Monaco, the 2nd smallest country in the world, still run by kings and queens. A half an hour train ride from Nice brought us to a luxurious looking train station, with granite walls and marble floor, still smelling new. This wealthy little kingdom is a tax haven, where there is no income tax for individuals, which is why many wealthy businessmen and celebrities ’seek refuge’ here.
Like Nice, this place is characterized by its ochre-coloured facade and narrow lanes, many selling Formula One souvenirs, after the prestigious Monaco Grand Prix, held annually in the streets of Monaco. Again, this is also the place to spot hunks and babes with nice golden tan, clad in white linen outfits. A huge change from Paris, where black seem to be everyone’s favourite.
Mal first time in a cathedralthe very new and luxurious train station the REAL Monte Carlo Casino, not a replica we stayed at Las Vegas
One of Nice’s most divine pleasures is wandering the outdoor markets along the Cours Saleya. Blooms of every color and shape burst to life. Row after row of spices beckon. Fresh fish are stacked in icy display cases. Humongous fresh garlic sun bathing in the sun. Local artists working on their masterpieces. The air is perfumed with the smell of provencal lavender sachets and scented soaps. Colourful candies shaped in life like bugs and animals.
Our ooohhs and ahhhs could be heard along the way and I couldn’t help chanting …
‘what a nice place to live,
we shall be back again’ …
and at this store, which serve fried local seafood in small plates…we saw lots of people eating this … socca, a speciality of southeastern French cuisine, cooked with chickpea and olive oil. it tastes like sweetened pancake and taste really good with local beer and refreshing cokewhat a sinful dinner !
Old Nice or Vieux Nice is a bustling, lively and a happy place to be. It is a ‘real’ district where the real Niçois still lives and locals from all over the city goes to do their shopping. This charming little town is like a huge maze, with winding lanes and narrow streets filled with little boutiques, cafes, restaurants and shops selling touristy nicknacks. To me, the place looks more Italian and Spanish than French with its ochre-coloured facades, green shutters and balconies decorated with lovely flowers and laundry. It is like a picture captured from the TV screen and to be there, standing in some narrow stairways, shaded by its surrounding buildings, looking overhead to its little patch of clear blue sky is like a dream come true for me.
hello kitty cat, I am from Singapore, where are you from …
Summer is here and with a 6 days break at the beginning of the summer, Daddy had went ahead with the planning and booking of a trip to Nice, a touristy city on the French Rivera (Côte d’Azur) while we were still in Singapore. This trip apparently coincides with the Annual Summer Sales in Paris, the much awaited sales, the sales that attract shoppers from everywhere! and I can’t help but to think that it was Daddy’s little scheme to lure me away from the big sales! I know, how unappreciative can I get! I am ashamed.
Mal was however all excited about taking his ‘bullet’ train again and didn’t mind even it means losing a few hours of sleep. For us, we were beginning to love this new idea of traveling by train. No more GPS, no more map reading, no more deciphering of road signs. We all get to nap, eat and even play a game of cards. The only downside is, you can’t load a car full of luggage, you only pack what you can carry climbing 20 flights of staircase.
The 5.5 hour train ride brought us through rolling green hills and winding coastal tracks along the Mediterranean Sea. Yes! the Mediterranean, a place that I have always wanted to visit and I am beginning to thank Daddy even if this trip was really meant as a lure!
I found this video, the greatest video ever, on MetroDad, my all time favourite daddy blogger, Pierre Kim. He is funny, witty and occasionally vulgar and I just love the way he writes.
As many would know, due to the nature of my husband’s work, our family get to travel quite a bit. We were in the States for the last 2 years and currently living in Paris and probably more to come. Frankly speaking, sometimes I dread having to adapt to new places, new cultures and now new language. Not being a very people person, I have never been very good at adapting and making new friends. I used to joke that by the time I have adapted to a place, it is time to leave. I yearn for deep sincere friendship rather than superficial social acquaintance but many time, the former is not possible without the latter.
this video made me tear up terribly! Tears of guilt, tears of inspiration and mostly tears of joy. I was touched deeply. Its arrival couldn’t be more timely. The night before, Daddy and I were just discussing about our different outlook in life and how he advised that I should take a carpe diem approach to life and stop fretting about the small stuff.
To a certain extent, I felt guilty. Guilty, for the time I choose to retreat into the comfort of home than to step out and meet new people. Guilty, for the time that I choose to harp on the differences than to embrace them.
I realised that
maybe I am not much of a city dweller or traveler afterall.
maybe I am just another whiner, living too much in my own world, too cozy in my comfort zone.
maybe this foreign place proves to be too claustrophobic for me.
It was during our recent trip to the countryside that I realised how much I missed the open grassland, the boundless ocean, the empty land that stretches far and wide.
This video tucked my heartstrings. It makes me feel little and it dwarfs all my accomplishments, if any, and hence I attempt to write, It is hell of a world out there, what it has to offer, what we can give.
May we take the focus away from us, for we are nowhere near leaving a legacy like this,
if we can’t get passed us. Afterall, what is us? Merely insignificant, minute beings, in this vast space, called Universe.
Mal is back in school for a short 3 hours every morning. Some people asked me why I did not send him for the full day school so that I have more time to shop, rest, pamper myself and basically enjoy the parisian life. My answer could be the lunch in school that doesn’t suit his taste, the cold beds that they do their afternoon naps, the teachers whose patience and energy were sapped dry… With him back in school, I have some time for myself. Grocery shopping, read a book over coffee, go for morning jog or simply kick off my shoes, bare my feet and let the morning dew kiss my toes. And think to myself, ‘how good if Mal is with me now’
For the time we were in Singapore, Mal has not been eating well. He refused to finish his milk in the morning, refused to eat on his own, only want to be fed, never finish his food. In his own words ‘Grandma doesn’t cook as nice as Mummy!’ maybe I should be happy for that or I shouldn’t be so gullible as to be taken in by some excuses cooked up by a 4 year old.
The truth is, I had been slacking since I touched down Singapore. Food was served timely on the table without me lifting a finger. It felt good to be pampered this way, but not for long. I soon realised that not participating in the cooking also meant having to eat whatever that was served. We could eat kueh kueh and bao for breakfast and bak chang (dumplings) for lunch. I no longer decide what to cook, how it should be cook and how much to cook. My complaints could be heard frequent. How this should be cooked in this way, how a little bit of salt would make the dish taste better, how cooking in lower heat could enhance the flavour etc. It seem almost endless and I was sure my mum got frustrated with me. It was just so hard to suppress the control freak in me and YES I am very used to cooking and running the kitchen MY way.
So now it is back to the 3 of us at the table. Mal is back to sitting at the table with us. He uses his spoon and chopsticks, eats on his own, finishes what he was given, joins us in small conversation and asks to be excused from the table after meals. It felt good to be back. No more bao, kueh kueh or dumplings for breakfast. Instead for the past few days since we were back, this is what we ate for breakfast. Trust me, this ooey gooey raw rolled oats porridge tastes better than it looks and we all LOVE it!
the best part - It is SUPER healthy! Here are some nutritional facts of roll oat
- it contains minerals and vitamins
- is a very good source of iron
- is high in fibre, both insoluble and soluble. Insoluble fibre aids in regular bowel movements and soluble fibre aids in controlling the blood sugar level in the body
- contains beta glucans which helps to lower cholesteral level in the bloodstream thus reduce the risk of heart disease
To prepare, just mix the below ingredients and cook till roll oats soften. Easy peasy! 3 tablespoons raw roll oats 2 teaspoons honey few red dates (optional) few wolfberries (optional) 1 bowl of water note : dried longans and raisins can be added instead
Just a day before flying back to Paris, my sister and I decided to pamper ourselves with a one night stay in one of the finest hotel in town. It was by far, the bestest hotel we have ever stayed, considering the price we are paying. We love the bathroom. YES, the bathroom with a million dollar view. We love the spacious room, with its huge sofa and working desk. The staff were super friendly even to local guests. I can’t say enough good things about the service of this hotel and of course I did not miss the chance to Do the Karen Cheng.
We checked into our twin bed room slightly after noon. I was glad I wrapped up my packing earlier that day and checked into this hotel for a much needed rest before our flight. The room we booked came with 2 complimentary tickets to the Singapore Flyer, the World’s largest Ferris Wheel, something that intrigued Mal since before its opening. There was a long queue when we got to the ferris wheel in the evening and we waited for almost an hour. I wasn’t very impressed by how the place was run maybe because it was still new and I guess there is room for improvement. We almost had to leave the queue because Mal had to go to the restroom while waiting. Luckily, after much hassle, we were allowed to move forward to where the restroom was.
Lucky star was however shining upon us as we were presented with a whole capsule all to ourselves! This private capsule which normally can accomodate 28 passengers, cost $1000 during off peak hours and $1500 during peak hours! We almost went berserk. You should have seen us do our boogie in the capsule, rejoicing over our unexpected luck. Mal however stayed stuck in the seat for the first few minutes as he was too scared to move about. The next thing I did was, gave Daddy a long distance call and described to him what lay in front of us. The all so magnificent, beautiful and breathtaking Singapore’s night skyline with its glittering lights and restless highways, seen from above.
We could hear the engine of our Boeing 777 roar down the runway, Mal propped up from his seat, leaned so close to the window next to him, his face glued to the small pane, his eyes never leave the runaway. He scrutinized every single movements of the flaps and ailerons on the wing, repeating to me what he saw as our plane took off, slowly gaining height till we finally lost sight of the island. Mal never miss any chance to watch the plane take off and land whenever we fly, no matter how tired he was and he has to have the window seat.
The invention of planes has to be one of the greatest humanity’s achievement in modern history. Till today, this huge flying machine still marvels me. Its ability to carry tonnes of weight and stays in the air for a time which seem almost eternal. In 13 hours, we flew 6669 miles, transported from a little tropical island on the Earth’s equator to a cosmopolitan city with totally different culture, climate, people, building and architecture. To many, it is a place they dream of and to some, it is a place they may never get to visit in a lifetime.
As I sat there, I thought about how easily 2 hearts which were separated by this vast distance, living in 2 very different time zone, could soon be reunited. Yet, on the other side of the world, there were new people whom we left behind and we knew we will soon miss.
Distance separate us all, yet if we look at it again, we are actually merely a plane ride apart.
Doing the Karen Cheng at Yellow Stone National Park, Old Faithful Snow Lodge. I searched through my whole collection of photographs and only managed to find this pathetic shot of me in the mirror!
So the secret … I am a HUGE fan of Karen Cheng, an Australian blogger, writer, web designer and SAHM to 2 very adorable boys. She is cool, hot, inspring, positive, stylish, organized, creative, intelligent, fun, artistic, expressive, all I aspire to be and much much more. I will probably go goo goo gaa gaa like a fanatic teenage fan if I will to see her in person and to think that she is 5 years YOUNGER than me, arrrghh what have I been doing ?! nah, I was kidding.
Anyway, when I received an invitation to join this group on Facebook, started by her, I naturally jumped at the opportunity. So here is me, Doing the Karen Cheng again, basically taking pictures of myself in the mirror. This time with my new haircut at the gym today.
A few weeks ago, in an attempt to explain to Mal how lucky he was compared to many people in other parts of the world, we showed him some news clips on China earthquake and Burma cyclone Nargis. We were hesitant at first, not sure whether the ‘real world’ might be too much for our 4 year old. We went ahead, censoring some of the more gruesome pictures and clips, taking the bet that he should be able to handle the reality.
At 4 years old, Mal learned about natural disasters through books and during our road trips to National Parks and different parts of US. He is familiar with earthquakes, hurricanes, tsunami and tornadoes but it is the first time that natural disasters happened so close and so recent. As he watched the news, we answered his WHYs and HOWs and soon derived at how we could help.
We struck a deal. For every token in his Big Boy Bag, he could exchange for a dollar which would be donated to the Singapore Red Cross Society to help the Chinese or Burmese victims. He counted his tokens for the week, there were 20, which means he could have 2 small treats or 1 big treat all to himself. After some discussion, albeit reluctantly, he parted with 10 tokens and accepted a small treat with his remaining 10 tokens. That was his first donation to charity. 5 dollars to China earthquake victims 5 dollars to Burma cyclone victims
The following week, he counted 20 tokens again. This time, almost instantly without hesitation he chirped . ‘Mummy, I want to give 10 tokens to the people in China and 10 tokens to the people in Burma’
Both Daddy and I were taken aback. It was only the 2nd week and Mal seemed to have internalized our teachings. He had chosen to give up his treats. Everything for the people he had never met and Nothing for himself I was moved beyond words and caught a glimpse of shimmering wetness in Daddy’s eyes. It was a feat. We both know that we may never have given so generously.
WE DID IT! We flew half way round the globe to attend my beloved sister’s and uncle Eddy’s wedding.
It took us a looonng while to decide. It was a mad rush where Mal’s visa was approved 2 days prior to our departure. Since we touched down Singapore, we were out almost everyday. Shopping with the bride-to-be for dresses, shoes, accessories. Rushing for appointments with hairdresser, beautician and wedding planner. We hardly had time to catch up with our sleep and recover from our jet lag much less inform our friends about our returns.
The wedding went on smoothly and perfectly and was all so lovely and touching. The bride glowed with a radiance from within, the groom was all smiles despite a recent attack of chicken pox. A beautiful and handsome couple whom we know all our lives.
The day started early at 5.00 am. Mal was given the honour to open the wedding car door and later on had a rolling good time bouncing, dancing and wrecking havoc on the wedding bed, a Chinese tradition to bless the newly wed with a baby boy. The night wedding banquet was a grand one with close to 500 relatives, friends and guests. It was a night of fun, laughter, tears and yum sengs. I was touched and emotional. Tears rolled down uncontrollably on a few occasions, when my sister gave a speech when I saw her walked down the aisle when the presentation video I did for the couple was played (a 5 min photo montage which took me months to do)
I realised that all these meant so much to me, to be here together with my family and everyone else, preparing for this big day and giving my blessing to this special couple.
I believe I will look back one day, probably when I am much older, peaceful with myself simply because I made the decision to go through the hassle, spent the money and borne with the short separation with Daddy.
The choice wouldn’t be so clear if not for Daddy’s wise words Money cannot buy Happiness. When you can, spent it.
Monaco, the 2nd smallest country in the world, still run by kings and queens. A half an hour train ride from Nice brought us to a luxurious looking train station, with granite walls and marble floor, still smelling new. This wealthy little kingdom is a tax haven, where there is no income tax for individuals, which is why many wealthy businessmen and celebrities ’seek refuge’ here.
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