Boys.Girl

Sentosa Flowers 2012

2012-01-26T19:06:00.004+08:00

On day 2 of CNY, we visited Sentosa's Flower festival. Starting from carpark, we realised a lot of people have decided to drop by RWS for their gambling kicks :p

Dragons feature at every corner.

Even dinosaurs are consider "dragons, as their Chinese name is 恐龙.

We did not follow any itinerary, we head to the less popular joints for our photos.

Some queues stretch to 20min, and we realised a lot of tourist request for multiple photoshoot ! One person, two person, whole family, then one person again! We should limit every group to maximum three photos.

Look at the crowd !

Some of the setup will be recycle for Valentine's.

Hot day, and kids miss their naps again, no wonder Yi is yawning. Only food and Fun will keep him awake.

The usual photo booths, ideal for family portraits (but you have to squeeze with others). Do take more photos and join Sentosa Flower contest.

It is a challenge to navigate through the crowd with our stroller, but somehow, we still manage to squeeze in opportunities for family portraits.
(if you need to mount that tripod, do be careful as some kids might trip your precious camera over !)

Before we head home, we decide to pop by Malaysian Food street for some snacks, but the queue put us off! Yes, we blogged about some delicious food earlier, but we are not going to enjoy more Queues :p

Of all the dragons at Sentosa, this is our favourite. Made of lanterns, Dragon looks very impressive.

If you are interested in Sentosa Flowers ,the last day is 29Jan.
We will recommend that you take the boardwalk, our carpark bill came up to $14 for 2 hours.

More Dragon photos are available from our Fanpage.
You might want to consider bringing your external flash, a lot of our photos were under-exposed under the hot sun.

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Changi City Point

2012-01-25T11:47:00.005+08:00

If you happen to be at Singapore Expo, you might want to checkout Changi City Point. We were there last week, to soak in some Fun at the rooftop.

As shopping mall is new, playground is still very clean and well maintained. Head to Level 3 "The 3 House".

We discover Boon Yee is a sharpshooter, and he will gun you down !

Cooling respite from the Sun.

In case your kids should be bored at the playground, occasional airplanes might attract their attention.

Let us show you how to have FUN ! There is also a Dry section at the playground, but the surface areas are scorching ouch.

Do drop by our Fanpage album for more Wet look ! Indoors, there is a Petite Park for young kids. You might want to pop by Mummy Susan's review.

Need more water playgrounds?
Search our tags for "WetWetWet" and "Playgrounds".
- Nex
- Lower Reservoir
- Sembawang Splash
- Changi City Point

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River Hongbao

2012-01-24T18:45:00.036+08:00

We went to River Hongbao (春到河畔) on CNY eve.

Entrance, we managed to squeeze in one family photo despite the crowd :)

Maybe it has been raining, or everyone is at Chinatown, the crowd situation was not so bad.

As this Fortune God throws "gold" flecks, some people were seen inverting their umbrellas to collect !

All the Zodiac animals on parade

Some other exhibits at River Hongbao.

We did not have any opportunity to try the festive food, as the rain decided to play havoc on us that evening :p

One last shot, before the rain came down again. The crowd rushed for shelter.
This is a "wet" Chinese New Year :)

River Hongbao,will be running until 29Jan2012, for more updates and information, do drop by River Hongbao website. Or you can get more auspicious photos from SengkangBabies Album :p

Huat Ah !

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Wishing everyone a Happy Lunar New Year !

2012-01-22T17:40:00.005+08:00

In a few hours, Chinese Lunar New Year will be upon us. Kids are eagerly anticipating 新年 as they can eat all sort of goodies, especially 肉干bak-kwa!

Angpow is a nice distraction for them haha.

Wen Wei and Wen Kang will be looking forward to munching on more goodies.

..while the two smaller ones will be challenging who gets more Angpow haha !

We had one round of steamboat Reunion dinner with 舅舅 yesterday...

..and 奶奶 is preparing our favourite braised duck tonight.

Boon Xin got us some orange decorations..

Earlier, the kids had fun at our local flower mart, and gladly pose for Daddy (they are in celebration mood already haha)

We will be visiting friends and relatives over the next few days.

Wen Yi will be our Orange boy, we taught him some "Auspicious" wishes,
but he still got some American slang :p

盛港宝宝祝大家身体安康 !
more CNY photos will be shared at our RED festive album :)

ps.. click to know more about 肉干 bak kwa

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Chingay on Water !

2012-01-21T17:54:00.003+08:00

**videos will be uploaded soon*

When we think of Chingay, we think of parades, floats, performers marching down (maybe) Orchard road. What if we tell you Chingay will be cruising along a 360m waterway next to the pitstop at F1 pit building ! Expect lots of water, and you can get wet, from all the splashing! 水中妆艺 (literally Water Chingay) sounds spectacular !

..credit , above F1 photo is from SingaporeGP website

Daddy was invited to a full dress rehearsal last sat. When you see the dragons pounding on the waterway, you know this will be THE Chingay to watch out for !

We got an overview for Chingay's itinerary, and were treated to the highlights of Chingay.The theme for Chingay 2012 is 世间有爱，处处温馨 (Love, care and Kindness Everywhere)

On the actual day, the parade will kick off with an All-Dragons segment. Dragons made of every material, imagination, and illumination will bring in 2012 (Dragon year) with a BIG bang !

One by one, the performers dance gracefully on the water track.

Who brought out the flame-thrower ! the Dragon and even 财神爷 (God of Fortune) breathes fire !

Team Singapore Flyer with their Chinese deities. We even spotted a four-men Dragonboat !

We have performers from China (together with our students) performing 踏歌 Ta-Ge (classical dance from the Han dynasty, 汉民族传统舞蹈). We heard this is the first time 踏歌 is performing on such a grand scale.

Singapore's Chingay has gone international, look at the participants from all over the world. Indians (from both International and Local) perform together in a Swan float :)

Japan contingent came in strong with Suki-yaki (Ue o Muite Arukō), a famous Japanese song. Their energy and fast-beat really got everyone pumped up ! Daddy wanted to jump in and perform too :)

Butterfly and other floats from NUS.

Sports in action, as these performers are very Active, we suggest you stand one step back (to stay dry) haha.

**One tip for our readers** If you see towels, blankets, paddles, taekwondo, and if you happen to be on the first row. Be prepared to get spills !

Be it Auntie or teenage performers, they will show no Mercy to spectators and photographers keke. Splash ! Daddy is blogging from the third row to keep dry :p

More contingents march past us, non-stop excitement ! Of course Star Wars and (oh so sexy) Tomb Raiders help ! We heard horses will be involved too wow.

Even the brides are invited to the party, as we dispatch zodiac Bunnies home (bye bye 2011)...

2012 is year of the Dragons, kids will go crazy over all the Dragon variations !

Performers are wet, but all still look so radiant.
~~ Kudos to Chingay performers, our Water Musical ! ~~

Read the blogs from our friends (HP, Jerome, Geng Hui and Kelvin)

During the finale, the participants will fill the waterway. Together, we will sing 爱让你看到.

Chingay will be held over two days, 03Feb at 8pm, and 04Feb at 8:30pm. Tickets are still available at http://www.sistic.com.sg/. Pricing starts from $25, and Passion card members will get additional 20% discount.

Do visit Chingay fanpage for latest updates, and do checkout the Floats too :)

We would like to take this opportunity to thanks MarinaBay for inviting SengkangBabies to Chingay rehearsal. It was an awesome night !

More Chingay photos are available at our fanpage.

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Daddy love these songs played during Chingay Parade
Ue o Muite Arukō (I look up when I walk)

爱让你看到 (Love will make you see) is a beautiful song, which teaches us to feel and to love with our Heart. It originates from China, and was sang for the visually handicapped. Look closely at the photos above, you might spot Adelyn on one of the Floats (the girl from YOG who show us being blind is no handicap)

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CNY activities

2012-01-20T09:16:00.017+08:00

During Chinese NEw YeAr (CNY), besides visiting our relatives, where else can you go to soak in CNY atmosphere?

1) Watch Lion Dance? Do check out Frasers shopping centres schedules.
~~~ ~~~
Schedules
19-21Jan – 1 and 8 pm
26Jan – 1130
25,27-29 – 8pm
~~~ ~~~

2) Annual River Hongbao (春到河畔迎新年) will start from today till 29Jan. Enjoy food and souvenirs, sightseeing (photo opportunities with 财神爷 and zodiac animals), and even fireworks !

We went to River Hongbao on CNY eve.

Firework timings :
21Jan - 8pm
22Jan - midnight

credit..River HongBao photo from fanpage

3) This will be the last weekend to visit Chinatown for last minute shopping or you might be interested to wait till Sun Midnight for stock clearance of CNY goodies !
For non-Singaporeans, do take note Chinatown will be very QUIET on 春节 Day 1 and 2 .

(we got some Dragon photos to show you)

4) Touch some Flowers at Sentosa (圣淘沙春节花会) from 22-29Jan. Read our blog.

To all our friends and readers, 新年快乐 ! and happy long weekend !

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Singapore Footprints

2012-01-17T23:25:00.005+08:00

Love to walk? Curious about Singapore's heritage?
Let us introduce you to a cool team, "Singapore Footprints"

Comprising some really young chaps, not your usual Uncle or Auntie tour guides :p
They call themselves "Walkaholics" !

Every Sat and Sun, Rain or Shine, these chaps will tour Bugis and Singapore River with you !

It is definitely ok for Singaporeans to be tourists in Singapore !
Just look at where Sengkang's Babies have been roaming :p

Help spread the word about Singapore Footprints :)
Almost forgot, it is Free ! Yes, the tours are FOC !
A true blue Singaporean will say "mai(4) tu(2) liao(4)" !! (literally hesitate-no-more or 不要犹豫 ! )

Follow their foot-steps online at http://singaporefootprints.com, Facebook or Twitter.

credit..above images are all from Singapore Footprints website

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Why do you need an External Flash ?

2012-01-16T23:26:00.005+08:00

Initially, Daddy thought external Flash is nice-to-have, but soon realised that it is absolutely necessary for portraits.

Look at two party photos below, which one do you prefer?

Lighting cHallenges and sCenarios
1) Ever try taking photo of your kids but their faces turn out "silhouette" (face dark but background bright)?
This could happen when kids are standing infront of a bright door or window, or the Sun is shining Bright behind the kids.

Workaround
- try your best to position the kids so that the Sun is not behind them
- some cameras (even smartphones) allow you to choose "Spot" metering instead of "Matrix".
Focus-point is still on the face.

- learn how to read Histogram ( Daddy is still learning, but a histogram will immediately tell you whether your photo is over-exposed or under-expose)

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2) Indoor parties, why does so many kids appear blur?
It helps if you have a fast lens (big aperture F1.8, F1.4 etc), as it allows more light to enter, a higher chance to snap more photos and hopefully nail one sharp one.
But bigger aperture also means not everyone will be in focus(eg three person, only center person will be sharp at F1.8.

Workaround
- setup multiple-burst mode in your camera, hoping one shot will turn up good.
- it is useless to ask kids to stay static and pose for you, as their smile could become too artificial :p

- Daddy prefers to catch the kids when they are engrossed in their own world.

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3) We did mention large aperture lens (also called Fast lens with F1.8, F1.4 etc) help in low light, but the depth-of-field becomes smaller. It means only the person in focus remain sharp, and those standing beside might become slightly blur. Read Depth-of-Field (or dof).

If you need to take a group shot, with everyone in focus, around F5 is needed. External Flash is highly recommended, otherwise you will see some friends in focus, some other blur.

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If you have ever encounter the three scenarios listed above, it might be time to consider investing in an external Flash unit.

Some of you might ask, can we use the camera's builtin Flash?
Unfortunately, the builtin flash can only illuminate infront, is often too bright, causing facial expressions to washout.

Daddy started his DSLR journey for the sole purpose of capturing more candid shots. Initially he thought a F1.8 fast lens would be everything, and "natural" lighting beats "artificial" lighting. Read our Prime lens selection story.

We own a Nissin Flash DI622 for four months now, and we are very happy with our party-photos. The photos seem to pop out, and faces become more expressive! If Daddy can go back, he would definitely get the Flash before any lens upgrade.

Additional tips for your Flash consideration :
- try to borrow an external flash from your friend for one week. Try it out before you buy one.
- third party Flash unit can perform decently, and are more affordable compared to OEM. Our Nissin 622 is around $180, much cheaper than a Nikon SB-600.

- get an external Flash which can tilt left/right/up/down. We need to tilt our flash to "bounce" the light, for optimum exposure. (eg bounce the light off the wall or ceiling)

- a Flash unit means additional weight, and your neck can feel the strain after a few hours :p
- For ease and convenience, get a flash unit running on AA battery (normally True for most entry level flash )

For more sample Flash photos, drop by our Xmas party.

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Getting equipped with an external Flash is only the first step, photography is all about understanding Lighting and more. And there are more things to explore in the world of "Lighting" !!

..you might find the following links useful, from a layman's point of view.

http://www.elizabethhalford.com/2011/09/19/shooting-backlit-101-pt-3-metering-modes/
http://www.nissindigital.com/en/Di622.html
http://www.digital-photography-school.com/using-fill-flash
http://www.iphotocourse.com/shedding-light-on-flash-2/
http://www.iphotocourse.com/?p=796
http://www.advancedphotography.net/histograms-ii-histograms

..ps.. Pardon all the jargon and lingos, it is too challenging for Daddy to explain in simpler context. Please google for the "correct" explanation. Daddy only wish to let our friends know that a Flash is Indispensable when you are into portraits.

**credit. First image of Di622 is taken from Nissin website.
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Chinatown Singapore

2012-01-15T14:55:00.004+08:00

Where do you go to get infected with Lunar New Year jibe?
Where do you go to squeeze with crowds, who are out shopping for CNY goodies, decorations and flowers? (not to forget the l-o-n-g bak kwa queues !)

Together with buddies, we head out to some vantage points around ChinaTown to spot the dragons.

As the day slowly dims away, we manage to catch some Blue moments with the Dragon in the foreground.

From the roofs, we spotted busy junctions, and both Singaporeans and Tourists soaking in the noise, buzz, and sweat ! It looks Fun and feels like Chinese New Year (新年) . Make some Noise !

At ground Zero, we squeeze into the thick of actions.

Angry bird balloons everywhere !

As 2012 is year of the Dragon (Chinese Zodiac), you see Dragons everywhere, Chinese believe Dragon is auspicious, and will bring fortune, and some say babies keke :)

** Please do not bring your strollers down to Smith Street, it will be suicidal :p
To catch more Dragon and Chinatown photos, do drop by our CNY Fanpage.

Talking about Dragon, Daddy was at Chingay Full dress rehearsal, and "水" and "龙" features everywhere (Water Dragon). It is truly an amazing WET spectacle, stay tune for more updates.

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Sentosa Flowers is back

2012-01-13T13:30:00.003+08:00

圣淘沙春节花会 (Sentosa Flowers 2012) will run from 22Jan to 29Jan 2012.
We can see flowers (Spring 春), a Floral Dragon, and do bring your tripod along for all the photo opportunities.

Do you know that you can walk across to Sentosa from Vivocity via Boardwalk? We did it last year, and it was hassle free
(entrance fee is only $1, besides carpark fees would be limited and expensive on Sentosa)

This year round, you will also get to enjoy famous Malaysia hawker food at ResortsWorld.

More info about Sentosa Flowers.
Read our previous flower exploration (采花story ).

**updated 24Jan2012 - our Flower trip

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Sengkang Babies on Jan's Mother and Baby

2012-01-12T21:33:00.020+08:00

Sengkang Babies is in 2012 Jan's Mother and Baby.
Yes Diana Ser is pretty, but please go to page 85.

Checkout what stories we are reading for our kiddos.

You will see two other Daddies, Kelvin and Kelvin :)

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Birthday celebration at LV

2012-01-10T23:42:00.018+08:00

Wen Yi turns four last Dec, and this is also his last birthday in LV :)

We just woke up, pardon the grumpy look

Cars upfront

And a huff, and a puff, and I blow you down !

We are going to miss parties in LV :) Daddy will also miss taking photos of cute kiddos !

Our N2 class :)

More happy photos can be found at our Fanpage.

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Famous Malaysian Food in Singapore

2012-01-08T19:15:00.010+08:00

Penang Laksa, Malacca Chicken Rice Balls, KL Claypot rice.
Singaporeans craved for these dishes when we are in Malaysia.

Berhenti (Bahasa Melayu for STOP!), when you are near famous food eateries up North.

On 12 Jan 2012, Resorts World Sentosa (RWS) will open it's Malaysian Food Street. Yes, you will be able to savour some of Malaysia's most famous dishes under one roof !

Malaysian Food Street setup takes you back to the 50s and 60s. Except for the air conditioning,
you can imagine yourself eating in one of Malaysia's side streets.

Food pricing catering to the masses.

Presenting the famous chefs from all over Malaysia. They form part of the 17 food stalls, which are handpicked from Malaysia.

The RWS team has to trial 200 hawker food over eight months, and they can have Claypot rice all day long. As Chef Adolf mentioned : "吃到你怕 !".

Invited guests will get to savour eight dishes today. For more details about the street gourmet, refer to RWS's media release. You will get to know the history of the food too !

~~~ ~~~ The 17 stalls ~~~ ~~~

1. Famous Jalan Alor KL Hokkien Mee
2. Fung Wong Confectionery
3. Petaling Street Famous Porridge since 1949
4. Huen Kee Claypot Chicken Rice
5. Ah Mei Hokkien Prawn Mee
6. Penang Hai Beng Hainan Lor Mee
7. Penang Ah Long Lor Bak
8. Penang Lim Brothers’ Char Koay Teow
*9. Roti Canai & Nasi Biryani
*10. Kampung Nasi Lemak
11. Malacca Chicken Rice Ball
12. Petaling Jaya Dim Sum and Drinks
13. Ampang Yong Tau Foo
14. Klang Bak Kut Teh
15. KL Wanton Mee
16. Penang Cuttlefish Kang Kong
17. Desserts/Fruits

**Stall 9 and 10 are halal.

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Penang Ah Long Lor Bak. Daddy would prefer the sweet sauce to have some peanut crunchiness.

Ah Mei Hokkien Prawn Mee, go easy on the lard :p

Penang Lim Brothers’ Char Koay Teow

Huen Kee Claypot Chicken Rice. Every piece of grain is polished and tasty !

Earlier, we had the opportunity to view how a pot of Claypot was prepared.

Penang Hai Beng Hainan Lor Mee, thick sauce, and sweet condiment. Yummy.

Jalan Alor KL Hokkien Mee. Each strand of noodle has a chewy texture.

Honestly, the six dishes beforehand proved to be an oily overdose, and Daddy was only too happy for the porridge to soothe his throat :)

Petaling Street Famous Porridge. If you like innards, you will love this dish ! Crispy and crunchy.
(You can find another version in Penang)

Chendol to wash down all the food. Sweet !

Friends Ms TamChiak and Ah Seow :)

Finally, KL's famous pastries from "Fung Wong Confectionery" dispatch us on our way. The char-siew sau-pau (hot buns with pork) and egg tarts proved irresistible.

So, the next time you are in Sentosa, you can satisfy your hunger pangs at Malaysian Food Street (next to Universal Studios). If you are hungry for more foodies photos, do drop by SengkangBabies fanpage.

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Coping in school

2012-01-07T21:10:00.014+08:00

Last Thu, Yi joins Xin at their new preschool. However, Xin broke down crying once she realised Daddy cannot accompany her today. It took some effort from the teachers to calm her down.

On the other hand, Wen Yi was reluctant to leave Daddy, but he still followed teacher to his class. He is the new boy in the class, and we look forward to him making new friends.

Fortunately, everything is back to normal on Friday, we hope kids have finally settle down in their new school. New teachers, new friends, new environment, this is a BIG change for the kids.

Daddy had to hide in one corner to play paparazzi, to see how the kids go through their normal routine. School bus is something new for the kids too.

One thing is sure, kids will always be beaming when they spot Mummy waiting at our bustop. Back to their comfort zone again.

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She is LV's darling

2012-01-06T01:09:00.004+08:00

Daddy just realised teacher has compiled a montage for Boon Xin 雯锌!
We have just uploaded into YouTube, check out teachers' cool dedication.

2009 May27

We are very proud that Boon Xin has touch so many teachers' hearts. She has literally grown from infant up to Nursery.

Our little sweetheart was smiling throughout the photos.

(embed audio could not be uploaded, but you can get a Live version of Bette Midler Wind beneath my Wings here)

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Starting our family blog was the best decision to capture our memories, just look at how she has grown over the years. We select some of her Best videos below, if you need more, click on Baby.Xin tag.

2009 Jul

2009 Aug
Video : Xin push up, neck exercise

2009 Sep - Hello LV, since 3 months old

2009 Nov - Bumbo

2010 Mar - Standing up.

2010 Apr (looks like Boo ?)

2010 May - First birthday

2010 Dec - sick but still so sweet

Thank you teachers ! We reserve the best for last.

Time flies, we will make sure Xin sees teachers' video dedication every now and then,
to remember her bond with LV :)

Cheers and best wishes,
Boon Xin's Mummy and Daddy

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New schools

2012-01-05T00:50:00.003+08:00

2012 school reopens. You will see all parents blogging about their kids in new schools, how can we be different :p

Wen Kang is in Primary school PM class, alas he will not meet his bigger bro in Pri 3. By 2013, Nan Chiau will be single session, ie less logistic issues for us.

The two smaller ones are also in their new schools.
For this week, Mummy and Daddy have to look after the kids separately during orientation. Daddy brings Xin and Yi to pre-school, while Mummy brings Kang to Primary 1.

So far, our little girl is coping very well in school. She is playing, singing and eating a lot.

Meanwhile, Kang still refuse to share with us his school life. Well, at least he is not resisting the change of environment. We only notice he is very tired after school :p

Be Brave Kang and Xin, we will always support you !

When Yi joins his sis, more gossips will come your way.

Meanwhile, checkout what cute little Wen Xin is doing in school. She is going to school on her own already !

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Christmas and Birthday Parties for Wei and Yi

2012-01-03T23:44:00.002+08:00

Angry Bird theme and presents are the rage in 2011 ! The kids got a sneekpeek of a little Green Pig :p

Anyway, our kids do not care if it is birthday or Christma party, as long as they get to party !

Our guests

.. and Yummy food :)

舅舅 Patrick with family.

Our beloved teachers ! We wanted to celebrate the kids' birthday with Teachers who have such a BIG influence on their growing up years :)

Our birthday Boys , Wen Wei 25thDec, and Wen Yi 27thDec.

Cutting cakes are more happening with more hands ! (Just standby extra tissue)

Video : Cut Cake Sing Song

We introduce the highlight of our party, a Angry Green Pig pinata! Wen Wei has saw Angry Bird Pinata at Auntie Phoebe's party, who kindly sponsor one green pig for us :)

Just fill the Pinata with sweets or KitKats "thanks Nestle :) "
Raise the Pinata high (Daddy is 1.8m), then pass the baton to kids.

After kids have warm up, Adults better stay clear from DAMAGE zone !

After 10mins, we decided to take matters into our own hands !

Thank you to all our friends for making this an enjoyable party.
Our kids truly had a blast !

Click for more cakes and Angry Birds photos at our album
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.343512378999246.100693.194377613912724&type=3

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Woodlands Waterfront

2012-01-02T13:21:00.019+08:00

Woodlands Waterfront will not be a stranger to those living in the North.
Playground is actually at Admiralty. Click for map.

The Jetty and Playground are popular with residents in the morning and evenings. But we would suggest to avoid the afternoons, we melted halfway across the Jetty :p

From the Jetty, you can even spot vehicles crossing the causeway. Malaysia's state of Johor is so near to us.

There is a large playground here to cater to kids of all ages. If you are adventurous, you can even climb onto the suspended bridge. We only spend 30 min here, but we will definitely be back again.

Meanwhile, we are suggesting that you drop by JBabiesDad's blog for more Waterfront footage :)

Click for more information about Woodland Waterfront Park.

Fireworks at Sengkang

2012-01-01T23:59:00.001+08:00

We were supposed to see some Fireworks at Marina Bay, but Mummy is sick, so we went to Sengkang Anchorvale CC instead. Daddy grab three boys and walk 15min to view the countdown activities.

Kids did not complain :)
Over McDonald nuggets and some live-band, we countdown to 2012 together with our Sengkang neighbours.

Although the fireworks might not be as magnificent as Marina Bay's, the atmosphere and partying are still happening :)

We heard 300,000 partied at Marina Bay ! But quite a few families decided to catch fireworks at Sengkang and Punggol. Over 1,000 pop by our blog while goggling for fireworks keke

It does not matter where we go for countdown, it is more important to do it together with our loved ones :)

**above photo and video taken with our Samsung Galaxy Note.
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Bye Bye 2011, Hello 2012 !

2011-12-31T22:20:00.005+08:00

Life has been good. We have a lot of things to be grateful for :)

We have a Happy and Healthy family, kids are mischievous by nature, but generally Daddy and Mummy are enjoying the kiddos' growing up years keke :p

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To send 2011 away, we will highlight our best posts. No awards given ok :0

Best Travel - Taiwan (Friendly culture, amazing food)
Best Food - 联合 Claypot Rice Lianhe (ChinaTown)
Best Social Media - We started integrating Fanpage and Twitter with our Blog. We hope you love our photos.

Best Playground -With our kids, there are no Bad playgrounds :p (sharing Singapore's best Playgrounds)
Best Discovery - Must be Flower Dome in Gardens !

Proudest moment - Daddy say "Kang graduates", Mummy says "Xin toilet trained, and Yi bunking in with his bros"

Best investment - our Nikon DSLR D5000

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2012 heralds more changes and adventures for us.
- Mummy will upgrade to full time housewife
- Kang will join his Bro in Primary School
- No3 Yi and No4 Xin will be changing school

But Daddy promise you are going to hear more gossips from SengkangBabies in 2012 !
Our kids wish to say something.

So to all our family, friends, fans, acquaintance, we wish you and your family a Great 2012 !
Huat Ah ! Cheerios ! Yum Seng !

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Fireworks Sengkang Punggol

2011-12-31T15:08:00.024+08:00

When did we even have to make a choice about Fireworks location?
Since a few years back, every neighborhood got it's own countdown activities and Fireworks too !

From our home, and within 10min drive, we can reach three Firework sites in Sengkang and Punggol.
Last year, we blog about how HOT are the neighbourhood Fireworks!

Anchorvale CC (our home town)

More updates at SengkangWest Fanpage.

Punggol East (actually it is at Rumbia LRT, yes Rivervale Crescent, Sengkang :p). Not sure whether Daddy read wrongly, past year Singapore-Idols will be dropping by, and participants stand to win ipads ! Wow.

Click on PunggolEast/Rivervale Fanpage for more updates.

Punggol (Punggol Riverside, Tebing Lane next to Popeye's)

Click on Punggol 21 Fanpage for more updates.

Of course, in case you are looking for the mother-of-all-fireworks, nothing compares with Marina Bay ! Read our earlier update !

Read our Marina Bay updates.
滨海湾, 酷! (literally Marina Bay cool !)

Click for sample Firework shots at Marina Bay 2010.

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Porridge 粥 anyone?

2011-12-31T10:45:00.002+08:00

Rice is our stable, and our kids love porridge. Especially if it is from our favourite stall in Hougang.
粥品 (the shop name should be Sin Heng Kee last time) is popular in the neighbourhood.

Delicious spring onion garnishing. Looks appetising. Daddy has to queue 20min for his order.

Our favourite concoction is century egg (皮蛋粥) and pork (猪肉粥). We always order extra fritters. Soak your fried fritters in the hot porridge. Chuck the molten fritter into your mouth. Heavenly !!

Too much log cake and Turkey in dec? Why not go for something light?

Head down to 粥品.
HDB Hougang #01-150, 685 Hougang Street 61, (S)530685

More food photos at our fanpage to make you hungry --> SengkangBabies Food.

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If you do not plan to diet, or if you are stocking up for Chinese New Year, SengkangBabies are selling CNY cookies too. click on photo below for catalogue :)

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Marina Bay Cool. 滨海湾, 酷!

2011-12-30T14:06:00.007+08:00

If you are into photography, Dslr, mirrorless, compact, even smartphones, go down to Marina Bay, Tonight.
No fireworks, but the technicians are testing the Lighting and Lasers, and mood of anticipation is STRONG.

Tomorrow, you might not be able to secure a nice vantage point (read our Firework and best location post), it will be crowded. So you might want to consider going tonight with your family, soak in the atmosphere at the Bay, work your cameras :p

Singapore is definitely ready to Party to welcome 2012 !
Let Daddy tempt you with some photos from yesterday.
Summit your photos to win Nikon 1 !

View from the top of Esplanade

Fantastic reflections off MBS's glass walls. Now, Imagine fireworks bouncing off the walls !

From 9pm onwards, technical rehearsal, sound, lighting, and lasers should start.
You might be lucky enough to spot some nice Rainbow spheres !

Video : Grand spectacle is coming

Friends

From left, Williams, Kelvin and Kevin. Lookout for their posts here.

Need more reasons to pop by Marina Bay, visit our Fanpage albums.

Read more posts from our Marina-Bay-2012-countdown series :
- Marina Bay 酷!
- VWO launch spheres
- Fireworks and Photography contest
- I wish for a sphere
- Romantic Marina Bay
- We are featured blogger for Marina Bay countdown 2012

If you are resting near home, your neighbourhood might have countdown activities too. We know Sengkang and Punggol are hot !

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Throwing our Wishing Spheres into Marina Bay

2011-12-28T23:46:00.006+08:00

Last Tue, as part of Esplanade's community engagement initiatives, some 160 guests from VWO (Voluntary Welfare Organisations) were invited to witness the launching of wishing spheres into Marina Bay.

As you might know by now, Singapore invites everyone to pen their wishes for the coming year onto wishing spheres.

After our signatures collecting sting at Tampines, our kids were very curious about how their wishing spheres will become neighbours with "Merlion and Durian" at Marina Bay. So our family troop down in support.

( if you are still clueless about wishing spheres, read here :p )

Found William and Calvin among the crowd. Our guests are busy writing their wishes, and our friends are busy snapping away :)

Kids kept asking why Marina Bay's water turns Milo, but Daddy tries his best to focus their attention on the wishing spheres instead keke.

Anyway, our kids got to doodle on the Wishing spheres again, Kang pen down HappY NEw YEar in bold.

After penning their wishes, we consolidate all the spheres again, some lucky guests were invited to fling the spheres into Marina Bay.

One by one, we moved the spheres nearer to the water edge.

1,2,3 aim your balls at the boat.. we thought some of the spheres were purposely aim at the boats !!

Video : 1,2,3 see who can throw furthest !

See those wishing spheres in the background, are you curious to know how they are anchored?
Read Daddy Kelvin's first hand account with the boatman.

Video : VWO Esplanade experience

Do visit and "Like" Marina Bay Fanpage or Marina Bay's 2012 Countdown website for latest updates. Help MarinaBay hit 10,000 fans before 2012 :p

Thanks to Calvin for taking our family shot.

For more photos of wishing spheres, do drop by SengkangBabies Fanpage or you may wish to read from our Marina-Bay-2012-countdown series :
- Marina Bay 酷!
- VWO launch spheres
- Fireworks and Photography contest
- I wish for a sphere
- Romantic Marina Bay
- We are featured blogger for Marina Bay countdown 2012

This is how the Wishing Spheres will be illuminated at Night ! Awesome !

Credit : Purple Wishing sphere image from http://www.marinabaycountdown.sg/#/downloads

We are also featured on MarinaBay's countdown microsite-->
http://www.marina-bay.sg/2011_MarinabaySG_Countdown/featuredblogger/

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Christmas party at school

2011-12-27T19:17:00.007+08:00

Traditionally, Dec is the month of parties for us. Beside having two boys' whose birthday falls in Dec, everyone is in the mood to celebrate and binge keke :)

Teacher M gave a crash course on the significance of Christmas.

Christmas party will not be complete with icons like Santa Claus and Santarina, and Ruldolph Reindeer ! No prize for guessing who is ho ho h0 Santa :)

Before the party starts, kids waiting in anticipation, and enjoying their own bantering.

Parents turn up in force to support LV and their kids :)

With so much food to go around, nobody should be hungry. You can be faulted for being greedy keke :p

Full of activities at every corner, food and handicraft.

Busy busy teachers, they are happy when kids are smiling :)

Kids are HAPPY ! Who would not be? Plenty of food, gifts, and toys and entertainment!

Our food and cookies taste best when we do it ourselves. Nevermind if the chocolate does not look nice, or if someone forget to wash hand, Parents will love it ! (forced smile)

All thanks to our teachers :)

Kids playing Light Saber in their secret room. Luke SkyWalker would feel at home here.

Teachers and cute kiddos :)

Oh no, someone is so tired and decide to take a nap :)

We end the party with gift exchanges, every kid went home beaming. Thank you LV for organising this party. We had a lot of fun !

Video : Let us sing together !

Come 2012, our kids will be changing to another school, we are sure they are going to miss LV :(

If you need more party photos, hop over to our Santa album :p

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