Catching up

Finally, after 3 weeks of massive cleaning, I've managed to clear most of the stuff in my house before my friends' visit yesterday. I guess Uncle Tan must be glad of

Before the clean up...

...and 6 months' worth of dust...


Ah Kin making her 爱心 bread for her friends :>







Somehow, it tasted different from the ones I made in Zurich. Probably the flour and the humidity which has affected the texture. The crust turned soft after it has cooled. The colour of the flour has also changed to yellow after baking. Perhaps I should use the normal plain flour. Never mind, will try again since I have more willing guinea pigs now hehe ;p

For the sake of the babies, we took extra effort to clean the floor the day before. Ya, Ah Kin actually tried the ancient Japanese way of cleaning the floor where I had to take 2 breaks just to clean only the living room. I was so shagged that I fell asleep on the day bed immediately after I've finished while Uncle Tan handled the rest using a mop instead ;p

Looking at the little tots, they just made me feel that time really flies...and Auntie Kin here is trying her best to remember at least, the names of these new little additions to the group.

Ashlyn, the sleeping beauty who can sleep anywhere despite the noise.


Yes yes, I know some of you would be asking me so when's my turn or whether these little angles will make me yearn for one of my own. Well, honestly, I'm still sitting on the fence and waiting for the unexpected 'accident' to happen...although friends who know me will know that the chances of the 'accident' would be minimal given my ample knowledge on fertility. Knowledge is power is a double-edged sword huh ;p

Anyway, to 'insure' myself against having boys in case the 'accident' really happens, I've got these girls to roll/ lie on my bed ;p

Somehow, this reminds me of the days when I grew up together with my cousins. I'm beginning to wonder if I still have the energy to do all those things I've done with them which includes bathing them, feeding them, changing their nappies, ya you little rascals, I've seen them all ;p rocking them to sleep in the sarongs, tolerating their crying at night, getting bitten by them...

So when's my turn? I really won't be able to tell. You'll know when it happens :)

The Last Lecture

I've seen this from one of my friend's blog and wanted to share this inspirational clip with you.



One of the things he mentioned that struck me was the example he has cited on the incident about his nephew puking in his car. This reminded me of an article I've read where the author wonders why Singaporeans won't allow their maids to drive their cars (that is assuming if their maids know driving), yet entrust their maids to look after their children almost 24/7. It's strange how we prioritize.

Sometimes I wonder too if the maid is the mistress instead. Preparing breakfasts for the family, handles the housework, staying at home to look after the kids while "Sir" and "Mdm" are slogging away in the office.

Dedicated to my Ah Dear

To the guy who...

kisses me goodnight before bedtime,
kisses me goodbye before going off to work,
closes the windows every morning to keep away the traffic noises so that wifey can continue to sleep,
waits for me at the void deck whenever I go home late,
helps with most of the housework and is an expert @ ironing,
is good at packing luggages,
blows warm air into my hands to keep them warm,
always somehow manages to find my misplaced items,
forgives readily when I make mistakes,
nags @ me endlessly,
listens willingly to my grouses, complaints, views...
supports me in whatever decisions I make,
isn't stingy with his hugs (exclusively to me of course ;p),
sings nonsensical 'opera' with me,
is sensitive to my feelings most of the time,
tolerates my mood swings,
tries his best to answer all my odd or hypothetical questions,
has made me see the best and worst in myself,
has adapted to my messiness,
gets tickled at my little tantrums,
is patient with my impatience,
makes me laugh with his @$#%^ acts haha ;D
shares his thoughts and feelings with me (thou needed some prompting @ times),
has strong faith in our relationship...

Thank you Ah Dear, for these little acts of love and for accepting who I am despite my many repeated FAQ on "Why choose me?" hehe :p

Wishing you a Happy 3rd year anniversary and thanks for the little gesture :)

Think these clips might bring back some fond memories of our stay in Zurich ;>

My first meal in Switzerland prepared by Uncle Tan

The Aftermath...

Mobility Fest

The last Sunday.

Instead of taking the tram. We walked to town via the little park near our apartment for the last time. When we first arrived in April, they were all bare. And now, the leaves have turned yellow and orangy.

I love this park for its tranquility and it's actually quite scenic with the row of trees.

On our way to the Mobility Fest.


Knowing that I've been wanting to ride a horse, Uncle Tan told me to try it since there aren't many people queuing yet. Well...I don't think I want to be the only one adult among the other toddlers going round the city on the ponies...



Uncle Tan waited patiently for his turn to take a ride in this cool battery-operated car. It can actually travel at 85km/hr. It's controlled by a joy-stick with only a gear for reverse. The speed control is just a click of a button with different speed level. It's pretty user-friendly and because of its size, jam-friendly too. Too bad you still need a license to drive in this.

Ah Kin is so excited too and asked loads of questions on its functions. This car cost about CHF 25K. The price varies according to the battery size (which is linked to its speed limit). There's also a pedal in the car for you to cycle if you decided to workout to keep fit or when the battery goes flat). Well the good news is, you can charge your battery anywhere just like charging your mobile phone.

It only consumes a tenth of a normal car's energy consumption. I wonder if SG can import such environmentally-friendly cars. The downside is probably it's 2- seater and they would have to change the defroster to an air-conditioner. Well, I don't think we are there yet...

Another model of the battery-operated vehicle.

Uncle Tan was thrilled when he saw the Segway and immediately went to sign up to test drive. A driving license is required and you need to sign a disclaimer form whereby the driver would bear full responsibility on any injuries suffered from the test drive.

Demonstrating how to operate the Segway.

Uncle Tan looked so stiff when he was trying. And he's super slow...I think I can over take him by walking.

At that moment, I just wished I had a kid beside me so that I can take a ride on these steam trains. They run on coals!

There were some food stalls selling unique food unlike the usual grilled sausages and cheesy stuff. This curry-puff-look-alike pastry is made of corn flour and filled with mixed veggy. The crust is soft and is baked using steam. Eating a piping hot pastry on such a cold day is simply shiokadooze. If only they leave out the bamboo shoot as the filling. The rest of the veg taste fine.

Oh, this soft puffy dough below was delicious when dipped in the smooth and velvety vanilla sauce. The oomph goes on to a higher level when you eat it together with the strawberry sauce. Surprisingly, the vanilla sauce is not overly sweet.

Was it the weather or the combination that made the vanilla sauce taste so good?



The sea transport.

We didn't try that for it looked kinda strenuous for the rowers to row the boat that was rocking rather vigorously.

This complicated-looking structure allows children to experiment with the wheels and cog works that are intertwined.

A simple DIY ('drive-it-yourself' train)



There are many fun activities for kids and this huge inflatable is one of their favourites. And all these are free and there are no goodie bags to entice people to come. I pity the organizers in SG.





So if it's good, people will just come and participate. Look at the recent reports on the Big Walk and you'll know what I mean. People actually aren't ashamed to tell the whole world that they go because of the goodie bags...

A new ball game using hairdryers...





...operated by 'man' power :)



Hey, this looks like one of the stunt performances at the NKF show :)





Postcards were given out to the public to write their wishes and attached to the balloons. I wonder if our wishes would be read :)





The candies here are super sweet...we bought a packet of crunchy caramel that was the least sweet amongst the rest. No wonder the kids here seem to be so full of energy ;>

I thought such an event is rather educational. It promotes the use of energy-saving transport and at the same time, teaching the kids on how these inventions can help to cut down on energy consumption. Through the fun activities, I bet the kids would take home something useful. Even Uncle Tan is excited looking at all these exhibits. Well, who knows these kids might become the next inventor to some power-saving technology? Perhaps Singapore should have a similar outdoor event like this. Afraid of poor turnout? Goodie bags is the 'drawer'. Sigh......

Pumpkin Festival @ Jucker Farmart

Finally, managed to find another online photo site to upload my photos as I've almost burst my picassa account in this blog. Think you should be able to view the pictures without hanging your pc :)

We're back at the Jucker Farmart the next day to witness the Pumpkin Regatta (aka boat race).

The race had started by the time we reached there as we were held up by the Mobility Fest @ Zurich earlier. Wonder why so many activities happening in end Sep.


Quite a number of spectators were there and we could hear cheers and the emcee's voice over a loudspeaker.

It seemed that it wasn't easy to row the pumpkin boat as you see the rowers struggling to keep it going and trying not to get the boat capsized.

This poor fella had to swim together with his pumpkin in the cold waters.

All applauded when this little boy made it to the finishing line without capsizing his pumpkin boat.

Close up shots of the pumpkin boats.

Oh the day before we happen to see one of them testing the pumpkin boat in the lake.

Time for a hot bowl of pumpkin soup :)


The texture is smooth, not too creamy or diluted. Cost CHF5 a bowl.


Along the way back, we pretty gardens that were very well kept, unlike the ones we saw in Venice. So nice to be able to have a mini garden to grow you own flowers and vegetables.

Can you identify the veggies below?

Carrots

Broccoli

The pears on this tree is huge.

Ah Kin stroking the cow one last time...

...and saying goodbye to the cows in the farm...

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Back to Zurich


We wanna check out the Freestyle event at Landiwiese. The event is Europe's biggest freestyle sports event with international stars showing their daredevil tricks and stunts with competitions on snowboards, freeskis, FMX-bikes and skateboards.

We ended up taking a longer route but then we also discovered a nice little park along the way and chanced upon this mini chicken farm. Surprisingly, it wasn't smelly. Was it partly due to the weather or was it because of the feed they gave to the chickens?


And when we finally reached the place, we realised it's not FOC. Ahhh....


Nevertheless, we still managed to catch some actions outside the premise ;)




This is a man-made platform filled with snow for the freeskis.


Look at the height.