Dive into Swensen's Underwater Adventure for Kids

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(Daddy chomps)

You know today's kids have it good when their meals get served up in fancy brightly-coloured submarine boxes. Why can't adults get the same special treatment too?

With the Underwater Adventure Kid’s Meal - Swensen's kids-only meal offering - the little people can tuck into their favourite entrées, a nutritious corn-in-cup as a side, and a wholesome apple or orange juice, or a soft drink, all for just $9.90.

With a choice of 6 options, including the all-new Ham & Cheese Toasties, as well as all-time-favourites such as Fish ‘N’ Chippies, Spaghetti Twirlies,Cheesy Omelette, Chick 'N' Fries and Mac & Cheese, it is no wonder that the monkies had a mind-boggling time on finalizing their main courses.

Ash finally settled on the Cheesy Omelette, which predictably was a hit.

Ayd feasted on the Mac & Cheese, a crowd favourite with most children I believe.

The wifey and I also got to sample some of Swensen's Healthier Choice dishes which at first impression, looked a bit dull and unappetizing if I may be honest.

That was the Chicken Victoria by the way, chicken breast meat topped with creamy Victoria sauce. I have to admit, the chicken meat tasted waaaay better than it looks. It was rather tender and juicy, and the sauce complemented the meat perfectly.

The Grilled Teriyaki Chicken Pasta, with spaghetti topped with grilled chicken thigh smothered in teriyaki sauce, fared better in the looks department.

And the taste test? The Diva loved it so much that she abandoned her Kids Meal in exchange for a portion of that!

And as with all trips to Swensen's, there simply can be no closure if there isn't any ice cream at the end of the meal! So for a top-up amount of $2.90, kids can score a Treasure Chest sundae or a Coit Tower Junior.

Please pardon the boys' forced smiles. They were afraid that any slight delay taken up by me photographing them will cause their fave ice creams to have a severe meltdown.

Kids will also be able to bring home the submarine box - or as Swensen's call it, yellow SubmaRay - as a keepsake. Or if your kids are anything like my monkies, they may convert it into something entirely different, like a paper dress.

Every Swensen’s Underwater Adventure Kid’s Meal comes with a kid's activity sheet too, where kids are tasked to complete various word puzzle obstacles in order to aid a certain Snowie in finding the Eternal Ice Cream to save the Kingdom of Iceberg from melting. Yes, there is a storyline as well.

Whatever to keep the kids busy, no?

The new Underwater Adventure Kid’s Meal is available at all Swensen’s outlets from 1st June 2014. For more information, visit www.swensens.com.sg/dine-in/kids-menu/kids-menu-1.

Adrenaline Rush, Skyline Luge Sentosa Style

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(Daddy speeds)

After 9 years of operation, Skyline Luge Sentosa's tagline still rings true - Once is never enough. Just ask Ash and Ayd. It is a firm fave of the boys, and one of those things they will ask to do again and again and again!

The Luge is essentially a ride downhill in a part go-cart, part toboggan vehicle. But if you think it is just a regular lame ride with the thrill factor equivalent to watching grass grow, think again.

It is super exhilarating! In fact, the Skyline Luge Sentosa was recently voted as the top attraction in Sentosa Island on Trip Advisor.

So in order to keep itself ahead of the competition, the attraction has recently undergone an extensive upgrade by adding eight more ticketing counters to its initial line-up of four to reduce waiting time, making the entire space more accessible and handicap-friendly for all and also increasing from two to three tracks at the end of the ride for a more efficient turnover.

If you choose the bottom of the Luge Trail to be your starting point, the thrill starts even before you get to the Luge ride... thanks to the 320-metre chairlift – the Skyride!

When we took the boys on their maiden panoramic tree-top ride in 2009, the wifey decided that to demonstrate the full effect of gravity to the boys by sending her handphone DOWN into the trees below. Yes, her phone naughtily slipped out of her pocket and embraced the lush greenery beneath our feet. Thankfully, we managed to find it after that and it even managed to power back on!

So now, the boys never fail to point out the exact spot that phone landed on that fateful day.

But that mishap aside, the panoramic views of Sentosa, Siloso Beach and the harbour while atop on the Skyride is truly incredible.

While ascending, the monkies caught glimpses of the luge racers below skirting down the slope, which only served to fuel the excitement!

It wasn't only them... even I was raring to go all blazing down the slope!

To ride the luge alone, one must be at least 110 cm tall but any child shorter can still ride in tandem with an adult.

After strapping on our helmets - there are five sizes to choose from - the monkies were only too eager to get started on their first Luge ride of the day.

For everyone's first ride of the day, the crew will be on hand to brief you on the correct usage of the Luge - moving off, braking and steering - before you are let loose on the trail.

There are two trails to choose from – the 628m-long Jungle Trail or the 688m-long Dragon Trail. Both trails leads to the same end point but the boys preferred the Dragon Trail over the Jungle one, all because it is longer and has less sharp bends... which meant my adrenaline-loving boys could go thrillingly fast!

But no matter which trail, the end result is always the same. All of us simply could not get enough of it!

And so, off we went whizzing down the slope again... FIVE times in total actually.

And all of the fun we had was neatly captured and compiled into this short video below.

The video was made using Lomotif, a new iOS automated video-editing app that transforms mobile video clips into short, punchy music videos in a matter of minutes. Developed by a NUS-incubated Singapore start-up, we had the co-founder of Lomotif and her team coming down to the Luge to film us in action.

And that was probably the most difficult part of all, because editing the videos and stitching them together was just so easy! The app is extremely user-friendly. One can choose the best portions in various videos, combine them together, add in a music track and it is all done. Done in just 3 steps and under 5 minutes. Utterly painless... and the app is FREE too!

Here is another short video done with the Lomotif app, capturing our best moments on the Skyride.

One option we did not get to try though, is to take the Luge at night. I was told it is a completely different experience, especially since the Jungle Trail had been upgraded with the addition of visually beautiful thematic RGB LED lighting fixtures.

Sigh, there is always next time... especially since ONCE IS NEVER ENOUGH!

Useful Information

Skyline Luge Sentosa

Imbiah Lookout and Siloso Beach

Opening hours: 10am - 9.30pm daily

Charges:

Luge & Skyride combo

Individual Deals: 1 Luge & 1 Skyride at S$15/pax | 3 Luge & 3 Skyrides at S$23/pax | 5 Luge & 5 Skyrides at S33/pax

Family Deals: 4 ride family pass at S$39 | 8 ride family pass at S$59 | 10 ride family pass at S$69

Childriding in tandem at S$3/Ride  

Skyride only: 1-way at S$10/pax | 2-way at S$15/pax  | Unlimited at S$17/pax

Age and height restrictions: 

Skyride: Min. height 85cm to ride with an adult or Min. height 135cm to ride alone

Luge: 6yrs and 110cm or taller to ride Luge alone

Website: www.skylineluge.com/luge-singapore/skyline-luge-sentosa/

NAFA Arts Kindergarten @ Derbyshire

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Mention NAFA Arts Kindergarten, and the first thing that undoubtedly comes to mind is it is so difficult to get in! Not that it should come as a surprise as not only is NAFA Arts Kindergarten the first and only Arts Kindergarten in Singapore, it is also the 'junior extension' of the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts encompassing both academic and arts education in music, art and dance.

In fact, I have heard that the Kindergarten in East Coast has an extremely long waiting list, with a waiting time of up to three years! But fret not if you are intending to enrol your child in NAFA Arts Kindergarten as it has opened a brand new branch at Derbyshire Road, a more central location which is opposite United Square Mall.

NAFA Arts Kindergarten's pre-school programme is unlike other kindergartens as it focuses not only the academic but also arts and moral education for pre-schoolers. Its programme integrates art, drama, music and dance into the curriculum to support its students' holistic growth.

The one thing that struck me when I paid a visit to its new campus on Derbyshire Road is the layout of its classrooms. Each classroom is separated into various corners - Language, Manipulative, Construction and Dramatic - where children can explore and learn through large and small group activities.

The teacher-child ratio in the Pre-Nursery class is 1:8, and the teacher-child ratio for Nursery and Kindergarten class is 1:10. While this means that more attention will be given to each individual student, it also aids the teachers in working more closely with the children when it comes to the various learning corners.

The teacher usually conducts her lessons in a large group, after which the children will be dispersed into the learning corners. The teacher will woth with one group of children, while the co-teacher will move around the learning corners to facilitate the children's learning. A point to note is all materials provided in the learning corners are related to the thematic curriculum for that particular term.

Speaking of its thematic curriculum, NAFA Arts Kindergarten's curriculum is guided by the MOE curriculum framework and is focused on providing children the experiences to build their foundation and learn skills that are necessary for their primary school education. With these skills, the children will be better equipped as an independent learner ready for primary school education.

Of course, all work and no play makes every child a dull young-ling indeed. So at NAFA Arts Kindergarten, great care is taken to allocate enough time for both for free play activities, as well as for structured learning.

And even during playtime, the emphasis on the Arts is still very much alive. Whenever possible, the playthings that are used during outdoor play are not bought but instead painstakingly crafted by the teachers, much like this football made from newspapers.

And the children still have loads of fun all the same.

A typical day at NAFA Arts Kindergarten consists of 15 minutes assembly, 20 minutes of refreshment, 40 minutes of Outdoor time, 2 sessions of 45 minutes integrated activities conducted by English and Mandarin teachers respectively, 15 minutes of Circle time and perhaps most importantly of all, 1 hour of Arts Programme.

Yes, students have the chance to attend one form of Arts Programme every day: 2 days of Music lessons, 1 day of Art lesson, 1 day of Dance lesson and 1 day of Speech & Drama lesson. No additional charges are needed for these classes, hence negating the need for parents to send their children to additional enrichment Arts lessons after school or during the weekends.

Music

To inspire children’s interest in music and develop their musical talents through specially designed music program by School of Young Talents (SYT). Children will receive professional training in sight-reading, aural and performance skills, and children with potential will be recommended for SYT-NAK Music Integrated Program.

Dance
To express imaginations and emotions through body movements with rhythm. Children are eligible to join SYT Dance Program Preparatory Year 1 upon graduation.

Speech and Drama
To encourage creative thinking and develop children’s confidence, stage presence, as well as bilingual public speaking skills in English and Mandarin.

Art
To involve children in basic art making using various mediums to express personal ideas creatively.

As with all things associated when it comes to learning for children, activities are carefully designed to be fun and interactive so as to meet the individual developmental needs of each child. So not only are they introduced to academic skills, life skills including cooperation, respects for self and others, sharing and caring for others are strongly emphasized as well.

Interested to find out more? NAFA Arts Kindergarten's second campus at Derbyshire Road will be having an Open House on 28 & 29 June 2014 and 5 & 6 July 2014 between 10am and 5pm. 

There will be fun-filled activities for kids such as storytelling, face-painting and more, while parents will be able to discover how NAFA Arts Kindergarten's holistic programme, which blends art, music and dance, can make learning an interactive and fun experience for their children. More details in the poster below.

But that is not all. Parents will be entitled to $100 off the registration fees (original fees: $200) when they sign up for a 2-week trial class and insurance during its open house period. Promotion ends on 17 July 2014. In addition, alumni (Ex-East Coast Campus students’ siblings & Ex-NAFA students’ children) will also be entitled to $100 off the registration fees (original fees: $200) when they sign up for a 2 week trial class and insurance. Also, the 1st term speech and drama material fees will be waived off if they sign up during our open house period between 17 May 2014 – 17 July 2014.

For more information, visit www.nafa-intl.com/kindergarten.htm.

A Book that Moved Me

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Books.

Once upon a time, they were part of our growing up years. Now, do you still remember the ones that moved you?

I do. And surprise surprise, it was not one of those science fantasy or all action gung-ho boys stuff books. In fact, I am a tad embarrassed to divulge that one of my all-time favourite childhood books was this.

Yes, the first book of 'The Naughtiest Girl' series. 

Written by by Enid Blyton and first published in 1940, The Naughtiest Girl in the School told the tale of Elizabeth Allen who has been spoilt rotten by her parents. She becomes very upset and outraged when she learns that she is being sent to a boarding school. When Elizabeth joins Whyteleafe School she is determined to misbehave so that she will be expelled and able to go back home as soon as possible.

I think the main thing that I found Elizabeth to be such a compelling character when I was young was the fact that her misbehaviour at school was the stuff that childhood is made of. Yes, Elizabeth is spoilt and highly naughty, and yet smart and independent too. She's not beyond disrupting a class to get what she wants. But despite all this, she has still a very nice heart. She goes out of her way to help a friend, even though she breaks a dozen rules to do this. Even though she is trying to behave badly to be sent home, she truly struggles against making things hard for other people.

I like it that the book is sweet and pretty much timeless. The plot is rather straightforward, and just plain uncomplicated, with no extreme evil and of course, a happy ending. Amazingly enough, this book is ranked as one of the wifey's fave childhood books as well!

Sadly, the copy that I owned was given away when I moved house. That, and pretty much most of my other story books that I grew up with.

For Jasmine though, it was an entirely different story altogether. She was reunited with the book that went on to kindle her life-long passion for reading and writing. The one book that she thought she had lost but remained dear to her heart.

I strongly recommend giving the video a view. It stirred more than a few emotions in me while watching it, as it made me reminisce about the books that I have read during my childhood... along with some of the nonsensical scribbles and doodles that I have made in some of my books.

And this is precisely what the campaign 'Books that moved me' seeks to achieve. 

Organised by The Singapore Memory Project (SMP) - a whole-of-nation movement that aims to capture and document precious moments and personal memories of Singapore - the campaign serves to trigger memories about the joy of reading and books, and hopefully allow us to reunite with the forgotten stories from our childhood. And in line with the Books that Moved Me campaign, SMP will be holding two showcases at the following 2 venues:

Date: 20 June - 31 August 2014

Venue: Lobby, Level 1, National Library Building

This showcase features 40 reinterpretations of book covers, from local titles to international best-sellers and literary classics. A collaboration between SMP and KULT, artists from Singapore and overseas will present their take on book covers well-loved by the public, such as the works by Enid Blyton, Shakespeare and Catherine Lim.  The artworks, accompanied by memories from readers, will be showcased in an SMRT train and at the lobby of the National Library Building. 

Date: 20 June – 31 August 2014

Venue: B1, Central Public Library, National Library Building  

SMP embarked on a journey to reunite old books with old friends, and the result is a reunion showcase for avid readers with popular books of yesteryears and recent times. This showcase invites the public to contribute their memories of reading and books. Activities will also be held over selected weekends for the public. 

But that is not all. SMP had actually scoured through various second hand bookshops and found a collection of old books full of scribbles and doodles. And they are actively looking to seek out the previous owners of these books so as to reunite them with the keepsakes from the past! 

Do take a look at the collection of the old books HERE and if you think you know the owner of one of those books, do let them know too! Or you could also share your fondest memories of the books that have moved you in the photo album. (Do note though that all content submitted will be contributed to the Singapore Memory Project. Please visit iremember.sg to find out more.)

On a personal note, if anyone out there is holding on to a copy of The Naughtiest Girl in the School with a scribble on its title page that reads, "This book belongs to Kelvin Ang. PAY $100 TO READ THIS BOOK!", you know who to contact.