Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Free Singapore F1 Grand Prix Tickets

This year, My wife and I had the opportunity to get free tickets for the Singapore F1 Grand Prix.

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The Singapore F1 Grand Prix started in 2008, and it was one of the first night races in the whole campaign.

Working within the Marina Area, we were excited about watching the event, as we drove past the venue everyday.

DSC_0144 Our Tickets were at Grandstand Turn 1 and we were located at the 1st turn immediately after the flag off.

This is supposed to be an exciting turn as, this is where all the F1 Rally cars will jostle for pole position after the flag off.

I am not much of a F1 fan, but I was there and ready to soak up the atmosphere.

This is definitely not a place to bring your kids, as even with my ear plugs, I could not talk to my wife. The engines sounds were louder than the sounds in a disco.

To salvage the situation, I spent most of my time texting her or taking photos.

What was the most exciting part of the race?

Call us sadistic, but we were all very excited when there was a F1 rally car that crashed near us. In fact, all of us were up on our seats!

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At the end of the day, Lewis Hamilton won the race.

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Although it was a bit of an anti-social event, as we just sat there without much conversation….the trip to the F1 Grand Prix is definitely an enriching experience.

The shops at the F1 Grand Prix village was also crowded, with tons of people grabbing souvenirs. Looks like the Singapore Tourism Board is scoring in this area.

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Mark-ups on items were also ridiculously high, but the people seemed willing to spend….so much for the recession!

Parenting Tips:

Don’t Bring your Kids to the F1 Grandprix, unless you have some major ear plugs. They will also probably be really bored, as the kids won’t be able to interact with the cars or their parents.

The F1 Grand Prix is also not a good event to propose to your girlfriend. She probably won’t be able to hear you, and the engine sounds will really “stuff” up the video recording.

Monday, September 28, 2009

City Harvest Church: ET Zone Adult Retreat

city harvest etzone retreat

Just recently, ETzone had it’s very 1st Adult retreat in JB, Malaysia.

About 60 of us gathered for this event, where we spent a full day together, having fun and spending time in the presence of God.

The drama production via the various adult teams were also hilarious and we had lots of fun laughing and just simply sharing our lives together.

The Adults are also looking forward to the next trip already and there is talk about Malacca and KL.

Before I go, here’s a video we uploaded on Vimeo, that gives a short snippet about what we are all about.

P.S – u may have to wait a while for the video to load, as Vimeo is getting slower and slower, due to their increased traffic. Any other sites to recommend besides Youtube?

Sunday, September 27, 2009

Our Maid left us today!

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It was a difficult day for the Tay Family today.

Our domestic helper from the Philippines “Weng” was going to Canada to further her Career.

She has served us faithfully for the last 4 years, and we are sad to see her leave Singapore for the Philippines.

I was held up at work and I could not make it to Changi Airport to send her off…but Mummy told me that that it was a “teary” affair.

Nathan and Nadine did not really understand the situation, but Nicole held on to Auntie Weng’s legs and said “Please, don’t go!”

Meanwhile, Weng’s replacement from the Philippines has also arrived in Singapore, and we are praying that she is going to be a faithful hardworking maid as well.

Parenting Tip: Do prepare the kids whenever it’s time for a change in domestic helpers. We kept on telling Nicole that Auntie Weng was going to leave Singapore Forever. It really helped prepare her for the change of maids.

Saturday, September 26, 2009

An exciting weekend in Singapore…

Wohoo…I am excited about this weekend!

Guess What…where do u think this is…

singapore f1 ariel view

Yes…I am going to the Singapore F1. Hooray!

singapore f1

My mum managed to get Free complimentary tickets to the Singapore F1 Grand Prix. Each ticket is worth 1k!!!  and we are sitting at the Grandstand at Turn 1.

It’s my first time and I am excited about seeing the cars zoom down the track.

The Singapore Grand Prix is also one of the 2 night races featured in the championship, and the good thing is that I will not be burnt by the hot Singapore sun.

Check out the “Cool” pass in the photo below!

singaporef1 pass

This Sunday night promises to be one that is going to be very exciting.

Before I go, here is a parenting moment:

Check out Nadine’s expression, as she zooms by in her F1 car – it’s priceless!!!

Thursday, September 24, 2009

Farm Activities for Children in Singapore (Part 2)

After the goat farm, we headed for the frog farm! Frankly, I did not even know that there were so many farms in the Lim Chu Kang Area.

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The frog farm is a host to Bullfrogs, so they are definitely bigger than those you used to see in your garden.

This farm was definitely more organised than the 1st, as there was a conducted tour by the operators to educate us about the frogs.

At a charge of $2, the guide was informative and knowledgeable in her craft.

DSC_0052 She told us how to identify the frogs…the female frogs are actually bigger and the male frogs are the ones that croak!

These reasons are mainly for mating purposes as the female is always at the bottom, and hence they need to be able to handle the load.

We are then offered a chance to carry the load!

I was not keen to handle the slimy creature and neither were the kids!

One of our friends was quite bold, and she had no problem handling the frogs!

frog collage

Here’s a close-up on our handsome prince!

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Personally, my favourite part of the tour, was when they deep-fried the frog legs for us to eat!

At $2 a stick, the frogs were delicious!

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From the frog farm, we proceeded to Bollywood Veggies!

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This place grows the most variety of fruits, vegetables, flowers and it is the largest producer of organic bananas and papayas in Singapore. They also specialise in fruit vegetables such as ladies fingers, long beans, cucumbers, bitter gourds.

They have every common vegetable that u can think of here – and there are supposed to be organic as well.

Lunch was also at their Poison Ivy Bistro, and everyone was hungry.

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The food there is Super healthy, as it is supposed to be organic. Daddy enjoyed the deep fried nuggets and chicken wings more! :)

Overall, it was definitely an interesting place to visit, and definitely very different from Shopping in Singapore along Orchard Road.

We started our tours of the various locations at 10am, and when we finished lunch, it was already 2pm.

Originally, we were supposed to go to the fish farm next, but we were too tired by then and we headed home.

Parenting Tip – Do set up early, as the Lim Chu Kang area does seem to be hotter than the rest of Sunny Singapore.

Go with a group of friends as well! The extra pair of hands with the kids will be very much appreciated! DSC_0112

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

Sun Ho – China Wine

Sun Ho’s “China Wine” single was released in 2007, and it has received rave reviews in the Entertainment Industry. Under the guidance of Wyclef Jean,

However, the ultra-conservatives have also had their opinions about Sun Ho.

SUNAKAGEISHA-ChinaWine

Check out what Pastor Kong Hee has to say about her “crossover” to the entertainment industry and how Christians can stay relevant in a modern world.

“Fancy Free” is Sun Ho’s latest release to date, and I personally think that it is going to be a No.1 Hit!

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Farm Activities for Children in Singapore (Part 1)

Last Saturday, we went with a few friends to visit some farms in the Lim Chu Kang Area.

As we are pretty much “City Folks”, a visit to the farm is not just interesting for children but also for adults as well!

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There is a public bus service called the “Kranji Express”, that takes u around the farms. However, the frequency is about 1.5 hours for the next bus to come along.

To overcome this problem, we hired a mini-bus that followed us throughout the day! It was also great fun for everyone of us to be in the same bus together!

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The 1st farm that we went to was the goat farm!

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Owning a farm is good money, as these are the cars of the owners…

nice cars

The goat farm tour was free and easy, and basically we walked around on our own to explore the place. We were not the only people there, and the visitors gallery was crowded with other families as well.

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It was here that the kids saw the goats being “milked”. These days everything is mechanized!

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The goat farm has a “tourist” shop as well, as at the end of the day, we could buy fresh goats milk to sample for ourselves.

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As we bought chocolate milk, the kids were willing candidates in sampling the milk.

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When I asked for Nicole’s opinion about the fresh goat’s milk, this is her verdict:

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Well, it seems that she does not like the taste of the milk! Too “Goaty!”

Overall, it is quite an interesting place to visit, especially for City Folks like us!

Saturday, September 19, 2009

Sun Ho – Fancy Free MV

Sun Ho’s latest video is out!

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We had a great time on the web chat with her, and everyone of us has heard so much about the song “Fancy Free”!

Well…it’s finally here!

Enjoy the song and the wicked MV!

 

Thursday, September 17, 2009

Sun Ho is going live on facebook!

This week promises to be an Exciting Week for the Tay Family!

Our friend Sun Ho, will be having a live web chat on Facebook. Fri (18 Sept) at 11pm.

Sun Ho in NY

You can answer ask Sun Ho questions by sending them to twitter at http://twitter.com/mynameissun.

As she is now based in America, it will be great to catch up with her and to find out how her career is coming along!

Sun Ho has also just released her latest single “Fancy Free” and I have been enjoying it on my MP3 player.

I am looking forward to Friday night!

sun ho

Finding a Quality Preschool (Guest Post)

Recently, one of my readers asked me whether she could do a guest post on my blog!

I haven’t done it before, so there is always a 1st for everything.

Anne Cruz resides in the States and she owns a site about starting a day care for for Preschoolers. Her site is Own a Day Care.

Here is her input on finding a good Childcare centre.

How to Find Quality Childcare

For many parents finding quality childcare can be a daunting but important task. There is so much to consider: licensing, health and safety, nutrition, curriculum – the list goes on and on!

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When you a researching for daycare, the best thing you can do for your child is to communicate directly with child care providers, asking them important questions that can really mean the difference between finding safe quality childcare and dreadful consequences for your child.

I have provided a handy cheat sheet focusing on the important info you should receive before enrolling your child in any type of daycare center or family daycare.

  • What is the ratio of staff to children, the number enrolled, and how many kids the caregiver is licensed to care for?
  • Is the center open year round or are there times when the center is closed?
  • Does the daycare center charge different fees for infants, toddlers, preschoolers? If so, what are they?
  • Will you incur any additional costs for items like diapers, meals, supplies, or transportation?
  • When my child is absent or on holidays, will I still be charged?
  • Describe the educational background of the staff. Are they educated in early childhood education?
  • Are all staff members certified in First Aid, cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), and infant CPR?
  • What is the rate of turnover at your child care center? On an ongoing basis, are staff members responsible for caring for the same children to ensure continuity of care?
  • Are there any non-staff members like volunteers or students who will have contact with my child? If so, will they have had criminal and background checks conducted on them?
  • What are the center’s policies on behavior management accident, administration of medications, and caring for sick children?
  • What are the center’s pickup policies? Does the center only release children to people whom the parents have authorized in writing? If the answer is no, remove this center from your list of daycare center options.
  • How is the day structured? Can I see a sample of the daily schedule?
  • Are the meals varied, nutritious, and age-appropriate? Can I see a sample menu?
  • Can I drop by and visit the center at any time? Most high quality daycare centers have an open door policy and allow parents to drop in at any time.
  • What methods will we be using to communicate?

When you enter the daycare center, check to see that the environment is warm and inviting. Observe how caregivers interact with children.

Check to see if children are happy and active rather than bored and listless. Listen to your intuition.

If the environment isn’t comfortable, colorful and welcoming, it may be a red flag.

Parenting Tip:

ED says: Do shop around Singapore when u look for a nursery, preschool, childcare. I went to quite a few, before I decided on which one to send my kids to. Chiltern House…Growing Up Gifted, Montessori, Brighton, Schoolhouse by the Bay, Julia Gabriel…I went to them all, before I made a decision!

Wednesday, September 16, 2009

MTV Music Awards 2009 - Michael Jackson Tribute with Janet Jackson

The Music Industry has been filled with the outburst of Kanye West at the MTV Music awards, but it was also exciting to hear that Madonna and Janet Jackson did a tribute to Michael Jackson.

I think we all grew up with Michael, and there is always so much news about him. I remember the “buzz” about him, when they spotted his ghost at the mansion!

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Despite his humanity, he was a phenomenal dancer, and I remember trying to do the “Moon Walk” when I was young. :)…I failed terribly!

If you can’t get enough of Michael Jackson, check out this MTV tribute, with his sister Janet Jackson making an appearance!



more about "MTV Music Awards 2009 - Michael Jacks...", posted with vodpod

Tuesday, September 15, 2009

Positive Parenting: Hopefully…

Nathan has been going to Julia Gabriel for the last 6 months, and recently, he just finished his term. We have been deciding on whether we should send the kids to baby school, and we felt that we were going to make this semester his last!

Well, on the last day…besides the shorter lesson…there was a party as well.

Nathan was really brave and decided to become a Tiger!

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The Julia Gabriel Chinese teacher was really good at her artwork…and Daddy thought he looked Really “FIERCE” when I first saw him as well!

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Actually, our little boy is a little bit of a cowardly “lion” and we hope that he will become braver, when he joins Nicole in school in 2009.

Btw, we tried 2 Julia Gabriel centres in Singapore (Evans Road and Forum Galleria) and in terms of facilities – Evans Road is much better, as they have an outdoor playground and water play. But, Forum Galleria has better teachers, and previously, Nathan had this teacher called Gerri! She is really good and very entertaining!

School is really expensive…and hopefully, the exposure will do him good!

We will see the answers in a few years time!

Sunday, September 13, 2009

I can’t get a seat!

Parenting and handing newborn babies is always  going to be a difficult and enriching experience.

I have therefore been keeping a lookout for new perspectives on parenting and researching on experiences of potential parents. (Btw, Thanks so much for your continual votes as a Best Parenting Blog, and your support as one of the Best Daddy Bloggers!)

Just the other day, I stumbled onto this advertisement and it is so funny!!!

Considering the amount of problems, Singapore seems to have with rude and ungracious commuters…

Maybe we need a pregnant women like this, to make things happen!

Watch and learn ! :)

Friday, September 11, 2009

Nicole has a Boyfriend…or Boyfriends!

Parents are naturally very over protective of their children.

Just the other day, Nicole told me that she has not 1 but 3 boyfriends!

Daddy naturally wanted to see who they were…

In my mind, I was mentally scanning through her classmates and wondering who they were…

Was it candidate A?

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Was it candidate B?

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Or was it candidate c?

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I wonder if all Fathers are like me: even if the candidate was:

hollywood men

Brad Pitt…Zac Efron…Johnny Depp…Matthew McConaughey…Daddy has his reservations about any guy she brings home…

Pitt – the name sounds pathetic…

Zac – Don’t trust those boys who are in high school…

Depp – Sounds a bit shallow…

McConaughey – too difficult to pronounce…

Yes…I know…All lame excuses… Daddy seems to have reservations about every MAN!!!

In fact, I convinced Nicole to choose only ONE boyfriend…and that boyfriend is…

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I wonder if all parents are so protective over their children :)

Will Nicole and Nadine’s husbands meet Daddy’s stringent criteria?

Parenting 301 – will most probably be learning to let go…Only God can help me!!!

Wednesday, September 9, 2009

An Educational Place to Visit in Singapore

Just this week, we had a chance to explore some of the warehouses next to Singapore Press Holdings at Toa Payoh.

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My wife was looking for a distributor for children’s products and we stumbled upon Beacon Educational Supplies.

They supply kindergarten and Nursery supplies for many of the Pre-schools in Singapore.

beacon educational

Looks like an ordinary office but inside, we found a treasure trove of educational toys for the kids!

beacon inside

There were lots of study charts…children’s books…

childrens books

childrens washing machine

And even well crafted wooden washing machines and kitchen stoves.

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They were made of wood and of good quality. Nathan had fun playing with them and they would definitely be a good investment for schools and people who have lots of children! :)

Best of all, they are the sole agents for these tricycles from Denmark called Winther

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These are the same tricycles found in schools such as Chiltern House and Pat’s School house. They are also super durable compared to the China ones that you normally find on the market.

The tyres have a rubber lining and they are known to withstand the toughest of children.

We wanted to buy one for Nathan and Nadine but the cheapest one will cost $350.

Super Ex right!

Well, in the end, we did not get one for ourselves, but this place is definitely an interesting place to visit when u need educational toys!

Here, you will not find any Transformers, Winnie the Pooh or Thomas the Train toys…

Instead, you will find toys that teach you Math, Balancing, Fine Motor and Memory Skills!

This is a place for a discerning parent to visit! :)

Parenting Tip:

Look out for places such as these, in order to get a good price on your toys. When u spend your money at Takashimiya, u might not be getting the best bargain possible.

BEACON EDUCATIONAL SUPPLIES PTE LTD

998 Toa Payoh North
#06-03 Singapore 318993

Tel: +65 62505707

Tuesday, September 8, 2009

Food Review: Portuguese Egg Tarts

I have not done a food review for some time…and the last one was on Gunther’s (French Cuisine). So, I decided to dig up the old cook book and “whip'” up another recommendation.

To be honest, I am not a BIG FAN of Egg tarts, but at a family luncheon on the weekend, I was asked to try some.

egg tarts

To my Surprise – They were DELICIOUS!

I immediately asked my nephew where he brought it from, and he said Galicier Confectionary.

Ok…at this point of time…you must be asking…Where on earth is that?!?

My sentiments exactly.

Well, I found out that it was located near Serangoon Interchange. This may be quite accessible to some of my readers.

Upon getting the address of the confectionary, I decided to see the shop for myself.

Situated at Blk 253 (Serangoon Ave 3)…it is not exactly located in the ‘hub’ of the city! (Btw, they have a branch in Tiong Bahru as well…nearer the market)

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It is located at a corner of a block, further from Serangoon Interchange. I wasn’t even sure that I found the right shop when I saw it! It looks just like any other bakery in Clementi or Jurong West.

There were no large billboards that mentioned that they were in the newspapers…or any long queues.

However, I noticed a small write-up by the local newspapers near the cashier.

galicier

Well, they are supposed to be quite famous for their donuts as well…but I won’t exactly ‘rave’ about them.

They are just freshly baked…and as a result, they are soft and well sugared.

But a “Must Try” are the Portuguese Tarts.

They are made with fresh eggs, and covered with a crust that has a very “ang moh” tinge to it. In fact, it tastes like flaky pastry from Delifrance.

However, the combination together with the egg custard really makes it a delicious creation!

Another item that you can try on the menu is their “Chicken Pies”.

They are very tasty and Nicole had 2 of them for tea! She was just supposed to eat 1! :) 

Do let me know what you think of their tarts and pies, if you happen to have tried them as well!

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