Charles' Trail

Jayden got a place in MSHS!

noreply@blogger.com (charlesk) — Wed, 08 Aug 2012 14:28:00 +0000

Yesterday afternoon, Aileen and I left Maris Stella High School with great joy and relief that Jayden had managed to secure a place in the school after a nerve-racking Phase 2C balloting ordeal. As I recollect the months leading to the primary one registration period and balloting, my heart is filled with thankfulness to God for hearing our prayers and providing for Jayden. Being ineligible for the earlier 4 phases (for those who are not aware - Phase 1, 2A1, 2A2 and 2B based on some forms of affiliation), we decided to put our faith in God to provide for Jayden. Though anxiety and disbelief sought to overtake us especially during the week leading to the balloting day, God helped to overcome it by giving us His inner peace as we meditate upon His words. We knew we could trust God to provide what's best for our boy (even if we missed out on the balloting and needed to look for another school).

Looking ahead, we are trusting God to bless Joann (now in primary two) and Jayden with wisdom and ability to cope well with their studies.

Celebrating Jayden's 6th Birthday!

noreply@blogger.com (charlesk) — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 15:29:00 +0000

Our boy has just turned 6 this year! The theme for this year's celebration is 'Angry Birds'.

We bought a chocolate cake with simple design and topped it up with 'Angry Birds' collectibles. Jayden absolutely loves it as he gets to keep the toys.

Celebrating with his cousins

Birthday cake from Polar Cake Shop for the 2nd celebration at my parents' place

Thank you for the present, Shu Shu and Shen Shen!

Elephant Parade in Singapore Zoo

noreply@blogger.com (charlesk) — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 15:00:00 +0000

The zoo is one of my family's favorite hangouts. We visited the zoo at least once every two months and there were always some new highlights awaiting our discovery.

This morning, we were greeted by colorfully decorated elephant statues that provided additional charm to this wildlife reserve. The statues were part of The Elephant Parade which is the world's largest open air art exhibition of decorated elephant statues. The organisers seek to attract public awareness and support for Asian elephant conservation. The elephant statues are currently on display in Singapore, along with cities like Milan and Copenhagen.

Disappointed to see some signs of vandalism on an elephant statue

Besides looking for the elephant statues, we had our usual fun, roaming the reserve. The children were always excited to check out their favorite animals.

Jayden, equipped with his map and camera, kick-started the day with a visit to the Malayan Tapirs

The Malayan Tapirs

Sleepy white tigers

Big shoes to fit

Wow! a kangaroo can leap 13m high!

Bats!!!

Some Parenting Tips

noreply@blogger.com (charlesk) — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 15:21:00 +0000

Attended some parenting talks organised by PLMGS (Primary) during Joann's first week in Primary 1. I found the talks helpful and wish to share some key take-aways from the sessions:

Good Manners

Teaching good manners is a fundamental aspect of parenting as it's every parent's wish for their children to be well-liked by people. However as parents, we must remember that good manners start with parents as our children watch our behaviours and actions.

Another good point to note, is that we should also learn to praise our children whenever a positive behavior is displayed, rather than overly focusing on correcting their negative behaviors. Let's cultivate good manners in our children by adopting a balanced approach.

Cultivating a Habit of Reading

The speaker stressed on the importance of cultivating the love for reading in young children. Besides the advantage of gaining knowledge from reading, a reading habit creates the opportunities for parents to bond with the children, stretch their imaginations and train their concentration. Here are some tips to make reading more interesting and captivating for the young minds:

(a) Start with a storybook with a topic that interests your child. For Joann, we started with her favorite princess stories. For Jayden, we started off with books on race cars.

(b) Start by talking about the pictures in the storybook, to draw the child's attention. This is why storybooks for children, always come with colorful pictures. Then, read the storybook as well as point to the words so that your child will gradually learn to identify the text.

(c) When reading the storybook to your child, parent should vary his/her voice, preferrably in accordance with the story characters, to make it more interesting.

(d) After reading the book, you can discuss about the story with your child i.e. talk about his favorite character, the most exciting part, etc

(e) Keep the story reading time short and regular. A reading routine like reading before bed-time daily, will go a long way to cultivate a habit in your child. Choose a routine that best fits you and your children.

(f) Remove distractions such as TV, computer games, radio, etc operating in the background, during reading time.

Welcoming CNY 2011!

noreply@blogger.com (charlesk) — Tue, 01 Feb 2011 15:52:00 +0000

One more day to CNY! My family is ready to welcome the Lunar New Year! In keeping with the tradition, the family spent some days clearing up our house, getting the new clothes (especially for the children), buying CNY goodies (Bak Kwa and Pineapple Tarts are my favorite!) and decorating the house to give it a festive boost! And of course, not forgetting the important Ang Pows! (a MUST bring item when you leave the house during this festive season especially if you are married)

It's our family tradition to have a set of new bed sheet for everyone. Love the splash of red colors of our new bed sheet!

Princessy bed sheet for Joann!

You guessed it right! Race car prints for Jayden's bed sheet! He simply loves it!


A CNY art piece by Jayden!

This set of cute CNY lions has been on display since X years!

Really looking forward to catch up with my loved ones and relatives during this festive season. A good opportunity to take a break from our busy work and spend time building bonds with our loved ones and friends. As the years go by, I learnt not to take things for granted and treasure the relationships I have with the people I know. Every moment is a moment to cherish.

Have a very blessed CNY and

a great time with your loved ones!

An Assignment for the Tooth Fairy

noreply@blogger.com (charlesk) — Wed, 12 Jan 2011 15:59:00 +0000

Joann dropped her first milk tooth today! The front tooth has been a little bit shaky over the last few weeks and she seemed worried at times. Her tooth finally dropped this morning and she was very excited when we fetched her this evening. Another milestone in her growing up journey :-)

Just for info, the milk teeth is also known as the deciduous teeth, baby teeth or temporary teeth. These are the first set of teeth in the growth development of humans. The milk teeth are usually lost as early as 5 years old and replaced by permanent teeth thereafter.

I read some interesting articles on tooth traditions around the world:

In North America such as United States and Canada, children will place their tooth under their pillow and the tooth fairy will take their tooth, replacing with money. This tradition is probably the one that we are most familiar with.

In France, Spain and Latin America, it's a little mouse that will replace the tooth with money.

In Central America, the tooth will be gold-plated and make into an earring for the child to wear. Quite a good idea for keeping the tooth as a memento.

In Mongolia, the baby tooth is given to a young dog. The dog is treated like some sort of a guardian angel there. The tooth is mixed with the food given to a dog. It is believed that when the guardian angel eats the tooth, the child will get new strong tooth.

Sounds very interesting, right? Guess these are some of the many ways that parents soothe the hearts of the little ones who lost something personal :-)

As for Joann, she sealed her milk tooth in a little bag, as a memento for herself :-)

Making Orange Butter Cake @ Bakerzin Kids

noreply@blogger.com (charlesk) — Sun, 09 Jan 2011 15:37:00 +0000

Heard some good reviews on the baking workshops at Bakerzin Kids and decided to sign up the children for the Orange Butter Cake baking session about 1 month ago. The workshops are usually in hot demand and parents have to sign up their kids about 1 month in advance (can do it online).

The baking session is held at a workshop located within the Bakerzin Outlet at UE Square (81, Clemenceau Avenue, #01-15, Singapore 239917). Each baking session lasts about 1.5 hours.

The children were excited when they arrived at the workshop as they were greeted with tables filled with colorful spread of ingredients and kitchen tools. But before they began, they had to put on their chef hat and apron as well as wash their hands (If not, there will be no takers for their cakes :-P).

As the children worked through the baking session, the Chef from Bakerzin patiently gave his instructions and ensure that the children understood the procedures. He was assisted by helpers (in green shirts) who led assistance to children who had difficulty especially if they were first timers.... like Joann and Jayden :-)

The children first, sifted the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt together in a bowl. In a separate bowl, using an electric mixer, they beat together butter with sugar and orange zest until creamy. Added the eggs, one at a time. Stirred in the vanilla extract. Next, using a spatula, they folded the flour mixture into the butter mixture and stirred in the cream until well-mixed.

Now, the children divided the batter evenly among the muffin tins.

Once ready, the batter in the muffin tins were placed in the oven for about 20 minutes (preheated to 180 Degree Celsius).

Joann and Jayden were truly enjoying the workshop! Next step, was to prepare the sugar decorations for their orange butter cakes.

The cakes were ready! Final step - decorating the cakes! The smell of baked cakes was making me hungry :-P

The cakes are ready! Any takers?

As a whole, the children enjoyed the workshop and have been asking for more since they returned home. Besides the cakes that they made, the children were also given the Bakerzin chef hat, apron, workshop graduation certificate, photographs, receipt sheet and reward cards. You can enjoy a $8 discount when your child brings along the issued apron and hat to the next workshop.

The remaining workshops in January 2011 are almost fully booked. I am waiting for the February schedule to be released at Bakerzin's website. If anyone interested, we could arrange for our children to participate in a workshop together?

Joann's First Day at PLMGS (Primary)

noreply@blogger.com (charlesk) — Tue, 04 Jan 2011 16:07:00 +0000

The day has finally come! Since the start of Dec 10, Aileen and I have been progressively preparing for Joann's entry into primary school - getting her school uniform, textbooks, stationary, school bag, coin pouch ready as well as preparing her psychologically for the big school (as compared to kindergarten). We can see that she is excited about her new school too!

Meanwhile for Jayden, he is entering K1 in Faithland 1, Living Sanctuary Kindergarten. He is in morning session while his older sister is in afternoon session. He is going to miss her BIG time - no one to play with him in the afternoon like before and his Jie Jie is going to be busier in school :-P

Jayden ready for school!


Joann looks so lovely in her new school uniform... hehe :-)

Look how much she has grown... Still remember the time when she was born...

Ordered this bag (with her name embroidered) from Disney.com like 2 years ago. Finally she is tall enough to carry it.

Joann, together with the other P1 pupils, was led to the main hall after arriving in school. With some free time before the talks organised by the school, I took the opportunity to walk around the school premises.

Useful talks organised by PLMGS (Pri), for parents

Anxious parents waiting for their children's canteen break at 3pm (I'm one of them).

Each P1 girl is accompanied by a P5 girl during this period of orientation. There were so many pupils in the canteen that some parents had trouble locating their children even if there were designated areas for each class. Can you spot Joann?

The best picture of Joann, I took during the canteen break (after some simple editing)... Wishing that I have better zoom len.

Joann preparing to return to classroom after canteen break.

Supportive parents in action!

As a whole, Joann enjoyed her first day in school and made some new friends (she has some friends from LSK with her in the same class too). Praying that she will have an enjoyable 6 years in PLMGS (Primary) :-)

First Zoo Trip in 2011

noreply@blogger.com (charlesk) — Sun, 02 Jan 2011 16:22:00 +0000

The weather was cloudy and cool this morning - perfect for a trip to the zoo!


The children's favourite photo-taking spot - with the iconic elephant sculptures at the zoo entrance


We renewed our "Friends of the Zoo" Family Pass while Jayden checked out the locations of his favourite animals. The membership fees is S$180 for a one-year family pass. We managed to get a 10% discount with my SAF 11B :-)

You can rent a wagon for your kids at the zoo entrance. It allows the little feets to rest and fathers can train their muscles


Something new to me! You can also rent an Adventure Scooter for a ride throughout the zoo during your visit. No need for helmet - it will be a slow ride.

Lovely morning for a visit to the zoo! Love the green!

Really looking forward to the new attractions in 2012!

Free Ranging Orang Utan Island

My lovely wife!!!

The children were excited to feed the elephants! S$5 for a basket of fruits :-)

Having a little snack before the show at the Splash Amphitheatre

Jayden thoroughly enjoyed the show!

A morning stroll at the zoo is really "tonic" for the soul

Ice-cream treat for the children!!!

With the annual pass, we will be back SOON!

Family Trip to KL, Malaysia (Part 4)

noreply@blogger.com (charlesk) — Mon, 27 Dec 2010 13:04:00 +0000

Final part of our trip in KL.

A short distance away from Mid Valley Megamall, is The Gardens. A "higher-end" sister of Mid Valley Megamall.

There is a connector linking Mid Valley Megamall to The Gardens

Joann browsing some children story books after we chanced upon Borders in the mall

Back to Berjaya Times Square, we have our tea break at Krispy Kreme and witness the donut making process. The children watch with great interest.

Donuts get "fried" at the initial stage of this big machine

Donuts undergoing the "Sugar Coating"

Soft, flavored donuts with hot tea makes a good light snack

Family Trip to KL, Malaysia (Part 3)

noreply@blogger.com (charlesk) — Thu, 23 Dec 2010 13:33:00 +0000

Our next stop - Mid Valley Megamall!


First, need to take a monorail from Imbi to KL Sentral station (4 stops)

The children enjoy the morning train

Upon alighting from KL Sentral monorail station, it is a 10 minutes walk to the KTM station

Arriving at the KTM station

Queuing up to buy the KTM tickets

From KL Sentral KTM to Mid Valley station (1 stop from platform 6)

Over 20 minutes wait

"The wait is so long!!!", Jayden cried


A shopping centre with 430 shops on five floors located near Bangsar. Anchor tenants include Carrefour, Jusco, Metrojaya.

Buying clothes for the children is a compulsory aspect of our trips to Malaysia. It's cheaper than SG!

A really big mall! Not as crowded as the ones in SG

One of my favourite ice-cream brand! First tasted it at Gold Coast, Australia. Yummy!

Jayden examining his ice-cream... As usual, he is very cautious with his food...

Family Trip to KL, Malaysia (Part 2)

noreply@blogger.com (charlesk) — Mon, 20 Dec 2010 12:22:00 +0000


Our "Superior" hotel room in Berjaya Times Square Hotel, KL (Living Room)


Living Room (Opposite view)

Bedroom. Oops! Jayden is changing :-P


Bathroom with a bathtub that the children love

An extension to the bathroom

Next Stop - KL Pavilion!

Berjaya Times Square is situated near Imbi station (monorail) and KL Pavilion is only one stop away (Bukit Bintang).

Here comes the train! The monorail can be very crowd during morning peak and after-work hours

Bukit Bintang

Waiting to cross the road to KL Pavilion which is situated about 5 minutes walking distance away.

A beautiful pavilion gracing the entrance of KL Pavilion

The X'mas decor is pretty elaborate in KL Pavilion. Great festive mood!

Lunch time!!!

Aileen's first experience @ Fish Spa!!! The children are excited but Aileen...

How does it feel? Tickish lor!

Look at the school of fish! The only way for Aileen to enjoy is not to look at the fish :-P

Jayden posing with a life-sized TRON character

Joann's turn :-) Catching a movie in KL is cheaper than SG! RM60 (SGD 25) for 4 persons (SGD 6.25)!

Family Trip to KL, Malaysia (Part 1)

noreply@blogger.com (charlesk) — Sat, 18 Dec 2010 15:21:00 +0000

This is our 2nd family trip to KL. A short trip to relax, shop and spend some quality time with the children during this holiday.

Our executive coach (about 20 seaters)

The children love the spacious coach


The iPad comes in handy as the children play games during the long journey


A big, tall X'mas tree greeted us at the entrance of Berjaya Times Square, KL

Festive mood in Berjaya Times Square

Soup in a bowl made of bread. Interesting.


Cream of Mushroom. Yummy!


The prescribed way to eat is to cut the bread into small pieces and dipped into the soup. Verdict: Soup (not bad), bread (would be better if it is crispy). Dipping all bread pieces in the soup will soak up the soup quickly. Best way is to taste the soup from the bread bowl and dip few pieces of bread when desired.

Good morning, KL! (View from our hotel room)

The children have been eyeing the pool for a "long time"

Here we go!!!

Joann's Graduation from Living Sanctuary Kindergarten

noreply@blogger.com (charlesk) — Sat, 18 Dec 2010 13:57:00 +0000

The children had their annual concert on 3 Nov 10. Joann has graduated from K2 while Jayden will be progressing to K1 next year. Seeing how the children love their school and have grown in knowledge and skills, Aileen and I are truly grateful to God for a great team of loving and dedicated teachers that impact the lives of the little ones in LSK. We are proud that the children are part of the LSK family.

The concert was a great success as all children from Pre-Nursery to K2, put in a great performance that night! All parents were beaming with pride when they fetched their children after the concert that night :-)

Joann's Graduation from K2 (2010)

Jayden Completes His Junior Music Course (JMC) Book 2!

noreply@blogger.com (charlesk) — Tue, 07 Dec 2010 14:23:00 +0000

Last Saturday, Jayden had his performance in class which signified his completion of Yamaha JMC Book 2! The Yamaha Junior Course is a 4-year comprehensive music education, designed for children to start at 4 to 5 years old. Let me give a short overview of the course.

The first 2 years is the foundation stage, called JMC which focuses primarily on building the musical ability to LISTEN, to SING, to PLAY and to ENJOY music in a group-learning environment. During these 2-years, parents' participation are required.

The 3rd and 4th year of the course is the development stage, called JXC where ensemble playing provides a child with a unique experience in music making as many parts blend together to create a beautiful piece of music. Through this process, a child can acquire the basics of music and learn to express their individuality through it. At the end of year 4, the child will sit for Yamaha Grade 9 Performance Examination and the ABRSM Grade 1 Theory Examination.

So, Jayden has just completed his 1st year in JMC. After 1 year in JMC, Jayden is now able to play simple pieces with 2 hands! I'm quite proud of his achievement, considering the fact that he struggled for a period of time during the first 6 months in JMC. During that period, he was not very motivated and was especially resistant when transiting to Book 2 where he had to learn how to play with both hands. His learning difficulty was compounded by the fact that I was not practising with him regularly. The turning point was when I decided to re-adjust my schedule and allocate 15 minutes every evening to practise with him at his keyboard. Every new habit will have its fair share of difficulty but both of us overcame the inertia and started adhering to the daily practice. Five months have passed and the daily practice has became "natural" for us. Being a coach to him at home, I have to learn about the G-clef, F-clef, Do-Re-Me-Fa-So-La-Te, Fa-Sharp-Re, etc as well as to play like him! Being able to play has also allowed me to encourage him to persevere and not give up when faced with difficult pieces as his dad is also not musically-inclined!

I have learnt to enjoy the time spent with Jayden daily at his keyboard as well as to follow him to his classes weekly. Aileen has always encouraged me that these are great father-and-son bonding time and I agreed with her totally! Now, I can't imagine the day when Jayden will progress to JXC in 3rd year where I can't join him in his class anymore. As for now, I just want to enjoy the journey with him together.

As I conclude, here are the 2 songs that Jayden played last Saturday. Enjoy!

Clocked Another Run!

noreply@blogger.com (charlesk) — Mon, 06 Dec 2010 15:14:00 +0000

Feel great to clock another run @ the SCMS 2010 on last Sunday! Quite motivated to try the half-marathon next year - It will be quite a milestone for me as I have never run more than 10 km in a single attempt yet. Hope to have company next year :-)

Adding Fuel to Fire

noreply@blogger.com (charlesk) — Sat, 27 Nov 2010 07:23:00 +0000

Jayden giving his 2 cents worth after my wife, Aileen reprimanded his sister, Joann :-)

Parenting Journey - Serving as a Role Model

noreply@blogger.com (charlesk) — Sun, 31 Oct 2010 15:47:00 +0000

A phrase from a book by John Bevere, “Extraordinary” caught my attention and gave some food for thought concerning parenting.

“The parents tell their children to do things they themselves don’t do, or they tell them to not do things they do. Many parents tell their children not to fight; yet they regularly fight before them. Then the parents wonder why their children fight."

This phrase caught my attention as it reminded me of the principle, “Do to others as you would have them do to you” (Luke 6:31). I am reminded of the occasions where I raised my voice or spoke harshly to my children when they were disobedient. These are the emotional moments that I thought I could have done better. I am reminded that our children pick up the habits and manners from us, parents. Hence, the way we relate to our children emotionally and intellectually is especially crucial during their formative years. We are setting the examples for them.

To do these consistently is never easy especially when you could be emotionally drained after a long day at work. Thus, I want to constantly remind myself that I need to:

(1) ensure reserve in my emotion bank daily when I return home

(2) know that my children will make mistakes and need my guidance regularly, just like you and I even when we are adults

(3) know that frustration will breed more frustrations while patience and love serve as the platform for positive growth in my children

For me, parenting is not just a journey of knowing my children and molding their characters, it is also a precious journey filled with self-discovery for me – a deeper awareness of my strengths and weaknesses. I have certainly learnt a lot about myself since I became a parent. Besides my children, I am sure that God is also molding me through this journey.

Durian Buffet @ 231 East Coast Road

noreply@blogger.com (charlesk) — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 16:18:00 +0000

My colleagues and I have been planning for a durian trip for some weeks. In the end, we decided to abandon the idea of making a trip to Malaysia and try out this durian buffet deal ($25 per pax) at East Coast Road, which was given a good review from one of our friends recently.

This durian buffet deal is offered by a make-shift stall located at 231 East Coast Road (near Ampang Niang Tou Fu)

View Larger Map

Eight of us sat comfortably with tables and chairs, by the roadside and were served with a variety of durians, one kind at a time; ranging from D11, D15, Hong Xia (meaning "red prawn"), XO, Mao Shan Wang ("Cat Mountain King"), etc. Although I was told that the "XO" and "Mao Shan Wang" durians were the better and more expensive durians, I have to say that all the durians served were tasty as each type has its own unique taste and texture. It was also an educational tour for us as the store owners shared insights about each type of durian and how to pick a good one.

It was indeed a good durian party for us as we thoroughly enjoyed the durians and the time spent chit-chatting away. The store owners also provided us with mineral water, mangosteen as well as water point for washing of hands.

If you are keen to pop by for the durian buffet, it is advisable to give the stall owners a call in advance (Ah Loon/Ah Teck - 97514828) as the seating capacity is limited and the durian variety may vary from time to time.

Counting Toes

noreply@blogger.com (charlesk) — Sat, 15 May 2010 02:01:00 +0000

Aileen and Joann were walking home one evening. Aileen was wearing her sandals while Jo was wearing her school shoes...

Aileen: Jo, what's 6 + 7?

Jo ( paused for a while) : Easy. It's 13..

Aileen: Well done! How did you do that?

Jo: I've got 10 fingers. Then, I used toes..

Aileen (eeks): but you are wearing your shoes so how did you use your toes?

Jo (wide-eyed, innocently) : I used YOUR toes...

Fun Games for Family

noreply@blogger.com (charlesk) — Mon, 26 Apr 2010 15:10:00 +0000

As parents, Aileen and I believe that play time as a family is a great way to build bonds with our children as well as letting them learn as they play. In this post, I will share two of our favourite indoor games - Monopoly Junior and Jenga.

The Monopoly Junior is a simplified version of the popular board game, Monopoly, aimed at children. It has a smaller, rectangular board and instead of being based on street names, it is based on fun fair to make it more child-friendly. While the rules of the game remain unchanged, the game is simpler e.g. the currency is in denominations of $1, $2, $3, $4 and $5, each house is called a ticket booth, the chance cards are worded with simple English that a 5 years old could read, etc.

The Monopoly Junior is a great game for the children as they learn to count the dollar notes, the number of steps to take based on their dice throw, read the chance cards by themselves as well as learning to be gracious when lost in a game.

Another game that the children love, is Jenga. Jenga is a game that tests one's physical and mental skills. During the game, each player takes turn to remove a block from the tower and balance it on top, creating a taller and increasingly unstable structure as the game progresses. The loser is the person who makes the tower collapse.

At home, we play a simpler variant i.e. taking out a block at a time without toppling the tower. In this game, the children get to train their motor skills as well as finding creative ways to remove the blocks e.g. by tapping with finger nails, using a block to push out another, etc. You can devise your own variants of the game such as removing only specific color blocks, removing two different color blocks at one time, etc. After each game, the children get to count the number of blocks that they collected. It is a simple way to let them practise their math too.

These are fun games that you can buy from major toy stores. I am currently scouting around for more fun board games in Singapore and online. Will update this post with more recommendations. Have a great time bonding with your children!

Cheeky Jayden

noreply@blogger.com (charlesk) — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 12:59:00 +0000

Joann & Jayden were bickering non-stop in the bedroom just before bedtime... Aileen (my wife): If you don't stop your nonsense, I'm going to drive you out of the room! Jayden (eyes opened wide): But you don't have a car!! (then with a smirk look) You sure you can drive?? Aileen: Arrghhhhhhhh...

Universal Studio Singapore (6 Apr 2010)

noreply@blogger.com (charlesk) — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 15:05:00 +0000

Aileen and I took the children to the Universal Studio Singapore (USS) today. The children had been excited about this trip for the last 1 week. We decided to take leave on a weekday in order to avoid the weekend crowd at the newly opened USS. The journey to USS in Sentosa from Hougang is straighforward - we took a MRT from Kovan to Harbourfront Station and thereafter, took a designated SMRT bus (RWS 8) from a bus stop just outside Vivocity.

The USS is currently at its 'soft opening' period and its one-day pass is priced at S$66 for an adult and S$48 for a child (between 4 - 12 years old). As such, for a family of 2 adults and 2 children, we paid S$228 in total. Good news for keen visitors - If you hold a DBS/POSB Credit Card, you can make a over-the-counter purchase of tickets to get savings of S$6 off for the one-day Adult Pass & S$4 off for the one-day Child Pass. Offer is valid from 5 to 30 April 2010. During this 'soft opening' period, the USS is also giving away a free S$10 food voucher and $5 gift voucher for every entry ticket purchased (redeemable at a counter near the entrance). At present, the opening hours are from 9am to 6pm.

An overview of USS - It consists of 7 themed venues namely, Hollywood, Madagascar, Far Far Away, The Lost World, Ancient Egypt, Sci-Fi City and New York. Each venue provides visitors with its own unique attractions and entertainments.

Given that this was our first trip there and was meant to be a trip for Joann and Jayden to enjoy, we scouted for attractions which were suitable for the 4 - 6 years old. In this post, I am not mentioning much about the thrilling rides for teens and adults such as 'Revenge of the Mummy', 'Battlestar Galactica', 'Jurassic Park Rapids Adventure', etc.

In Hollywood

The children enjoyed meeting the star characters such as 'Po' from 'Kungfu Panda', Frankestein, Woody Woodpecker, etc. And of course, there are stores selling a great variety of Universal Studio themed collectibles, toys and apparel.

In Madagascar

Here, the children enjoyed the photo shots with the animal characters from Madagascar, a dance performance staged by the animal characters (only at certain time slots) as well as 'King Julien's Beach Party-Go-Round' (Carousel)

In Far Far Away

The most majestic building in this venue is the Castle. In this castle, we enjoyed the 'Shrek 4-D Adventure' (need to wear the 3D glasses) It was fun as we experienced the '4D' effects as the film actions rolled (water sprinkled over our heads, 'winds' as well as moving seats). The children also enjoyed the 'Magic Potion Spin' which is an indoor ferris wheel. The 'Donkey LIVE' is a interactive 'Live' show where the Shrek's sidekick Donkey sang and played with the audience (the donkey was on screen and apparently could interact with the audience). However, Aileen and I felt that this show was a letdown as it was quite boring for us... We missed the 'Enchanted Airways' which is a junior coaster for a flight over the Far Far Away... It seemed fun... Sigh...

The Lost World

We did not really explore this venue thoroughly due to time. The children only managed to ride the 'Dino-Soarin' where they piloted their own Pteranodon, soaring up into the clear sky or down into cooling shadows. The 'Canopy Flyer' (for a min. height of 92cm) is a flying vehicle which gives you a bird's eye view of Jurassic Park. We gave it a miss as the queue was long... This ride seemed fun.

Ancient Egypt

The layout of this venue was very majestic. Many tourists were here, snapping away with their cameras as the tall Egyptian statues were grand. The children rode on a desert jeep through an abandoned Egyptian excavation site in the 'Treasure Hunters'. The ride was 'So-So'. Nothing interesting during the ride.

Sci-Fi City

The most popular ride in USS is situated here - 'The Battlestar Galactica'. However, the ride is temporarily closed at the moment. For children and the not-so-daring ones, can try the 'Accelerator' which is a whirling twirling ride.

Hollywood and New York

Thank God for a good weather today though the afternoon sun was blistering hot. Fortunately, we brought umbrella as well as managed to buy a cap for Jayden. The walk in Hollywood and New York was a relief from the hot sun as these two places were mostly semi-sheltered as well as cooled by pockets of water mist.

As a whole, we did enjoy our first trip to USS. If you are thinking of conquering the many thrilling rides and are worried about your personal belongings, there are lockers for rental. The availability of water coolers at various locations of the park, provides relief for parents who may need water for themselves or their children. The free food and gift vouchers (only during this soft opening period) are certainly welcoming as you will definitely need lunch and probably buy some memento from the gift stores.

Looking forward to visit USS again when it is fully operational.

See ya!!!

Noteworthy Quote

noreply@blogger.com (charlesk) — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 15:40:00 +0000

"The power to accomplish remarkable feats and live an exceptional life is not tied to an occupation but to a disposition of the heart" - John Bevere

Few Hours @ Terminal 3, Changi Airport

noreply@blogger.com (charlesk) — Sat, 27 Mar 2010 13:03:00 +0000

Decided to bring the children to Terminal 3 to chill-out this afternoon prior to church service in Singapore Expo. We had not been to T3 for some months and were pleasant to see some new play areas for children.

First, at basement 2, there is a new kid's corner where parents can let their legs take a break by letting their kids watch their favourite cartoons from Cartoon Network. This spot was great for Jayden as he was able to enjoy his favourite cartoons such as "Batman", "Ben 10", "Speed Racer", etc.

As we walked further down in basement 2, towards the food court, there were some fun hands-on exhibits, courtesy of the Asian Civilisation and Peranakan Museum. There were geometric games, puzzles and embossed printings to help visitors understand more about the Asian and Peranakan culture. Joann and Jayden enjoyed playing the puzzles and making embossed prints.

Thereafter, we proceeded to 3-Top (level 3) for some window-shopping. Just when Jayden was getting restless, we saw a little playground where he could just have some fun while I popped by next door for a Celio sale, yeah!

The few hours at T3 was sufficient for us to chill-out - the children had some fun while Aileen and I had a little shopping and coffee break. The airport is currently revamping their viewing gallery to Changi Aviation Gallery which provides a new aircraft viewing experience. If you are looking for a good place to hang-out with your kids for 2 to 3 hours, the airport is a good bet.