Singapore Kid's Places

Celebrating the Philippine Culture

noreply@blogger.com (Milly) — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 02:50:00 +0000

Members of the Rose Borromeo Spanish Dance Company performing yesterday

Good morning everyone. I hope you all had a great weekend and can start the new week with refreshed energy (hard sometimes I know).

We had an interesting and busy weekend. Yesterday we visited the Asian Civilization Museum to enjoy the Celebrate Philippines special exhibition and performances. I was blown away by the great organisation and enthusiasm of the volunteers and staff at the museum. The kids loved the free ice cream, and the long queue was evidence that everyone else did as well.

It was a great opportunity to enjoy the Museum facilities as it was free entry to all galleries. My kids were not in the mood for walking through the whole museum (we have been a few times before) unfortunately but I did wander through the lovely exhibition Land of the Morning; The Philippines and its People, which is open until January, 2010.

There is some stunning religious art, paintings, textiles, tribal artifacts, jewelry, silverware and gold as well as contemporary artworks exhibited. The exhibition is not too big as to overwhelm children and gives a very interesting background on the colonialisation of the Philippines and the way the Philippine culture has been transformed because of it.

There were some lovely performances, and I was there to support the dancers from the Rose Borromeo Spanish Dance Company. They performed some beautiful Algerias and Bolero dances and it was a great crowd watching. There was also traditional bamboo tinikling dancing and sweet singing from the Filipino Coral Group. There are more than 50,000 Filipinos living and working in Singapore, and their culture is vibrant and diverse.

Land Of the Morning: The Philippines and its People
Asian Civilisation Museum
1 Empress Place
Singapore
Tel: 6332 7798
Open until 10.01.10

Admission
Adults: SG$8
children/concession: SG$4

Another Halloween to remember

noreply@blogger.com (Milly) — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 15:05:00 +0000

Maya the devil and Ben the Vampire

So how was your Halloween? I know it is not widely celebrated here in Singapore but I think the Singaporeans are coming around to the idea of dressing up in ghoulish costumes and wandering the streets looking for candy. There were many local families trick-or-treating around our neighbourhood on Saturday night, mostly with very small children.

We were delayed by the most frightening electrical storm I have experienced here in Singapore. Perhaps the stories circulating of Singapore having the highest rate of lightening strikes, and people's brains being fried by lightening didn't help, but when we saw one young girl dressed up as some cartoon character, with metal balls all over her walking through the flooded street with the lightening flashing overhead, we almost died. I guess her father, trailing behind her, just didn't want to disappoint.

We stuck it out until the lightening stopped before venturing out, and all the more spooky it was for it. I hung back at the house to hand out candy while the gang of a dozen kids with parents roamed around. Ben came back with an overflowing pumpkin, so heavy the handle almost broke off.

It was a great night despite the storm, or perhaps because of it. Some friends had a great time trick-or-treating in the Woodlands area, where they didn't get the storm. The candy there was all imported form the U.S apparently, no gummy worms and herbal candy for them!

Rugby for all to enjoy

noreply@blogger.com (Milly) — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 04:37:00 +0000

The SCC International Rugby Sevens Tournament is being held at the Padang again this year, on the 6th, 7th and 8th of November. This is always a fun event, with lots of exciting action on the field and even a playground with a bouncy castle to keep the kids happy.

We went last year and enjoyed it a lot. There is plenty of covered seating with fans but there is no getting away from the heat of the day. This year the schools and colleges of Singapore will be competing on Friday 6th November from 8am, and the International Women's Rugby Tounament will take place at 5pm.

The weekend will be taken up by international teams from Australia, South Africa, Hong Kong, Indonesia, India, Malaysia, Japan. This year The Shophouse Fair will be there if you want to grab some unique gifts, and there will be airbrush tattooing and plenty of food and a flowing bar.

Tickets for the whole weekend are SG$25 for adults and SG$10 for kids, available at sistic.com or at the gates on the day.

Philippines Celebration at The Asian Civilization Museum

noreply@blogger.com (Milly) — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 07:50:00 +0000

Here is a great way to enjoy the culture and beauty of the Philippines. Free performances and exhibitions will captivate you over the weekend of the 7th and 8th November, 2009. Don't miss the beautiful dancers of the Rose Borromeo Spanish Dance Company and all the other exciting performances.

There will also be kids' entertainment including arts and crafts activities, story telling, free ice cream and a scavenger hunt through the museum. You can treat yourself to some mouth watering Filipino food and learn more about the rich blend of Spanish and tribal influences in the food. So enjoy the festive mood and learn something about this rich and vibrant culture.

Asian Civilization Museum
1 Empress Place, Singapore
07 Nov 2009 - 08 Nov 2009
12pm – 5pm
Free admission

Marina Barrage excursion

noreply@blogger.com (Milly) — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 05:23:00 +0000

The kids enjoying the grass, and some newly weds doing the same.

The water fountain area and the exterior of the Pump Room

Ben wading through the water, and the sculpture, What Goes Around, ComesAround,

We visited The Marina Barrage yesterday. I didn't know there was anything there to see until I read some accounts on other Singapore blogs. And it is actually quite an interesting place to visit, with information boards about how the dam pumps water for flood control, and why it was built.

The Marina Barrage is actually the first Singapore project and only the second project outside of the USA in ten years, to win the top award at the American Academy of Environmental Engineers (AAEE)’s Excellence in Environmental Engineering Competition.

We picked a breezy, overcast afternoon, so it wasn't too hot, and the kids enjoyed playing on the grassed rooftop area. It's a great view towards the masses of cranes and building sites of the Integrated Resorts and the Singapore Flyer. It's amazing that all this is build on reclaimed land which has changed the landscape of Singapore so dramatically over the past 50 years.

Early Bird Christmas Shopping

noreply@blogger.com (Milly) — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 08:46:00 +0000

If you want to be organised early for Christmas, pop down to a special ShophouseFair this Tuesday, 20th October. These fairs usually take place on the last Thursday of every month, but with Christmas looming it is great to have an extra one.

There are always beautiful, unique homewares, fashion, jewelry, children's apparel and all manor of cute and very tempting bits. With coffee by Picotin and wine from Denise Wines, it is a fun and social day. The Shophouse is also offering 50% off selected home accessories during the day, so well worth a look.

The Shophouse Fair
22 Lock Rd
Gillman Village
Singapore

Tel: 65 63440100
open 9am-6pm
20th October, 2009
www.theshophousefair.com

Stylish infant travel bed perfect for sleeping babies

noreply@blogger.com (Milly) — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 03:15:00 +0000

The Eddie Bauer Infant Travel Bed

Are you planning a trip with your baby and are worried about sleeping arrangements? No matter if you are staying at a hotel or with friends or relatives, you have to think about where the baby will sleep. I always bunked mine in with me but it meant that coming home we had to start all over again with training them to sleep on their own.

This stylish infant travel bed would have made my life so much easier. Because it has a collapsible frame it folds down easily and is a breeze to carry around as it is lightweight and has a shoulder strap. It is compact enough for you to include in your hand luggage or just throw it in the boot of your car.

This infant travel bed is recommended for newborn to six months and is padded inside for comfort. There are large storage pockets for diapers and wipes and the nylon surface can be wiped clean. It comes with two soft toys and a fitted sheet to make your life even easier. I love the look of the bed, and it would be the perfect solution if you need a comfortable, safe place for baby to nap.

For more information go to babysafetravel.com

Julie & Julia cooking up a treat

noreply@blogger.com (Milly) — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 03:53:00 +0000

I am so looking forward to the release of Julie and Julia, the film based on cooking legend Julia Childs (Meryl Streep) and blogger/writer Julie Powell (Amy Adams). This film looks like lots of fun and of course Meryl Streep always steals the show. It is also interesting to me as Julie's writings started in her blog.

Julia Childs was an American who moved to Paris with her husband in 1948 where she discovered cooking. Who wouldn't discover food while living in Paris! Julia was looking for something to do so she studied at prestigious cooking school Le Cordon Bleu, and through sheer determination, graduated. She went on to write her cook book, Mastering the Art of French Cooking, published in 1961, which was a best seller and is still in print.

Julie Powell decided to follow the recipes form Julia's book in her blog. The blog became so popular she was commissioned to write a book, which she titled Julie and Julia:365 Days, 524 Recipes, 1 Tiny Apartment Kitchen. This book is the basis for the film.

The recipes are extremely complicated of course, and not for the light hearted. Julie's experience of having to murder a lobster by bisecting it would make most of us squeamish.

My worst attempt at cooking was a disastrous birthday cake for my son. We were living in Beijing at the time and our ancient cooker had no thermostat. That was my first problem. Not being an experienced cook anyway, I had to guess the temperature of the oven.

My second mistake was not knowing how to use the spring form cake tin properly. If you don't already know, these cake tins are meant to make life easy as you just release the outer rim of the tin when the cake is cooked to remove the cake. But I didn't close the spring properly and the cake oozed out of the pan all over the inside of the oven. When I went to check my cake, there was very little left still in the tin, most of it being a burnt mess. I had to rush out and by a cake-not easy to do in Beijing in 2004!

I'm sure Julie/Julia had many close encounters with their cooking. But the film is really about finding a little space in the world to be comfortable in. Julia did this and she inspired Julia to do it some 40 years later. I can't wait to be inspired and uplifted by these strong and courageous women.

October Giveaway-Putumayo Kids CDs

noreply@blogger.com (Milly) — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 09:38:00 +0000

Johnny Bregar - Shoo Fly Pie from Putumayo World Music.

My latest giveaway are two fun CDs from Putumayo Kids. The first is Picnic Playground, Putumayo's latest release, and the second is European Playground.

With Picnic Playground you can eat yourself around the world with songs from Australia, France, Denmark, South Africa, USA, Trinidad, Germany and Canada. Every song is dedicated to the love of food, cooking and healthy eating and children will find it hard not to get up and dance to these upbeat rhythms. My favourites would be "Shoo Fly Pie" from USA and "Ice Cream" from Trinidad. Each song is witty, catchy and lots of fun. Don't listen if you haven't eaten your dinner yet because it will make you hungry!

European Playground will give you a fun-filled tour of Europe without having to pack a suitcase. This is a fun, energy-packed mix of songs from contemporary artists from countries such as Sweden, France, Denmark and Scotland. Putumayo.com says: "The multilingual songs are easy to sing and dance along to, no matter what language you speak. The song themes speak to children’s interests and spark their imaginations."

These CDs give children a wonderful introduction to different cultures around the world and give them a little taste of the variety of life.

I am giving away both these CDs to one lucky reader. All you have to do is visit Putumayo.com then return here and leave a comment after this post telling me what Putumayo Kid's next album release will be (as of October,2009).

For extra entries you can follow my blog, subscribe to the blog, follow me on twitter and tweet about this giveaway. For two extra entries you can write a post on your blog about the giveaway, with a link to the post. Maximum entries is seven. I will draw the winner on Saturday 31 October, 2009. Please leave your email address in your comment if you do not have a blog link.

Contest open to international readers.

Here's where to buy Halloween Costumes in Singapore

noreply@blogger.com (Milly) — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 08:47:00 +0000

Looking for Halloween costumes in Singapore? It is difficult to find anything that is not expensive and tacky in the shops here, despite Singapore being haled as a 'shoppers paradise'. You can try looking in Carrefour and ToysR'Us but in my experience there is nothing here very interesting. Cold Storage have their Halloween accessories out now, with masks and Dracula capes priced at around SG$25.

The Magic Wand shops at Tanglin Mall, Lucky Plaza, Suntec City and Funan Mall, have a small selection of children's costumes, ranging from SG$39.90 to SG$59.90. I have found in the past that they sell good accessories like hats and wigs too if you don't want to buy a full costume.

The Chinese 'uncle' shop in Holland Village (right by The Body Shop) always sell Halloween costumes and accessories and you can pick up fake teeth, blood and fingernails to add to your costume here for low prices. There is also Party City at Holland Village and Raffles City which has a more expensive range of excellent Halloween costumes and decorations.

If you are creative, I would suggest heading to Arab Street and looking through all the fabric stored there for inspiration. You can also pick up Halloween costumes at eBay and of course Amazon.com

Deepavali Street Parade coming up

noreply@blogger.com (Milly) — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 01:08:00 +0000

Get your hands hennaed at the Campbell Lane market this week

I hope every one had a great weekend enjoying the festivities of the Mid-Autumn Festival here in Singapore. Unfortunately I missed it; actually I can't believe it passed me by. I was a little disappointed that there were no lanterns by the river this year, or at the Chinese Gardens, and I'm sure this made Chinatown a squeeze. To ease my conscience, I found some pretty photos on a blog here.

Next weekend will be a busy one as the Utsav; the Deepavali Street Parade is happening on Saturday night, 10th October. This week is a wonderful time to visit Little India, as Serangoon Road is lit up with arches of lights and the temples are decorated with garlands of flowers and offerings from devotees and the bazaar at Campbell Lane is in full swing. I visited Little India during Deepavali last year with Maya's class and it was lots of fun.

Dozens of street artists and dancers will transform Little India into one big party on Saturday night so I won't be missing this one!

Utsav Street Parade
Racecourse Road, Little India
10 October, 2009
7pm-10pm

Kid's Halloween Party at Go-Go Bamibini a blast

noreply@blogger.com (Milly) — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 05:42:00 +0000

Kids enjoying some Halloween entertainment at Go-Go Bambini

Looking for a Halloween party for kids this year? My recommendation is the Go-Go Bambini Halloween party. My kids went last year and they had loads of fun. Everyone was dressed up including the staff, and the play centre was decorated in suitably ghoulish strips of bandages dripping with 'blood'. The staff always enjoy entertaining the kids which means that everyone has a great time.

Go-Go Bambini staff members dressed for Halloween

This year the kids will be given a t-shirt to decorate during the party as well as participating in games and a lucky dip. The entrance fee of SG$40 includes dinner and drinks, a special Halloween cake, all games and a goody bag each as well as the t-shirt. Limited places are available and you can't reserve a place in advance so get there early to be certain of a place.

Go-Go Bambini
Blk 8 Dempsey Road #01-15
Dempsey Hill, Singapore 247696

Halloween Party, 2009
Time: 5pm-7.30pm
Date: Friday 30th October
Tel: (65) 6474 4176
Price: SG$40 per child

Kid's Yoga at Om Shiva Yoga Studios

noreply@blogger.com (Milly) — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 05:33:00 +0000

Maya and Ben doing yoga with Ashokan

Have you ever watched children doing yoga? For small children yoga is such a natural, fun form of exercise that most children pick it up straight away. They love the different names given to the postures; tree pose, downward dog, child's pose, and of course the happy baby pose (lying on back with legs bent up holding toes just like a happy baby) and seems to understand most simple postures innately.

My kids did some yoga at the Om Shiva Yoga Studio last year and they loved it. The instructor, Ashokan, played games with them and they explored their bodies and their abilities with some simple but amazing poses.

If you're interested in teaching kids yoga, Om Shiva Yoga Studio are hosting two Kid's Yoga Teacher's training weekends in November, 2009, run by Global Family Yoga. The first weekend, Friday 13-Sunday 15th November focuses on children ages 5-7 years, and the second weekend, Friday 20th to Sunday 22 focuses on ages 11-13. A basic knowledge is needed for you to get the most out of the workshops, but not essential.

I would love to do this course as the kids really get a great deal out of the yoga. Not only does it instill a positive body image, but it develops their strength, flexibility and coordination as well as teaching them relaxation and breathing techniques and giving them a great start for healthy living. To be able to teach and share the kids while they do the yoga would be very exciting.

Cost per weekend US$375 or US$700 for both weekends.

An exercise in trust!

Om Shiva Yoga also does kids yoga classes, so please go to here for more details.

And the winner is...

noreply@blogger.com (Milly) — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 03:30:00 +0000

I have just made the draw for the Baby Leg Huggers and I would like to congratulate Jill who writes the personal and very touching blog Peestick Chronicles. She has won a pair of bamboo leg huggers from Organic Haven, and I will be posting them out in a jiffy!

Thanks everyone who entered the giveaway, and if you are still interested in purchasing the leg huggers (they are adorable), then Organic Haven is offering you 5% discount on the leg huggers. Just enter the promotional code "milly" at the checkout. They also have a promotion at the moment where you receive 10% off if you buy 3 pairs. Click here for details.

I will be having another giveaway in October, this time I have some wonderful music form Putumayo Music that ever child will love. I will post details soon.

Last chance to win cute baby leg huggers

noreply@blogger.com (Milly) — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 11:49:00 +0000

If you would like a chance to win a pair of adorable baby leg huggers worth S$17.90, don't forget to enter my latest giveaway which ends on 30th September, 2009. The leg huggers are made from eco-friendly bamboo so are lovely and soft on your baby's skin as well as being anti-bacterial and having moisture wicking properties. The leg huggers have been donated by site www.theorganichaven.com is which is full of lovely organic products for baby.

All you have to do to stand a very good chance of winning, is visit The Organic Haven and tell me in a comment after this post, one benefit of the leg huggers. If you would like extra entries, you can have one for subscribing to the blog, one for following me on twitter, one for joining the site, and two for blogging about the giveaway. Maximum entries is six. Please remember to leave your email address in the comment so I can contact you if you are the lucky winner. Contest open to international readers.

Good luck and have fun!

Are you excited? Formula 1 is here!

noreply@blogger.com (Milly) — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 02:22:00 +0000

by Dusty_73

It is the weekend of the Formula 1 Night Race and Singapore has been gearing up for it (sorry about the pun). The trials begin tonight, and of course it means road closures and disruption for downtown Singapore as the race passes landmarks such as St. Andrews Cathedral, Esplanade bridge and City Hall. All the cheaper tickets are sold out; a walkabout ticket would be the best fun I think, so the cheapest ticket available at time of writing is S$598. Of course tickets prices escalate to above $3000.

Many shops, restaurants, bars and attractions around Singapore have special deals for ticket holders. As well as lots of entertainment at areas around the circuit, some amazing entertainment has been scheduled over the three days for the F1 ROCKS concerts at Fort Canning Park, which is being hosted by actress Lindsay Lohan. I guess she is a good match, having starred in film Herbie: Fully Loaded in 2005, a film about a racing Volkswagen Beetle.

The F1 ROCKS concert performers will include Beyonce, Black Eyed Peas, No Doubt, Z Z Top, Simple Minds and Jacky Cheung. Now that I have spelt out all that entertainment I wish I had a ticket, but unfortunately I am staying away from the excitement and the noise.

It may be sad to say, but I can't get excited about the glamour and hype of the Formula 1. The fact is the cars would zoom past me in a flash of colour, visible for a nano-second before disappearing around a bend but leaving me deaf for a while. If I do watch the race it will be from the comfort of my living room where I will have front row seats, a glass of wine, and the volume turned down!

Open Day at The Istana

noreply@blogger.com (Milly) — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 05:47:00 +0000

Maya with her Istana Open Day Fan

We visited The Istana on Sunday and although it was an oppressively hot day it we spent an enjoyable couple of hours wandering around. The Istana is the official residence and office of the President of Singapore and is only open to the public on five public holidays throughout the year.

No president has lived here since 1959 and so the grounds and buildings are mainly used for state functions and ceremonial occasions. The world's leaders will surely be welcomed here when they visit Singapore for the APEC meeting in November this year.

The grand entrance to The Istana

The Istana was built in 1867-1869, during colonial times using convict labour, and was originally known as Government House. A marble statue of Queen Victoria once stood in an alcove in the State Room, but since independence she has been put out to pasture and can been seen at the Victoria Pond, in the grounds. According to the official website, the stature was presented to the Governor in 1889, the Jubilee Year of Her Majesty's reign, "as a memento of their loyal affections and gratitude for the benefit of her rule".

. The kids with Queen Victoria

There are a few other building in the grounds, I was impressed with the gracious house Sri Temasek, which is the official residence of the Prime Minister of Singapore and was built in 1869 as the residence of the Colonial Secretary. No one has lived here since1959 however, which seems such a pity as it has gorgeous proportions, deep shady verandahs and a peaceful outlook. Not to mention it's own private golf course right in front!

My dream house, Sri Temasek

The grounds of The Istana are beautifully manicured and perfectly like an English garden. There are swans in the pond, golfing greens scattered about, and beautiful shady trees. There is always some entertainment at the open days and we caught the pupils from Greenridge School Band playing some popular tunes. It was a relief to step into the air conditioned rooms of the actual main building and check out the beautiful gifts from the world's nations. Crystal ware, beautiful silver tea sets from India, China, Cambodia and others and unusual pieces like model palaces from Aman and ceremonial daggers.

The Open Day is free for Singaporeans, $2 for others, and an extra $2 to go inside the building. Well worth it.

Bargains at Expat Auctions

noreply@blogger.com (Milly) — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 10:34:00 +0000

Perusing the furniture at Expat Auctions

Some friends and I visited Expat Auctions last weekend. I had never heard of it and as I love a bargain and the excitement of an auction, I had to take a peek.

This is such a great business idea, and there is nothing similar in Singapore. When you consider the numbers of expats moving in and out of Singapore every year, with each family having the issue of "what do we do with all this bulky furniture we've accumulated?", it makes total sense to try to sell it at auction. There are the notice boards at the supermarkets and you can try to have a garage sale, but if you have serious furniture you need to move, then this is ideal.

We visited on Friday for the Preview to have a good look around, and one friend spied some Chinese style bedside cabinets she liked. These were much nicer than the new ones she'd been looking at at teak furniture shops around Singapore, and she manages to get them for half of what the new ones were selling for.

One room at the warehouse is taken up by 'functional' furniture; exercise equipment, wardrobes, beds for both child and adult, lots of sofas, Ikea desks, chairs and shelves. The larger room is jam packed with more interesting items like Chinese cabinets, designer items, guilt mirrors, rugs, wall art, and lots more.

The actual auction started at 11am on Saturday and was expected to go for around 3 hours, with some 300 lots to go through. There were plenty of people sitting around on the 'for sale' sofas, and it was interesting to see who bid for what . A couple of bidding wars happened which of course is great for the seller, and nerve racking for the buyers.

Many of the earlier items didn't sell, which means they will stay until the next auction. There were a couple of Ikea children's beds which started bidding at $5 but there was no interest. There were also bunk beds which didn't sell, so there are definitely some bargains to be had if no one else is interested in what you want.

Next auction 26th September, 2009 11am, and the warehouse is open all day Friday the 15th for you to take a look around. Make sure you take a close look at any items you are interesting in because once you have made a winning bid, it's yours! You can also place an absentee bid or a phone bid if you can't make it to the auction itself. Be aware also that a "10% buyer's premium" is added to the winning bid, so you are actually paying a little more than you bid for. You will also have to organise delivery if the items are too big for car/taxi (Expat Auctions can help you with this).

For sellers, Expat Auctions charge 22% for total sales of S$500 or less, and 16% for sales of over S$500. They can organise delivery at a competitive rate.

These rattan and teak loungers went for $150 each. The Peranakan bench was unsold.

www.expatauctions.com.sg
Level 5, Unit 11, Citilink Warehouse Complex,
102F Pasir Panjang Road.

Auctions every second Saturday (next 26th September, 2009) at 11am

Open for Preview the Friday before the auction, 10am-6pm and the day of the auction from 10am.

Free Open Day to celebrate Hari Raya Puasa

noreply@blogger.com (Milly) — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 05:09:00 +0000

Don't forget that the museums and galleries here in Singapore have a free open day to celebrate Hari Raya Puasa, which falls on Sunday 20th September this year.

The Philatelic Museum have some interesting activities for kids and adults lined up, including a quiz about the exhibition, craft activities ($3 registration, call Jonna on 6337 3888/6513 7348), free guided tours (11am-12noon and 3pm-4pm), and of course the exhibition itself, "From Vintage to Grand Prix". This ties in with the Singapore F1 race in a few weeks and includes a display of some 400 limited edition model cars. Kids can then have fun racing toy cars down the museum's racetrack. For more details go to the Philatelic Museum website.

The Singapore Art Museum also has an open day with a full day's activities for kids at the I Heart Art: Kids Carnival. Workshops include painting, drawing, etching, printmaking, sculpting and clay modelling. For a fee of $5 can get creative and make their own pizza with the museum's resident chef. The most creative pizza stands to win a prize. There will also be Buffet Raya, with stalls of pre-loved accessories and other items in the carpark, and other activities. For all the details, go to the SAM website.

The Istana is also well worth visiting, as it is only open a few times a year, Hari Raya Puasa being one such day. Admission to the Istana grounds is free for Singaporeans and Singapore Permanent Residents. Others, including foreign visitors, must pay an entrance fee of $1 per person. Entrance to the grounds is via the main gate at Orchard Road. Opening hours are usually from 8.30 am to 6.00 pm. For an extra entrance fee of $2, members of the public are allowed to view the Staterooms in the Istana Building.

Other National Heritage Board Museums with free open days are the National Museum of Singapore, Asian Civilisation Museum, Reflections at Bukit Chandu, Memories at Old Ford Factory.

Other National Heritage Board Museums with free open days on 29th September are National Museum of Singapore, Asian Civilisation Museum, Reflections at Bukit Chandu, Memories at Old Ford Factory.

Philatelic Museum
23-B Coleman Street
Tel: 6337 3888
www.spm.org.sg

Singapore Art Museum
71 Bras Basah Road, Singapore 189555.
Tel: 63323222
www.singart.com/index.php

My eco friendly house- or not?

noreply@blogger.com (Milly) — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 01:51:00 +0000

image by Fabio Ricco

I have always tried to be as environmentally conscious around the home as possible. I think my mother has had a huge influence on me in this respect. Way back in the 70s when it wasn't in vogue to be eco-friendly I can remember my mother hooking rubber bands from parcels around a kitchen cabinet knob to be re-used, smoothing out paper bags to be used again and storing plastic bags for later use.

But there were no recycle bins back then and I can remember my father burning off waste in the incinerator down the end of the garden, causing billowing smoke to envelope the sky. Thankfully that practice was outlawed in Sydney and there is a lot more awareness now.

I learnt from my mother not to waste food ('think of all those all those starving Africans', she would say) and to be aware of my surroundings and to tread lightly on the earth. But do I do enough? Here are the small things I consciously do everyday to lessen my impact on the earth. Most of it is common sense and you probably do these things too without thinking.

Only put on the washing machine when there is a full load (cold cycle).
Dry the clothes outside rather than using the dryer unless it is raining non-stop and the clothes are getting that musty smell.
Squash all tetra packs (milk, juice) before putting in recycle bin to reduce volume.
Always take my own bags when grocery shopping (I am still amazed at how many people STILL don't do this in Singapore).
Turn lights off when not needed.
Use the AC only for a couple of hours a day.
Have short showers.
Don't leave tap running when washing up or brushing teeth.
Try to pass on children's clothes or sell in garage sale.
Buy second-hand when possible (not so practical here in Singapore).
Use public transport whenever possible (but too hot to cycle in Singapore).
I wash and reuse the zip-lock bags for the kids' lunches.
Buy toilet paper made from 100% pulp (they don't sell recycled toilet paper in my supermarket).
Use the back of old envelopes for shopping lists instead of using fresh paper.
Buy refills for liquid soaps and detergent.
Don't but the newspaper everyday- read it online.

Are there other thing you do around the house that would help me be more environmentally friendly? Any tips, especially for the kids' lunches, as I hate packing their sandwiches in plastic?

One thing I must rectify is my reliance on tissues- a hanky works just as well! I should also use a more natural cleaning product than Jiff and Mr Muscle, or make my own with essential oils. Perhaps that will be my next project!

Quick lunch at Ion Orchard

noreply@blogger.com (Milly) — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 09:12:00 +0000

Futuristic elements make the mall quite interesting

I made a snap decision to have a look around the new ION shopping mall on Orchard today. It is now being refered to as ION Orchard, so I'll try remember that. It was my first visit to ION Orchard and even though I had told myself NOT to venture there (watching the purse strings) my curiosity got the better of me.

At first I wandered around aimlessly, just like the few other people I saw. I must have been at the swanky end of the mall, because it was more or less empty. All the high end shops were there but also quite a few 'coming soon' shops.

As it's local school holidays this week it seemed that a lot of well dressed extended families had made the trip to Ion Orchard too. We all looked lost, and I would have liked a map of some sort by the escalators so I knew where I was going. There are actually eight levels of retail, four being below ground, so I'm sure I only saw a corner of it all.

Ion Orchard is extremely accessible for the commuter, built right above the Orchard MRT stop, so you walk out of the barriers and you're literally in amongst the shops. I would find it very hard to make my way to work everyday without having a peek at the shops first if I had to travel here every day.

Ah, there's the food way down there

I wanted to find the food court, as I was certain it would be top-notch. I spied some tables in the basement and made a beeline down, down, down to Basement 4. Now, here at Ion Orchard it is not a food court, it is Food Opera with chandeliers, sculpture and posh seating. There is the usual fare; Malay, Thai, Indian, Dim Sum, Hokien chicken rice, which all looked delicious, but of course a little more expensive that nearby Wistma Atria (around $5+ for a dish). The Tea Loft looked like a great place to bring your granny and have a natter over a cuppa and a piece of cake.

I wandered around for ages trying to decide what to eat. So much choice! There are lots of small stalls outside the Food Opera area which have their own seating and weren't as crowded, but still the choice was dazzling.

The menu at R Burger

I finally decided to try a collagen tofu burger at R-Burger which sounded rather healthy. This is a Japanese franchise and the first burger place in Singapore to put marine collagen in their buns. The buns are steamed rather than grilled like your usual hamburger buns, and tasted a little rubbery to me. But the burger was tasty, if a little small and I could have eaten another one quite happily! Apparently the collagen "helps to stimulate collagen production in the body and reduce the appearance of fine lines, encouraging skin rerenewal". I am all for that!

There were also interesting stalls not seem in the usual food courts and hawker centres. There was Modern Peking Duck selling suckling pig , Last Chocolate.com selling yummy looking chocolate drinks and coffee brewed in Japan, as well as Japanese doughnuts and lots more. It is definitely worth taking a look and tucking into some interesting food.

Suckling pig looks tempting

Giveaway-bamboo leg huggers

noreply@blogger.com (Milly) — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 05:27:00 +0000

For my latest giveaway I am featuring the ever practical and stylish leg huggers from The Organic Haven. These leg huggers come in one size and are designed to fit the child until around 5 years. For the baby they provide warmth in cold shopping malls, and protect knees from bruising when crawling. Because the leg huggers are made from wonderful bamboo, they provide natural UV protection and are anti-bacterial as well as hypo-allergenic, making them non-irritating for babies skin.

They also make life easy when potty training and changing nappies, as there is not crotch. They don't fall down and are so comfortable for the baby. As the baby grows, they are a stylish addition to skirts and dresses.

The Organic Haven site is full of beautiful, soft organic and bamboo products for your baby. I just love the silky feel of bamboo and have been a fan of its sustainability and also its wide variety of usage for a long time. In many parts of Asia, bamboo is an essential part of every day life. When we were in Borneo last year we were struck by how many uses the people have for bamboo, from flooring to cooking.

Now that bamboo is being used to make clothing it has become extremely popular in the West. The texture of the garments is soft and luxurious, so it lends itself to baby clothes perfectly.

The leg huggers at The Organic Haven come in 15 designs, and I have one pair worth SG$17.90 to giveaway FREE to a lucky reader. All you have to do is visit The Organic Haven and tell me in a comment one benefit of the leg huggers. If you would like extra entries, you can have one for subscribing the the blog, one for following me on twitter, one for joining the site, and two for bogging about the giveaway. Maximum entries is six. Please remember to leave your email address in the comment so I can contact you if you are the lucky winner.

Giveaway ends 30th September and is open to international readers.

Class Orientation on Teachers' Day

noreply@blogger.com (Milly) — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 08:48:00 +0000

image by George Eastman House

Today is Teachers' Day here in Singapore so all those hard working and underpaid teachers had a well deserved day off. I am always amazed at the dedication and energy my kids' teachers put into their work and I hope they know they are appreciated. I'm sure the teachers at the local schools are just as dedicated so I hope they have enjoyed their day off.

The lovely teachers at Chatsworth weren't fortunate enough to get a day off, but as it is only the second day back after the long summer holiday, I guess they didn't mind too much.

It was Ben's class orientation this afternoon so the parents were invited to come along for a presentation by the teachers. There are 11 new students in Year 2 this year, four of whom are in Ben's class, so it was important for those parents to get a feel of the school. The new children in Ben's class are from Finland, Japan, Canada/Singapore and Australia. That is truly an international mix!

It will be Children's Day on the first October, and then Boss's Day on the 16th. Boss's Day?? Surely it's children's day every day, and as for Boss's Day, this must be the most blatant Hallmark Holiday of them all.

Back from Australia

noreply@blogger.com (Milly) — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 03:41:00 +0000

Kids with kangaroo and joey at Crowdy Bay National Park, NSW

Here we are back in Singapore after almost a month in Australia, and it feels like we left yesterday. Amazing that the kids' long summer holiday is over and the routine starts again. They were bundled onto the school bus this morning at 7.50, which is a ludicrously early time as the journey should take no more than 20 minutes. It makes me a little angry to think that they have to put up with an hour's bus journey before their day begins, but there is no choice at the moment. They were happy to go thankfully, to meet their new teachers and to see their friends again.

It still feels strange to me to be starting their new school year in September, as my year always started in January. And to have a 'summer' holiday in Singapore is a little confusing too, as Singapore doesn't have a summer; it's always hot with just a dry and a couple of wet seasons.

I enjoyed the seasonal change in Australia. It was meant to be winter but the weather was gorgeous, for the most part. Even in Katoomba, which was a chilly 10 degrees, it was sunny and fresh. While we were there the fruit trees in my mother's garden blossomed and it was a joy to watch the garden transform into a fragrant home for the birds and the bees (literally). Unfortunately strong winds a few days later blew a lot of it off as well as made the daffodils drop. But all the same it was lovely to feel and smell Spring and to shed a couple of layers of clothing.

So what's been happening here in Singapore? The National Day Parade was a success I'm sure, the Baybeats alternative music festival looks like it could have been fun. How about Singapore Idol? Has that been embarrassingly mediocre? What did yo get up to in August? I'd love to hear

Monkey/ Bananas Math Balance

noreply@blogger.com (Milly) — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 07:49:00 +0000

This learning game by ‘Learning Mates’ has a total of 16 pieces. There is a little monkey that is on a stand and his head rocks back and forth depending on what numbers are placed on each handle that he is holding. He is 7 .25 inches tall and 9.5 inches wide. Plus there are 15 “banana bunches” or number tokens. Of these 15, there are 2 of each of numbers: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 1 of each of numbers: 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10. Also included is an instruction booklet showing how to make learning simple addition a whole banana bunch of fun!

When the monkey is not balanced with equal numbers on either hand, the side with the greater number hangs down low and the other hand will be up. While his hand hangs low, his eyes are wild looking (crossed) since the eye sockets are not lining up with his eyes. That means it’s time to try again. When he’s balanced, you can see his eyes fine looking straight at you.

When a number is placed on the right hand, you have to balance the bananas by putting the equal “number” of bananas /tokens on the other hand. For example, if you put a single bunch of 10 bananas on the right hand, you will have to put 2 or 3 of the other numbers together to get the total on the left hand up to 10 bananas. E.g. to make 10 – you can put 8 and 2 or 7 and 3 or 5, 4 and 1 etc. When you do have equal numbers showing, the monkey’s arms are balanced and you can see his eyes looking straight at you.

This helps children start learning about numbers and how they add up to other numbers. It helps teach about balance on a scale and helps them begin to grasp beginning math concepts in a FUN way. This game also introduces number recognition, sorting and counting.

How to make maximum use of ‘Monkey Math’!!!

For younger children you can start with using the banana bunches that are in pairs. Numbers 1,2,3,4 and 5 can be used to pair with each other or match together for number recognition.
Get your child to find the same numbers and pair them.
The banana bunches can also be used to reinforce number recognition.
You can call out a number and your child can pick the number up for you.
You can show the number to your child and your child says the number name to you.
Your child can use the banana bunches to arrange the numbers in sequence from 1 -10.
Can be used to arrange numbers from the smallest to biggest or biggest to smallest.

This gives a better visual perception as the child is able to see the numbers of bananas increasing or decreasing in quantity as he lays the bananas.

To begin using the Monkey balance use the banana bunches that are in pairs first so your child just hangs the exact same pair to balance the monkey’s arms before moving on to other number combinations.

Click here to look at the Monkey maths in the Right To Learn store !!