Trouble that lucky draw brings

Yeah, hubby won a return airticket to Melbourne by Emirates at his company dinner & dance recently. When we first knew it, we were elated because we would love to visit Australia again! Then we are troubled by it ...

1) the ticket is only good for one passenger, taxes & fees are excluded
2) my Krisflyer miles are enough to redeem for one adult return Singapore Airlines airticket to Melbourne BUT the flight time of these 2 airlines are world apart, both ways (Emirates only flies once a day)
3) if all (2 kids & I) were to go by Emirates, the airfare will be high*

Question is, shall we go via Emirates? A check at Zuji website, the return adult ticket for late April departure is S$910* without taxes & fees; or shall we wait for some promotion at Emirates nearer to date and take the chance of unavailable seats for the required travel dates?

Then we toy about the idea of selling the winning "ticket" @ eBay, BUT who's gonna believe us that this "ticket" in a form of a letter from Emirates, is for REAL?

Are we lucky or asking for trouble?

*S$910 is high compared to Singapore Airlines @ S$850 (non-promotional fare) and SQ has 3 daily flights!

Pak-tor time

Hubby & I left Kieran @ Joo's place this afternoon and went to Marina Square for great Japanese food @ Waraku. We had mixed sashimi, cod kaminabe (paper pot), beef curry with soba and unagi don. It was really satisfying (especially being alone without the kids).

Usually mealtime with them is a struggle, either Kieran doesn't want to eat or Raeyen wants to wriggle his way out of his seat. Thanks to Joo, Connie & Jamus for helping us take care of Kieran and Yani of Raeyen. In fact, today's lunch was meant to be an early birthday treat from my hubby. When the kids came along, having time alone becomes a luxury.

After the sumptuous meal, we went shopping for Christmas gifts and a cuppa and cake @ McCafe before fetching Kieran. We chatted in the car and felt that somehow whenever we were out alone, we feel a sense of guilt for not bringing the kids along, and couldn't help thinking about them. In fact, after Raeyen was born, we have been bringing Kieran out more often and leaving the little one at home. Seems unfair but ... what can I say?

We now look forward to spending time with the kids on Friday 1 December as we've applied leave to bring them to the SSO Babies Proms concert at VCH. We will then have meal @ Raffles City before collecting a cake from The Patissier, to celebrate my slightly belated birthday @ home. The kids like to blow the candles but Mommy is shy to place oh-so-many candles :*)

Kieran's 2nd Concert

Brought Kieran to his concert at Spore Power Auditorium yesterday morning alone as hubby was at work (*sigh*). Took a pix of him in light make-up outside our home (see left).

He changed into his Indian costume, had his hair fixed while I put some glitters on it (see below). Tsk..tsk, in fact I secretly rubbed off some rouge from his cheeks which his teacher applied, I found him looking too wayang. I left him there and went to Killiney Kopitiam for a cuppa and kaya toast.

Kieran performed 2 numbers - an Indian and a Chinese. Armed with the videocam, I was surprised that he was placed in the middle front - hope that means he could dance well. Indeed, he was all smiles as he danced, wriggled his torso while partnering with a girl. They ended the Indian piece with a loud "Namaste" - an Indian greeting. At the opening of his Chinese performance, he spotted me, waved and shouted "Mommy!", his friend asked "Where's your Mommy?", Kieran pointed at me "She's there!" ... I was a little embarrassed as the whole audience could hear their "in-their-own-world" conversation, but proud of him at the same time! He had afterall performed well. After the 2hour show, we walked along Orchard Road, had lunch with his aunts and cousins @ Coffee Club, Kinokuniya. Bought a book for Raeyen and headed to Borders. Got him an Eric Carle's book - Ten Little Rubber Ducks (comes with a little surprise on the last page) and one on "Reptiles & Amphibians".

Kieran infront of a decorated tree along Orchard Road

In between, my vanity couldn't resist browsing at some boutiques and I bought a skirt @ Southaven, Wisma Atria.

In the evening, we had an impromptu dinner @ Joo's place as we binged on local fare such as beef hor fun, har jeong kai (prawn paste chicken) , BBQ stingray, etc. All delivered to us piping hot in less than 1 hour by dabao.sg. The food was sinfully yummy!

Sunny Sentosa

Brought our brood to Sentosa Palawan beach on Sunday morning, it's the first for Raeyen. He was at first skeptical about being barefooted and walking on the sand. Yani took him to the hanging bridge and he enjoyed it so much that he didn't want to return. Click here to see all the photos.

Kieran took a dip (oops in his brief & tee, coz we forgot to pack his swimwear) in the water feature, he clearly enjoyed that very much.

Ivy and clan arrived as they couldn't find the right car park (by the way it's CP3 - covered and only $1/entry).

Favian and Dillon joined Kieran in the water feature, while Raeyen played sand.


















The sun was scorching (luckily the haze was gone) and our moods were high. The adults chatted while the kids played together. Raeyen joined them in the water feature wearing nothing but his Mamy Poko pull-ups (with Winnie the Pooh at his cute little bum)!

We were all "burned" and tired, had lunch at Koufu (air-conditioned, yeah!) before heading home for a much-needed snooze (*zzz*).



The kids with their rosy tan (at home)


The next day, I had sun-burn on my shouder blades :( ouch!

Kieran's first keyboard

Kieran learned his first do-re-mi & mi-re-do fingering sequence at Yamaha Junior Music Course last Sunday and I was pleasantly surprised (happy of course) that he could grasp & coordinate well from his thumbkin (do) - pointer (re) - tallman (mi) and backwards.

Feeling and reeling with motivation, I decided to get him a keyboard first (well, as an early Christmas present). We went to Tampines Mall after his music lesson today and headed to Yamaha. We bought the basic model PSR-E203 at an offer price of S$205 (usual S$250), a stand, and adapter was free.

Excitedly, we assembled it upon reaching home but realised one rubber cover of the stand was damaged, which I will call the branch tomorrow if we could get it changed at a convenient time. We played the keyboard and Raeyen was so excited about the new "toy" that he "pounded" on it rather hard (*heartache, ouch*).

Hopefully this little musical instrument will help Kieran develop a stronger interest in music as I promised to get him a piano when the time is right. He would boast and say, "Mommy, I can play the piano so well." I can't wait for him to become a real pianist some day!

I want to leave home WITHOUT my Amex

My company makes us use the Amex corporate card for all business-related transactions, and this card is on personal liability.

Having an extra card in my nearly burst-out LV monogram purse is a chore, not only it is not widely accepted in many establishments, it gives me no perks but embarrassment. I used it for a business meal in KL but was denied after 3 tries by the cashier, alternatively I used my reliable MasterCard. I tried to use it again in HK at Crystal Jade, but it was not accepted; again I used my MC.

When I forgot to pay my Amex bill, I was charged a late payment fee of S$37.50 even though their officer promised to waive it off a month ago. Now Amex said there was no such "promise" recorded in their system but insisted I pay for the penalty. I was very upset as other banks willingly waived such penalty for me in all occasions, so why this exception at Amex? The officer simply apologized by saying "Sorry M'am but this is a company policy." repeatedly. It was clearly a scripted apology and his supervisor (Abigail) promised to revert with their "management's decision" on the waiver within 24 hours. Days passed and I heard nothing from them. I will not pay for the penalty though Amex said they would still impose 2% on the penalty every month. Will they even bother to sue me for not paying S$37.50?

What should I do? My company insisted that we use Amex for all business transactions, but I want to boycott it for good!

Parent-Teacher Meet

Kieran's kindergarten and childcare centre held PTM today which was a good coincidence as I could "kill 2 birds with 1 stone". Went to the kindergarten first at 10am alone as hubby was at work, and left the kids at home since having them around would have been chaotic.

I hopped over to the chidcare centre after 45 minutes and returned home with files of his work and photos.

I will scan his kindergarten class photo and his self-portrait and upload here when free.

I could summarise our discussions here as all 4 teachers (a pair of Chinese/English teachers each school) had almost the same observations. Kieran was said to have improved in terms of attention span, focus, work tidiness. They said he likes outdoors, music and movement, very "garang", inquisitive, not afraid to express and ask questions BUT doesn't know how to resolve problems with friends during play. He mostly resolved the problems by "physical expression" instead of talking it over. While his teachers are trying to guide him, I am at my wit's end how to help him overcome it. Apart from that, I am happy that he enjoys school better now and did his work well. His kindergarten English teacher, Miss Foong said Kieran would be able to do well in K1 next year.

His childcare English teacher said he danced very well in an Indian number for the concert and she put him in front due to this. The concert will be held on 25 Nov, and I will definitely capture his kiddie performance in our viewcam! I can't wait.

3G - Good friends, Good food, Good fun

We are finally back to school/work/routine after a 3-4 day holiday in Chiang Mai.

We flew by Tiger Airways on Saturday 4 November at 6am, which means getting up at 3.45am to get everyone ready! We met our friends, another family of 4 (plus 1 on the way who is now nice and cosy inside Ivy's tum) at the Budget Terminal at 4.45am to begin our little getaway. Going for a holiday with the kids is like going to a combat; armed with water bottles, hot water flask, snacks, milk powder, diapers, mosquito repellant, sarong, stroller, etc.

We arrived Chiang Mai on schedule and were driven to the Sheraton for our 3-night stay. We took things slow and had a wonderful traditional Khantoke dinner (Northern Thai dinner) at Khun Khantoke under the starry night. The stars have company as people celebrate Loy Krathong by releasing floating lanterns into the air using hot air combustion as wicks are lit. It was a beautiful night but my little Prince Raeyen was in his slumber not knowing what went on. Each family sat around a low tray table with food on it and watched the performance by the very hospitable Thais.

Raeyen at the pool at the Sheraton


On Sunday, we went to the Night Bazaar for shopping and the boys released the floating lanterns into the dark sky amidst many other lanterns. Kieran wrote his and Raeyen's names on it and we watched it floated into the twilight in awe!

We had a full-day tour to the Karen/Long-neck tribe, Monkey school, Mae Sa Elephant camp, Orchid farm, parasol and silk factories on Monday. The long-neck tribe is unforgettable as girls as young as 5 years will start wearing a 1kg iron coil on their necks! We took a photo with a young long-neck girl. Kieran asked me how could they possibly turn their heads, I replied that they could surely but slowly. Their culture thinks that it is beautiful, and we should respect that. There was another tribe where the women wear huge tube-like earrings which punctured a big hole in their lobes. All these are strange to us but hey, beauty is in the eyes of the beholder. The huts that they live in are very sparse with no furniture. Even the baby cot is laid with rice sacks and held on by a pulley-system, amazing!


At the Monkey school, Kieran's leg was caught by a wild monkey. Thanks to his Crocs shoes, that monkey only managed to pull his shoe off with no apparent injuries on his leg. Afterall Crocs shoes do have some credits even with the escalator saga that was reported recently.

Raeyen fell asleep when we reached the elephant camp. So Kieran took the ride with his Daddy. Kieran enjoyed himself very much and the ride was about 30 minutes.

Kieran and Raeyen had great fun with Favian and Dillon as they are companions to one another. The older boys entertained Raeyen with Peek-A-Boos and "Catch the Baby" game, so cute!

Click here to view the holiday photos.

Good Morning Vietnam!

I came to Vietnam (well, Hoi An, Danang to be exact) on Sunday from Singapore - HCMCity. Yes, Sunday is a dreadful day to travel for business :(

While I took Singapore Airlines to HCMCity, the experience on the domestic flight with Vietnam Airlines was a far cry from my national carrier. The attendant literally shoved the boxed meal into my face without a word! The wrapped up sandwich tasted weird and definitely didn't look appetizing but the 2 tiny bananas were good. The seats are very cramp as the leg-room is ultra narrow. Thank God the flight was only an hour and the pilot gave a smooth take-off and landing.

It rained in Danang and our transfer took about 45 minutes to Hoi An, Palm Garden Resort. After our whole-day workshop on Monday, together with 2 other colleagues, we went shopping in the evening and I bought 6 shawls at average US$5 each. I also took photos of an old local cafe.

I miss my 3 boys at home, especially Raeyen as he is still nursing a cold and runny nose. Hubby said Kieran was very cranky this morning and didn't want to go to school. I remember Kieran said to me on Sunday "I want Mommy!" as he knew I was departing later that day. I assured him that I love him and asked him to countdown to Friday as we will go to Chiangmai for holiday the next day with our family friends!

I really look forward to the holiday as it coincides with the Loy Krathong festival.

Kieran's 1st Concert

Kieran performed in a school concert for the first time on Friday 20 October evening at Victoria Concert Hall. We only bought one ticket for the concert as we were not sure if I could make it in time from my return flight from Hong Kong.

In true motherly spirit, I sprinted to VCH after dropping my luggage at home. Hubby fetched me from Raffles City and I managed to catch the whole show, which started at 7.30pm till almost 10pm. Kieran's number was the fifth, and I had a hard time searching for him. When I spotted him, his performance was almost near the end, but I was already beaming with pride seeing my little boy performing lively and smiled at the end of the act. To me, it is an achievement on his part.

Kieran in his costume after the concert















Come 25 Nov, he will have to perform in another concert by the childcare centre. As Daddy will be working that day, I will attend and as usual, arm with videocam and digital camera to catch his little Kodak moments.

My Angel's burning hot

Raeyen woke up at 6 this morning and his temperature was a high 39.6. We gave him brufen and I SMS my boss that I had to take urgent leave.

Brought him to the paediatrician and he was shivering - a shock to Yani and I. PD said it was bacteria infection (as molar eruption does not cause such a high fever) and he has tonsilitis - tiny whitish ulcers in throat. She inserted paracetamol depository as his temperature was 39.1. We then gave him Augmentin antibiotic, actified syrup for blocked/runny nose and nose drop and he is now napping.

I hope he gets better tomorrow as it is hard for me to take another urgent leave tomorrow since I will be travelling next Monday. He is supposed to take his MMR jab this Saturday but deferred till Monday, 23 October.

Poor baby, all we can do now is to monitor and make him as comfortable and cool as possible.

Molar eruption

Hubby realised Raeyen had high fever (38.8 degrees Celcius) this evening when we returned from work. We gave him Brufen and checked his healthbook if it was due to new teeth growth. True enough between 12-14 months, 1st molars at all four corner would erupt and Raeyen (who turned 15 months yesterday) has been so far quite slow in this department. Hubby checked his gums and found one molar already erupted and the other three corners have swollen gums.

Raeyen was his usual self until later in the evening that he became clingy to me. We will monitor him and if his condition does not get better tomorrow morning, I will bring him to the paediatrician. And if so, it will also mean I may have to apply urgent leave - a norm for most mothers and some fathers. How I wish our companies allow us to use our 14-day annual sick leave entitlement for child sick leave. It is an uneasy feeling whenever I have to apply for urgent leave. Work environment does not make it an easy and comfortable choice to make.

Raeyen with his fav Barney!

Life is like a box of ...

... fortune cookies

I was shocked when hubby told me last week that 4 men were hit by a sudden wave somewhere in Perth and were/are employees of a Singapore aerospace company. My 3rd bro Joo works in the same company in Perth and I quickly SMS his wife.

While Joo was not fishing with them, he was deeply disturbed by the mishap as he knows all 4 men. Life is not exactly like a box of chocolates though they may be bitter or sweet; it is also like a box of fortune cookies, no one knows what's coming to you tomorrow or even the next minute.

Last Friday, my company had an annual flu vaccination exercise for all employees, I went for my shot as usual. One of my good friends at work didn't want to take the jab for fear of the needle pain. I know her predicament but it's only a one-second shot of pain. Life is so unpedictable, we should really cherish what we have and seize every second and opportunity we have got to do what we want. Take a break and smell the roses. Watch the kiddos grow and learn from them as much as what we can teach them.

Kieran came home this evening with a packet of Hello Kitty marshmallows from a friend who just returned from a holiday in Japan. I promised that he could eat it after dinner. After dinner, he quickly dashed to the fridge for his candy and his happy face delighted me. He made me happier when he offered one to his little brother Raeyen. But when Raeyen wanted more, Kieran couldn't bear to part with his last mashmallow. Nevertheless, it is my fortune to be able to watch them grow together and love each other.

My 2 starry angels, taken on 24 Jun 06:

* Smile *

Yipee, Joyce of Tangs Vivocity called yesterday that while she could not locate the lady who probably found my purchase, she had arranged for me to pick the same jacket compliments from Tangs at their Vivocity branch!

I was pleased with the superb customer service Joyce has rendered. She really made my day though I was not feeling well.

I will be going to Tangs Vivocity this weekend. *^^* By then, I hope Gap will be opened though it's published that it would be opened on Sun 15 Oct. And, if the sky is clear, I will go to Pacific Coffee on the 2nd floor and sit outdoor.

Raeyen wearing a lion dance gear I got from Shanghai

Vivo "va va boom" experience

I brought Kieran to VivoCity on Saturday morning for its opening day.

As Kieran did not have breakfast, we went to Coffee Bean on the 2nd floor. Kieran was obedient enough to "guard" our table while I ordered food & my cuppa. After two reminders to the staff about his breakfast, it was still nowhere in sight. The server said due to huge orders, we had to wait despite already waited for almost 30 minutes, and it was not crowded! I told her we did not want to wait and asked for a refund. Miraculously, she returned in less than 2 minutes with his breakfast! I did not like the fact that after kicking a fuss could we then get our food. So I told her we had no appetite for it and wanted a refund. It was an unpleasant experience. I mean, they could have stopped taking breakfast order if the kitchen could not manage or at least inform customers the estimated waiting time, certainly "your food will be served shortly" is not good enough.

Then we went to Tangs on the 1st floor and were "refreshed" as the staff gave us a tiny Tangs bag with 2 Mandarin oranges. While I dislike its new papaer bag as the handle is uneasy to carry, I love its retro decor and nice clothes! Kieran was a dearie as he accompanied his "vainpot" mommy from fitting room to the next as I tried oh-so-many nice outfit. My second sis joined us shortly and I introduced her a label "IE", abbreviation for "Individual Expression". Their clothes are unique and reasonably-priced. The promoter told me they have an in-store at Taka and a boutique at Heeren. I couldn't resist and bought a nice light peachy pink jacket at $89, kept in a larger Tangs paper bag. God I hate the paper bag handle as I could not hang it on my forearm so that I could continue to browse at ease! My sis bought 2 skirts from them at $59 and $79 each. We paid and was rewarded with a nice tote for having spent a minimum amount of $120 at Tangs.

We went to Pacific Coffee on 2nd floor for cakes and realised the outdoor seating has a great view overlooking Sentosa BUT the haze killed the climax! We sat indoor and enjoyed the cakes before we headed to Tangs Home. Kieran pestered to go to Toys R Us and we parted ways with my sis as she needed to rush for a show. As I was helping Kieran tried on a helmet, I left the Tangs paper bag on the floor. The helmet fitted him well and we headed to the cashier and the queue was long. When it was nearly my turn, I realised my Tangs carrier (and my dear newly bought jacket) was not with me. We hurried back to the helmet section but it was gone. I alerted the staff and left my phone number with them. It was in vain as no one returned the bag to their info counter.

I was very disappointed and we went to Tangs customer service counter to report the loss. My mood was down and we decided to go home. Kieran fell asleep in the train and hubby came to SengKang station to fetch us home.

The haze was so bad (PSI at 143) we ordered pizza for dinner instead of eating out. Wonder why is Indonesia always having fire? And since it's not raining, why couldn't our government sprinkle some water over the sky by enlisting help from MINDEF?

At about 9.30pm, Joyce of Tangs VivoCity called and said that they would investigate about the loss. But I think the chances are quite slim. Then she called less than 10 minutes later that a female shopper just called that she realised she had an extra shopping bag from Tangs but the item wasn't hers, and it seems that it's likely my jacket. Joyce promised to pick it up from the lady on Monday and feedback to me.

I'm crossing my fingers! I hope it is mine so that I can sashay my new "found" jacket.

Kieran (taken 2 weeks later @ Swensen VivoCity)