Show: Pleasant Goat & Big Big Wolf - Memory Thief

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(Daddy reviews)

Pleasant Goat and Big Big Wolf, or 喜羊羊与灰太狼, is probably the most successful cartoon to ever come out from China. But to be honest, I hadn't even the vaguest idea about them initially. Luckily though, I can always count on the boys to impart certain knowledge to me. Either that, or Google.

To cut the long story short, Pleasant Goat and his friends live on the Green-Green Grassland (青青草原) and are inevitably hunted by a clumsy wolf who wants to - what else - eat them. A simple enough premise, which has managed to last over 500 episodes and counting. The fact that Disney has acquired the licence to broadcast the popular children show on their Disney Channels speaks volumes about its popularity I guess.

As for Ash and Ayd, this is the ONLY Mandarin cartoon that they watch and they really enjoy it. So when they got wind that it is coming 'live' on stage at Resorts World Sentosa, they were undoubtedly excited to catch the musical.

Hmmm, I don't exactly know what exactly distracted both Ash and Ale... perhaps it was the large amount of 喜羊羊与灰太狼 merchandise on sale.

Or maybe they just simply couldn't wait for the show to begin.

Photo courtesy of RWS 

I have to say, I had underestimated the appeal of Pleasant Goat and his buddies - the Festive Grand Theatre at RWS was close to a full house and unsurprisingly, kids made up more than half of the audience. Plot-wise, the musical is relatively straight-forward:

The big bad wolf couple Wolffy and Wolnie are obsessed with capturing the Goats. However their best laid plans are always thwarted by the smart, young goat, 喜羊羊, Weslie. This time around, Wolffy invites their new friend, the ‘Memory Thief’ to cause Weslie to lose his memory momentarily and Weslie ends up helping the evil wolf couple catch his goat friends instead! Goat Village is at stake. Can the other goats rally themselves up to defeat Wolffy?

The one thing that I liked was that the show was highly interactive, with loads of high tempo songs and kids in the audience being encouraged to stand up and boogie along. Why, we even got to a hand in helping Pleasant Goat defeat the baddies by virtue of a flashy reflective piece of cardboard.

But most important of all, this show marked the first time that the monkies had set through an entire show in Mandarin... and they didn't complain. So that was quite the achievement in itself.

Overall, the storyline was a tad flimsy but I reckon the kids in the audience were too busy dancing to the songs to notice that. If you are looking for fun ways to introduce Mandarin to your kids, the live stage show of Pleasant Goat and Big Big Wolf would count as one of those. But hurry though, the show ends its run on 30 June 2013... plus there is a 10% discount for purchase of 4 tickets and above. Details are in the poster below.

Useful Information

Pleasant Goat & Big Big Wolf - Memory Thief
Date: 28 -30 June 2013
Time: 29 Jun 11am, 3pm & 6.30pm | 30 Jun 11am & 3pm
Duration: 90 minutes, with a 10-minute intermission
Venue: Festive Grand Theatre, Resorts World Sentosa
Tickets: $38, $58, $68, $88 & $108
For more information and to buy tickets, visit HERE.

Arise Megabugs!

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How many of us adore those creepy crawlies, otherwise known as BUGS?

For one, I know Daddy simply detests ants and he is perpetually waging wars with them in our house while di-di isn't too big a fan of hairy spiders. As for me, I don't think I can ever be best pals with a cockroach.

Of course, there are more to bugs than just ants, spiders and cockroaches. In fact, bugs have been around for over millions of years since the times of the dinosaurs while us humans have only been around for only thousands of years. So yes, there is definitely lots to learn when it comes to the Bug Kingdom.

And where better to learn all about these tiny creatures than at Science Centre Singapore?

First conceived by Science Centre Singapore back in 1994, 'Megabugs Return!' reemerges this year with a vengeance with 14 animatronic insect machines... like one of these babies.

As you can see, mei-mei isn't too big a fan of bugs either. Heh.

Fortunately, there was Mummy for her to clutch onto tightly as we entered the exhibition proper. And my, it felt as if we were shrunk to the size of ants as the world of bugs presented itself before our very eyes.

As we navigated through a maze of towering grass blades, flowers and even a huge two-storey bug spray, we came face-to-face with tons of super-sized insects, including a 3m-long praying mantis, giant beetles and scorpions, plus one humongous spider.

Luckily for us, there was a helpful Uncle guide who brought us around all the exhibits and explained the various insects' characteristics to us kids.

The static displays were pretty cool but for monkies who just can't seem to sit or stand still, interactive exhibits always trump those any day and there were enough of activities to keep us entertained as well.

Not all bugs on display are devoid of life though. The real counterparts also made their presence felt as well.

Preserved and live insects are also showcased together with informative panels and activities, like these hissing cockroaches.

Or if you prefer something less terrifying, the stick insects do make a rather good choice too.

Be sure to check out the informative panels and hands-on activities at the live insects exhibits too. Di-di and I would have loved to do some bug crafts of our own as well, but there wasn't enough time to do so. Bummer.

Megabugs Return! definitely opened our eyes to a world which we are not usually accustomed to, and we did pick up loads of interesting facts about these little buggers. One example? For every human on the planet, there are about ONE MILLION ants.

So yes, good luck to Daddy on his mission to annihilate the ant clans.

Useful Information

Megabugs Return!
Dates: 20 April - 18 August 2013
Time: 10am - 6pm daily
Venue: Annexe, Science Centre Singapore
Admission Fees: Adult $20 | Child (3-12 yrs) $15
*Ticket prices are inclusive of Science Centre Admission.
Typical time required: 60 minutes
Website: www.megabugs.sg

The Essential Survial Kit for Dads

(Daddy blogs)

You’ve read the books, you’ve scoured the internet, you’ve done all you can to ensure your kids’ well-being for every contingency imaginable, from floods to haze to a zombie invasion. All that is left is to keep the following items on-hand to cement your Superdaddy status to your kids.

Ziploc Bags

These bags are the best small-toy transport solution around. Action figures? LEGO models? Hot Wheels vehicles? Zip’em up and you would never have to fret about losing one tiny piece when you are out. Better yet, it seals in the odour when you got a stained diaper on hand with absolutely no bins in sight – don’t you hate it when that happens?

Where do we go from here: Keep a couple of these baggies in the car and a box at home.

Batteries, Batteries & Batteries

How many times did I have the unpleasant task of telling my kids that I have ran out of batteries to power back up their electronic toys? Enough times for me to rip my hair out, including the black healthy ones. So now I ensure I have a healthy stash of low-cost sustainable power for the dozens of non-essential playthings scattered throughout the house. And yes, I would rather have that back-flipping toy dog go yapping incessantly. It’s a lesser of two evils kind of thing.

Where do we go from here: Stock-pile them but because cheap batteries tend to leak brown goop, take them out whenever the kids are not into those toys anymore.

Small Screwdrivers

Almost exclusively for battery replacement and toy repair. And that activity alone ensures that you’ll be reaching for one at least once every week. Oh and while you are at it, it certainly helps to keep a small needle-nosed pliers on hand too. Toys in kids’ hands means breakage and a significant percentage of child-initiated violence on harmless toys puts an excessive amount of strain on limbs, joints, springs and other essential small moving parts. Needle nosed pliers will be able to do what your elephant fingers could never accomplish.

Where do we go from here: Keep them close to you, like in a desk drawer. Never in a tool box because chances are, you can never find one when you really need one.

Superglue

Everything about this product is scary.  The smell that can kill housepets The oh-gosh-how-do-I-stop-it-from-over-flowing when all I ever did was to give the tube a gentle squeeze. The eerily smooth feeling when it dries on your fingertips. But this is also one bugger that can help you alleviate and avert potential disasters when your kid break anything that can be broken. And you know what the funny part is? They only break the toys they love. So it is in every dad’s best interest to get that toy back into play-ability.

Where do we go from here: Always be sure to have an unopened vial on hand because that little opened tube in the fridge will either have a tip that is helplessly clogged, or its contents will have somehow found a way out, only to meet an untimely hardening.

An ‘Instructions’ Folder

Let me tell you something: the moment my sons finish constructing that huge Ninjago playset, they will most certainly break it when they start to wage wars on one another’s creations. So to keep my sanity intact, I maintain a file folder where all the LEGO instructions and other toys’ instructions go to rest. In the likelihood that my kids demand their playthings be reset to their original form, I whip that folder out and go make myself a great cup of coffee.

Where do we go from here: Grab a folder, label it and place it right where you keep your important documents… you know, like your marriage certificate, insurance policies, that kind of stuff.

$2 Daiso Toys

The obvious functionality of a stockpile of random small toys is for spur-of-the-moment gifts. But the true intrinsic value of such toys is their ability to buy you 15-30 minutes of peace. 45 minutes if you are really lucky. It will be like that “break glass in case of emergency” item in your bag of tricks. Unexpected traffic jam? Stuck in the plane and facing a meltdown? Facing a painfully long line at _____? Whip that out and you will be able to complete whatever you need to do before the excitement of this new distraction wears off.

Where do we go from here: Keep some at home, one in the car and one in your back pack. However, in order to ensure maximum efficiency, use this tactic sparingly.


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This article first appeared on www.maybebaby.sg/blog/, as part of my regular monthly contribution to the website.

Blogging resumes

(Daddy blogs)

And so, our 10-day holiday to Sydney and its surrounds comes to a close today. 

We had so much fun that admittedly, all of us can't bear to leave. 

As usual, the monkies have all the fun while I strive to clear the backlog of blog entries after the holiday. 

So do stay tuned for our adventures in New South Wales!

Abrakadoodle Art Camps - It's a Fun Thing

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(Daddy reviews)

Well, in the end it was Homecoming of sorts for the 2 boys.

You see back in 2009, when Abrakadoodle Art Studio for Kids first opened, Ash and Ayd were in one of their pioneer art class batches.

See how tiny and cute they were then? Gosh, where did all the time go???

And now, just look at them.

Both of them were invited back to Abrakadoodle to attend of of its Holiday Art Camps during the June School Holidays and the moment I broached the invitation to them, they agreed to it readily. Obviously they still remembered the fun times they had at Abrakadoodle 4 years ago.

The boys attended the 3-Day Kids on Canvas Camp where kids will be able to all about that is to painting.

From using a variety of brushes and learning different brush strokes to mixing and layering colors, kids in this program will learn about painting on canvas, using acrylics. They will use their imagination in creating artwork based upon the techniques, style and vocabulary of master or contemporary artists from different parts of the world.

And my word, impressive masterpieces were indeed churned out at the end of the three days.

Each art project focused on a particular famous artist and through that, the kids are exposed to the various styles and artwork of the artists. In fact, a total of six art projects were completed over the course of 3 days and I would think that both the boys thoroughly enjoyed the process of painting.

One of the things I love about Abrakadoodle is the Show & Tell sessions that their classes always conduct at the end of the Art Camps. Parents will be invited to sit in during the last 15 minutes of the final session as their kids take turns to showcase their favourite art piece and tell everyone in the class the ideology behind that painting.

Of course there is the final personal satisfaction of obtaining one's own certificate upon the completion of an Art Camp!

Though I reckon the boys thought that 3 days were far too short! Heh.

To find out more about the various Art Camps available - they do have Art Camps scheduled from the June School Holidays all the way to August -kindly visit www.abrakadoodle.com.sg/registerclass.htm#camp

Thanks once again to Abrakadoodle for having the boys over! 

Sydney through Ayd's eyes

(Daddy blogs)

Greetings from Sydney! 

If have been following our Facebook or Twitter pages, you would have already known that we are having a blast over here. And even more so if you are a follower of our Instagram account... because Ayd especially has been having a ball of a time instagram-ming and conjuring up captions for his photos.

All captions are entirely his own, and the wifey & I thoroughly enjoy reading some of his hilarious works. Our fave has got to be this one.

Why, he even responds to comments from our followers too! And he sounds quite like the pro if I may add.

So if you already have Instagram on your smartphone but haven't followed us yet, please do so and let Ayd bring you our adventures in New South Wales through his eyes and words. Just search 'Cheekiemonkies'! :)

Take Flight at Gardens by the Bay!

Media Invite

(Daddy flies)

After the enchanting tulips at Tulipmania at Gardens by the Bay last month, it will take some doing to top that and what better way to do just that than to take flight and have a brand new display that soars above the rest of the previous thematic displays. Literally.

That's right - instead of the usual change of theme at the Flower Field inside the Flower Dome, the main attraction this time around are colourful hot-air balloons that dot the skyline within the Flower Dome.

'Flight of Fancy' is a brand-new thematic floral display, where it embraces stuff that is connected to flight. Including this old aviation craft which the 2 boys absolutely loved.

But the theme of Flight isn't just restricted to non-living objects. Visitors will also be able to discover how seeds disperse in the wind and how plants pollinate with the help of winged creatures like bats, through fun facts and displays.

'Blow Wind Blow' is a self-guided interactive trail for visitors of all ages where they will learn more about plants that are pollinated by wind and how their flowers have adapted themselves to increase their chances of reproduction. Do remember to pick up your FREE trail map at the ticket counter.

The Flower Field also features 2 adorable teddy bears seated comfortably in a hot-air balloon, amid plants that will take flight such as lalang. 

So that was what made both Ash and Ayd wanted to take flight as well.

I guess they must leaping for joy upon hearing that Kids enjoy 50% discount on Tickets to the cooled conservatories for the entire duration of the June School Holidays then.

But that is not all - Flight of Fancy has taken over the Cloud Forest too, which marks the first time that a thematic display has been held inside.

I felt the colourful hot-air ballon looked so whimsical alongside the towering majestic waterfall. And do keep your eyes peeled for the many kites hanging atop too!

And for added fun, kids can also partake in the GB Kids' Blast too - where they get to go on an adventure around the Gardens this School Holidays in search of answers that unravel a puzzle! Participants can pick up a clue sheet at the Ticketing Hub and outside the Education Room at Arrival, which will in turn lead them to different parts of Bay South Garden to collect vital information that solves a mystery. And the first 100 participants to break the code each day will receive a reward for their efforts!

Now if only we can hop onto the hot-air balloon as well. That would really be the icing on the cake. Heh.

Useful Information

“FLIGHT OF FANCY” FLORAL DISPLAY
Date: Monday, 3 June – Sunday, 21 July
Time: 9am – 9pm
Location: Cooled conservatories
Admission Charges: Visit HERE. *From 1 to 28 June, Kids enjoy 50% discount on Tickets to the cooled conservatories.