Jakarta

I was away in Jakarta for 6-days last week due to work commitment. We stayed at Hotel Atlet Century Park, which was opposite the badminton stadium where Lee Chong Wei won the Indonesia Open final the night before, beating Taufik Hidayat in straight sets. Since Indonesians are a patriotic lot (unlike Malaysians), we kept our mouth shut and did not mention that we were from Malaysia, in case they decided to pick a fight. On a side note, I mistakenly told a guard stationed at my hotel room floor that I was from M'sia and he said, 'O Kelantan...Manohara....' Oops! I wonder what's the impression of Malaysians to Indonesians...scary...and I quickly double locked my room door after they left. The guard was accompanying a technician who came to my room to fix the shower.

The room is actually quite nice


Jakarta is a city with a population of over 8 million people, being the twelfth-largest city in the world, as compared to Kuala Lumpur, which has only less than 2 million people. So, everywhere you go in Jakarta....you see a sea of people. It's no joke - you can see people by the roadside, doing nothing but just observing passing cars; jobs created by the unemployed and youngsters by directing traffic to earn some loose change (if given). And the most chaotic - is traffic jam! You think KL jam is bad - Jakarta is so many times worse!

Crazy mad rush on a Friday afternoon, that we decided to abandon our car and walk to the shopping mall

Shopping in Jakarta is generally a haven for shopaholics, if you have something in mind that you would like to buy as things are cheap. I bought a swimming costume for Ryan and he had been wearing it day and night for 4 days now (no, it's clean 'cos the maid will wash it at night and let it to dry overnight) :p

Ryan posing in his swimsuit

Singapore Trip

Singapore here we come!

We were at the Lion City for a short holiday last Saturday from 6 June to 8 June. It was really too short a holiday, so much so that we'd hardly enough time to visit places, shop, or even look up friends. Nonetheless, we tried to squeeze our itinerary with as much fun-filled activities for the boys and as much shopping as we could.

Our journey started at 10.30am on Saturday...'lo n behold, we couldn't imagine what awaited for us at the highway ahead from Sungai Besi toll to Seremban to Melaka. My gawd, massive jam, and bumper to bumper drive all the way. We contemplated turning back a few times but even the turn-off was jam-ed up. So how? Sit in the car lor and entertain the kids, who kept on asking 'Where are we going?' 'Why so long one?' 'I want to go there by aeroplane' 'I want to see the bridge now' 'I want to go to the zoo now'

Ryan says he wants to fly to S'pore


Look at the bumper-to-bumper jam


Jaden eating his sausage bread in the car


Stopover at the Restoran Jejantas at Ayer Keroh


The jam cleared after the Melaka turn-off and we continued our journey.

Again, at Tuas (Second Link), the queue was horrible, and we were unfortunate to experience kiasu Singaporean drivers, who refuse to give way.


Finally, at the bridge! Now, the GPS came in handy to bring us to Watten Estate Road, where we stayed for 2 nights. We finally reached my auntie's house at 6.30pm, after being 8 hours on the road!!


Early next morning, we went to Suntec City to buy tickets for the Ducktour (highly recommended by Yvonne). We paid RM100 for 2 adults and 2 children, as they were having half-price promotion for Malaysians and we were allowed to pay in RM. Unfortunately, there were not enough seats for the 10am tour (and the 11am and 12pm tours have been chartered), so we ended up with the 1pm tour. With so much time in hand, we went shopping at Robinsons and later had lunch at Tony Roma's. We thought the pork ribs were so-so only, rather disappointing, as we'd our hopes high....haiya, standard really jatuh...

The boys with their cousin, Ben.


Ben and Jaden, with a skeleton. Ryan hid behind Jaden as he was scared (Only a teeny weeny of his green shoes are showing)



Ryan, Ben, Jaden and Nic mesmerised by the fountain....


After Tony Roma's, we rushed for our Ducktour. The boys really enjoyed sitting in the 'duck'.

After the ducktour, we shopped again, till we drop dead (rather the children dropped dead tired). We headed home for a short nap, had dinner at a nearby chinese restaurant before heading to the Night Safari. My cousin, Michael joined us with his son, Ben while his wife had to put little Nicholas to sleep.

Again, at Night Safari, we enjoyed the half price promotion for admission (tram ride no promotion), paid RM66 and another SGD30 for the tram ride.

Why does Ryan has so many funny expression?

Tram ride

Next morning (Monday) we'd breakfast, spent some time with my auntie, played and 'tortured' the house dog before heading to Orchard Road for more Great Singapore Sale!

The journey home was a brisk, left Orchard Road about 2.30/3pm and reached KL before 7pm!

Level 1 US Kids Golf

Ryan had completed his 6-weeks Level 1 US Kids Golf program and will be taking a break before advancing to Level 2. Coach James commented that Ryan is well advanced for his age and is definitely ready for Level 2. However, Papa is hesitant to send him for Level 2 just yet as he wants him to practise more at home. So, we'll see how and will decide in a month's time.

Below some pics taken during some of the classes.

In the putting green.

Jaden practising his swing at the driving range.

Ryan perfecting his iron shot.

At the bunker, listening to coach James.

Ryan's practice shot.

His turn to wait.

Apparently he's sensitive...

Of thunder and lightning

It had been raining rather heavily in my area and whenever there's thunder, Ryan would be scared and will run to me quickly.

Me : Ryan, why are you so scared of thunder?
Ryan : Because I've got 'sensitive' ears

Of Mandarin

Ryan was reciting 1 to 10 in Mandarin....

Me : What about 11 to 20?
Ryan : shi yi, shi er, shi san, shi se.....oops.... I've got 'sensitive' tongue

Choosing books

Jaden's school book club gave a brochure for parents to choose a variety of books at a very good price. I thought it'll be good to engage Ryan to choose his own books (of course, I'll scrutinise his selection :p). I showed him a selection for kids 6 and below, and obviously the boy has too many to choose from and hence, cannot decide:

Ryan : eeny-meeny-miney-mo......ok, this one!

Then, he turned over to the section for boys aged 7- 9 and he saw lego knight books.

Ryan : Ok, mummy, I don't want all the other books, I only want these 2 books.
Me : But it's for kids aged 7 and above and you're only 5
Ryan : Never mind lah, mummy is 7 yrs old, can read to me
Me : No, mummy is 33, not 7!
Ryan : Aiyo, so old...never mind, mummy can read all the books to me

*slap forehead*

His favourite food

Ryan has a few favourite food, such as Hokkien mee, wanton noodle, fried rice, spaghetti, etc... and when he's on it, he can normally eat an adult portion. While eating his favourite Hokkien noodle one day,

Ryan : Hmm...this is so good, I cannot stop!

Ryan oh ryan...I wonder where's all your fats. You're bones and only weigh 19kg!

My baby Jaden is 3!

The little bundle of joy came into our life on 2nd May 2006, a day after Labour's Day.

With the blink of an eye, my baby is already 3 years old!

Just want to share a beautiful poem, My Child by Elizabeth Pillari:

Come back into the fold of my protective wings.
Let not your spirit be restless,
For you are here with me.
I will always be your one on which to lean,
your rock, your number one fan.
Fear not child to speak your mind.
Undo the wrongs of the day,
And together we'll make them right.
Speak of heartaches, so that they may be subdued.
Share your joys, so that they may be my joys too.
Always know that I am with you,
For you are my precious gift from God.
I will always love you,
And keep you safe from life's hardships.
I will cushion your bumps,
And tend to your scrapes.
I will guide you tenderly;
Your brilliant eyes will always be my sun;
Share with me your heart,
And I with you.
I love you.

Mom

Pantai Hospital @ 2 days old


Bath time @ 3 months


Inquisitive fellow @ 6 months


Pangkor @ 14 months


Korea @ 30 months

3rd Birthday Party at Kidszone

3rd Birthday Party at TGIF

3rd Birthday Part - Ultraman Cake

Family photo plus nephew and niece

Busy Saturday

We brought the kids to a lawatan sambil belajar to Monsters & Dinosaurs exhibition at Mid Valley last Saturday. We remembered to bring the Astro bill to enjoy a RM4 discount on the adult tickets, thanks to information on chumsyashley blog :) The boys were thrilled to see the dinos although we thought it was a bit 'pathetic' - only a few dinos exhibit and bugs; and they also have a huge giant shoe there, which we thought have nothing to do with the exhibition.

Praying Mantis

Dino in the background - Apotosaurus? Forgot the name....


Unicorn Beetle

After the exhibition, we went to Pet Wonderland. The boys adore dogs and were asking where the puppies were. Luckily, it was 'Exercise time' for the puppies. The puppies were out of their cages in stages and the kids just love observing them.

We were so tired after that but we still have not completed our 'task' for the day. It'll be Jaden's birthday this Saturday and we still have not bought him a present. After McD, off we went to ToysRus to get some stuff.

Slide at ToysRus

We had a short rest at home and had to rush out for grand-mama's birthday dinner.

What a busy busy day! :)

Anne Musikschule

Recently, I've enrolled Jaden into Anne musikschule. The class was highly recommended by a mother who sends her daughter to the Yamaha JMC class, which Ryan attends. Since Jaden is too young to start the JMC course (and also I prefer not to sit through the same JMC course for Jaden for 2 years!), I thought it would be good to try another program.

Anne musikschule uses the German word, which reflects the use of Orff Schulwork, a music-teaching approach developed by German composer Carl Orff (1895-1982), the man who created Carmina Burana. Orff’s approach was based on the belief that the easiest method of teaching music to children is to draw out the student’s inherent attraction for rhythm and melody and allow these to develop in natural ways.

One of the more popular courses is Music and Movement using the Orff Schulwork approach.

Apart from learning music at the centre, all students are expected to be involved in the many performances and activities that are held throughout the year. These performances range from ensembles to charity concerts. Most of these concerts aim to raise funds for the less fortunate. The centre wants the students to feel that by being part of charity concerts and fund raising activities, they can contribute at a young age to the less fortunate. Besides the Music and Movement course, the centre offers courses on stringed instruments (violin, viola and cello), harp, xylophone, piano, guitar (classical, electric or acoustic), drums, keyboards, as well as vocal training, and a rock music school.

US Kids Golf Learning Program

We brought Ryan to the Introductory Golf Course for kids at Tropicana Golf driving range yesterday. He seemed to enjoy the lesson and even able to hit some good shots. The experience was different from Kindergolf since the lesson was held in a driving range and not in an enclosed shop lot. And most importantly, the coach is a male (for Ryan, he likes instructors who are strong, big and all qualities of masculinity). Previously, the coach at Kindergolf was a female and he detest going after the trial class.

Ryan, listening to instructions. Co-coach Iqbal in the background.

Standing behind the safety line, waiting for his turn.

Listening to coach James instructions. James is a Class A member British PGA.

The US Kids golf learning program provides structured learning:

• specifically designed for US Kids Golf by PGA Master Professional John Godwin (USA)
• junior friendly terminology
• standardised format to benefit kids and instructors
• 3 skill levels (Level 1, 2 & 3)
• 5 topics at each level (Putting, Around the Green, Full Swing, Knowledge and Scoring)
• forms and skills 'mastery' required at each level
• practical skills and oral tests before moving to the next level
• internationally recognised certification

There is also a US Kids instructional booklet for every student, achievement pins awarded for successful completion of each topic and certificate awarded before progressing to the next level.

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And what is little Jaden up to nowadays?

He loves painting. For the past 2 nights, before bedtime, he'll request for his paint brush and he'll 'unleash' his creative skills before going to bed...haha....

Photo Printing Made Easy....

....by EOE Online. This is a cool website, which I got to know from a fellow friend, Juliana. Thanks Julie for sharing! (well, I guess you got to if you participate in the Blogger's Review Program...haha)

Ok, this is how e-Print works....it's as easy as abc....
1. Create a login (if you're a first-time user)
2. Select photos
3. Upload the whole bunch using Easy Upload (believe me, it's faster than facebook and much more convenient. I went for a short meeting, and when I came out, upload was completed)
4. Select print size
5. Pay via bank transfer and viola!....kau tim :)

To top it, for people like me who dislikes paying delivery charges, EOE offers free delivery for orders above RM35! Definitely a plus point! :)

70th Birthday Celebration

We celebrated gong-gong's 70th birthday on Saturday, 11th April 2009 at Noble House, off Jalan Imbi. Dad invited 5 tables of guests and we had a lavish dinner, with bird nest, shark fin soup, abalone, white pomfret, etc. etc.

9sum brought a very nice and unusual cake - mahjong table, complete with dice and 'money' for my dad, who's heavily into mahjong now.

Gong-gong and popo, laughing with the 5 grandchildren

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Found this cute Jaden in Ultraman mask, who had just returned from outer space :p (notice the luggage bag in the background). Ryan and Jaden like to play-pretend, that they have just returned from overseas (just like their dad, who had been travelling to Singapore very often nowadays) and taking the taxi home :) 'Ok bye.....'

Change in WV Child

I've been sponsoring this girl, Batoul Ali from Lebanon since 2 years back, and recently, her family moved out of the Marjeyoun ADP (Area Development Programme) area and as such, the project office will not be able to continue to provide help and monitor on the child's progress. World Vision then, assigned another sponsor child to me.



Shamoun Heya Ahmad is a cute 2+ year old girl and WV provided me with the following particulars:

Sex : Female
Birthday : 29/01/07
Grade : Not in School
Favourite Subject : None
Health : Satisfactory
Handicap : None
Chores : Doesn't help - too young
Live with : Parents
Status of Mother : Married
Status of Father : Married
Job Status - Mother : Employed - Office helper
Job Status - Father : Unemployed
Brother : 0
Sister : 0

Hmm....I wonder why the father is not working.....house-husband or economic crunch? How I wish I have a lil girl like her.....*drool* :p

Homework time

We enrolled Ryan for mandarin classes early this year and touch wood, he has been coping well thus far, considering we're all 'bananas' at home. For a start, the classes are twice a week, 1 hour each session. I did not want to over-stress him, so just enrol for the 1 hour class for now.

Yesterday, he surprised me by doing his mandarin homework without prompting. Normally, I'll have to sit next to him twice a week to ensure that all homework is done.

Ryan concentrating hard


Nearly finishing - peace sign :)


Done!

Jaden's New Bicycle

Last Saturday, popo decided to bring Jaden to the bicycle shop at Centerpoint to buy an early birthday present for the grandson. Don't know why, it never cross my mind to buy a bicycle for Jaden, maybe because he's my youngest and I never thought that he would be ready to cycle so soon.

So the night before, during bedtime, I told the lil boy that popo will be bringing him to the bicycle shop tomorrow after lunch to buy a new bicycle. He was really eager to get his own bike, also because koko has one, and it's slightly 'too' big for him. I told him that he would also need to hug and kiss popo for the kind gesture. Note: he's rather afraid of gong-gong and popo as he's a timid boy and not used to their house and environment during our normal visit.

Come Saturday afternoon, we went to popo's house as planned. The lil' boy went up to popo to hug and kiss her without much persuasion. Popo was caught by surprise too! Haha...thanks to mama's ground work the night before :p

At Centerpoint, Jaden tried a bright blue shiny bicycle and that was the bicycle we brought home. He did not want any other bicycles even though a 'size' bigger would be more suitable for him as he's a tall boy. Anyhow, he couldn't pedal by himself at the shop since it was his first attempt.

He fell asleep in the car during the journey home and when he awoke from his afternoon nap, he was looking for his bicycle again. After a few attempts, he could pedal by himself! Well done boy!

Mamma Mia

Like many kids, my boys love Mamma Mia songs too, and they can go dancing and singing for the longest time. Below is a short clip of Ryan and Jaden dancing to 'Lay All Your Life on Me'. In the clip, you can see:
1. Ryan doing his funny dance, occassionally break-dancing as well....haha
2. Jaden singing '.....your e-mo-tions....'
3. Jaden, the monkey, climbing all over the couch
4. Jaden playing an imaginary guitar
5. Ryan 'Yes!' at the end of the song

Not-so-Bento Creation

I'm really not a bento person but absolutely love to buy bento tools - because they're cute! hehe... Until today, many of the tools are still wrapped nicely in their wrappers. So during the weekend, I took the alphabet cutters to make Ryan and Jaden's name. The naughty Ryan ate all of J-A-D-E-N 's alphabets but didn't want to eat any of his R-Y-A-N....really naughtly fella :p

And thanks to Annie's nice Mickey Mouse love shape bento box gift to Ryan, it made a beautiful snack creation for Ryan's breakfast.

Stanley the Clown

We went to two 'parties' on Saturday, 28 February 2009 and coincidentally, the organisers engaged the services of the same clown - Stanley. I guess there aren't many good clowns around and words do get around.

We were at Eddy's daughter, Kai Xin 4th birthday party at Sheraton Subang hotel in the morning. Ryan and Jaden didn't want to participate in the games organised and it somewhat surprised me a little as I always think that Ryan is an extrovert. Ryan preferred to play with his gun, which he insisted to bring along.

Eddy and family


Jaden with the name decor


Ryan, with his gun, which actually belongs to papa some 20 years ago.

Kai Xin with Ashley

Jaden playing bouncing

Ryan, Jaden and Kai Xin

Later, we proceeded to Praise Emmanuel Children's Home (PECH) to visit the underprivileged children. Rosalyn, who's from our cell group, has engaged Stanley to entertain the kids for 2 hours, additionally, we and our oikos also mingled together with the children.

Since we were apprehensive that the kids would be afraid of the clown initially, we instructed him to dress and make-up in front of them. The 'trick' worked as the kids eased and relaxed themselves in the presence of the clown.

Group photo

Clown with the magic colouring book

Ryan and Jaden amused by the clown acts

All in all, it was an enjoyable outing and we managed to collect a reasonable amount for the house as well :)

Bringing up Boys

I have been watching a series of DVDs by Dr. James Dobson- Bringing up Boys to catch a glimpse on how to handle boys, in particular Ryan as he thinks he's the king in the house and is able to manipulate all of us. This puts us in a very difficult position as we're not one who likes caning our kids, but on the other hand, firmly believes that the rod should not be spared if the situation warrants.

In Bringing Up Boys, Dr. Dobson covers many aspects of raising boys, such as the biological differences between males and females, the role of fathers and mothers in the lives of their sons, and the ill effects of postmodernism and socialism. Likely, however, the most controversial issues he covers are the feminist movement and both parents working outside the home.

During the feminist movement, proponents tried to convince society that boys and girls were the same, except for their reproductive systems, and should be treated and raised in exactly the same manner. Unfortunately, our culture eventually welcomed that concept with open arms. We were told to treat our girls more like boys and our boys more like girls. A majority of us started believing boys and girls should act the same, play with the same toys and have the same interests. Even today, masculine qualities are thought of as bad and undesirable. In many commercials, television shows and movies, the men are portrayed in a very negative way, and in many instances, the 'stupid guy'.

Dr. Dobson also feels only one parent should have a career during the child rearing years. He says "It is my conviction that those who choose to bring a child into the world must give that boy or girl highest priority for a period of time. In a very short time, they will be grown up and on their own." We only have a short time with our kids to teach and model, so they will develop a solid mental and spiritual foundation that will last their lifetime. Although there could be extenuating circumstances for both parents to work, somehow if we love our kids so much, we should make sure that our priorities in life are right. He also stressed that it is important for the dad to be around the boys during the formative years, being the role model to ensure that rules are set, relationships are built and to be the spiritual leader in the house.

It seems that with every generation, our culture gets worldlier. The focus used to be more on God and family, but has increasingly become more about what is good for each individual and who cares about everyone else. Our kids are depending on us to help them learn about God and how they should live their lives. Their trust and faith depends on it and we cannot fail them.

Opthalmologist

We brought Jaden to see the consultant opthalmologist, Datuk Dr. Ramani at Pantai hospital last Saturday. We were concerned because Jaden rubs his eyes frequently and blinks his eyes while watching TV. Apart from that, he does not have any discharge or redness.

When the Dr. attended to Jaden, I was surprised that he told my son to read the alphabets on the chart, like those practiced by normal optician. I was thinking...if you're doing this, might as well I bring my son to an optician. After a few tries, the dr. gave up. My son wasn't cooperative and consistent with his answers.

Next, the nurse checked his eyes with the machine below. Again, the machine can be found in all those opticians' shops. How frustrating! Is this all you can do ah doc?!



I think Jaden pretty well behaved himself by standing in front of the machine patiently, even though it was difficult to get him to focus on the object. What can you expect - he's only a lil kiddo! But no, the nurse and doctor said he wasn't cooperative! They got the reading of the left eye but not the right.

We waited for a while and then the nurse dilated Jaden's eyes. Waited another 15 mins before the dr. did a manual test. Hah, finally we could see the specialist at work! I couldn't really tell what the dr. was testing as I was trying to keep Jaden still and making sure his chin rest on the holder. I saw some flashing of different lights and horror of horrors, she suddenly pulled Jaden's right eyelid really hard. The boy screamed his lungs out and before I knew it, the procedure ended.

Verdict : Jaden doesn't need glasses. She prescribed some eye drops for allergy. Phew!

And she told us to come back in 6 months' time and make sure that I teach Jaden alphabets by then! Lazy bugger! Less work I guess! Jaden may not be able to tell the doc accurately but he certainly knows his alphabets!

Jaden's Playgroup

After attending Children's Vital Years Nursery for 2 days, we decided to pull Jaden out of the school. Even though he showed a keen interest to go to school in the morning, apparently, during school, he couldn't really take instructions from his teachers and he ended up crying uncontrollably. Well, I guess he wasn't ready for school.

Yesterday, being FT day, brought the lil boy to a church playgroup in PJ. And the lil boy enjoyed himself tremendously, Also the fact that I was with him, so no separation anxiety.



Jaden playing basketball in the play area. Was surprised to see 2 other mamas from DUMC with their kids - Jamie with Shawn and Audrey with Kimberly.



Snack time - Jaden with cousin Ethan

During coffee break time, the kids are encouraged to explore the different playrooms available and play independently while the parents rest and enjoy a cup of coffee and chit chat. Below Jaden is playing in the room full of cars and trucks.

The real test will be this Friday, when Jaden goes with Mah-Mah and Aunty Meli. Hopefully he'll adjust :)

Happy Ox Year 2009!

This year's new year was a double joy for the family. The first day of CNY (26th Jan) coincides with papa's birthday.

The Yuen clan gathered at our house for the first time on the 1st day of CNY. We had a small makan time together, enjoyed each other's company and even managed to catch a glimpse of the lion dance next door.

Bought some new plants for the house - Lucky bamboo


Another type of bamboo

Ryan and Jaden, with their first angpow from Yeh Yeh

Papa with Ryan and Yeh-yeh with Samantha in the garden, watching our neighbour's lion dance and fire crackers.

Too many trees. Can you spot the lion on stilts? :p

Jaden with mah-mah

We had an unexpected guest - little Max. The children were thrilled to play with Max, albeit a little while, as Lex has returned home to see his wife.

Pretty Samantha in her cheongsam

Jaden's good friend/cousin - Ethan

The Yuens enjoying a simple meal

The 2 cakes, one from me and another from Yeh Yeh

Papa with the boys and Sam

Ryan happily drew this piece for papa at night. Above the word 'Happy', he drew the family -papa, mama and Ryan, and Jaden below the word (due to space constraint). There's heart shape and balloons everywhere and a number '8' on the paper. Papa was ecstatic to find number 8 = 'fatt' in chinese....haha.... Why 8? I really don't know :p

Happy Chinese New Year to all!!!!!

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Brotherly Love

This is one of the moments which I managed to catch on camera. Jaden wanted to go to the toilet one morning but needed help with his PJ. Ryan quickly ran to his brother's rescue before another accident happens....ooooooo

JMC Concert

Ryan had his first JMC concert on the 9th January 2009 after completing his first book. Each book takes about 6 months and the entire JMC course takes 2 years.

Ryan has come a long way, from not knowing any keys to being able to play a simple piece with both hands. He has also learned solfege singing, lyric singing, ensemble (singing, rhythm and keyboard), music appreciation, rhythm training and workbook (reading/writing).

During the concert, those skills were tested and each student was required to play on the keyboard a piece which they have selected.

1. Group Presentation : Whale Sneezes

2. Solo : See You Tomorrow

3. Group rhythm : Pa-Pa-Pa Parade

Jaden also came for the concert and pretended to play on the keyboard :)

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The kids current favourite playmate at home :)

A New Friend

A new friend came to stay with us on 1 January 2009. His name is Lexus, Lex for short. My friend, Kaw May has been persuading me to take the dog, but somehow, since I'm so scared of dogs, I've agreed to adopt Lex for a month. He's a beautiful, or rather handsome golden retriever, very playful indeed and loves attention. And most importantly, the boys love him. Ryan has been asking for a dog since zillion years ago and this is the best I could fulfil his dream, even though he does not know, yet, that I intend to return him to the owner after a month. He told us on the first day 'I wish the dog could stay with us one thousand million years'. In his little interpretation, it means forever......

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On Sunday, a day before the school term begins, we brought the kids for a haircut. Yes, little Jaden is going to school now with big brother Ryan. Unlike koko, lil' boy loves to go to school and looks forward to school these past 2 mornings :)

Below a pic of cheeky boy with his new haircut.

Ho Ho Ho and a Happy New Year!

Today is already the last day of Year 2008. How time flies.......

Since coming back from our Korea trip, I've been busy preparing for my final CIA paper - not the US Central Intelligence Agency exam but the boring Certified Internal Auditor paper - and the effort will help me to score in my KPI. And most people in my company would not want to miss out in the bonus distribution this year as it had been a fruitful year indeed. God has definitely been good to the company :)

MIL has painstakingly decorated the Christmas tree in the house. A big thank you to her!

And while the presents are being put under the tree, the boys could not resist but opened at least half the presents before Christmas day.



Hubby had a big Christmas present that arrived from the States but even that the boys think that it's their present and had overtaken the huge golf net as theirs :)

A very Happy New Year to all!!!

Day 10 : Seoul - Malaysia

Finally, it was the last day of our trip. We packed our bags early in the morning, had breakfast and then went sightseeing again :) Of course, we have to maximise our trip while we were there!

We went to Wolmido via ferry and experienced feeding seagulls on board. Below pic is our trusted bus that accompanied us throughout the trip. The small bus is just nice to fit the 13 of us + bus driver and tour guide (even though the seats behind are really bumpy and can be a tad uncomfortable)



Ryan and Siew Ginn koko


Jaden at the wholesale supermarket


The children at the airport playground.

Day 9 : Shopping and Seoul Tower

Nearing the end of the trip, the boys have mixed reactions. The younger one was missing home and so he lamented 'I want to go home' while the elder boy loves fun, fun & fun and so 'I miss Korea' - probably influenced by Siew Ginn koko, even though we have not returned home yet.

The morning of Day 9 was spent shopping at Myeong-dong Fashion Street, after which we visited Seoul Tower.

Built on a 262 meter peak in Namsan Park, the tower reaches to 480 meters above sea level. When the weather is good, the observation tower allows you to view the entire city and surrounding areas.

The cable car ride to the tower


Bear X'mas tree?


There is a dedicated area for couples to put their locks together - to signify their relationship. You're not supposed to throw your key away! :p


Back in the hotel room, the boys love to dance in their thermal wear. Ryan nicknamed himself the White Man.

After dinner, we proceeded with Kangnam River Cruise, a cruise along the Han River.

This is Jaden, with his new toy.

A video of the boys dancing :)

Day 8 : Everland

The 8th day of the tour was the day the kids really looked forward to. It was a full day of fun at the theme park! Everland, located in Yongin, is a big theme park (arguably the 4th most famous in the world, but we really doubt it) which includes a zoo, snow sled and botanical garden.

The weather was pretty cold that day and we only went on some kiddy rides. In my opinion, the best attraction there would be the Safari World, which houses many animals, including lion, tiger and a white tiger, bear, elephant, giraffe, zebra, etc....





Safari World tour via a bus

Day 7 : DMZ Tour / MBC Drama Filming Studio

We started our Day 7 tour by visiting the Ginseng Outlet. Korean ginseng is well-known throughout the world and I was particularly interested as it claimed to help with sinus too. Papa J has sinus so now, he's taking two tablets a day. We also bought ginseng powder form for kids, hopefully to improve their overall health.

Later, we proceeded with our DMZ tour. The Demilitarized Zone tour offers a real vivid eye-opening experience of the Korean War and a dramatic sense of tragedy of the separated family members between the two Koreas from the division of the peninsula.

Security is tight around the area and photographs are not permitted in many places. We visited the Dora Observatory, Freedom Bridge, Dorasan Station and the 3rd Tunnel. The 3rd Tunnel was discovered in October 1978. It runs through bedrock at a depth of about 73 meter below ground. Capable of moving a full division per hour plus their weapons, it is evidently designed for a surprise attack on Seoul.

Dorasan Station - the last station stop before North Korea


It was snowing during our visit to the observatory and the kids were thrilled to see real snow for the first time!


After lunch, we proceeded to MBC Drama Filming Studio in Yangju Theme Park, which was the shooting site for the famous 'Jewel in the Palace' (Daejanggeum).

The lil' Daejanggeum in action in the kitchen

Day 6 : Seoul

We had breakfast at the Seoul Garden hotel and while Jaden was happily playing with the ornaments on the Christmas tree, one of the waiters gave him a stare. In general, Koreans are not fond of kids and during our short trip, we experienced a number of discourteous people. People seemed to not give way in lifts (barging from behind when they know that you're trying to handle two active boys) and doorways.



After breakfast, we visited the Amethyst Factory and of course, dh was not spared :)

During the day, we also visited Tiger Hill, Doota Shopping Complex - Dongdaemun Market and watched the Nanta Show. The show is a non-verbal performance integrating Korean traditional 'Samulnori' rhythm with comic and drama - a highly recommended show for kids!



We had dinner at a Chinese restaurant that night.

Day 5 : Mt. Sorak / Nami Island / Seoul

Nami Island is 63km away from Seoul and is famous for its beautiful tree lined roads. This island is the location where many scenes of Winter Sonata were shot.

We didn't particularly enjoyed the lake cruise and the leisure walk around the island. Weather was too cold and our hands were numbed. Even the small fountain behind Jaden turned to ice.

After that, we visited the Lotte World Theme Park. As the weather was still cold, we opted to stay indoor.

Day 4 : Vivaldi Park / Mt. Sorak

Vivaldi Park is actually a ski resort but since it's only autumn, the resort is in the midst of making 'snow' for the upcoming ski season. Below, the resort view from our condo room.






Entrance of Daemyung Vivaldi Park Ski Resort

After breakfast, we departed for Mt Sorak to visit the Grand Bronze Buddha and Shinheungsa Temple. We didn't manage to visit the Kwongumsong Fortress via a cable car ride as the wind was too strong that day. The temperature for the day was approx. -7 degrees Celcius!

We also visited Abai Village. The village of Cheongho-dong is now the hometown to many people of North Korean ancestry. Many elderly people fled to Cheongho-dong from North Korea during the Korean War. This area became popular after the Korean drama 'Gaeul Donghwa' (Autumn in My Heart) was filmed here.

Noticed this 'weird' house which has a door on the upper floor.

We had Korean for dinner almost everyday now, below is Korean Bulgogi beef - doesn't taste as good as the Australian bulgogi beef we had later in the trip.

Picture of the boys at the lobby of Sorak Park Hotel.

Day 3 : Vivaldi Park

After breakfast, we took an early morning domestic flight back to Seoul, and upon arrival, proceeded to Vivaldi Park to visit the Ocean World.

Jaden was so tired during the flight, that he almost slept through-out.


The cheeky boys at domestic Kimpo airport


We had bimbimbap rice for lunch.


Bimbimbap is a combination of all kinds of vegetables and egg, mixed together in a stone bowl.

In the afternoon, we went to Ocean World (something like Sunway Lagoon) to enjoy the in-door water slides, waves and heated pool.

Day 2 : Jeju Island

On Saturday morning, we had abalone porridge for breakfast before proceeding to Jeju-do Island for a full day tour.

Seongsan Sunrise Peak rose from under the sea in a volcanic eruption about 100,000 years ago. Located on the eastern end of Jejudo island, there is a huge crater at the top of Seongsan Ilchulbong Peak. The crater is about 600m in diameter and 90m high.

The huge crater in the background.

The ridge provides an ideal spot for walks and for horse riding as well.

Located at the foot of Mt. Halla, Seongeup Folk Village has perfectly perserved Korean tradition. With its vast amount of cultural property, this place is designated as a Folk Village. Many cultural properties such as residential houses, Confucian shrines and schools, ancient government offices, stone statues, millstones, stone monuments, and intangible cultural assets such as folk plays, native foods, etc are handed down to date.

Cheonjeyeon Waterfalls

We also watched an acrobat show at the Magic World and had sashimi dinner at night.

10 Days Jeju Island/Seoul/Everland/Mt. Sorak Tour (14Nov-24Nov) Day 1

Day 1: Arrived at Incheon Airport and departed for Seoul City tour of Kyongbok Palace, National Folk Museum and Presidential Blue House.

Jaden in the airplane

Depart for Seoul city tour in a bus

Kyongbok Palace was the primary residence for the royal family of Joseon Dynasty.

Beautiful autumn leaves, in yellow and red

Jaden and Chern outside the National Folk Museum


Ryan with monkey statue

All the cousins in the palace compound

Korean ginseng chicken for lunch

Transfer to domestic Kimpo Airport flight to Jeju Island. Visited the Mysterious Road before checking in to hotel. In the pic, the road seems to be going upwards, but in actual fact, it's going downwards, and vice versa.

Check-in at Ramada Plaza Jeju

The tour guide brought us to a restaurant that served seafood steamboat for dinner.

Silence....

There will be silence from this blog as the authors will be away....

Wish us luck as we will be bringing the 2 monkeys along. Preparation and packing of luggage bags have already been done although mama still wrestle with the thought of how many packets of milk to bring, number of diapers, pants, tops, etc... *arggh*

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Annual Report

Name of Student : Ryan Yuen

Age : 4

Met up with Teacher Ann after work to discuss Ryan's progress for the year.

Personal & Social Development

Ryan has really matured a lot this year, in particular since the second term. He has become more confident and mixes well with his peers and teachers. He also vocalises more and is more willing in group participation.

Reading

Ryan is quite a good reader now. He also has developed a good aptitude to books and reading. He also takes books on his own initiative which shows his keen interest.

Writing

Ryan's writing skills have greatly improved. He is not learning to write upper case alphabets and knows his lower case alphabets well.

Bahasa Malaysia

Ryan participates in the group oral Bahasa Malaysia sessions. He finds this subject a bit challenging. Regular application of vocabulary will help improve his memory skills.

English

Ryan's English language skills are developing well. He communicates well with people and his diction has gotten much better, especially when reading.

Mathematics

Ryan shows great aptitude towards this subject. This is his strongest subject and he has learned to work quickly and independently. He is now doing more complicated sums in addition and also number sequence.

Special Comments

It has been a delight having Ryan in school. He has really come a long way and I am pleased with his progress. We look forward to having Ryan back for another year.

Weekend of Parties

It was a weekend of parties for the boys. Last Saturday, we went to Jungle Gym, which is located at Bangsar Shopping Centre for Bryan Choo's 4th Birthday celebration. Bryan is Ryan's schoolmate at Vital Years. He just joined VY this year and was previously from Julia Gabriel Chilten House. Bryan's mum, Cindy is a nice lady. She was so busy that day but I managed a short chat with her. Asked whether Bryan has any siblings or she has plans to have another child, she casually mention that it was a surprise for her when she found that she was pregnant with Bryan at 43! Wow, she definitely doesn't look her age!

Ryan and Jaden, without a doubt, enjoyed themselves tremendously. Once the entrance gate opened, they dashed in, and were nowhere to be seen. The poor mummy, who did not bring her socks, was not allowed in. Reluctantly, I bought a pair of socks for RM4. I was worried that Jaden will get 'lost', and so I cannot have him out of my sight. I followed him everywhere, climbing through the tiny tunnels and playing balls with him. I took lots of photos of him, but none of the brother as Ryan was busy playing with his friends.

A pix of the birthday boy, Bryan.

The Ultraman cake...all the boys were hoping to get one of the toy...the mum said, no, it's all Bryan's toys...haha....
















And on Sunday, we went to Lisa's house to celebrate Hazel's 1st Birthday. Lisa is my old school friend from BBGS. It had been a while since we last caught up with each other and the rest of the gang. Birthday gatherings are just perfect for catching up!