Pokemon Go Fever and its effect on me

Walking around shopping centres and parks now, you would probably be greeted with people of all ages with their eyes fixated and fingers swiping on their phone screens. If you happened to peek into what they were looking at, 85% of the time, you would see Pokemon on their screen.

I was hesitant to download the game because I knew I would be glued to it.  One fine day while waiting for Lauren to be dismissed from her class. I downloaded the game and it has gotten a lot of my attention ever since; I couldn’t explain why the game is so addictive. Probably because you could show others how you managed to get hold of some truly rare pokemons.  Within 2 hours of downloading, I captured 12 different species.  Now 4 weeks into the game, I caught more than 1200 pokemons and have a cool 124 different pokemons. I convinced Kel to play too. Telling him that it is the latest frenzy now – “just get a feel of it and it could be a ice breaker”. Personally I feel Pokemon Go got its pros and cons.

oi000017-01

Lauren and her Pikachu

 

Pros:

  • It makes couples who play together grow closer. Kel and I will discuss what pokemons we had and any new species caught that day and where we caught it.  We gave each other silly ideas of how to catch pokemons and often laughed over it.  It has turned into a common interest of ours now.
img_20160830_164643

Kel and I catching some pokemons before our dinner date

point-blur_oct032016_192913

Kel catching the Europe exclusive Mr Mime for me

  • Its makes my relationship with Lauren much more interesting and engaging. I often told others that I was very guilty of not giving Lauren enough love. Indeed I gave her a lot of my time but she did not get my patience. More often than not, my time with her were homework time, time practicing piano and time spent on the road when sending her to her enrichment classes. Our conversations were also often about how school was, did she practice piano, etc. Ever since we played Pokemon Go (Lauren plays on my phone or Kel’s phone), I could feel us being closer and more connected “like a friend”. Not the authoritative Mummy asking about school work but fun Mummy asking Lauren to come and see what Mummy had caught for the day. To make her piano practicing fun, I told her that her beautiful music made catching pokemons easier, the music were lures to the Pokemons. Voila.. Lauren played much better with that idea.

20160910_145009-01oi000008

  • Ice breaker to business contacts. I have a difficult customer and guess what? Talking about Pokemons became a door opener for me. Nowadays everytime I see my customers talking about pokemons, I will quickly jumped into the conversation. From strangers, we would become like long lost friends.
  • I become a Geo expert. Tell me anywhere on the Singapore map and I could almost instantly point out where it is; all these were from the help of Pokémon and Go Radar.

Cons:

  • Dangerous. Ok, I need to admit that when I was very into the game, I would walk and play at the same time.  There were a couple of times when I accidentally knocked into someone. I had also heard about some people even played while driving; I think that is truly dangerous. In other countries, many robberies took place at pokestops which were situated at very secluded areas.
  • Disconnected with your surrounding.  Many times people were so engrossed in what is happening in the virtual world that they forgotten that their loved ones who were right next to them. I had constantly reminded myself to involve those around me.

There are supposed to have more Cons than Pros but because we are all so into the game now. Let’s just focus on the Pros. Just remember to do everything in moderations. 🙂

Follow:

CLAK in Hong Kong

June holiday would not be complete without a overseas holiday for the girls.  Hong Kong was a last-min decision between Kel and I; I had taken too many leave from work for the past few months and Kel’s work schedule in June looked crazy.  A short getaway to Hong Kong seemed like the best option for us.

This was also the 1st time we were bringing Alexis on our own.  The last time we went Bangkok with the girls, Alexis was only 6 months old and we had Aunty Siti with us. This time round was a dry run for us to experience the Feisty Alexis for 4 days before the real deal of 16 days at Tokyo and Hokkaido with the girls in December.

Singapore Airline

In love with the giveaways by Singapore Airlines

Singapore Airline

Watching Zootopia!

Singapore Airline

Thank you SIA for making my flight a breeze.

Singapore Airline

Alexis squeezing into the basinet to catch some sleep

Singapore Airline

Kid’s Meal

 

The flight experience was better than expected, probably I was expecting scary moments but Alexis did well. The bulk head seats helped a lot by allowing Alexis some space to walkabout.  We took it easy on the 1st day, some walking and dining nearby the hotel. Dining was bad due to the fact that Hong Kong’s eateries were not really that child friendly.  There wasn’t child seat and I had to carry Alexis on my lap. Alexis was throwing everything on the table onto the floor and I couldn’t really finish my food because she was screaming to get off my lap. In the end, I went out without eating much.  Lauren was a sweetheart, knowing Mummy wasn’t in her best mood. She was constantly trying to get Alexis’ attention so that to give me some “me” time.. Lauren also helped me a lot to ensure that Alexis was safe when I was attending to some other stuffs.

Hong Kong Airport

Taken by my sweetheart Lauren.

Hong Kong Airport

Queuing for Taxi

Hong Kong Holiday

 

We went for the Star Ferry ride on day 2.  A nice way to view the beautiful harbour of Hong Kong.  Walking around Tsim Sha Tsui, window shopping (because it was impossible to shop with Alexis) and dining at Cha Chang Ting.  We walked to the famous Australia Diary Co and had some eggs and sandwiches before heading back to the hotel to rest.  Part of the plan was to go the The Peak via the tram.  Unfortunately , the queue for the tram up to the peak was way too long, We were told it could take more than 1 hour to queue. The unbearable summer weather also made it impossible for us to queue an hour with a screaming Alexis strapped in an ergobaby.  We ended up taking a taxi up to the peak and had dinner at Wildfire. It was part of Father’s Day celebration but I seriously thought Kel did not find any part of that day a celebration.  LOL.

Hong Kong Holiday

Day 2, here we go!

Star Ferry

Wan Chai Pier

Star Ferry Hong Kong

Beautiful harbour view

Star Ferry Hong Kong

It’s also my 1st time taking the Star Ferry

Star Ferry Hong Kong

Have to credit Kel for this amazing shot

Hong Kong Holiday

Trying my luck to go shopping with Ms Feisty

Australia Diary Co

Finally here after walking a good 35min! Australia Diary Co

Parklane Hotel Hong Kong

Not really resting in hotel when you have these 2 super energetics jumping around

The Peak Hong Kong

Hong Kong’s beautiful skyline view from The Peak

Hong Kong Holiday

Happy Father’s Day!

Hong Kong Holiday

Dinner at Wildfire The Peak

 

 

We braced ourselves for Day 3, Disneyland. Summer in Hong Kong was no joke. The sun was scorching hot and most of the rides were outdoor.  The heat made our trip to Disneyland the most unpleasant theme park experience ever.  Honestly I preferred our previous trips to the Universal Studio Singapore. The quality of rides and the pricing of the tickets were much more competitive. The fact that there were no express pass offered in Disneyland (there was a Fast Pass but it was not like our USS’ express pass) also lowered the satisfaction level we had.

Hong Kong Disneyland

Disney MTR to Disneyland Hong Kong

Hong Kong Disneyland

So bright that Lauren couldn’t even open her eyes.

Hong Kong Disneyland

She was not very cooperative

Hong Kong Disneyland

Family photo!!

Hong Kong Disneyland

Queuing for their rides

Hong Kong Disneyland Toy story

CLAKs with Buzz and Jessie!

Hong Kong Disneyland

I love you Ms Feisty

Hong Kong Disneyland

Going back all tanned and sweaty.

 

After day 3, I was very determined that Hong Kong is only possible for year end holiday. Hong Kong in June will never happen again.  The shopaholic Papa and Mummy attempted some shopping after our lunch at Lei Garden. Unfortunately we realized it was not possible with Alexis screaming to get off the Ergo carrier. The moment I let her down, she was scrambling all over the place.  That was the mere 5 mins of walking experience Alexis had on Day 4.

P6210546 P6210547 P6210551 P6210563

 

Things we liked this holiday:

  1. Hotel- We stayed at Parklane Hong Kong. Conveniently located right next to Causeway Bay MTR station.  Tons of eateries at your door steps. Sogo and Times Square are just a stone’s throw away.
  2. Food- It’s not wrong to name Hong Kong a food paradise. We were never disappointed with any of the eateries.  We especially like the Mun Fai Chiu Chow noodle at Causeway Bay  (22-24 Jardine’s Bazaar Causeway Bay) and the Eggs at Australia Diary Co (47 Parkes Strret, Jordan).  The girls were in love with the food too which took 1 obstacle off the list.
  3. The Peak- The last time I was there was during my Pak Tor time with Kel. Its like a walk down memory lane but this time round with our 2 gems along with us.
  4. Family Support- Because it’s our official 1st CLAK holiday, I am super grateful and appreciative of Kel and Lauren. They helped in every possible ways.  Great Teamwork! Psst.. Kel was the one washing the bottles and packing the diaperbag daily.

 

Things we learnt from this trip and hope to improve or avoid in future:

  1. Never attempt Hong Kong in Summer with kids and no help. Hong Kong’s summer is hotter than Singapore, IMO.  Sweaty and frustration were the main descriptions for this holiday.  Things might be better if we were in a cooler weather.
  2. Eat at a restaurant rather than a eatery if you have young children. Restaurants have higher chance of child seat and a table to yourself thus you are probably not as embarrassed when your child starts throwing tantrum.
  3. Use an ergo carrier rather than a stroller when you are exploring Hong Kong. Streets are not that stroller friendly. We only used the stroller to Disneyland, the remaining of the time we conquered the island with Ergobaby.
  4. Taking a taxi up The Peak might be an easier option as the queue for Tram can take more than an hour.
  5. Get your Disneyland Tickets online here. I realized there were some promotion but we were not offered that when we bought the ticket on site.

 

 

Follow:

iFly Singapore Indoor Skydiving

The real skydiving?… You must be kidding.  I have toyed with that idea when I was younger but now the kiasee-0-meter in me is 10/10.  The best alternative to experience the feeling of a skydive is to do an indoor skydive.

Being in Singapore is fortunate because iFly Singapore is home to the world’s first largest themed wind tunnel for indoor skydiving, spanning 16.5 feet wide and 56.5 feet tall, almost five storeys high. In addition, it is the only wind tunnel with an 18 feet tall acrylic glass wall offering you an unparalleled view of the South China Sea.

iFly-Singapore-1280x852

When Lauren turned 7 this year, (iFly only permits children age 7 years and above to fly) we booked a session to try it out.

A short briefing was conducted to guide you on the body posture in the tunnel, followed by fitting-on session of the gears.  Here we go!!

Gearing up at iFly Singapore Lauren in her iFly Singapore indoor skydiving gears

 

Surprisingly, Lauren did very well as a first timer and a lot of spectators were cheering for her. 🙂 So proud of her. For us, we came out with a little muscle cramp after the session. Probably our bodies were stiffer and our muscles were tensed up when we got in. Overall, superb experience!

iFly Singapore kids indoor skydiving iFly Singapore kids indoor skydiving

Package for First Timer Walk in Rate
First Timer from 7 years-old onwards Rate
The Challenge (2 skydives) $119
The Adventure (4 skydives) $199

 

We took The Challenge package and Lauren asked for 2 additional flies after the package and with each fly she got better and better…  It was cheaper to order additional flights before your session ended. Just let your instructor know that you would like to add on more flights. Each additional 45 sec session costs $40.

If you are excited by this post, here are some tips for you before you head down to Sentosa.

  • Wear comfortable clothes.
  • Wear well-fitted laced-up sneakers with non marking soles.
  • You might want to leave your jewelry and valuables at home as all such items must be removed before gearing up. Lockers will be provided though.
  • Ladies with long hair are advised to tie up to minimize messy knotty hair. (my hair got tangled up badly so this is important)
  • PLEASE BE ON TIME. You will need to check in 1hr prior to flight time for training and gearing up.

It is cheaper if you book 2 days in advance, book your flights here to enjoy the savings!

 

 

Here’s a video of our 1st fly.

iFly Singapore is located at 43 Siloso Beach Walk #01-01 Singapore 099010

http://www.iflysingapore.com/

Follow:

Lauren made her debut in the kitchen with Spurbox’s Breadmaking class

After the sewing class with Sew Into It,  I am so into hands-on class for children. I searched around and found a breadmaking workshop conducted by Spur Box.

I have read somewhere that kids who are not offered hands-on learning opportunities are more likely to turn to fast food and pre-packaged meals when it comes time to start cooking on their own.  Cooking also involved a lot of brainwork. Cooking requires basic knowledge in chemistry (how the application of heat changes items), biology (where food comes from), math (measuring and timing), and management (getting everything together in a timely fashion).

I also believed that if a kid helps to prepare the meal, he/she will more likely to appreciate the food and actually sit down and try new things.

 

The workshop was conducted at the culinary venue at PoMo. It was a 3 hours workshop, well organized by a team of experienced teachers. The teachers were very good at handling the young children in the kitchen.

P3182506 P3182504

Each participant was assigned a counter to work on.  Demonstration was done in a chirpy way to engage the children.  Lauren was so attentive to the details that she was telling exactly what to put and what to mix.

P3182519 P3182525 P3182512

P3182528 P3182552

While waiting for the dough to rise, the teachers gathered the children around and told them an interesting story about the history of pretzel. It was done with cute and interesting props and all the kids were so engrossed.

Refreshments were provided during the 2nd wait for the dough to rise and the children were playing among themselves.

P3182543P3182574

After the teachers placed the doughs into the oven, the children were given clays to play with. They were asked to make pretzel shaped clay and to decorate a paper box to put the clays they had made.

P3182568 P3182585

Finally when the teachers distributed Lauren’s bread to her, she was standing there amazed at her own creation. Lauren is a picky eater but because she made the bread, she finished the loaf in the car while I was driving home. So the studies about kids who get their food right from its source are more likely to enjoy the end result, is true!

 

Learn more about Spur Box’s classes here

P3182578 P3182581 P3182591

Follow:

Our visit to Pororo Park Singapore

There are a total of 11 Pororo Parks in the world; 7 in Korea, 3 in China and Pororo Park Singapore is the 1st Pororo Park in Southeast Asia. Pororo Park integrates entertainment and education elements in an indoor playground setting. From arts, science, cooking to magic tricks, children can enjoy hours of fun and craft classes through Playing And Learning Skills (PALS).

pals-1

Lauren is no stranger to indoor playground but Pororo Park was Alexis’ 2nd visit to an indoor playground. Her first was to Kids’ Amaze’s Toddler section but that was not comparable to Pororo Park. Alexis was ecstatic when she got into the Sharkpool. She stayed in the pool of balls for 30mins! Each time we tried to lift her up, she would struggle and drop herself back in. Even after enticing her to try other sections of the park, she would eventually walk back to the Sharkpool.

IMG_7218 IMG_7216 IMG_7240

I personally found Pororo Park Singapore catered more for the younger kids. (below 8 years) There are many sections that I thought might excite younger children more. Nevertheless, older kids can explore the play gym and also pick up  some skills from the classes conducted in the park.

P3142337

Pororo House

P3142339

Interior of Pororo House

P3142342

Interior of Pororo House

P3142352

A brick and built section in the park

P3142360

A small playground for younger children

P3142354

For those who likes to play pretend, there is a supermarket in the park

P3142402

The toddlers’ section

P3142397

Alexis playing at toddlers’ section

P3142355

Play gym

For Lauren, she is a Miss Congeniality. I did not have to worry much about her as she was making new friends at the park. There was a play gym and a theatre that conducts classes and that kept Lauren really busy. Lauren attended a K POP dance class.

P3142336

Lauren at the K POP dance class

IMG_7224

There was also a train ride that ran every hourly. Do call your child back to have a short ride; kids always enjoy rides. Me being the kiasu mum, I queued on behalf of the girls while they were playing.

P3142381 IMG_7253

P3202624

For children who like craft works, there is a room for handicraft works. There are different classes daily and parents can go to their website to view their schedule.  There is also a theatre for shows and dance lesson.

P3142356

Handicraft room

P3142358

Theatre’s schedule

P3142370

Pororo dance

What I liked was there is a nice café to let parent have some refreshments while waiting for the children. The park is also equipped with a kids-friendly restroom and a nice baby room. (good for breastfeeding mum)

P3202617 P3202630

P3142399 P3142400

We spent slightly over 2 hours at the park and that was good enough to tire the girls out. Bring your kids down and their ticket prices are as follow:

 

Admission Rates

2 hours playtime:

Age Group Non-Member Annual Member Partners
Children aged 2 to 12 years $33.50 $23.50 $28.50
Children below 2 years $24.50 $16.50 $20.80
Accompanying adults $6.00 $2.50* $3.50*
Babies below
1 year
Free Entry
Additional
playtime
$5 per block of 30 minutes (or part thereof)

*Up to 2 adults. Additional accompanying adults will be charged normal admission rate.

Credit and Debit card holders / card members of these following partners will enjoy Partners’ admission rates.

 

  • dbsLogo
  • ocbcLogo
  • popularLogo
  • safraLogo
  • starhubLogo

 

Pororo Park Singapore is conveniently located at 6 Raffles Boulevard, Marina Square #02-29 

+65 6250 9700

Follow: