shanghai-bali

7 Mar, Sat
Shanghai - Spore T3 (to T2 for lunch at DianXiaoEr) - Bali

Finally, we arrived in Resor Seminyak after 12 hours! Just in time for supper with the Wibowo family. (It was so warm Joel was perspiring so much!)

8 Mar, Sun
Rise & Shine...and a big hello to everyone from Singapore! Look, a beautiful rainbow in the morning!

All the babies and daddies swimming. (The resort is quite old, but their swimming pool was quite nice)

Joel was very tired after the exercise. Lunch by the pool! (This is where we got sunburn!!!) Getting ready to go to the wedding!

Shinta & Paul wedding St. Regis Bali


Ehh...we were late for the solemnization at 5pm, so we waited outside the chapel. Nusa Dua beach is so beautiful (of course it's much better than Seminyak beach).

Inside the beautiful chapel.

Around the chapel where the tables are set. Just beside the chapel is the Bridal Suite where the very attentive bride Shinta even setup a Kids Corner! Joel was busy throwing the balls out of the mini house. I think he enjoyed that a lot. ;p

9 Mar, Mon
To Hard Rock Hotel for lunch with the new bride.

The group of friends who made it to Bali - from Singapore, Jakarta & Shanghai. (Becky, Jessica, Bride Shinta, Jo, Baby Joel, Elvis, Baby Johan, Astrid, Big Baby Noah, Woei, Big Baby Amanda, Sebas & Ivan)

Relaxing (again) at a cafe after the group from Singapore left.

Shopping time! For the record, Mommy Jo was the only one who didnt buy anything! Ivan, Astrid & Elvis all bought from Mooks. (On the right are small local shops which require good bargaining skills.)

Seafood dinner.
10 Mar, Tue Breakfast & "kite-flying".

We decided to head out to the rows of shops outside our hotel...but it was super duper hot that we kinda gave up after a while. It was unbelievably HOT!!! After the Wibowos left for the airport, we headed to the same street in the evening. The stroll was much better minus the heat.

Nice shops... (not nice prices)

We had dinner at Ku De Ta - a famous club in Bali. It was a huge restaurant and we sat indoors. There were huge beach chairs & umbrellas facing the ocean (more for drinks). The whole place is very WOW!

We were "under-dressed". ;p

11 Mar, Wed
It was raining in the morning. It's funny how i just realized our resort is actually quite beautiful on the day we're leaving! Haha! Maybe it's the after-the-rain effect...and not super duper hot. ;p


This is our (old) hotel room and lobby...

Goodbye, Bali. Hello Singapore.

vainpot

While i'm busy organizing our pictures from the Bali-Spore trip, here's a video of Baby Joel - for those who missed this chubby baby! Hmmm...i'm not sure what Joel was doing... Do you?

We were inside a tshirt shop in Heeren : PunkStar. The sales staff is an Aunty in her 50s who was busy chatting with her friend on the phone and with Chinese music blaring from the radio. I thought it was quite rare to see that in downtown Singapore shops. Keke... It's our first time in this shop, but some of their designs were not bad and very cheap too!

$16 for ladies tees. $25 for men tees. Canvas bags were quite nice going for $18. Support local designer. We each bought a tee. ;)

en route

This time tomorrow, we would have landed into Pudong PVG. Our luggage is still the same - i.e. overpacked - with some shopping from Bali & Singapore. Think i'll have problems packing tonight... :(

samsonite big pack

By the way, if you're wondering why i'm back at the Mac... Joel is sleeping (earlier today) and Elvis is not home yet. Most important, i'm almost done with my packing! No matter how hard i try to cut down on stuffs...and place the things nicely into the luggage, we still cant pack light!!!!! :/

induction cooker

This post has nothing to do with 'My Life' - since my blog has somewhat changed into depicting our seemingly boring life after Joel. Keke...

I just made an interesting finding! Look! Amazing huh?!

I was looking at the website/brand of the stove i bought...coz the aunty told me it's from Japan (i had wanted to get a relatively popular Chinese brand). Anyway...i just knew the correct term is 'Induction Cooker' and then i discovered its pros and cons. Only the cooking vessel does the actual cooking! Dont need to worry about getting your fingers burnt - even if you're wearing a metal ring and place your hand on a full-on induction element! Amazing!

Did you know about this? I sure didnt! Coz when we were in Bangkok, the service apartment we stayed in uses induction cookers and i was so afraid when i was making Joel's porridge! Keke... Now i know better. ;p

P.S. And the aunty also told me that my model is 'anti-radiating' and has more functions than the one i initially wanted. I just dont really like it's colour. The other one is stylo black & red! Nevermind lah. Cheap & Good! ;)

when will i ever

Last night, i was trying to pick out what to wear to the wedding in Bali... We're leaving on Sat morning like 5+AM, and i had to get everything packed by latest latest latest today. Coz i always pack last minute into the wee hours. Haha! But this time, i have to sleep & wake up so early. I cannot imagine waking Joel up from his slumber too. :/

I had a hard time deciding which shoes to wear. Coz i LOVE my red wedge which did not get to see the daylight during CNY. I must find a chance to wear them!!! I also realized i had so many other pairs of nice nice heels stored away. All new! I must have a hundred pairs of shoes here (and another hundred pairs back home in Singapore).

In the end, i decided to wear flats - again! ;p



I should really get my butt off the Mac and start packing the rest of the stuffs!!! I'm hopelessly lazy...and yes (Elvis), i love to sit here too much!!!

P.S. It's weird my feet size went from 35 to 36 after Joel...so there's quite a lot of shoes i dont fit anymore now. Fortunately, most of the sneakers are still ok. ;)

baby food

Our friend Astrid will be bringing frozen baby porridge for babies Johan & Joel. We had quite a headache looking for the ideal warmer/cooler or whatever that we can use. Then i found a portable flameless stove to defrost and warm the porridge! So we can do everything on our own! I'm also bringing the Shuttle Chef pot. (I know all these sounds a little crazy)

I'm also bringing these - just in case.

So you can imagine that our luggages will be heavy! Haha! ;)

the reader

A few days ago, we watched the Oscar winner - The Reader.

I dont know what to say about this movie, really. BTW, ours is uncensored version. Just catch it!

THE READER opens in post-WWII Germany when teenager Michael Berg becomes ill and is helped home by Hanna, a stranger twice his age. Michael recovers from scarlet fever and seeks out Hanna to thank her. The two are quickly drawn into a passionate but secretive affair. Michael discovers that Hanna loves being read to and their physical relationship deepens. Hanna is enthralled as Michael reads to her from "The Odyssey," "Huck Finn" and "The Lady with the Little Dog." Despite their intense bond, Hanna mysteriously disappears one day and Michael is left confused and heartbroken. Eight years later, while Michael is a law student observing the Nazi war crime trials, he is stunned to find Hanna back in his life - this time as a defendant in the courtroom. As Hanna's past is revealed, Michael uncovers a deep secret that will impact both of their lives. THE READER is a story about truth and reconciliation, about how one generation comes to terms with the crimes of another.

P.S. Kate Winslet was so skinny, she resembles Madonna in the movie.

upper reaches of the sea

Yday i went out to do tai-tai things (Haha!)... On my way home, i went to the post office to pick up a mail. I thought it was some bank letter for Elvis. Much to my surprise, it was a coffee table book titled 'Upper Reaches of the Sea' by Alynn Teo.

Inside were pictures of Alynn's holiday in Shanghai last December! Places she went, things she saw, things she liked, food she ate, people she spied on, grounds she walked on, arty places... In it were lots of pictures of Joel & Mommy Jo too! I'm very touched by the gift and it's really one of the best presents i have ever received! WOW! I hope to show you all of it...but here's just a couple of pages including its cover of the skinny trees along the streets of Shanghai.

Look, Joel has a spread page too! ;)

It's kinda weird how Alynn and i "really met" just last December (we were more like 'acquaintance' before this)...but we became fast friends and later realized we've quite a lot in common too!

Thanks so much, Alynn, for being such a wonderful friend. ;)

just the 2 of us

On Sunday, i brought Joel to his play class on my own. The setups were very different that day. More climbing: motor and balancing skills. As usual, Joel blur blur...plus he was feeling a bit grouchy that day. I dont know why. Maybe becoz i woke him up at 2pm, fed him milk instead of porridge (coz i didnt cook) and rushed him off to the 3pm class.

When i placed him down on the mat, he just sat there and "stone". Usually, he will start crawling around. You can see from the pictures below. Keke... ;)



After the class, i went shopping with Joel for about 2 hours...till my legs really ached the next day. Coz he's really too heavy now. I got him this hat for sunny Bali (which Daddy says makes him look like a girl). I also bought him a smart white shirt and this cool animal farm magnet/puzzle (see right).

I went home and realized the shirt is a bit too big. Same as the H&M red checks shirt we bought him last week. It's so difficult to buy his real (14mths) size now. If buy 12-18mths, can only wear for a short while. And for 2yrs looks big leh!!! So, i still dont know what Joel will be wearing to the wedding. Anyway...he can always wear his old clothes. Same goes for Mommy & Daddy. ;p

cooking 11-12

Elvis could come home early these 2 days. 'Early' = 7pm, which is super rare. So, we had dinner at home coz it's too cold to go out for dinner. Yesterday, i asked Ahyi to cook whatever food we have in the fridge.

Ladies & Gentlemen, presenting Ahyi's cooking #11 for yesterday's dinner... (drum roll)...
- same Hong Shao Pork
- same chicken with soya sauce
- same prawns with same chili/black bean sauce
- soup


AND Ladies & Gentlemen, presenting... (drum roll)...
Jo's FIRST attempt cooking real food-food today for dinner...
- 干煸四季豆 gan bian si ji dou with minced pork
- pork chop with ketchup sauce (the sauce looks weird)
- egg & luncheon meat (just in case all else fails, this would be perfect)



K.O. I win! ;)

on a lighter note

Just got this other email which brought a smile to my face. Hope it'll do the same to you too! ;)

Joke
During a visit to the mental asylum, a visitor asked the Director, 'How do you determine whether or not a patient should be institutionalized?'

'Well,' said the Director, 'we fill up a bathtub, then we offer a teaspoon, a teacup and a bucket to the patient and ask him or her to empty the bathtub.'

'Oh, I understand,' said the visitor. 'A normal person would use the bucket because it's bigger than the spoon or the teacup.'

'No' said the Director. 'A normal person would pull the plug. Do you want a bed near the window?'

for jo and terry

A friend drew this and put up in her blog

Thanks! ;)

the end

This email was from my sis, Audrey:

"I just got back to see Terry one last time. He is like sleeping. Said a little prayer to him and also read the note that Jo wrote the other time. Vet said he died peacefully in his sleep between 11 - 12 noon on 2 March. He ate some food and was a little restless in the morning.

Vet said this is the best way to see him off as it is of his own will and he did not go thru the op or put to sleep. The Vet Robin and assistant Nicole have been very nice and said Terry is a very good dog and they said sorry to me several times that Terry is gone. Nicole cried...

Terry will be cremated at the Pet Hotel this afternoon. Think he is a happy auto roaming dog in Heaven now.

Bye Terry.

We will remember you always.

THE END."

And everyone says, Amen.

My younger Sandra & my mom just left for Israel on the morning of 2 March. Hence, they do not know about Terry's death - yet. Nor does my other sis Audrey intend to inform them anytime soon. Also, since my dad is alone at home, they will keep the news from him too - least he gets depressed. Audrey intends to wait till Sandra & mom get back on 11 March. I'll also be back in Singapore a few hours after them.

covered protected delivered

Today's Daily Devotion - 2 March 2009
Covered, Protected, Delivered

Exodus 13:21
21 And the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so as to go by day and night.

When the children of Israel were wandering in the desert, God led them by going before them in a pillar of cloud by day and pillar of fire by night.

By day, God spread the pillar of cloud as a covering over His people in the desert to prevent the scorching sun from striking them down. The people were shaded and kept cool. Today, you are also under His covering. He will not allow you to be struck down (Psalm 121:3–8), nor be oppressed by the “heat” of the day. (Isaiah 54:14)

At night, when the desert became dark and cold, God gave His people the pillar of fire to light the way for them, as well as to keep them warm and safe. Today, as you walk with God, you will not be overwhelmed by the cold, dark places in life because God’s Word says, “You are all sons of light and sons of the day. We are not of the night nor of darkness.” (1 Thessalonians 5:5) You will not fear the terror by night or the pestilence that walks in darkness because God will deliver you from them. (Psalm 91:5–6)

Like the children of Israel, who only needed to look up, and keep their eyes on the pillar of cloud and the pillar of fire, all you need to do today is to look up and keep your eyes on Jesus. When you need His direction for a situation, look to Jesus who has the words of eternal life. (John 6:68) When you see symptoms of sickness in your body, look to Jesus who has borne away every disease and physical affliction. (Matthew 8:17)

When the children of Israel were bitten by serpents in the desert, God told Moses to make a bronze serpent and put it on a pole — a picture of Christ being judged on the cross. (John 3:14) Those who looked at the bronze serpent instead of their wounds were healed. (Numbers 21:9) He who looks to Jesus lives!

Beloved, look to Jesus. He is your covering, protection and deliverance!

terry is in heaven

My sis Audrey just called to tell me that Terry died peacefully in his sleep this afternoon. He is in heaven where there's no sickness and no pain. AMEN.
Terry on 30 June 2006, Our wedding.

mstyle mag

Just discovered this hip mag M-Style. Wish there was more English text! For some (unknown) reasons, it's always just the headlines. Hmm... :/


Pictures taken from M-Style website.
More info here.

december boys

I think it's summer in December becoz it's in Australia. Highly recommended movie! Every scene is sooo beautifully shot!
After that summer, nothing will ever be the same again.

December Boys (2007)

They share the same birth month, so the orphanage calls them December Boys. But these teens - Maps, Spit, Spark and Misty - have much more in common. With no hopes of ever joining a family, they form their own familial bonds. In December, as their birthday gifts, the orphanage grants them to leave the orphanage for a holiday by the sea. Then the unexpected news comes that a young couple may adopt one of them, and the long-time pals suddenly share something else: a rivalry to be the chosen one.

December Boys, a poignant memoir of friendship and family, marks Daniel Radcliffe's first major film role outside the Harry Potter series. He plays Maps, a big brother to the group as it stumbles and wavers its way toward manhood. Join the boys for their remarkable journey of the heart called growing up.

homecoming

25 Feb 2009 is an important day for the people of Shanghai. It marks the day that their bridge returns to The Bund - the city's trademark.

外白渡桥 Waibaidu Bridge (aka Garden Bridge) - the 100 year old bridge ／百年老桥 - finally returns to its original spot after a year of tedious repair. If you have been to Shanghai in the past one year, you would not have seen this famous bridge on the spectacular The Bund. The bridge also appeared on countless movies & MTVs including Jay Chou's. Shanghainese and the media crowd at The Bund to document this historical moment. Live telecast on TV too (for the next few days)! It seems accuracy is extremely crucial "returning" this bridge (there can only be a few centimeters of "misplacement" from its original position). The tide also plays an important part as the bridge is on the Suzhou River, connecting to the HuangPu River. To add to that, it has been raining for more than a week now and with temperatures below 10˚C, the team tasked with returning the bridge faces more difficulties. (FYI, "removing" the bridge was easier since it was so old they didnt really have to be that careful with the paint etc. Still, it took 3 years of planning before the bridge was removed.)

The bridge will be "complete" by April when they put up the lights etc. So i guess lots of tourists will crowd around the bridge for pictures again! Such is the usual sight at The Bund - 人山人海. Haha!

From Wikipedia:
Waibaidu Bridge (Chinese: 外白渡桥; pinyin: Wàibáidù Qiáo), called Garden Bridge in English, is a steel bridge on Suzhou Creek in central Shanghai, connecting the Huangpu and Hongkou districts where the Suzhou River flows into the Huang Pu.

The present bridge is a steel truss bridge with two spans. It is 106.7 metres long and spans 52.16 metres. There are currently three north bound lanes with a total width of 11.2 metres, and two pedestrian walkways each with a width of 3.6 metres. It was the first true steel bridge in China and the only surviving example of camelback truss bridge in China.

With its rich history and unique design, the centennial Waibaidu Bridge is one of the symbols of Shanghai and its modern and industrial image, and may be regarded as the city's trademark bridge.

More info here.
Pictures/info taken from here , here and here (English).

cooking 7-10

I havent been taking any pictures of Ahyi's cooking...becoz it seems she ALWAYS cook the same old stuffs with the same old seasonings in my fridge! So...i actually bought a few cookbooks a few days ago! She can read them when she's free. Haha! ;)

Ahyi has been here for a month. Other than these food (below), i've been eating McDonalds, KFC & Pizza Hut...and of course, can-never-fail-me instant noodles.

Cooking 7
- Hong Shao Pork
- Prawns with same chili/black bean sauce

Cooking 8
- Chicken with soya sauce
- Fried Eggs with Prawns

Cooking 9
- Chicken with soya sauce
- Steam egg (a special request)

Cooking 10 : Yesterday
- Soup (a special request)
- Prawns with ketchup sauce (mine is still nicer coz hers is oily and smells/tastes of ginger)

I think the reason why she doesnt know how to cook many things is becoz she is very "picky" with food and she has never eaten at restaurants before. She always puts lots of ginger slices in every dish. And since the portion is very small, the smell is pungent - even worse than Confinement Food! She has cut down on the Chinese Yellow Wine now that she knows i dont like it.

Whenever she sense (from my face) that the dish doesnt look "the way it should look", she will ask me if the ones i've eaten "outside" looks the same. BUT, all the dishes are not fancy food (eg. fried eggs with prawns). Arent they very common 家常菜 home-cooked dishes???!!!

movie marathon

Since Elvis was away in HK, i decided to watch a movie on my own last night.

I picked Passengers (2008) which i knew was going to be a little bit scary...but i'm a big girl now...no big deal! Okay, i'm a middle-aged woman. But truth is, after i finished it, i was really quite terrified! You know, about ghosts and all... Yes, i'm a coward.

The movie was a bit of a drag...but it's quite nice lah. Has an ending which you kinda never thought of. And Anne Hathaway is always nice to watch! ;)

Here's the plot:
After a plane crash, a young therapist, Claire, is assigned by her mentor to counsel the flight's five survivors. When they share their recollections of the incident -- which some say include an explosion that the airline claims never happened -- Claire is intrigued by Eric, the most secretive of the passengers. Just as Claire's professional relationship with Eric -- despite her better judgment -- blossoms into a romance, the survivors begin to disappear mysteriously, one by one. Claire suspects that Eric may hold all the answers and becomes determined to uncover the truth, no matter the consequences.

After that, since my mind couldnt stop thinking of the "dark forces" (and i was ALONE), i decided to continue with Happy-Go-Lucky (2008) which i knew was going to be a funny one.

True enough, i find myself laughing silly in the living room! I hate movies with no "real" ending. This is such...but i didnt even feel frustrated at the end of it! These are the typical movies Elvis likes to buy - never heard of movie including its actors & actress. Sometimes he just buys it for its silly-looking cover or some "ad director". But this is a must-watch! And needless to say, i had a good sleep after the movie!

Here's the plot:
Poppy (Sally Hawkins) is an irrepressibly cheerful primary school teacher who won't let anyone or anything get her down. Even when her bicycle, which she so happily rides through the busy streets of London is stolen, her first thought is only, "I didn't even get a chance to say goodbye." Living with her flatmate Zoe (Alexis Zegerman), Poppy has a gift of making the most of her life. Determined to learn to drive, she finds herself matched with Scott (Eddie Marsan), an uptight driving instructor who is everything she is not. From Director Mike Leigh (of Secret and Lies 1996 & Vera Drake 2004) HAPPY-GO-LUCKY is a laugh-out-loud comedy about having fun, looking for love and getting on with life.

the inflatables

I wanna recommend another baby product! It's this inflatable bathtub from Richell - a Japanese brand available here. I've always thought that this bathtub is PERFECT especially for traveling. So it's also a lust for me! Haha! Actually, this is not very expensive lah...about S$60.

But since we already have an inflatable pool which double up as a bathtub on holidays, i didnt waste money on this. We started using our Winnie the Pooh pool/bathtub since Joel's first holiday when he was 8 months, and it has been such a great help! It is actually round in shape, but it can be squeezed easily into the hotel bathtub...and it's just perfect! We have used it on every trip since - even trips back to Singapore. (Thanks to his ingenious Mommy who thought of it! And also Mamy Poko diapers for the free gift!)

As you can see from the above pictures, this Richell bathtub is very good coz there's a part that protrudes and it prevents the baby from sliding down. I believe the entire "ribbed" design also plays a part (in preventing any accidents). While checking out the website, i also realized they have a new model Airy Baby Chair which can also be used for bathing. WOW! Good huh!