Tanglin Mall Christmas Display

Marika & Isabella - Tanglin Mall's Christmas Tree

Tanglin Mall Christmas Tree & Falling Snow, Well Flying Soapy Foam

Concert in the Botanic Gardens

We had been talking about going to a concert in the Botanic Gardens for the past year, we even tried once, but the torrential rains forced us to abandon that attempt, we even went as far as taking the bus out there, waiting for half an hour then deciding to head to a drier environment, a Thai dinner at Tanglin Mall with soggy feet. Back to the story at hand, we finally made it to a concert, well kind of, rain and a sleeping Isabella delayed our departure, then the taxi driver had a little trouble, but we were able to help him out. Not sure if he was trying to play us or really had an IQ of two and a half house bricks and was unsure of where the Botanic Gardens were, he knows now, well until he picks up another fare that looks like tourists. Oh how I get sidetracked, when I said we made it, the concert was from 5pm to 7pm, we arrived about 6:30pm and it finished up ten minutes later, at least we saw some and had a nice walk through the misty botanic garden, funnily enough we ended up again at Tanglin Mall for dinner and to check out their Christmas display for this year. Sadly it not as good as last year though they still had the snow, well soapy foam that the kids like to run around in and play. The monthly Tanglin night markets were on, I had heard they were good, I must get my hearing checked. It was a few dozen stalls selling mostly pre loved or hated stuff people no longer wanted. I don’t think I’ll bother going to these market again, well maybe I will if the weather is good and I have another reason to be at Tanglin Mall, maybe the rainy weather kept all the good stalls away.

To top out the markets visit last night we headed out to a new market, the bazaar at Clarke Quay. Yet again we were sadly disappointed, the quality was great, the quantity wasn’t with only about a dozen stalls, in its defence it is only the second time these market have been run, it’s a great spot for a market so hopefully it grows into a success.

One Year Living In Singapore

Today marks one year of living in Singapore, it seems like we have been here longer. I guess a lot has happen this past year, mostly relating to the birth our daughter Isabella, who is growing so quickly, but I guess we have a while before she asks for the keys to the car.

Our Scooting Bella Is On The Move

Look at a few of the places we have found Isabella over the past week.

Under the Dining Room Table

Under the Single Sofa
Under the CoffeeTable
Thankfully she is not climbing yet! But I guess that is coming.

Six Month Immunisations & Check-up

Bella had a visit to the doctor’s today for her check-up and six month immunisations. She is now 67cm long and just over 8kg, so our tubby little nubby is growing well. Just to make your day she is sitting on my lap helping me write this blog, grunting like a trouper and filling her nappy with the oh so smelly stuff, I’m thinking it might be time Bella had some mummy time. As for the immunisations, I just can’t not watch the big needles go into her little legs, she takes it well, a little screaming for 60 seconds then she’s OK. Her mum only screams for about 30 minutes, just kidding. Yes I do question my grammatical skills, can you have ‘can’t not’ together?

Orchard Rd is really starting to bring to life its Christmas facade. We might have to do the tourist thing this year and ride on the ‘Christmas Lighting-up’ tour bus, then again maybe not! I’m a recovering retail worker (RRW) also know as Christmas shopping centre syndrome (SCS). Years of working in shopping centres and the whole Christmas deco and oh so repetitive Christmas music can send any sane person postal at the first sight of holly or the first line of a carol. I’ve been a RRW for about 6 years so I’m doing OK, I’m even aiming to enjoy my first Christmas as a dad. Two years ago I decked out some of the front of our house with lights, and survived! Last year I skipped the house lighting as not to push my luck, this year I’m even planning on going into a shopping centre during December, after all Singapore’s national pastime is ‘shopping’. I wonder if you can get valium in Singapore!

Singapore Zoo Night Safari

Well we made it to the Singapore night zoo, well the ‘Night Safari’ as they like to call it. It was the Friday the tickets were to expire and like most of the month it rained lots that day from lunch until dinner. It stopped and cleared so we decided what the heck and were in a taxi 15 minutes later (that’s damn quick considering the baby factor). As for the Night Safari I wouldn’t really call it a safari, now our safaris while in Africa were excellent, this was more a stroll in the dark with occasional animal noises and jumping for your life to avoid being hit by the Night Safari tram, wouldn’t it read great, on an animal safari and taken out by a tram! As you might guess, being it was night, it was dark out there and the light was very low (I guess to help your eye adjust for seeing the animals in the dark, now we did see some animals, mouse deers, a tiger, some lions in the distance, pigs (mmmm bacon, oops this is a zoo for the preservation of animals, where did I see that sign for Kudu steaks and chips), mosquitoes (well we didn’t see them as much as feel their lovely sucking of our blood). Like all the zoos I’ve been too, the food was overpriced and under quality, however the food court just outside the gates looked really nice, not sure about prices. We didn’t take the tram. Maybe if there is a next time we should take the tram to enhance the visit.

Isabella is Six Months Old Today

Look world, I’m six months old today! Hooray

Look Mum; I’m just like dad, if only I could reach the keyboard

Oh No, Christmas is Coming

Well I went into the office today, first time in nearly a month, me so bad. Anyhow it’s the first of November and Christmas is coming ready or not. This morning they were setting up the big Christmas tree outside Raffles City shopping centre, and the street decorations along Orchard Road / Bras Basah Road are starting to go up. Students were even setting up a tree in the university’s common area this afternoon, maybe we too should start setting out Christmas deco up, well maybe not this month, come to think of it we won’t even be home for Christmas, visiting family, the Christmas thing to do! My favourite Christmas movie is Chevy Chase’s Christmas Vacation, just call me Clark, mmmm that reminds me I need to buy a few thousand more Christmas lights. It’s a Wonderful Life is also a great Christmas movie but doesn’t satisfy my need for illumination like Vacation does. I noticed Christmas lights were on sale at Mustafa’s. I think our visitors a few weeks back enjoyed their three trips to Mustafa’s.

It poured down rain again this afternoon, as it has done for the past few weeks and continues to look menacing, we have been wanting to go to the night zoo but the dang weather just hasn’t been in our favour, we have tickets that need to be used before the 10th. Hopefully the zoo venturing gods will be kind to us before then. Rain Rain Go Away, Come Back Another Day, hey its Singapore, of course the rain will go away and come back another day, most likely tomorrow afternoon about 4pm.

Isabella has learnt a new trick, grabbing and pulling hair, so Marika keeps her hair up and I’m considering the swimmer style shave, just the itchiness as it grows back is putting me off. The funny thing is she hasn’t tried pulling the hair on my head or even my beard; though she is rather fond of cranking on my chest, arms and legs hair. She is eating two serving of rice cereal a day; we have been meaning to cook up some mash for her, maybe this weekend, I’m guessing she’ll like spuds, well mashed spuds, her mother loves baked spuds.