100% Pure New Zealand

Jordy revelling in the hay at the Waikouaiti races on New Year's Day

Sorry everyone for the long absence from the blog! Bloggie silence usually is an indicator of one of two things: either we are having an amazing time so no time for online chatter, or nothing exciting is happening and I can't think of anything to write. In this case, thankfully, the former holds true!

Since I don't have the time to do a blow-by-blow account of why our trip to NZ rocked (and rock it really did), thought I'd post a few pictures to show the emergence of Jordy, the 100% Kiwi Boy. It was as if a secret part of him suddenly was unlocked and like a little phoenix rising from the flames, he grew into this more aware, more evolved little person who became even more comfortable in his own skin. It was very special to witness.

He loved that being in New Zealand was like leaping into his Baby MacDonald video and his farm books. He had a great time looking at and chasing all the animals - lambs were a favourite, as were cats and dogs and seagulls!

Little lamb leading Jordy up the garden path at Lindale in Paraparaumu

But more than the animate things, he especially treasured the spectacular natural environment that is New Zealand. He must have touched every flower - from tiny white weeds to roses in full bloom - in his Mama Maree's garden.

Nature baby in the garden

He had his longest walk (round trip too mind you!) at the Dunedin Botanic Gardens - a full 45 minutes - where his eyes (and mind probably) boggled at the splendid colours in front of him. He studied tiny plants in the rock garden, tried to hold on to a ladybird, and marvelled at the sheer scale of the trees.

Figuring out his place in the world

But I think what he loved best of all was the beach. And I think that's where his two very different cultural identities merge - he is the child of two Island people. His dad was born in a town by the sea, where seagulls try to peck at your fish and chips, and his mum was born in a city island state, where you cannot swim anywhere without seeing boats or oil tankers on the horizon!

He was Himself at the beach. He loved the feel of sand through his fingers, and he would often stop to look up at the sky and wrinkle his nose at the clouds floating by. He smiled at the seagulls who fixed on him with beady eyes. He cruised along on a boogie board pulled by his Uncle Nick.

Trying to bury himself at St Kilda beach
Wheee!

He invented games at the beach - there was the jump-on-the-crackly-dried-up-seaweed-and-laugh game, the toss-the-peach-backwards game, the fill-up-my-plastic-turtle-with-sand-and-then-try-to-fill-up-the-picnic-basket-with-sand routine, and of course, bury the ball!

Jordy demonstrating a stellar peach toss at Waikouaiti beach

When he finished playing his games, he walked around looking a bit more, often stopping to look at the little sand pools the other beach goers had dug out with their shovels, and of course the surfers.

I am King of the Foreshore!

We're now back in Singapore, all sporting tans of various shades of golden-brown. But Jordy gained a bit of an inner tan I reckon. Having his feet planted firmly in New Zealand soil has added more soul to his already spirited self. And of course it should, that's what going home does to you!

I'm very proud of my little island (x2) boy.

Have Yourselves a Very Happy Christmas!

Heads, shoulders, knees and toes in Mama Maree's garden

Here's wishing everyone reading this a very Merry Christmas!

We've been in New Zealand a week and already it feels as though we've always lived here! Jordy is loving the weather, the ant-less grass, the many seagulls to chase, and of course, his Kiwi whanau. Pity that his molars decided to choose the last two days to slowly emerge. We've had amazing days, but extremely unsettled nights. Let's hope he doesn't scare Santa away tonight with his screaming!

Jordy and his favourite pram observe the clouds

Anyway, will update soon about our fun times so far! In the meantime, Ho Ho Ho! May 2010 be filled with love and laughter :)

The Joy Luck Club Goes to Bangkok!

This picture pretty much captures the essence of the holiday! Four mums sans bubs, three massages, 2.5 days. Bliss

OK this is rather overdue but I have to record my first trip away from Jordy for posterity's sake!

A few months ago, the lovely Adora mooted the idea of the four mums going away for a long weekend to Bangkok sans bubs. Yes, you heard right! But first, we had to get our wonderful husbands on board with the idea. Amazingly, all four Joy Luck Club men were pretty open to the idea, everyone pencilled the dates down in their calendars, and off we went to book our tickets.

Being the Type A mom that I am, I started planning for the trip a few weeks ahead. And was rather excited to type up an Excel spreadsheet (lame I know, but there you go!) for D as a resource for his solo-parent weekend with Jordy. I present to you an excerpt from the three-page long document. I put in as much detail as I could think of, and am thankful I did, as the handover was rather seamless!

7.00am	Breakfast	Milk: 180ml (3 scoops) before breakfast. Weetbix x 1, milk, prune juice, mashed banana	Give 5ml of Multivitamins (in fridge) after breakfast. Spoon is in container next to fridge. Brush teeth. Take out fish nuggets from freezer to defrost on counter.
9.00am	Morning tea	Assortment of crackers, Gerber star puffs, Cheerios, raisins, rice crackers (depending on where you take him)	Spare crackers and Gerber puffs can be found in food cupboard above dish drying rack.
11.15-11.30am	Lunch - Homemade Fish Nuggets	1. Fish nuggets: Heat up on gentle heat in frying pan. 2. Wholemeal bread (1 slice): Spread very lightly with Vegemite and cut into squares. 3. Grapes (10+), cut into quarters.	Wash or wipe his hands before lunch.

So, with admin matters wrapped up, it remained for me to pack my very few belongings and head to the airport! Of course these few belongings now include, courtesy of my wonderful husband, the latest model of the iPod Touch. It is beautiful, sexy, sleek and I am a little too obsessed with it for my own good. I actually got a little thrill when I whipped it out in Chathuchak market to refer back to my Christmas shopping list.

But I am getting ahead of myself.

I won't go into a blow-by-blow account of where we went and what we ate, but suffice to say that we stayed in the truly marvellous Legacy Suites in Sukhumvit, grazed continually throughout the day on the gastronomic delights that only Bangkok can offer, squeezed in three massages in two and a half days, and talked and talked and talked.

I'm not sure which I cherished more, the "me" time that was so mentally and spiritually liberating, or the shared confidences with other women -who-happen-to -be-mums who share so many similar values to me. If one thing the last 15 months have taught me, it's the irony of motherhood being both the great leveller, but also the great divider.

Meet any stranger on the street, and if they are a parent, there is usually enough fodder to sustain a good 10-minute conversation. But sometimes, very quickly into the 10 minutes, you discover a thing or two that either unites you, or causes you to take a few steps back and walk in the opposite direction!

Example: a mum at my local playground asked me rather aggressively how I could even think about sending my child to a non-airconditioned childcare centre. "It will be too hot for them!" she exclaimed. I then told her that it was precisely because it was non-airconditioned that I wanted to send Jordy there. She looked at me with great dismay and didn't say anything to me after that. Hmm.

I don't mean that there is one correct style of parenting, of course not - I say amen to different strokes for different folks - but there are just some issues, sometimes even really superficial ones, that just make me want to run away screaming from the person I am talking to! Maybe this comes from one too many strange conversations with all types of caregivers at my local NTUC.

Alas, I digress yet again. It was just so lovely to be away from the routine of life with a toddler, and to not have to think about cooking the next meal or hauling a bag crammed full of Jordy-stuff for an outing. It also made me really treasure what I have, and miss my two boys in a Norman Rockwell painting kinda way.

Now, how to broach the subject of an annual Joy Luck Club holiday with D? Heh heh...

A Round of Applause for the Gentleman in the Hot Seat Please!

OK, first up, to the people who read this blog regularly, my apologies for the rather long silence on my end! I've just been having too good a time these last few weeks with mum-in-law extraordinaire Maree who was in town from wintry Dunedin.

To make up for the unforgivable hiatus, please find below a video taken today of the Jordy clapping! Yes, for the first time! Not that I'm one to get too paranoid about reaching of milestones but he was slightly overdue on this one! Well, I guess he makes up for it in terms of his rapid progress with the little ol body of his. The stuff he gets up to now truly keeps me on my toes.



I'll post more on what we've been getting up to these past weeks, the major highlight of which was our family holiday to Bintan! For Bintan virgins, D and I were rather impressed overall with the place. Water was lovely, resort was pretty decent (service slow and kampong-like but hey, we were on holiday and I only used the phrase "This is unacceptable!" twice, haha!) and our villa, magnificent and just the right thing for all eleven of us! Yup you heard me right! D + me + Jordy + MIL + Mum + Sis + Her Husband + her three kids + Aunty Aida, her helper. Only person who was missing was my poor dad who was completely immersed in preparations for the Asian Youth Games. We missed the ukelele, dad!

Highlights of our first Turnip family beach holiday include:

*Lovely villa we stayed in, with its own private pool. We never even made it to the main pools at Bintan Lagoon.


* Going for joyrides in our buggy.


* Chilling out with the whole family. Puppets and Bananagram were the orders of the day.


* And the beach that was 200 metres away from our villa!


Note: All photos except for the last are courtesy of Mama Maree. The last amazing family shot is taken by brother-in-law and photographer-with-the-uncanny-eye, Les! Thanks so much :)

Talented Mr Jordy (or, Personality with a Capital P)

Jordy surveys the Malaccan skyline

This has been a HUGE few days for Jordy. Since I last posted, the little molecule (his new nickname, coined after I misheard his Granddad Adrian calling him a little miracle one morning) has grown into a new little person. In the last seven or eight days, Jordy has:

1. Sprouted a little tooth on his bottom gum
2. Pulled himself to standing in his cot, and against various pieces of furniture
3. Started babbling and talking throughout the day - he can say "dadada", "tatata", "mamama", "gagaga", "wawawa", "bababa", and he uses these interchangeably throughout the day. From once a silent baby, he is now a regular little talk show host wannabe. This happened almost overnight!
4. Become a lot more personable and is more interested in other humans!
5. Developed leg muscles in a big way! He walked on the entire balance beam at Gymboree (while supported by Granddad), and can even stand by himself for a heart-stopping moment in the bath. YIPES!

Jordy before his sudden interest in humans. With the lovely staff at the Dutch Harbour Cafe in Malacca

Jordy's Granddad Adrian and his wife Sally have come all the way from New Zealand to meet the little man! We promptly plan our first overseas (or rather overland) trip with Jordy to celebrate. Destination? The nearby Malaysian town of Malacca. We travel over Easter weekend and here are the major highlights (and major occurences):

* After a seamless transition through Singapore immigration, we encounter a massive, EPIC bottleneck at the Malaysian side. Four and a half hours worth of traffic jam. To travel THREE kilometres. Throw in a teething baby and a new, unbroken-in car seat and whad'ya got? Family fun in the sun! Truth be told, it really wasn't all that bad as a) we hadn't expected the jam and hence didn't have time to ponder the hideousness of being stuck in traffic for that long, so it was kind of a novel experience; b) we borrowed my parents' new Toyota Wish which had a (blessed-mother-of-God) DVD player so a LOT of Baby Einstein was played; c) Jordy was a real brick (he weathered through a seven plus hour car journey in the end, the little molecule!).

* Jordy's first overnight stay away from home. He settled beautifully into the cot the hotel provided (he woke up briefly both nights but went back to sleep) and generally was a most adaptable kid. Truly wonderful little traveller. He even good-naturedly hung out at four to five cafes/restaurants every day, while we had gastronomic feast after feast that is Malacca.

* Going for lots of walks all around Malacca, along boardwalks, up hills, over deep monsoon drains, manic night markets, and up a sky tower for 360 degree view of the city.

* Going to sleep on his Granddad's shoulder for his morning naps (what can I say? Granddad Adrian has a soporific effect on Jordy).

* Subsisting on jarred baby food for the whole time (I'm including this as a highlight only 'cos from a purely homecooked-food kinda kid, I was worried about the whole travelling with a baby who is not fully weaned business, but now I swear by Only Organic, a New Zealand brand of organic baby food. Jordy loved the Pasta Bolognese, Mango Banana Bliss and Fruit Muesli).

Hugely succesful trip and we're all very proud of Jordy (and ourselves of course!)

Then on Tuesday, Granddad Adrian and Sally came and hung out with Jordy and I at his weekly Gymboree class! Jordy had great fun being swung around and boogie-ing with his Grandad. Sally took lots of photos and cheered Jordy on. Jordy even managed to crawl up a long ramp all by himself!

Jordy navigates the curvy balance beam with Granddad's help

From gym to pool - Jordy (and us!) then hung out with Gong Gong and Mama at the pool. This was his longest paddle yet. He kicked and splashed and generally had heaps of fun, and didn't come out of the pool until night fell! He did holler and yell when we tried to bath and change him though. Oh yes, have I said already? Jordy hates lying down now. HATES IT. Nappy changing time is like a pro-wrestling match with a very robust and vigorous Jordy kicking and twisting this way and that, and a very harried mum trying to out-maneouvre him.

Splish splash I was taking a bath!

And then today, D took the day off (whoopee!) and we proceed to JORDY'S INAUGURAL VISIT TO THE ZOO. I know, lots of caps lock in this post but it is truly warranted. Believe me. He loved the zoo. And was just a little brick :) Highlights include

* Jordy's day of transport adventure - he went there by car (slept most of the way), was pushed around in a stroller, cruised along on a battery-powered boat, and hung out in a breezy tram.

* Gaping at a beautiful, flecked butterfly when it landed on his meaty little thigh! That was in the biodome which was one of his favourite exhibits I think

* Staring intently at schools of fish at the pygmy hippopotamus enclosure

Three generations of Turner men on a private cruise

We spent more than five hours at the zoo today, and Jordy was just perfectly behaved the whole time. I know, I know, quit gushing already about the bub but I just can't help it. He was SO GOOD.

The Baby and the Tram

D and I are going to become Friends of the Zoo, as we see ourselves spending rather a lot of time there in the coming years. Phew! Okay am a bit too exhausted to carry on typing. It's just been such an eventful few days. Oh... and HAPPY BELATED EIGHTH MONTH BIRTHDAY, JORDY!

Counting fish

My Kiwi Holiday Summed Up in a Picture

T'was the night before Christmas...

A Very Kiwi Christmas: Episode 1

Swimming in the Clutha River, Alexandra, NZ

So here we are at last! A whole two and a half years after farewelling Aotearoa, we're back in paradise on earth. Today was picture perfect Kiwi Christmas Summer Holiday stuff. Picnic, swimming, sun bathing, reading, blobbing on big towels, having sandwiches and grainwaves with ginger beer. On the banks of the idyllic Clutha river, no other souls save ourselves around. Perfection.

D's uncle K made a swing, and within half an hour of him perfecting it, a bunch of kids discovered it and were swinging from it and plunging into the river.

Soaking in the sun

We're staying in the most picturesque place in Ce ntral Otago (with D's aunt who is housesitting for a friend), replete with outdoor spa pool! Sensational. Gearing up for a massive home cooked Christmas lunch of gushpazho (sp?) soup, smoked manuka ham, new potatoes, baby carrots. berry ambrosia and dark chocolate and raspberry tart. Yum!

Me and F striking a pose - Millie waiting patiently for us to throw her a stick in the river.

It's just wonderful being with D's family again in beautiful South Island. Can't wait for Christmas! For a party of six, we have a rather disproportionate number of presents! Think a big mound. And the culture here where we open presents one by one... will guarantee a rather busy Christmas day I'm sure.

Love and warm fuzzies to all this festive season - catch you in the new year!

A Tribute to A and his A380

Let's start at the very beginning: two chocolate swiss rolls, the wafer-thin tail (D's inventive prototype), and for the nose, a Kinder Bueno.

This post is a tribute to A, who out of all my friends, has displayed the most consistent obsession with the A380. A's just put in a winning bid for the inaugural flight on the A380. Our heartiest congratulations to you! Who'd have thought that two-and-a-half years ago, when we were putting together this cake as a surprise for your birthday, you'd become a part of history?

PS: our cake just rocked, didn't it?

And for the wings, two triangular pieces of sponge. Sculpted with precision.

What a beautiful thing.

Cover with a clean paint job of my secret icing recipe.

M&M windows, and a painstakingly recreated logo (procured from the A380 website no less) and there you have it... I'm pretty sure, Wellington Central's inaugural A380 cake put together using ingredients from Centre City New World.

Bangkok Beautiful #1

Grand Palace, Bangkok

Just returned from an amazing four-day weekend in Bangkok chez J, who has the best taste in art by the way. Dean and I went up first on Thurs night, and D joined us on Friday night and it was all systems go! Dean's and my excitement (and hence, our holiday) started on Thursday afternoon. How else to express our delight but in rhyme?

Erawan Shrine, Bangkok

Me:
Oh me oh my
Tonight we shall fly
My luggage I bring
To meet the Thai king!

Dean:
Oh dear me hearties
This will be a party
When we take flight
Our way to the King's palace
Oh what a sight!

Bonsai and the golden stupa, Grand Palace, Bangkok

Dean and I in our palace outfits. He had to don pants and I had to put on a borrowed shirt as my pashmina didn't cut it.

Me:
Thinking thoughts of red ruby
Buying bras to make me booby
Siam is my favourite place
When I want to leave the race!

Dean:
Life here can be a bitch
It is quite a rut
But now I feel right
In my pockets full of bahts!

Flourescent sunbeams, Grand Palace, Bangkok

Me:
Light dinner I am having
As cake I shall eat
Once I'm safe in transit
At 8 we shall meet?


Dean:
Oh As in unison with all my cells and the rest
The answer is a YES!

Dean took many photos. And I took many of him taking photos.


Chez J in the heart of Bangkok. We all liked his art. Like really liked his art...


Me:
In the train I ride
Trusty luggage at my side
Excitement laid bare
With nary a care!

Dean:
Oh As the sun wanes
I am on the train
To the airport I go
As my face glows.

Drinks at restaurant-for-beautiful-people, Thang Long along Soi Lang Suan

Me:
I smell the whiff of lavender
Now into the open I emerge
Peering through my new glasses
Looking forward to greener grasses!

Dean:
Where is this place asked my nose
very much I am in the heart of Eunos
As I leave this place a'bellicose
So there goes all my woes

Dean and I want humane jobs. We want to be humane to the world. We will start by looking humane then maybe people will give us jobs in the UN. Outside J's amazing office overlooking the Chao Praya.

D and J having an animated discussion/drinking game to solve the problems in the world. J's balcony right outside his office. Have we said it overlooks the Chao Praya yet?


Dean (haiku):
The train leaves Expo
I think of tomyum and such
The heart flutters now

Me (responding with a rhyming haiku):
Passed Paya Lebar
I think of Hari Raya
What meals tomorrow?

Dean:
Ok you win liao.


We are NOT tourists though we be posing along Khao San road.

In which we travel to another country for dinner

Road Trip! Rolling Stones playing in the background.

One of the best, best things about living in Singapore is being able to travel to another country for a meal.

Today, we drive to Malaysia for an early dinner. S and Z introduce us to what feels like the restaurant at the end of the universe. As soon as we cross the border into Johor and get our passports all duly stamped, (paraphrasing Z) our blood pressures collectively drop a notch or two.

This place is so darn cool!

We're prepared for a 45 minute drive, based on S's email that the seafood place is about half an hour away from the border, which we then inflate for good measure. What we didn't know was S had already added a buffer on her end. So in the end, the mini picnic basket I packed of Kit Kat, Twisties, bottles of water and six CDs collectively between us was erm, testimony to how anal we all are and precisely why we're good friends. Haha!

S, F and I on the boardwalk leading to the restaurant at the end of the universe .

The little seafood restaurant is in Kampung Pendas. It's about 3.45pm when we get there and it's quiet and breezy. A couple of families are finishing up their lunch. We're the only Singapore car there.

Restaurant on stilts, Kg Pendas, Johor, Malaysia

I can't think of a more perfect Saturday hang out place. It's completely away from the maniacal buzz of Singapore, no rushing people, only noise is the sea breeze against the trees and contented people eating (oh and the live karaoke session that started around 530pm. Note to self: this is a mid-afternoon place!).

D, Z, S and F. Thanks to Z, we also had the most sublime chicken rice ball experience in Malacca!

We order like it's the last day on earth:

1. Chilli crab (three crabs between five of us)
2. Steamed siakap (don't know the English name to this)
3. Deep fried baby squid
4. Hot plate tofu
5. Stir fried kai lan
6. Otah

Sedap!

As we eat, we spot a pair of eagles circling in the sky. I think they're white-bellied fish eagles. I can't believe I'm only half an hour's drive away from Singapore.

Happy and full.

What a great way to spend the afternoon. Terima kasih to Z and S for introducing us to this little quiet spot. Even the handbasins had great views.

Malaysia Truly Asia!

My failed attempt at arty shot. But you get the picture lah (oops bad pun).