Posted on

JJ at Legoland Hotel JB

Well it happens JJ’s favourite aunt – Gugu J manages to book out The elusive Ninjago Lloyd (aka Green Ninja) room on a mid-week Wednesday, so what d’ya know we pack our bags and head to the Legoland Malaysia Resort! BIG HURRAY for the HUGE Ninjago fans JJ are.

We have had the annual passes for some years but never actually utilised the discounted rates on Legoland Hotel so this was an opportune time to leverage the 20% discount on rooms.

Turns out we would be coming straight from KL the day before so when we got to the Legoland Hotel we were just yearning to stay in and rest. Alas while we really did just hibernate in the room, rest was elusive as there was just so much fanfare and excitement – the oohs and aahs from JJ the moment we stepped into the room, admiring the tastefully done Ninjago-themed decor (what else would you expect!), Legoland toiletries and amenities (!) , to getting thru the treasure hunt and eventually unlocking to secret chest to uncover our treasure!

Legoland Resort Malaysia Johor Bahru undergoing a facade face-lift.

Lobby/check-in with Lego Knights Castle (akin to Daddy J’s Black Knights Castle) and Pirate’s Ship play area!

The usual disco lights and music play go on when the elevator doors close – “Everything is awesome, everything is cool when you’re part of a team (by Tegan and Sara)”… different elevators have different themes ranging from Adventure, Pirates, Kingdom…

*Elevator dings* we’re at Level 5 and greeted by none other than Master Wu. Ninjago rooms share the same level as Pirates-themed rooms, which is also the same floor as the hotel pool.

Getting into our Lloyd-themed room…

Treasure hunt instructions laid out on the bed.

[Spoiler alert] Click here for the answers to unlock the treasure chest!

Lego-styled toiletries! Literally everything is AWESOME!

The pool which was virtually empty when we got there in the morning after brekkie. But then again, who would need a pool when you have the Legoland Water Park right at your doorstep! *Splash!*

We did head out eventually to the Legoland Theme Park for our regular dose of Ninjago ride (note Jon beat his record of 204,750 with full bragging rights to it!), dragon roller-coaster (Jo) and for dinner at the Medini Mall (we walked past the newly-opened Sealife aquarium)

There are nightly activities at the Lobby, ranging from movie nights to kids playing in the lego pits and running through the pirates ship deck or knight’s castle. That night we were there though, we enjoyed a little Hari Raya magic show! Kids were all in their PJs, literally wayyy past their bedtime!

The next day we just took it easy – having extended breakfast at the Bricks Family Restaurant (sprawling with KIDS!), playing video games at the Games console room and watching tele in the room before checking out at noon (note the hotel’s official check-in and checkout timings are 4pm/11am respectively).

 

After checkout we were deliberating between going into Legoland again or checking out the latest attraction (Sealife) – given it was sweltering hot then with the noon day sun blazing, it really did make more sense to do a look-see at the air-conditioned Sealife.

Sealife Malaysia officially opened its doors in May 2019 after almost a year in making since groundbreaking in August 2018. Legoland regulars would remember the works-in-progress through this time, the dust and temporary walkways from the open air carpark to the park entrance… but alas, this is all now behind us! Owned and operated by the UK-based Merlin Entertainment Group, the fresh-faced Sealife Malaysia joins a network of >50 other such aquariums/oceanariums around the world (Merlin is also synonymous with Madam Tussauds, Sydney Wildlife Zoo, among others).

In all, we spend slightly more than an hour, zipping* through the various exhibits but spent disproportionately most time at the life-sized aquarium screen – similar to whats now super popular at kids’ play areas and entertainment centers, the one at Sealife Malaysia though has individual screens (not just paper you colour on and snapshot with the digital projector) where kids (and adults too!) design their own sea-life and spawn them into the vast underwater world…. Daddy J himself gets creative with his zebra inspired starfish.

Kids to Daddy: How do you tell the difference between a zebra-striped Daddy and Mummy star fish?

Daddy J: Daddy starfishes are black with white stripes, but Mummy starfishes are white with black stripes

JJ: 🙂

 

*Note: the layout is cleverly designed over 3 levels of exhibits intertwined and accessed by steps (there were lotsa climbing up and down steps to the different floors. Not to worry though as there are also elevators to make accessibility easier!

Posted on

Grandpa J’s Birthday High Tea @ The Fullerton (Town Restaurant)

Last week we celebrated Yeh Yeh (Grandpa J)’s 70th!

Considering it was Wesak Day holiday on Monday, 20th May we decided to have local* high tea at The Town Restaurant at The Fullerton Hotel.

*local since there is also the option of English afternoon tea at the beautiful sunlit atrium Courtyard at the Fullerton.

Nonetheless for the purpose of the lunch celebration we decided on the local offering at The Town.

Literally the Best Chicken Rice in “Town”. 
Thumbs up for the chilli and ginger sauce as great compliment to the chicken, Sio Bak (roasted pork belly) and duck!

  

Another famed local specialty – Laksa and Satay (chicken, lamb and beef variants on offer)… Mutton boy obviously going for the chicken!

 

Quinoa salad and more salads (Achar!)…

 

And finally… sweets & dessert! Cendol, Kueh Kueh (or Kuih Muih!), AKK (Ang Ku Kueh), Kuih Lapis, Ondeh-Ondeh and Portuguese Egg Tart! Works well with a glass of cincau, bandung or soya bean milk…

  

Watered down with some Longan and Almond Tofu and Ice-Cream!

  

The nice folks at The Town took some pix and made it into a nice Birthday Card for Grandpa J – Awww, what a nice surprise!

And the final verdict from the JJ Twins?

Thumbs Up for The Town!

   

After a hearty lunch (or high tea!) we decide to take a stroll to the nearby Merlion Park, do the touristy stuff and soak in the picturesque sights of beautiful Singapore! Kids posing with the baby Merlion, with Mummy Merlion doing what she does best.

 

Posted on

Happy Mothers’ Day 2019!!!

Happy Mothers’ Day 2019!

Dear Mummy, I love you. Thank you for caring for us.
Dear Daddy, I love you. Thank you for loving us.
From Joanna

Dear Mummy, thank you for loving and caring for me.
Dear Daddy, thank you for buying me toys and books.
From Jonathan 

   

Aww… it was definitely a surprise for both Daddy and Mummy to be receiving this from JJ.

Yes it’s Mother’s Day today (2nd Sunday of May*), but as Father’s Day happens only next month (16th June 2019), Daddy was definitely not expecting anything, much less a card from the kids – thus a very surprising gift indeed to a Sunday morning!

* Mother’s Day happens on the 2nd Sunday of May each year
** Father’s Day coincides with the 3rd Sunday of June each year

As we had pre-celebrated MD with Grandma J last week, we spent some time with Ah Ma and Ah Gong yesterday, taking them to Bollywood Veggies!

Tucked away at the Kranji Countryside, this quaint and quintessential farm is a welcome getaway from the hustle bustle of city-life Singapore.

 
  
 
  

Sitting on a sprawling 10-acres of land, this abode also boasts a cafe, a culinary school, a museum and of course the renown fertilizer-and-pesticide-free farm.

 

While waiting for lunch (Nasi Lemak Platter and Warrior’s Thali for 2), JJ lose no time with the balls and hoop.

 
 

Free banana muffins, Bollywood Veggies eco-friendly tote and Pandan leaves!

Ample parking, and the Kranji Countryside Express bus service with pick up from Kranji MRT and plies the following route (note cost of $3/head/trip applies),

  • Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve
  • Nyee Phoe (Gardenasia)
  • Gallop Kranji Farm Resort
  • Kranji Marshes
  • Bollywood Veggies
  • Thong Hup Gardens
  • Hay Dairies Goat Farm
  • Jurong Frog Farm

 
  

As an aside, jotting down some notes from Pastor Val this morning:

in this ever-competitive society, lets take time to be the intentional parents to our kids.

It doesnt need to be quantity time, but so true to ensure the time we spend with them is truly quality time, the time that truly counts.

Instead or stressing over the PSLE or O-Level scores, here’s an alternate perspective…

PSLE – Primary School Leaving Exams can otherwise be translated to:

  • Person (or Parent/s)
  • Showing
  • Love &
  • Encouragement

O-Level’s L15R Score (L1 or Main Language Paper/R5 – 5 Relevant Subjects)

L1

  • Loving relationship

R5

  • Righteous
  • Rested
  • Resilient
  • Respectful
  • Responsible

Yes, we’re definitely not undermining the basis of the education system, but definitely worth considering the other important (if not more critical) aspects to our kids’ wellbeing and development.

Here’s wishing all Moms (and Dads since this cant happen without the equal partnership of the DDs) a Blessed Mothers’ Day 2019!

Signing off from Sunday brunch @ Mackers! Pix of the JJ Twins from 6 years ago on Mothers’ Day 2013!

 

Posted on

JJ at Midvalley Southkey (Sogo @ Johor Bahru)

Midvalley Southkey (Sogo @ Johor Bahru)

Midvalley Southkey officially opened its doors on 23rd April 2019 (pretty queer considering it was a mid-week Wednesday but reckon it would have been auspicious enough a date to warrant the official opening!)

Having wanted to visit since then to get first dips (in all-things-new!), The J Team finally paid a visit on Friday.

I must say hopes were high given the known reputation of Sogo and Midvalley (if its anything like the Midvalley KL, it should be good!). There was also a certain level of standard to be had since other recent JB malls (ala Capital, Paradigm) quite frankly failed to live up to expectations.

From the outward facade, the mall does look pretty impressive, making it a point even to construct a flyover to enable south-bound visitors to exit the EDL highway conveniently as a final pitstop before hitting the Malaysian Checkpoint at BSI.

View of Midvalley Southkey on the EDL (Eastern Dispersal Link) Expressway South-bound.

North-bound view from the EDL showing exit slip road in 250m.

Entry into the carpark was seamless as there were not many people (to our surprise at least) on a Friday evening. Found out subsequently there were at least 3 other entry/exit points so thats definitely a PLUS point which helps disperse the traffic and influx of mad rushers in/out. Pleasant surprise also that Touch & Go (TNG) was accepted (seems like the default mode these days).

Inside the carpark it was apparent that the owner/management were pretty much in a hurry to open their doors, evident from the less-than-complete workmanship on the walls and lacklustre paint job. The more-than-ample parking however made up for the superficial deficit(s). Noteworthy also that there were MANY dedicated disabled-parking lots, so here’s a KUDOS shout-out to team Midvalley for being intentional social citizens! YAY!

  1. Pix of entry via TNG
  2. Pix of ample disabled-parking lots
  3. Download the mall directory via below link.

www.midvalleysouthkey.com/pdf/shop-mall-map.pdf

Overall 4 levels spanning 3 courts/wings (Centre, North and South), the remaining top 2 levels are (3F/3M) are still works in progress (no known current anticipated opening at this point).

Centre Court

South Court

Village Grocer @ North Court

Pros:

  1. Carpark payment via Touch and Go!
  2. Ample disabled parking lots
  3. Ample elevators (unlike AEON/Jusco Tebrau which is still our current fav!)
  4. Uniqlo and A&W (Akan Datang!), Texas Chicken
  5. Kid/stroller friendly and wide-enough walkways even for twin strollers!
  6. Playground inside Sogo (3F)!
  7. Starbucks inside Sogo (2F)!
  8. Free Popcorn and Cotton Candy in Sogo (3F/Kiddy section) from 3-5May!

       

   

Cons:

  1. Raw construction debris/unsightly finishing
  2. No cinema (maybe in the making)

 

  

Posted on

Lego Ninjago

JJ are HUGE fans of the Lego Ninjago Series… prolly smitten by the same Lego bug as was Daddy J in his younger days.

One fine afternoon when we were about 4, Daddy J whips out little Lego System Black Knights Castle ensemble from the closet and intrigued us. That kinda sparked our interest in these little’ bricks yet he said we were too young to fiddle around with them – instead he shoved us some Lego Duplo blocks instead *bummer*…

One of our first Lego (Duplo) sets we bought at the Lego store @ Rinku Premium Outlet in Osaka, Japan.

We will be sure to keep this in neat condition for junior JJs in future 🙂

However since embarking on our very own Ninjago journey 2 years back, there’s been no turning back.

JJ’s Lego Ninjago journey…

Kudos to the LEGO team for the very clear and intuitive instructions. JJ have had very minimal supervision building these sets. The only help Mummy and Daddy J have provided are in ensuring the pieces stick together snugly, and the very occasional re-orientation (left/right hand of the Kai Fire Mech or left/right wing of Jay’s Lightning Jet)…

Clockwise from Jon’s hands…

  • Jay’s Lightning Jet (Blue)
  • Cole’s Quake Mech (Grey/Black)
  • Garma Mecha Man (Black)
  • Kai’s Fire Mech (Red)

Clockwise from Jon’s hands

  • Firstbourne Dragon (Red)
  • Stormbringer Dragon (Blue)
  • Lloyd’s Green Dragon

  • Ultra (White) Dragon

  • Destiny’s Bounty

  • Our favourite Ninjago City!

    

  • Manta Ray Bomber

  • Ninjago Temple of the ULTIMATE Ultimate Weapon (Ninjago Joke)

  • Ninjago Temple of Resurrection

  • Miscellaneous Ninjago sets

To top it off, we were recently gifted a Legoland Ninjago Lloyd staycation @ the Legoland Malaysia Resort by our lovely Gugu J – check out our review of that stay here.

Posted on

Birthdays!

Mommy J recounts how preemie we were – we popped in WK31 and were both in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) for 20 days (T1) and 21 days (T2) respectively. It was tough to say the least, as both Daddy and Mommy were not allowed to stay overnight during this time.

Good thing is we had each other’s company, and subsequently Rex’s…  🙂

 

Thus every year is precious and every birthday is worth celebrating, and a timely reminder of how blessed we are to have life, and to have each other!

 

Our Very 1st Birthday – Cake and Cupcakes courtesy of Aunty Luan!

 

 

Our 2nd Birthday – Peppa Chocolate and Koala Strawberry!

 

Our 3rd Birthday Cake – Bus Boy Mutton and Princess (Elsa) Nana

 

Our 4th Birthday Cake – something a little more mainstream for us both to share!

Birthday Kiss Jie Jie! *Muax*
Now my turn Di Di!! *Muax*

    

The boys decked out in the same prints…

What happened to our 5th?

 

Our 6th Birthday Bash!

This year Mummy decided to do something different by organising a Birthday Bash for us! Mummy even made her own Candy Corner, worked the decor and kids craft! Good thing we had some elves help with the food, games and goodie bags!!! Pin the unicorn was definitely a hit with the kids!

       

Behind the scenes prep…

 

Posted on

Fundays!

Funday Everyday!

One of our absolute favourite things is LEGO! However Didi (T2) has had very stark increases in his myopia progression in recent years we’ve been advised to go outdoors more often and avoid the near-vision activities which we so like such reading and watching tele!

Nonetheless we enjoy other stuff like…

1. Riding our Wiggle Car!

2. Getting around (being ridden by Daddy J in our bike wagon)

3. Garden Breakfast Party (with Rex and friends!)

     

4. Our little jumping castle and Water Slide!

5. Outdoorsie Stuff!!!

Bubbles…

GIANT BUBBLES…

Painting

And bird catching?
Don’t worry, no sparrows were harmed in any way, neither by the JJ Kids nor the Goldie in the pic – the birdie was as swiftly released after gobbling up the remnant rice grains it had been attempting to eat before the doors behind it shut!

Montage courtesy of Gugu J!