pulau ubin - rhino rocks

When we arrived at Pulau Ubin, we were greeted by the ever faithful rhino that stands watch at the bay of the little isle. 

Thanks to Ailei (who organised everything) and to Andrew (who so patiently guided us along each step), we urbanites were getting a tour around Pulau Ubin, trekking along to discover what nature holds for us in this part of the world. Before you think it's a long hike, well no, we've got 9 kids with us and at some point of time, some would want to be carried, fed, pushed along in a buggy or go pee(oh actually, we're quite lucky since it was a hot day, water loss was by another route!), take a break, explore the nature, smell the leaves, touch the rocks or even stare at a spider. So 2 hours were really the maximum that the kids could handle and, we all did it! Lo hicimos! Are you doing a number now? Think Dora! 

The Lipstick Plant

When the seeds are crushed, they give a red stain. A natural food colouring used for butter and cheese, for example, to give the bright yellow.  

A-carrying, an-exploring, a-tasting... 

a-pushing, a-stopping, a-feeding... :) 

a-flicking of rocks to a-burning of jackfruit plant? LOL! 

a-studying of barnacles... 

a-making of lalang arrows and a-fighting... 

a-smiling in front of ermmm... dead coconut leaves? 

a-resting, a-smiling, a-snapping away for the parents... 

Oh.. that's just me, reminiscence of mailboxes and gates I haven't seen for the past 25 years! 

pulau ubin - incy wincy spider...

Let's do a quick recap from Mr Andrew: 

1. This is called a Gold Back Spider, or Batik Back Spider? 

2. This is a female spider. 

3. The female ones are much larger than the male ones. (See orange specks, the tiny male ones,  in one of the photos? No? That's why we so need a macro lens!)

4. I really can't remember a thing! I was too busy trying to do a few manual shot. 

pulau ubin - forging friendship

RK thinks Bryan is funny and No. 1 at singing naughty songs - yep, certainly something I'm gonna be enormously proud of. 

Bryan says RK is his best friend in Singapore, while Ryan Krohne (incidentally also an RK!) is his best friend in Germany. OOOOOOOOh.... RK.... I didn't see that coming! It must be some magic these initials carry with them! 

Of course, Bryan also misses his other best budds like Aidan and Jake. 

I found it real hilarious that my son wants to have the same haircut as RK, while Ad hears the same thing from her son... 

Yep, it's the beginning of a new friendship and here's wishing these guys great adventures through thick and thin! 

P/S. I did tell RK not to stick out his tongue. 

pulau ubin - lalang

In Germany, dandelions are everywhere. 

In Pulau Ubin, we have lalangs. 

And Kristin is just there to help the seeds disperse with a little (more) distance. :) 

May Day

Not crying out in distress, but just a little out of nostalgia. 

May First this year falls on a Friday, which means if we had still been bACk in Germany, we would definitely be travelling. It's a wonderfully long weekend, who wouldn't travel with perfect sunny spring weather of about 20 centigrade? Unfortunately, there isn't much to do here. A getaway has to be planned with Alan's and my working schedules. So we had to find contentment in the parks and nature reserves available in Singapore. 

We started the day in a garden. 

After a few rounds of slides, the heat was unbearable. And we retreated to the water play area to cool down. Actually, only the kids had a shower, the parents waited in the hot noon sun, baked! 

Then to avoid crowds in the city, we decided to make a detour to another park to have lunch among the greeneries. Yes, retreating into romanticism :) 

We ended the day with yet another destination into the greeneries.

All in all, we drove quite a substantial distance - peanuts compared with the distance we would have covered in Deutschland, but still we did do a little travelling today. 

The highlights of the day had to be bubbles. Our ever faithful play group decided to have some bubbly fun. What's there to do when the heat is unbearable?That's the only way we can think of to chill out: Kids had fun and adults didn't have to clean up :p 

Don't bubbles make you happy too? 

making childhood memories...

This is the second time we're back on this beach this month. 

Love it! 

Look at the kids, having a whale of a time during our regular play date last week. 

RK and Bryan, setting up a mining company... Notice how these boys only mine in the shade... 

Gabe and Christian, looking for hermit crabs... Can't help but think of the Sharing A Shell song by Julia Donaldson. 

Kristin, ermm, practising Tai-chi? :) 

Oh what carefree life! 

random shots

It has been hot, extremely hot. All over, people are just pushing buttons, yes, just the buttons that will get the fan to oscillate faster or just the buttons that will get the temperature to drop lower in an air-con room and of course, the actual kind of buttons too with all the meltdowns under this unbearable heat. The sweltering heat gives no respite, my flat is turning into a furnace. I could even dry 4 loads of laundry within an afternoon! Who needs a dryer now? 

But it's also days like these we get wonderful shots, no? 

Here are some random shots: 

This is the view from our flat. However, it will be soon gone with 2 blocks of condo and 5 giant HDB flats ready in 2 years' time. 

Our city skyline will be gone soon... buildings are climbing, with an added level each day. Sigh... but at least the hot days have given me some clear skies to quickly snap a couple of shots. See, the condo... no kidding. They are already there. It's like you're watching a street performance and you thought you had the best spot and then someone had to come and squeeze in front of you. Except this time, I can't exactly say, "Hey, I was here first." I reckon we won't be able to see much of NDP's fireworks from this year onwards. 

What are these trees/plants?

  

Mangroves? 

But don't mangrove leaves sort of have round tips? 

These children discovered their secret passage way - as usual. And when the camera came out, they were all posing. Hmmm... where did they learn this from? 

Can you believe it?

    

Beach used to be 11 hours' drive away, but we are now only 10 minutes away from sun, sand and sea. 

first times in Sg...

A couple of weeks ago: 

First time for us @ Tiong Bahru Market since we came back. 

First time ice-kacang for the kids! 

Terrible pics from my handphone cam. Sorry! 

just for laughs...

Nope, that wasn't what we had for dinner last night. 

In the midst of our unpacking (still an unfinished business btw), A and I realised that we placed a broken light bulb in the wok and then we started cracking up about "light dinner". So... we are corny :) 

I've gone on hiatus since the great move. I know.

By now, we are mostly settled into our routine: A's at work and the kids are in the kindergarten, though we could still improve on the kids' night routine. Somehow moving back to Asia means bedtime is being pushed backwards.  Somehow, the cold winter months in Europe are more energy sapping than the all year long of heat here. 

I, too, have a new schedule: I've gone back to work, not full time though, just for two days of the week. Really there isn't anything to complain about. So the next time I grumble and grouse, please shut my mouth up. Honestly, I'm really thankful for this arrangement. A good break from the kids in the middle of the week. Yet, I get my long weekends all the time. 

Hope to check in again soon...