My PlaySchool Giveaway!

My playschool, a very useful website on home learning is having a giveaway!

In celebration of their 400 LIKES on their Facebook page, they are giving readers the opportunity to a hand-made learning aid worth $30.

For more details do checkout their website :-
http://myplayschool.net/2010/08/giveaway-the-quiet-book-worth-30/

Play Time- The Magic Island! - 29/08/2010

In the middle of the ocean lies an island.And on this island, a magical experience awaits you…
Play with cheeky mischievous monkeys, which will tickle your funny bone. Build your own sandcastles and when it gets too hot, dive into the clear cool waters to pick up pretty sea shells.When night falls, sway along with the palm trees and sing along to the special songs of the island!
There is plenty for everyone to do!
So come along, spend a day of fun with us and discover the spellbinding beauty on the Magic Island!

On Sunday, I brought Amanda for the above play at Esplanade for the first time together with May and her two darlings. I nearly did not want to bring her there as she was unwell the night before. However, seeing that she was active, I decided to bring her there and I was glad I did.

Ervin was a bit shy to sit with Amanda and Erlene cried when she saw the big headlights in the studio. Its a pity she missed the show. Hope she overcome her fear soon. As for Amanda, she was curious as to where we were as she looked around at the new environment.

The recital studio was done up like a seaside setting and we were all seated on the floor. Throughout the play,the characters are moving around and its interactive as there is one scene where the children helped to pick the seashells that were placed all over the studio. Children loved animals and the characters are mainly animals that they were familiar with and the children went crazy when the fish appeared blowing bubbles all over the studios. I think Amanda and Ervin had a good time as they were following the show without a blink.

When we got home, Amanda could still tell her daddy the things she saw and some details which I thought she won't notice. Never underestimate the kids nowadays.

I will certainly bring her to more of such plays and shows in future!

PS: Thanks to my mum and little sis who accompany the both of us there. Otherwise, I think I will be so super duper tired!

Here is Amanda on our way home that evening after shopping and having our dinner at Marina Square.

Simple lunch on 28/08/2010

On Saturday as hubby was working. I brought Amanda to class in the morning and went straight home. Decided to cook something for lunch that day.

Three colours carrots soup- radish, carrot and green carrot soup boiled with pork ribs, red dates and nan xing bei xing. Amanda helped to washed the carrots after I have peeled off the skin. She kept telling me the green carrot was not peeled off properly as its green ahha. She thought there is a layer of skin there cos its green. Anyway, Amanda ate it with brown rice. Yummy!

Decided to do meat patties too. Using minced meat, chopped spinach, add a little soya sauce and seasame oil to marinate. Mould the meat into flat round shape and pan fried. Boil some frozen vegetables. Not really nice cos the meat is a bit dry but Amanda gave me face by eating two of them.

Celebrating Wai Por's birthday

Its Amanda's wai por birthday on 21st August. As we will be in Malacca, we had a simple celebration for her on Thursday night-19th August 2010.

We bought a new hp for her (from the 3 sisters). So that afternoon after my checkup, me and hubby went to choose a phone for her from a handphone shop before picking Amanda up from her CC to bring her for her tuina at YuGuo and to choose a cake from Pine Garden. That night, we went over to my mum's place with the present and cake for a mini celebration.

The Black Forest cake Amanda chose

She was thrilled when we lighted up the candle

No prize for guessing who sang the birthday song loud and clear that night!

Blowing out the candle

Cutting the cake. She can't wait to eat the cake!

On the day we arrived Singapore from Malacca which happened to be my mum's birthday. First thing Amanda asked was "wai por?". That night, she called her and sang her the birthday song again haha

Good Hair Days

Posted these pics in FB sometime back. Love these pics and decided to post it here. Love them cos she allows us to clip her hair and tie them up. She hardly allows us to do that.... sighhh wonder when I can take out all the hairclips again and help her tie mei mei haahaha

2D1N Trip to Malacca 20/8/2010-21/8/2010

We went for a short trip to Malacca. Daddy has been wanting to bring us there for a long time.This time its only 3 of us, 4 if you include the little one in my tummy haha.

We departed from home at 8.30am. The road was clear and the ride was smooth as its a Friday morning. It felt good to be going away for a short break. We stopped at first R&R stop Machap at 10.30am and have our breakfast at this shop called Kaya Kopitiam (toastbox like shop).

Kaya Kopitiam

Waiting for our breakfast

By noon, we reached Malacca and went to Mahkota and new shopping centre nearby for a walk.

Her favourite new pose

Father and daughter walking along the shopping mall street. Don't know the name of that mall...

Amanda enjoying the Gui Ling Gao. She loves it with or without honey.

Daddy and Amanda. Take one, take two

At the entrance of Melaka Megamall

Walking back to our car to proceed to our hotel in Jonker street

We booked our accomodation with a boutique hotel called Hotel Puri which is right in Jonker street at the recommendation from my colleague. The room is clean and its in a superb location and not forgetting its only half the price of Holilday Inn which we intially planned to book. But of cos, Holiday Inn room would be more luxurious. However, I think Hotel Puri is good enough.

At the hotel lobby. It has a peranakan feel. Oh there is Amanda carrying her toy cat to show it around haha.

Our room number

The room's toilet is clean. Very important to me!

The beds.

Amanda inspecting the room.

Our "bibles" sans the GPS and internet


Amanda wanted to call Aunty Cat when she saw the phone......

What is Amanda looking at? She was thrilled to find a real cat in the hotel


Checking out other parts of the hotel


At the hotel entrance


Went out to look for food!



Our first stop was at Jonker 88 which serves chendol and some other local food



Our Chendols and asam laska. Look at the grin on Amanda's face... She can't wait to get her hands on the Chendol! Oh and I love the asam laska! Sour and spicy! Thats's what a preggy needed haha.

Amanda's tears of happiness when she tasted the Chendol haha. Actually, she just threw a tantrum cos Daddy crushed her ice! Sighh Terrible 2

While Amanda was enjoying her Chendol, a group of tourist requested to take a photo of Amanda. Wow, its the second time there was ever such a request. And they requested that we do not ask her to look at the camera and just let her continue enjoying the Chendol. Natural shot. Hmm will we see Amanda on the Time Magazine cover soon? haha Sorry pardon me. I think they just find her cute. Yeah, she is the cutest. I know I am bias. :P

Kaypoh Amanda. The shop settings has those old shops feel.



Satisfied customers leaving the shop

A walk on Jonker street to check out the shops

Amanda checking out the toys selling in those old toy shop. Daddy loved those shops and he bought a couple of toys there like those bubbles blowing toys, toy aeroplane and a xylphone there. Amanda loves the xylphone, making music and singing to with the tune.

Hokkien Huay Kuan.... hmm that reminded me to do something..

At a souvenir shop

Amanda looking for Dora shoe to buy. I am serious.


We rested at a cafe when Amanda fell asleep

Its run by two foreigners serving western food and beverages

What are we looking at? I can't remember.

Enjoying fruit juice.

We have "lou lou'' for dinner or satay steamboat. Its delicious!

Every Fri, Sat and Sun,the Jonker street will be closed. No cars can passed through as there will be pasar malam. We were still early for the pasar malam and decided to go back to hotel for a short break and come out for the pasar malam later.




Bought some tarts or "bing" from one of the well known shops there.

Taking some pics at hotel outdoor area before going to the pasar malam. The place is really nice but our camera cannot capture it.

Our hotel signboard at night

Frankly, there is nothing much to buy at the pasar malam but I guess its the people and the atmosphere there. Did I mention before Daddy is an "old man" at heart sometimes. He likes to go to places like these instead of shopping centres. Even before we were married, he likes to go to Chinatown instead of Orchard road..ha Anyway, we only bought some food for supper that night, nothing else but we enjoyed the walk there.

Our supper for that night! Actually not fantastic lah haha. The black thing is their carrot cake. They smelled heavenly when the uncle was frying on the street. When we opened it in the room, gosh smelled great but........ its tasteless ahha they did not put garlic and cai por like we do in Singapore.

That night, Amanda slept late too at 11 plus all the way till morning. No night feeds yeah!

At the hotel the next morning before we head out for our breakfast

Behind us is how the hotel signboard looks like in the morning

We went to a shop called Long Fatt for breakfast. Its recommended in Axian food show (a popular food show in Malaysia) for its teochew porridge.

We were there at 8.30am and were their first customers but not all the dishes are ready yet. But its really good. Simple but good. The asam fish shown in the pic above have been cooked for 12 hrs or more and the bones just melt in your mouth. No fear of fish bones! We will be back next time when we come to Malacca. Just to note, they are usually sold out by afternoon and are closed on Sunday and PH.

Nancy's kitchen- a peranakan cafe which we will try the next time

We walked around and saw how people there sell their pork in the shop. The pork are displayed in the open. No fridge, nothing. Its a no no in Singapore. We also went Tong Hup, a wholesaler shop to buy some things.

Why did Daddy take this pic? hmmm must be some food he wanted to try next time. Must ask him again. I really have pea sized brain nowadays... bleh

Outside San Shu Gong. Told her to do the xiao xi xi face haha. Bought some local food there.

Our little food taster



We settled our lunch at this chicken rice shop. That's Axian photo there.

Our lunch. Frankly, I like Singapore's chicken rice more as I like "hard" rice. But the chicken is nice and I love the black bean soup here. I usually can't find black bean soup outside except in my own mum's kitchen.

After lunch, we slowly made out way back to the hotel for a short rest before checking out. We thoroughly enjoy ourselves although its tiring cos Amanda wanted us to carry at times or she was walking too slowly haha.

But ..bye Malacca, we will be back soon!