Zoo Playdate

On Sunday, after weeks of Bryan bugging us to take him to the zoo, we finally relented. We were joined by Steve and his family, with his three year old son, Oliver. Bryan was really happy that day and ended up chatting non-stop the whole time to everyone.

The zoo also just opened their new amphitheatre and there was a animal show on, so we went to watch it. It was ok. I preferred the old one where the animals played a bigger part. I hope they do improve on it. I was actually looking forward to seeing the new children's park open but it wouldn't be ready until November.

It was a very very hot day. But we managed to catch the Baboons and the Elephants. And sat down for Ben & Jerry's ice cream after that. Phew.

Singapore Formula 1 Grand Prix

The inaugral Singapore Formula 1 Grand Prix at the brand new Marina Bay street circuit was held this weekend. Not only that, it's the first ever night race. I have to say that it's really something. Hubbie bought tickets for the both of us. We were only planning to go for the qualifying night and gave the other two night tickets away.

We tried to take some photos but this is the best we came up with. The cars were really really fast and really really loud. It wasn't too bad walking around the circiut. There was lots of space and some of the smaller stands were quite empty. We could just about make out the cars whizzing by. I think it would be much better on the grandstands. It was quite an experience though, so much different from just watching it on TV. Definately looking forward to next year's race. Especially after all the drama of this year's.

Why Having Boys are Great

1. It's easy to buy clothes for them. T-shirts and short/bermudas will do. And the very popular Crocs will go with everything.

2. The clothes will fit for a long time. Long pants become bermudas. My 3-year-old can still wear his 18-month-old pants albeit much shorter.

3. Boys can pretty much pee anywhere in an emergency, if no toilets can be found.

4. Their hair is always cut short, no tangles to detangle.

5. It's ok if boys pull their shirts over their heads just because it's fun.

6. It's also ok if they're sweaty/muddy/dirty, they're boys.

7. They are easy to keep occupied. Just get them a PSP/Nintendo.

8. Mommy gets precious time to herself when boys prefer to play with Daddy.

9. Daddy's the one that has to explain how things work 'down there'.

10. You don't worry so much about boys when they are older and stay out late.

Scrapbooking Finds

I have been slowly stocking up on scrapbooking stuff to last me to the end of the year. Just in case I want to scrap stuff and have no time to go shopping.

So far, I've got some stuff for the baby, for Bryan and for Christmas. I'm currently working on an 8" X 8" album which I plan to finish before the baby arrives. Then there are 2 projects to work on while on maternity, there is a baby journal. And a large 12" X 12" album as well. I'm not sure how much time I'm going to have for myself after baby comes. But I'm crossing my fingers for at least a couple of hours a week. Other than the baby and Bryan, I have to not forget my darling hubbie and some gym time too.

These are a couple of online places to get scrapbooking stuff in Singapore. But personally I'd prefer to see the product in hand rather than buy it from photos.

Laines - They do have a store in Wheelock Place.
Scrapbook Cove
Scrapoholics
Made With Love - They don't sell stuff online though.

9 Months and Counting Down

It's almost time now. I'm already at 9 months and I have about 2 more weeks to go before my scheduled C-section. It's been quite a tiring 9 months. Thank goodness for my change from a busy government clinic to a quieter private one. Even though I did have to work a couple of evenings a week, it was manageable.

Looking back, the worst part of this pregnancy is the aches and pains. I don't remember my first pregnancy being as bad. I don't have problems when I'm up and about. It's the lying down at night that's giving my the worst backaches. I can't sleep on my back for the past few months. Even turning from right to left wakes me up at night.

Bryan's been quite good these few weeks though. He still wishes baby good morning and good night. He pats my tummy and says hi once in a while. And even in school, his teacher says that he's been quite good. He's learning how to be a bit more gentlemanly and not push or grab stuff. And he's tantrums are more controllable as well.

I think it's all about being consistent. A 'no' should always mean 'no'. Don't give in just because he's screaming away. And it's ok to compromise but always keep your promises. So that he knows that he can trust you when you say that he can have his sweets after dinner/after his nap/tomorrow. Or that he can open his new toy if he has been well-behaved the whole day.

And Bryan's toilet-training is going well too. He only uses his diaper at night and even then, he lets me know when he needs to use the potty to poo instead of doing it in the diaper. He has said a few times that he can sleep in his underwear but I think it's still a little too early for a 3 year old to go completely off diapers. Maybe in a year or two. A 3 year old's bladder is not going to hold for 10 hours.

I'm crossing my fingers that baby is going to be just as good to look after as Bryan. And I hope I can get baby to sleep through the night by the time I get back to work when he is about 4 months.

Oh yes, and happy birthday to Ian and Daddy too!

Shell's Annual Road Safety Exhibition

This past weekend was the Shell's 'Annual Road Safety' Exhibition. It was held in the Singapore Expo. There was a mini road setup. Complete with fully functioning traffic lights including pedestrian lights and bus stops. It was really something. Then there were bicycles, pedal go-karts that we could hire to go around the circuit. There were even traffic police officers around to give instructions about road rules and safety. All the kids there were having so much fun, I'm not sure how much about road safety they were actually learning.

Bryan used the mini go-karts and went around the circuit. He didn't quite understand what all the arrows meant but he had fun. Then we queued up for balloons and ate pink candy floss. I think it would be a bit more useful when he's a bit older. Other than the circuit, there was also the police car and motorcycle on display.

Recall of White Rabbit Candy

That used to be my favourite candy while growing up. I must have consumed packets of it so far. Maybe that explains why I didn't graduate with honours.

Also other foods officially recalled include the Dutch Lady brand of strawberry milk. Which has also been shown to contain melamine.

Melamine - used to manufacture glues, fabrics, flame retardants and inks. It is also used to make fertilizers. It is an irritant when inhaled or in contact with skin. Ingested, it can lead to acute renal failure, kidney stones, reproductive damage and bladder cancers. Melamine crystals don't dissolve easily and there is potential for chronic toxicity. (Wikipedia)

In 2007, there was a recall of pet foods due to the amount of melamine found in them, causing hundreds of pet deaths in the US. Melamine has no nutritional value but is high in nitrogen content It was added to increase nitrogen content in the pet food and hence artificially elevate the amount of 'protein' in the food to pass minimal requirements. (Wikipedia)

Now, it's milk products from China. Suppliers believed to be trying to cut costs have added it to watered-down milk to cover up the resulting protein deficiency. It's estimated that about 20% of milk from China is contaminated with melamine. With thousands of infants affected and already 4 deaths, those involved should be shot. Not only that, but it appears that the milk company may have already known about the contamination as early as July/August but withheld this information from the public and didn't recall any of it's products. It was only when a NZ company notified the NZ government which in turn informed the Chinese government then did the situation come to light.

Who knows what other things are going on in China. I'm checking all food labels from now on, I'll avoid anything from China. And I'm prepared to pay the premium for imported milk/foodstuff from Australia/NZ.

Happy Birthday Hunnie!

It's my hubbie's birthday today! Just wanted to wish my darling a very happy birthday. :) *muak*

Daily News

There's much going on in the media these days.

With the US very much in recession, the stock market is quite volatile now. Not that I have any stocks. But I do have some investment linked accounts. I guess I'm not going to expect good returns for 2008. Now, crossing fingers that these various investments will ride out the storm. And prices of stuff stop rising.

There's also this big debate going on about siting a dormitory for 1,000 foreign workers in a housing estate. The residents are petitioning for the government NOT to site a dormitory in their housing estate. And there are lots of concerned citizens writing in to papers voicing their views. I have only one thing to say. Before making up your mind about these residents, ask yourself.

Would YOU want to have 1,000 SINGLE men living in cramped quarters down the road from you? Would YOU want to SHARE the same shops, parks, transportation, living spaces as them? Can YOU tolerate men loitering in groups outside your house smoking, drinking, talking in the middle of the night? How SAFE would YOU AND YOUR FAMILY feel? Even if they are from developed countries like the US or UK, I still wouldn't feel safe walking past their dormitory. I think the main point that scares the residents the most is "1,000 SINGLE MEN". If the numbers were down to double digits, it would be more acceptable.

Then there is the whole political upheaval in Malaysia. And Thailand. Where the people are unhappy with the current rulers/law makers.

Even in China where the 2008 Olympics was just held very successfully, the ugliness of the poor standards of their manufacturing industry is rearing their heads. This time, infants are at the receiving end of contaminated formulas. Again. These people never learn from their mistakes.

And on the sidelines are the hurricanes/typhoons causing their usual trouble in Asia and the US.

It's been a dark year for the world so far and the clouds don't seem to be clearing at all. The silver lining for me is just watching from the sidelines. And hoping that the cloud doesn't pass over.

Mooncake Festival

This past weekend was the mid-autumn festival, which is celebrated on the 15th day of the 8th lunar month of the Chinese calender. This is the festival where families get together to eat mooncakes and the children would light lanterns. There are also many legends about the origins of this festival.

This version one of my favourites:

"There was once a time when there were 10 suns encircling the earth which caused the earth to burn. So the Emperor of the Heavens, asked Houyi, a divine archer, to shoot down the all the suns. He shot down 9 and spared 1 sun to provide light and warmth. Thus saving the earth. The Emperor, was upset that Houyi didn't complete his task and banished him from the heavens to live as a mortal.

On earth, he met and fell in love with Chang Er, a beautiful girl, whom he married. One day, on one of his journeys, he met the Queen Mother of the West and built for her a palace. Touched by his good works, she gave him the Elixir of Immortality. However, Houyi didn't want to live forever if his wife remained as a mortal. So he hid the Elixir in the rafters of his home.

One day, while he was out, his wife Chang Er saw a light beam coming from the rafters and found the Elixir. She drank it and felt her body become as light as air. Just then, Houyi arrived home to see his wife floating up to the moon. He tried to reach her but being mortal, he was unable to.

Touched by the love for his wife, the Emperor of the Heavens allows Houyi to meet his wife once a year, on the 15th day of the 8th lunar month. When the moon is full and sometimes you can see Chang Er's shadow on the moon."

I like this version because it's the most romantic one. There is also another story about the origin of the yummy mooncakes. But I will keep that one for the next mooncake festival.

A Thousand Splendid Suns

by Khalid Houssein.

The author writes about two women in Afganistan, their lives and how they're shaped by their culture and the politics. It's a whole different world compared to what we read in the papers everyday. A small event that we simply dismiss is front page news. But what really struck me was the stark contrast in the way women are seen in Afganistan. That they aren't allowed to choose who they marry, who they see, what they do, where they go and what they wear. And it's not as if it's written in the 1900s. This book relates what's happening even now, post 9-11 and the invasion of Afganistan.

Yet in the midst of all the oppression and war, we still see how the women manage to still have their own individuality and character. And how they still stand up for each other and for the love of their families and country.

I am really so much more thankful for being blessed with the life I have. The opportunity that I had to travel. And for being able to complete my education. But especially blessed for having a loving husband and family who appreciates me.

Bryan's Big Boy Bed

Previously, Bryan has been sleeping on his cot which was converted into a toddler bed. However, we were going to have to use the cot for our coming baby so we had to get Bryan a new bed. So we headed to Defu Furniture, a furniture store nearby which was reputated to have really cute children's furniture and beds. They didn't disappoint. There were lots of lovely beds, including a race car bed and a Winnie the Pooh bed. There was also a lot of cute double decker beds as well. And some of them even had a small staircase that lead up to the upper bunk.

We initially were only going to get him a single bed, but ended up getting a double decker one instead. We figured in a few years, the baby is going to grow up and need a proper bed of his own too. The one we got had a lower bunk with shelves and an upper bunk with a dolphin on the side. Bryan liked it a lot. He helped us to pick it out too. The ladder has been removed for now. No one is going to be climbing up to the top just yet.

Now, Bryan sleeps in the new bed really well. And hasn't fallen off at all. There is a mattress at the bottom just in case. He's even agreed to let the baby have his old smaller bed/cot.

Scraps of Life

Me and my best friends are quite into this scrapbook thing at the moment. And tiffany-online is in a need of a new makeover before my second one comes along. So up came this design. It's less childish and a little more grownup. Just like my three year old. They grow up so fast!

Meanwhile, I'm stocking up on all these lovely scrapbook papers and embellishments to do while I'm on maternity leave. Somehow I've got to find time for myself with an infant AND an energetic three year old. Well, lots of other mothers out there manage don't they? I'm grateful for my mother-in-law who's always around to help out.

Right now, the big issue is Bryan adjusting to the newborn. He's always been the centre of attention at home so he will feel a bit left out in the first few weeks. Meanwhile, I'm getting bigger by the day. I can't sleep on my back and I can't move very much. I feel like a pig. Counting down the weeks... 4 more to go...

Thomas the Tank Engine

It's the end of the school holidays today. Tomorrow is the start of the last school term of the year. This is the time when the older children have their end of year examinations. Bryan doesn't have that so he had a very relaxing week off from school. We took him to see Thomas and Friends: Thomas and Friends: Live on Stage. Each ticket costing us almost $70 each.

It was an hour's performance of dancing and singing with half an hour's break in between. There was actually a big Thomas the Tank Engine and his friend Percy. They moved across the stage, spun around and there was even space for their drivers as well. Another big star that came on was the Fat Controller. And there was also Diesel. Bryan enjoyed himself. He sang and clapped along to the beat. I got him a light up Thomas lightstick which he waved around as well. It was quite a fun performance.

I wonder what's coming to Singapore next year... (Last year it was Hi 5)

My Little Pilot

Inside the cockpit of an F5 fighter jet. Now he flies planes on Daddy's flight simulator.