Tesselaar Tulip Festival

About 2 Sundays ago, we went to the Tesselaar Tulip Festival at Dandenong. Spring was here and it was a great sunny day to go see the flowers in all their blooming glory. The kids went in free but adults have to pay $18 each.






Inside, you would be forgiven to think that you are in Amsterdam. Dutch ladies and men, in their wooden clogs and traditional costume, welcome you and provide directions. Immediately beyond the gates, stalls selling crafts, flower seedlings and food, beckon you to approach. But what really grabbed our attention was the vast field of colours on our right. Rows and rows of colourful tulips swaying in the breeze and looking refreshingly cool under the hot glare of the afternoon sun. I was wearing a hot pink colour t-shirt that day, but that paled in comparison to the natural bright hues of the tulips.






While the flowers were beautiful to look at, it didn't take very long before the kids got bored. I was a little disappointed that there wasn't much else to do and beginning to think that the entry fees are not too worth it. After posing with all the different colour tulips, there wasn't much left to see at the tulip patch. The weather was also extremely hot and the children began to get irritated. We ventured to the stalls, searching for shade and explored the other side of the festival grounds. There were more tulips and also a performing band playing the blues. We relaxed and enjoyed the music for a while while the kids cooled off with an ice-cream.

KK holding his "sweet prize"

Later, KK found out about a little contest and busied himself by searching for the names of the 7 gnomes hidden amongst the flowers. The prize? A handful of candies. And with the help of Papa, he really found them all.

I think the organisers should incorporate more activities for children during the festival. Like have a playground or some craft activities. While I had a pleasant time, I don't think I'll go back again next year. Well maybe, if they lower their entry fees to less than $10...:-)

I Can Ski!

Wee! I can ski! And it's not Wii!

More than 15 years ago, on the slopes of the Swiss Alps, I was a student backpacker visiting Europe and the snowy alps for the first time and watching interestingly as colourful skiiers, carrying their skis, clomp their heavy boots into ski lifts. Back then I made a mental note that skiing is one of those things that I should try in my lifetime.

I had a short skiing lesson of 1 hr in Canada about 4 years ago. But it was just an impromptu activity and I wasn't dressed correctly. The jeans I wore and which I mistakenly tucked into my boot left me with blister scars on my ankles that took a year to disappear.

Our 3rd year living in Australia, we decided that with the ski slopes right at our doorstep, the time is right to check out the sport again. We had wanted to go early in the season, probably with my sister when she came visiting, but as our timings don't match, we cancelled the trip. Then late into the season, Hubby found some really good off-peak rates at Mt. Hotam and suddenly we're going again!

And finally, this time, I got to be dressed properly! We managed to get our ski attire for very reasonable prices at Aldi. Being beginners, we don't want to spend too much on gears but a proper set of water-proof jacket, pants and gloves is essential and I must say they served us well, keeping out wind and ice. We got KK a pair of goggles as well. Otherwise, sunglasses will do. Our skis and boots were rented and the kids had to wear helmets too. To prevent blisters, it is better if the socks can be worn high. There should be nothing in the boots except your feet and the socks.

The boys were very thrilled with their "Iron Man" boots but putting them on is torturous. After you struggle through the buckles, you will weigh at least 5 kilos heavier and you walk like a droid in Star Wars. Then try tugging a pair of skis and poles and walking up slope at the same time. Walking with the skis on is no better either if you're climbing upslope. During the first lesson, we practised on gentle slopes and we had to walk up the slope each time after we ski down. God, I perspired! The slope is only a few metres up but that took up 90% of my time and energy. When we finally graduated to use the Platter lifts, I was so happy. It felt so good to be towed up slope. From then on, skiing became a breeze.

At Level 2, we were brought higher up the mountain on the chairlifts. Actually the day before, I'd already gotten some coaching on how to get on and off the chairlift from KK. Surprisingly, KK was a very good teacher. His instructions were very clear and he spoke in a no-nonsense manner, very much unlike his usual clown persona. Despite the awsome view, I don't really enjoy the chairlift rides very much. The wind is so cold and it's blowing directly at you! In between clutching my poles and making sure it doesn't fall off my hands into the white wilderness below, I'm also catching hold of my ear muffs/hat and trying to mop up the rain/snow/ice that was landing on my sunglasses. I had wanted to take some video or photos when I'm riding up on the chairlift but I figured taking out my gloves and holding my camera, trying to aim and focus would be risking it. My other fear is always when I'm getting off, I"m not skiing away fast enough and will get hit by the moving chairlift. Luckily it didn't happen but KK ever got a slight knock on his helmet by the chair and I've seen many people tumble when their skis got tangled.

There are many types of skiiers and I think I belong to the "grandmas" group. Well, maybe even some grandmas are faster than me. I'm not used to the speed at all and I tend to slow down when I feel I'm gonna lose control going too fast. KK on the other hand, is a speed monster. He rushes down the slope, straight. After lessons, I managed to go up and ski down together with him and I found that he can control his skis very well. A few times, I fell down and he managed to stop and climb back up to wait for me. When he falls down, he gets up very quickly. But when I fall, it's another struggle to stand up. Often I find I have to disconnect the skis in order for me to stand up again. Kids are far more agile and flexible than adults in this sport. They learn so much faster and really put us to shame.

On this trip, all of us, including Hubby, managed to go for some lessons and got some basic instructions on skiing. The first 3 days were especially tiring but there was also the sense of satisfaction of acquiring a new skill. Hubby and I took turns going up the slopes to practise and babysitting XX as he's not good enough to ski down yet. Though we signed him up for lessons as well, XX didn't do as well. This is likely due to his reluctance to leave us and probably he's more timid as well. But at least he got his first exposure to skiing.

The other good thing about this trip was the opportunity for the family to be doing things together. Really closer. Usually at home, even though we are physically together under the same roof, each of us are busy doing different things. Like the kids will be playing their games, the adults are surfing the internet or busy with chores etc. But during this trip, we didn't have our computer, Wii or movies with us. All of us watched the same TV programs at night and talked about our skiing experiences during meal times. We all had the same bedtimes, woke up at the same time and have breakfast together, something we don't usually do during normal days.

Unlike 15 years ago, where all I could do was stand around, do some snow play and envy the skiiers, this time round, we were out on the slopes enjoying the snow to the fullest. It was a great experience and more so because it wasn't just the kids who had fun but the adults as well.

(More Pictures in Facebook!)

Holiday Fun - Royal Melbourne Show

Whoosh, that's how time felt when you're having fun. The school holidays came and we started by going to the Royal Melbourne Show last Tuesday. Then the next day, it was a 5-hour drive to Mount Hotam for a 6-day ski holiday. We've only just gotten back to normal life and as I catch my breath, I'll blog about the Royal Melbourne Show first.

I've heard about the Royal Melbourne Show when I first came here but have not the slightest idea what it's about. First discovery: It's not a circus show. The Royal Melbourne Show, despite its fanciful name, is actually just a huge carnival. There seems to be animal rides, showbags and lots of fun for kiddos. The chance came for us to go this year when Hubby's company sponsored an animal nursery at the show and he was recruited (involuntary) as one of the 'volunteers'. With it came an extra complimentary ticket and a '2 for 1' voucher, so we decided to bring the kids along and follow him there.

Second discovery: I thought that with the entry ticket, everything there would be included, much like the theme parks. Thus I didn't prepare much cash along. Turned out, the entry ticket is just for ENTRY. Well, there were some free entertainment, like the Animal Nursery and some performances, but all of the kiddy rides and games there cost money. Great thing they had ATMs there.

Sure enough, money can buy lots of fun. While Hubby 'worked' at the animal nursery, I brought the boys around, buying food, rides, entertainment and showbags for them. They had a great time choosing their showbags.

Third discovery: Showbags are basically goodie bags and they are not free! There is a whole pavilion dedicated to it and it is a big money making business. Inside the pavilion are dozens of stalls displaying all sorts of candy/chocolate (Cabury, M&Ms, Hubba Bubba etc) combos in plastic bags for you to buy. Some of them also include a small toy and the more expensive ones comes in a real backpack. The prices range from $3 to $25 each. It's a dentist's nightmare and I normally don't encourage candies but with everyone walking around holding multiple showbags, it would be hard to get through the day if I don't give them any. So I gave KK a budget of $15 and in the end, with my careful guidance, I managed to spend only $15 to get 3 showbags and a long marshmellow to satisfy both of them. As expected, the kids just like to have the thrill of getting a showbag and the toy inside. Most of the candies are still untouched.

We managed to last till 5pm when Hubby's duty is over. By then, the boys were exhausted but they both enjoyed themselves so much. I lost track of how much I'd spent that day. Much better not to think too much. Like Hubby's advice, we probably won't go to the Royal Melbourne Show every year, so this is a once in a long long time kind of extravagance.

Canberra and Sydney

Encouraged by our 3-hr drive to Echuca, Hubby got more adventurous and suggested we venture further for road trips holiday. I nominated Sydney since the family has never been there before and Hubby immediately made some bookings for the Anzac Day public holiday long weekend. Sydney is about 900km away so we have a planned nightstop in Canberra, which is about 677km.



The weather was cool and gloomy when we set off, with light drizzles along the way. It was a nice day to snuggle inside the car and just watch the trees go by. We stopped a few times along the way, for lunch, snacks, toilets and the last time, by the NSW Police, for a speeding ticket. $197 and 6 demerit points. Ouch.



We arrived safely at the F1 motel in Canberra around 6pm, totally law-abiding, and went looking for dinner in the city center. Back in our motel room, the children were enthused by the double decked bed and quickly made themselves comfortable watching television from there. KK was impressed with the motel, calling it the "coolest" ever. He was especially excited about the shower/toilet, which was a tiny compartment about 1m x 1m. However we didn't like the shower too much. It made the whole compartment wet and if you didn't close the door, your room as well. No wonder they had a sign on the door that says "Keep the door closed when using the shower".




There was another reason for the sign apparently. The next morning, we heard the fire alarm go off and soon an announcement came to remind the culprit to please shut the door when he's in the shower. Next the fire engines arrived. It turned out that the fire alarms can also be activated by steam. The man who triggered the alarm wasn't too happy at having invited the firemen and perhaps some charges for resetting the alarm. He claimed he did close the door but he would have to open it to get out, wouldn't he?




Anyway, it was a lesson for us as well. We had thought that only smoke will activate the fire alarms but apparently some of the newer ones can be trigged by steam as well. So take note to close the bathroom door and don't take such long steamy showers in hotels or you'll find the firemen waiting outside when you come out of your bath.









Before we left Canberra, we spent about half a day visiting the Parliament House and the Royal Australian Mint. It was a wet and cloudy day but despite that, the daylight enabled us to see the beautiful maple trees lining the roads and streets which we couldn't see the night before. The green leaves had begun to turn yellow and red and they looked absolutely enchanting from a distance. Some trees had started to shed its leaves as well, so there are piles of leaves under the tree and everywhere on the wet streets. This is so Autumn. I wish I can have one of these trees in my garden next time.









We arrived in Sydney after dark. Despite being a Saturday night, the road was full of cars and traffic junctions. By the time we checked in, the fatigue of driving has started to set in and we ended up having dinner at the hotel restaurant. One thing about western fine dining which we haven't got used to is the speed at which they serve you food. They take their own sweet time. Most of the western diners don't seem to mind waiting 30 - 45 mins for their food. They usually have a bottle of wine opened and seem to enjoy just drinking and chatting. For me, I don't like to drink alcoholic drinks on an empty stomach. When I come to the restaurant, I just want food. And how much more can we talk, we have spent every minute of our last 48 hours together. The children spoke to each other via their Nintendo DS and Hubby tried to read newspapers under the dim lighting. I sit there regretting not bringing along my diary to write. Morale of the story - don't do fine dining when you're very hungry.




Sunday was our only full day in Sydney and we spent the whole day in the city. Walking out from our World Square carpark, we saw "Ding Tai Fung", the famous "xiao long bao" and Shanghainese noodles restaurant. It was one of KK's favourite restaurants in Singapore but they don't have a branch in Melbourne. We knew we had to have that for lunch to satisfy KK's cravings.






It was also the Anzac Day celebrations that day and all over Australia, there were Anzac day marches taking place. We happened to see the one in Sydney when we walked down George Street and stopped to salute the service of the war veterans and admire the pipe bands. It was pretty emotional for me, seeing the old men, with their badges of honour pinned on their chest, walking in the respective contingents they had served during various war missions some 40-50 years ago. There was some respect and empathy, thinking what they had gone through during the war and to have survived. Of course, there were many of their comrades that didn't, lest we forget.




The rest of the day consisted of walking down George St. towards the Sydney Harbour Bridge. With 2 active children on a rainy day, it was a long march before we finally reached Circular Quay and sighted the magnificent bridge and the elegant Sydney Opera House. The weather had cleared up too and the view was beautiful. My last sighting of these 2 landmarks had been about 10 years ago, when I had night stopped in Sydney as a cabin crew. On my first ever trip to Sydney, I endured fatigue and endured sleepyness to admire the Sydney Opera House up close. Then on another trip, I had the privilege of a hotel room overlooking the Sydney Harbour Bridge. And as it was New Year's Day, I was woken up by the magnificent fireworks outside my window! It was magical and I'd long wanted to revisit this place together with my family.



KK and Papa got hooked to take a jet boat thrill ride of the harbour almost immediately. They offered a good price as they were leaving soon. As XX was too short to get on, I stayed on shore with him. He cried miserably that he couldn't go. Luckily there was a street entertainer nearby and we passed time watching her contort her body to fit inside a 1x1x1m box. KK came back almost 30 mins later, hair and face all wet. It was an exciting ride and they got a decent tour of the coastline and the harbour at the same time.






As KK and Papa enjoyed some hot chocolate and coffee at the Guylian Cafe at The Rocks, I managed to take a fast walk through the last 10 mins of The Rocks Market. Although it was only 5 pm, the merry making at the pubs had already began. Loads of people were standing outside the pubs, bounded by metal railings, next to the road, with plastic cups of alcohol in their hands. At first we thought that these people were waiting to get inside the pubs, but they were in fact already AT the pub. Hubby and I couldn't understand, what's so cool about standing out in the cold, next to the road, leaning on metal railings and holding a plastic cup? But there's no denying the exhilarating effects of alcohol plus music. Everyone was in a cheerful mood. Many of the party goers are in military uniforms, probably participants of the earlier Anzac march. Bouncers were all around, watching out for the trouble makers. This explains the plastic cups, I supposed. We left the area as soon as we finished our dinner. It's not a place for kids after dark.





We headed back to Melbourne on Monday and enroute took a short detour to see Fiztroy Falls at the Morton National Park. Similar to on the way north, we broke our journey mid way, this time in a town called Wagga Wagga. Nothing very spectacular there and we left to have lunch at the border town of Albury.

About 335 km later, we finally reached home. What a trip. I think we've driven more than 2000km over the last 5 days. Credit goes to Hubby, the main driver, for delivering us safe and sound all the way. The 2 boys did very well in the car too. We did not have any DVD players in the car and we didn't allow them to read or play their Nintendo DS when the car is moving. They had only a few Transformers toys and a Silly Songs With Larry CD to entertain themselves with during the journey. And of course, each other. During the rides, they ate, sang, slept, played, talked, squabbled and had pillow fights. The duration of the journey can make sitting down in a confined space abit unbearable at times but they made no trouble for us. Well done, boys!

A Happy New Year

We are now 7 days into the new year! The last few days of 2009 till now have been a flurry of outdoor activities and social gatherings. With our friends, Steven & family from Singapore staying with us and welcoming the new year, our whole family has been pretty busy out and about, spending the summer holidays doing loads of fun things together.




And things are set to get busier for the rest of the month. More details coming up ;-)




Our recent activities would have made a long journal but I think a picture tells a thousand words:

Cycling buddies ready to ride along Williamstown beach

Exploring Bacchus Marsh's Peppertree trail on bike

New Year's Eve BBQ at our place

2010's first breakfast

BBQ Picnic at Dandenong Ranges (at 16 degrees celsius!)

Drive-in Movie: The kids all ready to watch Alvin & The Chipmunks from the roof of the car

At the Melbourne Aquarium

Shannon & XX at our impromtu picnic at the Gurdies winery

Reunion dinner of 4 ex-colleagues

Christmas Day: finally get to open our presents

Cherries & Strawberries

It's raining cats and dogs now. After a long week of hot, dry days, this refreshing downpour is very much welcomed by my household, not to mention our plants which are almost dying of thirst. Thursday had been one of the hottest day, with temperatures of 34 degrees but the weather forecast for this weekend has turned around drastically, it's almost unbelievable. Now I'm kind of worried if the rain would affect our picnic tomorrow.

Today, it was an overcast sky that greeted us in the morning. The weather was cool but there was no rain as we set off to the countryside of Bacchus Marsh, just 35km away. Bacchus Marsh is having the Cherries & Strawberries Weekend and we're hoping to do some cherry-picking. As it turned out, we were too early and too late. It is still early in the cherry season, so there were not that much cherries for picking as most cherries are still ripening. And we'd reached there too late so whatever ripe cherries there were had all been plucked. Thankfully, there will be plenty more opportunities in the coming 3 weeks. The farm had peaches and nectarines too but we were not too interested in those. The cherries looked so bright, fresh and cheery on the trees. Hubby and I has agreed that we should plant some cherry trees in our garden next time, in addition to lemon and apple trees. KK was rather disappointed that he couldn't pick anything there but the weather was nice so we took a stroll around the orchard nonetheless.

After a delicious lunch at the town center, we returned to the Avenue of Honour and stopped by the Naturipe farm. They also had cherries, peaches and nectarines but only the strawberries were ready for picking. It's the 3rd time we're doing this, so honestly, the novelty for me is no longer there. I can buy strawberries anytime at the market and the prices are very reasonable. No longer a tourist, I'm not willing to pay for strawberries that cost double its usual price. We found out that they charge $9/kg and there's no minimum quantity. You pick as much and as little as you like. I think the price is rather reasonable so in we went for some exercise.

Inside, the bright red strawberries looked so delicious and everyone of them seem to be telling me "pluck me, pluck me". I felt like picking everything home. In the midst of teaching him how to pick good strawberries, KK received a valuable, albeit premature, lesson on 'cherry picking' his future partner. He tends to pick the first red strawberry he sees, usually those most visible and hanging outside. But really, many of the good ones are actually hidden inside the bush, where most people would not bother to push the leaves apart to find. Also before picking, we should turn the strawberry around and examine it properly. Some appear perfect facing you but the other side is still yellow and not ripe. Some have blemishes and worms hidden from our view. Not every red strawberry is worth picking. Hopefully he'll understand the deeper meaning next time but at the moment he sure needs to make better selections, many of the strawberries he picks cannot pass the 'QC' of mummy.

We didn't have to walk very far down two rows of plants to find our 2 kg box almost full. Rationale must prevail! We cannot possibly finish 2 kg of strawberries in a short time. Besides we can always come back again to get more anytime. I had to stop my sons and myself from our 'plucking frenzy'. At the end, we brought home 1.4kg of beautiful strawberries and a satisfied KK, who finally got to pluck something!

Grampians National Park Weekend

Last weekend, we were at the Grampians National Park, 235 km west of Melbourne and the 3rd largest National Park in Victoria. We drove up on Saturday morning and spent 2 nights at the Parkgate Resort, part of the Big 4 Holiday Parks group. Together with us were a Malaysian family. They have 3 kids, aged 2.5 to 7. Their eldest is KK's classmate in school.

It was early Spring and the weather was still rather wet, with misty showers on and off. We were really blessed that during our walks through the trails, the rain stayed away. Though it was cold, there was no wind.

Looking at ants

On Sunday morning, we set off on one of the trails to see the Venus Bath rock pools. It was a very mild track and only 2.3 km return. The real challenge was managing the dynamics of the 5 children. I had brought along toy binoculars for my children to have some fun during the walks but they turned out to be the source of contention amongst the older kids. There were 3 binos but 4 kids. So half the time, the parents had to intervene and sort out disputes about who holds the binos and which one. It was crazy and it doesn't help that one of the kids will wail at the top of her lungs when she couldn't get her way. I think all the wildlife, including insects must have been frightened off by the din that came with our group.

KK looking rather displeased at not getting the binoculars

Nevertheless, it was a good walk and I'm especially proud of XX who walked most of the way on his little 2 feet. We carried him only over muddy pools and tracks. I'm also proud of KK. He was adventurous yet not reckless. He also took quite good close-up photos of interesting plants along the way.

The little trekker

Some interesting 'eggs' on a leaf

After the walk, we had a picnic lunch at the base with another group of friends who had just driven up from Melbourne to join us. It was so cool to see so many people get together, chatting and eating chipolatas, bread, chips, fruits and biscuits.

All together now - in harmony

We wrapped up the day with another walk to MacKenzie Falls, one of Victoria's largest and most spectacular waterfalls. As XX had fallen asleep in the car, only KK and I took the steep walk down to the base of the waterfall with our friends. The walk down was easy enough and the view of the waterwall was stunning. But it was the return journey that really took my breath away! I had to rest now and then in between climbing up the steep steps to catch my breath. My 7 yr old son, on the other hand, did not need to stop and reached the top a good 10 mins before me. Now my calf muscles are starting to ache, a testament of how unfit they are.




The nights were pretty interesting too. We had dinner at our friend's cabin the first night (Chinese Herbal Chicken Soup 八宝汤) and we invited them over the next for Fish Bee Hoon 鱼片汤 steam boat style. It was a good arrangement cos there was not much choice about eating out, the nearest township being about 30 mins drive away. Of course, with 5 kids together, it was chaotic and there were frequent interruptions to discipline, reprimand and comfort. But the adults did manage to make some good conversations and we enjoyed the fellowship nonetheless.


Check out more photos in Facebook, friends!

J-Mania Part 1 - Jump Mania

The husband brought XX out today to fetch KK and finally, I get an undisturbed stretch of monopoly over the computer, so I better blog this before anything....

The last weekend has been nicknamed "J-Mania Weekend" by KK. For the first J on Saturday, we went to watch "Jump Mania" at the Rod Laver Arena in the city. This is my first visit to watch anything spectacular since coming to Melbourne and also my first time watching a live show on monster trucks and motor cross stunts. A girlfriend was surprised that I'm even interested in the first place. But why not, I've been playing enough computer simulated monster truck and motor cross games with my sons and it's not everytime we get to see real big monster machines up close perform stunts.

Waiting to pick up our tickets

We were excited enough walking up the steps as we entered the arena. KK had so looked forward to this day for the whole of last week and XX too was pointing excitedly at the giant poster, saying "Look, Mama, monster trucks!" But were we disappointed.





The show was supposed to start at 6pm. We didn't have any dinner before that as it was too early and we thought we could catch a late dinner at about 8pm when the show ended. But the show lasted 4 hours and ended at 10.15pm!! And what a draggy 4 hours. They started 15 mins late, took their time introducing all the machines and vehicles, had 2 intermissions in between 3 segments and had a guy who could sing and make sound effects entertain the crowd for 15 mins each time they restarted.

Had to cover XX's ears to protect against the deafening noise

Each segment was similar to the previous and featured the various monster trucks rolling over the same 2 rolls of cars - over and over again - until they became flat metal sheets. Hubby said it reminded him of the sugarcane juicing machine, you put the sugarcane through over and over again, until there's no more juice left. I laughed like crazy. That's exactly what the organisers are doing, desperately trying to squeeze every bit of juice out of the show.

This is at the beginning when cars still look like cars

Some kids on motor bikes came riding out in every segment, doing nothing but silly things like trying to knock each other off their bikes and throwing things at each other. Some people were laughing at their antics but I'm not very amused at their unruly behaviour. An odd looking tank/car came out making a hell lot of noise. That was KK's favourite but again there were no stunts, just noise. The kids on bikes tried to play soccer with a giant ball and then in the next segment, some cars tried to do the same. That was quite funny, to see them go forward, reverse, go forward, reverse, just to push that ball to the goal post. But is that considered skills?

Cars playing soccer

My real treat was the motor cross stunts. The 2 motor cross riders did dangerous stunts like arched their backs, took their hands off the bike, stood on the bike and did back flips with their bikes in mid-air. My heart will jump every time they did their stunt. There's so much skills and precision involved. If they don't do it correctly, things could go fatally wrong. That is what I call good entertainment. But even good stunts can get boring if you repeat it too often. I have to admit that by the third time I saw their stunts, my heart didn't jump at all. I will try to upload a video of the stunts as the pictures didn't turn out too well.






The finale was a "destruction" segment where cars knock each other until their bumpers fall off, their boot fail to exist and basically cannot move anymore. The winner is the last vehicle 'standing'. That sounded promising. There's something sadistically exciting about vehicles crashing together :-P But as it turned out, given the small arena, the vehicles were crashing into each other at relatively low speed, so it took forever before the winner emerged. And there was no explosion. Meanwhile, there were plenty of exhaust and dust generated. I almost felt nauseous.





The organisers would have got a much better review from me if they had cut off half the crappy, time-wasting, cheapskate, repeat performances (so I still have time to go for dinner) and concentrated on packing in some real kick ass stunts. And an outdoor venue would have been better for such noisy machines that gives lots of exhaust and kicks up plenty of dust.



We were very tired by the time we reach home at 11pm. I must compliment the kids for behaving very well during the whole night, even though they must be exhausted. But nothing will ruin our mood, for the next day is KK's birthday celebration!

Fun4Kids Festival

The advertisement boasted 2.5 acres bursting with school holiday fun, with 14 huge zones of over 100 activities and workshops. But I had no idea. I still conjure up some amusement park image in my mind, thinking of merry-go-rounds, roller coasters etc.

We arrived just in time to see Play School's Justine Clarke in concert. Not sure if you've heard of this lady in Singapore, but you can see her regularly as one of 2 hosts on ABC Kids' toddler programme Play School at 10am everyday. She seems to be getting very popular. And very pregnant. I kind of worry for her, prancing about on stage with that watermelon tummy but she seems to be managing well and enjoying it too! I also admire her energy. When I was THAT pregnant, all I want to do is sit down.

Anyway, after a while, we left the concert to explore the other areas and discovered, what to me was, a brand new universe of wholesome ways for kids to have fun. There were many many DIY projects. After climbing around at the indoor playground for a while, KK and XX tried making their own piggy banks and badges. We did not try Edible Art though as I saw many parents walking about holding the little biscuits with gummy bears sitting on wafer see-saws for their kids. It would be a struggle for me to resist putting them into my mouth.

KK and XX with their piggy banks and badge.

KK spent a considerable amount of time at Woodwork, where with the help of Papa, he made and painted a wooden chain saw. They actually set up dozens of wooden work benches and every child/parent is given a real hammer to work with. Then they go collect their pieces of wood based on the project they chose. After this it's into the 'banging' zone. It's a noise hazard there with all the hammering so I brought XX outside to the sandpit. There he got absorbed into the world of diggers, bulldozers, dump trucks and rollers on sand until KK joined him.








We tried to visit all the other areas but there were too many activities that we didn't have time to do. Already, XX didn't take his nap, being very occupied by all that's going on around him. We did not even sit down to have a proper lunch, that would have meant less time for the activities. Luckily, I came well prepared with cakes and sandwiches to snack along the way.





The good thing about this festival is they've got everything sheltered as it was raining on and off. Everything was also very organised, with clear signages and toilets easily accessible. There were even nursing areas for mums and a nap area for babies. There were lots of children and parents there but interestingly, I don't see any long queues for anything, except for rock climbing. There were sufficient materials, kits and space for everybody. There were also lots of hand sanitizers and sinks for people to keep their hands germs free. With the number of kids there, it would have been easy for viruses to pass around. We cleaned our hands whenever we can and I only hope others did the same too.



We left at about 4.30pm and had an early dinner at the Pebbles Cafe just across the road. They have an indoor play area for children and guess what? KK and XX dashed inside and had another round of playtime before the food arrives. When it comes to playing, they're never too tired.