off days

On 端午节 we went to JingAn Sogo with Pick to buy soccer boots. Becoz the guys have a match the next day. Elvis was trying to look professional. Keke... There wasnt many designs/brands to choose from. He bought a black/white Adidas. His FIRST soccer boots.

For dinner, we had Coco Curry. Everyone LOVES it! YUM YUM! Burp~

DAY 2
In the afternoon, we went to buy LIVE fish and prawns coz Elvis cooking for his friends tomorrow night. (The wet market here is open the whole day) After that, Elvis went to play soccer while we stayed at home. At night, we went to THE authentic Tai Ping Koon at Times Square for dinner. Swiss Chicken Wings!!! Burp~

P.S. Apparently, the TPK at XinTianDi is not the "authentic" one. Hmmm...

DAY 3
Lunch appointment (with a baby born 3weeks after Joel) canceled. So we went to XinTianDi/Afternoon Tea (again) for lunch...then shopping (again). Went home in the early evening and Elvis started cooking. Pick, Raymond & Carol coming to our place for dinner. Everyone agrees it's the famous Elvis' World Best Pork Chop. BURP~


DAY 4:Sunday
Elvis starts work.
I decided to skip Joel's play class. Will probably bring him there on one of the weekdays. ;p

duan wu festival

Tomorrow is Duan Wu Jie/端午节 (Dragon Boat Festival or Dumpling Festival). After so many years of eating rice dumplings, i just found out from the TV that it falls on 5月 初5. It's a public holiday here in China. Elvis gets Friday off too BUT Sunday have to go back and work.

Today i went to Yu Garden to buy rice dumplings. Bought just 4. There were lots of interesting things to see and i kept walking around to "kaypo".

端午节快乐！

17 months

Joel is 17 months today and weighs 11kg.

A few days ago, Joel said "Xing Xing" (星星／star) and "Na Na" (月亮／moon). His little voice was so cute we kept laughing. FYI, Ahyi has been reading the Shapes Book to him. STAR: stars, "xing xing". CRESCENT: Moon, "yue liang".
(She read "yue niang" coz her mandarin is not very accurate)

stroller #4

HELP!!!

Monday i went to Mothercare...and saw Maclaren strollers!!! Before Mothercare came to Shanghai (early this year), one will have to buy Maclaren strollers from overseas.

Although Mothercare here dont carry many models, i quite liked and am quite decided on the Maclaren Triumph at ¥1499 (about S$300). I was told it weighs only 4kg. It was either that OR the Silver Cross black stroller (also Maclaren-styled) at ¥1199. It's also nice...but for ¥300 more, the Maclaren is a better choice coz it has "lifetime warranty". Surprisingly, Mothercare's prices are "very controlled" here. Not super ex like most imported things.

I was going to buy it this weekend with Elvis & Joel. BUT i just checked out the website...and there's this other model VOLO which is slightly lighter...and it's good coz it's less warm for the kid with its thinner padding (or rather removable padding). Now, i'm lost!!!

VOLO
- 1 position only
* clean white look
http://www.maclarenbaby.com/us/content/view/99/491/lang,en/

TRIUMPH
- multiple positions
* blue/orange 2009 design (different from website)
http://www.maclarenbaby.com/us/content/view/100/492/lang,en/

Which is better?

P.S. I was hoping to get the Day Tripper next time i'm back in Spore. But looking at the website, it's no longer available in the UK. So, i think it's the older version of the Volo/Triumph.

finally!!!

-.-lll

Finally i can access my blog! China has blocked some sites again. Eblogger is one of it. And even my usual proxies dont work!!! @#$%^&*

I could view my blog with a proxy i found (www.zend2.com)...but i could not sign-in.

As i was checking out Hipo Mama's blog...i left a comment...then i realized that I'M IN!

YEAH!!!
(Cannot use some "functions"...no edit text, no pix etc...but it's good enough)

I missed you all - even though i dont know who exactly. Haha!

it's a good start

Which ones do you have?

similarities

Somehow, Joel looks a little like the girl in Yoshitomo Nara drawings. More Yoshitomo Nara on Facebook here.

You think so too?
This photo always makes me laugh. ;)

meeting place

A year ago when the great earthquake hit China Sichuan, tremors were felt in Shanghai too.

I wondered what would happen if our building collapse. We live on the highest floor - 28th. Would i be on the highest part of the debris...or fall to the lowest part and it'll be absolutely impossible to rescue me??? I also thought about where i could possible hide (if there's time to run) so that Joel & i get a chance at survival.

That day, i told Elvis that IF a disaster hit us one day, we'll meet at the traffic light outside our apartment, opposite the photography mall. This is becoz i dont know many places in Shanghai...so even if the traffic lights and all the buildings were gone, i'm sure i can find my way to that spot. That's our meeting place.

1 year ago

You cried with the people of Sichuan.
Sichuan 5.12 earthquake.

More info here.

fb loophole

Do you realize that once you tag someone in your Facebook, your entire album is no longer 'private'?

Is that the only loophole? I wonder.

lu mmm

I LOVE this LU Petit Ecolier Milk Chocolate. It's good when you're hungry and also wanna get a choco fix!

It's a bonus that the chocolate is just as thick as the biscuit! YUM!

hot weekend

Last weekend, we needed to wear jackets. It was chilly at 10-odd˚C with strong winds, and Catherine even had to borrow my sweater. This weekend was so HOT with a high of 32˚C! It's the earliest summer ever. (Report here)

On Saturday, we had wanted to go out a bit earlier to shop before dinner, but we lazed around at home till early evening! Blame it on the heat! Dinner was with Elvis' friends at XingFu131. The group included CEO of an ad agency and their most famous friend featured on Time. So as usual, i just eat and eat... Haha! -.-lll
(幸福131 is the location where Taiwanese drama 转角遇到爱 was shot. Yes! In Shanghai! Starring Barbie 大S/徐熙媛 & Alan Luo 罗志祥. In the drama, 幸福131 sells Taiwanese food/小吃 but in actual, it is a ChongQing restaurant famous for its spicy food)

Sunday, we slept till noon...
(Joel slept in his previous day tshirt coz he was knocked out when we reached home)

Then we met Ann & Michelle for lunch at Whisk.
(They're famous for their chocolate drinks and cakes. This time, i recognised the Hug Mug on their menu...so i suspect that they're using Max Brenner!)

We decided to go to ZhongShan Park district to look for some new 2nd-hand shops...but we couldnt find it!!! So we walked to another shopping area Metro Town/玫瑰坊. After like 30mins, Ann & Elvis very terrible...said it's boring...and wanted to go back to their favourite ChangLe Road!!! Haha! Made me spend money...

Here's some of the interesting things we saw along the way while searching for the 2nd-hand street (in 中山公园 Zhong Shan Gong Yuan)...

Elvis had to go back to the office to review some work a few times...so basically, we just walked around and shopped (a lot). It was sooo tiring coz we walked all the way till 10pm, then finally stopped for dinner at Tsui Wah...then Elvis & Pick joined us at 11pm. (Again, we were pissed off by their bad service...but i dont know why we keep going back!!!)

I had aching arms and feet the next day coz Joel kept wanting me to carry him instead of sitting inside his stroller! -.-lll

P.S. O ya, Friday night we went out for dinner and we got another ¥100 from the invoice Scratch-&-Win! Wahahaha... (Our meal was ¥150)

belated

Happy GrandMother's Day
to PorPor

Love From,
Joel & his mother Jo

boxed up

Joel's play mat is "peeling"...so i turned it over. Now, it's a plain green mat! Hopefully it'll last till he can walk steadily and dont need a mat anymore.

I also bought the 2 red and blue boxes for his masak masak and books. Should have bought a few more for his soft toys and balls.

¥9.90 from Ikea.

junk food

Last week, i went to Ikea alone to buy this huge trashcan and filled it with loads of biscuits and junk. It's for Elvis to bring to work to share with his team. You know, when they're OT-ing and feel like eating some junk...

And here is the other junk food i have at home. Since 2006.

cheap small things

Today, i went to Cheng Huang Miao to look at those "small things" 小东西. It's been a while since i last went there to FuYou Road, 福佑门商厦. Before i had Joel, i sometimes like to take the bus down to take a look at stuffs and perhaps buy some small items for my GYS swaps. Cheap stationery, necklaces, ear-rings, hairclips etc... Everything there is 'Wholesale Price'! (Even if you dont buy in bulk, you can still get them at cheaper prices than regular shops)

Bus No. 932 is the only route i'm very sure of. It's a straight bus from my house to Cheng Huang Miao (last stop). To get home, i just need to wait at the same "terminal" (there's only this bus). People there stand in line too! Haha! Service No. 932 also comes very quickly (usually less than 3mins) and i can reach there within 15mins. Most of the time i will take a cab home becoz i'm too tired and/or have too many things to carry.

When i reached the bus stop, i checked to see if 932 still goes to CHM. It does. And it is still only ¥2. When i looked up, the bus was here! So i quickly flagged for it.

The bus wasnt crowded but there was no empty seat. So i stood near the back door. At the next stop, an aunty was about to alight, and she said, "Little Missy, beware of my boxes". She has 2 huge plastic storage boxes she just bought from the supermart. I was pleasantly surprised! She's so nice! (These boxes are very popular after winter coz everybody stores away their jackets and quilts)

I took her 1-seater and noticed some changes on the bus... The magazine is gone. Instead, the magazine pocket has some rubbish in it. The driver has a small screen showing the people alighting from the back door. There's TV Mobile. The LED screen also shows the temperature - 28˚C. It still shows the stops in Chinese & English...and the announcement too!

Along the way, i looked at the food stalls, street signs, handsome people, Times Square, Zara, the bright sun, old lane-houses, old couples looking so blissful, young children playing, bridal shops with funny-looking gowns... I really enjoyed the bus ride.

These are the small things i bought today...
Monchichi (not the real thing)

These are for myself.
Monchichi bag ¥12, mini Monchichi in pig costume ¥25, 21cm Monchichi ¥50 each

These 2 are for a friend.

And these other junk...
Dont ask me why i bought them.
Towel ¥5, paper carrier ¥5/each, pink polka dot carrier ¥20/10pcs, big hat ¥35, purse ¥20, skinny umbrella ¥25, hat clips ¥36, hairclip ¥5, band ¥2/3pcs, traditional tiger toy ¥15, giftbag ¥5

Wanna show this mini hat! So cute! I couldnt decide which colour, so i bought both. 1 can give my sis Sandra. ¥18 only!

After i took the group shot, i found these still inside my bag! Haha!
These are junk also...
Bear minifan ¥15, Caveman minifan ¥10, scissors/punch set ¥25, rabbit punch ¥6


And here's my old bus ride.

magna doodle

I just recalled this Magna Doodle we had when we were young. It's the very first "dustless chalkboard" invented in 1974.

Dont you think it's such an amazing board? Like MAGIC!

This is how it works:
Magna Doodle is a children's magnetic drawing toy, consisting of a magnetic drawing board, a pen, and a few magnet shapes. It was invented in 1974 and over forty million have been sold to date.

The key element of the Magna Doodle is the magnetophoretic display panel. Each honeycombed cell of the lattice is filled with a thick liquid filled with tiny magnetic particles. The middle layer is latticed so that there is always an even distribution of the magnetic particles across the entire surface of the display. The liquid is designed so that the particles can be pulled through the liquid in response to magnetic force applied by the pen or eraser, but not due to gravity.

The Magna Doodle was produced by Tyco until 1998 when most of Tyco's toys were sold to Fisher-Price. The Magna Doodle is currently produced by The Ohio Art Company and used to be distributed in the United Kingdom by Fisher-Price. Fisher-Price has discontinued the Magna Doodle and have produced their own alternative, the Doodle Pro. It is still available in the UK, from the distribution company Megatel LTD.

choco addict

Lately, i've been eating a lot of this Meiji Milk Chocolate bar. I cannot stop until i'm done with the entire 65g bar. Not a lot, i think. ;p
(It's the smaller foil packaging. Made in Shanghai. Same taste! ¥10.50)

Check out the Meiji website...so kaiwaii with all the cute cute illustration...and ooo...get a handsome wallpaper too! ;)

my first year

From the little angel in daddy's arms...

cute. cuter. cutest.

flower boy

01.05.09 at Haiku.
from Catherine's camera.

joel's daddy

Joel's new toy. Camouflage jacket. Beanie. Tongue. Lots of LOVE.

Joel's Daddy is away in Germany...and will be back on Saturday.
We miss you, Daddy Dadi! ;)

winnings

Whenever you dine in restaurants, you can ask for 发票 "fa piao" (invoice). There's a Scratch-&-Win portion. We have the habit of scratching it becoz we have been quite lucky. Usually it's 谢谢你 Thank You. Sometimes, it's ¥5, ¥10 or ¥20. Once, we got a ¥50. (You can claim the prize money from the shop immediately)

The other day at Crystal Jade, we got a 发票 that has a prize money of ¥100. YEAH!!! Too bad i scratched it when we got home. (Fortunately, the people at Crystal Jade know us, so they'll allow us to claim the 发票 another time)

Since there's a BIG prize, i had more motivation to claim it. I went to gather ALL my winning 发票s.

Today, i went to the Shanghai Bank...and got ¥275 CASH! ;)

may day

30 April, Thursday
I met Ricky & Catherine at Raffles City for lunch at Charme Restaurant. (I asked them to go to ChengHuang Temple/YuYuan & 1933 in the morning) Then i brought them to the wholesale place to SHOP SHOP SHOP! I had planned for Ricky to go to the museums (nearby) while we shop. But he wanted to follow us instead. In the end, he gave up after a while, and stood waiting for us for the next few hours!!! (NOTE: The wholesale place is very messy and not for every shopper) Then they went back to the hotel to unload the loot and also to rest. So i "postponed" TianZiFang. Then we met Elvis for dinner at AhMao1. (They decided not to go to the river cruise at The Bund)

They arrived on Wednesday evening, and they wanted to explore on their own. So they went to BAOSHAN (in the outskirts!!!) for Szechuan dinner at 巴国布衣 BaGuoBuYi with the face-changing performance. BUT becoz they didnt know it's so farrrrrr, and they missed the show when they arrived. The restaurant manager upon knowing that they had come from so far arranged for a mini performance for them. Phew... At least they got to see the Chinese secret art! Then they went for a late night movie at XinTianDi instead of the cruise at The Bund which Ricky wanted. Not bad! Haha! Here is my experience at BaGuoBuYi 2 years ago.

1 May, Friday (HOL1DAY)
Joel exercising while waiting... They're staying at Ramada Plaza Peace Hotel, a 3-min walk on the left of our apartment.

We had brunch at TianZiFang.
(I had the Thai pineapple rice i was craving for from my friend's blog)

Walking around TianZiFang...

Shopping at NiHong/Neon Kids Place, HuaiHai Road, ChangLe Road... Then dinner at Haiku. YUM YUM!
(They decided not to buy any DVDs or go for the river cruise.)


2 May, Saturday (HOLI2DAY)
After dimsum brunch at Crystal Jade, Ricky & Catherine wanted to explore on their own...
(Supposed to go Urban Planning Exhibition Center, Nanjing Pedestrian Street, The Bund...then to Shintori dinner...and back to our house to collect their luggage)

We went to Joel's play class and then to JingAn Sogo...

Here's our early dinner - Coco Curry! YUM YUM!
Choose your main course (patty/veg), then pick your
- choice of curry
- choice of rice (200-600grams)
- choice of spiciness
- choice of topping

We LOVE the pickles!!! (Drooling)

When we reached home in the evening, Ricky & Catherine came back too - much to our surprise. They decided to skip the dinner at Shintori and came back to rest. Then they left earlier to the airport for dinner.

I'm not sure if they enjoyed their holiday in Shanghai becoz Ricky kept asking me what is "more Shanghai". Since they only had 3 short days here in Shanghai, i had already planned for them the main Shanghai must-sees. Hmm... I think he's expecting something "more cultural" like the acrobatics show that he really hoped to see, and the The Bund river cruise. Keke... I thought that they would be interested to go to the museums (like how much we always enjoy it), but apparently, they didnt want to go. Nevertheless, Catherine managed to shop quite a bit for herself, her daughter Emily, her 2 nephews & niece. Bye-Bye! ;)

Personally, i think it shouldnt be too bad lah coz they've already covered these must-sees within this very short trip:
1. Baoshan (!!!)
2. XinTianDi
-----
3. ChengHuang Temple/YuYuan
4. 1933
5. Raffles City/People's Square
6. QiPu Road (Wholesale shopping)
-----
7. TianZiFang
8. Neon Kids Place
9. HuaiHai Road (H&M & Uniqlo)
10. ChangLe Road
-----
11*. Urban Planning Exhibition Center
(RECOMMENDED but i'm not sure if they went becoz Ricky wasnt keen in exhibits)
12. Nanjing Pedestrian Street
(it's quite boring, but it's a must-see)
13. The Bund
(they just saw it from across the road becoz they didnt know there's an underpass!!!)

3 May, Sunday (HOLI3DAY)

We went to XuJiaHui for Singaporean food at Prima Taste, and to shop...then we met Pick for dinner (he is back from Bangkok today). After dinner, Raymond & Carol joined us and they came to our house for drinks and chit-chat.

That's the end of our 3-day May Day holiday. EAT & SHOP x 3!

P.S. Ricky & Catherine are our design school friends.

short tour 1

Catherine & Ricky has left for the airport...

I'm not sure if they enjoyed themselves. I'm not sure if they saw enough. I'm not sure if they shopped enough... (I doubt so)

Today, we went separate ways after dimsum brunch becoz they wanted to explore on their own. I had booked them a nice dinner at Shintori at the end of the day. But maybe becoz it was raining, they decided to skip the dinner and came back around evening. (They left their luggage in our house) Fortunately, we also came home 10 mins before them! We went shopping in Sogo/JiuGuang and came home with good stuffs! ;)

Ricky said he cannot tahan shopping with his wife Catherine. They walked non-stop. Then Elvis said, "You shop with me will be worse!" Hahahaha... (Poor Joel)