Singapore Break, Day 4

Nathan had to get back to work, so he left on the midday flight Sunday, while the rest of us took off to visit the Gardens by the Bay.
Again, this is something else I've been wanting to do since they opened little over a year ago, but I wasn't sure if the kids would enjoy it or not. Matt and Misuzu have been a few times, and since they assured me they would, we thought it would be a good morning excursion.

We started out by taking the Audio Tour around the whole area to get a good overview of all the different gardens. It really gave you a good look around, and even though it was just a drive-by, I was totally in awe. These gardens are a brilliant kaleidoscope of exotic plants from around the world that whisks you away from the hustle and bustle that is Singapore. There is so much to see and discover here. I wish my Mum would have been with us, she would've loved it!

 

We had good views of the Marina Bay Sands Hotel, which is just next to the gardens. Such a fascinating building, staying there and experiencing it all close-up is on my list for any future Singapore trips.

If you walk through these parts of the Gardens, it's free! You only pay admission to get into the conservatories and onto the OCBC walkway.

The Heritage Gardens is a collection of four themed gardens that will take you through the history  and culture of Singapore’s three main ethnic groups and colonial past: the Malay Garden, the Indian Garden, the Chinese Garden and the Colonial Garden.

Below you see some photos I snapped driving through the Supertree Grove.
These unique "trees" soar up to 16-storeys high. If you want you can get spectacular views from the OCBC Skyway, a 128 meter long walkway 22 meters about the ground that connects two of the Supertrees. The "trees" are actually vertical gardens, close to 163,000 plants; more than 200 species and varieties of orchids, ferns and tropical flowering climbers; are planted on the trunks of these Supertrees.  They also have panels that harvest solar energy, enough to light them up at night!

In the evening the Supertrees come alive with a display of changing lights, it's really pretty and many times while passing in taxis, have we been admiring them from afar. Next time I definitely want to come to the Gardens by the Bay at night, to experience them! Then I'll do the walkway too!

Self portrait in one of the aquariums:

The Koi pond:

Fruits and flowers display in the World of Plants Garden:

 

The Gardens are full of different sculptures and other decorations too. Lots to look at, such an amazing and gigantic project!

It was very, very hot, so we decided not to walk about outside any more after the tram ride, but to go and visit one of the cooled conservatories, the Cloud Forest. In here you got to explore the highlands, amidst hundreds and hundreds of orchids, pitcher plants and ferns - and we got to admire the tallest indoor waterfall in the world, 10 stories high!

 

The Cloud Forest Dome showcases plant life from tropical highlands up to 2,000 meters above sea level. You get to go up to the top via a lift and then you walk down all along the aerial walkways, and can look at the mountain and the flowers from every angle.

 There was even a little model railway Mum!

The waterfall, from the inside of the "mountain", very high up:

With a view to the Singapore Flyer:

Along the walkways:

A little expo about the importance of clean water, down in the Gallery, where the kids got to fold origami flowers and birds to add to the expo.

Gardens by the Bay tries to educate as well as enthrall. At the end of the walk inside the Cloud Forest, thanks to a short movie called "+5 Degrees" we were given a visual sobering insight into the huge changes that climate change will bring about.
It was rather sad and depressing seeing the evolution of the problems we are likely to face due to climate change and habitat loss, and the effects a temperature increase will have, in only a few decades.

After all that walking about we were all hungry, and we had promised the kids to go to McDonald's for lunch. Vivo City was nice and close for that, and after lunch Matt took the four bigger kids home, and Misuzu and I were left with only Ashley to go and have a look in the shops there! (Yes, I still had things to shop for! That's what happens when you only do your shopping in 2 hour stints!)
Always time for a coffee-and-cuddle break though!

Once we came back to the condo, some friends of the Roses had invited them down to the pool area for a BBQ, so we took the kids with us and went down. They could have a swim and we all had dinner outside by the pool. Nice!
Another full on day with lots of fabulous memories created!

Singapore Break, Day 3

Our Saturday was a slightly more quiet day. We had a slow start thanks to our late finish on Friday night, and while the big boys watched cycling on TV, Misuzu and I took the kids and went down to the pool for a swim.
Unfortunately it got cut short as Luca wasn't feeling very well, and Oliver was really tired. They ended up back upstairs with their Mummy, while the rest of us had lunch by the pool.

Even after a long nap, the boys still weren't really up for any more excursions that day, so we went into town all by ourselves. We had promised Lucas to go to Tony Romas, and them both to go back to Toys R'Us, for them to spend some of their pocket money.
We wanted to avoid Orchard Road, so we decided to go to the Suntec City Mall, since both Toys R'Us and Tony Romas are there. But of course what we didn't know, was that the Toys R'Us there was currently closed for renovations, *duh*. So we then had to take another taxi, and go up to the one on Orchard Road anyway...
Well, all well that ends well - they got to buy their toys, we got our ribs in the end; and it was sure worth all the extra traveling around! Yum yum yummy ribs!

Singapore Break, Day 2

Nathan arrived quite delayed from Brunei Thursday night. Even though we stayed up late to all catch up, we had to get up early the next day. We had big plans for the Friday!
Firstly, the Watsons (+Luca) took on Orchard Road. We started all the way up the top from the Tanglin Mall, and the bike shop - and worked our way down, via Toys R'Us to Takashimaya where we met up with the others. We had a bag that needed to be dropped off at the Tumi store to get fixed, and I needed to get a few books from the huge bookstore there, and by then it was already lunch time!

I wanted Nathan to experience 'Marché', the Swiss restaurant Misuzu took the kids and I to last year. He sure wasn't disappointed, we shared an "Oktoberfest Special" - 1/2 a kg of pork knuckle, 4 German sausages, mashed potato, sauerkraut and 1 liter of beer! Mmm!
We were also really lucky to get a table just by the little play area, so it was the perfect setting for a very enjoyable meal. Linnea and her Mini-me:

Lucas and his two Mini-me!

I just love this place! The way they are presenting their food, the way you can walk around and browse, the way you order it and the way it gets cooked for you. The whole setting is so colourful and appetizing, you want to eat it ALL! We stayed for quite a while, the kids were perfectly happy playing after they had finished their lunch, and we could enjoy our beer, coffee and dessert in peace!

After lunch, the dads took the boys and went to Clarke Quay while us girls did a little bit more shopping down the lower end of Orchard Road. We covered Smiggle (very important!), H&M (also very important) and a few other places I had missed rushing to get to lunch on time..! :)
I finally found myself not one, but two, perfectly sized (one bigger and one smaller) handbags in just the perfect blue shade and soft, suede material. I was looking all over Scotland and Scandinavia for a blue handbag this summer, so I was really happy when I found the perfect bag(s) now.

We met up with the others again at 'Cuba Libre' at Clarke Quay, to try their Mojitos. There was an Oktoberfest going on there too, so there was lots and lots of people. Although I've never been to Clarke Quay before, I guess there is always a lot of people there?

 

 

The day wasn't finished yet!
From Clarke Quay we went out to do the Night Safari at the Singapore Zoo! This is something I've been wanting to do with the kids for a while, but something has always got in the way. This time nothing did, yay, we made it there - although I don't have any photos to prove it, cause it was all too dark obviously...
Ashley sure was dressed the part to go to the Zoo!

We took the 40 minute Night Tram ride around the park, and saw most of the animals. It's built up so that you cover seven of the world's geographical regions, all from the Indian Subcontinent to the Asian Riverine Forest. We also watched their show "Creatures of the night", with hyenas, wolves, racoons and many more animals performing; and finally we caught the "Thumbuakar" performance, three guys doing amazing fire-eating stunts. It was already 11pm before the taxi came and got us again... Guess if we had some tired kids by then..!

What a big day!

Singapore Break, Day 1

Ok, so here comes a recap of what we've done in Singapore, through some photos.
The first day we hung about at home, and went to IKEA to have meatballs, play in Småland (although Lucas wasn't allowed in, he is now too tall! *Sniff* My big boy!) and do some shopping.

Later that day, the kids enjoyed a swim in the pool at their condo. Such a luxury to have a big pool just in the garden at the bottom of the elevator! So easy to just get changed, go down for a bit of a swim, and go back up again. No need for a big expedition, long drive or anything.

 
Once Matt had come home from work and all the kids had been washed and fed - Misuzu and I enjoyed some late night shopping all on our own, at Parkway Parade. A shopping mall I know pretty well since it's just across the road from the crew hotel. Always easier to be time efficient when you know how to navigate the shops!

And that was our day 1.

A Singapore break

Our October break was not only brought forward this year due to the ASEAN summit; it was also prolonged to two full weeks as all schools got ordered to close some extra days, over the summit itself. So with a full two-week holiday, I knew I wanted to go somewhere, as Brunei "staycations" aren't terribly exciting for that long...

Nathan had a few consecutive off days as well, so the choice of destination was easy - Singapore.

The kids hadn't been over since last December, and since Misuzu went back to Japan to have Ashley and was away for quite a few months in total, we hadn't seen them either since then. So good to be reunited again. 

Even though I brought the big camera this time, I haven't taken many photos. We've been really busy!

In two days, we've already done IKEA for lunch, Småland and shopping, swimming at their condo, Parkway Parade shopping, Orchard Road shopping, lunch at Le Marché, more Orchard Road shopping, Clark Quay for Mojitos and the Night Safari!

Today we are chilling by the pool again, before some more shopping (birthdays and Christmas preparations!) and Tony Romas for dinner tonight, as requested by Lucas. 

Love Singapore. 

JIS Book Week throughout the years

I got a bit sentimental and had a look back through all the past Book Weeks we've had at JIS. When Lucas was in Kindy in 2007, Anne Fine (who wrote 'Bill's new frock'!) came to visit, and the kids were told to dress as a book character, and if possible, bring the book with them. Back then they did a Book Week parade to show off all their lovely costumes. Lucas dressed up as "Little Kiwi":

Lucas recycled his outfit the following year again when he was in Reception, and Linnea, who was now in Nursery, came as Tinkerbell to the Book Week Parade:

2009, when they were in Kindy and Y1, Book Week must have passed me by, I only wrote a short post about it here, but no photos?

The theme for the 2010-2011 Book Week was 'Superheroes', and the short story author Alan Gibbons was here. It was finished off with a Superhero Assembly. Lucas was in Y2 and Linnea in Reception:

When Lucas was in Y3 and Linnea in Y1, the illustrator Liz Million came to JIS. The theme for that Book Week was 'A picture paints a thousand words'. I can't find any photos from a dress-up day, but I came along to the Y1s meeting with Liz Million:

At last years Book Week, there was a 'Tell me a story theme' with the NZ author Tanya Batt. Book Week started this time with a dress-up day, in the theme of fantasy, stories or fairy tales:

Lucas had his Y4 Assembly during this Book Week, and they acted out "The Princess and the White Bear King" story, written by Tanya Batt:

And finally, this years science themed Book Week dress-up day:

So many great memories! Book Week just keeps getting better and better!

Book Week Finale 2013

It's the last day of Book Week today, a week I've come to appreciate more and more with our time in JIS. The kids all love it and every year it's a different exciting theme.
The school seems to make more and more of an effort each year in making Book Week bigger and bigger; and inviting interesting and inspiring authors and illustrators. Every year it's a huge success.

Our two certainly have been displaying a bit of a spark this week, even though it's also been the last week before the holidays. It's been a lot of fun to hear all their stories about what they've experienced at school. Lucas shared an experiment with us the other day, that Nick Arnold had taught them - how to submerge a one dollar bill in water without it getting wet!

 
Today on the last day of school, all the children in Prep School were invited to come to school dressed as mad scientists, botanists, chemists or anything else in the theme.

We had found some cheap Singaporean school uniforms (?) that worked well as lab coats. Added to that protective goggles, plastic gloves, a pen and a Mad Lab ID card - plus crazy green hair, and they were all set to go to school!

 Linnea and some of her crazy scientist friends:

Proud Parents

Well done Lucas, we are very proud of you! You are a star!

Bookworms

Some days the school run can be such a pleasant trip. Especially when both of the kids have their noses deep in some books, reading all the way to school. Book Week sure have spurred on a renewed interest for reading.