hats

I dont know why...but Joel looks instantly fatter in these beanies...

happy family

Last week, it was more fun interacting with Baby Joel. You've probably saw him do his peek-a-boo (in the video below). He really seems to like it...coz he did it whenever he gets his hands on a blanket. He also surprised us by clapping his hands (when i asked him to)...and also trying to wave goodbye - though not always successful.

Still, it makes us really happy to see a happy Joel. ;)

P.S. Our friends saw him on Sat and he also responded to them...laughing so loudly it kinda became a scream...so everyone had so much fun! Sooo cute!

hugz hugz

A friend just told about this thing called the Hug Mug from Max Brenner. What an interesting concept huh. ;)

Hug Mug is a cacao bean shaped mug designed to keep your hands warm while drinking. It creates the ultimate experience of warmth and coziness and the openess of the mug allows the aroma of the chocolate to be thoroughly enjoyed.

So...do you drink from the "fat" side or the "skinny" side??? Haha...

great stuffs

If you're located in Singapore, you should rush there this Saturday morning! Petit Bateau has the best (tshirt) materials ever...and can last for years! Chiong ahh...
P.S. If buying for babies, cutting runs small...or maybe Asian babies are generally chubbier... French babies are born to look like super models!

smart people

The cable TV people came to install some cable TV of sorts on Monday...and i had problems trying to play Joel's DVD yesterday (felt so stupid that i had to use the old TV remote to fix that). Anyway, after playing Joel his DVD again today, i cant seem to get any of the TV channels to work...so NO TV for me tonight - and that meant no Channel Young at 9pm!!! (I was really quite mad!) These are the times i really hate the CHINESE remote control, the CHINESE selections and the CHINESE manual...(let me also add) the chinese menu, the chinese washing labels, the chinese signages... Arrghhh...

So i decided to watch Smart People...and i really liked it! It stars Dennis Quaid, Ellen Page (of Juno which i also wrote about below) and SARAH JESSICA PARKER!

It's light-hearted and sets a pleasant mood even though i'm watching it alone. I like its ending too - coz i love happy endings. I dont like those that keeps me wondering and totally hate those that makes me sob. The music is also very good - kinda like Juno's.

peek-a-boo

I was really very very surprised! ;)

i'm seeing dots

Polka dots, squiggles and twisted tailoring... That's what you'll see come 13 November in major cities in the world! It's the Comme des Garcons and H&M collaboration - most exciting to date - after Kylie Minogue (Mar 2007, Beachwear), Madonna (Mar 2007), Marimekko (Apr 2007), Viktor & Rolf (A/W 2006), Stella McCartney (A/W 2005)...

View the H&M X CGD collection here.

hopeless

I just came back from the supermarket...and i'm really clueless what are the types of vegetables - its name and how it looks like! I was trying very hard to figure out if this......ehh......or this looks more like broccoli.

I also bought a pack of muddy purplish longish stuff which i thought was red potatoes...and i came home and realized it's yam!

I know my sis Sandra - who loves food & the supermarket - is going to strangle me!!! ;p

eat n shop

Just 2 weeks of enjoying the cool autumn breeze, i cant believe we're dressing for winter already!!! This weekend, we went out only in the late afternoon. Both days, lunch was home-delivery coz the cold weather makes us feel sooo lazy. Kinda like animals hibernating in winter! That includes Joel coz shortly after he woke up and bathed (at about 10am), he went back to sleep again (at 11am)!!! Or maybe he knows it's the weekends! ;p

We finally went to the Grandma's Kitchen at GangHui (港汇广场 Grand Gateway) for some nice soup...and realized a revamped level 5 & 6 with a whole lot of restaurants!
Picture: Mommy dressed Joel at home in silly hat! And we went out in matching blue furry boots! HAHA!

We also found a new shop from Hong Kong - Bauhaus - in GangHui and Elvis bought this simple but nice jacket and a pair of jeans (both so expensive!!!)...but he received a VIP card for 10% discount on future shopping lah! ;p (The VIP card can also be used in HK Bauhaus which carries about 20+ labels, but here in Shanghai, there's only about 10 labels)

P.S. Sorry, i cannot find a related link for 'Bauhaus', but you'll probably have seen their shops in almost every HK street! Haha! ;)

Sunday afternoon, we went to Shanghai Outlets which is like a really HUGE factory outlet place. (You can view more detailed pictures here from another blog) There's more brands now compared to the last time we went more than a year ago. It's in the outskirts of Shanghai, so getting there by cab takes more than 30mins (1 hour if there's a jam). It was raining and we only shopped for 2 hours coz we had dinner plans with Elvis' boss & friends at HAIKU! Yum yum! That's the perfect ending for my weekend! ;)


The Shanghai Outlets link (www.outlets.sh.cn) doesnt seem to work...their address is at 2888 HuQingPing Road/JiaSong Road, open daily from 10am to 9pm.

If you wanna scour at least 50% of the shops at Shanghai Outlets, be prepared to come early and give yourself at least half a day here. It'll also be more "worthwhile" coz your cab fares already cost quite a bit lah (approx ¥70-100 one-way from town, and might need to get past 1-2 toll highway depending on the route you take).
Adidas, Armani, Burberry, CK, Colour 18, Diesel, Esprit, Fila, Guess, I.T., Lacoste, Le Coq Sportif, Levi's, Liu Jo, Miss Sixty, New Balance, Nike, Nike Golf, Nine West, Puma, Quiksilver, Sisley, Tommy Hilfiger, United Colors of Benetton, Zegna...and much more...most shops offer discounts of approx 30% up to 70%!!! (I even saw 1 shop at 90% discount!)
Also there's a HUGE everything-for-kids section which we didnt get to see...but i saw almost everyone carrying their carrier bags.

women's history month

Real Mothers don't eat quiche; they don't have time to make it.
Real Mothers know that their kitchen utensils are probably in the sandbox.
Real Mothers often have sticky floors, filthy ovens and happy kids.
Real Mothers know that dried play dough doesn't come out of shag carpets.
Real Mothers don't want to know what the vacuum just sucked up.
Real Mothers sometimes ask 'Why me?' and get their answer when a little voice says, 'Because I love you best.'
Real Mothers know that a child's growth is not measured by height or years or grade... It is marked by the progression of Mama to Mum to Mother...

4 years of age - My Mummy can do anything!
8 years of age - My Mum knows a lot! A whole lot!
12 years of age - My Mother doesn't really know quite everything.
14 years of age - Naturally, Mother doesn't know that, either.
16 years of age - Mother? She's hopelessly old-fashioned.
18 years of age - That old woman? She's way out of date!
25 years of age - Well, she might know a little bit about it.
35 years of age - Before we decide, let's get Mum's opinion.
45 years of age - Wonder what Mum would have thought about it?
65 years of age - Wish I could talk it over with Mum.

The beauty of a woman is not in the clothes she wears, the figure that she carries, or the way she combs her hair. The beauty of a woman must be seen from in her eyes, because that is the doorway to her heart, the place where love resides. The beauty of a woman is not in a facial mole, but true beauty in a woman is reflected in her soul. It is the caring that she lovingly gives, the passion that she shows, and the beauty of a woman with passing years only grows!

sleepy sat

It's Saturday 1pm...and the 2 Mr Chaus are still sleeping soundly!!! We're supposed to go to Haiku to eat...and now, i'm starving!!! :/

Big head #1 just came back from Muse at 4am... (one of the clubs opened by Carina Lau) &
Big head #2 has the separation anxieties and has been grouchy since he woke up at 9am...and is now asleep again. (It's now his nap time until his lunch...)

The aircon man (probably also a big head) is supposed to come in at 10am...but didnt show up...

So i decided to wash Joel's clothes since they take forever to dry now...it's washed & hung...and i even put the-day-before-yesterday's-clothes in the dryer...and kept them too... What else can i do besides blog?! I'm really really hungry! It's sooo cold today...so of course very shiok to sleep lah! I also hope i can sleep like you leh...

Please wake up soon... Haiku Haiku...or else have to call Xing Wang delivery liao lah!

crab season

S/S is "xiao long xia" season & A/W is crab season - and we're not talking about clothes here. Yes, it's the hairy crab season!!! And we just had a 大闸蟹 Hairy Crabs session with Elvis' team. They had gone to buy it (from a famous place) after work and went to one of his colleague's house to steam it... and also made the "special dip" of vinegar, chinese wine & loads of chopped garlic. Other than hairy crabs, they also ordered Singaporean food - chicken rice, hokkien mee, black carrot cake, sambal kangkong, curry chicken, bakuteh, kulou pork, caixin... from Orchard Restaurant. (You're also supposed to drink "huang jiu" /yellow wine with the hairy crabs coz they can "get rid of the cold")

I remembered the first & last time i tried 大闸蟹 at Fomo, i really didnt like it...and i wonder why some people say 大闸蟹 is the best thing/food on earth!!?? I think normal Spore crabs is much better. When i go to Fomo for 小龙虾 "xiong long xia" (literally translated to 'mini lobster' but it actually looks/tastes more like crayfish), i dont even want to try the gross-looking crabs again! BUT this time, it's really very yummy and very very fresh!

This is "good quality stuff" and we each paid for 2 crabs - ¥70/set (1 male & 1 female). If you eat at Crystal Jade, it's ¥200 for the female, ¥98 for the male (!!!).

I also think that maybe Fomo wasnt as good for their hairy crabs compared to their "xiong long xia". The thought "xiong long xia" always makes me drool... Keke... ;p

blame it on the weather

Winter's almost here...and i'm starting to feel hungry the whole day. That's bad!!! Almost every 30 mins, i will look for something to munch - chips, chocolate, biscuits, Milo...

During my last winter here, i ate more & more...until when we went back to Singapore for CNY...and everyone says we've become fair & fat (coz there's hardly any sunny days here).

So i think it'll be the same again... ;p

P.S. But really lah, almost everyone here is like that...they put on the pounds during winter, cover with thick jackets (anyway)...and lose the extras during summer. Keke... It's a cycle.

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.