One of my goals for 2016 is to bring my kids to some of the outdoor playgrounds that we have never been to, especially so for K as playgrounds are the best physiotherapy equipment around. She has been walking with an awkward stance and wide gait to compensate for the weak core muscles that still need strengthening. Guilty to say, we have brought them to none so far. Can't figure what we have done with all the time we had since January!

Recently, Ch and L went on a "Play! exploration around Singapore" with me. This was organised by Canon Singapore, and I was thrilled to visit two of the playgrounds that I have bookmarked on my list and the street murals off Everton Road. Accompanying me for this exploration trip was Canon's G5 X camera, which was on loan for the purpose of this photography trail, and my trusty iPhone. 

Media Invite

If you are looking for a venue to spend a weekend morning with your family and have a relaxing breakfast, this is one good place to visit!



Saturday mornings are very precious to us, as it is the only day of the week where we can sleep in longer. Sometimes we make an effort to wake earlier and have a good breakfast while enjoying some family time. 

So when I heard of Sandbank's international breakfast buffet, I had to visit! Situated at East Coast Park, it's a good venue to eat at, chill, and still be able to visit the beach, enjoy the sun, the sea and have some fun after breakfast. 

Although you won't expect a large variety of food like what you get at hotel breakfast buffets, the simple fare is enough to satisfy. Sandbank's breakfast buffet is also reasonably priced and doesn't cost us an arm or leg to have the whole family dining there. And just for your info, each sitting is a 2-hour session. 


Here's why you will like Sandbank's breakfast buffet:

1. You can have breakfast ... as lunch!
Because Sandbank's breakfast buffet is served from 8:30 am to 12 noon, you can sleep in longer, yet still be able to make it for scrambled eggs and bacon close to noon.

2. Eggs, eggs and more eggs
I was pleasantly surprised to see an egg station. An egg station that not only serves the usual types of eggs, they do Eggs Benedict too! 

Being an egg lover, L went for this station first, and he was happy with his scrambled eggs.


3. Food, glorious food
With the breakfast buffet line consisting of food from a few cuisines, there is definitely something for everyone!


The speed at which the bacon and chicken wings got wiped out says a lot about the "deliciousness" of the items. I managed to get hold of some bacon and wings, and flew to food heaven after the first bite. Curry chicken for the prata and nasi lemak are worth the calories too! Now ... if only their free flow coffee is as good ...


4. Open, airy feel 
Ample natural light from the sun makes your food look good and perfect for Instagramming purposes. The place is generally airy and is just a short distance away from the sea. 

5. A 15m plunge pool 
Somehow, a pool just draws children to it. While the parents get their me-time, the kids get their morning dose of active play at the pool. There are also public toilet facilities next to the pool for changing. 

I read some reviews stating that the pool is quite dirty. I didn't find it so, and upon clarification with a staff, I was told that the pool is cleaned every Tuesday and Friday by professional pool cleaners. So if you are still worried, visit Sandbank the day after the pool is cleaned?

Standing at the end... Longing for a dip

6. Bonus for the men!
The Husband was happy to see sporting events being aired on the TV even in the morning. 

'Live' sports schedule

Besides having a splashing good time in the plunge pool, the kids were also kept entertained by balloon twisting and glitter tattoo by Weekends Pte Ltd ! 

The balloonist was invited for the media invite and is not an on-going entertainment every weekend.

Information about Sandbank  

Address: 920 East Coast Parkway, #01-28/32 Parkland Green, Singapore 449875 (opposite Parkway Parade when looking across from East Coast Park)

Telephone: +65 6247 7988

[Media Invite]


It was curiosity that prompted me to attend the 10th National Piano and Violin Competition Prize Winners' Concert & Prize Presentation Ceremony at the Victoria Concert Hall on Sunday. I am no expert listener, and can't tell the difference between great works of Beethoven or Mozart, but I was curious about the performing standards of the prize winners and I was itching for some good classical music that weekend. It has been a long time since I attended a concert too. 

My other (secret) agenda was to expose Ch and L to more classical music and hopefully, be able to appreciate why they learn to play the piano and gain some inspiration to be more diligent in their own music-making journey. 

A biennial event, the National Piano and Violin Competition is jointly organised by the National Arts Council (NAC) and the Singapore Symphony Orchestra (SSO). It serves as a talent development platform to discover and nurture young musicians to artistic excellence, and provide opportunities to perform before renowned international adjudicators like Mr Charles Castleman (violin adjudicator) and Ms Anna Jastrzebska-Quinn (piano adjudicator). A total of 25 winners emerged from among 159 participants, and I saw two familiar faces among the group of proud parents that evening. 




This year's edition saw a special commission by local composer and 2003 Young Artist Award recipient Dr Zechariah Goh Toh Chai. His pieces - Quinquagenerian celebration and Quinquagenerian Jubilation for piano, Ondeh Ondeh variations and Two Sketches for violin - were used as competition pieces and performed at the Prize Winners' Concert. 

Ronan Lim Ziming, 1st Prize Winner of the Violin Senior Category, also bagged the final edition of the Goh Soon Tioe Outstanding Performer Award of $10,000 for his outstanding performing qualities in Ondeh Ondeh and Lutoslawki's Subito (1992). 

Luiyi Retallick, 1st Prize Winner of Violin Artist Category

As anticipated, the concert was indeed a spectacular showcase of the top prize winners of all categories who displayed the highest standards of classical music. The concert opened with performances by winners of the Piano and Violin Artist categories, accompanied by the Metropolitan Festival Orchestra conducted by Maestro Chan Tze Law. The two winners played well, but I wasn't particularly impressed for some reasons. 

We were very much more impressed with the younger ones. From their performances, the dedication and passion towards excellence in the classical music scene exude strongly from each prize winner. I was most impressed and captivated by Jordan Alexandra JunYi Hadrill's vivacious performance of Wieniawski's Variations on an Original Theme Op. 15. 

Jordan Alexandra JunYi Hadrill receiving her prize from Guest-of-Honour Mr Ng Chee Meng, Acting Minister for Education (Schools)

It was interesting to observe Ch and L throughout the concert - one sat through most parts with an intent gaze, seemingly appreciating the display of talents, while the other fidgeted in the seat and wished to be out of the concert hall. This certainly has to do with the amount of exposure to such concerts, and I hope there will be more of such family outings. It was also the littlest's first exposure to classical music in a formal setting, and she had to be whisked out of the concert hall after the first performance because she talked too much (apologies!). 

When asked to name a performer who left the deepest impression that evening, the three kids replied:

"My favourite performer is Wang Huang Hao Jia because he plays the piano very smoothly and his posture when playing is good. He does not slouch like some players when they are playing softly." said Ch. 

Wang Huang Hao Jia, 1st Prize Winner (Piano Intermediate Category)

"The best performer in my eyes is Tricia Ng En Lin, [as] the song that she performed was very attractive and lively. She could move her fingers so quickly on the finger board." mentioned Eu, classmate of Ch.

Tricia Ng En Lin, 1st Prize Winner (Violin Junior Category)

Said L, "... favourite performer is Ronan because Ronan got an award and his piece is well-played and nice." 

Ronan Lim Ziming, 1st Prize Winner (Violin Senior Category) & Winner of Goh Soon Tioe Outstanding Performer Award

Well, I do hope they have rubbed off some passion from these prize winners. 

The next edition of the competition will be in December 2017. Watch out for it and I would recommend bringing your child along if he is learning either of the musical instruments. 

Do hop over to Pianomania for his detailed review of the event if you want to find out more. 

Disclaimer: All photos are provided by the National Arts Council, unless otherwise stated. 

MEDIA INVITE

We managed to catch Seussical the Musical on their opening night and it is ONE-HUNDRED PERCENT FANTASTICAL, BOMBASTICAL AND SONGTASTICAL!! Direct from the UK tour, ABA Productions and Diva Productions proudly presents Seussical the Musical at the Esplanade Theatre over the weekend. Today is the last day of the performance and if you are still thinking of going, I say GO GET YOUR TICKETS FROM SISTIC now! 


We were greeted with this stage set-up when we entered the theatre. A blue slide on the stage left, and a treetop walk kind of platform make the whole stage look fun and exciting. The signature Hat of The Cat is brightly lit by the spotlights. Something about the Hat intrigues me, with some magic that is about to happen to bring all of us on an adventure into the magical, fantastical world of Dr. Seuss. 

And I was right. 

Here are 5 reasons why we gave thumbs Up for Seussical the Musical!

:: Impressive performance by the cast
We were captivated by the energetic cast right from the start of the opening song. The 10-member cast brought us into the fantastical world of Dr. Seuss with their powerful vocals in this fast-paced musical. Everyone was amazingly good, but I'll like to highlight the main characters that attracted my attention most - Alexander Faith (Horton the elephant), Elliot Fitzpatrick (The Cat in the Hat), Holly Easterbrook (Mayzie la Bird) and Rosemary Annabella (Sour Kangaroo). The spunky dance moves, accompanied by the upbeat songs, made me wanna jump out of my seat and dance along with them. 



:: Fantastic mash-up of Dr. Seuss stories
Seussical the Musical cleverly weaves in characters of Dr. Seuss stories like Horton hears a Who, Green Eggs and Ham, The Cat in the Hat and Miss Gertrudge McFuzz. If you are expecting Seussical to be an exact interpretation of the books, you will be pleasantly surprised to find that it is not. In fact, I would say it's fantabulously better. 




:: The message of friendship, love and acceptance
Hidden amidst the comedic and wacky story, lies a heartwarming message for all who think deeper into the story plot. 

Here we see Horton, a faithful and empathetic elephant who is gentle and big, as a outcast in a world of agile, quick and opinionated jungle animals. He yearns to connect with those in need and to be connected with another being who cares and values him. His words "A person's a person, no matter how small..." shows that big and tender heart he has for even the littlest ones which are invisible to him. Isn't that what we want to see in our real world too? 

Being so preoccupied with his mission to protect the egg and the town of Who, he is oblivious to girl-bird Gertrude's affection for him. The ending for this oddly-paired couple is good, as with all good endings, and Horton realises that he can receive love as well as to give it. 

As for Jojo, living in a society that doesn't care about any of the things he holds dear to his heart makes him feel unseen and unappreciated by his people. He longs for a friend with whom to share his wondrous thoughts with. In one scene, he fantasies about an underground river that is connected to his bathtub, and his imagination starts to expand with creativity. But this is soon disrupted by his parents, who are angry and cold blankets to his fantasies, and only notice the trouble he creats - water running under the door, flooding the floor. I paused for a moment while watching the performance, and made a mental note to be less like Mr and Mrs Mayor with regards to L's antics. 

Gertrude, a bird with a one-feathered droopy tail, is a sweet little bird who is more comfortable observing others than being in the centre of attention. She doesn't quite fit in the world of flamboyant birds, and feels unattractive and socially insecure. However she soon realises that changing her physical appearance is not the solution. She refocusses on what is most important to her, and dedicates herself to help Horton in his pursuits. Inner beauty triumphs over looks for her and her love for Horton is finally reciprocated. 

The last strong character that impacted me is Sour Kangaroo (ooo, that voice, that Voice she has!) . A diva queen of the jungle, she has style and flair, but she is also hard-hearted towards anything or anyone that is not realistic. But even the most resistant heart will still soften when convinced. When Sour Kangaroo realises she is wrong, and that Horton is right about the invisible Whoville after all, she is quick to acknowledge it and pledges to care for the Whos. 

There are many more learning points from this musical which you can discuss with your little ones. 

:: The Cat in the Hat 






:: Songs, songs, catchy songs




This song has been stuck in my head till now!! Every song expressed the dialogues and thoughts of the characters so well. There were catchy songs like Oh, the Thinks you can think!, Amazing Mayzie and meaningful ones that touched my heart like It's Possible and Amazing Gertrude. The people behind these brilliant songs are Stephen Flaherty (for the music) and Lynn Ahrens (lyrics). Now, Ch and I have our own sing-along sessions while listening to Youtube videos of Seussical soundtracks. *You can get the Seussical soundtracks from this Youtube playlist. 



Overall, my whole family enjoyed Seussical very very much. We are still thinking and talking about the musical, and listening to the songs. This fast-paced musical is approximately 75 minutes without interval. I feel that the musical is more suitable for children above 6 years old as the younger ones may not follow and understand the lyrics that well. 

As part of the KidsFest Singapore, ABA Productions presents many other world-class theatre performances for our children! Check out their website for more info. Or follow KidsFest Singapore on Facebook for updates of their shows. 



So now, it's time for us to visit the library to get the other Dr Seuss books which we have not read, and to buy the soundtrack!

Disclosure: We thank ABA Productions and Asia PR Werkz for the invite. We received complimentary tickets to attend the event for this review. No monetary compensation was given and all opinions are ours. All pictures are provided by ABA Productions unless specified. 

Looking at the number of children's activities that are taking place during this June hols, our kids are definitely spoilt for choices. Too bad that I have to carefully select the number of events/ places we can attend, as my helper is taking a two-week home leave soon. 

We attended the media preview of the Masak Masak 2015 held at the National Museum of Singapore, as part of the annual Children's Season that takes place in 19 different museums all over Singapore. If you are wondering, Masak Masak is a term children use when they play the cooking game. Although there are no cooking games at the Masak Masak 2015, expect your kids to run and explore around the museum, because the art installations are THAT interactive and engaging!

The event is recommended for children aged 3 to 7, so I was glad that Ch decided to come along with my niece, Aly. Ch did comment that the activities were rather childish for her age, but I could see that she also enjoyed herself at each installation. Both girls were engaged in different ways - Aly, being younger, took to the place like a big playground. Ch, on the other hand, read the write-up for each installation, and was able to appreciate the message each artist wanted to convey. 

Here's what you can expect for this year's event:

1. Playgrounds on the Lawn
Open for play at the Front Lawn every Saturday and Sunday, 10am-12pm & 4pm-6pm

Which kid doesn't love the bouncing castle? What more, there are 3 inflatables! In the shape of the iconic mosaic dragon, watermelon and elephant playgrounds that we used to be very familiar with, this brings nostalgia for me as I watched the kids play. 

Momolato gelato is also available here with their special gelato flavour - Masak Masak - and other ice cream and popsicle flavours. The gelato is $3.50 for a scoop, and is available every Saturday and Sunday, 10am-6pm. 


2. Spectrum of Paper by Mademoiselle Maurice (France)
Rotunda, Level 1

Be greeted by this majestic and colourful rainbow origami suspension by Mademoiselle Maurice when you enter the National Museum of Singapore. Stand directly under the installation to capture the most beautiful spectrum of colours. I must say that I didn't expect Mademoiselle Maurice to be so young *grin*

The rainbow origami continues in Sol's Journey at The Salon where she got her inspiration from Jeanette Aw's illustration of Sol holding onto a string tied to a bird in flight. The colourful spectrum of birds gives one the feeling of freedom and hope, and even if one bird is flying in the "wrong direction", the rest of the birds can guide the lost one to the right path. There is also one incomplete wall for the children to add on their own origami.

Sol's Journey is inspired by Jeanette Aw's latest illustrated book, Sol's World: Somebody to Love.

Spot the "lost" bird?

3. Queen of the Forest by Jeremy Hiah (Singapore)
The Salon, Level 1
Jeremy Hiah presents an adaptation of a local children's folktale, Queen of the Forest, via an installation of specially created puppets using shadow puppetry. Children can also get a box of materials to make their own puppet with a donation of $2. 


Puppetry performance schedule: Saturdays and Sundays, 30 & 31 May, 13 & 14, 20 & 21 June, 8 & 9 Aug (20 min session each)



4. Simple Pleasures in Life & Life's Best Journey is with The One You Love by Jeanette Aw (Singapore)
The Salon, Level 1
Singapore's local artiste - Jeanette Aw - presents two wall murals of cute and meaningful illustrations from her illustrated book. The children can fill the drawing at Simple Pleasures in Life, or etch what makes them happy on the black wall to reveal the bigger picture that appears. 


Concourse, Level 1

Hello, Hello?

Flag Attack!

Can or Not?

Tilt!

Concourse, Level 1

Be hypotised by these pretty field of dancing flowers that combines the concept of Renewable Energy with Art. This installation challenges our children to question our current use of energy and to think about sustainable energy sources for the future. 


Canyon, Basement

Without a camera, memories can still be captured through the olden artform of Woodblock printing. Over here, children can do their own imprints using the modern stamps. You can even sneak in a lesson about mirror images using the woodblock prints!


Canyon, Basement

Let the kids explore this enchanting forest that is created from simple materials like crepe paper and plastic bags. See how they tackle the low terrain, narrow passageways and crawl under overhanging branches. But do remind your children to be gentle with this colourful installation. The museum staff get rather nervous when they see children mishandling the installation, especially when they run wild around this installation. 


Perform@PLAY, Level 3

The kids will be fascinated by the dark room and glowing trails that gradually fade on the floor as they push the toy vehicles around on the special floor created for this installation. The use of a special technology by industrial designers - Lim Kim and Alfred Lim - to light up the fluorescence on the floor intrigues me greatly too!

Glowing trails are different for different vehicles!

We enjoyed the engaging play at each installation, and Masak Masak 2015 has definitely allowed the children to have fun while learning bits of art and our heritage. To fully embrace the theme of Masak Masak, I hope the museum staff can be a bit more relaxed with the kids who may look like they are going to damage the art installations anytime in the midst of their excitement and fun. This is after all, a children's event, and we need to be mindful that children learn by touching and playing with the exhibits. On our part, parents can help to prevent any damage on the installations by educating their children that these are works by artists who have spent so much time and effort to put them up. Teach our children to respect the artists' creations and play carefully.


Venue: National Museum of Singapore 93 Stamford Road, Singapore 178897
Opening hours: Daily, 10am to 6pm
Admission is FREE!