tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-184204212024-03-07T16:15:44.892+08:00~Bliss~ ~Bliss~ ~Bliss~ ~Bliss~ecookiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18096666059185503789noreply@blogger.comBlogger1345125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18420421.post-24102447848317004622016-09-17T10:28:00.001+08:002016-09-17T10:28:43.106+08:00<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">an unexpected conversation over lunch with my ex-coll blew the dust off an almost forgotten dream of solo travelling. can I do it? will I do it? is responsibility just an excuse for my lack of courage? ok, seed of intent is planted anyway. waiting for the day for it to blossom into a sturdy tree of actions!</span>ecookiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18096666059185503789noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18420421.post-19108047974917519152016-01-17T20:21:00.001+08:002016-01-17T20:21:42.540+08:003D2N @ the Canopi<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">the ng family first getaway for the year - to the canopi! i first learnt about this new resort in bintan from a travel mag late last year and it sprang to mind again early this year when i was trying to plan a bday weekend for the younger boy. so without further ado, i booked 2 nights for this weekend and it shall be a short getaway for the bday celebrations for both the hubbi and YR. :D</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">we took leave on fri and fetched both boys straight from their schools. a quick change of clothes back at home and its off to tanah merah ferry terminal to head to bintan! the ferry reached bintan in a jiffy around 2pm and it was a good thing the resort is located like 5mins drive from the terminal! our package included express immigration and shuttle service so we arrived at the resort in less than half an hour time!</span></div>
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<i>this view greeted us at the lobby when we alighted from the shuttle bus! sweet!</i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">the canopi sported a concept that merge camping with luxury - glamping! so we stayed at a tent which is fully furnished! :P there's a man-made lagoon in front of our tent with treated/filtered seawater to give us the crystal clear water to swim in and a variety of land/water activities to choose from around it! the place aint big with ~ 40 tents in all but enough activities to keep us occupied and happy for these 2 days!</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNp8MJJaedEzQqicIljbLmgXoxnmyEsI13GSuYcsNUZaNNthro9dYgujfmN8oDgbKjKrZ_dUfezTqE1DbSFVu-NZz2WAG1N1NoFrFfdd9j6g2pQ9LSNwf50Pvm1KHFCBY-ZUkO/s1600/Canopi+Bintan+Jan16.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="456" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNp8MJJaedEzQqicIljbLmgXoxnmyEsI13GSuYcsNUZaNNthro9dYgujfmN8oDgbKjKrZ_dUfezTqE1DbSFVu-NZz2WAG1N1NoFrFfdd9j6g2pQ9LSNwf50Pvm1KHFCBY-ZUkO/s640/Canopi+Bintan+Jan16.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<i>inside + outside of our tent</i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">we wasted no time to change into our swimming gear to do some water sports/play for the rest of the afternoon when the weather was good. i tried stand-up paddling - something that i wanted to try for sometime and surprisingly it was more manageable than i thought though pretty tiring! the husband and boys did the water tricycle as i huffed and puffed near them on the paddle..</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">and of cos, after that, it's water playtime for the boys while i lounged around on the sun chair... :P</span></div>
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<i>good activities for our first afternoon there!</i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">dinner was in house at their bora bora beach bar which serves one of the better pizzas we have ever eaten. yum! we K.O. pretty early for bintan time since it's 1 hour behind us but expected given the boys had a long day with school and all the physical activities for the day.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">the next day, we woke up bright and early and after breakfast, we had a try at the segway (for hubbi & me) and mini electric ATVs (for the boys)! it was pretty fun and it's a first for me on segway too! impressive to see and feel the auto-stabilizer function in action though for a brief min, i was unsure how to get off it as it seems to be constantly in need to be in action!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">after the brief ride, the boys hit the water again while i lazed around with a magazine! bliss!</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK3bzMksv1OqwpRhHdaIZDLKVQLD0RVvkOqEr_DptnjkgQ3mcNeDB8MxHoGeOEtRT6dbYPMQlB3fg4D9B_zlVGe6mBdELXDFQRnmzZmq8UV6Vfx53XyWqZzfiotOvyQIXIK5bZ/s1600/Canopi+Bintan+Jan162.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK3bzMksv1OqwpRhHdaIZDLKVQLD0RVvkOqEr_DptnjkgQ3mcNeDB8MxHoGeOEtRT6dbYPMQlB3fg4D9B_zlVGe6mBdELXDFQRnmzZmq8UV6Vfx53XyWqZzfiotOvyQIXIK5bZ/s640/Canopi+Bintan+Jan162.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<i>fun morning on the 2nd day!</i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">after a bath, we took the shuttle bus to explore the lagoi mall nearby which was a huge disappointment...more than half of the shops aint open yet and there was really nothing much to do there. the good thing was we managed to find a decent enough restaurant to settle our lunch and i managed to do a massage while the husband and boys were very nice to wait around for me.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">we headed back to the canopi and spent the rest of the afternoon... in water of cos! hehe.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">after showering, it was rather peaceful and zen to laze outside of our tent watching the sunset and talking nonsense with the boys.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">and before long, it's dinner time at the same bora bora beach bar (yes, the only not-so-great thing about here is there's only 1 eating option in house) but luckily we love the pizzas...</span></div>
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<i>lovely sunset</i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">we were blessed with good weather throughout and the only heavy downpour happened on our 2nd night in the wee morning. today, we woke up late, lazed in bed, went for late breakfast and before long, it's time to checkout and head back to SG!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">what a great short getaway! we should do this more often! where's next for us?! i cant wait to plan! hehehe.</span></div>
ecookiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18096666059185503789noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18420421.post-79681931873205175092016-01-14T21:22:00.000+08:002016-01-17T19:43:32.914+08:00busy week<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">this week has been pretty busy for me both at work and after. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">transition month is never good and I'm feeling the stretch. holding on to current portfolio and ensuring a smooth half-year closing/reporting + trying to learn the ropes (and multiple ones too!) of my new role all at the same time. still, i'm optimistic. while I don't know what I don't know still, I'm trying my best to plan around as best as I can. trying very hard to live the steven covey's habits. currently, the 2 most relevant ones are having the end in mind and sharpening the saw! budget is round the corner and knowing exactly what's the right thing to do is essential and I'm guiding my behavior and actions around this habit at work now. off work, healthy living + eating remains a continual focus. trying my best to eat well, rest well and exercising adequately, I hope to keep my mind and body strong to take on life. :D</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">what's lacking is meditation - I'm not sure if I'm in that space yet without lapsing into laughter. i can definitely start with reflection time-out. need to start allocating time for that!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">did dinner with ex-deloitte colls on mon and it was nice having girly talk with gerry + GS. after dinner was shopping time and i ended up buying a pair of le pommier - cute hand-made shoes. it seems super comfy. cant wait to wear it!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">dinner with suling on tues and she's looking good for someone in 3rd tri! and then, i joined a drink session after work today for a short while for a great coll who is retiring from the company after 30+ years! wow, i wonder which company and role i will be in when i retire next time. learnt a great quote that retirement means you stop living the working and start working the living! i need a great retirement plan to keep me occupied and fulfilled after i stop working for sure!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">and finally tomorrow, the ng family is heading to our short getaway! sorta like a mini bday celebration for both the husband and the younger boy whose birthdays are only 1.5 weeks apart!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">cant wait for it! it will be my treat to them and i hope and think it will be a great one for all if us!</span>ecookiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18096666059185503789noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18420421.post-40571849043771799052016-01-07T22:09:00.000+08:002016-01-17T19:18:37.749+08:00happy burpday to my love!<div align="left" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">and so, the husband turned x9 today! and once again, he's 5 years older than me! *teehee*</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">one of the perks of him changing job last month is he's working much nearer to me now and we can finally resume weekday dining near town again! so for his birthday today, we headed out for a proper dinner without the kids, :P, after work!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">I brought him to 31 bar & kitchen @ keong saik street and the food were really good! hubbi had lamb shank and he concluded it's one of the best he has ever eaten. I'm glad for it's hard to please this man's taste buds which doesn't follow the usual rules..</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">my fish was equally good and I wouldn't mind a revisit next time!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">lovely evening just chatting with the husband with good food and wine. though in less than 2 hours time, it's back to reality with us making our way to fetch the boys from gramps place. LOL.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">now that the boys are bigger, I'm looking forward to spending more quality time with my "first" love! *puke*</span></div>
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<i>foie gras appetizer is always good. the tiramisu is really fluffy and smooth though I would prefer one which rum is stronger </i></div>
ecookiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18096666059185503789noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18420421.post-82911265514068306152016-01-04T21:54:00.000+08:002016-01-17T19:00:59.845+08:001st day of school for the boys<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">in a flash, school holidays were over and the boys started their new school term today! P3 for the elder boy and K2 for the younger one. cant believe that YR will be starting P1 next year! there goes my 6 days childcare leave. :P</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">YZ will be in a new class this year - I hope he will continue to find learning a joy and make good friends along the way. for YR, there will be homework and spellings for him this year. *teehee* no more relaxing and playing while his elder brother is working hard! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">today was a little hectic for the mummy for YR school was only an hour long to cater to the new nursery kiddos attending school for the first time. so I have to wait for him at school and ferry him back to gramps before heading to work. and during lunch time, I had to dash to YZ's school to settle the logistics arrangement with the school bus driver before another mad dash back to work. :(</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">oh well, glad all is settled now and they are ready to start the new school year! and the ng family is really to settle back to school routine (waking up by 630AM and sleeping by 9PM - kiddos/1130PM - adults)! in line with healthy living so why not!</span><br />
<br />ecookiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18096666059185503789noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18420421.post-4114834932990134812016-01-02T10:18:00.001+08:002016-01-02T10:18:06.989+08:00birthday staycation - oasia @ novena + a peaceful, relaxing new year day!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">on the last day of the year, aka my day, we were heading out for the last staycation for the year! after settling the last work email and some tasks and more, i headed out to meet the husband at fairmount hotel! it's my birthday lunch at mikuni. :)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">thanks to WL's recommendation, we discovered this nice jap restaurant. while hubbi wasnt too impressed with his king prawn lunch set, my premium bento lunch set was slurping-ly good! the tempura, grilled cod, unagi and yellowtail sashimi were the highlights! *yum*</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">i wouldnt mind coming here again to try the other stuff on its menu!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">after the sumptuous lunch, we went to pick up the younger boy to check in our staycation for the night. YZ was supposed to come along but he was still recovering from his cough hence he checked into hotel gramps instead..</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">the husband didnt want town location and we are staying the east area already so there wasnt really much choices left. in the end, i booked oasia given it's pretty new and we seldom explore the novena area. to be honest, it is quite a boring area but good enough for an evening and we were nua-ing in the room most of the time. :P</span></div>
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<i>@ oasia!</i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">we only made our way out to explore novena/united sq after 6 in search of dinner and some exploring. united sq is surprisingly a nice place to roam around - alot of kids stuff.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">we let the younger boy explored toys r us to his heart contents (whose birthday was it exactly?) and we bought a monopoly set to play as a family with the elder boy on new year day! it's one of my fav. childhood game! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">and we had dinner at.... MAC! LOL. both hubbi and i were still feeling too full from our super filling late lunch so we let YR chose and that's where we ended up at. i had prosperity fries for dinner - very sinful and very satisfying. HEHE.</span></div>
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<i>@ united sq</i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">the hotel surprised us with a lovely cupcake at night and that was a timely supper! YR and hubbi sang a bday song for me - simple gesture like this makes all the difference in the world. :)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">the younger boy also penned me a birthday note the next morning that brings a smile to my face everytime i read it. im indeed blessed.</span></div>
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<i>right: note from YR</i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">we started the morning early by having a healthy breakfast (only for me - granola yogurt with chia seed , the husband got himself lemon tart + gula melaka pandan cake!) @ joe & dough. i really hope to start and maintain 2016 with healthy eating and living.</span></div>
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<i>@ joe & dough</i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">we checked out around noon and had lunch @ the in-house marmalade pantry. baked snapper for me and beef burger for the hubbi. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">we left and picked up YZ from my mum's place and rest of afternoon was spent lazing at home. all of us took a nap from 3 to 430PM - so shiok and been a while the whole family nap together. haha.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">i went for a quick 30mins jog after that and we headed out for a simple dinner + grocery shopping nearby. in the evening, we played monopoly as a family for ~ 1.5hrs and guess who's the winner for the night? YR! it was old good fashion fun and we cant wait to play again this weekend! :)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">most probably will be a quiet weekend for us before the hectic school term (for the boys) and year-end closing (for me) start again next week. i shall indulge in my fav. activity for the moment - reading. :)</span></div>
ecookiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18096666059185503789noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18420421.post-91189706323806610732015-12-30T22:42:00.000+08:002016-01-01T23:18:22.994+08:00recap of 2015 - a great one no less!<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">as with tradition, recap of 2015:-</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>jan</b> - YZ advanced to P2 and YR started his K1 journey with the same old church kindy as gor gor. YR transited to the new school better than i thought which is awesome. the husband turned 38 (!!) and i brought him to try italian food at etna for his bday. YR turned 5YO too and we spent a lovely evening at night safari as per his birthday wish! an extremely short 2D1N trip with colls to batam - montigo resorts is crazy big and i dont think i will want to come here with the boys! went for an internal interview for a team lead role - was feeling apprehensive but i knew i did my best then and will be at peace with whatever the outcome may be.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>feb </b>- watched the Dream of the red chamber play with hubbi and while some parts were lost on us, the title song is really good. celebrated 13 years anniversary with hubbi!! had the most delicious dinner @ restaurant ember. started my new role as team lead - a journey (on hindsight as i look back now) in which i grow a lot and forces me to step out of my comfort zone countless times.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>mar</b>: the ng family went to HK with my mum + in laws! the highlights was staying @ langham place - good location and 5-star amenities but such a group combi is a bit..... i dont think i want to attempt such a trip so soon again. :P bought tons of lego back from HK! :D</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">got myself the very versatile and functional tube WOC from fendi too. and it was a sad month too when LKY passed on and (almost) the whole SG mourned for him. i went to pay my respects at the parliament house too.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>apr: </b>share matching for my company shares so i enjoyed a modest neat slice of profits when i sold those shares. :) bought a classic pair of CD earrings - goes extremely well with formal outfits!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>may</b>: Dividends month - handsome sum of dividends from all my shares even when the share prices plummeted. @_@ with the help of the extra windfall, i got the cartier love necklace that i've been eyeing for some time! and thrown in with the indulgence was a matching CD bracelet (to the pair of earrings bought last month)! the husband wasnt too impressed. :P</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>jun: </b>family trip to BKK during school holidays - siam kempinski hotel is a comfortable stay and strategically located next to siam paragon! nice! the boys enjoyed kidszania lots! it's sad that BKK has to suffer the bombing incident later in the year. everywhere is getting unsafe nowadays.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>july:</b> quiet month - attended big bang concert though. :P</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>aug</b>: sammi's concert and it's good to hear her singing live after so long - very nostalgic! ng family did a SG50 staycation @ shangri-la too. breakfast at the line was great though the hotel room has seen better days..</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>sept:</b> 9 years wedding anni with the husband! and we did a st regis staycation with lightbulb YR in tow! tsk tsk. and it's staycation month - we tried lloyd's inn during sept school holidays. the location is alright but i wasnt too impressed with the size and not-so-great sound proofing of the room.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>oct:</b> YZ's 8YO bday! we brought him to science centre per his preference to catch an omni-max theatre show. and he started wearing specs.... same as mummy. why cant he has perfect eyesight like papa? went to USS halloween night for the 1st time with friends and it has been a long while since i took any rides! im more scared of the rides than those actors/resses wandering around! but the whole set up was really good and it did get more than a few screams from me! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">went for annual health check-up and received a good report card with the exception of higher body fats %. i really need to get back into some form of routine exercising soon!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>nov</b>: paris bombing, change of plans and in the end, we were off to central japan for a good 10D9N!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">it was lovely to revisit kyoto, takayama with the boys and hubbi. we enjoyed the whole trip a lot even though the boys were making me lose my temper like n times everyday! LOL. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>dec: </b>it's confirmed at work that i will be getting a new and bigger portfolio in the new year. i've accepted it apprehensively (again!) but at the same time, im looking forward to the challenges (which i view as opportunities for now..) too! come what may! if we take the step to make a deliberate and conscious choice, we can only grow and be better after each experience. *positivity galore*</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">and of cos, im turing 1 year older to ..... 34!! gosh. to cheer myself up, we will be heading for a staycation (yes, 4th one this year!) @ oasia hotel tomorrow! only YR will be joining since YZ is down with cough so he's checking into hotel gramps again. and since it's birthday PLUS year-end sales month, i have been buying lots of stuff after japan trip. :P all this while, my shareholdings continue to shrink given the really bad market outlook. *sniff* i need to start giving some tender loving care back to my bank accounts i guess. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">all in all, a great and lovely year for me! im extremely grateful and feel super blessed to have my loved ones with me, staying happy and healthy together. i look forward to an equally great, if not better, 2016 with my family + friends!</span>ecookiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18096666059185503789noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18420421.post-9678915374362900442015-12-29T23:42:00.000+08:002015-12-30T22:46:52.917+08:00birthday dinner celebration with the peeps<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">met up with the peeps again tonight for jx+my birthday dinner! venue was at long chim and we had such a hard time trying to locate it - its at #2 MBS atrium but it's served by limited obscure lifts!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">in the end, i realised it located at where guy savoy was previously.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">the food aint too bad but again for that kind of pricing, not a place whereby i want to bring the husband to try...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">still, crazy fun time with the gang! lots of laughter over lame jokes as usual. we will be meeting soon for zm & grace bday in jan soon! sweet!</span></div>
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<i> i heart them.</i></div>
<br />ecookiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18096666059185503789noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18420421.post-85145045938796946472015-12-28T22:34:00.000+08:002015-12-30T22:41:47.725+08:00YE SHopping Part 5 - GG5+ zara!<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">and so we went town for a spot of shopping (for the household) yesterday but of cos, i managed to squeeze time to do my own shopping when the husband was bringing YR to window shop at other levels. :P</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">we were at 313 and yesterday was the 1st day of zara sale!! i wanted to check out only gg5 so imagine my surprise when i saw the sale going on @ zara! *wee*</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">in the end, the damage for me was a dress from gg5, a skirt + a top from zara. yeah!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">we headed to heeren robinson and bought some long overdue stuff like:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">- 2x pillows + bolsters for the boys</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">- 1x bedsheets for us</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">- hand towelssss</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">the ones that we are using at home have been with us for yearssssss... it's really time to change them. and wow, certainly not cheap. good thing is robinson having YE promotion - $20 voucher to use for next purchase for every $150 spent! so we broke up the bills and managed to get $60 off? it's good buy lah though the husband wasnt too convinced.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">and TODAY, i did a spot of shopping during lunch time and bought 1 dropwaist dress from gg5 + skirt & top from zara. ok, i think im finally done with my YE shopping now.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">you think so? there's only 3 more days to go, what can possibly happen right?! we shall see...</span>ecookiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18096666059185503789noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18420421.post-1852752309763091632015-12-27T22:10:00.000+08:002015-12-30T22:33:45.520+08:00Sentosa Fun Pass!!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">we woke up not too early yesterday but nonetheless decided to head for sentosa to have some fun for the day. after some quick checking online, sentosa fun pass for 5 was selected and purchased! :D</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">we drove out to the first fun stop for the day - RWS aquarium! it was few years back when we first visited it when it opened to public. nothing much has changed just that there is no queue now and the crowd is much more manageable! :P</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">the aquarium is still as lackluster as my memory. the only more interesting bit of our time there was we get to touch starfish and sea cucumber (this is the eeky one!)!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">then it was quick lunch at insadong korea town since i've cravings for korea food.. :P</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">next (2nd) stop: trick eye museum as per the elder boy's request. huge mistake. at the end of the day, all of us ranked this place last of all the fun activities/places for the day. the place is so SMALL that the art pieces are within arm's length of each other. there's simply no space to point and shoot as when you are shooting for your friend/family, you are practically standing in the space of another art piece! so rubbish!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">definitely not worth a revisit!</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwWOg7Bv0-NwPI_rL4F09ada2bjLreAb3oIMR7RUt2z-9Idf2hAd0nU_A_U-Nldx8IqWp6yWGxr_QeFu4gpjHD-QPq7oqmNrqZPYkuVwmX9cWYQdC4L9QzsVSAx6pFcdJV58Pn/s1600/Sentosa+dec152.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwWOg7Bv0-NwPI_rL4F09ada2bjLreAb3oIMR7RUt2z-9Idf2hAd0nU_A_U-Nldx8IqWp6yWGxr_QeFu4gpjHD-QPq7oqmNrqZPYkuVwmX9cWYQdC4L9QzsVSAx6pFcdJV58Pn/s640/Sentosa+dec152.jpg" width="456" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUQ2y7Ic4SvJ2UqehNHRu7ocNRo23QHoX-8Rne6pGHM3JZAiwqifL4nnTdNakxey_ZlTllfwmKUfzT-9JIYsBbcnSzuR7Tde99n8k36dIUAZXSvi5qvq_dX27zYgk_y6Qyd-qB/s1600/Sentosa+dec153.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="456" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUQ2y7Ic4SvJ2UqehNHRu7ocNRo23QHoX-8Rne6pGHM3JZAiwqifL4nnTdNakxey_ZlTllfwmKUfzT-9JIYsBbcnSzuR7Tde99n8k36dIUAZXSvi5qvq_dX27zYgk_y6Qyd-qB/s640/Sentosa+dec153.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<i>obviously we still managed to take some crazy photos after much jostling and waiting time...</i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">then it's time to board the monorail and head to imbiah lookout for our 4D rides! the boys were looking forward to it so much that we decided to use up 2 activities for 2 4D shows.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">and luckily, they were actually very exciting and lived up to our expectations!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">we watched journey 2 mysterious island in a theater setting (alike shrek @ USS) and the effects were good! next was extreme log ride where you sit in 3 by 3 motion-simulated unit - this is much better than the 1st 4D ride! </span><br />
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<i>left: luge ride right: 4D ride</i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">we used up our last fun pass for skyride and luge ride! YR saw with papa and YZ got to luge-ride by himself! he was pretty good though he did bumped into the side of the trail once..</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">the boys wanted to have another try after it but given the long snaking queue, we can only tell them a firm no! haha, queuing is so torturous..</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">we took the monorail back to waterfront station and settled for dinner at malaysian food street (of cos, initiated by the husband since i decided lunch venue....).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">it was a long and tiring day for us yesterday but it was great for the boys to enjoy what's left of their school holidays this way. :)</span>ecookiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18096666059185503789noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18420421.post-11705405922464837432015-12-25T21:51:00.000+08:002015-12-30T22:10:41.754+08:00Fun x'mas @.........changi airport!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">guess where the ng family spent our afternoon + evening on xmas day? Changi airport!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">im getting lazy with planning and this is what happen when you leave planning to the husband. his fav places/activities are not only not at the top of my to-do list but at the bottom of it! but once in a blue moon, it aint so bad when we go with his flow though.. HA.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">we took the boys to try the slides and im very proud that they actually dare to try both slides and enjoyed both tremendously! i dont think i dare to take the higher slide.. *gulp*</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqyn_VL8KjnmnQkKGjVf8b-XgQ0xhXfJ55OBKMSCXbkcUEKGigDkLH_EhID2p3JXiNM8Qc4rYrH2qCOf4jFcqmF3v3VqWk6m-h9rUoJnSKojhJxRhzzyoidNOkPUOb32LR5t_5/s1600/PhotoGrid_1451038500958.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqyn_VL8KjnmnQkKGjVf8b-XgQ0xhXfJ55OBKMSCXbkcUEKGigDkLH_EhID2p3JXiNM8Qc4rYrH2qCOf4jFcqmF3v3VqWk6m-h9rUoJnSKojhJxRhzzyoidNOkPUOb32LR5t_5/s640/PhotoGrid_1451038500958.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<i>happy boys!</i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">we spent time walking around T3 and we signed up changi rewards card so we can buy things w/o GST. cheap thrill indeed. LOL.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDDuevsWgtfGCh0uxMDXzM4rLUnOd9rDcQpYSZcouioQmTAEx5IStT4eiWsi6ItKz5U6yWoLkCUvXxDh0fusqeP6g-sdVDyodH9Am804IaphinqaG0rdyTvM3bus3BhKhDGCRB/s1600/Olympus+EM10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDDuevsWgtfGCh0uxMDXzM4rLUnOd9rDcQpYSZcouioQmTAEx5IStT4eiWsi6ItKz5U6yWoLkCUvXxDh0fusqeP6g-sdVDyodH9Am804IaphinqaG0rdyTvM3bus3BhKhDGCRB/s640/Olympus+EM10.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<i>im actually very proud of our airport! great design, so clean and so efficient!</i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">dinner was at thai express which i havent try in eons and surprisingly tasted alright.. some stuff you can only try once in a long while to appreciate it. :P</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">we walked to T2 since the sky train was down. the connection through the MRT - a path less trodden on was interesting. both boys told me that they have walked this connecting path before during their separate school field trips!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">before heading to T2, we spent like more than 30mins in a .... bookshop! YZ + my fav place! hubbi decided to play santa and we can all choose a book! the elder boy chose a book from the wimpy kids series, YR a watercolor painting activity book and me a book from John Maxwell. :D</span><br />
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<i>hubbi finally saw his beloved star wars display at T2!</i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">we had early supper at krispy kreme and YZ and i started reading while snacking on donuts! reading while eating (i know its a terrible habit) is so satisfying!</span></div>
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<i>@ krispy kreme!</i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">we need to zzz early today for tomorrow is another fresh day for us to head out and have fun. for now, the tentative plan is head to sentosa for the day! i wonder if it will be the main island or RWS...</span></div>
ecookiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18096666059185503789noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18420421.post-18389280301239230412015-12-24T22:40:00.000+08:002015-12-30T21:50:37.141+08:00quiet xmas eve 2015<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">this used to be my fav day of the year back when im younger with more energy. it will normally end in town with some sort of countdown involved and of cos drinkssss.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">nowadays, i look forward to spending quiet time with the husband and boys on these "eves".</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">went to a half empty office to work in the morning. though many were not in office, i still have much to do. WHY!? still, scooted off for lunch with suz + kc, my fav. colls. im really starting to miss ping. :( we had lunch at erwin - not the best choice but an easy one. it was great company for my birthday lunch in advance. :)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">hubbi came to fetch me and we headed home after fetching the boy. it was so nice lazing at home in the afternoon. hubbi made reservations at new ubin seafood since he wanted to try the food there for the longest time. im not too keen but given the man hardly has any cravings for food anywhere, i went along. and it was surprisingly a great choice!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">the angus beef was really good and im not really a beef person to start with. and the fried rice that's cooked with the beef oil was really really yummy. somehow tasted like those lap cheong fried rice! my mains was my fav . chilli crab of cos - i think i ate 70% of 1 crab myself together with many other food. oops. i really need to start jogging more regularly (1-2x every other week doesnt count) again. the muffin top is back and bigger than ever!</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlkCmwES_Adm1bhFC7RPnj34FkNytRAM_1S3whF5D576gWMGJRZCyqkd5kCwg5kTpNiAuzAcq0ZPdHuNZqL5CIgOLXbcjHB-hFk4WaIIr27uwMEmaE8gv5Q27pHjy1EFDejxJ8/s1600/PhotoGrid_1450953445629.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlkCmwES_Adm1bhFC7RPnj34FkNytRAM_1S3whF5D576gWMGJRZCyqkd5kCwg5kTpNiAuzAcq0ZPdHuNZqL5CIgOLXbcjHB-hFk4WaIIr27uwMEmaE8gv5Q27pHjy1EFDejxJ8/s640/PhotoGrid_1450953445629.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<i>good meal!</i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">we let the boys stayed up but by 10+ they are showing signs of fatigue so off they go to their bedroom and they were snoozing in minutes! i think im hitting the sack too! when you wake up before 7AM, staying awake past 11PM becomes an uphill task..</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">yeah to healthy living bah!</span></div>
ecookiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18096666059185503789noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18420421.post-87301878728567256472015-12-23T21:54:00.000+08:002015-12-23T21:54:28.256+08:00YE Shopping part 4 - GG5!<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">my determination and perseverance shock me at times. :D</span><div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">knowing that gg5 sale has started + the husband meeting his friends for dinner tonight + im driving the car today = a quickie shopping trip at parkway parade after work before fetching the boys! LOL.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">tell me, am i a genius or not.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">life is so much more fun when you do stuff according to decisions make up in 3s. HIAKS.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">and so i drove to PP, parked, headed straight to GG5, paid, and im out of PP on my way to ubi for the boys all under 1 hour! *wee*</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">i got myself a lovely peplum sleeveless top + dress going at ridiculously special price. life is good.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">now time to plan for the next 2 days' activities. waiting for the husband to be home.....</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">and im sure the shopping is not stopping yet. who can forget zARa!</span></div>
ecookiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18096666059185503789noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18420421.post-618999213246361312015-12-22T23:31:00.000+08:002015-12-23T21:49:26.797+08:00dine + wine with peeps!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">met up with gb and jt yesterday night! they were very sweet to treat me a really hearty dinner + desserts for my birthday! :D</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">we met at luxe sydney at keong saik street. the food aint too bad though i dont think i will want to go there the next time. :P</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">desserts was at mad about sucre and im impressed here! great desserts, impeccable service from the waiters/ess, lovely ambience and i heart the tea pairing bit. :D</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">all in all, a lovely night with the peeps. we need to do this more often. and i really hope this trio can go some foreign land together in the new year. yes, the trio consists of me!</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVB37cMYgCgXgXxtiP4avzhapr8PmVA8W0rNHppIZI11KC4Oo6g8d_TLOXF1v9hOHLwxEU6r_cV35UTuPFbq5CvPEv636oM6zupqeQGliYX5WEK8oGcTsH0pub9MbgPYe-aduc/s1600/IMG_20151222_195219.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVB37cMYgCgXgXxtiP4avzhapr8PmVA8W0rNHppIZI11KC4Oo6g8d_TLOXF1v9hOHLwxEU6r_cV35UTuPFbq5CvPEv636oM6zupqeQGliYX5WEK8oGcTsH0pub9MbgPYe-aduc/s640/IMG_20151222_195219.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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<i>lovely decor @ mad about sucre</i></div>
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<i>we look as lovely as n years ago *in mad denial*</i></div>
ecookiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18096666059185503789noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18420421.post-61791645694125631302015-12-22T23:13:00.000+08:002015-12-23T21:45:21.099+08:00getting ready for the new work with added responsibilities!<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">be very careful what you wish for! haha.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">and so there was some mini restructuring within my function and i will be taking on a new role and heading a new team (or 67% new) in the coming new year!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">before this, i absolutely relished the thought of new work scope and cant wait to get on board with it. and i was very glad that this wish and intention was heard and supported by the leadership team. BUT, now i got more than what i wished for! my portfolio minimally doubled. instead of having 1 revenue line under me, now i have 2 revenue lines + 1 corporate overheads. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">*wee* time to exercise the positivity muscle! im sure i am stretching it now..</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">well well, every situation is an opportunity in itself. and i get the exposure to not 1 but 2 new areas at 1 go. it's definitely a rare chance by any stretch.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">so the best thing i can do now is to milk it i guess. make the experience counts!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">in times like this, planning will be paramount. i need to start blocking time to plan in a way that the transition and first quarter BAU will be as smooth and sustainable as it can be. but i have to admit it's rather going to be hectic these 2 months amidst the transition and rope-learning.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">at this rate im going, i think it's really high time i seek out a mentor! given my ex-mentor has now relocated to houston and it's impractical to reach out to her on an on-going basis. *sobs*</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">ok! focus on the positive! dec is a quiet month and i will make good use of the remaining 1.5 weeks to plan for the transition! i can do it!</span>ecookiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18096666059185503789noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18420421.post-32836615026069550192015-12-21T21:14:00.000+08:002015-12-23T21:30:52.140+08:00movies - peanuts, star wars + christmas market<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">and so i was on PM leave on both wed and fri last week. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">i kept wed afternoon to myself and fri for the boys so we have a good me-kids balance! :D</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">wed i went for some shopping in town but there's really nothing much that caught my fancy. in fact, i almost left town empty handed until i saw a nice ring from threadbare and squirrel at wheelock place. :P it's good when your shopping comes in mini sizes that the husband has a hard time noticing.. ha!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">after that, i went to fetch the kids and hubbi and we headed to the christmas market @ garden by the bay!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">given its a wed evening and we reached around 6+, the crowd was OK and we had fun playing carnival games (basically, just money down the drain. :"(...), took some rides and exploring the pretty set-up there. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">great evening - a departure from our usual routine.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i> the swinging chairs were good fun for the boys!</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>pretty decor</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">fri, i bought the boys out for a spot of movie time at bugis+! we watched peanuts and it's just......underwhelming....</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">it's not bad but its not fantastic too. it just left a strange taste in my mouth and got me thinking "ok, it's not so bad that i feel like i've wasted money but why do i feel i could have spend my time elsewhere??".</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">so...</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNXBaGsA_Am-DYGzPPvjwd-rIra4qnO-jkXUi_yXQiGA1d1DtolEY1jTEOkNhXl6qK8TZJkWmvWW9d-V-EHMl9jBAoaqTOxDVkvvJre3E1xa4JS4uQY_jBbtzFjqyLcFUenrFb/s1600/20151218_133030.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNXBaGsA_Am-DYGzPPvjwd-rIra4qnO-jkXUi_yXQiGA1d1DtolEY1jTEOkNhXl6qK8TZJkWmvWW9d-V-EHMl9jBAoaqTOxDVkvvJre3E1xa4JS4uQY_jBbtzFjqyLcFUenrFb/s640/20151218_133030.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<i>peanuts!</i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">and yesterday, we watched star wars - the force awakens!! never a star wars fan myself (LOTR LOTR LOTR!!), i watched it more out of obligation to accompany the husband and of cos to see for myself if the show lives up to its hype.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">and of cos it...doesn't. i didnt want to do any spoilers here but casting got to be better than this. i mean kylo-ren?! seriously.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">and the plot is at best unoriginal, at worst recycled. you go watch and be the judge.</span>ecookiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18096666059185503789noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18420421.post-45493611392188937152015-12-20T09:50:00.000+08:002015-12-23T21:07:36.505+08:00Busy fun(?) filled saturday for the ng family!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">finally the elder boy's berries' classes have ended for the year! no more enrichment class for him every saturday for the rest of the year (or whatever left of it...)! *wee*</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">so yesterday, we decided to head out in the morning and off to river safari we did! it was pretty much decided on a whim. we asked the boys where do they want to go and they were giving all the @_@ answers like legoland, korea, USS.... finally, the elder boy said he leave it to didi to decide and YR mentioned river safari. both hubbi and me thought it was doable given the last time we were there, it was the soft opening and the amazon river cruise was not yet opened. so quick purchase of tics online and off we go! it was a swift 30mins ride from our house. :P</span></div>
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<i>everyone is heading to the zoo!! river safari is rather quiet which was good for us i guess!</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_9DVk2W_vkVVwKCA0XjJctBKW9SOIB20PvThie7s-UBZtL3uVTnOLFLvSzN6NVtkLs7njwHriUVzlm_oK5LgU8qTexRTXxl3o620ekUrV_DGJQYFK1wmqIDTlvsyhxJk_o_nd/s1600/River+Safari+dec151.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_9DVk2W_vkVVwKCA0XjJctBKW9SOIB20PvThie7s-UBZtL3uVTnOLFLvSzN6NVtkLs7njwHriUVzlm_oK5LgU8qTexRTXxl3o620ekUrV_DGJQYFK1wmqIDTlvsyhxJk_o_nd/s640/River+Safari+dec151.jpg" width="456" /></a></div>
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<i>again, only managed to see kai kai... jia jia when are you getting out of your enclosed space!?</i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">river safari is good in the sense it's small and very manageable and all the pathways are sheltered!!! god-send in this crazy hot weather at times. but given it's very "manageable" size, we were done in like less than 3 hours. @_@</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5MMEf6Ebs6CxS-qgGG5rFcWow15-re2lml4PNp87ISEWd_VelaMMpyBcxAX0MTzL7DZRCvJs1DNVIsxIzCNWtAaQ11nj0t9AlcQwgejY4G8Zh3dww7lw_1O09pBpahLE8Cqd9/s1600/River+Safari+dec152.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5MMEf6Ebs6CxS-qgGG5rFcWow15-re2lml4PNp87ISEWd_VelaMMpyBcxAX0MTzL7DZRCvJs1DNVIsxIzCNWtAaQ11nj0t9AlcQwgejY4G8Zh3dww7lw_1O09pBpahLE8Cqd9/s640/River+Safari+dec152.jpg" width="456" /></a></div>
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<i>relaxing trip</i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">we took the amazon river ride and it was sooooo.... SHORT. LOL. hubbi was shocked by the whole duration of it and half the time, we had problem spotting the animals to our left and right. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">the good thing is the mini downslope bits of the ride where the boys were thrilled that few secondssss...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"> In the end, we were outside river safari at around 2pm and wondering where can we go next....</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">after some googling, spontaneous (thats my real nature and the husband getting good at it after years of conditioning... ) us decided to head to the newly opened national museum of singapore!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">we explored the temporary exhibit from the british museum as well as the Singapore history gallery.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPsfefeRSRLhwc1rBpaSno3bWnCcqtJcjlyzb9cQIJ0P6BP1NFwWiW49HYj_TMJJ4bOrohMPVBlm653K_qJxEZ-DRzc3iHUZGsemMR0DFTCJbsBDV5zBMqMxclA5bOts2-JvMu/s1600/River+Safari+dec153.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPsfefeRSRLhwc1rBpaSno3bWnCcqtJcjlyzb9cQIJ0P6BP1NFwWiW49HYj_TMJJ4bOrohMPVBlm653K_qJxEZ-DRzc3iHUZGsemMR0DFTCJbsBDV5zBMqMxclA5bOts2-JvMu/s640/River+Safari+dec153.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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<i>compact but very rich collections of treasures round the world indeed</i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">highlight of the tour was viewing the mummy. the younger boy was asking repeatedly was the person within the mummy dead? and the elder boy didnt help much by adding that the mummified person's organs were put in jars next to the mummy. @_@</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">and so YR feared for mummy nightmare last night.....</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">we didnt explore the singapore history gallery thoroughly as the boys were getting tired and getting distracted by then.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">so we left the place for early dinner - PS cafe petit at tiong bahru!</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMAtmr5Vq0i7OMe6tfDMlb2e9O-K8txGo74_OjIctpYRf0u2IaJb97OkoDzuYWfAE_5vYwRUnDs0uV1dRKN7nq3Ya-rdUcpU0GSOpolq-Dxg382sA3PmuNq307J4zb_x0vpwe_/s1600/PC191406.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMAtmr5Vq0i7OMe6tfDMlb2e9O-K8txGo74_OjIctpYRf0u2IaJb97OkoDzuYWfAE_5vYwRUnDs0uV1dRKN7nq3Ya-rdUcpU0GSOpolq-Dxg382sA3PmuNq307J4zb_x0vpwe_/s640/PC191406.JPG" width="426" /></a></div>
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<i>early dinner!</i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">after a hearty dinner (truffles fries inclusive!!), we walked down yong siak street and i managed to get a lovely book from woods in the books. :)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">by the time we reached home, the boys were all ready to hit the sack after bathing! lovely day!</span></div>
ecookiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18096666059185503789noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18420421.post-46645786829856260302015-12-15T22:53:00.000+08:002015-12-15T22:53:00.071+08:00Day 9: Nara<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">last day in osaka and the itinerary for the day is a day trip to nara! just slighly under an hour away by train or was it 1.5hr? i cant really remember. :P</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">we took the kintetsu line which station is right next to our airbnb so it was fairly straightforward. nara was definitely colder than osaka. the original plan was to walk to the todaiji, unesco site which houses the biggest Buddha statue in japan. but the cold and drizzling made me changed my mind in an instant to take the local bus. *brr*</span></div>
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<i>approaching todaihi!</i></div>
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<i>impressive structure</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6Ld-Raay5GNXwydxV60nupsZVf0bfXdDTEJPpPc0Opdw_el2jESCuwQX0bJgl4Lgt0vWQ_-2z7LUsgklzGHRLf7geE-na0Ga9DDF0rXHJyupwOT7LedT7_5MfJQAtUNURFmcw/s1600/Note+edge2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="456" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6Ld-Raay5GNXwydxV60nupsZVf0bfXdDTEJPpPc0Opdw_el2jESCuwQX0bJgl4Lgt0vWQ_-2z7LUsgklzGHRLf7geE-na0Ga9DDF0rXHJyupwOT7LedT7_5MfJQAtUNURFmcw/s640/Note+edge2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<i>huge statue - YR thrown in for perspective purpose. :P</i></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">i like this temple because unlike the other temples that i visited back in kyoto, the presence of buddha statue made me feel very at home as i grew up accompanying my mum to buddhist temples for her praying. </span></div>
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<i>the drizzling, light as it was, was not helping with the cold weather</i></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">after leaving todaiji, i decided to try my luck feeding the wild deers that are so famous in nara. BIG MISTAKE. when i was buying the deer food from one of the many vendors outside the temple, unbeknownst to me, 6-7 deers have already started surrounding us! before i can pay, i was head-butted by one, prompting me to shout out in shock. and then the money was taken from me, deer food thrust to my hand by the vendor, hubbi running away with the younger boy and leaving me+YZ facing the deers which were approaching me for food. YIKES! HELP!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">the next few moments happened in a flash, i was throwing the food on the floor frantically, trying to get out of the circle of deers..but to no avail. only after i have almost thrown all the biscuits away, then did the deers leave us alone... gosh.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">with the last biscuit, i managed to feed a innocent bambi-looking young deer in peace...zzzz</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghMRXKCXZ59N-ZgwNrKBpKbqf0ViBTsOC3fkU5LpV4clbAxaWHpM4XDfhFABuRqUIHdaCZ_-67dYUt441-1Oc0KvTDAv4IUM8DxoGeXbRSj4Z18nhli8adtM-4V2p838FUzKh-/s1600/Note44.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghMRXKCXZ59N-ZgwNrKBpKbqf0ViBTsOC3fkU5LpV4clbAxaWHpM4XDfhFABuRqUIHdaCZ_-67dYUt441-1Oc0KvTDAv4IUM8DxoGeXbRSj4Z18nhli8adtM-4V2p838FUzKh-/s640/Note44.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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<i>top left: feeding the young deer. just moments before it was all mayhem and shouting</i></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">we walked back to the downtown nara (next to the train station) and had our late lunch there.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd3YhmZ3BqyHJn_bGvf2HJxjOMiPBFMjpoZWqkOthcpi7CH8hNu3M1HeoC_H7ydEni_d7T6EWPiq5Q3bz9ce5maTUreFUf7CGV6GhOXCFvnNR-aJRKJzDA2UCxo1-24E65Ub0f/s1600/20151126_125706a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="343" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd3YhmZ3BqyHJn_bGvf2HJxjOMiPBFMjpoZWqkOthcpi7CH8hNu3M1HeoC_H7ydEni_d7T6EWPiq5Q3bz9ce5maTUreFUf7CGV6GhOXCFvnNR-aJRKJzDA2UCxo1-24E65Ub0f/s400/20151126_125706a.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<i>pretty manhole in nara</i></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">spent some time at a cafe and window-shopping at downtown area before making our way back to osaka. the rest of the day+evening was spent at shinsaibashi area before retreating back to airbnb to pack our luggages for our late morning flight back to SG tomorrow.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">it has been a fun-filled though very tiring 9D9N trip for the ng family. and i cant wait to plan for our 2016 travel! but, that has to wait a bit now given that the husband has just started his new job...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">im hoping he can confirm his leave plans for mar and jun holidays soon! :P then i can spring into action and do what im best at! booking tickets and planning itineraries! yeah!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">oh, and what exactly did i buy in japan:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">- SKII moisturiser and masks which i think the pricing is on-par with what DFS is selling. @_@</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">- onitsuka tiger sneakers - i got a pair that is made in japan and hopefully it's cheaper than those sold in SG. :P</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">- a hat + lightweight coat from local shops</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">- uniqlo basics</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">- a pair of chanel earrings that cost $10 more than what is sold in SG after TAX-FREE. this is so frustrating.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">yes, thats all i bought for the trip...</span></div>
ecookiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18096666059185503789noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18420421.post-81207010196343241742015-12-13T11:24:00.000+08:002015-12-13T11:24:00.049+08:00YE shopping Part 3, mockingjay2 plus spending time with the boys<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">i was on PM leave on fri and since i have spent time with the boys for my PM leave on WED, i decided i can do with some me-time this time round. :P</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">and so at 1+pm, i drove to vivo for SS show+shopping!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">i caught mockingjay part 2 and it was just....alright. not a let-down like mockingjay part 1 but not even close to the hunger games which is the best out of the series.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">lawrence is still acting too hard at the start of the show. but i like the ending. i like the ending where even a character like katniss can mellowed down with time and love. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">anyway, it's the time of the year again when oscar-nominated films are being released soon. saw some movie posters that i think i will be very keen to watch when they hit our shores.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b>the revenant</b> starring leo - this may just be the film that will help him nab the little golden man!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b>joy</b> starring the silver linings playbook main casts. i think director david o.russell really love the same few people. hopefully, lawrence will find her magic for this show. i really wasnt impress with her recent films like serena and mockingjay series. she needs to get her american hustle mojo back.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">and of cos i shopped. :D</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">ok, just a pencil skirt from bimba and lola. flattering cut and going at 50% off - how to resist, you tell me. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">today brought the younger boy with me to attend Don's daughter 1YO bday celebration at kidsamaze. it was great catching up with rachel and him! i think we didnt see one another for more than few years... </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">anyway it was so tiring trying to catch up with YR in the playground that i gave up after awhile..back-breaking trying to squeeze into tunnels and navigate impossible tiny spaces! but was glad to see the boy having fun.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCNkNT1X-fqnjkw72ZBsy5dy4qe04IQElW0EOjeMLAV9AiyFWKUI-tvoNpTe7xhq0YlQHS4LayZqD-Av1u_9mRaiWi50K7na3YN3zMgbesGCz7MfI0W6X6ZHEqTaB3qPTdKdKg/s1600/PhotoGrid_1449923392952.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCNkNT1X-fqnjkw72ZBsy5dy4qe04IQElW0EOjeMLAV9AiyFWKUI-tvoNpTe7xhq0YlQHS4LayZqD-Av1u_9mRaiWi50K7na3YN3zMgbesGCz7MfI0W6X6ZHEqTaB3qPTdKdKg/s640/PhotoGrid_1449923392952.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<i>having fun @ toa payoh safra</i></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">the husband and YZ picked us up in late afternoon and on a whim, we decided to head for the snoopy, charlie brown and peanuts gang exhibition at philatelic museum! glad to find that its free for singaporeans and though the exhibition is small, it was worth a short visit.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3yE7jI13wrA93PgnPQd7hbMK2I93d6kxgahycEYr9hIctaexWn_Oo3dCeXLowahi3_jjopizluBTN4q60kxqoIi87-77D4Afpq37xM4SqS57EzgG_f-fD9vf2WMz2wz4N3m8w/s1600/PhotoGrid_1449923240888.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3yE7jI13wrA93PgnPQd7hbMK2I93d6kxgahycEYr9hIctaexWn_Oo3dCeXLowahi3_jjopizluBTN4q60kxqoIi87-77D4Afpq37xM4SqS57EzgG_f-fD9vf2WMz2wz4N3m8w/s640/PhotoGrid_1449923240888.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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<i>@ philatelic museum</i></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">we settled at funan for some grocery shopping and dinner before heading home. it was a long day for the boys and they were snoozing before 930PM. :D quiet time for me yesternight to catch up with K-dramas and some reading. awesome!</span>ecookiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18096666059185503789noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18420421.post-46934141604333765512015-12-12T11:56:00.000+08:002015-12-12T23:21:57.266+08:00Day 8: Osaka - USJ!<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">the most anticipated leg of the trip by the boys! ever resourceful me managed to purchase the entrance tics + express passes for the family before the trip on USJ jap website! yes, the english website doesn't offer the purchase service. so with some guidance found online posted by helpful fellow travellers and translation features by Chrome, we got the online tickets.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">read that the park is open at 9.30AM daily and people started queuing up an hour before that! so being ever kiasu singaporeans, we arrived at 9AM and this sight welcomed us:</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJS04utXpWXtvKRPo08XAjeB4AC9fyj58Q96nePdAeO_SL2EU52sIbYu71fnxroq-Tv7JvscCxFZbPxTTujMQj-VDChmyQ60_WiuDxrDUvpVNuVttXNCkmtSn1NPb5uZC0QNS3/s1600/20151125_090615.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJS04utXpWXtvKRPo08XAjeB4AC9fyj58Q96nePdAeO_SL2EU52sIbYu71fnxroq-Tv7JvscCxFZbPxTTujMQj-VDChmyQ60_WiuDxrDUvpVNuVttXNCkmtSn1NPb5uZC0QNS3/s640/20151125_090615.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<i>@_@ </i></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">the park is open 30mins earlier for those staying in USJ affiliated hotels but luckily that queue is not horrendous. we were considered rather ahead in the lines and actually once the crowds dispersed inside the big park, it is not that bad. though of cos the crowds congregated at certain attractions and that's when express passes come in handy.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">to be honest, we only need to use 3 out of the 5 express passes since we took the popular rides earlier in the day. but the 5 rides express pass is worth it simply of the fact it allowed us entry and fastpass queue for harry potter castle/ride saving us up to close to 120mins of time!</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhLOFfysUKyAok4XgLyX6L3-5P81gj431qzFx2pdemVInDKFjYO5QYFQX2vlY0QzOgD6jetIzDmaFz7ZtgeB6naI1b74M5TLzurJl2hygoGUrGMo9ZY7AfGAY44gv69LlVjc_b/s1600/Osaka+Kyoto+Takayama+Nov15.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhLOFfysUKyAok4XgLyX6L3-5P81gj431qzFx2pdemVInDKFjYO5QYFQX2vlY0QzOgD6jetIzDmaFz7ZtgeB6naI1b74M5TLzurJl2hygoGUrGMo9ZY7AfGAY44gv69LlVjc_b/s640/Osaka+Kyoto+Takayama+Nov15.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<i>first stop - spiderman 4D ride!</i></div>
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we rushed for the spiderman 4D ride for once we were in. :D</div>
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so little crowd that for our ride capsule, it was only us occupying it even though it has 3 rows of 4 seats. we took the front row and it's every bit as good as transformers 4D ride in USS albeit a little shorter and spidy shouting in jap ha. </div>
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only the younger boy didnt enjoy it so much so that he cried at the end of the ride! LOL. too scary for the poor little fellow. for the rest of the day, his question for every ride is "is it as scary as spiderman?". HAHA.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR72631dMEcCMw7GVMy1P9ybcjeFtJV4mOOVeLMC0gMw3_HxxzcWVynGV3ejxscPZGx8wRujV4AwUClNXWClXSlO4GsetKxeATz7qKZ2HArMMX-7LQhotzHG-PCb-qUR8m0-m-/s1600/OI000642.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR72631dMEcCMw7GVMy1P9ybcjeFtJV4mOOVeLMC0gMw3_HxxzcWVynGV3ejxscPZGx8wRujV4AwUClNXWClXSlO4GsetKxeATz7qKZ2HArMMX-7LQhotzHG-PCb-qUR8m0-m-/s640/OI000642.jpg" width="424" /></a></div>
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<i>lovely backdrop. i want to attempt mary-ann and spidy kiss but there's a queue behind us waiting impatiently, so no.</i></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">this is the only photo we bought from USJ cos apart from us looking good in it (the official one not this one taken with hubbi's camera though we look not too bad here too), the frame was pretty with pop-up effects! it was like 1500 yen? </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWQunTnpXes6cbCz42QA9H4iZ0dAMaGIi3iG323HgBr108g5-ij53ummzxhQU99-_T2DOPiWoE9lPzNUXoLDdEWSLkc3IXq4KxeUDAoMHe6ugdjmZETHaPJzE-KkH06oa5By9f/s1600/Note+edge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="456" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWQunTnpXes6cbCz42QA9H4iZ0dAMaGIi3iG323HgBr108g5-ij53ummzxhQU99-_T2DOPiWoE9lPzNUXoLDdEWSLkc3IXq4KxeUDAoMHe6ugdjmZETHaPJzE-KkH06oa5By9f/s640/Note+edge.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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<i>minion parade!</i></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">en-route to back to the future ride, we managed to catch the minion parade! minions never fail to make anyone smile! :D</span></div>
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<i>buying stuff from minion shop! someone got himself a minion cap while the elder one deemed minion too kiddish for him and didnt want to get anything #growinguptoofast</i></div>
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<i>we had minion waffles here too! banana chocolate flavoured! what else?</i></div>
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<i>clockwise from top left: back to the future car, jurrasic park, jaws area, backdraft attraction, fooling around at jaws shop</i></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">for the rest of the morning after minion parade, we took the back to the future ride which is the elder son's personal fav after spiderman ride. it's akin to omnimax theatre, just more exciting! we were at jurassic park area but deemed the ride too scary for the little ones and didnt want to risk getting wet so nah for that ride. we went for the backdraft attraction which wasnt too bad. quite impressive to see how different fires can be created and the heat felt was no joke. the boys kept asking if the fire was real, ha. </span></div>
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<i>on board jaws!</i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">we settled lunch at amity village (jaws area). and after that, we went for the jaw boat ride! it was mostly harmless though the boys were taken aback when the (very) fake shark surfaced.. ha.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">next up, we headed to the wonderland zone! it's paradise for the kiddos! all the rides are kids-friendly and i think we managed to do 80% of the rides here! the boys had a blast here though towards the end, it was a lil' boring for the husband and me.. heh.</span></div>
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<i>@ wonderland!</i></div>
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<i>the snoopy great race (roller coaster) and elmo go go skateboard are pretty impressive! </i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">and by 3+pm, it's time for us to enter harry potter land! it was unfortunate that it started drizzling then but with the overcast sky and greyish clouds, it did lent a suitable vibe to the place. </span></div>
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<i>lovely!</i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">YR didnt make the height for the HP ride and hubbi and i did the child switch thingy. the HP ride was the most awesome ride in my opinion! it's the only ride out of all the rides i took in USJ that i was really scared! not to mention feeling some motion sickness after it. i was half-worried about the elder boy next to me being scared out of his wits and i was trying to hold on to his lap while trying to stifle my ahhs.. and whoas! LOL.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">in the end, he had his eyes closed half the time and he ended the ride half-shaken as compared to me...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">after HP land, it was dinner time so we dined in one of the eateries at main street and for the rest of the evening until closing time, it was shopping time for us!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">it was a good thing that there's shelter almost all over the main street for us to catch the fireworks without being affected by the rain.</span></div>
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<i>top: shot with pink panther!</i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">we cant resist the cute spidyman cup noodles with spiderman face-shaped veg bits! that's our supper with the boys back at our airbnb after we made our way back at night.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">pipping hot cup noodles is the best to have on cold rainy nights! *yum*</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">it's the first time the boys tried cup noodles. :P not very healthy but an enjoyable experience for them im sure!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">last day in osaka tomorrow before flying back to SG the day after!</span></div>
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ecookiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18096666059185503789noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18420421.post-75382890938934758282015-12-10T23:16:00.000+08:002015-12-12T11:34:45.590+08:00travel insurance is important!<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">when we decided to cancel our trip to paris+london, we were prepared to forfeit all the sunken costs made for accom+rail+other misc stuff. basis on the full refund from SQ and the extremely short turnaround time to make a call for the replacement trip, hubbi and i were on the same page that we are prepared to give up the deposits/payments made earlier in lieu of a peace of mind and ensuring of safety.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">we did called up some of the service providers if cancellations/refunds are possible given the circumstances but as the terms and conditions set out in the fine print for most of them, that's almost not possible. a friend of ours mentioned travel insurance and we were like yes, we did buy and why not give it a try but we weren't too confident. we just checked if the terms and conditions exclude terrorism which it didn't and we called up the insurance customer service to clarify. the advice we had was to fill up a claim form and send that in together with supporting documents with responses from vendors/service providers saying it's not possible to cancel/refund.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">we didnt have time to do that so what we did was send out emails to get confirmations from vendors before our trip and let them reply in due time. so when we were back in SG 2 weeks back. we compiled the necessary and sent over to the insurance by snail mail (yes, we confirmed twice.. LOL). finally, we had a call from the agent today that we will be eligible for the claims and the refund will be made in few weeks time! what a great piece of news!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">so we will be able to get back the monies paid for paris+london accom, eurostar, TGV train tickets and museum tickets! all these amount to close to 3k for us. it's really a blessings.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">i always buy travel insurance more for flight delays and loss of baggage (which we unfortunately experienced at CDG airport 12 years ago and very fortunately able to claim under travel insurance as we buy all the necessities before the luggage was returned to our hotel 2 days later). but it definitely seems like travel insurance is equally important for trip cancellations like this. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">let's all be safe and make sure we buy travel insurance for our travels. it's not worth it to not purchase it just to save that tens to hundreds.</span>ecookiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18096666059185503789noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18420421.post-27660293030771767482015-12-08T22:08:00.000+08:002015-12-12T11:16:12.341+08:00YE Shopping part 2 - indulgence<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">the husband allowed me to go shopping on sunday with the younger boy while he brought the elder boy to in-laws house for lunch. BAD idea. why, actually bad for him but i was looking forward to it. hehe. it's my birthday month and i wanted to shop for a bag originally for my europe trip but since it fell flat and japan obviously has nothing much to offer, i turn to home. :D</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">so it was a lovely afternoon spent with the younger boy shopping to my heart content (i know wont be long before the little nut join his brother and papa and start boycotting my shopping excursions... but i shall enjoy while it last!). sale is everywhere! and it's so hard to resist..</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">i got a berry nice nano luggage from celine (no sale..how i wish). i was struggling choosing between a nano and micro that i called 2 friends for advice... and none pick up! who says everyone is glued to technology 24/7! not always the case or maybe just a case of selectively answering... :'(</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">ANYWAY, when they called me back, the decision was already made. a nano! i prefer a bag with straps and i seldom have much stuff in my bag so a micro size is really too big for me but given the price difference, it's definitely more value for money... the happy problem for for some of us - bag sizes. how irritating, i know.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">and i chanced upon the mcqueen leather bracelet that i wanted to get back then BUT having 40% sales at onpedder now! *wee* so i have to get it right and i did.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">and..really cant resist getting another pair of ferrgamo - a (close to azure) blue pair of wedges going at 50% off. a steal, no?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">so as the story goes, the husband aint very happy when he picked us up.. :P</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">but as the story continues, this is only the starting.. :O</span>ecookiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18096666059185503789noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18420421.post-30231773381705238832015-12-06T22:22:00.000+08:002015-12-12T10:22:21.774+08:00Day 7: Osaka - airbnb + dotonbori<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">we were ready to move out of our kyoto accom and made our way to osaka! but first, a hearty breakfast before that. the elder boy requested for breakfast at kyoto's travellers inn...dont ask me why. still, it aint too bad..</span></div>
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<i>he finished the whole set by himself.. now i shared food with the younger boy instead of the boys sharing between themselves...</i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">though osaka is quite near kyoto, its still some distance. we took the local bus from our hotel to JR kyoto station. from there, we took the kintetsu line to osaka in slightly less than 1.5 hrs time. while shinkansen will whisk us there in much lesser time - think 30-40mins, kintetsu is much cheaper and it stops at local subway (at our accom) as compared to shinkansen stopping at Shin Osaka stop only and you have to transit a local metro again to the city.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">we hopped off at nipponbashi stop (1 stop away from the central namba station) where our airbnb is just 3m walk away! :)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">this is our first time staying at airbnb and i was rather apprehensive before the trip. how to check-in and how do contact the host when there's problems etc. but the worries were undue. our host is a very nice and responsive lady who sent us clear instructions on how to retrieve the key ourselves from the letterbox. so we walked into this local apartment, entered the building passcode which let us into the main lobby. there, we went to the letterbox where you open it like how you open a safe (eg: think left2, left8, right3) and there is the keys! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">the apartment is exactly like how the pictures show on the website! and the place was spotless like how you would expect a jap home to be. :D</span></div>
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<i>this is the bedroom area - its a studio apartment essentially, compact and cosy</i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">outside the bedroom, there's a narrow corridor - to the right its a compact dry kitchen area and toilet (yes, with heated toilet seat and all), to the left is the bathroom completed with vanity top and space for a washing machine too! at the foyer, there's shoe cabinet and umbrellas that come in handy for our day trip to nara the day after next! truly a home away from home!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">our airbnb has no tv but came with portable wifi so for this last leg of the trip, the husband and i were more connected to the world while on the go. very handy when navigating around for this trip, we didnt bring any travel guidebooks and minimum planning.. :P</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">after settling the stuff abit, we ventured out for lunch. our place is a short 10m walk to the famous dotonbori street. along the way, we were spoilt with eating choices. we settled on this local eatery place as the husband wanted to try vending machine for meal ordering and the menu here offers the boys' fav - curry rice and udon.. @_@</span></div>
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<i>lunch!</i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">then, it's time to explore dotonbori! its really every bit as lively and colorful as what i read from reviews.</span></div>
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<i>dotonbori!</i></div>
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<i>and of cos the iconic glico man!</i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">we spent the rest of the day shopping and walking around shinsaibashi the main shopping area in osaka. though i relished city shopping again but shopping in japan can be frustrating...most recognizable brands are more expensive over there than in SG so it really takes a lot of the joy. :( </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">oh well, help me to save money i guess..</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">tomorrow we are heading to USJ! *wee*</span></div>
ecookiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18096666059185503789noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18420421.post-25833828798083482612015-12-05T22:49:00.000+08:002015-12-12T11:00:00.480+08:00YE Shopping Part 1<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">*wee* its year-end and time for some retail therapy! :P</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">i was looking forward to some serious shopping for our europe trip but since plans changed i was betting on central japan to give me some of that joy. but alas, as i will share more in my travel posts, shopping is just not that great in japan despite the weakening yen. prices are still better in SG as compared to there. and it just doesnt make sense to get something you can pay lesser back home.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">oh well, im back in SG since last fri and during the weekend, i was more than gleeful to see my fav. brand gg5 having 15% storewide. ahh... YE sale has really started..:D</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">i really havent been buying much for this second half of the year (i did checked to my shopping posts!)..</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">and so, i've got myself a romper, a top + a dress from gg5 and a pair of flats from ferragamo. it's saddening that i miss the additional 10% citibank promo in SG the week i was in japan and a big question mark why it aint on sale over in japan.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">its a nice glittery blue pair just right for the festive season! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">and i have a feeling, that tonight will be a good good night. (cue black eyed peas tune)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">i mean, i have a feeling that this is only the start...:D</span>ecookiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18096666059185503789noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18420421.post-80716610623656073742015-12-04T21:51:00.000+08:002015-12-05T11:33:46.078+08:00Day 6 - Kyoto: Kinkaku-ji, arashiyama bamboo grove, tenryu-ji<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">for our last day in Kyoto, we were getting out of central Kyoto for attractions that are totally worth the time and efforts. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Kyoto is chocked full of delightful attractions, UNESCO or not. so unless you have a lot of time, it's really important that some selection and planning will always come in handy to ensure you get more out of your trip. for us, I did the groundwork the weekend before departure in under 1-2 hours. :P</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">some background reading online - you know the usual - recommendations, online reviews by fellow travellers, photos etc, and I made a modest list of places I think will be good for us to visit. quick search on googlemap to group attractions together by their proximity and it's done! the how to go will have to wait till we are there with some help from hotel wifi, some asking around and common sense. that's the exciting part of travel right? you navigate, you get lost at times, you discover off-beaten tracks, you get surprises, you get disappointments and all these sum up an experience, good or bad, that you remember for life. :D</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">it's healthy routine for us during the trip! the boys usually K.O. by 9+PM and us by 11PM and all of us will be up, bright and springy, ready to move out by 8+AM!</span> </div>
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<i>our humble abode at Kyoto's travelllers inn</i></div>
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<i>the making up of futons every night was back-killing for me! I did a slipshop work. :P</i></div>
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<i>the boys were very amused by the set-up and I'm glad it's a new experience for them.</i></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">first stop of the day - the golden pavilion Kinkaku-ji!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">we took a bus and arrived at the destination in around 25mins.</span> </div>
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<i>the garden surrounding kinkaku is very nice, we had a good walk around the area </i></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">from kinkaku, we took a bus to a local train station where we took a train to arashiyama area. how do we know how to move around Kyoto? a quick check everynight before sleeping using googlemaps is a lifesaver! normally, I just screenshot the directions and some maps and we will be good for the next day. easy! :D</span></div>
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<i>top right: local train to arashiyama - need some getting used to boarding buses/trains and only paying the fares when we alight..it's a good thing arashiyama is the terminal station as I normally have no idea how much to pay and will struggle to check with the drivers when we are alighting. :P</i></div>
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<i>so at arashiyama, we alighted and pay to the conductors waiting outside of the train.</i></div>
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<i>top+bottom left: the area just outside the station is bustling with people and activities. a lovely place to walk around abit.</i></div>
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<i>bottom right: we had lunch before moving on to tenryu-ji and the bamboo grove</i></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">after lunch, we visited tenryu-ji which is a stone throw away from the station. tenryu-ji is well-known for its garden which you have to pay an entrance fee to enter but absolutely worth it.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">not too crowded given tenryu-ji is a rather big place and the crowd was well-dispersed over the large area. in the garden, one can really have a sense of sereneness and peace when watching the quiet streams in it.</span><br />
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<i>@ tenyu-ji before entering its famous garden</i></div>
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<i>tenryu-ji's garden</i></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">the famous arashiyama's bamboo grove is just outside the north gate of tenryu-ji. we exited there and it was an amazing walk through the heart of the bamboo grove. this place reminded me so much of the movie "crouching tiger hidden dragon"! LOL.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">bamboo strikes me as a really useful material as I saw how it is commonly used by places of worship like temples and shrines in Kyoto as flooring, fences and even as frames for lights! it sure look strong and durable to stand the test of time.</span></div>
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<i>@arashiyama bamboo grove</i></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">from arashiyama, we took train back to the shopping street (again!). there is still part of shijo-dori that we haven't explore. it's dinner and then back to pack our luggages and have an early night. we are heading back to Osaka tomorrow! finally back to what we are most familiar with - city activities! :P I think the boys were getting jaded by all the temple + shrines visiting. hehe.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms";">Kyoto is really the cultural capital of japan. looking back, my fav. places are undoubtedly kiyomizu + ginkaku. the next time I return to japan, I'm hoping that it will either be Okinawa or Hokkaido. still, a little mixed feelings with regards to Tokyo given its proximity to fukushima. but again, some will say it's the same being in central japan too! oh well.</span>ecookiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18096666059185503789noreply@blogger.com0