weekend - facial + Jurong birdpark

after more than a year hiatus from facials, I think my skin needs a thorough cleansing and some pampering! so I made an appointment with the lancome spa located at the revamped capitol piazza yesterday. hubbi and the kids were very nice to accompany me there so they had their lunch at the newly opened foodcourt at basement while I went for my session. it wasn't too bad for a basic facial though I've experience better facial massages before. the extraction process was rather long and painful but what to expect for someone who hasn't have facial for more than a year! it has a good promo going on for now - buy 3 + 2 free! but I didn't commit given my schedule really doesn't permit me to go for regular facials and I am hoping to try a few more facials of other products before really committing to a package..

today, given its the last week of the school holidays, we decided to bring the kids to jurong bird park! more of the husband's idea for im never a fan of spending time under the sun. :P it has been more than a decade since I last visited it! pretty enjoyable for an afternoon as the compound is compact enough to cover all of it well in 3-4 hours time + we watched 2 performances too! quite worth the entry price if you ask me. :D

left: before entering the penguin area

top right: lunch before starting our excursion

bottom right: SG50 displays scattered round the park

crazy hot humid day, but rather good walk around the park

not exactly my fav animals - birds.....

 

I have this phobia of birds in general - keep thinking that they will come close and peck me with those awful beaks. guess the fear rubs off the boys during their growing up years as I always act agitated whenever pigeons, sparrows or crows come near us. :P

so the boys are wary of these animals of flight not unlike me so it's good that they learn interesting facts about the birds this trip and hopefully be less afraid of them going forward.. ha.

 

has been a great active day for the ng family. im starting to think what can we do during the sept school holidays given that we are staying in SG. hmmm...

GSS shopping! *WEE*

having a day off at work and it has been a glorious day of shopping in town! :D
the morning started out pretty normal - waking up, preparing the kids and sending them to my mum's place/childcare.
managed to have brekkie with them before hubbi dropped me off at the MRT station.

I was in town from 10+am all the way to 5+pm. im not kidding when I said my calves are aching now!
it was happy shopping indeed though the wallet was quietly weeping too. oh well. I was mentally prepared so the guilt was not as bad. or is it a case of an incorrigible me?

so what's the loots for the day? zara sale started so of cos there is something from my fav. brand - a top + skirt. in fact, everything I bought today was on sale. yeah. UGG boots for upcoming YE trip, sandals from DKNY, dress from A/X + a belt from ferragamo.

I was very close to buying a pair of earrings but logic reined me in the last minute. :P
more like it convinced me to DEFER it to sept month when it's my bonus month... *muhaha*
ok, so it means no more shopping for me till sept!! is it even reasonable to contemplate this?
we shall see!

2D1N small dishes are really good

jm is back in SG so met up with the girls for Korean dinner @ 2D1N at tanjong pagar.
I found the place strangely familiar - seems to be the same place where I got like dead drunk on soju 1 year+back! ok, lets not go there.

I found the main dishes decent but it's small dishes are so good that we asked for refills non-stop. well almost until the staff said we can only refill maximum twice. oops.

anyway, good to catch up with the girls on an otherwise drab Wednesday. good to see that jm seems to be truly adjusted to living in down under too. :)

Day 4 - getting lost around siam square area!

last day of the trip! we didn't head out to anywhere but just spend time generally near our hotel area.

in the early part of the day, we headed out to centra world on foot - just 15mins walk from Siam BTS - and had our early brunch at hyde & seek.

 

to me the food was so-so, more for the ambience + decor of the place

but their bacon was really good! tasted just like bah kwa!

 

we spent some time here before heading back for some serious window shopping @ siam centre + siam discovery.



 

around siam paragon/centre

we headed back to hotel for the boys to spend some time in the pool - the weather was too mad hot!
hubbi & I just relaxed and lazed by the pool while the boys had their fun. it was a good way to spend 1-2 hours in the late afternoon!

 

 

clockwise from top left: @mango tango!, playing with bubbles outside siam sq 1, having a dip in the pool, photo-time at harrods café @ siam paragon

 

after bathing the boys, we headed out to siam square area and settled for dinner @ white flower factory situated in siam square 1.

the thai food was pretty authentic and pricing very reasonable. no wonder the whole place was fully packed! we were lucky to get a table since we went at early 6-ish.

 

I cant get enough of phad thai!

 

we spent the rest of evening shopping at siam paragon level G - foodie heaven + an impressive supermarket!

bought some local snacks to share with family + friends back home. by the time we reached hotel, the boys were bushed from the day activities and K.O. by 10+PM. :P

 

so that's that for our BKK 2015 trip! pretty relaxing and much more enjoyable than our last trip here given the boys are more grown up now and easier to manage!

 

we headed back to SG early next day and touched down changi airport in the afternoon. plenty of time for us to unpack and unwind to get ready for the new working week.

 

shopping wise, I did OK for this trip. more stuff were bought from the airport before departure. :P

as usual, I stocked up a bit on skincare + stuff - foundation, day cream + perfume this time round. I got a berry nice tiffany necklace that can be worn at least 2 ways - I presume it's cheaper than getting it in town?

 

over at BKK, of cos the usual stock up of bras+ panties [the husband has very nicely volunteered to take the bill for these]. the other stuff that i got were a top from playhound + a clutch bag from baobao issey miyake + a ring.

 

I cant wait to check out the GSS scene back in SG this coming Thursday. *wee*



 

chio right though the design is not very apparent in this photo...

approved by the husband which is very rare. LOL

seems like the working week just ended and now its sunday night again. damn.
the past working week has been rather hectic for me - meetings galore.
not helping that it's also performance review week for the company. so I need to prepare both for my own appraisal as well as the team's ones - not exactly easy.

it helps that there was a perk-me-up on Thursday where my ex-team mates and I headed to our ex-team lead's house for some yummy home-made dinner. :)
we started out in the same team in this company but after 3 years, all of us are in separate teams (though still in same company) now...
so it was good to have this chance to gather and catch up. feels good that nothing seems to change much.

it's father's day today so I let the husband planned the itinerary for the day. and just like him, it was a simple one. :P
we met up with the in-laws for lunch at PP. lunch was decent at DTF and father-in-law bought something for each of the boys from smiggle. LOL, the kids really can spend their time in this shop!
apparently hubbi was happy enough to suggest buying a Pandora charm for me! since he volunteered, it's rude to say no right?
we chose together and decided on the passport charm. :) new addition to my (seldom-worn) Pandora! yeah!
GG5 sale has ended sadly but I still got myself a belt which will be great for dresses...

we headed out to parkland green to check out foldie bike for the elder son. out of stock for that but I tried out some adult scooters and were hooked. :P
no purchase yet but I think we may just get one very soon.. hehe.

after that it's kim choo dumplings + yummy durians for dinner at home! so sinful.....
im having a day off coming thurs - im in need of serious retail therapy...im sure I will go back to work more motivated. :D

BKK Day 3 - kidszania!

our third day in BKK was pretty much the kids' day.

we set out of our hotel in the morning in search of brekkie @ siam paragon and decided to have it at after you café! the honey shibuya toast is really yummilicious!



 

super hearty breakfast - think we ordered 3 sets and it's really too much for us *burp*

 

after that, it's time for the kids to work! it's their first time at such places catered for kids to work - we haven't been to kidstop @ science centre nor did we try baby boss when we were at Taipei 2 years back.

think they are of the right age to really enjoy and follow the instructions of the facilitators well!

we did around 6 occupations and took us 5 hours there! gosh, really tiring for the adults!

 

they had a go at being firemen, doctors, making sushi + hamburgers, packaging meiji milk and serving customers as cashiers. LOL.

it was rather fun watching them at work and in the end of the day, they earned peanuts - not enough to buy home a pencil.. HAHA.

first stop is to CIMB bank to cash out some kidszania dollars!

this is YR's personal fav! being a hero and saving lives!

look how serious they were listening to instructions! LOL.

packaging meiji milk to their preference - chocolate for didi & fresh milk for gor gor

top & bottom left: taking turns to be shoppers + cashiers at 7-11

top right: making burgers

bottom right: sushi chefs!

 

our lunches were pretty much the food they made - the sushi were actually quite good!

 

for the evening, we headed out to explore siam centre and siam discovery centre. absolutely my fav. i heart the local designer stuff here!

it has been a long day for the kids so as a treat, I decided to have room service (ok, that's my secret indulgence) for our dinner that evening. :D

 

isn't it wonderful to have yummy food sent to your room while you veg out in front of the TV watching cable shows!

apparently the boys shared my passion but the husband found it bleh. :P

we watched Jurassic 1 + 2 on cable that night - shiok! esp. jurassic 1 is a fantastic show to watch again with the boys!

 

fun day definitely though more for the boys..

BKK Day 2 - city living

 

For our 2nd day in BKK, we spent the day mostly around sukhumvit area.

we had our early brunch at this café - 24 owls by sometimes.

the ambience and setting of the cafe is pretty and cosy but the food was so-so if you ask me...

still, the cafe was showing X-men days of future past on cable when we were there and that kept the boys entertained for the meal. :P

 

we had egg ben set + pancakes

the younger boy watching TV intently

 

after that, we headed to emporium shopping mall to escape the heat and spent some time there.

late lunch was at karmakamet, just located next to the emporium.

but to walk from the mall to the restaurant under the sun was torturing! the heat is totally unbearable and I felt my skin sizzling.. @_@

karmakamet is somewhat like PS café and we had one of the nicest meals here!

 

I ordered penne with foie gras and truffle oil and it was heavenly!! even the husband and boys cant stop eating from my plate!

the highlight of the meal must be the strawberry in the cloud.

yes as you saw it, it's strawberry dessert (crumbles + fruits) hidden under this huge cloud of cotton candy!

the boys were so thrilled by it and it was gone in minutes after we took the photo! tsk tsk. 

 

 

 

 

the heat was too much for us so we took a taxi (bad idea) back to hotel.

the taxi, though a short 20mins, was a bad idea as with the jam and jerking of the car and the sun directly on us - we were all feeling a bit meh by the time we were back in hotel.

i decided that a nap was what we need and that's what we did. ha.

 

by the time we woke up at 5pm, all of us felt refreshed! yeah!

we spent the evening exploring siam paragon (ahh, the luxury of having it next to our hotel).

dinner was at its food court which is rather impressive with its range of options. I had a berry nice tom yum noodles soup here. oh, and the thai milk tea - we kept coming back for seconds.

 

we caught "Jurassic world" at around 8+PM @ siam paragon Cineplex. the boys were a bit confused when we all stood up during the national song part.

good to educate them a bit of the different culture in other countries.

 

Jurassic world! _ chris pratt is hot! LOL

 

it was a relaxed day for the ng family on day 2. :D





BKK Day 1 - Siam Kempinski + Asiatique

our BKK short getaway started this wed! smooth flight with SQ and we touched down early afternoon @ BKK airport!

took a cab and suffered jam @ certain stretches of the journey but reached our hotel - siam kempinski - in good time with room ready to check in! :D

 

on board a taxi to our hotel

 

@siam kempinski

 

this hotel was recommended by my coll and it is indeed lovely. linked to siam paragon so it's very central and near siam sq, centre, discovery etc. :)

siam paragon is lovely in itself since it has kidszania, aquarium @ its basement, and we LOVE its level G full of lovely foodies! :)

not unlike the basement of taka, bugis etc but much better!!

 

given the super nice ambience, amenities and location of the hotel, the price is pretty steep. if you are looking for value for money accom around same area - our hotel choice 2 years back novotel siam sq is an excellent choice. :)

we freshened up abit and headed out to asiatique to spend the rest of the day!
never heard of this place before so this is the first time both hubbi and I were heading there. comments varied but I like what I read online. it's likened to a commercialized Clarke quay though some said it gives out jaded vibes now.
but its good for a first time visit definitely! cool dining options + nice labyrinth of shops to explore.

left to right - reached via ferry!

inside  baan khanitha for early dinner

queuing for free ferry service to asiatique from BTS Saphan Thaksin station

with the boys

on board the ferry + dinner @ baan khanitha

to get to asiatique, the fastest way is to take the free ferry shuttle service departing from BTS saphan thaksin station. quite an experience for the boys though the breeze that blew in our faces was anything but cool... the weather is like 2x hot + humid of SG... @_@

by the time we alighted at asiatique ferry station, we were all sticky and feeling dehydrated so hubbi and I decided that we shall have early dinner [in air-conditioned place of cos] since our lunches were not exactly good - airplane food...

baan khanitha is one of the recommended ones online so we took the convenient choice. though not exactly cheap, the food was authentic and good. the tom yam + green curry were *slurp*!!
and of all (I really meant ALLLLLL) the thai iced tea I had in this trip, they serve the nicest one. not overdoing with the condensed milk and you can still taste the tea well. *thumbs up*

having fun just exploring the place

 

from the photos, the place is indeed commercialized and targeting tourists mainly but i really like the ambience. very similar to Clarke quay with live music around each corner and eateries with cool decor.

 

the ng family spent our late afternoon + evening here until the boys started showing their fatigue from the long day at 8+PM and we decided it's best to head back to the hotel for some down time.

a lovely day 1 in BKK as we got to visit a new place and the boys took ferry for the 2nd(?) time? the first was at seoul to name island. is that right ..?

 

oh well. :P

passport with less than 6 months validity!

we are due to fly out for BKK this wed and we realized yesterday when packing for the boys' luggage THAT YR's passport has less than 6months validity!! 5.5mths to be exact. @_@
called ICA this morning and was advised that we NEED to renew the passport if not most probably the airlines wont allow us to board or immigration at BKK will deny our entry.
SUPER ZZZZ.
the good thing is with the air ticket, birth cert and the boy himself (+of cos many many hours), we can renew the passport in a day!!
so that's what we did with hubbi queuing with the boy in late morning to mid afternoon and then me taking over to final collection at 4pm. drama anot, you tell me.

still, happy ending at the end of the day. didi is coming with us to BKK this wed! he was weeping yesterday when we told him about the possibility of him not being able to join.
LOL.
he kept tearing and asking, "shi wo de passport ma?" hahahahha.

ok, now we are really set to go! :D

start of school holidays = no berries for the elder son for these 2 Saturdays :D
finally, we can start our Saturday early by heading out for brunch around siglap area. :)
after the hearty meal, we made a quick detour to Chinatown to change thai baht for our family trip next wed! *wee* cant wait for the short getaway!

headed down to raffles city area for my fav. activity! shopping and exploring new places.
we checked out the revamped capitol and for now, im like what im seeing.
and of cos what to expect from the GSS season? shopping of cos!
bought a fair bit to the tsk tsk by the husband. :P
a dress + 2 tops + necklace from gg5, top from maxtan, top from basic house + ear rings from robinson. quite a splurge by quantity but value for money by price. HA.

this wont be my last loot for month of jun im sure..... given my paper loss in the stock market, maybe I shouldn't indulge too much of such happy spending. :(
we'll see.