The Land of Bricks and Nasi Lemak

Lego. Who doesn't know what Lego is?

Legoland Malaysia opened it's doors to Asia and the world early this year. And we were lucky enough to have been able to book a trip with everyone's busy schedule. At the very least, our short holiday included one full day to spend at Legoland, and lounge around the days before and after.

We went to Johor Bahru, Malaysia with little knowledge on how to go about our trip. All we knew was the name of our hotel and where we were going, Legoland. Nothing new, we were in the same situation as we were when we went to Penang earlier this year. It's good to get lost. Trains, bus rides, long queues, immigration and four kids. No problem.

We went on this trip with Jakjak's cousins; the twins and a ruckus. The first thing you notice is how burning hot it is. You could probably cook an egg on the pavement, no kidding. I had Jakjak and the twins cool off in the ATM booth while waiting for our tickets. I had high hopes that the kids would enjoy the park, but with the sun against us, not so much for the parents.

Legoland differs itself from other theme parks with it's, well, theme. Which is, half of the park is made up of Lego bricks. At it's core, it is still a theme park with rides and attractions designed to entertain anyone from 3 years onward. While some of the more extreme rides like roller coasters exist in the park, you can't help but think that the place was designed more with children in mind. Not surprising, Lego is a learning toy, and is considered for kids. You do appreciate the uniqueness of the Lego-themed rides and attractions, based on Lego's diverse line of bricks (when I was a kid, a Lego brick was a Lego brick). From the basic Duplo all the way to Technic, the areas were designed to mimic the general feel for who these types of Legos were made for. That being said, Lego has tons of products and you can't expect them all to be in front of you. Duplo made up the babies area of the park where parents can (supposedly) drop off the kids and get a sitter to look after them while they stroll in the park. Technic hosted an intriguing coaster that was shot up per car. Academy had Lego building classes that you can get your kids to take a part in (gladly would as it's in an airconditioned building!).

The park itself is not really that big. You can probably get the Legoland experience in one day. Of course, that's taking into account that you don't need to go on each ride and attraction. The queues on the main rides can take up to an hour, and there are classes for kids that are scheduled with fixed intervals. One ride per area can get you through the park. Mini-land may take a little longer if you like to stare at the details. It was a mixed experience as we went there twice, first in the scorching heat and second as the sun was going down and the lights on the building were being turned on. I would suggest leaving it for winding down. Apart from the day being a bit cooler, you would end up in getting the evening view where the lights start to open up on the buildings and streets of the Lilliputian metropolis that it represents. 

It's a brilliant concept. One that kids would enjoy. If only the place had more trees ...

Rich Dad, Poor Dad

As a parent, we seem to have this niggling obligation to give only the best to our children. Our priorities now change to our children first, and us second. And because it is what it is, I now also know how difficult it is, especially when finances become a deciding factor. It is a fact that not everyone is blessed with financial freedom. But everyone who is blessed with children know that there is something about the quality of life that we provide our children that will leave them with a legacy that they will remember.

I can only imagine how hard it must have been for my parents to make ends meet during the times that we were not as blessed as we were. It's frustrating in a way, because even as you struggle to think how best to give everything to your family, you also know that the limit is there and it has already been set. You can only adapt. And those who can't, end up being even more frustrated.

When people say "it's not about the money", I always take it with a grain of salt. This is because it is ideal to live and think this way. The question is, how many of us can actually say they have been living in this way? The reality is that in this world, money not only makes the world go round, it feeds you, it gives you a roof, it gives you warm clothes, it is a tool for survival. Those who cannot see this are either naive or very very rich already. Used wisely, it can get you through the day and then some.

It takes effort, it takes luck, it takes work to achieve anything in life. As a father, as a husband, I take it seriously to be the provider. I need help from time to time, and I don't hide that fact. In fact, I think that hiding it only makes things worst as when you reach the boiling point, it may already be too late to be helped. Life is not going to be easy, but for those who live their lives, it will be worth it.

To be honest, I learned all of these, from Dr. Seuss. Yes, Jakjak's books teach life lessons in a way that a child can appreciate, and because I have already lived a part of my life, fatherhood has become a refresher. And it is cool. Because I now have things to teach my son. Dr. Seuss has written for me these lessons, in a language that a 6 year old can comprehend. I wish I had written it. But if it ain't broke, there's no need to fix it. At least not yet.

Adventure Day At Universal Studios Singapore | 2012

Just like when Enchanted Kingdom opened in the Philippines all those years ago, we weren't that excited when Universal Studios Singapore opened in October 2009. It was not because we were not interested nor were we too eager to go there. It's just that feeling of "it's right there in my backyard, so what's the rush", right?

Well, the time finally came that we had time and expenses to spare to go to Universal Studios Singapore. And we went with cousins and family, which made the trip more fun for everyone.

When you have a child, there are some priorities that you need to consider when going to theme parks. On this instance, you realize that not all rides are kid friendly. Flashback to a few years back, Jakjak barely reached the minimum height for the rides at Escape theme park in Pasir Ris. It wasn't a pretty sight seeing him sad and disappointed. So this time, I had hoped that he would be able to ride most of the attractions at Universal (and thankfully, he is! and most rides will allow smaller children to ride with an adult companion).


First stop then, Madagascar. It was a water raft ride where you go on board a raft and watch Madagascar come to life with Alex, Gloria, Marty, Melman and the penguins. Entertaining, but definitely kidstuff. 

Transformers, The Ride was up next. We expected the queue to be long, and it is but it was acceptable. Plus the kids did get to push buttons and hit switches while waiting in line so it wasn't at all that boring. Action packed 4D awesomeness. We all enjoyed it. Jakjak and Andrae (his cousin) enjoyed it so much that they had another go at it (and they also figured out that there were 3D glasses for children).

A dizzying Accelerator ride with the kids and Revenge of the Mummy coaster for the adults later and most of us were already pretty stumped. The heat does that to you, I guess.

We soon arrived at Jurassic Park where a flying Pteranadon ride called Dino-soarin' gave the youngest of our pack their first ride (we brought along 1yo twins!). Fun, but again, kidstuff, even by Jakjak's standards. It was the Jurassic Park Rapids Adventure that took the heat off our bodies though. Literally. As the warning sign at the ride entrance says "you will get wet, possibly soaked". They weren't kidding. Ponchos were available to buy, but we were there to get wet, and we did. The combination of action, suspense, darkness and getting wet was all good. The best ride for us thus far (yes, even better than Transformers). I am no theme park expert, but these rides are real and beat altered reality (3D and 4D) rides by a margin.

The drying pod didn't do us any good, so we lined up for the next ride that we thought might do the trick, the Canopy Flyer. It wasn't really a roller coaster, but you sit on a canopy, feet dangling over air and it wasn't really slow. Not at all. Fun and tame for adults, but exciting enough for kids at 122cm (and above). That was the last ride for the day though. The park closed it's doors as it was getting dark. Seven o'clock was the final call.

We ended the day taking more pictures. With lunch, snacks and ice cream thrown in between. That, and lots of liquid and fans. A little bit of shopping (we did get vouchers with our tickets after all), a good hearty dinner and it was lights out (if only we lived a tad bit nearer). It's interesting to note that you can have tons of fun with your kids here, although it doesn't come cheap. You can consider multiple trips with an annual pass, which is not cheap outright. However, if you take 3 or more trips and don't mind the queue, then it is well worth the price it is offered at.

Find It. Make It. | 2012

Find It, Make It.


It was going to be a long weekend. There were two public holidays making up the Lunar New Year. I was thinking, "that's a great opportunity to have time to spend with the little guy!". In this instance, the thought doesn't count as much as the action. While the prospect of having extra playtime was there, so was that prospect of having extra "me" time. For a lot of busy working people, that extra bit of time appears precious, so precious in fact that sometimes, we tend to cram so many things into it that we end up accomplishing less than what we sought out to do in the first place.


What I didn't expect was that I was going to be coming down with something. Not quite the flu, and not quite the sniffles, but it becomes this annoying little thing that stops you from appreciating that time off. And because I wasn't really feeling well, I barely had time at all to even get my thoughts together. I was just either unwell or nasty. In the end, I preferred just lying it off to ease the headaches that thinking brings about. And so, what was supposed to be a good excuse for spending extra time with Jakjak didn't really end up as time at all.


This brings me to another mental exercise. How many times did we actually exert effort to have that time to spend with our loved ones? I certainly had the time, but the effort to make use of it had been futile due to the circumstances. Had I felt better (and had Jakjak felt better as well), we could have easily gone to the park, bike, scooter, go to the library and play games all day long. We did manage to get some playtime, but not as much as we both hoped for.

At least now I have that piece of thought in my head. It's not just about finding the time, it's also about making that time work for you.

posted from Bloggeroid

Year End Holiday (part 1) | 2011

One of the banes of people like me, people who are working away from their "home", is the somewhat incomplete celebrations of Christmas and New Year.


This year, Jakjak (and ourselves) celebtated Christmas with lolo, lola and kuya Andrae's family (daddy Arvin, mommy Gladys, Niki and Frankie). Which was better than our first Christmas in Singapore with only the three of us and a couple of phone calls. I'm pretty sure that the kids had fun, and so did their grandparents. Myself, personally, should have had as much fun. So the lesson is: do not think too much during the holidays!

Holidays, Christmas especially, is meant to be celebrated with people you love and care for. It's been said before, and it still remains true, it's not about the gifts but more about the people you celebrate it with. It is a birthday celebration after all (happy birthday Jesus!).

After all the presents have been opened and all the greetings said, we retired to a happy and restful evening. Lolo and lola will be spending some time with Andrae and the twins in Indonesia. We are now all looking forward to welcoming the new year with happier and healthier hearts and minds. Happy Holidays!

Graduation Day | 2011

It's graduation day. Well, sort of. It's Jakjak's graduation from pre-school.


Back in the day, I graduated from kindergarten with flying colors. There was a big brass band playing in the background and we were all dressed up nice and neat. It's a little bit different from when Jakjak graduated today though. For one thing, there was no big brass band playing in the background.


There was also no notable recognition of who was who. There was a big celebration and presentation done by the children, and the recognition was for the teachers who rendered several good years for the school. It was fancy, no doubt about it (it was held in a big auditorium and all). It was also just notably different 25 or so odd years ago.


Jakjak graduated with flying colors, along with his classmates. They learned their ABCs and 123s. He learned how to read, write, draw, color and all the basic things that are covered in the curriculum. But he learned something more valuable than those academic skills.


He learned friendship. He learned leadership. He learned courtesy. He learned kindness. He learned competitiveness. He learned social skills. Most of it were not new to him as he had always been learning these at home, but in school, he was learning with people his own age. He was learning it as a kid, as a student, as a schoolboy. He was learning. And he was enjoying school. He was, and he is, an ongoing learning experience with himself. A little guidance from us never hurt, but because he is learning in school, he feels a sense of independence, a sense of accomplishment. We know this by his smile whenever we congratulate hin on a job well done.

Pre-school graduation did not feel as big a deal now as it did back in my day. But it is still an accomplishment that is worth a hug and a surprise.