kawaii candy boots

doremon

The one chinese song i have been listening to for the past few weeks is 时光机 by Jay Chou. It's been playing kinda nonstop on TV and it's in my head now. It's the official song for the Shanghai Fashion Week which opens on 1 Nov 2008.

Anyway...here's the MV with the cute guitar:

stainless steel

puke

This is the insides of the octopus head... its brain maybe...

10 months

Joel at 10 months is 10kg (same as last month) ...and is bitten by mosquito for the first time. So poor thing. :(

Last week, Joel started eating porridge too.
Day 1 - Porridge with carrots : Joel dont like
Day 2 - Porridge with minced pork & spinach : Joel dont like
Day 3 - Porridge with spinach : Joel ok
Day 4 - Porridge with spinach : Joel so-so like
Day 5 - Porridge with spinach : Joel likes it a bit more
His usual reaction after a few minutes is...he gets very angry, tries to grab the spoon and/or push it away, tries to throw things on the floor, spits out the porridge in his mouth and/or whatever i try to force-feed him again, cries and has to be supplemented with cereal/milk.
...Weekends on full-day milk...
Day 6 (today) - Plain porridge (coz no more spinach) : Joel LIKES and cries for more! ;)

saturday shanghai

Brunch at Crystal Jade (no pix) - Some hotel with a view of Pudong (left, Pearl Tower), Puxi (right, The Bund) & the HuangPuJiang river which separates the 2 (parts of Shanghai) - Fabric Market to collect Elvis' tailor-made jacket but it still needs some minor adjustments...so gotta come again tomorrow (no pix) - Yummy dinner at "Carbon-Fried Fish" (literally translated from "tan kao yu"/BBQ fish) with Pick & Aunty "Nooch" from Thailand. Nooch will be going to Singapore to work next week

sunday shanghai

Home

Taxi (Note: Joel's tongue)

XinTianDi 新天地 (which i always cant seem to capture its charm...maybe you just have to be there to feel it)

Shots taken after our brunch... Back lanes in 新天地

Brunch at Afternoon Tea (coz Elvis knows i crave for it every week!) I decide to try something different other than the Flying Roe pasta and fruit drinks i usually order. Here's hot Caramel Chai & Spicy Chicken Pasta...and Elvis' risotto (seafood i think). Cake is...i forgot.
Verdict: I still very much prefer the Flying Roe! HAHA! ;p

ChangLe Road 长乐路 (Elvis' fav shopping place in Shanghai which we havent been to for a while) There's quite a number of new shops too...very nice stuffs as usual. Elvis bought a bright red Takeo Kikuchi jacket. So gay! As usual, we walked from ChangLe to XingLe roads...which took a few hours. Joel sure is heavy...but this place is not stroller-friendly...so bobian. :/


Monchichi in Adidas outfits! Sooo cute! I didnt ask the price...should be ex. On the right pix are Monchichis in other costumes. I like the first one in camo outfit with a mask.

At the Fabric Market again to collect Elvis' jacket. We waited there for a while coz it still needed some minor adjustments. Overall, it took 1 week to make. This place is very famous and swamped with angmohs esp on weekends who come here to make literally anything! Prices are about ¥500 for a coat - that also pretty much depends on your bargaining skills. (What you see hanging in the shops are just samples. Long-sleeves work shirts are about ¥80 to make, bottoms about ¥100++, suits about ¥400++...)

Joel gets a bit grouchy again...

Elvis went for a haircut...
Dinner at a famous Korean restaurant in the outskirts of Shanghai with our Sporean, Shanghainese, Thai, Japanese-American friends. Elvis & Joel are wearing matching outfits! (That's so Korean!) Keke... Can u see the middle dish (amongst the many side dishes)??? The octopus is ALIVE!!! Yucks! The hotpot is also full of HUGE octopus and clams - all i also dont eat. :(

goodie box

I received Lara's swap package on Sunday! It was delivered to our door in the morning. (Usually, i have to collect it from the post office) As i just pulled out one item after another from the super stuffed box, Elvis & Joel (still lying in bed) looked on - as excited as me! Keke...

There's lots of baby things for Joel - 2 Gap rompers, 2 cute tees (1 is from my fav brand Junkfood), a Gap fleece hat, a Carter's super soft blanket and 2 Uglydoll. For me, there's a Junkfood specs tee, 2 body butter from Victoria's Secret & B&BW...and a whole bunch of chocolatey snacks! I'm soooo HAPPY! I love everything! ;)



The Kinder Happy Hippo Cacao snacks are super yummy! I've almost finished all of it by now. Thanks, Lara for the wonderful swap! ;D

P.S. I really really really like the Papa Smurfs tee! Looks so cute on any baby!

mosquito allergy

Baby Joel has been bitten by mosquitoes! 3 on his face, 1 on his ear and 2 on his hand. I didnt think much of it coz it looked like a regular mosquito bite...but Elvis saw some secretion coming out of the "bump" on the 2nd day (when he came back from AnHui). So we got a bit worried. Yesterday, when we met our friends, they also said that Joel might be allergic to mosquito bites.


The PD is closed on Sunday, so we went to a pharmacy and the lady really tried her best to sell us medication including Mentholatum (which my mom swears by for EVERYTHING), but i read from the bottle it's for children above 2yrs... (when i told the lady that i have it at home, she even said that mine is EXPIRED!!??!) ...so i'll see how things go tomorrow.

What's worth smiling is that i killed the mosquito that bit Joel! HAHA! I saw it on the wall... so i quickly went to get my mosquito racquet thingie... i used it to make the mosquito move/fly ...and i electrocuted it! It "fainted" on the table and i crush it with tissue...SPLAT...OOSHH... SHIOK!

cool baby

This is something else we had to buy to keep our little one warm. Incidentally, the colour also matches our stroller perfectly! It is also cheaper than i thought ¥150/S$30. Keke... ;)
Below is getting Joel to try out his bomber jackets which he likes to LICK!!! (That is why he is looking down) It seems he really has "no neck"...so it's a bit hard to zip it up.

weekend

We're boring people who frequent the same cafes & restaurants all the time. Last weekend, we tried 2 new places - Whisk Choco Cafe and H Cafe (but i really still prefer the pasta & pastries at Afternoon Tea). Their deco is really nice too.

Sometimes we try a new Chinese restaurant we've never been to...and still prefer our fav Crystal Jade & Grandma's Kitchen. Old habits are hard to kick! Grandma's Kitchen (at HuaiHai Road) has been closed for reno for weeks now...and we always scratch our heads when we wanna drink some yummy, nutritious home-cooked soup.

joel's play yard

This is what's left of our living room after we fixed up Joel's play yard on Sunday morning.

mirror mirror on the wall

O no! I've got a pimple!

please stop

Joel really doesnt like porridge.

autumn

It's autumn and some people are wearing jackets, scarves, boots - the works. But somehow everytime i go out, i can survive just wearing a tshirt - even at night! Maybe for nights, can add a light cardigan too. Without also can tahan lah.

Actually when we're at home, i feel quite cold (maybe coz we're on the 28th floor)...so i'll put on a jacket myself and for Joel...but we always end up taking it off as soon as i get on the cab! So my diaper bag is even more packed with the jackets and all! Hmm...

When can i start wearing my UGG boots?!!! :/

Looking out of the window, today is super sunny (like in Spore)...i just checked it's high of 26˚, low of 20˚. In my opinion, wearing anything more than a tshirt would look silly.

little technician

Joel loves to crawl out of his playmat to this corner. Come next week, he'll know better...coz we're going to confine him within his playmat! Meanwhile, here our little technician...

"Mama...i've checked. There's nothing wrong with this. You can charge your cellphones and cameras here."

more wayfarers

I've blogged about Elvis' Wayfarers before...and the collection just kept growing... The latest are from the Colorize range - blue & khaki green/brown - which he bought at the same time! I think he's kinda crazy about them... Fortunately, not all colours come in his size meant for bigger heads. (Another pair of foldable tortoise shell Ray-Ban is shown in the bottom pix) Actually, some of these colours are quite rare in Asia...some people say it's the ONLY PAIR IN ASIA (outside of Italy)! It could be true coz when we were in Europe, we saw mostly just the red & white Ray-bans. They should be the cheapest there too since it's made in Italy...about 120/130 Euros.

Can u spot the RB-lookalike???
Answer: It's the camo 1st row, top. That's from Shanghai small shops! Keke... I forgot how much...maybe about S$15 (Actually, we were "cheated"...could have got it at S$2. YES, $2!!!) It doesnt have the logo imprinted on the lens & sides. That's about all...o and the material also different lah. But cant really tell when worn lah. ;p

Have u seen those silly looking "sunglasses" with plastic stripes for its lens?? They're also selling S$2 here! We saw in Europe selling 5/8 Euros cheapest...and Spore also selling abt S$20+ i think. But it's just so silly to wear them huh. ;p

500 photoframes

Daddy gave a talk...and he was given a Sony Digital Frame as a token of appreciation! I'm so "lao tu" that i dont even know this hi-tech product exist in the market. (Yes, i cant fight him this time, i'm really laotu!) That's what being a fulltime mommy has turned me into! Keke... ;p
Specs: 7 inches frame, up to 500 images, auto image rotation...
Here's how it looks like... I guess it'll be filled with 500 Joels! ;)
Haha...I think he should give more of these talks...and bring something useful home! He's turned down quite a few invitations coz he prefers to remain low-profile. But the gift is so cool - and it's something i would not have bought myself lor! I like it!

galler belgian choc

When you think about chocolates, do you automatically drool? I do! Haha... I so love chocolates! Anything chocolate...err...except maybe dark chocolate (coz i dont like bitter stuffs).

When we were in Belgium, we bought some bars of Galler chocolates. I love its packaging coz it looks like the Pantone chart! So colourful! It's also relatively cheaper than Neuhaus/Godiva and comes in "snack size" bars of 65 grams.

They're so pretty - esp when you buy A LOT - so i told Elvis to buy ALL the 20+ flavors for his team...but he preferred to buy the Neuhaus chocolates instead. :/

Anyway, i had "chooped" the Orange and Pistachios for myself. The rest, we just picked whichever Pantone colours we liked. They will also pack 2 bars (or more) in a plastic box as a gift. So, we just gave away 2 bars to "whoever"/friends that Elvis didnt specially buy anything for, yet needed to give something to. Keke... You know...it's like those souvenirs people always buy after a holiday. ;p

I just ate the Pistachios yesterday night...and it's so super duper YUMMY! It's white chocolate with crunchy bits of pistachios (kinda like the puffed rice inside Nestle Crunch). It's a little too sweet, but still very nice. It's actually too small for me coz 1 bar = 4 big bites. So, i'm still drooling when i think of it. ;p

If you wanna try them, i saw a small Galler shop in Spore's Raffles City B1 (next to the round fountain). I think it's about S$7/bar - about the same price as buying from Belgium. Yum Yum! ;)

Check out the website first coz it really gives a better understanding of the chocolate - at least selecting from the dark/milk/white part before choosing the flavors - rather than picking from any Pantone colour you fancy (like us).

lao tu

Elvis & i have this "joke" about being so "lao tu" (old fashion)... Nevermind if you dont know the joke...coz i also forgot how it was started (maybe like a few weeks ago)...but we just keep "saying" each other "lao tu" for anything, yes, anything - even if it doesnt make any sense!

So today, my Facebook says...
Jo is "lao tu"...but i really like the old FB more :/

Dont you??? Haha...
There's even a FB group requesting to sign petitions here
'5,000,000 Against the New Version of Facebook. (Please Forward)'

shanghai to germany

This is exciting! Lara has received my swap package! I'm glad she likes it. She says, "YOU KNOW ME SO WELL!!! I love EVERYTHING!!!" Phew... (although i did know some of her size before getting the stuffs lah) But before this, i wasnt exactly sure what's her response...coz she's such a wonderful swapper who told me to SURPRISE HER! So, here's what i sent:

printed stockings, mac lipglass, hello kitty pen/pencil, eraser, bling bling stickers, "chocolate" mirror, "fluff" cellphone strap, hairclips, ring, beaded panda purse, hello kitty japanese cosmetic pouches, aerie/AE panties, scarf, uniqlo tshirt & DVDs (not shown)

I hope mine arrives soon too! O...did i mention that mine's supposed to be a swap of baby things for Joel, but Lara is sooo nice to include some things for me too! Such a great swap partner, huh! Lara is actually from the US and she's living in Germany now...but i sent her package to their US address coz her husband's in the military and it will be directed to them in Germany. I think that's why it took longer than usual to reach her. ;)

P.S. Actually, i always cannot view Lara's blog coz of some weird china proxy problem...so i always use YouHide which doesnt show some of the pictures properly... :/

jumping finally

cheap thrills

I dont know what's the name of these 2 kind of flowers...but they only cost ¥20/S$4. And i didnt even bargain much. If you're more brutal in your bargaining or go later, i'm sure can get these at ¥15 or lesser. (I have bought 10/12 stalks of Gerberas for S$5!!!) When living in a place where flowers are so cheap and the seller is outside everyday on his bicycle, you'll just feel like buying some home "just for fun". I believe i would never do that back home in Spore.

I'm not into flowers...but what a pretty sight - even if it's only for a few days! ;)
When we first moved here (and bought flowers home for the first time), Elvis said that we could buy every week since it's so cheap...but we just never got down to doing that. I think i buy once in 3-4 months! Haha... ;p

play yard

After getting Joel a playmat, the next would be a fence - to make a real play yard - and also for a safer play area. I've found some here... Any suggestions from mommies or babies? I wanna get something that i wont regret lor coz this is kinda like buying a piece of furniture...so quite headache. I wanna get it tomorrow/next week (1 day for delivery).

Option 1
S$160 - that forms a square 1.7m x 1.7m (with 8 panels). I like that it's a "no frills" shape...but it will really occupy a lot of space in the living room. Cannot form a rectangle coz it's too narrow for play (about 80cm)...though i thought of an 'L-shape' to save some space. My playmat is 2m x 1.8m, so i can just cut away a bit of the extras to fit. The red door is "fake"...think the green panel can be folded downwards to let baby in/out.


or Option 2
S$90 - that forms a hexagon (6 panels) about 1.2m in length/breadth which is an ideal size for our small living room. The yellow door can be open/closed. I kinda prefer a more "regular shape".

* Price includes delivery. Plastic balls (shown inside) sold separately.

UPDATED:
We have decided to get the bigger fence coz the hexagon seems a bit too small for playing inside (esp with toys). Keke... This meant moving around more of our existing furniture for Joel's sake. ;p

i like his smile

pincer grasp skills

Joel likes these organic Apple Cinnamon Teddy Puffs from Healthy Times...but it really challenges his pincer grip! He can grab it...but he doesnt know how to put it into his mouth! He keeps sticking out his tongue...which kinda doesnt help sending the food into his mouth. He just keeps switching hands...and most of the time, it gets stuck onto his wet palms. ;p
(As i typed this, i saw him ate his FIRST, 2nd & 3rd teddy puff all by himself! YEAH!!!)

I'm thinking we should start brushing his teeth too...

100 bible songs

When we were back in Singapore, PorPor gave Joel this '100 Bible Songs For Kids'. We listened to it today...and I loved it (although we only managed to get to CD2).

It had all the songs i grew up with at Sunday School and some new songs too. Although some of the tunes were slightly different from what i learnt, it was overall a great listening pleasure. O...there's lyrics inside all the 3 CDs too!

Thanks, PorPor. I'm sure Joel will grow up loving these bible songs. ;)

saturday

Dressed to get hot babes...


for a FREE haircut while Mommy went to colour her hair. (Initially, Daddy had wanted to SHAVE IT BALD!!!) Turned out, Joel's was free coz he was extremely popular at the salon. Half was by Daddy's stylist & half by Mommy's stylist. Keke... ;p