~ The HENG Family Travel Blog ~

~ The Greenwich V Experience - Amazing Race ~

2012-02-14T06:01:00.001+08:00

11th Feb 2012 - Sunny Day! Mommy, together with 14 other bloggers were cordly invited to participate in the Greenwich V Experience Challenge! The bloggers were split into 3 teams, namely Village, Urban and Lifestyle and our task is to go on an amazing race within the new retail mall - Greenwich V which just had its grand opening! - http://bpdgtravels.blogspot.com/2012/02/greenwich-v-grand-opening.html

Our meeting point - Empire State restaurant.

We are the Lifestyle team and our dress code is RED. I guess we made a pretty grand entrance with our team's family and kiddos joining us in this event. It is a SEA of RED and it looks as if we are going to a post Lunar New Year party or National Day celebration. ^_^

Let's meet our team members which consists of mainly parent bloggers!

Team Leader - Andy Lee

Caption Writer - Klessis Lee

Caption Writer - Sandra Tan

Time Keeper - Paul Chen

Photographer - Phoebe Lau

The rule of the game is our team's game master, Jesslyn will be holding on to the clues that will direct us to the next destination. We will need to guess the correct store, fulfil our task before moving on to our next clue and to the next station. In the event if we fail to make a correct guess, we will have to serve our punishment - star jumps!

After a sumptuous meal at Empire State, we gathered at The Plaza (level 2) for the flag off! Who will be the winning team??? Since we have a lot of kiddos joining us, SAFETY COMES FIRST! It's not an easy task having 9 young children going on an amazing race climbing up and down the stairs in a super hot day! Kudos to our macho hubbies, understanding wife and forever cheery kiddos for making this race fun and unforgettable.

We climbed up, we moved down, we went round and round and we didn't get lost! ^_^

We covered 10 stations within the 2.5 hours. In fact, we were the fastest team to complete all our stations. (It's a pity that time is not a factor to determine the winning team. hehehe). Everyone helped to keep a look out, and take care of the children. Our kiddos are energetic and fantastic eaters! Waffles, french fries, yogurt, cakes, drinks etc will not escape their eyes! Muaahhhh....

As a team, we FIND, we EAT, we POSE, we LAUGH and we had fun TOGETHER!

Our pose and various stations :)

Makan session throughout the amazing race challenge. We get to try all sorts of yummy-licious food!

The children didn't mind taking on the punishment for us. Thank you Gladys for doing the star jumps!Many loves and big hugs!

We completed our race and everyone is tired... our kiddos continue to entertain themselves with the magic show while the photos and captions are being uploaded. Mommy is still an amateur when it comes to photography and I was a bit jittery when I was tasked to be the photographer. :)

Thanks to our caption writers Klessis and Sandra with their quick thinking minds and beautiful lines for the photos. Paul has been a great sport doing his facial scrub in front of our young spectators and keeping track of the time throughout the race. Not forgetting our steady and dependable leader, Andy for keeping the team together in an orderly fashion. ^_^

We won the 2nd prize - $200 vouchers (Thank you Greenwich V!)

With Urban and Village team left for the first prize of $300 vouchers! The winner is.......... the Village Team in GREEN! Congratulations to all teams! ^_^

Goodies that we brought home after the race...

It was the first time Mommy took part in a blogger event! Thanks to OMY, Far East and all the other outlets, we got to know new friends, enjoyed a lot of delicious food and had a lot of excitement roaming around the mall.

*Special credit to Andy and Alvin for the group photos! They are beautifully taken!

More photos on our Greenwich V Experience at BPDGTravels fanpage!

Check out our team's experience on the blogger event too!
Andy's - http://sengkangbabies.blogspot.com/2012/02/greenwich-v-bloggers-challenge.html

~ Greenwich V - Grand Opening ~

2012-02-11T08:16:00.000+08:00

It's Friday and also the Grand Opening of the new retail mall - Greenwich V. We brought the kids down to have a feel and look at what's happening at the 'party'. The lifestyle hub definitely attracted a crowd on its opening day and as anticipated, it was a challenge to enter the carpark due to the limited parking lots. :)

We went up to level 2 - The Plaza where the stage and carnival is located. The water fountain is a chill out spot for the little ones!

There are a couple of fun activity booths and free treats for everyone to enjoy! Since we are in Greenwich V, there's a lot of green goodies giveaway! ^_^ Green & white coloured balloons, green popcorn, green candy floss and even green apples! Not to forget our best treat of the day - mint chocolate chip Cold Stone Creamery ice cream!

The official opening ceremony was held at level 1

The hosts for this evening - Joe Augustin (Lush 99.5FM) and Vernetta Lopez (Class 95FM)

The party begins and our kiddos had fun spinning the plate, taking pictures and enjoying their little free treats.

Fairies Stilt-walkers

Balloon-sculpting clown

Main stage performance with the mediacorp DJs.

Taking a little walk around the mall, apart from the little eateries and restaurants, there is Cold Storage and Kopi Seletar (part of Kopitiam).

Although the 2-storey mall is not very big, it is an addition to the area which will serve the residents staying in the vicinity. Greenwich V is now open and carnival will be held for 2 weekends. :)

~ New Retail Mall - Greenwich V ~

2012-02-08T23:44:00.000+08:00

Earlier this week, we received a pamphlet on the opening of another new lifestyle hub - Greenwich V which is located along the junction of Yio Chu Kang Road and Seletar. The 2-storey retail mall will have it's Grand Opening & Carnival this Friday which promises a lot of FUN activities, FREE treats, FABULOUS entertainment for EVERYONE at the Village.

There will be 2 weekends of fun at Greenwich V! Check out the details:

FREE TREATS

Yummy Treats For All

Green Candy Floss, Green Popcorn, Cold Stone Creamery ice cream (YUMMY!!!!)

Free Balloons

- 10 Feb, 4:30pm

- 11, 12, 18 & 19 Feb, 2:30pm

Candies Giveaway

- 18, 19 Feb, 4:30pm

Green & Healthy Apples

- 11, 12, 18 & 19 Feb, 8pm

FUN ACTIVITIES

Story Telling Session

- 11 & 12 Feb, 4pm

Magic Show

- 11 & 12 Feb, 5:30pm

Balloon Sculpting Workshop

- 11, 12, 18 & 19 Feb, 2:30pm

Play Dough Sculpting Workshop

- 18 & 19 Feb, 6:30pm

Washable Tattoo Art

- 11 & 18 Feb, 12:30pm

Sand Art

- 12 & 19 Feb, 12:30pm

No wonder our kiddos are extrememly excited upon seeing the yummy treats and freebies! We'll be hopping by to the new mall to have a sneak peak. :)

In addition, Mommy, together with 15 other bloggers will also be joining in "The Greenwich V Experience" this coming weekend! We'll be participating together with our families and I can't wait to be part of this fun-filled and exciting event! Stay tune on this page for more information and photos!

~ Sunday walk along Sentosa Boardwalk ~

2012-02-03T23:08:00.000+08:00

During the December holidays, we embarked on an Elephant Parade trail and visited many places. One of such places is taking a Sunday morning stroll along the Sentosa Boardwalk.

Since it's opening, Sentosa Boardwalk has offer an alternative option for visitors to enter Sentosa island. Apart from driving in, via the cable car or the light rail, you can take a leisure stroll from VivoCity shopping mall into Sentosa conveniently along the two-way canopy-covered travelators, sheltering visitors from the scorching sun or during a rainy day.

There are 5 two-ways sheltered travelators, each named with a different theme (Mangrove, Rock Garden, Terrain & Hill, Coastal Flora, Tropical Rainforest), very convenient and helpful for guests who are unable to walk through the ~700m boardwalk.

Ticketing counter is located at the end of the Sentosa Boardwalk. Visitors can purchase their tickets here to enter Sentosa island.

Operating Hours:

Travelators: 7am to 12mn, daily
Ticketing Booths: 9am - 6pm, daily

Admission fees: S$1/entry per person.

(http://www.sentosa.com.sg/en/getting-to-around-sentosa/getting-to-sentosa/)

For us, it was our morning walk and a pleasure to view the scenary, taking a sneak peak of Resort World Sentosa while travelling on the travelators. We took pictures along the way and the kiddos have a lot of walking and running space. ^_^

Star Cruise - Hubby & I gazed and pondered when is our virgin cruise. :)

We made a u-turn back and did not enter Sentosa which kind of disappoints Gladys a bit. She rested her feet while admiring the island from afar.....

Even if you do not have intentions to go to Sentosa, Sentosa Boardwalk is a nice place to be to enjoy the sea breeze, rest your body and mind after a hard day's work, or take a stroll with your love ones in the evening, after a nice dinner to enjoy the night scenery. If you are lucky, you may even catch a glimpse of the Crane Dance which we have failed to do so despite multiple attempts. :)

~ Sentosa Flowers 2012 (春节花会) ~

2012-01-28T10:17:00.000+08:00

Today is the 5th day of Lunar New Year and we finally made our trip down to visit Sentosa Flowers 2012 before it ends on Sunday. The rain has stopped but the sky remains gloomy. Thankfully, we managed to capture a couple of nice photos.

There was still a crowd at Sentosa Flowers and we need to be patient to wait for our turn for photo taking. Alternatively, we took the pictures at a different angle. Denver & Gladys were very bubbly and smiley today and they did many cute poses. Simply adorable! ^_^

Dragons of all shapes and sizes can be seen everywhere to welcome the Year of the Dragon!

The golden majestic dragon at the Bull Ring!

The giant auspicious dragons made up of 200 over lanterns took the sky in the Forum. It lights up brightly as night falls.

Like previous years, fresh floral dragon decorations are beautifully displayed at the FestiveWalk. We were a little disappointed not able to see the 12 Zodiac this year though.

More floral display at Merlion Plaza. We 'entered' the Dragon Gate and was brought into the Sea World with fishes and octopus.

Gladys - confident and cheeky

More floral zodiac dragon displays!

Dragon sandart beautifully crafted and displayed at the Imbiah Lookout.

Since CNY always falls very closely to Valentine's Day, there always seems to have a theme for couples to take photos with their love ones. I also took a picture with Denver. ^_^

The children love Dinoland most and not afraid of getting close to the beautifully decorated floral dragons.

Spring is in the air as we see flower beds everywhere. It would be better to visit Sentosa Flowers earlier as some flowers have started to wither.

Gladys never forgets to leave her wish note at the Tree of Life! She wrote the same New Year resolution on the paper, hoping to be an artist! Daddy helped her to hang her wish high up on a tree branch.

This year, apart from the dragons, Sentosa Flowers also has a theme of Sea World with fishes, crabs, jellyfish being spotted. Maybe this is because it is the year of the Water Dragon. ^_^

Sentosa is blossoming with florals and it would be a great place to enjoy the Spring with your family!

~ River Hongbao 2012 ~

2012-01-24T20:10:00.001+08:00

Event Period: 21st Jan. 2012 to 29th Jan. 2012

Opening Hours:Daily: 12:00noon to 11:30pm

Location: The Float @ Marina Bay

Admission is free

http://www.riverhongbao.sg/

It was a rainy evening during our visit to the River Hongbao on CNY eve. The floors are wet and the drizzle has stopped. The evening was cooling with no major crowd seen at the event (probably due to the showers earlier).

We've been here numerous times as it always brings out the festive mood with the pretty lightings and deco.

Phoenix, birds, fish, dragons, lions are commonly found in every year's River Hongbao.

The lanterns are handcrafted by Chengdu lantern masters.

Since it is the Year of Dragon, River Hongbao also showcase the 9 sons of the Dragons. In Chinese mythology, the dragon has nine sons and each of them had a strong personality. Their images could always be found on ancient Chinese buildings and ancient Chinese weapons and vessels. Very interesting if you take a close look at these lanterns. :)

The main highlight of every River Hongbao is the God of Fortune. This year, we have the Martial God of Wealth (武财神) for the very first time instead of the usual fortune god that we often see.

As always, the Chinese 12 horoscopes is not to be miss as everyone wishes to take a picture with their own signs and a peek of their fortune for the new year.

There are also food streets, carnivals and stalls to let you experience the chinese culture on this CNY.

Happy Lunar New Year! May everyone has a prosperous and healthy year ahead!

~ Ushering into the Dragon Year @ Harmony Square ~

2012-01-23T01:11:00.001+08:00

It has been raining through the night as we usher into the year of Water Dragon! Once again, Denver and I stood on the grounds of Harmony Square to welcome the New Year! The residents of Sengkang and Punggol were treated to an eight minutes long of fireworks display! Super Cool!

There was a crowd at the temple and even though it was raining, everyone held on to their brollies as the fireworks blossom in the night.

The twirling fireworks looked just like dragons heading towards the sky.

BPDGTravels wishes everyone a Prosperous, Fulfilled and Healthy Year Of The Dragon!

龍馬精神，吉祥如意，

身体健康，岁岁平安，

年年有餘，滾滾財源，

歲歲平安，天天開心，

工作舒心，薪水合心，

家家幸福，事事顺心，

祝大家龍年行大運。

~ My favourite Pasar Malam in JB ~

2012-01-17T22:59:00.000+08:00

One of the main reason why we drove in to Malaysia on a Monday is because of the Pasar Malam (night market) located near KSL City Mall. The street behind Grand Paragon Hotel is cordoned off, lined with mobile vendors and it stretches all the way to the back of KSL.

Stalls are set up in the late afternoon (around 4pm) and through the night selling all kinds of assorted food and items! From live seafood, chicken to cooked food, kuehs and dessert! You will be over-whelmed with its variety and probably won't be able to catch this scene in Singapore.

Based on our previous experience, we learnt our lesson and went there with an empty stomach! Be prepared to squeeze your way through the crowd as it is a very popular spot! (Strollers are not advisable in the night market!)

We settled our dinner by munching our way through the various stalls! You simply cannot resist the temptation to try out some of the local food. Just the thought of it now still makes me drool.... The roasted duck and meat is not to be missed! Our favourite and a MUST-eat whenever we are there!

Fried carrot cake - eating it while it's still hot! You will probably guess which stall sells tastier carrot cake by looking at the number of people waiting for their food. :)

Another one of our favourite! Dou Hua (豆花) in brown sugar! Smooth, sweet and cheap!

We tried the Hong Kong Salt Baked Chicken but I didn't find it to my liking as it was too salty. :)

Freshly baked buns and assorted kuehs. The children's favourite!

Our desserts for the day - Yummy, delicious cakes!

Apart from the local delicacies, you can find clothing, toys, watches, utensils, shoes and live fishes. It looks like a combination of wet market and hawkers all gathering together along this street.

You can easily spend hours at this pasar malam to have a feel of the local culture and try out all kinds of food at a very economical price. It is a very interesting sight to see, especially the mobile vendors setting up their stalls just outside other people's home and none seems to be complaining. ^_^

Currently, the night market operates every Monday (near KSL City Mall). If you are touring or shopping around the area, it will be a great idea to drop by to feel the heat and taste the food!

~ Pre-CNY prayers in Nanting Temple ~

2012-01-14T01:00:00.000+08:00

Date: 26th December 2011

It's that time of the year again where we will make our yearly trip to 南亭寺 (Muar) to return our prayers. Waking up early on Boxing day, we engaged a van and drive-in to Malaysia. I always look forward to having my breakfast there as it is economical and good! A big bowl of wanton mee only cost RM4.50. Slurp!

After a heavy breakfast, it was followed by a 2 hours power nap in the van before we reached the temple. We still remembered our first trip there where we lost our way as it was situated in a rather remote area.

We were welcomed by the little dogs. :)

The surroundings of the temple looks pretty much the same, but I notice a new, small pavilion at the side yard. It seems to be neater and cleaner compared to our previous visits.

Two stone sculptures stationed at the front of the temple.

After our prayers, we would buy some assorted goodies back. Surprisingly, they are also selling yummy, delicious spicy otahs! Thumbs up!

Nanting temple is situated near a river and it was the first time the tide was high when we arrived. We can see little fishes swimming and boats anchoring at the side of the river bank. It was a windy day and one could just sit by the side and spend a quiet afternoon, away from the city buzz.

The driver directed us to Yong Sheng Confectionery 荣成礼坊 after our prayers. We went to the other outlets before but this is the first time we patronise it's head office.

Address: Lot. 1965, Batu 3 ½, Mukim Jalan Bakri, 84000 Muar, Johor, Malaysia.

Yong Sheng banquet hall is located on the second level where many weddings are held. It's store and shop is located at level one. The shop space is pretty big and spacious, with many samples to try and taste. We purchased some of our CNY goodies here before leaving for our lunch.

It was a hot afternoon and we were glad that the van was hired to spare Hubby from the torture of driving all the way back to Johor Bahru. ^_^

~ 112 Katong in Penarakan Style ~

2012-01-12T22:20:00.001+08:00

Last weekend, we ventured into another new shopping mall in the Eastern suburb of Singapore - 112 Katong (formerly known as Katong Mall). The name was emerged from its strategic address, 112 East Coast Road. Somehow, I got confused with the logo as it looks like "I12" (aka I want to) instead.

The revamped six-storeys shopping mall has two basement levels (car park) and a rooftop landscaped garden with wet playground on Level 4. It seems like a trend/attraction to have a wet play area within the shopping malls. Probably to attract more families with children. Unfortunately, we didn't knew about the playground and missed out the fun. :(

If you keep a good lookout, you may noticed the Peranakan-inspired motifs within the shopping mall. Golden Village has a Penarakan-themed multiplex with 8 cinema halls, 2 Gold Class halls and a Gold Class lounge which we tried to take a peek.

There are many more retail shops withing 112 Katong, adding a new trend of lifestyle and bringing customers back for an enjoyable shopping experience in the neighborhood.

~ CNY 2012 - Official Light-Up and Opening Ceremony ~

2012-01-02T22:45:00.000+08:00

As we bid farewell to Christmas and 2011, Chinese New Year is only 3 weeks away! Shopping malls and stalls are busy disassembling their Christmas decorations and putting up new ones to welcome the Year of the Water Dragon.

With less than a month time, 1st January 2012 was the official opening ceremony and light up for the Chinese New Year celebrations in Chinatown. This year, the theme is "A Bountiful Year of the Dragon” (龙腾大地春万家庆丰年). Together with my inlaws and bbil's family, we took the MRT down to be part of this festive event.

As expected, the opening ceremony drew a huge crowd with road closures at Eu Tong Seng street and New Bridge road for stage and street performances. Most of the crowd gathered near Lucky Chinatown as this was where the central stage and firecrackers were located.

Buildings and the streets of Chinatown are also being beautifully decorated around the dragon theme. The main attraction would be the 108-metre-long three-dimensional dragon overlooking the entrance of Chinatown. The head of the dragon is at the traffic junction of Eu Tong Sen Street and New Bridge Road with its body flowing along the divider of the roads. This is designed by the students from the Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD).

Dragon is an auspicious symbol representing power and success which is very well-like by the Chinese wishing for a prosperous year.

The opening ceremony was graced by Guest of Honour, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong as he initiates the light up ceremony with the big bang of firecrackers!

Too bad we were stationed at the other end of the road and could not get a view of the firecrackers.

Streets of Chinatown is officially lighted! It's Beautiful and Charming! CNY festive mood has already started with over 500 street stalls selling assorted CNY decorative items, traditional goodies, potted flowers and clothings!

We joined in the crowd, squeezing ourselves through the busy streets and moving inches with each little step. It's hard to get a breather, let alone having a good look at what the stalls are selling. But it is here where you get a good feel of the festive season, where stage shows, celebrations and most stalls are located to represent and signify the importance of Chinese New Year and how it is being celebrated.

It is a SEA of RED but I'm enjoying evey bit of it as this is my favourite festival of all. ^_^

~ Hello 2012! Last Countdown Party @ Harmony Square ~

2012-01-01T01:17:00.004+08:00

HAPPY NEW YEAR!! It's 2012 and we had a great 2011! As per previous years, we went down to Harmony Square for the countdown party! Mark Lee and Lim Ru Ping were here to host the event with Taufik, Hardy, Hui Ge and many others as the performing artists.

There are free popcorn, candy floss and packets of peanuts. Not to forget the stalls selling drinks, games, balloons and other assorted items.

Our MP, Michael Palmer was the guest-of-honour for tonight and I am sad to learn that this would be our last countdown party @ Harmony Square as the space will be use for other future developments. :( There have been numerous parties and events being held at the hardcourt (National Day, Movie under the star, Countdown parties) which brought so much fun for the Punggol East community living nearby. It is definitely a loss for us. Nevertheless, we look forward on the future happenings in the area.

While there are wishing spheres at Marina Bay, we have wishing lanterns at Punggol East! ^_^ A couple of 'fire' lanterns went up the sky filled with wishes written for the New Year!

The children joined me in the countdown for 2012. Denver assisted me with the video of the fireworks while I attempt to take some photos of the fireworks.

10 .. 9 .. 8 .. 7 .. 6 .. 5 .. 4 .. 3 .. 2 .. 1 .. - HAPPY NEW YEAR!

(Video taken by Denver - his first attempt)

Fireworks is always the main highlight of the countdown party and we are glad to witness and be part of the final fireworks display at Harmony Square which lasted for 5 minutes.

Farewell 2011 ..... Hello 2012!!

~ Countdown to 2012 @ Marina Bay ~

2011-12-26T22:32:00.004+08:00

COUNTDOWN TO 2012 with MARINA BAY!

5 more days to New Year! Are you excited? Well, we definitely are! 2011 has been a very eventful year for us so far and we are looking forward to more adventures to broaden our horizon! As we welcome 2012, there are many countdown parties around Singapore. The biggest and most happening countdown would be at Marina Bay on 31st December 2011!

We have penned our wishes on the Wishing Spheres and these signed spheres will be set afloat in Marina Bay and form a spectacular visual arts display during the countdown!

On New Year's eve, there will be many activities around Marina Bay. Check these out!

Event: Esplanade Presents: Celebrate December
Venue: Esplanade Concourse/Outdoor Theatre
Date: 16 Dec - 31 Dec 2011 (Free admission)

Event: Happy 3+65 New Year's Eve Countdown Show
Venue: The Promontory @ Marina Bay
Date: 31 Dec 2011, 6:30pm - 8:30pm (Free admission)

Event: Rhythms by the Bay (FM Pop Music School)
Venue: The Promontory @ Marina Bay
Date: 31 Dec 2011, 9:30pm - 12:00am (Free admission)

Event: Downtown Bites (Marina Bay Link Mall)
Venue: Marina Bay Waterfront Promenade
Date: 31 Dec 2011, 5:00pm - 2:00am (Free admission)

Event: Celebrate 2012 with Channel 5
Venue: The Float@Marina Bay
Date: 31 Dec 2011, 8:00pm - 3:00am (Tickets at $25)

All events will be happening around the bay, not forgetting the fireworks display! Partying is going to stretch through past midnight and it will be a blast!

Visit the official website for more information: http://www.marinabaycountdown.sg/#/activities

If you are penning your wishes or coming down to the countdown party, remember to snap pictures which captures "Special Moments" to participate in the Marina Bay Singapore Countdown Photography Contest. Everyone is welcome to participate even if you are not a pro. ^_^

Here's wishing everyone a HAPPY NEW YEAR!

~ Guided Tour on Logos Hope ~

2011-12-25T23:35:00.000+08:00

Since we have never been on a cruise before, we thought it is not a bad idea to take up the 45 minutes tour on LOGOS HOPE. Each guided tour will take 10 people at a specific time. Hence it is best to approach the staff on board to book your tour first before you move to look at the book fair which is open to public.

We assemble at the waiting area 5 minutes before the start of our tour. Our guide is a volunteer on board and the all volunteer crew and staff of 400 people from over 45 countries worldwide, working in various roles acting as teachers, cooks, event planners etc. They normally join the organisation to live on board for two years.

LOGOS HOPE (The word Logos is Greek, traditionally meaning ‘word, thought, principle or speech’) was originally used as a car ferry in the North Alantic Ocean and has been repurposed to serve port communities around the world. The ship's purpose is to bring knowledge, help, and hope to each port she visits.

We had a look at the 'mock-up' version of the crew's cabin and beds. That would be their resting space while sailing on the seas. Next, we were brought to the staff cafeteria where the crew have their meals. Sometimes, they also schedule to gather here for short meetings.

LOGOS HOPE's captain, Dirk Colenbrander was away for vacation when we were on board. We were briefed by the guide that at the age of eight, Dirk's dream was to be a deck officer as well as serve God. He did not feel this was possible at that time until he learns about the logos.

The main highlight of the guide was visiting the deck and the ship's bridge (room or platform from which the ship is commanded)! Too bad is was raining heavily and we could not stay on the deck to take better photos of the life boats.

Here is the ship's bridge! Captain is away but we got a good glimpse of the equipments. There are log books and captain's cap on the table!

The meters and buttons looked sophiscated to us. Gladys noticed a glass panel on the ground looking through the sea waters. The guide told us that this is used as a guide when they are docking.

Denver & Gladys put on the Captain's hat and they look really cool! Ah Hoy! Captain!

View from the ship's bridge door. :)

More tour around the various deck. With 400 crew on board, there is also a school for the children. We also learned about the ship's mission and brief history of the other 3 ships.

Logos Hope is currently looking for donations for its generators and to keep the ship afloat and the book fair running. - http://www.omships.org/powerup.

Our last stop for the tour was the ship's theatre where many events and performances were held. It is amazing to see how this space was transformed from a car ferry holding area to what it is today!

Before leaving LOGOS HOPE, Denver wrote a short message on the Captain's logbook. It has been an eye opener for our family and we learned a lot.

LOGOS HOPE will be departing Singapore and it's next stop will be Cebu, Philippines. Do pop by to Vivo City to have a look before it set sail to other countries!

~ On board with Logos Hope ~

2011-12-24T00:45:00.001+08:00

Last Monday, we hopped on board Logos Hope which is owned and operated by GBA (Good Books for All) Ships, a Germany-based not-for-profit organisation. This is the first time Logos Hope makes it's virgin visit to Singapore along with the world's largest floating book fair (cargo of over half a million books!).

It was a wet and rainy afternoon as we slowly made our way up the slippery 'stairs', grabbing tightly onto the metal railings to get on board.

There are photos of the ship's history as well as mock-up navigation machine for the children to have some hands-on experience.

Visitors can start by watching a short video introducing and understanding the life of the crew on board followed by a short briefing of the points to note if you are purchasing books from the book fair.

The crew on board are very friendly and approachable, accomodating to the visitors' request for photo-taking every now and then.

As the ship travels to different countries, all books are priced in units. By doing so, the price tag on the books do not have to be re-tagged. (E.g. 100 units is equivalent to SGD $4).
Logos Hope has a good collection of books with over 5000 titles allowing visitors to look through before deciding on their purchases.

There is also an International Cafe, selling snacks, drinks as well as ice-cream!

At the back of the cafe is a little play corner for the children.

Admission to Logos Hope is FREE! It has berthed at The Promenade, Vivo City and will be here from 17 - 29 December 2011

Opening Hours:
Tuesday - Saturday: 10am - 1pm
Sunday & Monday: 3pm - 10pm

Different opening hours during Christmas:

24 Dec (Saturday): 10am - 3pm
Closed on Christmas Day (25th December)

26 Dec (Monday): 10am - 10pm

Visitors who like to learn and see more about the ship can take up a guided tour. $10 per adult and $5 per child (6-11 years). Free for children 5 years and below. (Note: no pre-booking of tours and it is strictly on first-come-first-served basis).

We signed up for the tour and will be covering this in Part 2. :)

~ Trees of the Word - Singapore Botanic Gardens ~

2011-12-18T16:33:00.000+08:00

Only 1 week to Christmas! Apart from the ChariTrees at Marina Bay, enchanting christmas lightings and beautifully decorated Christmas trees along Orchard road, you may also notice the Trees of the World at Singapore Botanic Garden.

Hundreds of tropical trees were individually decorated with special ornaments (hand-made/recycled) that represents its organisation or community. Although these are not Christmas trees, the decos and lights gives it a Christmas cheer. Especially as the night falls, the garden is transformed into a magical tropical wonderland as you take on a leisure stroll and admire these trees along the path.

Each tree stands out on its own and you'll notice the interesting ornaments like orchids, plastic bottles, gingerbread man hanging on them.

The 300 trees used for this festivity will be replanted after the event which ends on 1st Jan 2012. We also voted for our favourite tree in hope to stand a chance to win tickets to the Singapore Garden Festival 2012! :)

Come celebrate Christmas at the Singapore Botanic Garden :)

~ National Orchid Garden - Open House - Part 2 ~

2011-12-15T23:59:00.000+08:00

There's a lot to see at the National Orchid Garden if you slow down your pace, and take your time to look at the variety of orchids within. We too took an hour to walk leisurely around the three-hectare garden.

Squirrels and orchids are spotted within and around the Golden Cage display. Hubby, Denver and Gladys did a lovely pose signifying freedom outside the cage. Hahaha

We walked to the Burkill Hill (a colonial plantation bungalow built in 1886) but did not manage to see our National Flower - Vanda Miss Joaquim. Awwwww.. :( Nevertheless, we learnt a brief history of the first orchid hybrid. :)

More orchids can be found at the Hertiage Orchid Display which was blooming beautifully. We took a turn and settle in at Tan Hoon Siang Misthouse. Tan Hoon Siang was a descendant of Tan Tock Seng and the misthouse has a colourful selection of orchid hybrids.

Lady Yuen-Peng McNeice Bromeliad Collection - As the name suggested, Bromeliad House showcases unique collection of bromeliads from the Bromeliaceae family.

The Cool House - our favourite place to be in the NOG! Why? It was so cooling upon stepping into the house. Denver & Gladys cheered and shouted as they feel the mist! Even I cannot resist enjoying the cooling air to vent off the heat.

Misty inside the house. :)

Gladys had so much fun wandering within the Cool House and playing with the mist. So much so that she refused to exit until after much persuasion!

Celebritey Garden - Before leaving, we stopped by the Celebrity Garden where some orchids are named after a celebrity. (e.g. Stefanie Sun, Bae Young Jun, Princess Diana etc.)

Finally, its Mommy's turn to take pictures with the kiddos. :)

Stylish and happy pose!

NOG is a pretty neat place if you enjoy greenery and flowers. It brightens your day by just looking at them. ^_^ If you are visiting Singapore Botanic Gardens, you may wish to drop by the National Orchid Garden. :)

~ National Orchid Garden - Open House - Part 1 ~

2011-12-13T22:58:00.002+08:00

On our trail for the elephants in the Elephant Parade, we took an extra effort to visit various parts of Singapore. This time, we made our way down to the Singapore Botanic Gardens in search for another 2 elephants to add to our collection.

Coincidentally, there was an open house at the National Orchid Garden and free admission for adults bringing their children! It was our first visit to the garden and we were blessed with a lovely, sunny Sunday morning. A perfect day to stroll around the park after a couple of wet downpours over the couple of weeks!

Located in the central core of the Botanic Gardens, National Orchid Garden houses over 1000 species and 2,000 hybrids of orchids.

Opening hours
8.30am - 7.00pm daily

Admission Fee:

$5.00 for adults

$1.00 for students

$1.00 for senior citizens (60 years and above)

Free for children below 12 years

Visit NOG webpage for more information: http://www.sbg.org.sg/centralcore/centralcore.asp

There are a lot of scenic spots for photography within NOG. Water fountains, orchids, sculptures, trees and various plants. Denver & Gladys are having a good time and I have been snapping pictures all over the place with my beloved family. ^_^

Lots of greenery and colourful flowers.

Apart from bees buzzing around the orchids, we spotted squirrels, lizards and spiders!

Of course the main highlights are the orchids! Look around carefully and you will spot the various species blooming beautifully before your eyes.

Seems like we have been seeing a lot of orchid exhibits for the past 1 month and we are loving it! Not only that, we are looking forward to the Singapore Garden Festival 2012 which returns from 7 - 15 July 2012!

~ Witnessing the Lunar Eclipse ~

2011-12-11T23:59:00.004+08:00

10 Dec 2011 - It was a rare phenomenon. A natural and fascinating astronomical event that nobody should miss! To have a total lunar eclipse (when the moon passes through the earth's shadow) to happen in Singapore's evening time is extremely rare! Did you saw a 'reddish' moon?

We are extremely excited to be part of the astronomy watching on Saturday at One Fullerton where there are telescopes being setup. Special thanks to the SingAstro volunteers (a local astronomical community) who assisted to guide the public and our kiddos during the viewing session. Apart from being able to see the magnified view of the moon during the eclipse, we also had the opportunity to see the planet, Jupiter and the moons of Jupiter! Awesome!

It was our first time looking through the telescope with such detailed view of this rare celestial event! Excitement is written all over our faces!

Thanks to URA, not only do we have the opportunity to witness the total lunar eclipse, Denver & Gladys found company with Andy's kids and transformed One Fullerton's rooftop as their play area! Just be careful!! Do not damage or trip over the delicate and expensive equipments!

The cameras and equipments looked sophisticated to me. (*shy) Everyone seems to know what to do while I am struggling with my settings. :p Big Thanks to Darren who guided me with the manual settings on my camera. (Gosh.. mommy needs more lessons and practice!)

Was extremely HAPPY to be able to take a shot at the moon! So far up in the sky yet so close to us on the screen.

Here's the guideline of the Eclipse sequence (Singapore Time) - abstracted from The Astronomical Society of Singapore.

7.31 pm - Start of Penumbra Eclipse.

8.45 pm - Start of Umbra Partial Phase.

10.05 pm - Start of Total Eclipse.

10.31 pm - Maximum Eclipse.

10.57 pm - End of Total Eclipse.

12.18 am - End of Umbra Partial Eclipse.

1.31 am - End of Penumbra Eclipse.

We stayed through from 7 plus till 10 plus in the night and witness the start of the eclipse till it hit the maximum eclipse.

Sequence of shots taken with LUMIX FZ40 - ISO 100, F8, 1/125 (varies).

Couldn't get a clear shot of the red moon at total lunar eclipse but it has been a wonderful learning experience plus we get to know more people!

Special thanks to Darren Chin who took this nice group photo for the celestial event @ One Fullerton's rooftop! I'm sure everyone had a great time together sharing tips, photos and enjoying the view of the lunar eclipse!

Note: If you have missed the event, the next lunar eclipse will only be visible in Singapore in 2014! Till we meet again!

~ Christmas Moments with Looney Tunes ~

2011-12-09T23:55:00.003+08:00

Yeah! Another Christmas musical not to be missed this December Holidays! From 10 - 22 Dec 2011, Bugs, Tweety and Sylvester will be having a blast of FUN with you at Tropics Atrium (level 1) at Suntec City Mall!

SHOW TIME

Tue to Thurs - 1pm & 7pm

Fri to Sun - 1pm, 4pm & 7pm

(No shows on Monday)

Thanks to Juliana, we are happy and delighted to be invited to the opening of the Looney Tunes Christmas Musical! A wishing sphere is spotted at the entrance and our kiddos wrote their wishes down for the third time (and counting)! - We have penned our wishes at Marina Bay, Orchard Road and Suntec City to date! Check out our experience here : http://bpdgtravels.blogspot.com/2011/12/penning-our-wishes-for-new-year.html

Denver & Gladys - happily waiting for their favourite characters to make their entrance in while munching on the yummy popcorn.

Here comes the Looney Tunes!! Can you guess who are the kiddos' favourite? Read on... :)

"I tawt I taw a puddy tat!" ..... "I did! I did!" ---- Say "Hi" to Slyvester and Tweety too!

The children are very familiar with Looney Tunes since they have been watching this cartoon on TV/CD numerous times repeatedly. The entire musical is filled with songs and dances to bring in the Christmas cheer!

It wouldn't be complete without hearing Christmas songs - brought to you by the Looney Tunes!

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!

The musical ended with a confetti BLAST and children swamp to grab the ribbons!

Did you guess who are Denver and Gladys' favourite character? It's pretty obvious just looking at whom they are standing with! I hope Sylvester didn't mind nor feel too lonely. ^_^

Christmas is around the corner and we wish everyone a MERRY CHRISTMAS & HAPPY NEW YEAR in advance. :)

~ Celebrating Christmas with Mr Moon & Friends ~

2011-12-07T21:26:00.002+08:00

During December holidays, shopping malls are packed with shows and meet & greet sessions. This year, our curious, adventure-loving Mr. Moon and his celestial friends have rocket down to Singapore for Christmas! (*I spotted a plush toy of Mr Moon which is SOOOOO CUTE! A great Christmas present! ^_^)

Mr Moon is a delighted tale of Mr Moon and his friends’ adventures in the wondrous galaxy, created by British author, Kate Veale. All the characters are so lovable and cute, no wonder Gladys is so keen to see Mr Moon LIVE!

There was a queue forming an hour before the show! (7pm). Luckily we arrived early and joined in the line.

Thankfully, there is a TV screening short clips of Mr Moon that helps to make the half an hour waiting bearable for the kiddos. ^_^ The show started with a game and activity involving the children doing various kinds of actions. They jumped, screamed and cheered for Mr Moon's appearance.

After much anticipation, we welcomed Mr Moon and his friends! Aren't they adorable?

There are songs, dances, video clips and also bubble flakes! A very entertaining show for the entire family to catch this Christmas season.

Denver & Gladys took a nice photo with Mr Moon & Friends! Obviously, Gladys' favourite character is Mr Moon himself! (Mommy prefers Sunny though. hehehe)

If you like to catch Mr Moon & his friends (who will be visiting Frasers Centerpoint Malls), check out the following website for the showtime and it's location. - http://www.fraserscentrepointmalls.com/promo/Galactic_Christmas/

Have a Galactic Christmas!

~ Penning our Wishes for the New Year! ~

2011-12-05T22:58:00.000+08:00

The Wishing Spheres are floating on the Marina Bay Waterfront once again! Last year, we wrote our wishes down along Marina Bay. Read our story here: http://bpdgtravels.blogspot.com/2010/12/marina-bay-singapore-countdown-20102011.html

This year, Denver and Gladys knew exactly what the little white balls are, that are floating around the waterfront and are extremely eager to write their wishes down! In fact, everyone is invited to pen their wishes and hope for the New Year and we'll be seeing these 20,000-signed floating spheres, bearing the wishes of Singaporeans and visitors, lighting up the bay during Marina Bay Countdown 2012 - the Bay of Hope & Light coming Dec 31st!

BPDGTravels penned our wishes down at Marina Bay City Gallery.

The plastic, non-biodegradable spheres came in 3 different sizes - Large, Medium and Small. Its interesting to see what are on our kiddos wish list for the New Year. Denver wishes everyone a Merry Christmas and Singapore to be a cleaner and greener city. Wooo.. Our little princess on the other hand hopes to be a dancer! Maybe we should consider signing her up for dance classes next year! ^_^

If you are interested to write your wishes down on the spheres for the New Year, look out for the 24 wishing stations that are located island-wide! Including shopping malls, libraries, Singapore Visitors Centre, The URA Centre, Marina Bay City Gallery etc.

http://www.marinabaycountdown.sg/#/location

We spotted volunteers, wearing orange cap along Orchard Road, pro-actively initiating more people to join in and express their wishes. Denver & Gladys penned down for the 2nd time sending more season greetings and hope to everyone! Kudos to the volunteers who have been so kind and patient, holding on to the little spheres for our kiddos under the hot sun!

I'm sure we will be seeing more of these spheres around the neighbourhood, so do keep a look out for them and be part of the spectacular Countdown for 2012 at Marina Bay! We may not be physically at the Bay for the countdown event, but the wishing spheres filled with our little wishes will be floating there in our place. ^_^ Looking forward to a New Year!

~ Christmas ChariTrees @ Marina Bay ~

2011-12-03T15:31:00.002+08:00

December is here! My favourite month of the year as it is the school holidays and filled with festive cheer! Christmas trees and lightings are up and we are singing our all-time favourite cheery Christmas songs.

To add on to the festive season, twenty 10-feet tall Norfolk Pine trees have been placed along Marina Bay Waterfront Promenade. Each sponsored "ChariTrees" are fitted with LED lights and decorated with Christmas ornaments by various organisations who have adopted them and pledged to help the less fortunate, raising funds for 300,000 beneficiaries of the Community Chest.

We may not have snow in Singapore, but with the majestic Singapore skyline as the backdrop, the Christmas ChariTrees lightened and brightened up the Waterfront magically.

The ChariTrees (jointly brought in by the Community Chest and the Urban Redevelopment Authority) is on display and lighted from now till 1st Jan 2012. We brought the kids along to have a stroll along the waterfront while taking pictures and enjoying the scenary. Not forgetting going on another round of "Elephant Hunting" for the Elephant Parade event. ^_^

Apart from admiring the unique decos on each Christmas tree, you can also vote for your favorite ChariTree and stand a chance to win a Christmas ride for 2 where you and your partner will go on a tour bus ride to see the beautiful lighting and decorations around Marina Bay!

Voting period: Now on till Sun 11 Dec

https://www.facebook.com/marinabaysg?sk=app_6009294086
Venue: Marina Bay Waterfront Promenade (near Mist Walk/Marina Bay Sands)

It's a season of Love, Giving and Sharing around Marina Bay and we are already soaking into the Holiday Season!

~ Woodlands Waterfront ~

2011-12-01T23:47:00.001+08:00

Woodlands Waterfront - another park and playground that we would like to explore with our kiddos soon.

Located in the northern side of Singapore with a 1.5km long waterfront promenade, refurbished jetty and a park, we can jog, cycle, fish and participate in all kinds of recreational activities. Woodlands Waterfront is also linked to Admiralty Park and 25km Northern Explorer Park Connector Network. Check out the NParks Website.

There are a lot of ropes in the Children's playground making it challenging and exciting for those who are adventurous and loves to climb. For the younger kiddos, you are not forgotten. There is a also a mini play area just for you.

Taking a stroll along the Jetty offers a great view of Johor Bahru skyline!

Would love to bring our kiddos to explore the park again and maybe have a look at the skyline in the night. :)

~ Elephant Parade Photo on MyPaper ~

2011-11-28T21:55:00.002+08:00

It was nice to see Denver & Gladys appeared on MyPaper (我报) today. We took this photo at the Singapore Zoo in conjunction with the Elephant Parade. Our kiddos did a ferocious tiger pose with the White-Tiger-Elephant. *Cute! ^_^

Check out our facebook album for more cute photos taken with the Elephants!