Birthday Celebration at the Mandarin Orchard

Singapore haze conditions rose to a whopping 400 PSI, an all-time high, just a day before my birthday. Fortunately, we were booked at Mandarin Orchard the same day and were relieved from the harshest air crisis Singapore has ever faced. As you know, local apartments (where we are staying) were designed for passive air-cooling so even if we shut all doors and windows, smoke from neighboring Indonesian forest fires still seep in through small gaps in the openings. That is unlikely to happen to a city hotel along Orchard Road which has its windows completely sealed, so not a hint of smog can be smelled and inhaled in our hotel room.

Unlike its sister hotel in the Marina Area, we had a favorable stay at the Mandarin Orchard. The room was spic-and-span, the bathroom fixtures are spotless and the service was great! They even gave me a surprise birthday cake. Ashrie did not have the chance to play in the pool because of the haze. However she made a request to just dip her finger in the pool before we left the next day. The buffet breakfast was fine but the restaurant’s layout is a bit of a maze. Food was stationed in several corridors and not in a central area where guest would just circle around to get meals. There’s bacon and other pork dishes unlike its halal counterpart in Marina Mandarin. Pinoys love pork, what can I do?

In spite of the haze, we still went out that night for a short shopping but had our dinner at the hotel. When we were having dinner, we wondered if we can extend our stay for another night, but the hotel was fully-booked. Hence, we need to leave the next day. Fortunately, the sky is starting to clear up on the day of my birthday. People are starting to remove their masks and there is a big relief not only in breathing but also in seeing back the skyline. We headed to nearby Takashimaya to buy Nespresso capsules and then to one of Ashrie’s favorite malls, Paragon. She did her routine at the play area and visited Gingersnaps to stock-up on clothes. Mom also insisted to buy a set of pram, high chair and rocker which is actually a playset for Ashrie’s dolls. Which made me think? Is it my birthday or Ashrie’s? But as a parent, that’s the way it is.

I hope the problem with haze will be over soon. How can we take decent photos when we look like we're robbing a bank or something rather than vacationing? 

Father's Day 2013

There are just some days that you feel most loved and appreciated. Of course, first on the list is your birthday and for me the other one is Father’s Day. That is also the reason why I love the month of June.

We had a simple celebration this year. MyGirls presented me a greeting card or should I say, a painting days before the occasion. We also attended Evangel’s Family Church’s Father’s Day Celebration and receive a lot of simple things that made me happy. Ashrie gave me “dad coupons” from her Sunday School and I was part of the six “Hands on Dads” who won in a game. They rewarded each of us with a Nespresso Pixie. I haven’t tried it though but planning to use it this weekend!

Happy Father’s Day to all great dads!

Ashrie at The Kidz Academy 2013

Ashrie spent almost the whole day at The Kidz Academy Event at Singapore Expo today. Aside from the goodie bag she has received, the huge play area, the free sweets and ice cream, and the free balloon bouquet she got for free, she had an awesome time at the makeover/ photoshoot booth. Being a “girly”girl that she is, I’m pretty sure she had a blast! She also had a short encounter with Bob the Builder and Wendy at the meet and greet session.

I have to commend the organizers for doing a great job in the coordination of the freebies and activities which the participating promoters were offering.

When we came there, the venue was still not crowded. But I’m sure the event hall will be jam-packed later this afternoon (after office hours), and the weekend.

The Kidz Academy 2013 will run until 16 June, 2013 from 11am to 9pm. Visit their Facebook Page for more event details!

Ashrie at MyGym

It’s The Kingdom Kids outing and Ashrie’s all excited for the event. It’s her second outing so we were more confident of her this time although the duration was longer than her school outing last month.

The event was actually organized by Evangel Family Church. The kids met at the church lobby for orientation, prayer, story-telling and a getting-to-know-each-other session. There were assigned teachers and the ratio was 1 teacher per 2 students. But it’s one-on-one for Ashrie because the other kid didn’t show up. They went to MyGym for a 2-hour fitness adventure excluding transport time. Jane sent her off from the church but we both picked her up after the event in the afternoon. Here are some photos from Evangel’s Facebook Page.

Thank you Evangel for the event, I’m pretty sure that for her, it was a Saturday adventure to remember.