Thursday, February 23, 2017

Safari Zoo Run 2017

[Media Invite]

This year's Safari Zoo Run took place on  Sat, 18 Feb 2017 and raised a total of $100,000 additional funds for the Sumatran orangutan, Sumatran elephant, as well as the helmeted hornbill and turtle projects in Southeast Asia. There was a competition of sorts, with runners choosing one of the 4 teams represented by each of the park icons, Singapore Zoo's Ah Meng, Jurong Bird Park’s Sunny the hornbill, Night Safari’s Chawang the elephant and River Safari’s Canola the manatee. It is really a race against time as well, for us to do something worthwhile before the endangered creatures get wiped out by our actions.


We run like for animals!
The main difference between the Safari Zoo Run and the other runs that we go too, would be number of distractions along the route. We took the 2.5KM fun route and it was over an hour before we crossed the finishing line. The kiddos would stop by each of the animal exhibits and that took quite a while. Not that I am complaining though, because I ain't no runner too! So it was a truly enjoyable Sat morning spent in the Zoo for the whole family.




When the orangutans are busy, we can always take over for the photoshoots!



So what about those who decided to go competitive and zoom pass all the exhibits? Well, everyone with a bib gets to enjoy free admission to the Singapore Zoo and River Safari on the same day, as well as 50% off tickets into Jurong Bird Park and Night Safari till 31 Mar! Thus everyone gets to enjoy a great day at the Zoo following the run in the morning!

Alright, made of real metal!


It was no surprise when Team Ah Meng came in tops with almost 30% of runners choosing the Singapore Zoo's mascot. The Safari Zoo Run was after all, conceived to commemorate the Singapore Zoo famous matriarch! It was definitely worthwhile waking up early and getting that little bit of a workout for the whole family. Thank you Wildlife Reserves Singapore and Safari Zoo Run for having us at the event and we sure look forward to the next instalment! 


Monday, February 20, 2017

Cooling off in Sunny Singapore

Sometimes parents lament that they have no time or money for this and that. No time because much of the time were spent on after-school enrichments? Or no money because all the fun stuff costs an arm or a leg? Seriously in Singapore, we are actually spoilt for choices when it comes to having FREE outdoor fun and with Singapore being rather hot most of the time, it is no wonder our usual haunts often includes bodies of water too! 

The Beaches 

Singapore is surrounded by sea, so it is easy for us to get to the beaches for some sandcastle-building or Frisbee-throwing. And the best part of all, is that it is FREE! Be it East Coast Park, or even Sentosa (you have to walk across the link way for free entry), there are public toilets for washing up after a day of fun in the sun, sand and a dip in the sea! All you need to pack along, would probably be some snacks or drinks for a picnic and an extra set of clothes! 

(Go take a break and watch the vessels from the breakwaters)
(A great place for get-togethers with friends!)
(Leave the kids to invent their own play)
Public Swimming Pools

Some of the public swimming pools these days, boasts fun water slides and while they may not have as many slides as compared to your commercial water parks, they are definitely cheaper or easier to access for residents staying nearby. Although not exactly free but I am sure you are aware of ActiveSG right? Each Singaporean (including kiddos) are entitled to $100 credit which you can use to pay for entrance to the pools and that means we have got $600 for our whole family! It will be years before we finish spending all our credits at our favorite Ang Mo Kio Swimming Complex (even without the fanciful slides)! You can check out the list of all the public pools here.

(A dip in the pool is always refreshing for us)
(There is no need for fancy slides when we have one another!)
Parks

And then there are parks all over Singapore! So what do you do in the parks? We often bring the kiddos to Bishan – Ang Mo Kio Park for them to run about and do some scooting. Sometimes we will go down the stream and canal to check out the wildlife living in there. Oh, and do you know that there is also a water playground that is in operation from Thur – Sun (8am to 11am and 4pm to 8pm). An inclusive playground at the River Plains section also meant even kiddos in mobility aides will be able to participate in all the fun together with the rest of the kiddos.

(If you are game enough, let the kiddos explore the man-made stream running through the park)
(And this would be further downstream where the river flows, where you can find lots of fishes and other wildlife)
(Those who prefer cleaner sources of water, check out the water playground but do note the operating hours!)
These are some of the usual activities for our family, and ideas for what you can do with the kiddos on your weekends or off days, depending on your energy level. Playing outside brings many chances to Experience More Together. Stepping out of the familiar gets your child excited – and you don't even have to go very far! Check out this Friso article about the 1,2, 3s of outdoor activities

Even though my kiddos will NOT complain if I simply leave them at home to their own devices (both literally and figuratively), I choose to spend my time outdoors WITH them whenever possible. I would want them to remember me as a fun-loving dad who is always there, and not one who merely provides for the family. So where will you be bringing your brood to this weekend? 

Note: This blog post is in collaboration with Friso. Kids learn from experiences whether big or small, good or bad. That’s why Friso provides the right nutrition for your child to be strong inside to take on challenges. For more information on Friso, follow them on their Website, Facebook or Instagram.

Sunday, February 19, 2017

Birthday Cakes from Emicakes

[Sponsored Post]

We always trust products from Emicakes, be it the beautiful cakes for all occasions or the tarts and cookies for the new year! It so happened that my mother-in-law's 70th birthday was approaching and my wife tasked me with the important job of getting the all important birthday cake! I am of course not leaving it to chances. Which shop to get from was easy to decide as our past experiences from Emicakes had always been great, but we only settled on the cake design and flavor after much deliberation due to the number of choices available! 


We had the very cheena-styled cake because that was exactly what my mother-in-law would have wanted and you can see that she was really happy with it! And it looked exactly like what was being shown on their website (unlike some florists who pass off other people's bouquet creations as their own, and with end product looking nothing like their photos!). 

We settled on this design for the birthday cake.
And it was exactly what we got delivered to us!
Looks are not everything, because you get to choose different types of fillings such as Tiramisu, Chocolate Truffle, D24 and even the premium Mao Shan Wang too! Final pricing will depend on the size and filling you choose. And now we have a special code for you to enjoy 20% off any cakes you order from Emicakes website! Just key in "PERFECTFATHER" upon checkout when you place your order before 31 Mar 2017 (Note: not applicable with any existing promotions).

Thank you Emicakes, you are simply awesome!

Tuesday, February 14, 2017

A Dog's Purpose

[Giveaway]


Photo credit: © 2017 Universal Studios.
Mondays are usually kinda boring and many of us have the blues on that day, and that feeling usually starts the night before right? Well, we have some great news for you because thanks to the wonderful folks from United International Pictures Singapore, we are having a giveaway to the preview screening of movie, A Dog's Purpose (rated PG) come Mon, 20 Feb 2017 at 6.50pm onwards! The movie opens in cinemas early next month, but you get to watch it earlier than everyone else! However, please make sure you can attend the movie before taking part.




Giveaway Instructions

To win one of 5 x Sets of 4 movie tickets, all you need to do is to complete the following steps before end of  16 Feb 2017 -

1) Like and follow The "Perfect" Father Facebook page;
2) Like and follow United International Pictures Singapore Facebook page;
3) Like and Share this Facebook post publicly; and
4) Check out the trailer and answer the question: "When is the release date of A Dog’s Purpose in Singapore?" - Furnish your answer as a comment in the Facebook post and tag a friend (or three!) as well! 

Photo credit: © 2017 Universal Studios.

Monday, February 13, 2017

Rochor Beancurd House

[Media Invite]


Having a bowl of traditional bean curd brings about fond childhood memories for me. I can still remember the sights and sounds of the old food center that I “grew” up in. The familiar faces, the familiar food and the familiar scooping of the bean curd from the big bucket. Of course times and fads changes and we had been seeing the sprouting of many modern outlets selling silky smooth sweet bean curd served in plastic disposable container over time hadn’t we? These were jelly-like concoctions that melt in the mouth, and totally different from the bean curd I had grew up with. Sweet and enjoyable definitely, but somewhat lacking the “substance” as some would say.

I had been to Rochor Beancurd House’s third outlet along Thomson Road a long time ago. Simply love the late night opening hours where one can have a good bowl of bean curd and share the fried dough fritters or “butterfly” with friends. I also love ending the meal over a cup of cooling grass jelly drink, or with soy bean milk mixed in aka “Michael Jackson”.


When I hear the name Rochor Beancurd House, it is only natural that dessert that comes to my mind first. Didn’t know that they had been selling some Taiwanese style snacks for some time now, until recently when we dropped by the outlet with all the entire family in tow. It was definitely a pleasure to be hosted by the boss, Mr Jason Koh, who not only introduced us to the food personally. but also gave the kiddos a kitchen tour! 

Soy Beancurd

Of course we had to try the famous Soy Beancurd when we are there. At first glance, there is really nothing unusual or exceptional about this bowl of dessert, until you try it. And the difference is especially obvious if you compare it with the other versions found in wet market stalls or hawker centers. My wife really loved its silky texture, unlike the somewhat lumpy ones she had tasted elsewhere. You can choose to have it warm or cold.


Herbal Grass Jelly

What would be better than a bowl of refreshing Herbal Grass Jelly in a hot day? Maybe a bowl of cold Herbal Grass Jelly topped with Soy Milk? That’s the way I love my dessert but a normal bowl of Grass Jelly would do fine as well! This is the “Black” counterpart, while “White” would refer to Soy Beancurd. Some grass jelly I have tasted elsewhere are rather mild and tasted mostly “sweet”. The ones here are quite balanced in terms of the taste, and definitely had hints of herbs machiam “Gui Ling Gao” but minus the bitterness!


Taro Bowl

This would have to be the upgraded version of the Soy Beancurd, “zhnged” to the max with Taro Yam Cube, Herbal Grass Jelly, Eight Treasure or Mixed Beans and my favorite Honey Pearls! It’s a pretty big bowl and with all those ingredients, you may wish to share the bowl with a partner. It is probably too fanciful for my wife who preferred the humble traditional Soy Beancurd, but I find this rather interesting and would have loved it even more if it came cold, rather than only warm. But I guess it has to be served warm for the right texture of the ingredients.


Crystal Buns

Fans of Hong Kong Dim Sum would be no strangers to these little buns filled with turnips strips. The buns go well with the sweet sauce and some chilli but although Leroy looked really happy with his plate of buns, his expression changed after realizing what the fillings were! Little carnivores my kids are! Nothing really exceptional about these, and would be better if the skins were a little thinner.



Tofu Fries

These has to be the biggest surprise for me, and the kids. I never liked Tofu, and would only take egg tofu dishes and never the plain ones. But these little golden fingers of tofu, lightly marinated with the seasoning powder Taiwanese style, were the bomb! Even the kiddos who were hesitant in trying them out in the beginning, but ended up devouring all at the end! You can choose to have them either spicy or non-spicy! Trust me, please order these when you visit the shop, they are really yummy!



The kiddos are always inquisitive and knowing that, Mr Jason allowed the kiddos into the kitchen to have a look at the food preparation and Steffi even got to try her hands on making Chinese pancakes with red-bean fillings!  

(Got to learn the steps first before trying it herself)
(These are the butterfly snacks before the go into the fryers)
(A serving of freshly fried Tofu Fries about ready to be served!)
The above are only some of the food items Rochor Beancurd House is currently serving, and you should really pay them a visit find out for yourself what they really have, instead of only going for drinks, bean curd or desserts like me previously! Many thanks to Rochor Beancurd House for hosting us, we really can’t wait to have those fries again soon!

(Do you know they sell chewy fried squids too?)
(Thinly battered fried squid that is well-marinated too!)
(How about some Egg Tarts if you have craving for some sweet stuff?)
(Happy food, happy kiddos!)

Friday, February 10, 2017

CHICAGO The Musical

[Media Invite]

The wife and me caught the award-winning Broadway and West End musical, CHICAGO last night. It was our first time watching this musical and the experience was truly awesome. This classic about sex, murder and getting away with it. With its raunchy dance moves and references to adult acts, this musical about Velma Kelly and Roxie Hart is definitely for the big boys and girls.

 
I was particularly stoked by the "Cell Block Tango" where the murderesses danced and sang out their personal stories in the most entertaining way. It was also a reminder to myself to never tempt fate with any temptresses! There were lots of enjoyable scenes throughout the musical, the super high-pitched singing by Mary Sunshine was amazing and even more so when she took off her clothes! *wink* Poor Amos, husband of Roxie was surprisingly a favourite amongst the audiences, drawing lots of laughter (and awws) with his S-L-O-W antics, and I give his funny (and yet also rather touching) performance of "Mr. Cellophane" a big thumbs up!

Smooth talking lawyer, Billy Flynn.
Big shout out to BASE Entertainment for the wonderful evening at the Gala opening of the musical. It was indeed a treat for the senses and in my missus words, "we now truly understand why some of our friends are so addicted to musicals!" This is definitely not to be missed!


Useful Information

Performance Times (now till 26 Feb 2017):
Tuesday - Friday 8.00pm
Saturday: 2:00pm and 8.00pm
Sunday: 1:00pm and 6:00pm

Ticket Bookings:
Internet - www.MarinaBaySands.com/ticketing or www.sistic.com.sg
Phone - +65 6688 8826
In Person - Marina Bay Sands Box Offices (Museum, Theatres, SkyPark, Retail Mall and Hotel Tower 1 Lobby). For more information please log onto - www.MarinaBaySands.com/ticketing

Tuesday, February 7, 2017

Going Botanical Against Mosquitos and Bad Hair Days!

[Product Reviews]

No, I am not talking about growing herbs or gardening this time. It is about going "au naturel" and using only plant-derived ingredients for the products. Go take a quick look at the products you use daily and read the ingredients used in products like toothpaste, shampoo and shower gels. Chances are you will likely find a whole list of chemicals with names you can hardly read!

I am a very simple person and a man of habit. I do not not buy stuff unnecessarily, and leave most of the buying decision of household items to my wife or helper. But when I was presented the chance to review some of the more "natural" products, I thought "no harm right?".


PARA’KITO™ Spray - Mosquitoes away!

Within your own premise or surrounding area, we can definitely do our part in preventing the breeding of mosquitoes (check out NEA website). But when you are out in the open, like in the parks with the family where the chances of getting bitten is high, you will need to protect your loved ones from a host of diseases such as Dengue or Malaria that can be transmitted by mosquitoes through their bites.


There are of course many choices such as patches or sprays, but if given a choice, wouldn't you want something that is botanically-derived, with no side effects and suitable even for pregnant ladies or babies 6-months up? I still remember the olden days when we had to spray insecticides into the air for the whole house and self-fumigate! I cannot imagine the amount of chemicals breathed in!

Verdict

I did not purposely go out to find mosquitoes to feed, but we did not get any mosquito bites (after application of the spray) as we went along with our usual activities like walks and going into drains. Pretty effective I would say, especially when a bite or two is usually expected with no protection.


What I loved about the spray is that it is actually sweet-smelling and all the kiddos loved the scent too. Every press yielded a fine mist that covered the intended body area pretty easily and best of all, no sticky feeling which I absolutely hates! 

I am honest, I loved everything about the spray except for its pricing of $26.80 because I am a miser lol. But it is a small price to pay for a peace of mind for the whole family I guess. You can also check out the full range of mosquito-repelling products here.


BioRoyale - Oily scalp, Dandruff and Hair Fall no more!

I already said I am no vainpot, but there are indeed times I got a little embarrassed because of the white flakes of dandruff on my shoulders. I will try to sweep them off and hide! Then I read about the method of not washing the hair on a daily basis and tried that, but it led to the overproduction of oil, making my hair look limp and greasy. Using too much of over the counter shampoo also caused the hair to be too dry! But having said all that, I am still easy-going and use whatever is available in the bathroom.



Then I got to try out the BioRoyale range of haircare product which consisted of the shampoo. conditioner, serum and vitalizer. For someone who couldn't be bothered about taking care of the hair, this is really quite a lot of stuff to remember to use! Oh, in case you do not know, BioRoyale is made in Singapore and uses only natural ingredients! The regular use of the products is supposed to strengthen the hair, reduce / prevent hair loss, promote healthy scalp and reduce flaking / scaling! Sure sounds good!


Verdict

I had used the products for a couple of weeks now. When I used only the shampoo for the first time, I felt that it thoroughly cleanses the hair and scalp but it also left the hair a little too dry. However when coupled with the conditioner and serums, the hair definitely felt so much more revitalized! I see a great improvement in my dandruff situation, without having to put up with all the chemicals (in over the counter shampoos) too! As I wash and massage the shampoo onto my scalp, I also noticed much lesser hair strands that fall off! Hair loss prevention and promotion hair regrowth would require patience and dedication in hair care regime but the effects for me so far looks promising. A full set of full-sized products will set you back by $150, but you can also try out the starter kit at $50 here