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Prior to this trip, I didn’t have much impression of Macau other than it being a city with lots of casinos and hotels. Nonetheless, wifey insisted that we should make a day trip there and have a look at some of their huge malls. It was a toss between either this or going to Hong Kong Island for more walking and shopping so I picked the former.

The journey to Macau took about an hour and a half by ferry and was largely uneventful apart from the fact that we had to run almost 800m to catch our boat. We made a mistake of checking-in with only 15 mins to departure as we thought clearing customs and walking to the ferry wouldn’t take long. Bad move as there were travel declaration forms we had to fill up inside and the ferry terminal itself was very long with our ferry unfortunately being right at the end. We were quite tired from the run and slept most of the way.

Upon arrival, we took a bus to The Venetian, a huge resort/hotel/casino/convention centre/mall. No prizes for guessing the place the mall was modeled after, and they even had gondolas sailing along an artificial river built along the length of the mall. We were so caught up looking at the surroundings that we accidentally left Alicia behind in one of the walkways only to realize a few minutes later that she wasn’t in her pram. Panicking, we rushed back, retracing our steps, to eventually find her bawling along a corridor with a few concerned people surrounding her. She was really scared and seemed pretty traumatized by the whole event even until a few hours after.

Inside The Venetian. Shortly after taking this picture, Alicia wandered off and almost got “lost” again. Actually we had our eyes on her the entire time but wanted her to learn her lesson of not wandering off alone.

Later that afternoon, we took a taxi to Senado Square, a famous landmark that’s identifiable by its waved patterned mosaic pavement. We bought a lot of almond cookies and egg rolls from one of the famous bakeries along the square and took a few pictures before it started to get dark.

In front of St. Dominic’s Church built by the Portugese in the 1590s.

After a long day of walking around, we decided that it was time to head back to Hong Kong. Unlike Hong Kong though, it was almost impossible to get a taxi and after trying for almost an hour, we gave up and luckily managed to take a bus back to the ferry terminal. Exhausted and hungry, we then had to make another dash for the ferry as it was departing in only a few minutes after we arrived. Bad move! Exhaustion, hunger and the choppy sea were all ingredients for a pretty unpleasant ride back. Ashley was the first to barf all over her seat, followed by Alicia, mom-in-law and finally wifey. I was actually ok, but repeated trips to-and-fro to clean up all the vomit plus its lingering smell on their clothes also made me a little sick towards the end.

I guess we won’t be making any more day trips to Macau the next time we visit Hong Kong as Ashley is now quite worried about long ferry rides!

View the full gallery here.

One of the best reasons for visiting Hong Kong is for the shopping and food. For that very reason, we decided to stay at the Royal Plaza Hotel near Mongkok which is only a 10 minutes walk away from shopping streets like Tung Choi Street (Ladies’ Market), Sai Yeung Choi Street (Electrical Appliance Street) and Fa Yuen Street. There is also a “Goldfish Street” with lots of shops that sell dogs, cats and fish.

Fa Yuen Street

I let Ashley use my heavy 5kg camera, much to the amusement of passers-by

Can’t remember what else we did today but walk and shop and walk and shop for the whole day. Wifey was kind enough to let me go off camera shopping halfway and if you’re ever looking for cameras and lenses, I can’t recommend Echo Photo enough. The staff there were very courteous and not once did I get the impression that they would rip me off just because I was a tourist. The only downside is that their shop is very small so they might not always have stock and might request for you to come back later or the next day. It thus pays to call before going to make sure you don’t make a wasted trip.

Echo Photo and Audio
Hanyee Building
19-21 Hankow Road
Tsim Sha Tsui
Kowloon
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What, we’re not done yet??

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The highlight for the last of our two days in Disneyland was breakfast at the other hotel (i.e. the more expensive one) with Mickey, Minnie, Goofy and Pluto. The novelty of being able to take pictures with these classic Disney characters aside, the food was also pretty decent, with my favourite being the hash browns that looked and tasted a lot like the Burger King ones. Ah, there’s no comfort food like familiar fast food.

I think both Alicia and Ashley were slightly scared of this over sized dog.

After breakfast, it was back to the park to continue where we left off. But before that, some customary queuing for photos.

You won’t believe how long Ashley and I queued for this one. I counted 2-3 toilet breaks from the mice.

Prior to going on this trip, a number of friends had told me that the Space Mountain ride was a must-go. The only real adult ride in the whole park they said. I’m glad they warned me in advance so I had a number of excuses prepared by the time we got there on why it was more important for me to babysit the kids while my wife went for the ride alone. I much prefer rides like the one below where chances of you dislodging from your seat and being catapulted 50 meters into the air are close to zero.

Ashley in the driver’s seat, as always.

Sadly, we could not spend as much time at Disneyland as the day before because we had to check into a new hotel that evening. We were probably too tired by then anyway, but I am really glad that we had managed to visit most of the attractions over the two days. If all goes well, I would certainly like to plan another trip to one of the other Disneylands in 2011!

Farewell, for now.

View the full gallery here.

I must admit, I had doubts when Zhiyi first brought up the idea of visiting Hong Kong Disneyland and had preferred instead to go to Tokyo Disneyland. I didn’t fancy the thought of having to spend half the time queuing with hordes of unruly tourists from the mainland, negative accounts which I have heard from many a friend who had gone before. Thankfully, all my fears were unfounded and the experience was a total opposite of what I had anticipated. While crowded, it wasn’t overly so and everyone was on their best behavior. Queues were long but things still moved briskly. The sun was hot but the cool temperature (it averaged 22 degrees C when we were there) and relatively drier air made walking around the whole day pleasant.

I can’t for the life of me remember which princess that famous castle, which has become Disney’s icon, belongs to.

Speaking of hot, I feel for the poor guys who have to walk or stand around in costumes of Disney characters the whole day. Having seen how damp Merv got on his wedding day after spending an agonizing 30 mins in his Gingerbread Man costume, these chipmunks could not have fared any better. Those thick layers of cloth and fur, devoid of any ventilation holes, must have also made it very challenging for them to go to the toilet, something these guys did almost every hour. Yes, I was actually in the queue(s) long enough to notice this happening.

Strangely, the longest queues were not for the exciting rides but for photo ops with various Disney characters.

Disneyland Hong Kong is divided into a few themed areas – Main Street USA, Adventureland, Fantasyland and Tomorrowland. As with any theme park, the rides are the attraction; and thankfully, for someone coasterphobic like me, the more child oriented rides were perfect. Rides that simply go round and round and occasionally up and down in either a gentle or controlled manner are the best. They help keep my stomach inside where it belongs. Rides like these…

The Dumbo Ride (not to be confused with what my wife calls my cab rides to work in the morning)

The Cinderella Carousel (can you believe that carousels were invented over 100 years ago?)

Mad Hatter Tea Cups (the girls love getting giddy, the mum, not so much)

Another great thing about Disneyland, something which will appeal to adults a lot, are the shows. You’ll be forgiven for wanting to stand up and sing along when theme songs from the hit cartoon movies you used to love when growing up are performed live in front of you.

The Golden Mickeys – a celebration of songs from Toy Story, Beauty and the Beast, The Little Mermaid, Mulan, Lilo and Stich, The Hunchback of Notre Dame and Tarzan.

The Lion King – I loved the ingenious use of animal costumes in this one!

There also outdoor parades at specific times of the day so it pays to study the schedule carefully.

We ended this really awesome day by shopping for souvenirs at Main Street USA while it snowed foam outside (how I wished for the real thing!) and watching the closing fireworks show in front of the princess castle. Despite covering only slightly over half of the park, we were exhausted and happy knowing that there was more to look forward to the next day.

One day, she’ll be able to see the real thing!

View the full gallery here.

Despite having visited Universal Studios Singapore twice already this year, the kids just can’t get enough of theme parks. In light of that, Hong Kong Disneyland was the natural choice for our annual family holiday destination this year due to its relatively short distance from Singapore (“only” 5 hours by plane) and the recent attractiveness of the currency exchange rate (almost 1 SGD to 6 HKD!).

Day 1, of course, was mainly about getting there and checking into a hotel. Hong Kong Disneyland has 2 hotels, and it’s a good idea to stay in one of them if you are going to be visiting for more than a day. Knowing that we would be spending most of our time at the park and little of it in the room, we settled on Hollywood Hotel Disneyland, the cheaper of the two. This art-deco hotel has a regular shuttle bus that takes guests from the hotel to the park and back every 15 minutes or so.

After dropping off all our stuff and spending an hour at the hotel playground, we took a train to Tsim Sha Tsui for dinner and some shopping. Like Singapore, a lot of busy shopping areas/buildings in Hong Kong get decorated and lit up weeks before Christmas. The festive mood was definitely in the air as we spent an hour or two walking around Harbour City. I also managed to pick up a Sony laptop for almost SGD1000 cheaper than what I would have had to pay in Singapore. What a good start to the trip!

Christmas lights and decorations outside Harbour City.

Full day 1 gallery available here.

Is this girl talented or what! Here are some of my favourites.

Play-doh fish.

A collection of Ashley’s drawings/paintings done since she was 3 years old.

Just a week ago, Alicia started taking her first baby steps, wobbling and falling back down on her well padded bum every few steps. And today when I woke up, I saw both Ashley and Alicia walking and “dancing” around in circles in the living room to the beat of Class 95FM. What did I miss?? I probably sound like a broken record by now but kids just grow so fast.

Barely a year ago, Alicia looked like this.

It didn’t take her long to figure out where her toes were.

Then, a few weeks later, she learnt how to roll over (woof!) and lie on her tummy.

Not long thereafter, she was eating solid food…

… even before her teeth started to grow. But when they did, a chew toy was always on hand.

She also figured out soon enough that she could eat AND sit up at the same time.

And while most kids her age were busy playing with toys, this gal was accessorizing!

Alicia turned 1 on 24th March this year and received lots of presents.

Yet, despite all the drastic changes that have taken place in the past year, one thing remained constant – her beautiful, joyful and ever-present smile.

When she wakes up in the morning, she smiles. Even when it’s cold and wet outside.
When you tickle her feet, she smiles. And then looks puzzled at how to remove the itch, as she has yet to learn how to scratch.
After drinking milk, she smiles. For it makes her tummy feel soooooo good.
When you talk to her and make cute sounds, she smiles. She probably finds your atrocious baby talk amusing.
When you feed her her favourite porridge, she smiles. She enjoys eating from a spoon and bowl just like the adults.
When you give her a balloon, she smiles. She loves the horrified look on your face when she pinches and nibbles the balloon.
When you smile at her, she smiles back. And when you laugh, she laughs with you.
And when you feel tired or down, her smile lifts you up. Her innocence reminds you of life’s many blessings.
Does she ever look sad? Only when you walk out the door every morning for work, leaving her behind to count the hours before she can be carried in your arms again.
In her dependency, she makes you feel wanted. And her ensuing smile makes you feel appreciated.
A child like her does not need a thousand words to say thank you. Her smile alone is that magnificent painting of gratitude that only God can create.

They say constantly smiling helps keep you looking young. My parents sure don’t need any convincing!

Dear Alicia, you can probably tell by now what it is about you that we adore so much!

So, here’s a big hug from your sister. And, happy birthday!

Ashley celebrated her 4 year old birthday last Friday (22 Jan) and the first thing we did that morning was to stand side-by-side in front of the mirror to see how much she had grown over the year. She’s only an eighth of my age but turns out that she is over half my height already. I remember that when I was around 12, and about a foot taller than my mum, people used to mistake me as her brother. Not sure if my mum felt flattered (for looking so young) or insulted (for being short), but I imagine the same thing happening between us and Ashley one day. Zhiyi, on the other hand, is trying to delay the inevitable by constantly reminding me to control her food intake.

But back to last Friday, and the weekend for that matter, it was cake and food all the way. On Friday morning, the teachers were kind enough to let us celebrate her birthday at school with her classmates during recess. Ashley had a “princess cake” from Bengawan Solo which, as expected, was pink in colour.

Ashley and the girls in her class, looking very eager for me to get the photo taking over and done with.

And, another with the boys. Didn’t realize that there were two of them hiding behind!

After the cake (and more photos), the kids were allowed half an hour of playtime in the school gym. The school gym was pretty awesome compared to what I had when I was a kid with all manner of slides, see-saws, a foam-rubber-ish running track and other contraptions for the kids to flex their legs and get into fights over (some things never change). And when gym was over, Ashley did another thing that I couldn’t do at my age, wear her own socks and shoes. If her shoes had shoelaces, I bet that she would know how to tie those herself too!

To continue our fun filed Friday, we then brought Ashley to Wild Wild Wet at Pasir Ris, a water-based theme park. Wasn’t expecting much to be honest, but to our pleasant surprise, the park was pretty huge and there were tons of slides for us to try out.

The attraction in the background is called the Professor’s Playground. We spent most of our time there.

That was until we discovered this humongous slide, starting from about 50m off the ground, the Ular-lah, which turned out in the end to be Ashley’s favourite!

Simply looking up at it makes me weak in the knees. That kid really knows no fear!

On Saturday, we had a family lunch at Swensen’s at Vivo City. This time, Ashley had a nice ice cream cake from Angie The Choice. We didn’t realize when we arrived that Swensen’s doesn’t normally allow you to bring in cakes from elsewhere as they sell cakes too, but kudos to the manager for being flexible and making an exception for us!

Whoosh!

To distract Alicia from the cake, Zhiyi resorted to letting her play with her sunglasses.

After the lunch, Ashley opened her presents and received 2 new dresses from her grandparents and Zaccheus’ family. You should see her wardrobe now – I think she has more dresses than her mum!

Nothing like some exercise after a big lunch!

Check out the rest of the photos here.

Ashley will be turning 4 this coming Fri (22 Jan) and we’re now in the midst of planning her birthday celebrations. First up will be a celebration in school with her classmates, then we will be bringing her to her favourite water playground at the zoo in the afternoon and finally a celebration with the family and care group in the evening. In short, she’s gonna eat lot’s of cake this Friday!

2010 also marks the end of pre-school and the 1st of 3 years of kindergarten. She will be continuing on her education at Chinese Kindergarten which sits on top of Jubilee Church at Outram Road. It is one of the better schools we have researched, and it being a Christian school means that part of the curriculum would be the imparting of Biblical teachings and values. E.g. Love your enemies, honour your parents, do your homework and clean-up your room kinda stuff… (I added the last bit)

Here are some photos from her graduation concert held back in Nov 2009.

Ashley taking charge of introducing her class’ performance. She didn’t get “arrowed” to do it, she volunteered!

Tee-hee, look everyone is clapping!

Everyone trying to hit the high notes for the combined song item.

Complete gallery here.

To top it off, she received very good feedback from her teachers. Direct from her report card:

Ashley is a natural leader. She uses verbal and nonverbal strategies to initiate cooperative activity and encourages peers to participate. She encourages others to share/exchange or assist one another with play materials.

Ashley is always creating something new when they pay. She is an inventor and takes risks in trying something she has never tried before (e.g. celebrating birthdays in the tunnel). Through play, she is developing creativity and thinking skills besides social interactions.

And, here is out favourite Ashley artwork to date – a portrait of the family. That’s her on the left, followed by me, then mummy and finally Alicia. I’m still wondering though why I’m the only one in pink…

Lake Tekapo

Almost didn’t shoot this (tired, too early in the morning, foggy, etc) but for wifey’s incessant reminders that "we made it this far". We were just about done shooting when the gorgeous sun came out from behind the clouds, and thankfully dad-in-law was on hand to hold my huge reflector, filling the shadow’s nicely.

On the image, I received a few comments that the scenery looks almost unreal. Yes, New Zealand is that gorgeous. With the right equipment (an ultra-wide angle lens) and enthusiastic subject, it all simply came together.

Wanaka

Received a wonderful tip from the hair stylist, Debbie, on where to take pictures around Wanaka and it’s almost certain that I wouldn’t have found this place otherwise. The hills were filled with tussock or snow grass (their equivalent of our lalang, except much nicer). If Zhiyi looks extra elegant in this photo, it’s thanks to the wonderful makeup and hair services of Carla Lucas and Debbie Forrest respectively. You can contact them here if you’re ever thinking of doing a shoot around Queenstown or Wanaka.

Note: See the larger version by clicking on the image, and going to “All Sizes” in the next page, as the facial details just look mashed in the thumbnail.

Opotiki

It was dreadfully overcast when we decided to shoot on our 2nd day in Opotiki, but as we were about to wrap up, the sun miraculously decided to poke through the clouds just as a flock of seagulls entered my frame. And to top it off, we wouldn’t have returned to the beach for a second round had we not discovered that Zhiyi had dropped her earrings at the very spot she is standing in the photo above when we were there earlier. Serendipity!

More to come!