Thursday, August 30, 2012

Happy Teachers' Day 花花世界

Date:  Aug 30, 2012

Sep 1 is Teachers' Day.  Lorna Whiston Pre-School decided to celebrate the Teachers's Day on August 31.  That is Tomorrow… 

The time is 8PM.  My mission is to get to Far East Flora @ Upper Thomson before 9PM.  And buy 4 types of flowers and 1 type of grass or leaves.

I made it in time before the flower shop close, and managed to get a few bunch of colourful flowers.

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At home, the young designer is immediately put into work.  Mr. Jay Jay.  

His mission is to design the the Teachers' Day Flower Pot.  It will be a traditional present from my kids to the teachers in the pre-school.  

We have to prepare 12 of them.  

So, he started with the little white flowers (满天星斗).  

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Next, he put in the yellow flowers.

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He carefully distribute the flower so that it looks nice.

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Next, he placed a big Red Rose in the middle.

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Lastly, he carefully placed the greeting card on it.

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Remember? Ms. Joy has sticked this behind Jay Jay's back a few days ago?  Jay felt very proud of himself because of that.  He also thank Ms. Joy for giving him that piece of encouragement paper.

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I asked Ms. Joy what he draws.

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So, in return, what do you think Ms. Joy will get as a reward???

Special treatment!

Special card with love stickers on it!

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It is very different from others.  

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Jay Jay: "Ms. Joy!  Happy Teachers' Day!"

OK Son.  You cannot be like this?  You must treat all teachers the same, cannot give preference.  All teachers has given their best to teach you, so, you should make it equal to every one!  HaHaHaHa  He is just reaching 6 years old, I don't think he will understand this yet!  hahahaha

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The time is 9:40PM.  It is time for the kids to go sleep.  It's getting very late.

So, mommy will bring the kids to bed.

So, what shall I do?

Well you know, during Christmas Day, the elves (elf) will help Santa box the Christmas Presents.  And what do you know, the Elf has come out during Teachers' Day eve and start working again. 

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The assembly line has started working.

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It is a 3D Printer.  The Mr. Ken Printer started to duplicate the first pot, designed by the one and only Jay Jay.

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And soon, many pots has been duplicated… by me.  Who says Guys cannot 插花????

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The kids finally slept.  All the pots has been duplicated.  So, mommy come out and adding the leaves onto the flower pot.  It makes it look even nicer.

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After adding the leaves, the Teachers' Day flower pot looks lively!

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HAPPY TEACHERS' DAY!

Thanks you all for taking good care of my sons.  And given them the best teaching and fun! 

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Extra Notes:

1.  Jay Jay also make the 13th pot for teacher Norman, his BrainFit class teacher.  

2.  Jay Jay wanted to do one for Mr. Leung, the Violin instructor and many more.

3.  Jay Jay also wanted to make one for Auntie Racquel.  She was a elementary school teacher.  So, Jay Jay said "Auntie, tomorrow you no need to wash dish and clean the floor.  Because is teachers' day!  How thoughtful!

 

Happy 14 Years Annivesary

Date:  Aug 29, 2012

Time flies.  14 years already.

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Wonderful food and wine at The Clan @ Bukit Pasoh.

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Jay is almost 6 years old.

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Kay has just turned 3.

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Many more years ahead.

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Tyre Exploded

Date:  Aug 29, 2012

How it happened, it's still a mystery.

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It seems that there is a punctured here.

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But because I don't like to be at the centre stage of ECP early in the morning around 8:30am and be the culprit to cause the heavy jam, so, I decided to drag my car to Suntec City Rocher exit bus stop there.  I think it must be a 1-2KM dragging.

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Well… a big NO-NO.

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See what I mean?  When you drag, the rim will cut the tyre further.  And then, the whole tyre was gone.

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Even leave a carbon burnt trail there.  So, quickly, I changed the tyre and drive the car to Peugeot Service Centre to double check if I have hurt the rim or disc or not?

Changing tyre on the road is very extremely dangerous too.  So, I have to put my golf bag 10 meter behind the car to signal "Stay Away".  Within 20 minutes, the spare tyre was up and running.

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Luckily the rim, the disc, the alignment still seems OK.

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So, lesson learned.  When you have a punctured tyre, it is best to stop the car immediately.

When you stop the car, depend on situation, decide to change the tyre.  

If not, your tyre will end up like mine, and I have to change 2 tyres yesterday because of this dragging.

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Encouragement

Date:  Aug 28, 2012

Jay Jay was very happy when he got this from Ms. Joy.  

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Apparently, the teacher will ask them to do some work, drawings, and then will stick a paper behind their back, so that they can focus on drawings and at the same time, the teacher will put "remarks" on their back commenting their drawings.  

So, Jay Jay was very happy come back today and show us this.

However, we still don't know what he drew.

Monday, August 27, 2012

2nd Child Questions

Date:  Aug 26, 2012

Never under estimate the questions your 2nd child will ask.  If they do ask, never give a lousy answer.  :)  Think carefully before you answer and make it a memorable answer for your 2nd kid.

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When I do a lot of videos, especially when I always asked Jay Jay to come and see, Kay will always pop up behind and take a look.  He don 't asked me on the spot, but later, he will mentioned to his mother, "Why KoKo got videos and I don't have videos?"

For a moment, you thought that "OK, next time I will do one for Kay Kay…" would be an OK answer for him.  

In my opinion, NO.  What you have to do is simple, bring him to the stage (sofa), turn on the TV, and then let's watch home video together with Kay Kay in it.  I do have also lots of video about Kay Kay too, like the Kay Bicycle, like the Kay Cable Car and so on.    Then show it to him.  He saw it, and he enjoys it, and he then will not ask such silly question again.  ahahhahahaha  This is a questions of "competitions" between the two kids.  So, the young one always seek for "equality".

The point is, when you thought of doing video, or doing anything, don't forget that you have 2 kids, so, you have to give equal air time for both the kids.  Means, you also prepare a solo home video with lots of his airtime in there.

So for this home video example, even if the young one never ask for it, you also do some home video so that they can watch and remember. 

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When the kids is 3 years old, their thinking level is advanced another steps.  So, you will need to think before hand how you want to react to his possible questions, etc.  He has to be felt equal at home.  When he is 3 years old, he is no longer a baby, all your answers must always think about whether he will accept it or can he understand it.

Just like today, even I did not wear my swimming trunks, I also jump into the pool and play with him, spent some good quality time with him.  He loves it. This is only daddy and him in the pool.  

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Just like his new hobby, drawings… let him had the chance to make his own decisions to attend a class he likes.  He sees his Ko Ko attending so many classes, so, he also want to attend one.

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Just like the bicycle that he felt so proud of.  Also gives a lot of attention to him.

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Sunday, August 26, 2012

The Clan - No Complaint at All

Date:  Aug 25, 2012

Our long awaited gathering happened at The Clan, after Ms. Toh failed to booked the Le Bistrot Du Sommelier (my favourite restaurant).  It's been almost half a year, the whole gang have not sit down and eat together.  

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(Picture a bit blur, because the waiter hands are really shaky!)

This is the restaurant we ate.  

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The reviews are mostly good according to Ms. Toh.  and they just change their menu on Aug 24.

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The restaurant is at Bukit Pasoh Road, just beside The Gan Clan office.  I parked at the Pinnacle HDB car park.  But be careful of those pillars.  I scratched my car for the first time there.  HaHaHaHaHa  

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All of us were so busy this year, and we can hardly have the whole gang gathered together.  Even the usual party, the last one was during Chinese New Year!  So, this year, we decided to pre-booked Dec 24 as the usual party, it shall be a BBQ party at the Lim's apartment.

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The Clan served Fusion Food.  Not a particular food that I like.   Let's take a look at some photos.

The bread is nice.  The kids loves it.  The adults likes the truffle garlic sauce.

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This Apple Juice is extremely refreshing and every one likes it.  One thing to mentioned…. There is no rules in this restaurant.  The waiter see that the kid likes the drink, he automatically bring up another glass for the kid without charging extra.  He sees that the kids like the bread, he bring more bread.

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The Chef's starter.  I love the "Salmon" Ice Cream on the right.  It is a little bit salty but it goes very well with the crunchy cone.  The Chawanmushi is different, a bit looks like jelly when you shake it.  But the Chawanmushi is the same.  The scallop is all right.

By the way, we ordered the WINE PAIRING, so you pay $20 each and you get 3 glass of supposedly 75ml each glass of wine pairing sample.  Later I will talk about the wine.  All the wine goes well with the food somewhat.  Good choice. 

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This is the close shot of the scallop.  I don't really like the soup like bubbles… but the scallop is just all right.  

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The salmon cone looks and taste amazing.

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Most of the food are decorated nicely.

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I did not ordered the Oysters.  It consists of a fresh, one with salsa, and one with a fresh raw quill egg (Yeak!  My wife had it, and they said very nice!).

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This is what I ordered.  A Alaskan Crab Meat.  It is just a stick of crab leg.  From the appearance, I kept commenting the crab leg.  Until the first sip of its meat.  I think they soak it in fresh sea water.  You can taste the salty salty taste from the fresh sea within the crab meat.  It is amazing.  Even in Tampopo I never taste such a salty taste.  The salty taste of the crab meat is really nice.  Sorry, my English is so bad, I don't know how to describe but I like the dish.

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Then, my next dish is a deep fried Foire Gras with reduced balsamic sauce (that three red dots).  This dish is ok.  The batter is exactly like those goreng pisang one, and the Foire Gras has been fried a bit dry.  So, the oiliness of the foire gras has gone a little bit.  But it is a good try.  Except that it does not give you the melt in your mouth feeling.

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My wife ordered the "snail".  Escargot.  Taste OK too.  But because it is fusion food, it is about how you mix match different food materials.  So, the crunchy crunchy mix with the escargot is just nice.

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That looks like a pork belly.  Did not really try that.  But looks nice.  I think Ms. Toh had that.

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Here comes my soup.  That is a crab bisque.  I still think Greenwood served the best crab bisque.  This one OK.  Not as tasty as the one served in Greenwood.  The fried wonton looks like a stick there.  Soak it in the soup, and the taste match.

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Gambai and Cheers.

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The star for tonight (I think after a few sip of wine wine), he go berserk happy.  He is happy for the whole session.  Enjoying his dinner, playing with Jay Jay, and enjoying taking photos using his daddy $3K++++ Leica camera.  hahahaha

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You can see he sits in that corner and enjoy all the food his mommy and daddy gives.

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Come Justin, give a funny face to uncle.

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The Tangs.

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One of the wine pairing wine is this 2005 blend from Rhone Valley.  It blends I think with GSM grapes.  So, when I saw it from the wine menu, without much thinking, I say go ahead with it.  The waiter explained that not many of his customer likes it.  So, I doubt and asked further.  Then he refine his answers… 1)  No complaint from Ang-moh so far on this bottle and the DOC white wine from Italy.  2) Out of 10 Singaporean customers, 7-8 will complaint the wine.  

They wanted to change the wine to Australian Shiraz and Cab Sav.  I said NO.  Bring me the Rhone Valley.

(Remember, I went to 10 days of wine class… see the pairing notes here…  http://miniliew.blogspot.sg/2011/09/class-notes-science-art-business-of.html)

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I advise him that he should keep this wine.  So, when he brought this wine here at the table (75ml).  We taste it, it smell great, and it goes very well with my lamb shank.  Then, the waiter see we like the wine so much, aiya, he bring the whole bottle and pour us more wine FOC.  hahahahahahahaha

I explained to him that The Rhone Valley is a blended red wine.  So, every few minutes or 10 minutes, the aroma and taste is different.  The longer it waits, the the good taste will come.  That is why many people likes the French blend.

So, I am guessing his previous "Singaporean" customers may not used to these French wine.  They probably will go for the Australian wine as it is smooth drinking and light, even though it is a Shiraz.

The waiter then pour me a big glass of Australian Shiraz, and I taste it, it is OK too, will be smooth.  And easy drinking for the "Singaporean".

The dessert wine is not bad too.  It is a German Riesling.  Very sweet and goes well with all dessert.

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The Tengs.

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The Lims.

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Here comes the beef.

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Wow… looks like a Marble 8/9 Wagyu.  You have to cook yourself from raw to well done.. hahaha I taste a piece.  It does not have the real meat taste.  I felt in love with real beef meat.  The Wagyu I found it too fat and lose the beef raw taste.  That is why I did not order this.  But my wife loves it.

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See I told you… Justin is enjoying every single moment tonight.

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This is what I ordered.  Too dark cannot see.  It is a Lamb Shank.  I am betting on this as I love Lamb Shank with no smell.

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That is the big bone lamb leg.

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The white powder is the Olive Powder.  I tasted the first bite, and confirm, NO SMELL.  I think they marinated it with herbs that got rid of most of the smell, and the stew it to very soft, and it is really nice.  I love it.

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Ms.  Toh had the black pig.  She said it was nice.

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The waiter scared that we don't have enough to eat.  So, he asked the chefs to cook two plate of pasta for us to try.  It is very nice mix of pasta.  Well done.  Spicy and crunchy from the dried shrimp.  And it is FOC. 

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My Chocholate lava.  VERY NICE.  The warm and the cold mixed well.  Jay Jay eaten 80% of it.  hahahaha

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Terry performed magic trick.

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Mommy had a chocolate fudge cake.

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Justin still happy at the end.

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So, the restaurant service is tip top.  The waiter keep serving food and wine for us without charging more.  hahaha

The food itself mostly are good acceptable.  The dessert is nice.  The lamb shank is nice.  Every one likes it.

And me and my wife has decided to book the place for next week to taste other food, and for celebrating our 14th anniversary.

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And where is KayKay?  He just sleep on this two chair for the whole 3.5 hours sessions.  hahahaha he was too tired.  hhahahaha

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The Clan.

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