Sunday, August 22, 2010

Cheryl Shuen Birthday Cake...

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She has moved to this new address. 268, Joo Chiat Rd.

Cheryl Shuen has been making birthday cakes for our family for at least 4 cakes. The art work is quite good and unique. Yesterday, I went to picked up baby Jay's first year birthday cake.

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It is requested by Mr. Jay Liew, for his brother. Jay said that Kay Kay love Lightning McQueen. So, must do a Car Car cake. So, we made him a car car cake. The special piece to keep is the "Kay" name tag, looks pretty cool.

And of course, my 40th birthday cake. How can I forgot about that...

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It is a Star Wars cake, with Master Yoda battle the Dart Vader. The cake is featured in Cheryl Shuen's blog... http://cherylshuen.com/blog/blog4.php/2010/03/07/may-the-force-be-with-you


Before that... It is Jay's 3rd year Chugginggton Cake.

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As you can see, Koko is coming out from the tunnel, etc. Very fine details. All edible.


And we also made Jay's 1st year birthday cake from Cheryl Shuen. But, that was way before blogging and iPhone came out. so no picture record some how... I think my wife will have the photos.

Wednesday, August 18, 2010

Doh

You can always have fun with anything in your hand. Today, I have Doh... So I created a Doh competition ... It's between PaPa and Jay Jay, where Kay Kay is the audience and mommy is the judge...




Jay made the carot, two snakes, a flower alphabet J, and U made the rabbit, the Starnes the roti prata, a poo poo and alphabet J...

Mommy of course always let Jay to win. And the winner Doh is that carrot on the right hand top corner...

Remember, always encourage creativity...

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MiFi router in Japan

I think I forgot to blog this important experience...

If you travel to Japan, you can do 3G data roaming using Singtel's BridgeMobile service. For that, you need to make sure you are always on SoftBank 3G service. And you pay SGD$20 per day for unlimited data. That is a bit expensive. BUT... you can only have your iPhone activated, so, what about your wife's iPhone, and your iPad and your wife's iPad. You can bring along the MIFI router there to do roaming, BUT... you need to bring along your laptop to configure it so that it will log on to Softbank. Otherwise, prepare to pay tens of thousands of dollars... if you are not careful.

So, one day before I go to Hokkaido, I did some research and found that there are MIFI renting services in Japan. Such as this one... JCR... i.e. http://jcrcorp.com/mobile/mobile_rental_wifi_router.htmmifi.jpg

So, I rented for 9 days. Arrange the MIFI to be sent to my hotel on the first day, and they gave me a return envelop to return it via courier on the last day. I just hand it over to the hotel front desk, and they will just take care everything for me.

For the 9 days, I paid US$178 and all my 4 devices (2x iPhones, 2x iPads) are happily surfing the net unlimited via DoCoMo. So, if you calculate the cost, it is slightly more expensive than the Singtel, but all devices can wirelessly connected. I even brought extra batteries along (I have the Singtel MIFI, same model too, so can use the same batteries). That is why I can blog more than 20+ articles while I am in Hokkaido in daily basis. Why? when you go toilet, before you sleep, when you wake up and everybody still sleeping, this is when you write your travel blogs.. :)

Hope this info will help you travel in Japan with more fun...

A day at the Birdpark

When your boys are young, try to bring them to Zoo, birdpark to create as many childhood memory as possible...





Jay Jay finally not scare of the cow.





The breakfast at the birdpark still selling the same food. But the hashbrown is damn nice!




Don't forget to check out their baby animal chairs...




They love Penguins... This is the first time baby K would understand what he sees.




Jay favorite flamingos...




Don't forget to check out the bird show.. Very nice...



Close view at the chicken. Chicken is a bird.




Feed the birds...




Walk the suspended bridge...




Walk another bridge...





Let him take part in the science discover quest. Jay first ever...





First time using a chopsticks (normal one) to pick up fish... See video...

YouTube Video


After complete 5 little tasks, sign your name to collect prizes...

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And we have a winner and a happy boy...





It's raining... Buy a fancy cow umbralla for him... As he grew older he has more fun time memories...



So as the young one.

You can spend up to three hours to a good 5 hours at the park. Remember, don't ask simple question like "what is this animal" ... Zzzz ... Ask "why the stand on the branch this way?" "who else lays eggs?" ...etc


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Baking fun for kids...

Let's see what shall we do?

Let's bake biscuit.





And I am the cookie boy...



Papa spent lots of $$ to buy the cookie cutter that has the shape of car, planes and train and more...




Look! My biscuit is lovely...




Me and PaPa put all the raisins on the biscuit. Good idea! Papa!





And there is our cookies. Thanks mama.

Always expose kid with curiosity... Let them learn how to bake biscuit from time to time. Last time was making bread... Now biscuit...

He may one day become a create chef...



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Baby Kay eating Rice after 12 months

Ok... We didn't expect this to come that soon... Baby Kay just refuse to take in porridge... So yesterday we have no choice but to jump queue to advanced level... Feed him rice...





Today we will check his poo poo to see if baby Kay can really take in rice or not...

Let's wait and see...

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Laughing Training

A baby should always be very innocent and always have fun! In order to train a happy baby... You do the following...


YouTube Video


If you train your kid every day like this, you most likely have a happy toddler. Always keep your baby laughing, happy happy!!!


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Attempt to draw baby Kay

Remember... Experience is important... My attempt to draw a picture of baby Kay... Not that good but it was fun... And I did it in front of Jay... Just to try to see if he has talent in drawing... May be not yet... Hahaha. Coz daddy not an artist too...




Always expose your kid to arts... Explore and most importantly let them have fun....


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Sunday, August 8, 2010

Good Bye iPhone 3GS

Today, I officially say good bye to iPhone 3GS... And Good Morning iPhone4!!





There are a few Chinese Phrase I news to say...

饮水思源 - means you drink water must remember where the source comes from. Last year I queue 5 hours to get an iPhone 3GS, this here, she waited 3 hours at StarHub to get me iPhone4. Thank you Boon!

混水摸鱼 - means you not suppose to be the one, but you stir the water and disguised as one... Thanks Uncle Song to tip off the "low in stock" outlet location. And crash our way there.

得来不易 - I must say it is not easy at all to get this iPhone4. My wife contract only reach 1 year by September. And there is no such thing as break the contract and re contract in StarHub. So she has to break every single rule, SOP and hurdle to get it!

不亦乐呼 - basically means I am very happy!!!





Photo from front camera...

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Location:Clementi Avenue 6,Singapore,Singapore

Saturday, August 7, 2010

Ramen from Sapporo

10 days ago, when we arrived at Sapporo, we were hungry. So we went to ESTA department store, just beside the Sapporo JR station. There was this Asahikawa Baikonken ramen store in the republic of Ramen on 8th floor. It was delicious.

10 days later, just after 3 hours queuing and got my iPhone4, at the OUB center Starhub Outlet. It's 8pm and we are again hungry. So I suggested a nearby Taiwanese Lunchbox restaurant. Unfortunately, Taiwan Lunchbox don't open during weekend.

So we end up eating Asahikawa ramen just beside Taiwan lunchbox. And surprisingly, it is the same Baikonken Ramen that we eaten in Sapporo.




What a huge coincident. The store front looks the same, even the menu looks the same. But does the taste same too?

Not quite tasty as the Sapporo one. May be the Sapporo one uses fresher veggies, and the pork slices is bigger here but not ad tasty as Sapporo one.



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Friday, August 6, 2010

Withdraw money from Japan

In Hokkaido, you can find a lot of ATMs with PLUS (DBS) or Cirrus (Posbank) that you can withdraw money.

In Fukuoka, the only bank so far is JP Bank ATMs, and it is usually beside a post office.  The rest of the bank ATM are very unfriendly.  Strange, Fukuoka suppose to be 3rd largest city in Japan.

and DBS/POSB will charge $5 extra for each withdraw.

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Fukuoka Beef

Day 7, we arrived late at Fukuoka.. So we decided to go Tenjin to find good Fukuoka beef...




And we found this 10 pax small one man operating restaurant...




The beef looks expensive, what a heck...



And he pours secret sauces..




We had a good time. The meal cost me 23,000 yen. The most expensive meal in Japan.




The next day, me and Jay go eat Fukuoka beef again...



Yummy!!!

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Fukuoka - Day 8

Still cannot forget about the yummy beef yesterday.





The toilet in this Hotel Sunline is quite interesting. After you flush, the water come out to let you wash hand, and go back into the storage for the next flush.





Vending machine for breakfast.



Today, the group split into two. Mommy will bring baby Kay and all the old folks to 太宰府, and I will bring Jay Jay to go sit Shinkansen.




So, we pay 4200 yen for a short trip to 小倉. And we stay in the station and keep sitting on different Shinkansen back and forth before we come out from Hakata station.




We sat in Nozomi, 2 different Kodama and Hikari Shinkansen. 4 different Shinkansen.



And after that, we went to the Beef Angus to eat Fukuoka beef, yes again.




Bought a new Car Car watch for Jay.




In Fukuoka, only few ATM such as JP bank at post office, can be used with DBS or POSB bank card.




Then we revisit Marinoe. There is the ferris wheel, Thomas train, Club Yu Kids and lots of shopping.




Thirsty, drink some orange juice.




Wow.. Coach outlet...




Vending machine selling cosmetics.




Almost every convenient store sell this... But not for baby... What???




Before 10, spend few hours at Yodabashi again... And that will concludes our Japan trip....

Going home tomorrow...


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