still blank

I'm beginning to wonder if blogspot.com is ever going to be alright again...

add me

There's this MacDonalds ad on TV which goes something like Facebook-ing. It's for a summer drink/float which is 50% off the 2nd cup.

Add me, Add me...

How many friends do you have? 357
How many are real friends? 187
How many do you chat with regularly? 84
How many can keep your secrets? 8
How many did you meet up with recently? 0

;)

My Quiz from QuizYourFriends.com

How well do you know Josephine Koh 1) Who am I married to? Elvis Chua Elvis Chau Elvis Chou Elvis Chee

Powered By: QUIZYOURFRIENDS.com Make A Quiz - Take This Quiz - View Scoreboard

woww

Wow~ Wow~

Joel kept saying Wow~ at his play class when the teacher blew bubbles. When he did that, his mouth curled into a tiny pout! Cuteness~

contest

I was checking out a Canon camera model...and saw this contest to win a bling bling camera!

After i submitted my entry...and went to see the others'. I realised i'm bad at graffiti. Anyway, you can still vote for Joel's entry here:

Page 32, Entry No. 1597
http://goto.canon.com.sg/ixus100is/#/stylebook/vote/

Thanks!

P.S. You can submit your entry too...and i'll vote for you! ;)

2nd chance

I went to collect my Panasonic Lumix camera from the repair shop before going to the zoo.

Then... Elvis & Joel dropped it on the floor at the zoo. SMASHED!

At that instant, i felt kinda stupid "wasting" ¥250 on the repairs just a few hours ago. Truth is, i felt a little angry and sad...more at Elvis. :[

But i'm getting a cool-looking Ricoh! OR maybe i should get something else...

happy father's day

Today is the 3rd Sunday of June - Father's Day. No special celebration planned...but we had arranged to go to the zoo with our friends today (if it doesnt rain). We woke up to a really humid day. That means the zoo date is confirmed.

There were still 6 of us including Joel. 4 people had backed out - probably becoz of the heat. They were smart! Haha... The weather was terrible and i thought i was getting heat stroke! We were all sweaty & sticky for the 2.5 hours in the zoo...and also for the rest of the day.

The highlight of the zoo trip was visiting the PANDA, of course. Joel loves them! He couldnt stop smiling and calling Papa, Papa, Papa... His soft toy panda came to life!

We saw all sorts of birds, 3 raccoons (which is called Xiao Xiong Mao 小熊猫, and directly translated to "Lesser Panda" on the signage!!!), 3 pandas, 3 zebras, giraffes, elephants (kept indoors and the stench kept us inside for less than a minute), the HUGE gorilla and all sorts of monkeys. It was so warm all the tigers, lions, cheetahs were sleeping. We didnt cover the whole place and we decided to call it a day. (The heat reminded me of Bali...and could be worse!)


We headed straight to "eat ice" 吃冰、- that's what the people call it. The dessert was damn shiok! Then we went to Dagu Road for DVD shopping before dinner at Masala Art - an Indian restaurant on the same street. The people who missed the zoo trip joined us for dinner too. The only indian food Elvis & i have tried is probably roti prata. So we didnt know what to expect before this meal. Almost all the staff and chefs here are Indians. AND we love the food!
(Joji, if you come to Shanghai again, we'll bring you there)

Elvis got a father's day "present" which is actually a bedtime book for him to read to Joel. Haha! It's titled 'I Love You, Daddy'. A touching story about Daddy Bear and Little Bear. Joel insisted that Daddy read it to him TWICE.

Goodnight.

to GongGong

Happy Father's Day &
Happy GrandFather's Day too!

downpour

Saturday, we only went to Joel's play class. It was so warm and humid in the morning but when the class ended at about 4pm, it was raining cats and dogs.

We also decided to switch to the Saturday 3PM play group. There were only 3 other girls who are Sat regulars. Our first lesson last Sun 5PM had the max of 10 kids. Plus the parents and 2 teachers...it was packed!

Yes, this is the day that Joel was a lazy pig and didnt wanna wake up for his playclass. Have you watched his video? ;)

a new little friend

Just saw pictures of Benson & Sharon's #2 baby - Kayla! She's beautiful with big eyes that smile even when they're closed - just like big sister Claudia. What a lovely family of 4!

Congrats, Ben & Sharon. ;)

giveaway

A few weeks ago it started to get really warm in the day although it's still quite windy at night. So i packed Joel's winter clothes and gave them away to Elvis' colleagues. Sweaters, bodysuits, pants, tshirts, onesies and shoes. It is to be split between 3 girls in his team. Fortunately, the girls dont mind handmedowns.

1 is pregnant, and 2 have baby boys who are a year younger than Joel - which is simply PERFECT! The clothes Joel wore when he's 12mths LAST WINTER would be perfect for the 2 boys, also 12mths, THIS WINTER! I just wish the lifespan of the clothes can be maxed out - esp for the nicer ones. ;p

As i stored away our winter clothes, i also found a stack of even smaller 3-9mths clothes which i packed away long ago. So Elvis brought them to the office too. Ahyi also took some for her sister-in-law who is giving birth next month to a THIRD kid - finally a boy. (The clothes Joel wore everyday, we threw them away coz they're quite old)

I guess i'll just give away whatever Joel cant fit - as and when. Actually, i kinda miss his cute winter bodysuits. Joel looked so cool in them - different from other babies here. Keke...

I kept some which i think he might still fit this autumn-winter. I also kept a very tiny Petite Bateau onesie which he wore when he was 1-2 months old. That could be like our family heirloom! Next time, Joel can see how tiny he was as a baby. ;)

P.S. Here in Shanghai, the weather can be quite unstable... hot-cold-hot-cold...all the way into June/July. Soon, there'll be lots of rain almost every day. It's the 梅雨 season.
(http://baike.baidu.com/view/38767.htm)

beary confused

Joel adores his little brown Bear and he knew how to say Bear-Bear long ago. For the past few months, he showed interest in a panda soft toy (also from Ikea). Panda doesnt have a pet name. He's simply called Panda.

Lately, Joel tried to call Panda's name. Initially, he calls it Da-pan. I guess it's the "opposite" of Pan-da.

Starting from last week, he calls Da-pan Pa-pa! Even Bear-Bear is Pa-pa!!! ;p

Are you getting confused too?

P.S. Elvis is still 'Dad-di'.

sad angry frustrated

Lately whenever Joel is pissed, as he cries, he will use both hands to hit his head and ears. He looks really sad/angry/frustrated when he does that.

BANG BANG BANG BANG... :_(

I dont know what triggered him to behave like this but it hurts me to see it. And he wont stop until you carry him and tell him it's alright.

snapped

Joel bit the shutter release button off my camera!!!

FYI, it's the same knob i press to take pictures and also to zoom. Other than these 2 functions, the Lumix is still fine...just that i cannot take any pictures with it. I'll see if i can it fixed. Otherwise...ELVIS!!!

~ Sunday, 14 June 2009

UPDATES:
To replace the small button costs ¥250. Need to order the parts and takes time. Getting it fixed anyway...

a new district

We had dinner on Sunday night with friends at a place that looks exactly like Boat/Clarke Quay - minus the river.

In was in Minhang district, at an Indonesian restaurant - Rijsttafel. The food was bad. After that, we walked down to an American diners for milkshake and fries! It didnt disappoint. Absolutely yummy! ;p

Hong Mei Entertainment Street
A popular pedestrian-only street located in the Minhang District. It is characterized by the small and diverse restaurants, bars and lounges that can be found down the narrow avenue. The street really comes to life during the night, with a stroll down the short lane really encapsulating the multicultural nature of the city.

http://www.shanghaiexpat.com/index.php?name=microsites&file=hongmei
http://www.smartshanghai.com/search/article/Hong_Mei_Entertainment_Street
http://www.shanghaidaily.com/minhang/travel4.asp

P.S. Joel has a mosquitoe bite on his knee. I hope it doesnt swell up and get pus inside. :(

upgraded

Sunday, Joel advanced to the 16-22mths play group at Gymboree. (He's 17.5mths now but becoz he wasnt walking steadily yet, the teachers decided to keep him at the 10-16mths group)

He doesnt seem to like it as much as his old group. Maybe coz he doesnt know any of the kids. Of course, it also require them to do "stunts" which he hasnt mastered yet. Plus he doesnt follow instructions!

Last week, we let him attend his FIRST Music session (for 16-22mths). It was also with unfamiliar kids and teacher. He also didnt follow instructions. ;p

joel, where are you

Elvis is out playing soccer (again), so Joel & i are at home. We'll probably go out for dinner later.

Today, Joel played hide-&-seek with me for the first time! I dont know who taught him that...

I was using the Mac (as usual) and i suddenly realized Joel was all quiet. Usually when he does that, i'll catch him eating one of his puzzles from the books. (But since he was outside of his play yard, he couldnt be eating them)

I quickly walked out of the room and called out, "JOEL, WHERE ARE YOU?" Our house is small, but when you're panicky, it seems like a good place to play hide-&-seek! I couldnt find him anywhere! The balcony doors were open...and he wasnt outside either. I panicked. I wanted to call Elvis. Suddenly, i heard some noises from our bedroom... And there he was - hiding behind the curtains and laughing! He thinks it's funny that i called for him and looked everywhere.

I'm amused! ;)

joel is alright

Joel is happy and he takes longer 2-hour naps.

He now knows how to kiss daddy, mommy, soft toys and books with a MUACK! :*

Before this, he just stick out his tongue...and lick (daddy). Yucks! :p

joel has diarrhoea

Sunday, we went to NanChang Road to shop-cum-walk to Joel's play class. There's a number of new happening shops on that street. (Daddy shopping again lah)




After Joel's play class, Mommy & Joel went home coz Daddy had to go into office again. Dinner time, we went to pick Elvis at his office then to the yummy BBQ place with our usual Sunday dinner kakis. This time, we went to the other outlet at XuJiaHui.

Joel was sleeping when we arrived. But when he woke up, he started crying non-stop. We couldnt pacify him at all. Our friends looked very stressed too. So we quickly finished up our food and left earlier. -.-lll

We think that Joel is probably having a stomach upset (coz he had diarrhoea 3 times that day). We bathe him when we reached home and his buttocks were very red. Or maybe it was serious nappy rash. He seemed happier as we watched the tennis finals on TV.

RESULTS:
YEAH! Roger Federer won the French Open!!!
Finally, he is the champion for ALL the important matches. The best tennis player in history. He cried as they played Switzerland's national anthem. When he gave his speech, we were so touched we felt like crying too. I like Roger Federer too...but Nadal more. Haha! I'm very happy anyway. ;)

friends again

Last night, i got a message from Priscilla that she just got called up for a flight to Shanghai. So, we arranged to meet today for lunch. She only had 2 hours of sleep before she met us at 1.30pm for lunch at Afternoon Tea. She's been to Shanghai many times, but it's her first time in XTD. She likes it! (SQ usually put them up at a hotel in HongQiao District)

We shopped at HuaiHai Road, and went to Elvis' office for a short while.

Then we shopped a bit more before dinner at Grandma's Kitchen. We went home early after dinner so that Priscilla could catch up on her sleep before her flight again (tomorrow morning). She's very lucky to get to be passenger on the trip back. So at least she can sleep on board or watch some movies.

Pris & i bought the same pair of Vivienne Westwood sandals but in different colour. Elvis was the one who bought the most things - as always. ;p

in his little voice

Joel surprised me once again. He saw a monkey on his story book and he took the monkey hand puppet! Then he goes on to kiss the monkey in the book.

What sound does a COW make? Boo...
What sound does a LION make? Ha...
What sound does a DUCK make? Duck.

He also likes calling Daddy, Daddy, Daddy... nonstop.

hao qiu

'hao qiu' 好球 is what Elvis always say when he's watching any sports! Haha... We're very into the players making the "victory sign" by bending their elbows with fist clenched. It's a silent 'YES!' (FYI, Elvis says he does that too, but with both arms. Haha...)

We have been watching the live telecast of the French Open - Roland Garros - every night. As usual, Elvis roots for Roger Federer who has come to the semi-finals (tonight, Shanghai time GMT+8).

Where is Nadal? Why..... :(

UPDATES!
Federer beat Duan Martin Del Potro (from Argentina) to get the seat in the Finals. It was a tough game as Del proved to be a strong opponent this time. In the past, he has NEVER won Federer in any game.

Federer will be up against Robin Soderling (from Sweden) in the Finals on Sunday.

ROGER FEDERER!

botak

I forgot to blog about Daddy Elvis shaving Joel's head about 3 Sundays ago. (You've probably seen the pictures on Facebook already)

Elvis cut Joel's hair in the morning (using the Braun cutter) and it's very nice! Only a bit uneven at the sides, behind the ears. So, when we came home in the evening (before Thai dinner with our friends), Elvis decided to just redo the sides. He picked the shorter attachment (of the cutter).

ZEEEEEE...

Both of us were stunned! The hair at the side ~ GONE! So, we had no choice but to shave all of it the same length. During the whole process, both of us stood beside Joel and kept quiet coz we were very sad and felt very very sorry to Joel. :_(

When we finished shaving, we managed to convince ourselves that Joel is still very cute! Haha!


~

And 2 weeks ago, my friend Jenny was here in Shanghai.



That same week, we also went to TongChuan Road/铜川路 - a seafood paradise! The place is "very local". It's like a fish market street. You can buy live seafood from any of the stalls (on the entire street), and get it cooked for you at this 新九龙塘 restaurant. There were 12 adults & 1 baby Joel. Fortunately, we managed to get a private room. (The main hall is smoky and dirty) We ordered A LOT of food including lobster...and it only cost about ¥150 per pax! Elvis hopes to go back again.

quick

There's a VERY GOOD service here call 快递. It's actually despatch service. But it's cheap and good...and quick!

Today, Elvis forgot to bring his iPhone. Initially, i thought of taking a taxi to his office, then head to Sogo to walk walk. Then suddenly, i thought of the 快递! So...Elvis called for a 快递 to come pick it up immediately from our house to his office. The cost? ¥10. That's only about S$2.

My taxi fare to Elvis' office/Sogo 2-ways, ¥30+. (And the money i will spend at Sogo)

Once, Elvis didnt wear a thick jacket to work and it suddenly turned chilly. He had to go to a production house at night. So, i called for a 快递 to send him his super bulky Diesel jacket at only ¥15!

Dont you love living in China! Haha! ;p

Thank you, Mr. Kwai Di 快递.

~ "fai-d" in Cantonese

blank

HEADLINE: China Blocks Twitter, Flickr, Others as Tiananmen Anniversary Looms

Read this news:
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,524339,00.html
~
Some people have been asking why i dont blog with pictures now. I've been trying to find a proxy to use that i'm able to post pictures...but NOTHING!!! I miss looking at Joel's photos too.

The Great Firewall of China.
Sometimes even Google and Hotmail dont work too...for about 1-10 mins. I cannot live without these 2 and blogspot.

friends

Through blogging, i've come to know some new friends...

Mabel the Hipo Mama
(Sandra > colleague AhNai > sister)

Connie
(Astrid > friend)

Anne
(Astrid > friend)

Yeyent
(Astrid > friend)

and i also know my other friends better. Thank you.

duck

Joel has been saying Duck Duck Duck... He took the duck jigsaw and throws it onto the "duck page". Then he takes a duck finger puppet and throws it onto the page too.

Joel has this set of Lola & Binky books and i find it really good. Joel likes the books every much, especially the Zoo book. I've read it so many times to him that i can memorize all of it.

On each page, there's a touch-n-feel jigsaw. A few days ago, i placed all the 16 jigsaws (from 4 books) on the floor and Joel was able to put the correct jigsaw onto every page although he hasnt mastered fitting them correctly. The down side is that Joel likes to chew on the jigsaws and it always makes me very angry. Almost the entire title on the Zoo book has been eaten up.

There's 4 jigsaws in every book:
Fun on the Beach (sand castle, kite, starfish, car)
Fun at the Zoo (bus, tiger, koala, elephant)
Fun on the Farm (pig, lamb, cow, tractor)
Fun at the Park (dog, butterfly, bee, duck)

http://www.amazon.com/Lara-Jones/e/B001HMMFT4/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1

children's day

Today, 1 June, is International Children's Day. For us who grew up in Singapore, we celebrate Children's Day on 1 Oct. (1 Oct is China's National Day, and it's a 1-week public holiday)

Even though this is the 2nd year we've been parents, we dont do anything special for Joel on Children's Day. Maybe we should change that from next year. Okay, Elvis? ;p

I went to XuJiaHui today and bought Joel some English books becoz i didnt know what toys to buy for him. I've never been inside this Popular Bookmall 大众书局, and i'm surprised to find reasonably priced English books. Quite a good selection too! I wonder if it's the same one that Singapore has. Different logo though. Will definitely be back again. (www.dazo.com.cn)

Elvis' company dress code for today is shirt & pants. They will put on the 红领巾 (red scarf) that all Chinese school children wear everyday.

红领巾的起源
http://baike.baidu.com/view/49653.htm