Of Zoos And Plays

I had never felt so excited about the brief March holidays since my JC days. The one-week break descended upon us with a much anticipated downpour of torrential activities after a long drought of weekday routines. Which was why last weekend, which was the start of this wonderful reprieve, was such a whirlwind of hectic activities.

Saturday
1) We started off Saturday morning with a trip to the zoo after a long 3-year hiatus since I was pregnant with Little Bee. Which means that this was Little Bee's first visit to the zoo. She was amazed by the plethora of animals, uttering the names of the animals after us, and Big Bee melted into the zoo's arms like a long-awaited homecoming.


Lovin' the boat ride!


Big Bee loved the horses in Kid's World, and Little Bee looked so at home on the pony!

They loved the new boat ride across the reservoir and spent too much time in Kid's World. We had a long lunch in their very crowded Ah Meng's Restaurant, and went home, tired, perspiring and with a pair of sleepy and grumpy kids.


Check out their sleepy eyes!

2) After a short afternoon nap for Little Bee, we set forth excitedly (more like me being the most enthusiastic of all!) to the Disney Princesses On Ice show.


The girls chose their own costumes, amidst a mind-boggling number of girls dolled up in different princess costumes!

We were entertained from 7 to 9pm, mouths gaping, spirits soaring and hearts stirring at the amazing skills of the ice skaters, who had to grapple with difficult manoeuvres and gorgeous expressions of Disney characters. All the fairy tales which we were so familiar with leapt out of the pages of well-thumbed Disney books.


Oblivious to everything but the stage...

By the second last act, Big Bee asked me worriedly: "Mummy, is the show ending soon?" I affirmed her sinking suspicion and she let out an audibly disappointed sigh. Little Bee was so fascinated that she sat mostly on her own seat for the whole 2 hours, eyes and mouth wide open! It must have been a remarkable spectacle for her little mind. We went home, fatigued but contented, right to the warm embraces of our welcoming beds.

Sunday
1) We started off Sunday morning with a wonderful breakfast in a French cafe that Hubby brought us as a surprise. To see rows upon rows of ambrosial confectionery was akin to stepping into breakfast heaven. To be immersed in a heavy cloak of mouthwatering smells of baking bread was pure divinity. We had a most wonderful breakfast in the quiet but cosy cafe, with the Bees chomping delightedly on doughnuts and croissants.


They sure made pastries look delectable!

2) We then proceeded to one of our country's oldest heirloom - Singapore River. We took a wonderful walk along the riverside, soaking in the relaxed Sunday atmosphere. The Bees were carefree and cheerful. After a short jaunt along the river bank, we stepped into Victoria Theatre to watch a play by a Canadian company - Alice In Wonderland.


Big Bee was rightfully skeptical of the play from the start whereas Little Bee was checking out what she would be in for.

It was rather disappointing and not very engaging, utilising multimedia and music to depict the bizarre adventures of Alice in Lewis Carroll's well-known book. As the book was an emblem of literary nonsense throughout history, the play somewhat reflected that too, to Big Bee's befuddled bewilderment. At the end of the play, she huffed and puffed and said: "I want to throw rotten tomatoes at them!" Harsh critic indeed. Little Bee, who sat quietly throughout the play, nodded happily when I asked her if she liked the play. She is definitely not as cynical as jie-jie yet!

What a fabulous start to the fantastic March holidays!