Yona Yona Penguin at the Jurong Bird Park's Pools Amphitheatre

Our family had never experienced the magic of an outdoor movie, and we had often heard folks talking about how much they missed the nostalgia of it.

So we took a journey down memory lane at the Jurong Bird Park on 27 February and were amongst the first island-wide to catch Yona Yona Penguin. Debuting in Singapore, Jurong Bird Park screened Yona Yona Penguin at the Pools Amphitheatre for a special one-evening only preview.

Directed by Japanese animator Rintaro, director of Metropolis, Yona Yona Penguin is a Japanese animated movie with English subtitles about the amazing adventures of Coco, a small girl with a penguin coat, as she journeys through a world of fantasy and magic to save her friends from the Emperor of the Dark.

Princess Chelsea joined her and her friends in this heart-warming tale where they discover friendship and courage for the first time in their lives. As the entire film is in Japanese, Princess relied on Daddy Tiong’s explanation in order to understand the story.

We entered the park at 6.30pm and got up close to a colorful array of feathered friends from the Bird Park as they thrill us with their antics. We also learnt more about them and their diet from their keepers, who brought them out for a special evening.

~ Taken near the entrance ~

We also visited some endearing tuxedoed friends at Penguin Expedition. Occupying 1,630 square metres, Penguin Expedition is home to five species of penguins, namely the Humboldt, the Rockhopper, the Macaroni, the Fairy and the majestic King Penguin.

A 30-metre long viewing gallery provides ample opportunities for a panoramic view of these fascinating birds as they ‘fly’ underwater. The kids also took some pictures with a penguin.

If this were to take place in a cooling place, it would most certainly make a most enjoyable evening, but unfortunately, the weather man was up to annoy us.

The humid unbearable weather makes it hard to focus on the movie. Prince Christian was one of the ones who went for many a walks. Mummy Eliz had to bring him to the World of Darkness [where we can see the owls] and the Penguin Expedition every now and then for some air-con.

Many parents with little ones were also seen leaving early, before the end of the show.

Nevertheless, as usual, Japanese Animation never disappoints, their plot would always be refreshing, and to Princess, it was a great evening.

Trishaw Night Tour w/ DJs fm FM 100.3

Granny Siew Khim had a most memorable advanced birthday celebration, with special thanks from www.omy.sg, and the energetic DJs from FM 100.3, Jianwen and Kemin.

Everyone, including her immediate family, and the team from www.omy.sg and FM 100.3, took the extra effort to walk the extra mile, to shower an old lady with attention, to make her day.

Mummy Eliz learnt about the Trishaw Night Tour with DJs from FM 100.3, from www.omy.sg, due to take place on 26 February, a day before Granny Siew Khim’s actual birthday.

The Trishaw Ride would be from 8:00pm - 10:00pm, with the starting point at Bugis Trishaw Park, the ending point at Bras Basah MRT Station, covering Rochor Road, Middle Road, Bras Basah Road, North Bridge Road, and Queen Street.

Mummy Eliz wrote in, to request for a pair of tickets, as a surprise for Granny Siew Khim, and she was thrilled to be able to get it.

Mummy Eliz believed that her previous post on Saturday, December 20, 2008, which she attached along with her email, might be the key player to catching the attention of www.omy.sg’s marketing department.

This merit-deserving post can be found at:

http://chelsea-and-christian.blogspot.com/2008/12/love-is-patient-love-is-kind.html

Granny Siew Khim worked hard her whole life, only to retire in the year 2005, and life was certainly not a walk in the park for her.

Despite having numerous difficult and challenging situations thrown mercilessly in her face, she would never allow herself to sink into the deep abyss of self-pity. She would shouldered her responsibilities bravely and move on.

A thrifty kind lady, she never entertained thoughts of spending an extra cent on pampering herself, and yet, she was always generous towards her children and grand-children.

Thus if her now grown-up children were to pay for her to enjoy a Trishaw Ride in the cooling night wind, she would definitely declined, using her Scoliosis (Curved Spine) condition as a perfect excuse as to why she would not be able to accept the kind intentions.

Thus when Mummy Eliz mentioned that the Trishaw Ride is totally complimentary, a slight anticipative smile briefly appeared on Granny Siew Khim’s face, and she was caught trying to hide her excitement.

Granny Siew Khim then shared that her daddy used to be a Trishaw Rider, and that on special occasions, he would give the kids a ride to catch the fireworks at Sentosa from across the harbor.

That was when Granny Siew Khim was still a little girl, many decades ago and looking back now, that seems like a piece of distant memory, surreal and just like a fragment from a dream.

Granny Siew Khim’s daddy died years ago, and she lost her mother recently, end of 2009. Memories of her parents are getting vague, and this ride would be a great chance to refresh them.

Daddy Tiong had the honor to go for her for the ride, while Aunt Anne’s fiancé chauffeured her back and forth. The ride brought them along Rochor Road, Middle Road, Bras Basah Road, North Bridge Road, and Queen Street.

~ Happily waiting for the Trishaw Ride to begin ~

~ With Daddy Tiong ~

After the ride, they had snacks and games with the FM 100.3 DJs at Settlers’ Café, a place where you can find good snacks and lots of interesting board and card games for some great bonding.

A humble lady unused to attention, she would smile when she felt uncertain about how to most appropriate handle the attention.

When the birthday song was sung to her, she hung her head sideways in embarrassment. When the DJ interviewed her about her deceased father, she smiled. When a hunky young man gave her a birthday kiss on the cheek, she smiled cheekily.

Thank you everyone, to you, it might be only a small effort, but to Granny Siew Khim, it would be a piece of great memory, to hold and treasure.

Contagious Words of Encouragement

Whenever Mummy’s two darlings did something out of their comfort zone, or made little achievements, Mummy would say that she is proud of them for the effort.

And earlier on, at the library, while browsing through a baby book, and admiring a rainbow, Prince Christian asked Mummy if she is okay with pink [he had always insisted that pink is Mummy's favorite color; just like Princess Chelsea; although it was not] not appearing on the rainbow.

Mummy said that was fine, and that she accepted it, and Prince generously gave Mummy a hug for not insisting, and said that he was proud of her.

So, it is not just colds and viruses that are contagious, words of encouragement are too! Isn’t it nice to know that?

CNY Reflections ref transfer of wealth

You know how they always, that during every economic bloom/crash, there is always a transfer of wealth silently happening, and the ones who know how to cash in on the opportunities uniquely presented at that point in time, will be the ones to end up more wealthy. One can never guess the winner of this game.

Mummy Eliz says, during every Chinese New Year, the transfer of wealth is also happening, definitely, visibly happening, and it is without any trace of a doubt, from the willing parents to the kids.

Zoo Trip w/ Mervin God-Pa

Another enjoyable zoo outing, and this time, we caught the Rainforest Fights Back and the Splash Safari Show, it had been more than a year since we last caught the shows, and thus, it was a great mind-refresher.

Princess Chelsea volunteered and got picked for a hands-on experience with Carlos, the friendly sea-lion. She certainly enjoyed throwing the fish to Carlos, and getting a kiss back from him.

See the video url below for some sea-lion action-packed laughter, including kisses and handshakes at
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=viKKRCDM8wU

While at the Rainforest Kids’ World, we had a great biology lesson. Some of the male goats were apparently feeling the urgent need to procreate, and thus we witnessed them hitting out a little too enthusiastically on the females, with their family heirloom fully prepared to do the job.

Thank you once again Mervin God-Pa for the time and effort to go with us, extending to us the complimentary entry.

~ Princess striking a lovely pose ~

~ Feeding the goats; Princess is really skinny ~