Spider-Girls

The Bees indulged in a fair bit of rock-climbing at Kallang Wave over the December holidays. It was exciting for them, and a great activity to dispel their excess energies. Big Bee, being her usual athletic self, is a natural at rock-climbing. She would literally scramble up the entire length of the wall, scaling walls that are challenging even for adults. I could only achieve heights that are half of hers, as I always made the mistake of looking down at the tiny people below and then going into a panic attack!

As for Little Bee, she prefers scaling lower walls so that she could reach the top easier and that gave her a sense of achievement. Different kids, different approaches!

We also had great fun at the bouldering section, where we tried to scale the wall without any ropes or reinforcement - just pure, core strength. It was exhilarating when we tested our limits and crashed down on the soft floor of the boulder section, unfettered and liberated.

Rock climbing is a wonderful activity to challenge our children's (and ours!) limits, pushing them beyond their comfort zones and teaching them the power of strength and perseverance. We will be back for sure!

Time Slows Down In Middle Earth (Part 2): Christmas Eve With Sheep

Christmas Eve was spent in a bucolic, tranquil way in New Zealand. We trekked around One Tree Hill, which incidentally was the third volcanic peak that we climbed in Auckland. We woke up to a brilliant day of sparkling sunshine and cobalt blue skies dotted with pure-white beguiling clouds, the types of which we can only find in New Zealand skies.

One Tree Hill, Auckland, New Zealand

As we ascended One Tree Hill, we saw hundreds of sheep and cattle scattered all over the slopes of the sprawling hill. They are wild and unfettered, with probably the city council overseeing them.

Can you spot the sheep?

It is wondrous to find spots of wilderness and pastoral living just minutes out of the city. An excellent juxtaposition of idyllic rustic living alongside frenetic urban lifestyles. It made it so much easier for frazzled city dwellers to escape into an arcadian, verdant paradise.

We trekked and ambled in the bush and rambling slopes of the hill, chatting with sheep that chewed on grass just an arm's width from us. Little Bee even sang incessantly to them, much to their annoyance.

The Bees creeping up to the top of one knoll to observe the sheep

These newly shorn sheep stared at us suspiciously and with much caution, but learned to ignore us once we kept quiet and did not disturb them. The line between humans and animals living in the wild is so thin. Most animals react to how humans treated them in the past, so we try to keep our profiles low whenever we want to observe these animals at close range.

It was so therapeutic and rejuvenating to be strolling in seemingly boundless and undulating meadows, with not a sight of other humans. 

With every step we took, we were able to appreciate nature's beauty rather than artificial man-made perks. Beauty in the resplendent red blooms of the pohutukawa trees (also known as New Zealand's Christmas trees because they only bloom around Christmas!).

Beauty in the placid and cautious behaviour of the sheep - we can literally spot idiosyncracies of each sheep once we observed them closely.

Beauty in the hundreds of sheep and cattle dotting the pastures, almost like polka-dotted snowflakes on an art piece.

Beauty in the rich emerald green slopes that shield potentially tempestuous volcanic activities just miles underneath the halcyonic surface.

We found a spot to settle down for a little tea break, on a bench high up the slopes, overlooking the entire city of Auckland with a massive border of rolling meadows. There, over apples and Tim-Tams, we laughed, we played, we sang, we giggled. Just the perfect way to spend a beautiful Christmas Eve afternoon.

The view from our picnic spot

On the evening of Christmas Eve, we sat down on our apartment's dining table and started decorating and writing Christmas cards for one another. Each of us would decorate and write thankful wishes on 3 different cards. Afterwards, we all sat around the bed and read our cards, what we thought of one another, our wishes, our flashbacks. Lots of laughter ensued, and it was a perfect way to count down towards Christmas.

Wherever we are, whatever we do, being together with our loved ones at all times is what matters. 

Time Slows Down in Middle Earth

At Mount Victoria in the little quaint village of Devonport. The volcanic mountain behind is Rangitoto Island, the newest volcano in the world at just 500 to 600 years old.

We are back from 12 days of immersing in the splendid outdoors and resplendent nature of New Zealand's North Island. It was a trip where time slowed down tremendously, allowing us to truly savour the richness of every single moment. It was true escapism in New Zealand, away from the madding crowds, seeing more sheep and cattle than humans! We were in tune with Mother Nature and the true magic of a land discovered almost a thousand years ago by the Maori people. We experienced the true respect and understanding of New Zealand's residents with the indigenous Maori and the legends of the land - something that many countries did not practise.

We spent days holed up on a remote farm, in a tiny little cottage, with nothing but the companionship of wary sheep, friendly dogs, nonchalant alpacas, glorious horses, passive cows, and magnificent views of undulating emerald-green hills. We went horseback riding as a family with views of stunning hills and gorgeous countryside, looking over sublime vistas of the Pacific Ocean. We trekked and walked (or in Kiwi terms, tramped!) over hectares of wild countryside and bush, summitted 3 volcanic mounts, climbed down a deep volcanic crater (just the Hubby!), climbed up trees and read our favourite books in the middle of vast meadows.

Living Earth - Middle Earth - Under Earth 

New Zealand is a land of stark contrasts. We were able to appreciate peaceful jade-green pasture fields, but were also privy to a land of active volcanic activity, with livid geysers, hot springs and scorching mud pools - testaments to a true Living Earth.

We went to Middle Earth and surrounded ourselves with the beauty of the Shire in the Hobbiton movie set. For The Lord Of The Rings and The Hobbit fans like us, this is a dream come true - to visit the Shire and immerse ourselves in the lives of Bilbo, Frodo, Sam and the rest of the hobbits (as well as Gandalf!). We revelled in stories of film magic and met fellow LOTR and Hobbit fans. The Shire was set in resplendent, rolling countryside with 44 beautiful hobbit holes. Gorgeous indeed. We did not want to leave The Shire!

We submerged into the pitch dark, mysterious caves of New Zealand, where we were awed spectators to thousands of electric blue glow worms. They dotted the ceilings of the cavernous caves like brilliant stars on a dark winter night. Totally magical and a truly enchanting Under Earth. 

It was a truly rejuvenating 12 days, where we appreciated the beauty of Mother Earth once again and embraced the true meaning of a sustainable, living Earth in the land of the long white cloud (Aotearoa - the Maori name for New Zealand). 

More to come in detailed blog posts!

Playing Games The Old-Fashioned Way

Now that we are full-swing into the year-end holidays, the girls literally have a lot of time on their hands after a very busy and intense school year. They did not have any holiday programmes this time round, and they spent their long days luxuriously, without any schedules or objectives.

And that was how I remember my own school holidays as a kid too. There were no tuition in the holidays back in those days, not a lot of play dates and definitely no holiday enrichment programmes! So, I would spend my long days with my brother, cooking up ideas to play with - ranging from us being pretend DJs and recording countless radio programmes (on cassette tapes!) to playing restaurant or clinic. All I remember of those days was our unfettered happiness and carefree spirit. And I want the Bees to remember their school holidays in the same way too - unshackled and free!

So, they spent their days doing what they want. This is also an especially busy time at work for me, so they were literally left to their own devices the whole day. I am glad my mother is a great help though. She always believes in healthy, robust activities conducted in the great outdoors which do not involve paying, so she would bring them for walks in the park and badminton games.

And every night when I am back from work, we would try to play board games as a family. Every sort of board games from Scrabble to Blokus to Game Of Life to Monopoly to UNO!

The girls always enjoy strategizing against me in Blokus, which always resulted in me being the last! 

We are board game junkies from eons back, and have a good collection of board games at home. We will usually bring these out during the holidays to play games the good old-fashioned way. Compared to the instant, one-to-one and anti-social gratifications of iPad and mobile phone apps which I never approve of, playing board games slows time down, allowing for turn-taking, enforcing understanding, patience and empathy. Most importantly, we laughed together, jeered together, poked fun at one another together. What a wonderful way to bond!

Their all-time favourite - Game Of Life! I guess the reality depicted in this game appeals to them. 

Happy 49th Birthday, Singapore!

This was taken last year when we were at the National Day Parade Preview.

This National Day weekend was spent amidst lots of bonding and lazing around. We hardly meet friends these days because time is precious and with the Bees growing up so quickly, we kind of want to hog them to ourselves as much as possible! Furthermore, with PSLE looming in the very near future, we could not afford whole days captured in leisure activities.

Still, it was a wonderful weekend which started with a secondary school class reunion with a brilliant turn-out and incessant catching up. It was incredible in the sense that all of us viewed one another with the unguarded masks of 15- and 16-year-old teenagers, mentally travelling back to the days before we had factitious and meaningless labels that are attached to our occupations, where we live, where we graduated from, how much we earn, etc. We were all stripped clean of all these labels and were convivial and genuine. It also struck me that time is cruelly trundling on, waiting for no one. A stark reminder of time's breakneck speed - Big Bee is a mere 4 years younger than the last time some of us had seen one another when we graduated at 16.

The rest of the weekend meandered languidly along with good food, lazing by the pool, a walk in a park and of course, watching the National Day Parade as a family, a time-honoured ritual since our childhood days.

The Bees were visibly inspired by this year's show of patriotism on TV, so I interviewed them in jest about what they love in Singapore. Here goes!

Q: What do you love most about Singapore?
Big Bee: "Multi-racial society, non-corrupt government and lots of educational opportunities!" (then she went cackling away and asked if I am testing her on her oral exams, hmph)
Little Bee: "Safe & clean, the trees and flowers are beautiful here, and I like the weather here!"

Q: Favourite places in Singapore?
Big Bee: "Hm, home, school and JEM (the shopping mall in Jurong, where she watched some of her favourite movies with friends and where there is a Kinokuniya)". Then she changed her mind. "No no, it is Universal Studios, Marina Bay Sands and JEM!"
Little Bee: "Oh, lots of places! Do I have any limit? OK - Kinokuniya Bookstores, Universal Studios, Esplanade, Marina Bay Sands, Gardens By The Bay, ALL our beaches, JEM and Westgate!"

Whew. And I notice they did not mention much of the nature reserves or parks that we brought them regularly to. Grrr.

Q: What was your favourite part of the National Day Parade?
Big Bee: "The video about the history of Singapore! So that the younger generation like me can understand what the pioneers had gone through to build Singapore up!"
Little Bee: "The dance performances! And the Red Lions!"

Q: Favourite hawker food?
Both girls: "Chwee kueh!"

How was your National Day weekend?

A Month Of Free Rein

The June holidays had been gloriously unfettered. I took half the month off to spend time with the Bees, and the days were long, luxurious and languorous. We went on a very short trip to Cambodia, and then spent all our time back here in Singapore. Although I always enjoy new experiences when travelling overseas, I discovered the beautiful virtue of leisurely days spent at home. No agenda, no hurriedness, no deadlines to meet. And I don't just mean me. The Bees had the time of their lives not worrying about their school schedules and homework as well! 

However, this is the PSLE year after all, so Big Bee - being the disciplined girl she is - did immerse herself in some light revision. But no drilling, whatsoever. I believe in letting her enjoy the June holidays to the fullest, before the intensive PSLE revision this coming term. Play helps to boost brain power, in my opinion! 

This holidays were epic in the sense that we had plenty of playdates with different friends of the Bees. There were trips to the malls, outdoor playgrounds, movies, concerts, Adventure Cove, Universal Studios, Starbucks - just plenty of opportunities to bond with friends. We spent loads of time with the cousins as well. Little Bee attended an amazing zoo camp with a close cousin of hers, and there were play dates where the 2 generations of cousins gossiped incessantly. A very close cousin of ours got married, and we had the time of our lives bonding and having plenty of fun and laughter at the wedding. 

On the family front, we played lots of board games, we had many lazy mornings spent at Starbucks (Big Bee has a latest teenage addiction to frappuccino, and could not stop drinking them!), we read plenty of books and watched home movies. Simple activities but plenty of bonding. 

Life is leisurely and carefree, days are long and beautiful - and we could forget about the usual hassles of living in a fast-paced society for a while. Here's to more holidays with zero agenda! 

Bewitched By Bali

I do apologise for the long radio silence. Our little family of four had been enchanted by the allure of Bali from 6 to 13 June. 7 luxurious days of gorgeous beaches with spectacular waves, of breathtaking cliffs and emerald rice fields, of nestling deep in the rainforests and hills of Ubud, and being woken up by roosters and birds, of boisterous days with friends and quiet moments with ourselves. We are back, but our spirits are enlivened by the spirituality of magical Bali :)

This is my 3rd time in Bali, and the family's first time - and I am delighted that Hubby was totally captivated by the sheer beauty and serenity of Bali, especially Ubud. The girls enjoyed the company more - we were joined by PF and her family in the first leg of our trip, with 4 nights together in Intercontinental Jimbaran Bay. The Bees had the most gleeful moments playing ceaselessly with their childhood friends, Eugene and Claire. Thereafter, they enjoyed the deep tranquillity by ourselves in Ubud, bonding tremendously as a family, where we stayed for 3 nights in a stunning villa deep in the virgin forests of Ubud's remote villages.

Unfortunately, I am experiencing some difficulties transferring my digital images from my camera (hence my silence as well), so I am going to use some photos from the Internet to illustrate where we stayed.

The sunset cafe of Intercontinental, by the beach and the crashing waves of Jimbaran Bay, where our 2 families spent much time chilling by the beach.

The splendid villa in Ubud that we stayed in, complete with a private pool where monkeys drank water from!

...with astounding views high up in the hills of Ubud, a plunging valley and a gushing river through the valley

We have our own private bale (gazebo), complete with deck chairs, an outdoor living and dining area, and a marvelous four poster bed in the bedroom

I will be writing more about this trip soon...

Busy Days

The June holidays had sneaked upon us stealthily but steadily, and life is still as busy as usual. In the months leading to the holidays, school life was frenetic with lots of work and revision for the Bees. Hence, almost every night was spent on homework, 听写 and other readings.

Therefore, it was with a colossal sigh of relief that school was out in the final week of May, and that we could start planning our vacation in peace. Thus far, I had been letting the Bees relax incessantly, with no serious homelearning activities except for lots of fun and painting (see their latest paintings below, and yes, Mummy Art School only opens during the holidays these days!), as well as plenty of gatherings.

Little Bee's Underwater World

Big Bee's Marine Wonderland

Big Bee invited her best friend to hang out at our home for a whole day last week. Just last night, we had a dinner gathering with PF and family, where the Bees could catch up once again with Eugene and Claire, playing rowdy rounds of hide and seek while the adults planned for our imminent vacation. Hubby also just bought Kinect for the girls yesterday, and we had such a roar playing with it the entire morning (even me!) until my muscles are now aching from all those vigorous actions required by Kinect!

We also spent our days on lazy breakfasts, languid saunters in the parks, long walks with our dog Aidan, and enjoyable afternoon coffees in different cafes. We had lots of family errands to run this month, but spent a lot of time chilling as a family, and I had planned plenty more gatherings with other friends and family.

Little Bee also just received her confirmation of admission into Big Bee's primary school, so it is yet another milestone for Little Bee - the primary school odyssey! A new chapter will begin for her...

More importantly, I am taking almost 2 weeks off work so I could spend even more time with the Bees!

Am eagerly waiting for the next coming weeks indeed!

White Christmas in South Korea Part 1

*Photos will be added later - too busy to process all those photos!* 

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We spent Christmas in freezing Seoul and its surrounding outskirts this year - all thanks to Hubby who was there for work and who persuaded me to join him in frosty winter with the Bees. I was hesitant at first, as I wasn't very keen to spend a cold chilly holiday in yet another Asian capital city. Furthermore, Big Bee and I were there with Hubby just 3 years ago. However, after reading up a little on small towns and ski resorts, I decided to book super last-minute tickets so we could all indulge in a little wintery holiday! 

Here are some of the highlights of our dreamy escapism from 22 to 29 December 2011. 

1. Firsts

This trip encompassed many firsts for us:

a) First time I travelled with the 2 Bees alone, dragging a gigantic luggage, 2 smaller bags and a stroller. Thank goodness Big Bee is really Mummy's little helper by now, assisting me to hold Little Bee's hand and keeping an eye on Little Bee. It was heartwarming when I saw them ahead of me, pacing the large busy airport, holding hands and chatting mirthfully together. 

Little Bee is also a big sensible girl now, so it was rather easy to navigate around the customs alone with them. Things may get done a little slower, eg when the girls needed help to take off their cumbersome winter boots at the customs checks; when they took turns dashing to the toilet upon arrival in Seoul, which also meant that we were one of the last passengers on the flight to slowly collect our gigantic luggage from the belt; when they needed help to layer up their winter sweaters, jackets, gloves and hats when we reached the Seoul airport, and finally, when I had to slowly shepherd 2 excited girls (in sub-zero temperature!) into the Seoul airport shuttle bus when they would rather prance around in the glacial cold! 

But it was exhilarating to spend quality time with them on the plane, both of them on each side of me - yakking and giggling away, in strong anticipation of a wintery holiday. And it was all worth it when we saw Hubby waiting eagerly for us at the hotel's bus bay even though we arrived on one of his busier working days. 

b) First time that the Bees experienced a snowfall! 

Little Bee was the one with the sharp eye who saw snow falling outside as we adjourned back to the hotel after dinner on 23 December. She exclaimed loudly, "IT'S SNOWING!", and we all thought it was a figment of her imagination - until we saw the flurries rapidly pelting down outside! 

The Bees dashed outside to enjoy the soft falling snow, opening their mouths wide and extending their warm tongues to taste the cold snowflakes in delight. The snowfall was so heavy that the pavements and cars were all turning white rapidly and our hair, faces and clothes were literally covered with a misty white covering of flurries - which made the whole experience so wonderfully magical! 

They were squealing in pure excitement, and hopping up and down like little bunnies. I had never seen them so ecstatic in a while. 

The Bees went back to the hotel room to don on waterproof gloves so that they could play with the swiftly accumulating snow on the pavement. We threw snowballs at each other, much to the Bees' immense delight. We also tried using our bare fingers to touch the snow - freshly fallen snow is so beautifully dry, powdery and soft! 

Surprisingly, the cold is usually a lot more bearable when it is snowing, because it actually gets warmer when it snows (the warmth causes snowfall, amazing!) - so we could play a little longer outside at 10.30pm in temperatures of -5 to -9 degrees Celsius. 

It was a truly enchanting moment. 

We also had a few captivating moments watching the snow falling from our room in the dark, seeing how the brilliant white snowflakes illuminate the entire night sky.

The morning after, it was even more alluring to see the whole city bathed in a thin cloak of magnificently white fairy dust. 

c) First time that the family visited a ski resort, and the first time that Hubby and Big Bee tried skiing. On our final day in Seoul, we made a day trip to the nearest ski resort (as all the rooms were fully booked due to the festive period), which was around an hour's drive from Seoul. I selected a ski resort that was more child-friendly with sledding slopes, a few beginners' ski slopes and fun facilities like playrooms and bowling alleys in case the weather turns overly glacial on us! 

It was teeming with school children on field trips which explained why no rooms were available. But it was bewitching to be surrounded by dazzling white ski slopes and resplendent rolling hills all covered with a light sprinkling of white snow, thanks to the recent snowfall. It was certainly therapeutic to escape the dense crowds of downtown Seoul to this serene slice of tranquillity. 

We warmed up with an enlivening sledding session - with Big Bee sledding around 10 times down the slope! Little Bee loved sledding as well, although she was nicely ensconced with Hubby in a small sled. In fact, she loved it so much that she lay down on the sled on the 4th round with Hubby behind her. The momentum of 2 persons on a sled when they stopped was so strong that supine Little Bee was covered with snow from head to toe when she emerged from the sled, resulting in a wet and very cold little girl!  

Which was when I quickly bundled her up and herded her to a nearby restaurant to dry and warm up, while Big Bee and Hubby continued with their sledding fun. 

Lunch was in a restaurant with architecture that was redolent of European alpine resorts. Menu choices were limited but anything steamy hot was welcomed in a cold environment! We sat by the large windows and immersed ourselves in the stunning vistas of forested woods on gently rolling hills, lightly frosted with snow.  

Hubby and Big Bee took ski lessons with a ski instructor for about an hour, and was able to take a ski lift up a gentle beginners' slope for an exalting run down the slope! It was invigorating just to see their happily lit-up faces as they ski-ed past Little Bee and us. Big Bee told me she loved the experience of skiing and it was apparent that a short afternoon of skiing wasn't enough for her. 

Meanwhile, Little Bee was busy trying to make snowmen, little snowcastles and frosty hills as well as snowballs. Her affinity to snow is almost like her affinity to sand - she could squat and play with the powdery magic for ages. I asked her whether she prefer sandy beach resorts or snowy ski resorts, and she told me she likes the latter because she could make snowmen. I think I better start her on building sandmen when we are back in Singapore! 

Being cold also meant we craved for warm snacks regularly - the Bees were ravishing warm hot dog sticks, piping hot corn sticks and rice balls! However, I must say we deliberately chose a warmer day to be at the ski resort, so that it would be a lot more comfortable for us to indulge in a full day outdoors. 

....to be continued...Part 2... 

White Christmas in South Korea Part 2

...continued from Part 1...

2. A magical white Christmas


Christmas Eve

All the main hotels in Seoul were fully booked on Christmas Eve for the festivities. So, I was searching online for a hotel a little further from Seoul to spend a nice Christmas Eve. I chanced upon this small, 2-star hotel of only 37 rooms and minimal facilities. But the photos of the rooms looked good and homely online, so I booked it. 

The hotel is Q Hotel in Yongin, a city about 45 minutes' drive from the heart of Seoul, and home to Everland, the biggest, dreamiest theme park in South Korea. It is located in Cheoin-Gu, which is the rural district of Yongin - and I would like to spend a quiet Christmas away from the madding crowds, so this looked promising. 

Besides, Q Hotel is just about 1.3 km from Everland, which was highly convenient as we planned to visit Everland yet again, this time with Little Bee. 

We had a nice long breakfast in Seoul, admiring the moderate layer of snow on barren tree branches and sidewalk pavements from the previous night's snowfall. We then took a taxi to Q Hotel with sparing luggage for one night, and it was truly therapeutic to observe the gradua, subtle transformation of the landscape from that of an overcrowded, typical urban jungle to one of peace, serenity and isolation, filled with expansive hilly vistas, little villages and white, voluminous meadows. 

I loved how the sides of the roads were piled up with uneven dunes of snow, with no one in the rural district shovelling this fairy dust away, unlike the efficient overnight workers in the capital city. I revelled in the boundless expanse of pure white fields and lucid azure skies, unblighted and immaculate. And as the taxi drove higher up the mountains, the exquisite frosted valleys nestled in the cradle of infinite hills was a resplendent visual feast for our deprived urban eyes. 

I am not sure if the Bees derived as much pleasure of being in the countryside as me, but I was busy pointing out interesting landmarks and sights to them. After all, this was a snowy landscape that was unfamiliar to them, and I hope their city-bred eyes would open up to another dimension. 

Hubby and I were filled with excitement as the taxi drove past smaller and smaller towns, whilst the kids were zealously looking at Everland as we drove past it. 

Soon, the taxi stopped at a small, dingy-looking hotel with no signboard and no grand entrance, just a nondescript glass door that was dark and opaque, so we could not even peer into the lobby. 

As we emerged from the taxi, the first feeling that hit us was the cold. It was much much colder than in Seoul, probably because we were higher up in altitude plus we were in a rural area. Christmas Eve was forecasted as one of the coldest days in the week in Seoul - with highest temperatures at -2 degrees and lowest temperatures at -12 degrees, so Cheoin-Gu would be even colder. 

The arctic cold hit us like a slap in the chest and took our breaths away. I just had enough time to quickly bunch up the kids' hoods on their heads before huddling them straight into the hotel (or motel, haha). 

What greeted us was a very small space that was used for a reception or lobby. There was a female innkeeper who didn't know English at all. Fortunately, her son, who just arrived to help her in this family-run inn, was able to communicate with us in slightly American-accented English. 

We were given a good old-fashioned key instead of those awful, insipid card keys in swanky 5-star hotels. And we rolled our small luggage into a tiny lift - without a concierge. 

The interior decor of the room was quaint - it resembled a log cabin with a traditional heated ondol floor which was truly blissful in this wintry weather! I booked a junior suite, so the room was rather spacious, with a cosy sitting area and a snuggly bed.

The Bees were ecstatically peeling off their many layers of clothes and exploring the nicely heated room. Before long, Hubby was excitedly telling us to layer up (again!) so we could head towards South Korea's biggest theme park, Everland.

Hours later, after a terribly freezing day in an open theme park, we returned to the hotel, loving the much welcomed warmth of the ondol floor. We snuggled together on the small queen-sized bed, in the chilly darkness, and listened to neighbouring rooms celebrate the onset of Christmas as we slowly drifted off to Neverland...

Christmas Day


We woke up to a dazzling landscape of white beauty and a blanket of clear cerulean sky. Merry Christmas! It was truly challenging to get out of bed on a cold winter's morning, so we were only at the breakfast cafe around 9.30am, and we were the last ones to eat breakfast - all the guests were out!

Breakfast was in a small, quaint underground den, with beautiful fusion decor from the African safari theme to a famous sonnet "How Do I Love Thee?" by Elizabeth Barrett Browning. The girls (mainly Big Bee) was fascinated by the poem, and I was wondering when would be the best time to introduce these much-loved poems to the Bees. It was truly ironical that we would be learning about a 19th century English poem deep in the suburbs of South Korea!

One of the younger inn owners cooked breakfast for us on the spot. Hubby and I had the yummiest mashed pumpkin toast with scrambled eggs, while the girls had muffins and milk. We had such a cosy time being the only family in the cafe, enjoying our breakfast and yakking loads.

After breakfast, we took a little walk around a quiet, halcyon small suburban neighbourhood. The Bees played with piles of snow in the backyards of peaceful, unassuming low blocks of apartments.

The colours of winter are resplendent. Everything - a maple leaf, an orange peel, the gravel road - looked vivid against the background of pure, white, powdery snow.

The entire neighbourhood was hushed though. Not a sound from neighbours. Not a vehicle moving. And the only people ambling past were old, elderly folks. I couldn't help but think that this is one of the neighbourhoods experiencing brain drain - or youth drain - in South Korea, where the young and able ventured out to nearby Seoul in search of more glamorous riches and glory.

We would have loved to stay out longer, but the temperature was utterly freezing (it felt like -10 degrees Celsius!), so we all scooted into the welcoming warmth of the hotel. All of us were breathless from the cold. I finally understood how frostbite could occur because my ears were absolutely painful from being in the cold for too long - despite warm ear mufflers. My ears truly felt that they were about to drop off anytime!

We packed up and headed back to Seoul in time for a late lunch, with me silently bidding farewell to the agrarian beauty of the countryside for yet another dip in the crowded urban sprawl of Seoul...

Red And White Resplendence

We spent National Day in an idyllic way, which was just what we needed after 2 very busy weekends of socialising! 

I had the wonderful opportunity of sneaking out of the house early in the morning when Hubby and the Bees were still asleep to indulge in an hour of gloriously invigorating yoga in a nearby yoga sanctuary. Thereafter, I came home just when the family's rousing from their sleep - recharged, revived and invigorated after an active practice :) 

Big Bee suggested to me that the whole family should be dressed in red and white since it was our nation's birthday. 

I must give credit to her school's Social Studies because she knows a lot about our country's history and National Day too! 

A collage that Big Bee did for her art class in school

We then spent a substantial part of our day in Ikea, analysing how we could redecorate the girls' bedroom, and Anchorpoint. It was therapeutic to be by ourselves, without any social occasions or enrichment classes to rush to! 

Back home, the girls were fascinated by the National Day Parade, and both of them sketched out our country's flag when watching the parade. 

Little Bee's Singapore flag

Big Bee's Singapore flag - sorry, too lazy to rotate picture!

Although this year's musical format was a little different from previous years, I kind of enjoyed the parade show because it provided a very succinct history for the Bees in an easily understood mien. 

All in all, a lazy and relaxing sort of day - my type of day! 

An Afternoon Of Recreation

We had a spate of playdates during the last week of the June holidays, which was wonderful for the Bees to catch up with some of their friends whom they meet only during school holidays. On 20 June, LP and I took some time off work and indulged in a restorative weekday afternoon of fun, games and food with her 2 vivacious boys, WW and WD, and the Bees.  

The kids immersed in a vigorous session of bowling, getting all excited with fantastic sportsmanship. Bowling is an excellent recreation for older kids, as it fosters strong sportsmanship, competitive camaraderie and teamwork in the kids. In addition, the best advantage for the parents was that we could literally sit back and chat - leaving the kids to their safe devices for almost an hour! 

We also enjoyed an indulgent bout of arcade games (not my favourite activity for children, but it was the school holidays after all!) before heading for a well-deserved teabreak.

We then headed to LP's house where the kids basked in yet another energetic play session, while the mothers continued our chats. 

A great afternoon for bonding between both mothers and children! 

Universal Delights

PF and I brought the kids to Universal Studios on 23 June, and had a fabulous time. This was my second trip to the theme park, and this time, I chose not to bring Little Bee as she did not enjoy the rides previously. Without Little Bee, we would also be able to take the high-risk thrill rides! I did ask Little Bee repeatedly if she wanted to go, but she kept emphasising that she didn't like Universal Studios adamantly, and that she would be happier with grandma at home. I guess she is still a zealous Disneyland fan at this age. 

Anyway, we bought the Express Pass, and it was such a blessing! I remembered the long and sweltering hot queues that we had to experience last December when we were there, and shuddered. This time round, the Express Pass enabled us to breeze through the queues, without needing to wait an extra minute! It definitely enlivened our overall experience of the Park!

The 3 big kids had crazy and fun times screaming in the thrill rides, squealing in the 4D show, gossiping about big kids' stuff in general and debating about taking certain rides. In the end, we took all the rides, except for the Battlestar Galactica ride - which I aim to take with Big Bee the next time we are there! 

Some highlights of the rides we took (very brief descriptions as I do not want to spill out spoilers inadvertently!):

(A) Madagascar zone

(1) A Crate Adventure

We set off with glee in this ride, expecting a thrill ride, but it was actually a very relaxing and serene boat ride with a couple of tiny surprises here and there. A good start to our day! 

(2) Party-Go-Round Carousel Ride

With the Express Pass, we completed all the rides (with lunch and teabreak thrown in!) by 4.45pm. Which was when we decided to hop on the carousel ride since we had nothing else better to do! The big kids found it boring, but Little Bee loved it when she sat on it last December. I loved it for a little reprieve from all those screams-inducing thrill rides! 

December 2010: The Bees on the same carousel. Little Bee loved it!

(B) Far Far Away zone

December 2010: The Bees loved the Far Far Away land of princesses and fairy tales

(1) Enchanted Airways roller coaster

The kids loved this mini roller coaster, and dragged us to take it twice. Do not be fooled by its mini scale. It was actually very hair-raising for me, with its blood-curdling dips and precarious turns. I screamed non-stop every time I took this ride. Big Bee loved it for its stimulating and blood-pumping twists though. Whew. 

(2) Magic Potion Spin

We did not take this tiny ferris wheel this time, but I took it with the Bees when we were here with Hubby last December. It was a very claustrophobic and dark indoor ride - nothing like those towering, glorious ferris wheel where we could gaze at panoramic scenery! 

(3) Shrek 4D Adventure show

The 4D effects were brilliant and so very realistic. We loved this show! 

The grandiose castle of Shrek 4D's show

(4) Donkey Live

Again, we watched this last December, not this time. It focused on a stand-up comedy show with Donkey. Rather entertaining, but not very tempting to watch for the second time. 

(C) The Lost World zone

(1) Jurassic Park Rapids Adventure

It is imperative to bring ponchos along for this ride, because even with ponchos, we were utterly drenched! This was rather over-rated, in my opinion, but worth a ride for the thrill of seeing dinosaurs and for the feeling of being in another land. 

(2) Canopy Flyer

We took this with zero anticipation, as the ride looked so harmless from below. Boy, we were all in for a surprise! The height was formidable, we had our legs dangling in mid-air, the ride was swift and titillating, and some of the turns high up in the air were heart-stoppingly rapid! Those with height phobia, beware! We were all breathlessly excited after this ride. Fun! 

A still from a videoclip that showed Big Bee ascending up the park! 

(3) Waterworld

We watched this when we were in Osaka's Universal Studios, enjoyed the effects but could not understand a word of Japanese which they spoke. Here in Singapore, the effects were still riveting and we were able to understand the entire storyline. The kids were captivated and stunned. 

(4) Dino-soarin'

After all these heart-palpitating rides, we decided to cool down with a nice, tame round-about ride (like those Flying Dumbo rides in Genting or Disneyland). Big Bee and Claire were propelling their dinosaur way up in the sky, and I was sitting alone in front of them, just enjoying all their giggles and delight. 

(D) Ancient Egypt zone

This would be my favourite zone, as I always felt like I am in another world, another time here, with all the majestic ancient Egyptian buildings and statues towering over me, spiced up with mysterious and sombre music. 

(1) Treasure Hunters

As we were waiting for our lunch to be digested so we could enjoy other rousing rides, we decided to take this calm and mild jeep ride, which was more suitable for younger children like Little Bee. 

Perspective from within the jeep

(2) Revenge of the Mummy

The highlight of the day! After much persuasion by me, Big Bee squared her shoulders and agreed to take this signature ride. I loved this ride for its pre-ride dim, atmospheric ambience, its pitch-dark roller-coaster ride (I prefer not to see where the coaster dipped around!) and for its beautiful yet haunting interiors. 

The ride was extremely electrifying and tremendously mind-blowing - it was truly intense! Everyone was jolted through their senses with huge rushes of adrenaline thereafter - stupendous indeed! The children were spooked by the eerie and cryptic ambience too...!

Sighs of relief after they had "conquered" The Mummy ride!

(E) Sci-Fi City

We could hear the screams of the people from the Battlestar Galactica rides reverberating and echoing throughout the whole theme park. It was also very entertaining to watch the death-defying and heart-stopping loops, turns and dips of the 2 roller coasters. 

Accelerator

We took the Accelerator, which was like a rotating teacup ride. The kids - as usual - turned the spacecraft immensely fast, leading to dizziness for me! Overall, a very bearable ride. 

(F) New York

Lights, Camera, Action!

Hubby first brought us to this spectacle, and we were awed. This was a movie studio that re-created the magic of movies, and showcased how a studio simulated a Category 5 hurricane - all within a movie studio. Amazing. The Bees were rather frightened back then though. This time round, we were on the first row and very near to the hurricane effects, so the kids were rather daunted too! I thoroughly enjoyed this show :)

(G) Hollywood

Monster Rock show

During our last visit in December, we caught the entertaining Monster Rock show. Very pop concert with lots of songs like a typical musical, and a great place to take a break from the heat and thrill rides! 

Meals

We had our lunch at Mel's Drive-in, which was a 50s rock and roll retro diner that I loved! 

Our lunch :P

We also headed for an alfresco teabreak right in the magical land of Far Far Away with Ben & Jerry's ice-cream. And finally, scrumptious dinner at the chic Hollywood China Bistro. 

What a fun day - and we will be back during the next school holidays, with a ride on Battlestar Galactic, no less!