Yotel Orchard Singapore (Nov 2020)

So we loved Yotel so much we decided to head back barely 3 months after our 1^st visit!

And this time we’re back for more pix!

Familiar facade.

Headed up to our room in the really hip elevator!

Bunk Bed and panoramic shot of the room!

Whats a trip to Yotel without making the acquaintance with Yoshi who brings bottled water up to our room!

On this trip, Daddy mucks around with the door security chain, and inadvertently locks us in since the latch gets stuck. We had to dial for help, and fortunately they dispatched (no neither Yoshi nor Yolanda) but a human technician who patiently hacks the lock out from outside, and rescues us from our predicament!

Soon we’re back to chilling in the room, watching TV and climbing up and down!

View from the top.

Dining area which served breakfast without the typical buffet setting (remember we’re still knee-deep in COVID era!). In the absence of the spread, we were given forms to select our options of mains, breads, juices and yoghurt (positive we’ll inevitably see the evolution of paper/physical forms transitioning to QR codes and touchless order and payment modes in months to come!).

Ice-Cream galore again!

Daddy says we will soon both no longer be able to fit up in the top bunk at the rate we chomp down our ice-creams!

Tucking in for the night, not before sneaking in another quick show to run down the sugar in our system *burpz*!

Breakkie the next morning…

July 14, 2019July 29, 2019

JJ at the Lego Ninjago SlamJam Competition at Legoland JB

JJ at the Lego Ninjago Spinner SlamJam Competition at Legoland JB (Jul 2019).

OK, so Gugu J has been a faithful sponsor of our Lego and we continue to be blessed by her generosity which we warmly accept 🙂

Seems she has been on some Lego mailing lists and she informs Jon of an upcoming Ninjago Spinner SlamJam Competition happening at Legoland in July. There are specific dates and time slots you can register for, but Mummy and Daddy J decide on Saturday, 13th July.

That fateful day finally arrives (a beautiful day indeed!), and Didi has been practising hard – I mean real HARD. There are apparently different stages/rounds requiring different strategies and he’s simulated all possibly scenarios in the past couple of weeks, anticipating having to persevere through 3 differing trials, each assessing his strength, speed, and agility!

We arrive ahead of the 1pm start time, and were pleasantly informed the competition would be extended to interested walk-in participants. Hearing that, Daddy persuades me to signup and compete alongside Jon. We were one of the early birds, seems there were like 10 other kids at that time and the organiser asks us to get in queue.

As we were a little early after rego, Mummy allows us to go on some rides! After all, whats a visit to Legoland without our usual dose of the Ninjago ride?

We set our personal record of 462,850!

On the way past the Fireman’s Bistro, we smell the familiar scent of our favourite fruit – the King of Fruits, that is! But wonder how it could be possible… but alas, it is true! Legoland JB is selling durians! 🙂

Lucky for us though, this departure terminal doesn’t have a ban on durians!

After some rides, we trod back to the competition venue – Sensei’s Brick Shop and who do we meet but the wise sensei himself, and his faithful side-kick, our fiery Kai!

The organiser explains the mechanics of the contest.

Round 1: In the very first trial, the task was to take down all the cut-up villains (ranging from 10-60points each) using Lloyd’s Titan Mech.

Round 2: In the second round, each contestant was given a slam spinner with the objective to take down as many of the 9 villains set-up in a 3×3 matrix formation.

Round 3: In the final showdown, contestants were asked to pitch their spinning skills aimed at the longest spin, each timed with a stopwatch.

After 3 gruelling rounds, the organiser asks for some time out to tabulate the scores, and we wait in anticipation.

After awarding the consolation prizes to the runner ups, it boils down to the final 2… he asks “whom of the following 2 do you think is the champion?”

Jon basking in jubilation over his win and poses with his clinch – the new Lloyd Titan Mech! Way to go CHAMP!

My very proud littl’ brother – grinning from ear to ear with his bounty in tow.

By the way, Daddy’s smiling cheekily also, proudly whispering to Mummy how he’d just saved $120 bucks not having to buy us that new mech. He thinks we can’t hear! 🙂

~Jo aka Twin1

July 2, 2019July 2, 2019

JJ at The Bicentennial Experience – From Singapore to Singaporean

JJ at The Bicentennial Experience – From Singapore to Singaporean

Mummy J signed us up some months back for the Bicentennial Experience. Good thing she did that.

When we first heard it however, we went like “What? Are we going to a new shopping mall?” and never thought back anything about it until last week when Mummy gets a reminder on her trusty iPhone calendar and off we go to the Fort Canning Centre (located at 5 Cox Terrace, Singapore 179620) [Park at F0022].

Note: what we’re attempting to describe below is based solely on our collective experience and will definitely not do justice to the amount of work the production team has put in over the past years – there has clearly been an incredible amount of effort and investment that has gone into making this show, experience, exhibit or whatever-you-call-it a reality.

This is ‘an-admission-by-ticket-only’ event and FREE tickets can be booked online here. Be sure thought to secure your tickets ASAP to immerse yourself in an educational experience that showcases defining events in Singapore’s 700-year history!

The following is an excerpt from the Bicentennial Experience guidebook which succinctly captures what the experience is all about:

The Bicentennial Experience commemorates the 200th anniversary of Raffles’ landing in Singapore. The Bicentennial Experience reflectively unfolds the story of our country’s evolution – stretching beyond the British arrival in 1819 to explore the preceding 500 years. As the centrepiece event of the Singapore Bicentennial, this multimedia sensory experience will take visitors back in time to witness key moments in Singapore’s transformation. The Bicentennial Experience has 2 main sections:

The Time Traveller which takes place indoors, bringing visitors on an epic experiential journey through Singapore’s key historical moments.
The Pathfinder which is an outdoor experience, with a series of pavilions designed for visitors to explore a diverse range of ideas and themes that show how Singapore’s connections with the rest of the world have spanned 700 years.

We thoroughly enjoyed the Time Traveller experience, comprising 5 different acts, preceded by the Atrium experience where we were taken thru a summary audio documentary of the rise and fall of civilisations and cities with a digital rotunda table of the visuals and map of the story, culminating with an awe-inspiring visual of the reverse-rain effect (rain drops rise from bottoms up)!

Act 1: Beginnings – Live performers and a moving travelator add drama and dynamism to some of the most colourful exploits that unfolded in early Singapura. The synchronised performance of the actors with the music and audio recap were choreographed perfectly and added drama and suspense! This was our favourite part of the entire experience.

Act 2: Arrival – We board “The Indiana”, the ship that brought Raffles to Singapore in 1819. The digital screen and animation were simply astounding, and left us awe-struck. [JJ Tip] Sit at the back rows if you are prone to motion sickness!

Act 3: Connectivity – Still in the same room, the circular surround screens now move and seats rotate to provide an all-immersive show experience. The JJ Tip of sitting at the back pews still apply since Mummy J had her eyes shut at some point to prevent her getting dizzy!

Act 4: Occupation – We disembark from the ‘vessel’ and are herded into a small darkened room to simulate refuge within an underground bomb shelter. The sirens and alarms blare signifying the Japanese occupation of Syonan during World War 2 (1942-1945). The audio broadcast of happenings around are vivid reminders of the very significant yet painful WW2 era in the history of Singapore. When we exit the room, we talk into a tunnel with supposed cracks in the wall through which we see glimpses of historical events during this time, culminating with an audio+visual account of a Sook Ching survivor (a Chinese term depicting the purging or cleansing or eliminating or individuals resisting the occupation).

Act 5: Destiny – Prior to entering the next room, we were handed brollies which we promptly opened before a gust of rain hovered across and started pouring cats and dogs.

Soon the weather fined up and we were ushered into a new dawn. A new era of Singapore, our Singapore today.

View our videos below in 2 parts [Caution on the 2nd video which may require parental guidance]

July 2, 2019July 3, 2019

JJ at V-Dining

JJ at V-Dining by V-Zug.

Turns out Mummy J lands us some dining vouchers, courtesy of our friends at Class 95 after winning them off the ‘I’m NOT stupid’ segment of Muttons in the Morning ! Daddy J is a closet fan of the Muttons, and some say thats why Jon’s nickname evolved to Mutton over time… (Jonathan->Tern Tern->Natern->Mutton).

FYI the crew with the Muttons at one of the previous Class95 roadshows at Nex!

So with our reservation in place, Daddy and Mummy J pack the kiddos and head out for lunch at V-Dining @ Scotts Square. It was a very quiet afternoon…

Very cozy ambience with an open kitchen concept and vantage views of Scotts Road.

Daddy and Mummy have the 5 course lunch set with wine, while Jo helps decide on our order of Salmon+Spinach as main course and Apple Cinnamon+Camomile ice-cream with home filtered water, and swiftly burrows her head in a Lego Ninjago book while the kind crew begins to whip up lunch.

Snacks and starters…

Tartar Lamb and fingerlime.

Laksa mousse with taupok (fried beancurd) cubes, laksa leaves.

Brown butter cabbage with langoustine.

Carrot soup with kohlrabi and leek.

Chicken with pumpkin and coconut curry for the grown-ups and salmon with spinach for the kids.

Desserts! Apple cinnamon with camomile and Yoghurt with berries and meringue…

Mummy was happy at the end… sipping Prosecco while kids worked on folding napkins to pay off their meal *burps*, and she can now confidently tell the Muttons – “I’M NOT STUPID!”

Thank you Class 95! 🙂

July 1, 2019July 12, 2019

Toy Story 4!

It is the final week of our school holidays and Daddy J suggests we head out the to Gardens by the Bay coinciding with the Children’s Festival happening from 15th Jun – 30th Jun 2019! While we had previously been there on our kindy’s field trip, it would be our first visit as a family to the gardens! Yay!

The toys are back! Tucked amidst the lush foliage of the Supertree Grove area are pop-up carnival games stalls and special missions to be completed. We team up with our favourite characters Woody, Buzz Lightyear and Bo Peep to complete the tasks, meet new and old friends along the way while having a blast of a time!

With our trail book in hand and following the signs to the carnival!

Can someone please let us know what fruit tree this is? Sure looks like Daddy J’s favourite pomelo, right in the middle of the garden!

Greeted by Woody & Jessie at the Bullseye Games…

Woody’s Coaster Rescue, which was by far one of the most (if not THE most) popular stall of the day judging by the queue…

Jessie’s Ring Capture and Bulleye Rescue…

Flag off at the Buzz’s Star Adventurer! Jon seems a tad too big for the littl’ red swivel car by now…

Meeting Bo and her sheep (Billy, Goat and Gruff!) at Bo Peep’s adventure!

Mr Duke Caboom and our new friend Forky the Spork…

At the end of the day, we had a BLAST of a time!

Best part of it, says Daddy “It was FREE”…

Free stickers for completing at least 3 of the challenges, styro planes (we caught a red and blue each during the frenzy of the Ball Drop), the awesome lazer, lights and sound display (from 7pm), and LOTSA fun together with Daddy and Mummy J!

And what’s a visit to the Toy Story 4 Carnival without actually making it to the movies for the actual movie itself?

That very same week we hit the box office…

It was a very good story with a good mix of old and new toys. Of the new cast, we liked (what Daddy called ‘separated at birth) the twins… Ducky and Bunny (the yellow and blue guys) the most…

At the end Mummy stepped out teary eyed and said it was OK to cry… we think she sobbed buckets by the end of the movie, not sure if it was because it was funny, scary or sad. We guess it was a bit of it all 🙂

June 21, 2019July 12, 2019

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!

June 14, 2019June 26, 2019

JJ in KL

With the school holidays currently underway, Mummy and Daddy decide to take JJ on a short road trip to KL.

Unfortunately this wasn’t quite planned ahead, the impetus to go really came from Mummy J’s cuz who sent her a note just last week about a 40% promo code for Kidzania Malaysia (ATOM40)*. We were lucky to have been able to leverage this promotion. Daddy J actually only booked it on 31st May itself! We ended up paying RM171 vs. what would have been RM261 for regular priced tix (2A+2C aged 4-17)**

*Note this is coinciding with the Kidzania KL Science and Space Programme happening 25th May – 16th June 2019. Disclaimer: This promotion is only applicable for online ticket purchase only from 19th April – 31st May 2019, valid for the following visit period from 20th April – 16th June 2019 with exception on 5th June 2019.

**Note Kidzania SG online price totals SGD$184.3 or RM552.9 for the same 2A+2C configuration but should not be taken as a 1-1 comparison. While there are obvious similarities, there are also stark contrasts in experiences between both. An example of this is that SG offers a Paddle Pop ice-cream making experience while this is not available in KL/MY. The latter however does have a Mc’Donalds burger making experience which is also unique between both locations.

Having secured the Kidzania tix Daddy J then proceeds to scout around for hotels during the week of 9th June. Where else to go but to the trusty Hilton Honors App. Given the gang has previously tried the Hilton KL (Jalan Stesen/KL Sentral) and PJ Hilton, we decide this time to book out the DoubleTree by Hilton located at Jalan Tun Razak, a stone’s throw from KLCC. It turns out Hilton APAC was having its timely APAC sale so we swiftly book out our rooms.

With the bookings in place, we set off on Monday (12th June) morning!

Beautiful morning to beat the Monday blues, with clear blue skies and the perfect company for a 3-hr ride up North!

Traffic was a breeze as most were probably already back at work post Raya holidays.

Midway through we make a pit-stop at Daddy’s favourite spot – The Perhentian Jejantas Ayer Keroh (Air Keroh Overhead-Bridge Rest Area) with the usual All-American A&W, KFC, Baskin Robbins and Dunkin Donuts!

KFC vs. A&W?

The choice is obvious as we make a beeline at the A&W restaurant with the regular suspects of waffles, Coney dogs and root beer floats! It was a good 20-min wait (thereabouts) but definitely worth the while! A&W Changi Jewel was still maxed out when we were there just last week (on Hari Raya) waiting for Grandpa and Grandma J’s flight back to SIN and it was truly a scene of “People Mountain, People Sea” (colloquial in Cantonese for heaps of people!). With this in mind, we were thankful for the relatively shorter queue here. Soon it was time to dig in…

After a hearty meal, Daddy J needs a solid navigator up front to keep him focused on the road while Baby J tries to catch some shut eye.

It wasn’t long before we arrive at the Sungai Besi Toll Plaza in KL!
Spot the KL Tower and Petronas Twin Towers in the background!

Arriving at the Hilton Doubletree KL co-located at the Intermark Mall.

The Lobby is setup on the 1st floor of the integrated office/shopping mall. Very interesting as the lobby could be easily missed for a swanky lounge/bistro in the mall.

Pleasant surprise to be informed we were upgraded to an Executive Room with lounge access and check-in facilitated at the Lounge on the 34th Floor.

Welcomed with the usual DoubleTree Hospitality – Chocolate Chip Cookies!

View from the top!

In our room!

When we returned in the evening, we were pleasantly surprised at the complimentary extra bed, which we gladly accepted and promptly reconfigured to a little kiddy cot!

Swimming pool on the 10th floor, adjacent to the Gym and Tosca Italian Restaurant.

Breakfast at Makan Restaurant (Level 11)

Very good spread of ‘Healthy Breakfast’ segment, Salads, Cold Cuts, Noodle and Egg station, Chinese Congee, Malay (Nasi Lemak!), Indian selection with made-to-order Prata/Dosai/Chappati!

They even have a cordoned-off area for HH Gold and Diamonds which would have been useful if there were bigger crowds.

‏

Kids choice, and Daddy J’s Nasi Lemak, and a live-Teh Tarik station!

Day#2 – Kidzania Kuala Lumpur

First stop – Spritzer Bottling Facility.

First task was to deliver 3 cartons of Bottled Water, thereafter returning to the Bottling facility to produce (bottle blowing machine!), perform filtration, bottling of filtered water, and then the Heat/Steam machine to label the bottled water!

I don’t remember the kids ever working that hard, until now…

The apprentices posing with their guru, or boss… and even got to keep the bottles they bottled – one for each kid!

Vitagen/Marigold Milk Factory.

Very interesting lessons on pasteurisation, homogenisation and fermentation. Mummy J did find the end product a tad too sweet for her liking though -perhaps the kiddos added a little too much sugar! Nonetheless the JTwins had no qualms about slurping and sipping it all up! Slurppsss…

Burger Making @ Mc’Donalds

Reporting for work…

Kids got to eat their very own cheeseburger – literally the very ones they made themselves.

Pilot training at Air Asia!

Chocolate Making at the Chocolate Factory

Firefighter!

Jon having a go at rock (building) climbing while Jo has a go at the girlie stuff @ the Kurls salon.

Random pix from around Kidzania World!

At the end of the day, with the money (Kidzos) earned through blood, sweet and tears, the kids can buy out stuff from the Kidzania departmental store.

Note the Kidzos currency can be used at any of the other Kidzanias around the world. Just make sure you don’t convert the notes into a bankcard (stored value). The ‘banks’ are apparently different around the world so just keep them into Kidzo notes.

Day#3 – PetroSains, KLCC

On Day#3 after breakfast, we went up to Level 34 to check out the spread at the lounge…

Coffee made with Love for Mummy from Jo… 🙂

After check-out, we headed to Suria KLCC, aka home of the Petronas Twin Towers.

The Twins and the Twin Towers.

The handy Touch ‘n Go card for easy payment at exit gantries to avoid the lines at payment machines at major malls in Malaysia.

We had previously been to the KLCC but never knew about PetroSains until we read about it couple of days before this trip. Seems PetroSains has been around for the past 20 years!

PetroSains is a Discovery Centre (the Malaysian equivalent of the Singapore Science Centre or so we thought*), owned by the national petroleum company Petronas, and located smack in the middle of KL, literally in the heart of KLCC (Level 4/Centre Atrium).

*At the end of the day, while we had initially wanted to do only an hour – asking the receptionist how quickly we could get through all 11 interactive zones, we were blown-away at the quality of exhibits, depth of research that had gone into the planning and running of the centre and customer-centricity of the staff and volunteers manning the various experiments. Verdict – It definitely exceeded the JJ Twins and more so Daddy J and Mummy J’s expectations. A well-deserving 5 diapers for the PetroSains Discovery Centre!

Capsule ride which you get into at the start of your journey. You get into the pod again at the end of the day to wrap up your day and exit PetroSains.

Dinosaurs are alive at the Dino exhibit in PetroSains!

A 3D printer working its magic…

Kids and Mummy have a go at Robo-Soccer and later at VR soccer!

Fun Science with helpful volunteers and staff.

The Top-Side of the mock Oil-Rig was by far Daddy J’s favourite exhibit! Kids get first-hand experience on what an oil rig is, what is looks like, and the dangers and safety aspects on living afloat one. An incredible way to exit is via a tall-slide. Don’t worry about if your kids are decked in shorts, or dresses – the thoughtful staff have pull-up blankets which kids slid into before sliding down the 2-strorey slide so you don’t have to worry about burns or abrasions at the end of the day!

Check out the emergency escape raft!

Formula 1 fever!

Jo cracks the code…

And the Twins pit their brains against each other in a dose of sibling rivalry on who can focus the longest! T1 wins here, while T2 emerges winner of VR soccer!

Augmented reality sand box at the Molecule/Nanoworld…

At the penultimate exhibit – Digi Cybercafe World…

By the time we got out it was 4pm! (we must’ve spent some 3 hours in PetroSains!). Not wanting to wait and fight-out the notorious KL rush-hour traffic, we packed sushi from Isetan and had a very late lunch en-route down South!

May 26, 2019June 22, 2019

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.

May 12, 2019May 20, 2019

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)

Loving relationship

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!

May 7, 2019July 14, 2019

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!

Pix of entry via TNG
Pix of ample disabled-parking lots
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