Riders Cafe at Bukit Timah

Just recently, the children's cousin Shauna, celebrated her Birthday and the kids were invited to her party.

We were invited to the Bukit Timah Saddle Club for high tea and they were all excited about our little excursion.

We were also looking forward to it, as I have read many reviews about this place, and I was looking forward to see it for myself.

As I entered the club, I was attracted by signs such as this…

Frankly, where do u see road signs such as this, especially in Urban Singapore, where u get buildings after buildings!

High tea was at the Rider’s Cafe, and the cafe was situated right in the centre of the ranch.

Shauna was excited to see them…and Nadine was at her best behaviour, up and about beginning to walk very well, while Shauna was fellowshipping with everyone around her :)

The kids were of course very excited, as they saw the horses walking by.

This is the view from the windows next to our table…

Later on, we managed to walk around outside and we had a close-up encounter with the horses.

The kids were a little apprehensive about seeing the horses up close, but after a while…they enjoyed catching the animals upclose as well.

Parenting Advice:

Bring your kids out as much as possible. The exposure will do them wonders! If u have a car, this is a great place to explore with the kids, especially in land scarce Singapore. The food is priced at normal cafe prices.

Technorati Tags: Horses in Singapore,Bukit Timah Saddle Club

Blood Donation Drive

Last Sunday, we gathered at Riverwalk in Circular Road…

No…it was not for a party or a Moon Cake festival celebration….But it was for our Zone’s

Blood Donation Drive!

Many Thanks to all our members for taking the bus down to Riverwalk and giving back to the community.

The kids were there to support the Uncles and Aunties, as they gave their blood as well.

As she saw the needles, we had to keep on telling her that it was not painful, and that it was going to be a painless process (Parenting never stops, anything can be an object lesson).

The Nurses were also very reassuring, and always there to calm the new givers!

Actually it is quite painless, after you receive the anaesthesia, and I spent most of my time catching up with the members around me after the first drop.

At the end of the day, it was quite a fun “painless” process, and the whole hall was filled with people from ETzone.

So proud of u guys…and many thanks for giving to the community!

Technorati Tags: Blood Donation Drive,Giving back to the community

You can’t swim at Pasir Ris Beach in Singapore!

I read something really gross in the local newspapers yesterday…

But it seems that the waters at Pasir Ris beach are too dirty to swim in!

Levels of a bacteria found in human faeces present in the sea there still exceed World Health Organisation (WHO) guidelines, a year-long National Environment Agency study has found.

It said that though water quality has improved marginally, swimming and activies such as water-skiing are still discouraged along the 3.3-km stretch of beach from the Singapore People's Association's Pasir Ris Holiday Complex to the Civil Service Aloha resort.

Doesn’t that make you feel uncomfortable…considering that many of us, have been to Pasir Ris for a BBQ before…

Maybe u have dipped your feet into the waters there…

The National Environment Agency (NEA) said on Tuesday that an ageing sewage network was partly to blame for the poor water quality: Faeces is leaking into the waters off Pasir Ris beach from a 23-km network of pipes in the Tampines, Changi and Pasir Ris areas.

The discharge from 39 sewage treatment plants in areas such as Tampines and Changi is also to blame, it said.

Oh no….It seems like Singaporeans who stay in these areas have been contributing to the dirt on the beach :) Haha

On a lighter note, it is nice to know that dirty beaches are a thing of the past…

Maybe one day…our beaches will like those found in Hawaii…

But in the meantime, we will still need to wait for NEA to keep on cleaning up our beaches.

U might also want to know that the other beaches in Singapore - Sentosa and Seletar Islands, Sembawang Park, Changi and East Coast beach - are suitable for swimming and other water sports.

Parenting Advice:

Looks like there one less beach for us families to bring our children to swim in. Thank God, East Coast Beach is still safe!

Technorati Tags: Dirty Pasir Ris Beach,NEA report on beaches

Getting a Maid (Part 2)

The road to the maid agency was one that was filled with anxiety and prayer.

Some people ask if the agency you go to really makes a difference?

I think they are all the same, as no agency can guarantee a person’s character.

No agency can also guarantee Class A candidates, as it functions like any other job agency – No one can control who walks through the door!

Coming back to our situation: We went to an agency in Bukit Timah, as my Mum knew the boss! This is definitely a good advantage to have in these trying circumstances!

Armed with arrival information about fresh candidates, we went to the agency as soon as the boss came back from Philippines (We only look at Bio-Data as this point of time, as the candidates are not in Singapore yet).

We told ourselves that we wanted to get the first look at the new maids that were coming in.

Going through the pictures, we were looking for a girl that BOTH of us could agree on.

The first person that got our unanimous decision was this 28 yo old called Ranaliz.

She looked bright and cheery and after getting her resume, we headed over to the viewing station...

It was here that we got to watch a recording of her interview process in the Philippines. With the wonders of modern technology, we were going to see her in action, and get a better understanding of our potential helper.

We played the Video...After a few minutes….IT was settled!

We decided that she was going to be the ONE!

Ranaliz has got 3 children as well, and she works for a Scottish Boss back in the Philippines. She speaks excellent English and has an excellent disposition.

After choosing her, we had to select 2 other back-up candidates as well, just in case there were any “hiccups". We did this selection without our full focus...as we were wondering...

What could possibly go WRONG!

Unfortunately, something did go WRONG! – we received NEWS the next day that Ranaliz had contracted Hepatitis B, and therefore ineligible to come to Singapore.

Disappointment filled our hearts….

We had to take our PLAN B!

Well, the next candidate is this girl called Jingle…& I was pretty unsure about her.

In fact, we both had to go back to the agency to watch Jingle's video again...

We looked through all the candidates... and finally…we decided on Jingle!

We don't know what lies ahead for us but we are anticipating her arrival in a month’s time!

She may not be our PLAN A, but we are believing and hoping that Plan B turns our much better than our Plan A.

SOLIVTURE AMBULANDO (Refer to previous post to find out what this means!)

Technorati Tags: Good domestic helper,Maid Agency,Choosing a Philippino worker

Getting a maid (Part 1)

One of the perks about staying in Asia, is that most families in Singapore have a domestic helper.

Due to the cheaper wages in Asia, we have the luxury of hiring a maid to assist in our housework, look after the sick and elderly, and of course the children as well.

As the domestic helper will be staying with the family, the selection of a good maid is absolutely essential. For our family, we need a helper who is honest, trustworthy and loves children.

Our current domestic helper—Weng would be leaving soon for Canada to work. She finally received her visa after waiting for over a year!

This is great news for her, as it means a better life for Weng! She would get a $2000 monthly salary, a 9 to 5 and five-day workweek. This is definitely a better life compared to working in Singapore!

This is definitely a Stressful Period for us!

In fact, the Singapore forums and press is always filled with horror stories about irresponsible maids and tyrannical employers – as a result, I think both parties feel the pressure in the selection process.

Both my wife and myself, have been praying very hard for a good maid. Only God knows what’s in store for us in the coming months… But we know that we are going to get better help!

This week, we went to the maid agency. We’ll keep you guys updated in the next post!

Technorati Tags: Choosing a domestic helper,How to choose a good Maid

Theology by a 4 year Old

Mummy blogs…

Recently, I was driving Nicole home and we were chatting in the car. The traffic was horrendous, so we had a nice long mother & daughter talk.

Mummy, can you tell me the story of Jesus?

Ok! (I was thinking hard, which part should I tell??)

Long ago, there were a group of shepherds who were looking after their sheep. Suddenly an angel appeared and told them that Jesus was going to be born. They must follow the STAR.

Meanwhile, there was a man called Joseph and his wife Mary walking around, looking for a hotel. Mary was pregnant with a big tummy. Remember mummy had a big tummy last time?

Well, Mary had to look for a place to stay because the baby was going to come out. They walked and walked and walked. And finally, one of the hotels told them they could stay in the barn.

Footnote here. I was driving. Had to focus on the bad traffic. And I totally forgot the word MANGER. I kept saying barn, and later said stable.

And then?

So that night, Jesus was born. The shepherds were there, and so were the horses and animals to celebrate Jesus’ birth.

And then?

Hmm… and Jesus grew up to be a very good boy. Every night, he prayed to God before he slept, and he prayed before he ate.

Mummy, I thought Jesus is God?

erm… yes. But like Nathan is Daddy’s son, Nicole is Daddy’s daughter, so Jesus is God’s son. You understand?

She nodded her head and changed the topic. 

How’s that for Theology for a 4 yr old?

Technorati Tags: Theology for Children,Questions kids ask

The Puzzle of Life!

We all have a tendency to give up too easily!

Nathan loves his puzzles, and he is excellent with them!

He talks to himself when he makes them too.

Whenever he finds a piece that cannot fit…he will say NO!… and he will throw it nonchalantly over his shoulder!

Kind of “How Lian” (Local term for Proud), if u ask me…The action seems to be done as well, so as to demonstrate that he knows what he is doing.

Nicole struggles with her puzzles…and she will not even want to attempt one…

She will just say “It’s too hard, Daddy!”

Recently, Daddy decided to help her through her puzzle, and i guided her along as we made a 36 piece floor puzzle together.

From a lack-lustre attitude, she seemed to gain much confidence as we managed to complete the puzzle together.

At the end of the day, there was a big Smile on her face, as she put in the last piece!

In life, isn’t it great that we have a friend to walk along with us?

We tend to up too easy…but if we are just more patient, we might find the pieces of life fitting together as well!  :)

Technorati Tags: Jigsaw Puzzles for children

Nadine is starting to walk!

After having 3 Children – I can tell u that everyone of them is different!

Each one of them has their own special qualities and attributes.

Nadine is of no exception!

She seems to be the most timid of the 3 – and would be the most wary and afraid whenever we put her into a new environment.

Whenever we carry her, she will always be clinging on to our shirts for dear life – as she is afraid of heights!

Recently, she has also started taking her first few steps, and we are looking forward to another little one running around the house very soon…

In comparison…Nathan walked the fastest! Boys seem to have no problem when it comes to physical coordination…but till today, he lags behind Nicole in terms of speech development.

I think Nadine will speak as fast as Nicole, as she seems more inclined in this area as well!

BTW, If u are asking if No 4 is coming soon…the answer is NOT at the moment! The 3 of them are a real handful, and we need to give them time to grow up!

But the kids are always fun to have around – and Daddy and Mummy really miss them, when we don’t get to see them as often as we like!

Nadine Walking from Edmund tay on Vimeo.

 

Technorati Tags: Toddler walking,Parenting Insights

National Day Performance at Preschool

Last week, as part of the National Day Celebrations, Nicole had a concert performance at her school.

Nicole was all “pumped up” for the performance, as it was already postponed for one week due to a suspected H1N1 outbreak among her classmates.

Here are some photos to capture her performance:

The school also put up a mini carnival for the kids after the performance.

The kids loved the many booths set up and the free food as well :)

Nathan and Nadine loved the party and the food as well! :)

A BIG thank you for all the teachers for making every carnival in school so FUN!

Before I go, here is a video of Nicole’s Performance. Btw, she loves watching videos of herself…It keeps her entertained, when Daddy has work to do!

Nicole on National Day 2009 from Edmund tay on Vimeo.

Parents: A Video Cam and a Camera are GREAT INVESTMENTS!

Technorati Tags: National Day Performance,Preschool Performance,Children Dancing

How to prevent Mobile Theft?

In the recent issue of Digital Times (Straits Times Digital Supplement), they featured some local Entrepreneurs who made it BIG!

One of them started this company called Bak2U.

What makes this company intriguing to me, is that they have produced this anti-theft software for your handphone.

(For those readers, who are always losing your handphones, this software might greatly interest you)

How does this software work?

Users just need to download a software into your hp, and upon setting up, you will be asked to key in the phone number of a loved one.

• When you lose your hp, and the potential thief decides to keep the phone, he/she will need to insert in his own SIM card to use the phone.
• The moment a foreign SIM card is inserted into the HP, a notification with the thief’s IMEI no and HP no, will be sent to your loved one.
• Your loved one can follow-up on these details, by alerting the police or confronting the thief himself/herself.

I think the program is really cool, especially when one has a habit of regularly losing his/her phone.

If you are interested in the program, you can buy it at US$19.90, from the BAK2U website.

At press time, I have not tried the program yet, but as it is recommended by The Straits Times – I think it comes from a highly reliable source.

Technorati Tags: bak2u,Mobile Anti-theft Software

Kid’s Praise

One of the 1st seeds planted into my life was sown by a Blue Bible called Psalty!

When I was in Upper Primary, my brother brought home one of these records and started playing it on the stereo.

I was intrigued!

The “catchy” storylines and light warm hearted music really drew me towards the gospel, and this “brush” with the gospel made a lasting impression in my life.

As a father, I have brought the same series home for the children, and they love the music as well!

Although they don’t make any new additions to the Kids Praise series - you can still buy the CDs off Amazon, and I am pretty sure that you will love the “catchy” tunes too!

Currently, the kids are listening to the City Harvest church album and they seem to be thoroughly enjoying the songs.

Check out the kids Praising and Worshipping God in these short Videos:

Kids Praise from Edmund tay on Vimeo.

Kids worship from Edmund tay on Vimeo.

The kids were a real riot, as they lifted their hands and kicked their legs when they worshipped God! :)

Technorati Tags: Children worshipping God,Kids Praising God

Pastor Kong Hee on CNA

Pastor Kong Hee was featured in a recent CNA program called “Critical Fame”

Expounding on the effects of fame and why people value it, this program presents a sociological look at people and fame.

The program interviews celebrities like Kumar, Diana Ser, David Gan and others…

If you have not watched the program, you can click on the video below to catch the excerpts.

Technorati Tags: Kong Hee,David Gan,Diana Ser,Kumar,Celebrities,City Harvest Church

My Mountain of Milk Powder

Just Recently, we made use of the Mamil Gold 1-for-1 offer!

A normal step 3 can (900gm) of milk will cost about $24 at NTUC.

But with the offer, I was only paying $12/can for each empty milk can that I bring in.

Considering that the children are real guzzlers, we were confident they would finish the milk FAST.

As a result, we spent the morning emptying our milk powder into empty Tupperware containers – and we were rewarded with this mountain of brand new milk cans.

Are you a parent who stocks up like myself?

Frankly, I have a mountain of diapers at home as well…I always buy a truckload when there are good promotions!

Technorati Tags: Cheap milk powder,Buying in Bulk,Mamil Promotion

Get Paid for Twittering?

If u have been observing my Nuffnang advertisements on my right toolbar, you would have noticed this new website called ChurpChurp.

What this site promises to do, is to help you get paid as you Twitter!

As I am always looking for such benefits on the internet, so I immediately signed up for the service.

Well, I have not received any assignments from them yet, but if they can offer me an additional stream of income – I am all for it!

Btw, if you have not signed up for Nuffnang, do sign up for an account, as Nuffnang really pays – and for small time bloggers like ourselves, it works better than Google Adsense.

Technorati Tags: Nuffnang,ChurpChurp,Twitter,Paid for blogging

Swensen’s Ice Cream Buffet

Just Received this email from my mum! It’s a Swensen’s Ice Cream and Dessert Buffet at $16.90 at ION Orchard.

Ok…I am not a BIG Swensens’ Fan (I definitely prefer Ben n Jerry)…but as I have children….

I think they will love the idea!

But if you are thinking of going this National Day Weekend…please check out the fine print on the emailer.

- Not Valid on Eve and Day of Public Holidays! -

U also have to print the emailer, and bring it along!

Technorati Tags: Ice Cream Buffet,Swensens Promotion,Family Deals

Fun activities for the Family

One of our favourite family activities is cycling at East Coast Park.

Despite our busy schedules, we always make time off for the kids – and the kids just love being chauffeured around East Coast Park.

Daddy loves it as well, as it is good exercise, and I find it a great time to bond with the kids – as I just keep on talking to them, as I give a running commentary about the scenery around me!

This time round – Weng came along with us, so we had 1 kid in 1 bicycle.

Nathan loves it, and he kept on urging Auntie Weng to Go..Go..Go!

We cycled to Bedok Jetty and where Nicole saw fishermen catching fishes!

Miss Nicole made some interesting observations:

Nicole: Mummy, what are they doing?

Mummy: They’re fishing. They catch the fish, bring it home, cook and eat it!

Nicole: But they can buy fish from the supermarket!

After a short pause…

Nicole: Mummy, are they fishing because they have no money?

Anyway, it was a great workout for the family, and the kids really enjoyed themselves!

Being a weekday as well – the park was relatively quiet, and this made things easier for novice cyclists like ourselves!

Technorati Tags: Cycling at East Coast Park,Things to do with your kids

Rewarding my Readers!

Many thanks once again to my readers for helping ED Unloaded win the Most Popular Award in the Canon Ixus Bloggers Competition.

As a token of my appreciation, a selected group of readers were chosen for a lucky draw to win the Canon Ixus 95 camera that I won!

These special people were highlighted, as they have contributed significantly to the development of the blog – & it was my way of appreciating them for their help!

It was therefore to No Surprise that Shing won the Camera, as she has helped me the most with the blog!

Even the editing of the banner for ED Unloaded was done with her help!

Here’s a picture of the lucky girl with the Camera:

Congratulations once again SHING!

Technorati Tags: Canon Ixus 95,Reader's Giveaway

City Harvest Celebrates 20 years!

The 20th Anniversary Services for City Harvest Church was a real blast!

As anticipated, the queues started at 430am, and by the time the doors were opened at 8am, there was a long queue “snaking” around the Singapore Indoor Stadium.

It was a time of celebration, as all of us gathered with our families to remember God’s goodness over our lives.

With my dad next to me, I also had to privilege to pray for his baptism in the Holy Spirit, as we prayed through the 1st Prayer Service. It was definitely a real honour!

Hearing testimonies from the founding members, it was really touching to see how God has prospered the pioneers of the church – where ITE graduates became CEOs and IT managers.

Lillian Cher’s testimony about how Pastor Kong cycled to her house to give her $20 when she was broke, was especially memorable!

It was of great significance, as Lillian was my 1st CGL, and a pleasure to watch how God has prospered her business and moved her into a Multi-Million Dollar house in the east.

The next 20 years promises to be one of greater adventure, and I thank God for bringing me here!

When I came back from Perth, Australia…I wanted to go back down under…but through CHC, I found a greater purpose!

This is the place where I found my calling, my family and my friends.

So apt, considering when National Day is just round the corner…

….This is home truly….Where I know I must be…Where my dreams wait for me!

 

Technorati Tags: City Harvest Church,20th Anniversary

Interesting Blog that I stumbled upon

One of the things that I enjoy about Blogging is that I get to record the milestones in my life, and also share my life with others.

The other perks about joining this community, is that I get to find out about the lives of other people and learn from them!

Recently, I stumbled onto this blog called Jew in the City. Through her writings, she hopes to change the public perception of Orthodox Jews and traditional Judaism.

As Christians, we share a common heritage with the Jews, and it is really interesting, to find out more things about their culture through a common layperson.

Some interesting topics covered are:

1. Is Kosher food (Special Dietary law) healthy or is it blessed by a Rabbi?

2. Do Orthodox Jews consider women dirty during their period?

Very Interesting Indeed. Her Videos are very well presented, and seasoned with a healthy dose of humor.

It is definitely enlightening when we in Asia, have very little contact with the Jewish Community.

Technorati Tags: Jewish culture,life of a Jew