Adventure Camp

Went for one of those Adventure Training Camp that teaches you tam building and other skills. It was a 2 day 1 night affair. We made our way to the Sarimbun Scout camp which was near my old army camp at Sungei Gedong camp was at Lim Chu Kang. The morning rush hour was really bad it took me almost an hour to get to the camp site.

There were lots of activities that we were task to complete, the first was to crawl through some suspended types, that was tough as you had to use some strength to get through the types and they were not very smooth. I think I got by knee bruises here. Next obstacle was a similar hanging type obstacle but this time we had to climb over them. the final obstacle was a cargo net followed by navigation across 2 different types of rope bridges, the height was not that high but it was still an experience.

The afternoon session consisted of some coordination to get everyone on a giant see-saw and to get everyone across the stepping stones using 2 pieces of wood. Finally the late after we had the low an high elements as they called it which was basically walking across obstacles up in the air (the high element was about 3 stories) now that was challenging for me as I am not one who is comfortable with heights. But managed to do all of it. It was an experience. Night time was for some night navigation which I did not attend to as I had to leave early.

The second day we had just 1 event and that was to build a catapult. We had fun building and firing our little inventions. All in an exhausting but fun filled adventure and learning experience. It was a little bruising as I think almost everyone had some for or cut, scrap, bruise to show for it.

Not one of the 5

Well it’s official, not one of the 5 winners of this years Chinese New Year $10 million Hong Bao draw. Will be back next year :)

CNY – Ang Pow, Visits and Peanuts

The year of the Ox has left and the Year of the Tiger is upon us. This year as usual we went visiting, only this time we had the 2 kids in tow and they did receive their fair share of Ang Pow packages. The Ang Pows (Red-Packets) these days are getting fancier and fancier, So many cute types of packets out there. There were the tiger motif types, the gold package even sesame street characters were on the packets. But the one’s I like the most this year was the boy/girl packet, I think they were from some banks.

 

This year since I got one of those GPS navigation systems installed in the car, I entered the details of all the various relatives that we were going to visit and I found it really useful since never once did we get lost :) I think it uses the shortest method to get to the location but that might not be the fastest but then we still all arrived at the location. Found it most useful if you ever try to find a landed property with all the twist and turns which at times was a maze to me … but not to the system.

Finally my all time favourite snack for the Lunar New Year are peanuts. I absolutely love them. Guess that’s how I ended up with a sore throat. Every house generally has them and on every stop I would plonk myself down near the peanut bin and start easting. I also love the peanut in flour that my aunt would make and she is the only one who still makes them I remember when I was younger we used to go to her place to make these and ‘love letters’ a lot of hard work and burnt hands.

Lunar Adventure

We usher in the year of the Tiger (one of the 12 animals in the Chinese zodiac the others being … in no particular order since I cannot remember the order … Rat, Ox, Dragon, Chicken, Sheep, Monkey, Pig, Dog, Rabbit, Snake and Horse) As customary the first day of the Lunar New Year is spent visiting, its the same for the second day as well but this year we do have a third day and that was spent at home with friends and relatives visiting.

On the first day of the Lunar New Year the kids were up bright and early … too early if you ask me. We had already packed their going out stuff and this would be the first long trip for them it would probably last till the end of the day and into the night before we got back home. They were changed into their new year’s finest, both were outfitted by the mum. Boy in his T-shirt and semi-long pants which made him look like some hip-hop dancer in the cutest pair of socks which look like shoes (a friend from New Zealand send those down) Girl was in a red dress with matching socks that also look like shoes (same gift from same friend) and of course the white bow.

 

Soon it was off for our great ‘adventure’. It should be noted that taking them out is like taking the house with you. I had 2 prams, 2 car seats, 2 bags with their diaper changing equipment, extra clothes, pampers and other miscellaneous stuff, we also had to take along the bottles and feed as well, and they both don’t share the same feed.. Plus we had oranges to bring along for the visiting house. Soon we were off to our first house.

It was right after the first house as we were off to the next house for a visit that Natalie got hungry and we had to fine a carpark to prepare her feed. Soon it was the boy’s turn and he actually poo-poo after his lunch. We had to borrow the host bed and tables to help with the changing and even hot water for the milk. The weather was hot (as it always is on New Year’s day) but the aircon in the car was just lovely for them.

It was a very long day and they were really tired out from all the activities. luckily everywhere we went, there was always the aunties and uncles who would want to carry them which gave us a break ha ha …

On the second day it was pretty much the same except this time we had extra time and we took a break to return home to rest before venturing out again at night.

The third day was a stay home day for friends and relatives to visit. I think over the 3 days there was a lot of food to eat. I felt bloated but surprisingly I did weight myself before and after the 3 days and there was no change in my weight but I think I had too much ‘heaty’ stuff as my tongue has some ulcers. Better start hitting the track again as the first run of the year is just a month away.

 

CNY & VD

WISHING ONE AND ALL A

HAPPY AND PROSPEROUS

LUNAR NEW YEAR

and

A ROMANTIC VALENTINES DAY

Kids 1st Visit to Orchard Road

Recently brought the 2 kids out to Orchard Road, their first trip out of the hose besides going to granny’s and the hospital for check ups. Decided to visit Wisma for some shopping as well.

Here they are all snug in their little prams which seem a little big now and their first stop was to the Nike shop so that daddy can get his new set of running gear.

 

New Marathon ??

So it seems there is a going to be a new Marathon in town. The previous yearly Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon or SCSM for short will be discontinued and a Marathon will take its place. So what will the new Marathon be called … now wait for it …. wait for it …. drum roll … its going to be called the Standard Chartered Marathon Singapore !! Now that’s original.

Reunion

It has been happening over the past few years that we have been having our reunion dinner not on the eve of Chinese New Year any more as that is always a rush. We now have the traditional reunion dinner earlier. This year was no exception.

Some years we do eat out but most years its a simple home cook food, steamboat with chicken rice normally and a few other side dishes. We had our reunion dinner recently and this year had it at my parents place since with 2 young ones it was not going to be easy to eat out.

It was a simple fair nothing fancy this year just dishes no steamboat since it would have been too troublesome with the kids. That’s done so now it’s to prepare for the official Lunar New Year celebration as we say farewell to the year of the Ox and usher in the year of the Tiger.