Getting In The Act with Act 3!

Let the wild rumpus start!

Raaaar!

And so it did, on a Saturday morning a couple of weeks back when both Noey and I got to attend a drama workshop at Act 3 Drama Academy. Yes, you read that right. I rocked up with Noey on a Saturday morning expecting to be watching him have fun but instead found myself taken to a separate room with the other parents and given a short 30-minute session to allow us to experience first hand a taster of what a drama worship at Act 3 Drama Academy entails.

Frankly, I wasn't prepared do be participating in a drama workshop of my own -- it's been more than 20 years since I participated in an Act 3 workshop of my own! -- but I quickly warmed up to the idea as our instructor for the morning quickly put us at ease. We were put through a series of activities which the children would themselves be experiencing in their own group.

First, some Warm-Up Exercises to get us thinking, moving and using our voices.

Then we were encouraged to move around to develop our Spatial Awareness, not just of ourselves but also in relation to the use of space in the room. This saw us moving around creatively, alternately being led by different parts of our bodies like our noses, or our left leg!

Next, we were introduced to the concept of Tableau, where one uses one's body to create a still picture to represent a scene. First by ourselves, then in groups, we moved to music and froze in positions to represent a story. It was fun and funny too! 

Lastly we were given a taste of Improv, and yours truly was roped in to play an annoyed mother. Not something I'm unfamiliar with, thankfully! Together with Edmund (Edunloaded) as the Dad and Mark (Parenting with Purpose) as the rebellious teenage son, the scene involved us parents lecturing our son and we were free to come up with whatever we pleased. This was the trickiest segment since what do in your role is heavily dependent on your co-actors -- what they say and what they do.

I certainly learnt a lot from that short session!

Our improv scene.
(Thanks @olimomok for the pic!)

After we rounded up our session, we went to join the children in theirs. From the moment I walked in, I could tell that Noey had had a great time. They had been exploring the same elements of drama as we had, re-enacting Maurice Sendak's Where The Wild Things Are. We watched the children in some scenes and joined in for some others, and I could see that Noey was really in his element, eagerly volunteering for roles, contributing his ideas, and roaring his heart out. I loved watching how uninhibited he was and how much he got into it. 

I also loved how engaging and animated the instructors were, and how there were no right or wrong answers, or right or wrong ways to doing things. We were all free to express ourselves and boy, did we have a lot of fun doing that!

Max sending the wild things away.

Noey here is Max, waving goodbye to the wild things as he sails for home.

Let the wild rumpus start!

The instructor later told me that she found Noey really creative and that she really enjoyed having him in the class. I think I'd overlooked how much of a creative spirit my little man is till it came rushing out at me that morning. Perhaps that ability of his to turn on the tears at will would come in useful for something after all! I think drama is something we would be exploring more of in time to come.

If you're interested to in exploring drama with your kids too, Act 3 Drama Academy has a series of exciting Holiday Workshops this November and December for children from ages 2 years (with accompanying parent) right up to 15 years. These workshops are based on water-inspired classics such as The Snail and The Whale by Julia Donaldson (for 3 to 4 year olds), How The Whale Got His Throat by Rudyard Kipling (for 5 to 7 year olds). Promising to be highly interactive, these workshops seeks to encourage children to think creatively, verbalise their thoughts as well as discover and develop their sensory skills, as well as broaden their imagination. Do check out the following links for more details:

• Whale Of A Time! (for 2 to 7 year olds)
• Love Ooka (for 8 to 10 year olds)
• Moby Dick (for 11 to 15 year olds) 

Thanks for a wonderful morning of discovery, Act 3!

 

Act 3 Drama Academy
126 Cairnhill Road
ONE-TWO-SIX Cairnhill Arts Centre
Tel: +65 6735 9986
Web: www.act3international.com.sg 

Those Nanoblock Fascinators and the Singapore Blog Awards 2014

It isn't everyday that you get to wear Lego on your head, but if you're going to do it, I guess it'd better be for a special occasion. In this case, it was the Singapore Blog Awards 2014!

(Ok, it wasn't really Lego but nanoblocks that made their way into my headpiece but you get the drift!)

It all started when the petite travellers received the honour of being one of the  finalists for the Best New Blog at this year's blog awards. The event had a derby theme, so we knew there were going to be hats all around. But we also wanted to incorporate our travel theme, with a look that was distinct yet cohesive amongst the few of us attending.

With that in mind, we brainstormed over many days as we considered hats with city skylines, hats with 3D cardboard structures and hats with our emblematic red suitcase on them. We even when as far as considering wearing the red suitcase as a hat! Time was ticking down and we had no workable idea. Then, just three days before the ceremony, Jas came across a 3D cardboard structure that she thought might work, except that we were not sure we were going to be able to find five more different cardboard structures. But while I was fiddling with a 3D puzzle set of Sydney Harbour Bridge to see if it could be used, an image of nanoblock landmarks suddenly came into my head, and I thought: maybe we should use nanoblocks?

As we discussed it, it sounded more and more plausible. It helped that the structures looked good and were not heavy, and best of all, were readily available. As my husband and son told me when I asked, you can buy nanoblocks "everywhere". We got some sets and settled on a fascinator style, which Jas, Corsage and Pam proceeded to test out. And when they sent us some pics, I knew: This was it. Just in the nick of time too! 

It was hard work putting the structures together -- nano bricks are so tiny! Our biggest fear was that the brick structures will coming crashing down as we wore them (and mine did, many times during construction), so GLUE was essential. Each stress point was tested then UHU-ed in place.

You would think my Lego-loving husband would have been supportive, but he just gave me incredulous looks when I told him that the Eiffel tower structure he was admiring was going to go on my head. "It's just so… impractical!" he said repeatedly.

But whaddya know, the nanoblocks held together and collectively, I thought the group of us looked great. There's nothing like doing something kooky with friends! It would have been more awesome if all nine of us could have attended!

The different landmarks we wore, clockwise from top left: Big Ben (London), Eiffel Tower (Paris), The Great Pyramid (Egypt), Neuschwanstein Castle (Germany), and St Basil's Cathedral (Russia).

We didn't win the Best New Blog award by the way, in case you were wondering. I personally didn't expect us to, since we were up against some strong contenders. So the award ceremony was really a time to check out the scene, put some faces to names I'd only seen online and hang out with friends. We were familiar with the mummy-blogger crowd of course, many of whom were nominees for Best Parenting Blog, and it was great to have the opportunity to catch up.

Five of us from petite travellers with the lovely mums from Growing with the Tans, PruneNurture, A Pancake Princess, MummyWee, The Gingerbread Mum, and A Juggling Mom!

I think we were all running on adrenaline because I was so tired at the end of it, and ready to crash! Didn't help that it was a standing event and the first time I was wearing closed-toe pumps in months!

The whole process of starting petite travellers, entering the Singapore Blog Awards, qualifying as a finalist, and attending the award ceremony was quite an experience, made all the better by the fact that I was doing it, and going through it all with friends. Blogging, writing, even being a Mummy can be very lonely pursuits, and it helps to have folks you can call on for support, to ask for advice, for prayers, to share in your joys, to bounce ideas off, and yes, to wear nanoblocks together. I thought I was past the age where one makes meaningful friendships but you know what? I was wrong and God has served up a blessing in these lovely ladies. And I sure am grateful for that! 

(P.S. Click here to read the petite travellers' account of the event!)

Linking up with:

Playing Dress up with Zalora

I don't know about you, but I decided that it was only appropriate that I spend at least some time during this National Day weekend indulging in one of our national pastimes: SHOPPING. However, with two tikes and a husband who is extremely crowd adverse, I've increasingly taken my shopping online instead of heading to the shopping mall. And why not, when you can find a plethora of options available, sometimes at lower prices than you would find in stores?

Admittedly, some things can be easier to buy online than others. Books, stationery and clothing for the kids top my list of buys. I've also bought household items, food products, and toys, to name a few. But what I do find a bit more tricky to buy are clothes for myself. The fit and the cut of each piece and how it looks on you can be a bit hard to predict on t he basis of measurements and pictures. To be honest, there've been hits and misses. And when something doesn't fit,  I'm sometimes left with trying to give or sell it away since returning an item to an overseas seller is not always a simple (or cheap) proposition.

So I was very interested when my sister-in-law first told me about Zalora and their amazing return policy.

I'm sure you've heard of Zalora, the multi-brand online fashion retailer of apparel, accessories, shoes and beauty products for men and women. But did you know that they have a 30-day free returns policy? If you are not 100% satisfied with your purchase, as long as the item is unused, with tags and in the same condition as it was received, you can return it for a full refund within 30 days of receipt. Just pack the item with the returns slip and drop it off at any SingPost counter or SingPost POPStation. That's it! You get your confirmation at the counter and a refund processed shortly after. 

This easy process has effectively given me a dressing room in the comfort of my own home. I've ordered items I wasn't so sure of to try, and returned the ones I wasn't so fond of while retaining the ones I liked. When I wasn't sure which size to take for a dress once, I ordered two sizes, tried them both on, and then returned the one that didn't fit as well. It has been very convenient with minimal risk.

This is on top of the fact that there is free courier delivery when you purchase above $40 worth of items, and in my experience, delivery has always been quick. When I've had to contact customer service, once because of a faulty zipper on a dress, my issues were taken care of promptly with minimal fuss. I've been shopping at Zalora since the start of the year and it's honestly been a rather pleasant experience thus far. 

So much so that I've been browsing through again their website again recently in a bid to update my everyday look. Being a SAHM to two kids and being on the go in and out of the house quite a bit, T-shirts and shorts are my standard daily uniform. But I've been recently trying to snap out of my usual sloppy auntie look and I've been eyeing some casual dresses instead -- stuff that would take me smoothly from home to school-runs, and which is still presentable enough for coffee and playdates with friends.

Here are some of my picks from their range of pretty fashion dresses:

From L-R: Ezra by Zalora Colourblocked Fit and Flare Dress ($34.90); Mango Stitched Shoulder Dress ($29 on sale); Mango Belted Printed Dress ($29 on sale); Mango Paisley Print Dress ($69) 

I've also got my eye on some maxi dress which I would like to add to my wardrobe. There's something about a long dress that instantly adds a touch of glamour to a look, which I believe will go a long way in making me look less dowdy.

 From L-R: Ministry of Retail Summer Love Dress ($45.90); New Look Strappy Aztec Print Maxi Dress ($59.90) Glitter Glam Maxi Dress ($29); Something Borrowed Lace Pleated Maxi Dress ($22.90)

I'm inspired, and I hope you are too! Happy shopping!

* This post is sponsored by Zalora. I've been a customer of Zalora for some time and all opinions herein are my own.

Happy 49th!

For the whole of Term 3 thus far, the kids have been learning National Day songs in school.

Every day I've been regaled with versions of Majulah Singapura, We Are Singapore, Count On Me Singapore, Home (English version and the chorus in Chinese), Reach Up For The Skies, 我的家在陋巷, In A Heartbeat, and One Singapore. There have been accurate versions (Noey) and not-so-accurate (Mei). But whether accurate or not, they have certainly been sung with gusto.

The kids had a lot of fun celebrating National Day at kindy last Saturday, with the celebration being combined with a mini-games day for the school. Singing and waving flags was definitely one of the highlights.

Tomorrow, they will sing the songs for the last time, before we pack them away for another year. We don't have tickets to the NDP, so we will be watching the parade at home. I toyed with the idea of dragging everyone out to catch the fireworks live, but in the end, I decided I didn't want to miss the rest of the show. In my childhood and teenage years, it was a tradition in my family to watch the parade together on telly while munching on pizzas. This year, my parents have their own plans but I'll be reviving a part of that at home with the kids. We'll watch, sing, eat, and say a little prayer for this land that we live in and, despite all that we might gripe about, love. 

Happy 49th Birthday Singapore!

World Cup 2014: Germans Always Win

After a month of excitement and too much late-night TV, the World Cup has drawn to an end, with Germany being the worthy winners. Guess I should have bought that Germany shirt huh! But I'm glad the Germans won. They were my 3rd team, after Italy and Spain. I was quite taken by the "new Germany" when Jurgen Klinsmann and his then-assistant Joachim Loew first unleashed Lahm, Schweinsteiger and gang 2006, though glad that they still lost to Italy in the semis. Since then I've sat up whenever Germany played. They were going to be the next big thing, I was sure of it. It didn't happen in 2010 though I was again impressed. There was nothing to stop them this time.

It was honestly one of the better World Cups I've watched in recent years. Highlights of the World Cup for me:

• Colombia! When the tournament started, DD declared that he was supporting Brazil, Argentina and the first team that beat another team 3-0. Two days later, Colombia beat Greece 3-0 and they became the team he backed. (He insisted Netherlands earlier thrashing of Spain 5-1 didn't count because it wasn't 3-0. Also, DD doesn't like the Netherlands, period.) We laughed about it at first then stopped laughing, because they were so good! James Rodriguez was totally the breakout star for me, and his goal against Uruguay was the goal of the tournament. I wanted them to beat Brazil, I did, even if DD didn't!
• Great goalkeepers -- Neuer the sweeper keeper, and I-can-save-anything-you-throw-at-me Ochoa, Navas and Tim Howard. It is rare that folks celebrate a goal NOT being scored, but these keepers did it in style and won the plaudits. Oh, and let's not forget the penalty shootout star Tim Krul!
• Watching Messi light up the stage in the earlier stages. Given that I don't watch La Liga, I've never seen Messi in action. Or at least, I'd never seen him play well, since his previous appearances at the World Cup were really quite disappointing. But this time, I got to see why he's considered the best around.
• Germany beating Brazil 7-1. 'Nuff said.
• Miroslav Klose beating Ronaldo's all-time World Cup goals record with 16 goals. I've never thought much of Klose but he really just keeps scoring! Watch out for Thomas Mueller who looks like he will top Klose's record one day.
• THAT advertisement by the National Council on Problem Gambling that even started making round in other countries. At least they had the good sense not to run it during the final!

(The low points were Suarez's idiotic biting of Chellini and Italy failing to make it out of the group stages.)

The biggest thing about this World Cup however was really being able to share it with my kids. We watched the highlights game in the morning and I would show them some of the highlights on my laptop in the day too. Noey supported Argentina all the way and was so chuffed when his team made it all the way to the finals. He even trotted out to watch the game with me at 3am! (He was really trying to make his usual break for my room in the middle of the night but curled up next to me when he caught me watching telly.) 

He'd be 10 the next time it rolls round. I'm looking forward to that.

"Football is a simple game; 22 men chase a ball for 90 minutes and at the end, the Germans win" -- Gary Lineker. Now, as true as ever.

I'm On Yahoo! Parenting!

I wasn't expecting much out of 2014, but I have to admit, it's been interesting.

One of the more exciting things to have happened recently is that I'm now a contributor to Yahoo! Parenting! This is a new portal on Yahoo! with articles of interest to parents. In the next few months, I will be contributing articles related to creativity, imagination, and play, and while I get antsy thinking about deadlines, I'm enjoying the opportunity to talk a little about things I don't always get round to talking about on this blog. 

My first couple of articles have been published and thankfully, generally well-received:

1. Why Play Matters

2. Why Nurture Your Child's Imagination

My already busy schedule has gotten a bit busier, but this is something I want to do for me (and ok, also for my husband and son, since Lego is the current sponsor!) and I'm making time for this to see how it works out. I was thinking of taking on more work this year since I have a couple of hours in the morning when the kids are at school, and providentially, this landed in my lap. I couldn't be more grateful. Wish me luck! 

Hello 2014!

Starting the year right with some sand and sea, and not too much sun at all! Coming from us in Singapore, that is simply glorious weather and I'm glad we managed to make the most of it today.

I have more thoughts and reflections to pen, but that would have to wait, as my resolution for the year ahead is to Make Time For The Things That Matter. And that means putting down my phone and setting aside my laptop, living less online and more in real time with friends and family. It means making time to read my bible, do my BSF homework, and more time spent in prayer and reflection. It means planning and doing and getting my house in order. (And ok, I hope to squeeze in some exercise too!)

I started last night by putting aside the computer because the husband was awake and in a chatty mood. I decided to spend some time with him instead, and it was good.

That is not to say I will not be continuing with this blog. Writing in this space has become so much a part of my life, I can't imagine not doing so. But in the year ahead, I hope to find a better balance between blogging and all the other things going on in my life. I hope to sleep more too so it will be a challenge! 

2014. I have a feeling you'll be an interesting year, and a good one.

Happy New Year One and All!

My iPhone was Stolen!

In the middle of a busy run-up to Noey's birthday, something catastrophic happened: I lost my mobile phone.

For someone for whom the mobile phone is virtually an extension of an arm -- yes, guilty as charged -- to say that I was totally lost and disoriented is an understatement. And let's not forget ANGRY.

What happened was this: On Friday morning a couple of week a go, I brought Meips for class at Safra Toa Payoh, as I usually do. I had my phone in my pocket to snap pics of her during class. After class, I took my phone out to check the time and saw that it was 10.51am. I must have put my phone back in my pocket though it was a subconscious act so I don't remember exactly. I got our things, got Meips ready, walked out the door, picked her up, and carried her down the stairs to the Toast Box on the ground floor. After ordering, I started rummaging around for my phone as I wanted to give my helper a ring with instructions on cooking lunch. That was when I realised that MY PHONE WAS GONE.

I hastily paid up, got Meips and re-traced my steps back to Gymnademics, but found nothing. When I was at the gym, her teacher helpfully lent me his phone so that I could give myself a buzz to locate my phone. I tried but my call was directed straight to voicemail. My phone was off. My heart sank. Repeated tries yielded the same result. 

I knew then -- in the short span of 8 minutes, some horrible, nasty, dishonest person had decided to keep my phone for himself.

I went downstairs to the security desk to leave my name, in the vain hope that my phone would be returned. I then had to leave to pick Noey from school after which I spent some time fruitlessly trying to use Find My iPhone to locate my mobile. I later also returned to Safra Toa Payoh to ask to check the CCTV to see if I could figure out what had happened, but was informed that there were protocols for that, and that only the police would be able to view the tape after I make a police report. Sigh.

Anyway, I'm just glad that I'm obsessive about transferring photos from my phone to my computer every few days. As such, I only lost about 2 days of pics. I would have been devastated if it had been more! And because I just did an upgrade to iOS7, my phone backup was only about a week old. I had a newer backup, but tragically iOS7 cannot run on the 3GS. Yes, it's too old!

I'm now waiting for the 5S to be in stock before I do an upgrade. With the 3GS and stolen 4S, it looks like I'm continuing my trend of owning "S" series phones. 

Anyway, through this traumatic process, I learnt some lessons about what you can do if your phone is lost or stolen. While I hope this never happens to anyone, here are some tips in the event that it does.

1. Backup, backup, backup.

Obviously this is something you ought to be doing before anything untoward happens to your phone. I had the bad experience once of having my phone malfunction and have to be replaced. At that time, I didn't backup regularly, and therefore lost a whole chunk of data. It was very painful. I now backup my phone on my computer at least every week or so, and faithfully transfer all my photos out to iPhoto every couple of days. Just sync with iTunes and a full backup will be stored on your computer. This will include your most important information -- contacts, calendar entries, SMS and Whatsapp messages, photos and videos, and app information. Whew. I seldom delete messages and I remember the old days when the info couldn't not be transferred from phone to phone, when I used to agonise over having to delete them all before upgrading and trading in my phone. I even have a word doc where I typed out the messages I wanted to keep! Thankfully I wouldn't have to do that anymore these days.

Here's a useful link from Apple Support:  How to Backup and Restore your iPhone.

2. Activate iCloud and Find my iPhone.

The alternative to backing up on the computer (which might also fail!) is to backup on iCloud. I didn't do this mainly because I have way too much data on my phone - primarily photos - and each person only gets 5GB free storage. Obviously insufficient for my gazillion photos. But if you: (1) don't have over 6,000 photos and videos on your phone like me, or (2) are willing to pay for additional iCloud storage, this is a good option. Better than a manual backup in fact, as iCloud will automatically backup every time you are connected to wifi. That's very convenient as you can then rely on the phone to do the backing up for you.

Even if you don't use iCloud for backup, you should still turn it on together with Find my iPhone. This app is specifically designed to help you locate a missing iDevice with another. With the latest version, you can remotely lock your screen, display a message with a contact number, lock your phone with an activation lock so that it would be more difficult for someone else to use your phone, and even remotely erase your info. I thought I did this correctly on my phone, but I don't know, since I'm not getting any data. Definitely something I'm going to make sure I do right only new phone!

More information on this here: Find My iPhone, iPad and Mac.

3. Keep a record of your phone's IMEI number. Or keep your iPhone box.

We've probably all heard of the IMEI number -- the unique serial number of each and every mobile. Knowing this number is useful as you can block the phone from being used in the country. Take that, thief! I've given the IMEI number of my phone to the police. You can also inform your mobile carrier so they can put it on a blacklist.

More information at this link: What's the Importance of the IMEI Number.

Something I've learnt: the IMEI number of an iPhone is on the barcode on the box. So it's good news if you're a box hoarder like me. 

4. Make a Police Report Online

I eventually made a police report about my lost, or rather, stolen phone, primarily because the security at Safra Toa Payoh had indicated that only the police would be allowed to view the CCTV after a report was made. Unfortunately I couldn't find the time to do it quickly and only managed to make the report a few days later. On hindsight, I realise I should have made it immediately to up my chances of actually nabbing the thief. Also, perhaps with a report in hand, I might have been able to convince the security to let me have a look at the CCTV. It was only while sitting in the police station looking at the posters around me that I realised you can actually make a police report online. If I had known that, I could have gotten around to it way more quickly. Possibly even on the same day. So now I'm telling you.

It's all been a learning experience for me. I'm not sure what's happening with my police case, though I'm not expecting much. I would just like to know what happened to my phone. Anyway, we'll see how it goes. In the meantime, I'm holding out for a new phone, something made harder by the fact that the screen of my 3GS recently conked out and now has no backlight! So I have to squint at it in bright daylight to see it. The price I'm paying for being careless. New stock of the 5S, please come quickly!

NDP 2013 in the Park

This National Day we did something a little different and stepped out of the house to catch the fireworks and aerial display. 

If you know my husband, you'd know that he's EXTREMELY crowd-adverse, so going out there to jostle with everyone else is not his idea of a good time. But our friends suggested a picnic at a nice spot and I guess the hubby decided that it was worth the risk. 

It worked out really well and everyone had a great time. There was good food, good company, and space for the children to play. And a good view to boot.

Picnic! Our eclectic mix of pizza, nuggets, popcorn chicken, otak and chicken rice. Quite representative of Singapore, I think!

Our base camp.

Happy faces!

Here comes the flag!

The bomb burst. One of my favourite moments. 

In the lull periods, the kids scooted and played among themselves.

The only downside was missing the actual parade. I have a soft spot for the parade and had originally intended to bring along our iPad to stream the parade live but simply forgot when the time came to leave. We therefore didn't realise that the Red Lions' performance had been cancelled and kept wondering why they didn't show up! Hah. I guess I'll just have to catch the repeat telecast when they screen it.

Watching fireworks live though is still the best -- and indeed only -- way to see them. I didn't take any photos of the fireworks aside from a couple for remembrance because I really wanted to soak in the moment. And besides, I'm sure there were a ton better fireworks shots from others! The kids were completely mesmerised, maybe none more than Meips. "Colourful bubbles!" she exclaimed and when they ended, she kept directing me back to our spot and asking for more. "I want more fireworks!" she demanded. The older kids were busy identifying what they could see in the sparkles. There were hearts and stars and golden showers, though Noey's declaration that he saw a "Saturn shape!" was probably one of the more amusing ones. (My son is such a geek, I tell you!)

The dramatic segments aside, I think I one of the things I enjoyed best was to be out there, soaking in the atmosphere. All around us were local families and groups of youths, mostly dressed in festive red, some even with the moon and stars too. They were picnicking, blading, biking, walking their dogs, listening to music, and taking group jump shots. There was a carnival-like vibe in the air, which I thought was apt, given that we were celebrating a birthday after all. So while a Ritz staycation is probably still my favourite way to catch the show, this certainly wasn't bad at all.

And with that, we celebrate another year of our nation's independence.

Like many of others I know, I've got my gripes about this place. About the overly materialistic society that exalts the wrong values. About the fast pace of development that increasingly isolates with its need to tear down and re-build. And especially about the competitive and stressful education system that doesn't allow kids the time to grow at their own pace and, well, just be kids. As a young university student, I had dreamt of venturing out. Leaving this place to work, and maybe to live. For 2 or 3 years, maybe even longer. But the husband had other plans and since my future was tied to his, here I have remained.

I don't know if we'd ever move, but I do know that even if we do, this here, Singapore, will always be home. It is where we grew up, got married, had our babies. It is part of our history in a way that is not possible to erase. And there are the things I love too: the safe streets, the super efficient public services, the melting pot of cultures in one space, the fact that you can get access to world-class acts in music, theatre, and film on a regular basis, and of course, the absolutely irreplaceable array of the best food ever.

This is home, truly. Happy 48th Birthday Singapore. 

 

Blog Refresh

So I've been making some changes around these parts over the past couple of weeks.

If you popped by today, you would probably have noticed that the blog has gotten a new look. I got bored of my old template and decided that it was badly in need of an update. I got some help and that's what you're seeing here!

 

It still needs some work before I'm fully satisfied, but for now, I'm pretty pleased with it. It's certainly pinker, which in my book, is always a good thing. (Hah.)

And if you're really observant, you might have noticed that I've finally taken the plunge and got myself my own domain. This blog now can now be found at www.lifeisinthesmallthings.com. It's hard to believe, but I've been blogging in this space for more than 8 years now. When I first started, I never thought that this hobby of mine would be something that I would keep at for so long. Guess I just have too many things to say! I thought it was about time to have some virtual space to call my very own, so here it is.

One of the things that has definitely kept me going for so long has been the people that I've met online along the way. It also still surprises and touches me that so many of you come by regularly to read, comment and e-mail to share. It's been part of what has made this very rewarding for me.

I've been thinking more about having a schedule to ensure that I still manage to blog about all the different things that I love, because I only have that much time in a day to spend at the computer. To this end, I've created a poll which I would be grateful if you could help me with. Tell me: What is it that you've enjoyed reading on this blog? And what would you like to read more about? 

What would you like to read about on this blog?
	Parenting Challenges
	Activities/Events for Kids
	Recipes
	Dining Out
	Updates on My Kids
	Travel
	Product Reviews
	Books
	Learning/Art Activities
	Others (Please list in comments)
pollcode.com free polls

Do let me know what you think of the new look too. (Even if you hate it. Especially if you hate it, I think.) Thanks!   

Being a Working Mum, Childcare and Child Abuse

It has been an interesting week for me.

On Monday, a friend contacted me to ask if I would be free at short notice to help her out with a project for a couple of days. Super short notice in fact, as she needed me to be in her office that very same afternoon.

I decided to go for it. An opportunity like that doesn't come very often, and I thought it might be fun to be part of the working world for a bit.

My mug which my girlfriends gave to me for my birthday, which they declared perfect for the office. 

But being a working mum sure wasn't the easiest.

Being around them all day, it was a little hard leaving them behind, especially when Meips started crying big fat tears when I walked out the door. I usually try not to leave them alone with my helper for extended periods of time, but being at short notice, I didn't have much choice but to do so. I was very grateful that my MIL was able to step in and stay for most of the day on Tuesday, but otherwise, my helper was it.

At least I know she is fairly reliable when it comes to the children. Indeed, I returned home each night to find that the kids had already been fed, bathed and changed into their PJs well ahead of their regular schedule. I was told that they ate more quickly - and without their usual shenanigans - without me around. Hmmm. Made me think I should make myself scarce during mealtimes more often!

All this brings me to my point, which is that childcare you can count on is so important when you're a working mum.

Yes, this made me think about the case of alleged child abuse which recently took place at My First Skool, a childcare centre, where a teacher was caught on CCTV handling a child roughly, leading the the child suffering from a fractured shin. It is not easy leaving your precious children to go to work and the least that you need is the peace of mind that they will be safe and cared for in the time that you are away. As a stay-at-home-mum, I know how difficult, and indeed annoying little kids can be. Sometimes, it can really get to you. Sometimes, you will reach that point when you just need to walk away. And that's probably what should have happened: the teacher should have walked away because there is just no place for child abuse. 

I guess there is no point talking about what the teacher should or should not have done now. I just think it is sad that this has happened to a pre-school sector that is short on places and urgently in need of manpower. But I do hope that more attention will be given to provide pre-school teachers with adequate support and maybe training to handle such situations in more appropriate ways.

For me, my stint as a working mum is over for now. It was fun while it lasted but I think my real work? That's at home. 

Turning 35

Just like that, I turned 35.

For only the second time in my life, I celebrated my birthday in the correct time zone while in London. (It was on May 31, if you're wondering.) It was kind of cool, knowing as the clock ticked past 7.20am in the morning that, YES, I had officially come to the end of my 35th year. Can I also say that it was really nice having people wishing me happy birthday over an extended window from Singapore, even before it was actually time in London? Thanks so much, everyone!

To be honest, I thought I'd feel something about reaching this milestone. 35 sounds like it should be an important year. But in the end, it really didn't. I know I'm one year older, the eye bags are more defined than ever and the age spots are starting to show, each one telling on my lazy, sunblock-shunning youth. But otherwise, I guess I'm starting to realise as the years add up that the number doesn't really matter. It's what you make of your life that does. And mine is, on the most part, sweet.

Which is not to say that I'm content to leave it as it is. I do feel a sense of restlessness and there are some thoughts a-brewing in my mind about stuff I want to achieve this year as I approach middle-age (Eeeps!). But for now, I am happy.

My birthday didn't quite turn out as I planned as I woke up still unable to shake off the fever that I had been having the previous few days. I had been blowing out disgustingly thick mucus and coughing out equally disgusting phlegm for a few days. It was full-on flu. The 34-year old me would probably have insisted on following my programme, but the 35-year old me took a step back to re-assess the situation. And this (I like to think) more mature me agreed with my husband that it was better for me to just take the morning to try to rest and sleep before our dinner date. DD didn't believe me, by the way, when I agreed to rest. He kept giving me funny looks, expecting me to trot out my "sickness and sleep is for the weak" mantra. But I didn't. And the sleep actually did me some good as I woke up ready for a short trip to the National Gallery before dinner at Barbecoa. (I had to cut browsing at Covent Garden out of my programme.)

The National Gallery was wonderful, and dinner was amazing. They are both well worth posts of their own - posts that I hope I get round to writing! But the best part was being able to spend it with one of my closest friends, as well as one of DD's sisters and brother-in-law, who are based in London. I love nothing more than a party so it was really good to be able to have everyone around. So despite the flu, I had a great evening.

What will the year bring? More of the same, I hope. I can't wait to find out.

OTO Mbraze Away Those Aches and Pains!

There is almost nothing I love more than a good massage. Going for regular massages used to be the highlight of my pre-parenting days. Those couple of hours I could spend just having someone work all the kinks out from my shoulders and back was pure bliss. 

Now with two kids to run after on a regular basis, I am hard-pressed to find the time to spend a couple of hours getting a massage. And the ironic thing is that I need those back rubs more than ever, especially when I'm hauling around 12kg worth of a wriggly baby everyday. The fact that I've bad posture adds to the problem, and I frequently find myself having to ask the husband to bail me out by rubbing my back for me.

So you can imagine my delight when I was asked to review the new OTO Mbraze. A new addition to the OTO Bodycare family, the OTO Mbraze is a portable massager which is touted to combine advanced massage technology with heat therapy to offer respite from body aches and also provide slimming benefits. It sounded very promising.

It even comes in three lovely colours -- red, lilac and lime green. (Yes, aesthetics like that matter to me!)  

I got a pretty red one!

When I pulled the OTO Mbraze out, I was surprised that it wasn't heavier. Then again, maybe I shouldn't have been, given that it's meant to be portable! Weighing just 2.5kg, the OTO Mbraze isn't too difficult to bring around, yet still packs quite a punch, with dual massage orbs, each with four rotating heads of varying sizes. These were designed to work together to simulate the firm strong hands of a professional masseuse delivering a Shiatsu massage. 

The dual massage orbs, with the heating on.

The OTO Mbraze is designed to work on different parts of the body and to help you do this, there are two straps provided which you can loop through the metal rings at each end of the massager and use to position it to address the exact problem spots that you have. I propped it on my shoulders and immediately understood why they use rotating orbs as they rolled smoothly down my neck, pressing out the aches as it went.  

I then shifted it down to my problem shoulders and man, those heated rotating heads really hit the spot. I honestly sat there for a good 20 minutes, letting the OTO Mbraze work on rubbing out a spot that had been bothering me for a week. That was a real luxury! Using the straps, I could also shift the OTO Mbraze up and down and really get it in there to press out the kinks. 

All the different ways you can use the OTO Mbraze

So is it as good as getting a real massage from a professional masseuse? Not quite, since I think there is no substitute for a pair of skilled human hands, but I think it is just about as good as it gets for a home massage that you can do yourself. It also has several advantages over getting a real masseuse, namely:

1. You can use it whenever, wherever. I'm even using it right now to rub my shoulders as I write this post! My right shoulder tends to tighten up when I'm hunched over my laptop and setting the OTO Mbraze on it really helps. The good people at OTO even designed the OTO Mbraze for use in a car so you can get massages on the go!

2. There is no need for appointments. It's not always easy to get appointments at the spa when you want them or need them. Perfect for Mums with no time, like me!

3. You don't need to commit an extended period of time to a massage. It can be difficult to put aside an hour or two for a massage, but 10 or 20 minutes isn't quite so difficult. And it really helps!

I also like that the OTO Mbraze is small and easy to put away when not in use. 

There is one added feature of the OTO Mbraze which I'm really interested in and that is it's slimming function. Yes, you heard me right -- massage to lose inches off your waistline! Abdominal massage has been shown to increase the basal metabolic rate of users, ensuring that more fat is burnt during rest. I am told that if I use the OTO Mbraze regularly on the abdomen, I will feel less bloated as the rotating massage orbs are designed to enhance blood circulation, resulting in more efficient fluid and waste release. My metabolic rate just isn't what it used to be (when I was actually skinny!) and I'm all for anything that can help. Even better when it's painless! 

I've only been using the OTO Mbraze for abdominal massage for a couple days so it's too early to tell if it's an effective slimming tool but I'm looking forward to finding out.

********************

If you have a Mum who you think would really benefit from the use of an OTO Mbraze, or even if you're a Mum yourself who could do with some pampering, here's your chance: register for OTO's Mother's Day Makeover Contest! You will be able to pick up an OTO Mbraze for use for 2 weeks, and your Mum (or you) could get a full makeover and win attractive prizes, including the OTO Mbraze or the top prize of an OTO Dante Massage Chair worth $5,380!

Simply register by 12 April 2013 by sending a e-mail to motherday2013@otobodycare.com with your Mum's name, your contact details and a short message of 60 words on why Mum needs a makeover. Give your Mum a treat this Mother's Day by registering today! 

Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going back to my massage.

 

* This post is sponsored by Rise and Shine in conjunction with OTO. All opinions however are strictly my own.

2030: Is It Still Home When You Don't Recognise It?

I don't know about you, but at the moment, my attention is captivated by the discussion about the White Paper on Population that is the talk of town.

I've been reading the parliamentary reports in the newspapers and online, and I've also read the paper itself. It is clear that the pains have ben taken to emphasise the Singaporean core (whatever that means), maintaining a high quality of life, and the danger of looming threats, but all anyone sees -- all I see -- is that number. 6.9 million.

6.9 million!

Immediately images of being among the throngs of people at Causeway Bay in Hong Kong spring to mind and I shudder at the thought.

I'm no economist or social commentator. I don't know how to dissect the numbers, talk importantly about GDP or even propose new or better alternatives. But looking at Singapore as it is today, I am filled with a sense of dread over what is to come.

There's so much talk about a Singaporean core, but I don't understand what it means if it doesn't mean that Singaporeans make up the overwhelming majority. How would Singaporeans form the central, foundational part of society if there aren't, you know, a lot more of them around than non-Singaporeans? 

As it is, I have yet to come to terms with the fact that the Singapore today is very different from the Singapore I grew up in. Oh, it's much glossier and much more swanky, but in that process of upgrading -- a truly Singaporean aspiration -- it feels like it's lost some of its soul.

I go to the parks and I find myself surrounded by PRCs accents. I go out to shop and eat and I'm greeted and served by Filipino voices and hands. I found it particularly sad that even when I went on the Singapore Duck Tour with the kids some time back, a tourist attraction to introduce Singapore to visitors, virtually all the staff were Filipino! I've nothing against foreigners coming to seek their fortunes in this land, by the way. As a product of an immigrant society, I feel it's hypocritical to feel otherwise. I'm just wondering where all the Singaporeans have gone.

An interesting quirk of my history is that while I am certainly Singapore-bred, I'm not Singapore-born. I have parents who are as Singaporean as can be, but as it happens, I was born in UK when my father was there pursuing his further education. That's as far as my link with the UK goes. I never had a UK passport. So worried were my grandparents that I would not be able to enter Singapore that my parents only got a Singapore passport for me. I flew home at the grand ol' age of one month.

But still, by virtue of my having been born in the UK, I was considered a British national of sorts, and when I turned 21, I was asked to make a decision: to renounce my right to a British citizenship and formally become a Singapore citizen, or to take up steps to become a British citizen and give up my Singapore citizenship. At that point, I had never even stepped on British soil. Singapore was the only country I knew. It was my home and where I saw myself for a long time to come. I wouldn't say it was an easy choice, but the choice was clear.

Ironically this happened months before I was due to fly to the UK on a year-long exchange programme. Sometimes I wonder whether my choice would have been different if I had just been born later in the year. Certainly a number of my Singaporean classmates in the UK university I was at were envious of my opportunity and expressed dismay at my choice. But being away from Singapore accentuated the fact that where I was just wasn't home. I missed familiar, previously-regarded-as-tiresome traditions. I sought to reproduce the food that I missed. And I frequently found myself smiling when I heard a Singaporean accent. My ears prick up and an immediate sense of kinship is kindled.

Singapore is my home, but would I continue to regard it as so when I don't recognise it?

When I looked at fresh land use plans that had been drawn up, I tried to stifle the sigh that rose to my lips. Again, more old buildings will be torn down, cemeteries exhumed, land deforrested for homes, homes, homes. This time even some of the golf courses will not be spared.

I frequently lament the fact that of the schools that I've studied in, only one remains in the same location I recognise. Even this one school will soon be no longer as there are plans for it to move to a new location in the coming years. Of the homes I have lived in, the two which hold the most meaning for me are no longer. One was a house which has been torn down and re-built by subsequent owners, and the other was sold en-bloc. A swanky new condo now stands in its stead.

With each change, I feel less and less connection to the land -- it is all foreign to me. And it look like that trend is going to continue.

What would growing up in Singapore like be for my children? I really don't know, and at this point, I'm not sure I'm looking forward to finding out.

 

Welcoming 2013

I wanted to end the year with a round-up-sum-up of the year gone by, but in truth, my head wasn't in the right place.

I've been grumpy and frustrated for days. And restless and unhappy.

I couldn't pinpoint the reason why. But after talking it through with the husband, we realised that I've been tired, lonely and I need a break.

2012 has been a tiring year. It's been busy yet filled with boring lulls, fulfilling yet full of the mundane. There is much I wish to say and recap on, but it'll have to wait. Instead, in the lead up to midnight,  I put away my computer and spent some time just talking to my husband for a long while. I think we both needed that.

It's time for me to hit the sack. Recaps and new resolutions will have to wait till tomorrow. (Or, knowing me, next week!)

In the meantime, here's wishing one and all the best in the year ahead.

HAPPY 2013!

Live Together In Perfect Harmony…

After 6 weeks of staying with us, my MIL moved home earlier this week. 

Yes, 6 weeks!

Honestly, if you told me that we'd be living together for such an extended period of time before we embarked on it, I would have had my reservations. But there was no choice about it. My MIL was undertaking some pretty extensive renovations of her home and it was just not practical for her to be staying there with her furniture all stacked up, dust everywhere and the workers tramping all over her home. So she came to stay with us.

I think it is to her credit that the entire experience was rather a pleasant one. Certainly, it was far more painless than I had anticipated it to be. My MIL is very neat and her home is extremely clean. Messy me was nervous. I gave the house one good spring clean before she arrived and prayed that it would be good enough! Of course, the house wasted no time in reverting to its natural state, but my MIL was really very kind and never once mentioned the state of our home. She did advise DD a couple of times to pack up his study, but she did not ever say anything of that sort to me. Not even when there were bags of stuff all over in the run-up to Noey's party, and craft and goody bag items fighting with us for space at the dining table.

Instead, I found that I was enjoying the occasional extra pair of hands at home. The children also got used to having Nai-nai around all the time. Nomi would go harass her when she saw the bedroom or toilet door closed. Noey roped her in as an extra playmate when I wasn't at home. By and large, I think Nai-nai enjoyed their company too.

Reading Chinese jokes! Now, that's something I definitely would not have done with my son!

Which isn't to say that the arrangement wasn't without its difficulties. I tried to go about my usual routine as much as possible, but was self-conscious about what I was doing, how my food tasted, and how I disciplined the children. I didn't cook Western food as often I usually would since I knew my MIL wasn't so fond of it and I really did miss it. It was more logistically challenging moving everyone around in the weekend. My parents also weren't as comfortable popping by and hanging around so I didn't see them much except when I brought the kids over. 

Out to the park for a walk, Nomi gives her best posed smile.

So while I think the overall family bonding experience was a positive one, I am very glad to have my own space again. Maybe more so than my husband. When I told him that I was glad that I didn't need to consciously try to be neater, he rolled his eyes and asked me "how is trying to be neater a bad thing??" Hah.

Some things I learnt from the experience about living harmoniously:

1) When you don't agree with what is said, if you can let it slide, let it slide.

2) Try to acknowledge a different view point, even if it's not something you'll automatically agree with. There is usually some common ground that you can agree with (and latch on to for dear life).

3) When in doubt, just keep quiet.

4) When you need to complain, complain to your husband in private to get it out of your system.

5) It helps to remind yourself that you are setting a good example to your kids with your own behaviour. Puts things in perspective.

6) Prayer helps! And works!

While not an experience I want to repeat in the near future, at least I know now that if called on to do it again, I will, with God's grace, be able to do it again. It's back to regular programming in this household now and that's the way I like it.

Steps and Mis-steps in Social Interaction

I think when you see your child in need, your first instinct would be to reach out, to protect, to support, and to do everything in your power to HELP. 

But sometimes, you just can't do that. And your heart breaks a little.

Early this week, I watched as my little boy watched others play on the sidelines. He moped as his chosen playmates decided to ignore him to play with someone else. I asked him if he wanted to join in, but he shook his head. Instead, he curled up next to me to play on his own. I wanted so much to help him, but I knew that at that moment, there wasn't much I could do except to give him some encouragement and my attention.

At nearly 4, Noey still struggles in social situations, particularly in larger groups. I think a large part of this is that when it comes to social interaction, he is still rather immature. I feel he doesn't know how to play with other children though he does want to sometimes. I know he is a bit slow in this respect, but he is still young, so I don't feel unduly worried. He can also be quite a loner and is quite happy with his own company most of the time, so perhaps some of this is also his personality and preference. And yet, no one likes seeing their child left out. There is still that sting, no matter what.

I guess I feel for Noey because I see a lot of myself in him. I see in him some of that social awkwardness that I felt as a child, and still do, in some situations. In fact, this post was also triggered in part by my own insecurities about not being able to fit in with some of the Mums I meet at his pre-school almost everyday. "Is it me?" I wonder. Or worse, "Is it my son whose behaviour they do not approve of?" And yet, now that I'm older, I know it is me, but it is also them. Not everyone is friendly or welcoming, and well, different people click with each other, don't they? On my part, I guess I haven't really put myself out there to make friends with these Mums. I figured I'll give it a good shot, and if it still doesn't work out, I'm going to tell myself that it really doesn't matter.

I know I'm glad that Noey is a boy and not a girl, because female relationships are that much more complicated! I'm not as worried about Naomi though. It is early days yet, because I think she looks to have inherited her Papa's self-assuredness and is a friendly little thing, so my gut feel is that she'll be fine.

While I still do wish I could bubble-wrap them to keep them both safe and happy always, I know they will have to learn to navigate life on their own. One thing they can be sure of though, is that I will be here for them, always.

I love you, my two cutie-patooties.

Time to Disconnect

If you've been reading this blog for a while, you'll know that I've been making some attempts to disconnect. To get off my iPhone and get some real-life interaction instead. 

Today, I'm blogging at the bottomsup blog on my attempts to get over my iPhone addiction, and sharing some tips on things I have found useful while on this journey. It hasn't been easy and I've slipped up many many times. This is still a work in progress for me - more of that over here!

Interestingly, by the time you read this post, I will be on my way on a short vacation with my husband (and his Mum and Sis), SANS KIDS! It's the first time ever that the both of us are taking a trip away from the children. In fact, this is the first time I'm even spending the night without both children. The only other time I spent the night away from Noey was when I was in the hospital after delivering Naomi. So this is a big deal. We had originally intended to bring Noey with us - his air ticket had even been bought - but circumstances are such that we will be leaving both children behind.

Yes, I am worried. There is a possibility that one or both children might wake up and cry for Mummy in the middle of the night, notwithstanding the fact that they are in the capable hands of my parents. However, I have also decided to take this as a gift from God. Some time to allow me to get away - to disconnect from my online life and my kids, and to connect again with my husband and with God. So yes, I am worried, but I am also excited.

This is me, signing off. I'll be seeing you back here in a bit.

Disconnect, Disengage

We are just back from 4 days in Batam for our church's annual conference. It's only been 4 days, but it feels much longer than that because it's been the first time in the long while that I was almost completely disconnected from the internet for days at a stretch.

Why this happened certainly wasn't planned.

On the night before we left, I grabbed at my phone in the dark after putting Nomi to sleep, and... it fell to the floor. It's not like this hasn't happened before, so I wasn't too concerned. Except. This time when I picked it up, the screen was blue.

Yes, the blue screen of death also haunts iPhones, if you're not careful.

My heart sank. After some desperate attempts to restart it and more even more desperate googling, I realised that the LCD was wrecked. The phone seemed to be working fine, but because I couldn't see a thing on the screen, it was effectively useless. We were to report at the ferry terminal at 9.30am in the morning so there was no way I was going to be able to bring my phone down to the service centre on time before leaving for Batam. I reached for the old 3GS but because the 4S uses a micro-sim, I couldn't use it. On hindsight, I probably should have spent some time googling how to re-size a micro-sim to fit a full sized sim-card slot. I have since found some instructions on how do just that. 

But on Monday night, with packing still yet to be completed, I was resigned to not having a phone throughout my time away. Not that I was about to give up my internet habit quite so easily at that time though. I was informed that the hotel provided free wifi, so I lugged along my iPad and my Macbook, thinking that I could log on when I had some free time in the room.

It seems however, that God had other ideas.

While the hotel did provide free wifi, I found that it really only worked in the common areas. After I found myself standing at the door to my room and sticking my iPad out into the corridor to try to get a connection, I decided to take the hint. I put aside my devices and stopped trying to get online. The funny thing is that DD tells me he had no trouble getting online with the iPad while in the room, so I think that it was me that God just really didn't want online! 

Disconnecting and being virtually uncontactable took a bit of getting used to. It was more than just cutting back, which I consciously make an effort to do most days. I hated not being able to snap and post on Instagram on the go and I kept wondering if I was getting new e-mails and missing tweets. But thankfully, I got over it pretty quickly. By the time the conference ended, I pretty much didn't care any more that I had no phone. Instead, I found that I enjoyed the change of pace. 

So in a way which I didn't intend, I got a good break. I did more reading, talked to those around me, and spent more time just stoning. I probably needed it.

Now that I'm back, I'm wondering if I can engineer more situations where I put away the phone for an extended period. Because sometimes I think having that time to just stop and stare, rather than share and share is a good thing too.

Marking A Year Gone By

With each year that passes, my birthday seems to hold less significance for me. Perhaps that's just my mind in denial, unwilling to acknowledge that I have aged another year. These days, the children's birthdays are what I get excited about. I think it's particularly telling that the only way I remember how old I am is by remembering that I am 30 years older than Noey!

So, yes, I'm 34 this year. It's my last year checking the "25-34 years"option on survey forms.  Maybe I'll feel it more when I turn 35 next year and move to the next category.

I didn't intend to do much for my birthday this year, but DD sweetly decided to make it a special day for me. So I got:

(1) This card from Noey

Don't you just love my funky hair and crazy eyebrows? This card is definitely for keeps. 

(2) An adult lunch with the husband and without the kids, at Au Petit Salut

It's been a while since I've been for set lunch at Au Petit Salut. The food is still great but lunch isn't as good value as it used to be. Lots of top-ups for better items like the beef cheeks. DD still went for them in the end.

(3) A new Macbook Pro for my birthday present (which I'm still learning to use)

(4) Time off in the afternoon to do my own thing. I decided to pop over to the hospital to visit C and her new bundle of joy, little Teanne. So lovely carry such a teeny-tiny newborn again!

Little Teanne. Hi-5, fellow May baby!

(5) Time to run some errands in peace, while knowing that the kids were being well-taken care of at home. And having fun.

Cheeky face!

And in the evening, DD and I braced ourselves and brought the kids out to a semi-posh dinner at Osia. It's the only nice restaurant that we'd attempt to bring both kids to because they are surprisingly family friendly. They even provide a kids' menu for dinner.

The good thing about eating with kids is that we tend to go for dinner early and this time, managed to get the 4-course set menu for $68++ per person, which I think was pretty good value. The food was great. Both kids ate A LOT of flat bread and Noey also walloped his entire Pasta dish. We've come to realise that this kid's got expensive tastebuds -- he eats really well in expensive restaurants!

All things considered, it was a successful dinner. We did have to take turns to go walk around with the kids during our main courses, but everyone enjoyed the food and had a good time. And there was some delicious cake to round off the evening with a candle to keep the kids happy.

It was a good way to mark another year gone by.