The Life of a Stage Parent

We were all very excited when we learned that Jakjak had been chosen as the OshKosh B'gosh ambassador a few weeks ago. He beat over a hundred other tots for the title (according to the newspaper). What was cool was that he did it, like a boss. :)

Thursday night. We have spoken to Jakjak about the fashion show the following day. We told him what he should expect, what not to expect and how he had an obligation (sort of) to do it (being the winner of the contest). At that point, we had realized that we had indeed become stage parents. Sigh.

Call time for practice was at 7 in the morning. Tough. On a non-school day, we are all still asleep at that hour. Add to that about an hour's worth of travel to get to Paragon and it was a recipe for a moody morning. Surprisingly, we made it to Paragon in one piece. We were hungry (too early to make breakfast) but not frustratingly mad. In fact, everything was calm and serene that morning. At least until the practice got on its way. And it all ended in a high note where everyone was free to do anything until the 2 PM call time for hair and makeup. For us, we went home.

In the afternoon, the mood had changed. Jakjak did not want to be on the show (that's what he thought anyway). He started acting up all through hair and make up. Thankfully, mum managed to calm him down after a while (after a long while). And with only minutes left before the show, he was finally up and about and playing with the other kids as if nothing happened. Mum decided that she would be the one to stay backstage with Jakjak, which meant I had front stage duties. It was more difficult than I had expected. I didn't think there would be so many people. I decided on photos rather than video (which I think now was a bad idea), because I was thinking that we can get a copy of it from Kidstyle. But it was alright, it wasn't easy to get good shots (the official photographers had the best location after all), but I managed somehow.

The shots could have been better, probably if I had training shooting events. But all went well. The show was over. Jakjak surprised everyone, even us. He was totally in to it. He ramped up the catwalk like he owned it. And it was the first time he did it. We are so proud of him for being a star in his own world. We hope that he did OshKosh (and Jay Gee) proud.

These two photos courtesy of Jules Estrella. Thanks Bro!

Ambassador Duty

Mum and dad saw an ad in the paper that OshKosh B'gosh was holding a model ambassador search for the brand. We both looked at Jakjak and smiled (more of an evil grin actually). While we had to buy our entry to the contest (you had to purchase a certain amount worth of OshKosh products), we figured it was just fair. Jakjak needed new shoes anyway (or so we kept telling ourselves), and that alone was already more than half of the required purchase. So we got him the shoes and told him all about the contest. There was a little bit of hesitation between the 3 of us then, but we thought, what the hell, let's just do it anyway.

We have always believed that Jakjak was photogenic. But since we are his parents, we thought that was just natural. I mean, no parent would dare say that their child isn't cute or adorable, right? So we have always just kept that between ourselves. While on the topic of photography, it's also best that people know how shy Jakjak is in front of the camera. Or so he says. What he always tells people, is not always what he is. To be honest, he is far from being shy. Well, at least not too shy to be a charming little prince.

What followed next were a few photo-shoots  After all, we did have to prepare him for modelling duty if needed. A few good shots here, a few good shots there, and more hours of frustration than was required and we finally had something to send to the contest coordinators. It's not that he was difficult to shoot, in fact, most of the time he was in the mood to do the shoots. It was just, well, we never really had modelling experience. Both the model and the photographer. So sometimes it was awkward, and sometimes it was hopeless. Most of the time it was just full of fun and silly things. And that was how it went on most days. And all that labor of love brought us to the interview and screening day.

On hindsight, we did not really get Jakjak ready for any interview. We just told him that there would be one. That they would probably ask him about himself, and that if they did, he can tell them anything he wants to tell them. We knew that he would have to model his clothes and told him to just follow instructions from whoever was coordinating the shoot. We did not tell him what to say, we did not teach him how to pose (goodness, we probably should have). We just let him do whatever he feels like doing and have fun doing it. It looked like he did have fun while we were there. Too much fun probably as he was in a most cheerful mood all day. So we figured, he did good. He did very good, that he received a round of applause from the crowd. After that, was the excruciating wait for the results.

Meeting Mister Maker

Mister Maker is the host of his self-titled show on Ceebeebies, a kid channel under BBC News. It's not really an entirely new concept in children shows. I have watched art shows on the telly when I was younger myself. What was great now was, that we had an opportunity to meet Mister Maker. 

Mum had entered a contest on Facebook to get an invitation to meet Mister Maker. It took 2 weeks before we got a reply and it was quite frustrating. Not because it took that long, but because Jakjak told us that he did not want to meet Mister Maker. He said he was shy (just like what he tells us about everything). He was really reluctant to go, to the point that we had to actually argue about it. But mum wasn't about to let that invitation go to waste. So that morning, we went to Plaza Singapura to meet Mister Maker.

When he was seated, he still clung to his mum like he was the shy-est 6 year old there. Soon enough, some other kids shared his table with him. The good thing was that the kids that he got to share the table with were English speakers and were as talkative as he was. The siblings were then joined by one more "shy" kid. While they were starting to get cozy with each other, the parents were then asked to move out of the activity area as the show was about to start (and as one would have hoped, he was already his normal not-so-shy self at that time).

The activity was not that long, as time was short. But it felt like what a Mister Maker making area should feel like. Mister Maker himself was spot on as to how he is on the telly, which probably means that is how he really is. I guess what followed next was what the parents had been waiting for, a photo session with Mister Maker. Proof that their child had actually met Mister Maker. And even through the long sessions, Mister Maker had been jolly and  cheerful like how he is on the telly. He was absolutely brilliant. I wouldn't really mind meeting him again.

First Day At Hogwarts

Coming from a fresh start of the day, Jakjak had been in a jolly good mood since morning. He did not want to go to the Harry Potter : The Exhibition when it first came out because he said he was scared (admittedly, the Deathly Hallows wasn't the best movie to take a 6 yo kid to). However, he seemed to be in a very good mood and immediately said "yes" when we told him that we wanted to go to the Harry Potter exhibit.

Unlike mum and dad though, he only had rudimentary knowledge of the HP universe, that is from the few movies that he has seen. Mum and dad had read all seven books (and then some) and have been fans of the series. The books had always has a special place in our hearts, and we are waiting for Jakjak to grow up old enough for reading the Harry Potter books (right now, he has graduated from Dr. Seuss to Geronimo Stilton books).

While he was being sorted though, he had already fallen into the HP trance. He was talking and telling stories to the host about what he knows in the HP world. Most notably, the dragon from year 4 (The Goblet of Fire) and how he used his broomstick to outwit the Hungarian Horntailed Dragon (which was inside the exhibit as well). 

"Better be, Gryffindor!"

That was how our journey began. Of course, it wouldn't be complete without seeing the Hogwarts Express in all it's glory. The portraits adorning the Gryffindor House were also there and you can't really miss the singing lady. Bits and pieces of every character were scattered across the room. It was arranged in a not-so-chronological order with odd pieces showing up with groups from a different book, but you really wouldn't mind. Hagrid's hut is a place that invites you into the world beyond the castle, and it feels as though you are there, with Hagrid's massive costume looking down on you. Let's not forget about wands and broomsticks. The Nimbus 2000 and 2001 make their appearances. The Elder wand loomed ominously in one corner as well as dragon eggs, imps, elves and dragons (well, dragon heads anyway). You also have giant Acromantula spiders, Centaurs and the Hippogriff Buckbeak that made it's appearance in The Prisoner Of Azkaban.

Props and artifacts were there. Jakjak immediately recognized the Golden Snitch and the Nimbus 2000. The Elf, Dobby was also there hanging around with the costumes used by the actors in the movie. The wardrobe, the feast in the great hall and a Dementor even showed up (which of course sent Jakjak under my arm being "scared" of it). 

The tour ended with the shop. And what a wonderful shop it was. It felt like Diagon Alley. You can buy wands, and scarves, and beanies from all the house colors. There are chocolate frogs complete with collectible Wizard cards and of course, every-flavored beans. There are tons of memorabilia available. Some with sky-high prices (that is to be expected) and some that are reasonable enough. This is the reason why, we ended up with a Nimbus 2000 for Jakjak. 

Dad Does The Groceries

It is not uncommon for us to do the groceries together. Mum, me and Jakjak. We all have our aisles of specialty. And we have always enjoyed going to the grocery even when Jakjak was still only big enough to fit on the carrier (he's grown too big for that now and he needs to sit inside the cart itself). Mum brings a list that is never enough (it always magically grows to twice its length), Jakjak just grabs whatever catches his eye, and dad, well, dad puts anything that has dollar signs of more than a single digit for a price tag back on the shelf.

Every once in a while, dad is left to do the groceries (for whatever reason). And you can see the difference when the cart reaches the counter.

Recently, I bought a pack of sponges. Normal ones that cost less than 5 dollars. On a normal day, we would have bought 1 pc for 3 dollars. I bought soda that was less than 2 dollars for 1.5L. Normally, we would have gotten a 6-pack for roughly 4 dollars with only about 300 ml in excess of the 1.5L that we now have. Yes, I can be a cheapskate. Although not all the time. Yes, there are times that I splurge, or I overspend on something utterly useless. And it would bother me to no end when it happens. So much so, that I would not be buying anything until the thought is out of my head. And that takes a while to be honest.

Mum, is a believer that quality comes with a price. And while that is true most of the time, sometimes the price that it comes with is somewhat unreasonable. Yes, it does last longer, and yes it does look easier on the eye. But there have been a few times that I do a double take on something just because I am used to a different price range. Over time though, I have learned that between my being cheap and mum being quantifiably not as cheap as I am, we found balance and have lived decently and surprisingly light.

In general, there are things worth their price and some that are not. The difference between them is determined by how much you need it and how useful it is for you. For us, these are some of the things we found worth their penny.

Factory priced diapers. These are the same diapers sold in supermarkets, with the only difference is them not being packed in fancy colorful wrappers.

Avent bottles and nipples. Yes, these are pricey, but their reliability far outweighs their purchase price. While the sterilizer (Avent) is nice to have, a generic one will do just fine. The only problem being that the Avent bottles will not fit as snug.

A good high chair. High chairs may be a dime a dozen in some stores, but you need one that will be comfortable and will grow properly with your child. Don't go for those chair-to-table convertibles. They were designed to be both and are only fairly good as either one. If you need a chair, get a chair. Chances are, you will use it through it's life before you actually need a table.

A car seat. Sure, you want to snuggle up to your baby as much as possible. And they may not want to be sat in a car seat at all either. But once they are used to it, your life on the road will be smoother and safer.

Good shoes. It is guaranteed that your child will run through shoes (footwear in general) faster than you. Jakjak, on average, goes through about 4-5 pairs in a year. In comparison, my shoes can last me 1-2 years. Imagine if those 5 pairs were not that good, he may have needed more. On the plus side, they are generally more comfortable shoes.

There is more to this list that I want to add. Maybe the next time I do the groceries I will update this list.

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.

Counting Dad Years

It's only been 6 years plus (give or take) since my son Matthew (Jakjak) was born. There are days that I feel that it's been a lot more than that. And there are days that I feel that I could use some more.

Being a dad is like any normal profession. You have good days and you have bad days. You really can't win them all, it's just the way you handle the situations that get thrown at you.

Personally, my life as a father began during pregnancy. Thankfully, my wife was the one pregnant and not me (fathers, our wives deserve much more credit in the building and assembly process of our children than we give them credit for). So, while moving along this stage, we (myself and the wife) learned as much as we could and have been preparing for our first child months before he decided to come out from mum's tummy. I say this because, for those who remember, Jakjak came out much too early than he was supposed to. From then on, it has been a roller coaster ride.

Sleepless nights and wacky mornings were the order if the first year of daddy-hood. Breastfeeding - err - bottlefeeding in the wee hours of the morning and never ending clean up days, not to mention washing and bathing and poo-cleaning (my all-time favorite). All throughout, it had still been a learning process with changes to Jakjak's formula and soon after changes to his baby food as well. Then there was the hunt for good and cheap disposable diapers (we had a lucky find in a nearby shop). And then there was that time that he fell off the bed ...

The sitting and walking stages followed with as much excitement as watching your puppy learn a new trick. In all honesty, it was even more exciting than that. Those were the days that Jakjak had been finding his grip on the walls and clinging to anyone walking beside him. Until he figured out how to use his baby walker as a car to zoom around the house (well, not without accidentally pinching his fingers on the table's edge) ...

And then there was the talking. "Pickipao" he says. And that's for just about everything he wants to say. But there's also the laughter, the most enjoyable, most relaxing, most contagious laughter that any parent could ever have come across. I mean, I love children's laughter, but there is simply nothing to compare your own child's laughter to ...

And then there's potty training. A milestone in a child's and a parent's lifetime. It's the time that you get to stop changing stinky diapers and start washing stinky buttocks (Jakjak doesn't like the word butt you see). It's true though. Because when the child already knows how to talk, he can actually already tell you what he needs to do. Poo and Pee aren't exactly difficult words. The wonders of nature are truly amazing ...

Suddenly, he's talking and walking like he's the king of the world. And you feel that he has grown up so fast, and yet you know that he still has a lot to learn. Every once in a while, he will do something that is not so childish and you'll think that he's ready for the world. But then, he does something so childish that you feel thankful that you are still young enough to be there to teach him about the world.

And then we find ourselves sitting in the living room together as a family. We just sit there, watch TV, have a bag of chips and chit chat our way through the night. Simple things. And then we remember the things we had gone through together, the tough times, the worrisome times and we shrug our shoulders and say, here we are now. We know there will be more of those times, maybe even tougher, maybe even more worrisome, but we just have to stick through it, as a family, and I figure we'll do just fine. Surely, fatherhood has eaten a chunk of years in my life (more than what the calendar actually says), probably more than dog years, but I wouldn't have it any other way. I love this job.

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.

Remembering The Titanic | 2012

The Singapore ArtScience Museum is holding a Titanic Artifact Exhibit. This will run until the 29th of April 2012. More information here: http://titanic.sg/.

We took Jakjak to the exhibit while we were there at Marina Bay Sands. It was a spontaneous thing as we didn't actually have any plans at all that Saturday. It just so happened that the trip to MBS now has become more convenient for us thanks to the Circle Line. The reason we went to MBS was to give Jakjak a gondola ride at the river floor. A ride we missed the week we were there for the iLight Marina Bay light exhibits. It was just for us to let of some steam and Jakjak certainly enjoyed the short roundabout trip on the gondola. 

As we were roaming around the bay area, taking in the cool breeze, taking photo breaks while Jakjak was running around, we came to the ArtScience Museum. We saw the posters of the Titanic exhibition and the model ship displayed at The Shoppes, but we weren't really paying that much attention. We figured, if it's free, why not go in and explore? Well, it wasn't free. But my wife bought the three of us tickets to go in anyway. Unfortunately, photography is strictly prohibited inside the hall. Not that it would have been very easy to do it in the dark anyway, but it would have been nice to get some souvenirs.

We were given our boarding passes as we entered the RMS Titanic. There were rusty remnants of what was salvaged off the great ship. Some of them as big as furniture for your home (It was the darkness in the hall that was eerie though). You walk through the re-made halls and rooms, areas that were created to mimic the real ship. And those small areas of the exhibit did make you feel like you were on board the RMS Titanic. Even the grand staircase was replicated and you were allowed to have your picture taken there, officially with the exhibit's photographer of course, which we did not go for. As you sift through the artifacts recovered from first class, you are then whisked away into third class where the difference between bunks and rooms are like night and day. And again you get to see artifacts recovered from the ship. You get to see parts of the ship that were torn off, the passenger's belongings that were found in their suitcases and cabins, the cargo that the ship was carrying as it made it's way to New York and other bits and pieces. The eeriest part was the deck of the ship where there is nothing but dark starlit sky outside. It was a great display and it really gave me goosebumps. It was like the exhibit brought with it the spirit of the Titanic, and it was the sadness of the tragedy that you feel through.

At the end, there was an iceberg which explained how most people died from hypothermia rather than drowning. And the passenger list where you can try finding the person that was on the boarding pass that was given to you at the start of the exhibit. In the passenger manifesto, mum's boarding pass holder survived, and those that were with me and Jakjak died. Ironically, the one that survived was in first class. And this is what Jakjak wrote on the journal: "My dad and I died! But my mom survived". 

The aftermath of it all was intense. Ever since that day, Jakjak has been obsessed with information about the Titanic. He has been through dozens of YouTube videos from National Geographic and Discovery Channel and even the film and parodies of the movie Titanic (you know, the one with Leo Dicaprio and Kate Winselt?). He now even talks about the RMS Titanic's sister ship, the Britannic. Day in and day out, one (or more) of his conversations will include facts and questions about the Titanic. He has been asking us to bring him back to the exhibit, and we just might. To get him answers and maybe he would finally let the Titanic rest in peace. And maybe so that he would stop singing Celine Dion's "My Heart Will Go On" (The Titanic movie's them song).

Athletically Speaking | 2012

I vaguely remember parts of my childhood. Not because I have forgotten, but because I chose to forget. In particular, I chose to forget about my history as a sportsman. This is because I was never one. I was nothing more than a bench warmer. I sucked at sports. After all these years, the only sport I have ever attempted to excel at is playing video games. But I'm now getting in over my head. This isn't about me, this is about Jakjak being a sportsman.


Jakjak's school recently held Junior Olympic Day. It's a closed school event, but with mum playing the role of a parent volunteer (PV), she had access to the event, the children, the teachers and this gave her the opportunity to try her hand out at being a soccer-mom.


As sports events go for primary schools, it's not all about championships and beating your opponent to a pulp. It's more about the children exerting effort and fostering teamwork. And that's what the children did, and they had fun while doing it. Of course, the parents of the kids doing volunteer work were probably cheering their own like crazy to win. And because there were a number of PVs there, some of the events made for teacher-student became parent-student events instead.

At the end of the day, Jakjak and his "team" brought home gold trophies for being the champion at P1 football, and mum and Jakjak also brought home a medal each for taking 3rd place in a parent-student event of stick-ball (gotta remember that he took home 3rd for Chapteh last year at K2 as well). Carelessly clumsy at times, when he is in control of his body movements, he seems to be an excellent athlete. The future is bright for this kid. 

posted from Bloggeroid

A Not So Good Start | 2012

Oh dear.


Chinese New Year just passed and the whole family just got nuked with something. It's like flu, but it isn't. It's like sore throat, but it isn't. It's like fever, but it isn't. It's like cough and colds, but it isn't. The most annoying thing about it, is that everyone of us seems to have it, and it's not yet going. It feels like it is being ping ponged between the three of us. Judy and myself are already on antibiotics, and Jakjak, we'll probably have to bring him to a vet ... er ... pediatrician in the next few days.

I'm just hoping that it isn't a new virus that nobody has found a cure for yet. But that seems too far fetched at the moment. It's more realistically just a stubborn strain of the flu. Still, it's not fair. I took leave from work over the last 3 days! I was supposed to be spending the hours with the family, instead, I had to spend most of it recuperating from a fever that goes on and off like it has a mind of it's own.

Always The First Day | 2012

Almost the same time last year, Jakjak had to go to school. But that was pre-school. This year, he is going to a proper school as a primary one student. As usual, the first day jitters are still there, much the same things as last year. Only this time, it's even more tense. I'm talking about mum's first day jitters. Packing up Jakjak's bag with his school stuff, labeling each of Jakjak's things, preparing food for every situation and making sure that Jakjak looks sharp and neat for his first day at school.


As for Jakjak's jitters, it revolves mostly about him being "shy" and "nervous" (Jakjak's own words), which is all normal as far as I'm concerned. I give him a speech that dad's are supposed to give their children on the first day of school. I do that Nemo bit from "Finding Nemo" for him just to get him to relax.

It is going to be a daily battle getting him ready for school everyday though. It took me all of a gazillion minutes just to wake him up for his bath, a gazillion more just to feed him and another gazillion to dress him up. And that's on top of me preparing for the office as well (I'm pretty sure mum's even more frustrated with the two of us). And today is just the first day.


I wish I could see what Jakjak was up to in school. But school policy do not allow for parents to supervise their children while in school. Makes sense. And I am aware that it does well for kids to learn to be independent on their own. In vague waves of recollection, I do remember some of the things that I personally went through when it was my first day in school. I hope that Jakjak would cope better than I did.

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!

A Moving Masterpiece | 2011

Qing Ming Shang He Tu. The Song Dynasty as living art.


A little background should be in order here. The Moving Masterpiece display at the Singapore Expo is a sort of modernization of a big piece of art from China's Song Dynasty. An artist named Zhang Zeduan created it to depict the dynasty's history and achievements.

What caught our eye (rather Jakjak's eyes) was the food. There is an "open to the public" food and beverage area that has been designed to mimic the exhibit's theme. Within the F&B hall is the souvenir shop and a small activity area for kids.

The first area of the exhibit didn't look promising, because there's a lot of empty space. But the audio guide was a good tool to help you understand it. The elements and their real life relationship was described and compared to how Singapore had been built. It was two sides of a coin, one of the Song dynasty and the other of Singapore.


It was from here, less than five minutes into the show that Jakjak once again surprised us with his keen sense of attentiveness (sometimes, the lack thereof) as he proved that he was listening to the audio guide. He started looking for people and things that were being described in the audio guide, and it kept him interested throughout the static displays all the way through to the (rather small) interactive area.

Then we come to the really good part. The actual "moving masterpiece". It's so massive that it covers an entire Expo hall wall. But it's not just that, the flowing water in the foreground immediately invites you to come closer. And then you see small figures coming to life from within the painting. Think of the living portraits from your Harry Potter memories, and imagine the people to be old Chinese villagers. Except that this one spans a hundred and twenty eight metres across. Don't forget about the audio guide, it tells the story of the painting portion by portion. And through the narrative, Jakjak once again becomes involved in the grander scheme of things. 

It has been a good journey for us through the painting, and the story it told was a fascinating look at the past through modern art and technology. We all enjoyed it, and we truly believe that most of you will to.

Day Four, Kulala Lumpur | 2011

The plan was to lounge all day and soak in the tub. That was because after a tiring day, we did not really look up much about things to do and places to go in the city center of Kuala Lumpur. Not until the morning anyway.


We deposited our bags in one of the luggage drops at KL Central, our flight not until 6 more hours, we figured that we had time to kill. If only it wasn't so hot.

Central was your typical metropolitan city. Buildings everywhere, buses, cars, chaos. Well, not as chaotic as some places I've seen, but chaotic enough to be near annoying. In order to get to the mall (shopping, window shopping), we needed to take a train further in to the city. What we have in Singapore, is leagues better compared to KL, but it's decent public transportation. Unfortunately, there aren't that many english translations on the signage and it becomes a guessing game. Yep, another great day to get lost.

Our exploration this time was urban. Nothing really spectacular where we walked to, but this place is definitely bustling compared to Penang. The malls were clean and plenty. We managed to walk through 3 interlinked malls that offered food, shopping and shelter during our waiting time. Prices were decent, it was slightly cheaper here than in Singapore, but only just. There were more toys (variety) here as well, which was all me and Jakjak needed to know. However, traveling light meant no excess baggage. So we had to manage our hand carry bags.

Buses, or what they call coaches here are a good way to travel. They have enough room for weary passengers and their luggage. Even loud kids. It was also comfortable enough to catch a cat-nap on the way to the airport. We finally landed in Singapore by 10PM and the rest is history. It was tiring, but I have to ask, is there any trip that isn't?

Day Three, Malaysia | 2011

This was going to be a tightly packed day. We had half a day left for Penang and the rest of the day has been marked for travel from Penang to Kuala Lumpur, road trip! No, not really.

We headed off to have breakfast at Ai Koh as early as we were able to (all things considered, we managed pretty good). I'm not familiar with history or old Chinese traditional eateries, but if I was adept, I would say that this place was it. It not only had the ambience, but it had great tasting food as well. Best dimsum I've had so far. Jakjak wasn't all that impressed nor happy about it, but I take it because we had to wake him up way before his usual call time (which is 10AM).

The time we consumed for transit between Penang and KL was an un-godly 4 hours. This included land transfers, air travel, airport waiting time and wading time (those odd moments that we had to stop for absolutely no reason). Somehow, we survived without getting too mashed up with each other (don't ask me how, I was surprised myself). So we arrived at our KL hotel (Pacific Regency, Kulala Lumpur) just within supper time, and what a relief that hotel room was. After the slight chaos with travel, the punishing hot weather and Manila-reminding traffic, our suite was paradise.

Not wanting to waste any more time than necessary, we made our way to KL's Petronas Towers. It, thankfully was just a few blocks from our hotel, it had restaurants and malls and was just right to end our day. Dinner at Nando's was good, and Jakjak made it his goal to arrange and re-arrange the four spice bottles in that fancy looking rack while waiting for our food. And even with a little bit of resistance, supper ended up better than expected. Of course, Jakjak had motivation as the restaurant was situated inside KLCC and the mall was just above us, perfect for hunting toys. And hunt he did, because by the time we got home, he managed to snag a good number of Hot Wheels and Matchbox cars (and so did dad). I was not really that impressed with the towers. I don't know if I was just tired or if we just didn't have the right angle of view. But my short time there did not get any of my juices flowing. It's a great piece of architecture, yes, but I did not find it very inviting nor grand. Maybe I was just tired.


We retired to a great king sized bed that fit the 3 of us comfortably and Jakjak retired to a bath tub soaked warm bath.

Day Two, Penang | 2011

I woke up early enough in the morning for my photo-walk as it was proving to be a chore to do it with both Jakjak and Judy in tow all the time. We were moving all the time to keep Jakjak distracted. So I managed a good old and rustic shoot for my personal collection and got back home in time to take the two out for brunch.

One extra thing we packed for the trip are "emergency rations" which consisted of instant noodles, single pack cereals and oat bars. The noodles were a best seller as this day proved.

We asked for a "teksi" from the front desk as our own attempt to map our route proved to be unreliable. Uncle taxi driver was kind enough to bring us to our first two sites, the Reclining Buddha Temple and a Burmese Temple. Both were interesting in their own way. The reclining buddha temple was where we looked for our star sign counterparts and where Jakjak offered to the deities. The Burmese temple was a little less serious, but more diverse than the RB temple we were at. A little more than half an hour later and we were back with Uncle, ready to take us to our next destination, Penang Hill.

Penang Hill gave us cool winds, a good meal and a view. It overlooks most of Penang and for roughly a buck, you can see the sights through a pair of binoculars. What tickled Jakjak's fancy here was actually a big heavy snake. I don't like snakes, they give me goosebumps. Apparently not Jakjak. One other highlight was Penang Hill's train which shoots up and down the hill (literally) to ferry guests. Climbing up a hill on a near vertical climb with sufficient knowledge about gravity is a bit scary. But we loved it, it was a great way to travel.

Dinner led us to Georgetown's White Coffee restaurant. It seems like white coffee is a country wide claim to fame. Georgetown did not disappoint. Another great meal, a good night's walk home, a near-perfect ending to another "we got lost" day (you would need to discount the tantrum attacks to make it perfect, unfortunately).