Singapore - June 2010

I had just came back from a 12-day trip in Singapore. I am glad to be back home. Jon's super loud now, shouting when he's excited, or happy or when he wants something. Hmmmm, that will need to be fixed, but in the meantime, I am so happy to see and hug him.

This is the longest that I have been away from Miri and from Jonathan. Simon was with me for the first four days and we spent the time running errands, and viewing flats (yes, on our anniversary too).

Highlights of my Singapore trip (not in order of importance)

Buying a HDB resale flat

I asked Simon what he was going to get me for our 9th anniversary, and he said with a deadpan expression, "Buy a flat lor." You know what? We did made an offer for a flat that very evening. And dinner was with his ex-colleague-cum-property agent...char kway teow and sugar cane with lemon at Toa Payoh!

Buying the flat could not be considered a present coz I am paying for it too. "But it's more memorable that we bought it on our anniversary," Simon said. Technically, the date of completion will be later , but the fact is, we viewed and found a HDB resale that we like on our 9th anniversary.

Anniversary
We have been married for 9 years! We thank God for each other and for His blessing of two sweet kids. I also said a prayer for my friends who are married that they will be richly blessed in their marriages and that their relationships will be strengthened and enriched.

And we did have a belated Anniversary lunch at Ember at 1929. Would love to go to Iggy's but with sweet Jillian in tow, I think better not yah?

I had yummy pan-fried foie gras, miso cod fish and dessert of frozen nougat with lemon sorbet! Simon had a soft shell crab starter, with tenderloin for his main and the warm choc cake (which I usually take, but skipped to try something diff).

I love the savoury foie gras (crispy on the outside and it just melts on the inside) and the sweet frozen nougat balanced by the lemon sorbet was just right to complete my meal.

Made with Love's Grand Opening

I attended Made With Love's grand opening on Sat, 26 June with a very good friend, Chwee who brought her month young son, Daniel, and my niece, Winnie. The new store is fabulous! I love the layout, the lighting and the new products, especially the stationery! I couldn't resist snapping up Paul Frank's flash cards (which I will frame up for the kids' room in our new house) and Susie Ghahremani's tiny books. I wanted to buy these online, but didn't managed to coz I was taking care of the kids who were sick the week before I left for SG. They are now on sale on Amazon for less than US$5, a savings of 72%!!!!

I met Pooi (photo courtesy of Pooi) and Sharon from MWL's design team. Pooi had these incredible canvas shoes that she painted herself but I had left my camera at a friend's place so I couldn't take a photo of them! Sharon will be teaching at Shabby Chic in Brunei sometime in August (filenote: corrected by Sharon, should be Nov) and I hope she will make a day trip to Miri so I can bring her around.

One of the founders, Sandra, was so patient in ringing up my purchases. I was thinking why I fueling my love for stationery but was convinced when Sandra said she had enough notebooks and stationery to last two lifetimes! I didn't know that I would buy so much, but plus Chwee's purchase, we racked up S$250 worth of stuff and I got a free red corduroy album (worth around S$40) + a $25 voucher.

What made it more memorable was that I was one of the lucky six to get a full refund on my purchase! How sweet is that!

Visit to the Singapore Art Museum (no photos coz I left my camera at a friend's place)

After reading Pooi's visit to the Art Museum, I brought my niece there too. Initially she was bored with the stuff on the ground floor. She was, however, more excited at the interactive displays on the higher floors. She and two other kids were so full of energy that they ran continuously to change the way the flowers are projected on the floor, and the way the waterfall flowed.

We both enjoyed the Moving Image Gallery, where we sat down and watched a selection of short films for and about children. Made by filmmakers from Singapore, Asia, Europe and the USA, these shorts range from colourful stop-motion animations and whimsical fairytales to animal fables and school dramas. I particularly enjoyed a short film called Ting, where plates, cups and cutlery dance, move and go places in a cheerful stop-motion animation.

Catching up with friends

From play dates (more like the toddlers played on their own, while the mommies chatted with each other in between feeding them), to enjoying a quick meal, I love catching up with my friends. It may be a short half hour to a leisurely long dinner of 2hrs. Friends are for keeps.

The Lims and KJ

Shopping

This time, I bough clothes for Jill and her cousins (3 girls). It is indeed more fun to shop for girls, with so much variety and oooh, the accessories!

Jill willingly played dress-up for Aunty Wendy Koh, who thought I should really get this fuchsia pink frou frou skirt. But we're in Miri and we won't get much mileage from it. If we are in Singapore, it would be a totally different story. How practical I have become...