so prevalent in our urban culture, you don't have to drive your car, join the queue and cramp with the crowd. And online shopping has other added benefits like buying with coupon codes that help you save. There is a Target coupon that saves you $5 off a $50 purchase.

For jewelry lovers, check out Blue Nile coupons that offers free shipping for your orders. For Body Shop fans, there are few attractive Body Shop coupons that brings more savings for your skin and body care needs.

a fruitful trip in Singapore - business & leisure

It's the last day of the month and I just returned from Singapore. This had been one of the most fruitful trips for me - business and leisure. Business: I attended a fabulous workshop with top image consultant, Jill Lowe; met with my internet marketing buddy, Stuart and my lovely friend, Jacklyn. For leisure: I had a splurge at Tiffany and Marc by Marc Jacobs, and a local designer shop, Womb. (Don't tell me hubby - lol)

It was nice catching up with my old friends, yarris and mike too, who babysitted Clayton, along with their wonderful daughters. I only wish I can catch up with few others.

old chang kee

If you are in Singapore and you really want a home grown local snack to munch on, stop by one of the Old Chang Kee kiosks or stores for some hot, steaming, yummy curry puffs. I have been eating them since I was a little girl and the curry puffs just got better! Another of my favourite is the cuttle fish balls in a stick (sotong ball)... I love the chewy, crunchy texture.

Old Chang Kee has added so many items to their menus over the years but no matter what new items are added, nothing beats the traditional bite of the original curry puff.



I'm hungry now...

when money cannot buy you more donuts...

I wanted to write about this for a long time but never got to it - finally, I found the photos and here you go...

These are a couple of signs found at the basement of Raffles City shopping centre where the F&B outlets and dozens of cool retail stores are found. You won't believe it but there is a never-ending queue at one of the little shops at the basement of this big mall called the Donut Factory.



Everyday, people will be queuing just to buy one or two dozens of soft, melt-in-the-mouth donuts, a close resemblance of the famous Krispy Kreme in the US. According to my friend who works around the area, this queue never dies off until the shop closes.

Well, this is when money cannot buy you more donuts... will you join the queue?

A Christmas that reaches out

This year, Singapore has a fabulous theme for its Christmas celebration - Christmas Nativity Village. The streets of Orchard Road from Wisma Atria to Takashimaya is lined with the props of Jesus and the manger scene, very much like what you see in christmas performances in churches.

I was strolling along the jam-packed streets and I almost mistaken the 'real' characters as those artistic props. It was an interesting concept, mixing the 'real' with the props.

I noticed several mission-related booths that focused on educating the public on 'reaching out' this Christmas season, a good contrast from the usual retail booths which focused on selling gifts. It's good to remind shoppers that we should think about those less fortunate this festive season. After all, Christmas is about sharing and giving, not just the receiving of gifts.

A Singapore Trip Report 1

It was a good trip home even though it was just 3 days.

People seem to marvel at my courage to travel alone with a toddler. Well, what they don't know is that I do get a little nervous at times. Was it easy? No, it wasn't :) But will I do it again? Oh yes, I will.

I started taking Clayton on a trip singlehandedly when he was 3 months old. It was scary. I didn't know what to expect then. It was stressful. But I did it and it didn't stop there! Baby Bjorn was a great travelling companion.

Travelling with Clayton in a coach to Singapore had always been a breeze in his first year. It got tougher when he was 18mths, when he 'discovered' his legs. He wouldn't sit still and would attempt to get down the seat. I could recall those stressful moments of constant struggle with him and I didn't enjoy it.

However, this trip was a breezy one. He was a fantastic passenger. Other than hopping from my seat to his, getting busy with the seat buckle, he would just meddle with the mini TV in front of him and occasionally tried to slide down the seat. But I had no complaints.

Infact, we had alot of fun watching our fun videos via the digital camera, singing, reading, taking photos, pointing to the sights along the way. The most enjoyable moment for me was his nap time.

This was a great trip. I like the Christmas theme in Singapore this year, more reports in the next few postings. I had some sinful indulgence. Finally got my Bzero1 ring and splurged on a Loewe bag - oops!

Clayton had a lovely time catching up with his godpa and my mum; I got to chill out at Le Salon for my long awaited haircut while Clayton enjoyed his playtime at Garage @ventures - what a find! Life would be easier previously if I know about this 'shop and drop' place for mums like me who need to run errands!

Clayton has finally learnt how to utter 'godpa' and that must be sweet to the ears.

I only wish I can spend the entire Christmas in Singapore with close ones next year.