Creating Geniuses with Geniebook?

We were introduced to Geniebook a couple of months back because an ex-colleague of my wife happened to be with the company and had shared with us the many advantages of using this online self-learning platform. Truth be told, I was really impressed with their selling points, and I still am.

Many tuition centres would have taken their curriculum online by now because e-Learning is the way to go for our future generation. But what differentiates Geniebook software from the rest of the pack, would have to be the A.I. that generates worksheets based on the students' weaknesses from past work. It starts with a Strengths Analysis that kiddo will do first; from there, it will detect kiddo's strengths and weaknesses. For subsequent questions, the system will then prioritise those relevant questions for students to practise.

Geniebook motivates e-Learning by rewarding "Bubbles" to students based on their scores in the worksheets they had embarked on. In turn, the Bubbles can then be used to exchange for real gifts such as slime and snacks etc.

The kid get bubbles for every completed worksheet.

Whilst students (or parents) would be able to select the topics that they wish to be tested on, and more Bubbles would be awarded for scoring in topics they are weak on, thus encouraging them to work harder on grasping new concepts and to get better.

Parents are also kept in the know whenever the kiddos log into Geniebook and generate worksheets to do. Once the worksheets are marked, parents would also be able to view the results via the Geniebook Parent app and see for themselves how their kiddos fare.

Track the progress of each child and each subject.

The analytics is quite amazing.

Parents can view all the mistakes and also the solution as well.

There are also LIVE Online Lessons weekly with their teachers. With the current COVID situation, these lessons and the assessment sheets will be great for those who are staying indoors and keeping kids occupied.

My Personal Take

This app would be godsent for parents who wish to keep a close tab on the progress of their children. Parents can create study plans and generate worksheets for their children and then monitor their activities remotely via the parent app.

I have no doubt that if I had exercised my diligence in ensuring that the kiddos do their practices, that they would definitely see a great improvement in their English, Maths and Science. Practice makes perfect and by constantly practising on the weak topics, it is only a matter of time the grades improve.
    

Cons

However, the best tools in the world will still depend on the user welding it, and my children are not the most disciplined ones (neither are their parents). All great things come with consistent practice! In fact, we often receive follow up calls from Geniebook asking if they could be of assistance because they had not been practising! That is how dedicated their team is.

The company charges on an annual basis for 1 to 3 subjects and users can generate 300 worksheets per subject. The cost of getting all 3 subjects would be $4,947 in total, or about $5.40 per worksheet. Can appear to be a little steep to me, but then again you are not paying for the worksheets only, but the accompanying support and they can even sit in 'live' classes.

If you want to find out more, check out here and get a Complimentary Strengths Analysis http://bit.ly/39gQVLA.

Dyson Supersonic Blew Me Away

My wife, had never ever requested for any gifts for her birthday or our anniversaries. In fact she hates surprises and I learnt my lesson many years back when I organized a surprise birthday party in cahoots with her colleagues and it ended up annoying her to the max. She cannot be bothered these days, and would always say "just give me money will do".

The girls were really excited to find out what mom's gift was!

However for Valentines Day this year, she received something really practical from Dyson indeed. I believe everyone would have heard about the Dyson Supersonic hairdryer and how it it looked by now right? I myself have heard of many wonderful reviews but to experience it for ourselves, beats reading any other 3rd party reviews. I vouch that I can feel the difference, just by holding the hairdryer in my hands and feeling the .

Steffi holding on to the Dyson Supersonic

We are already used to the noisy conventional big-headed hairdryer, just like how we were used to our old corded vacuum cleaner along with vacuum bag before we started using Dyson V8. Having to dry her own hair, as well as my daughters’ hair after their bathes, can take quite a long time, tiring her wrists. Not to mention that she will have to personally dry for the girls because the hairdryer can get really hot!

This is how the set looked like! Comes with 4 attachments too!

Now that the wife (and the whole family) had tried our new gadget for a while now, I can safely proclaim that Dyson Supersonic hairdryer, is really in a class of its own! Just like their vacuum and purifying fans, once you try them, you would not want to go back to your old appliances. So let me share with what I love or found out about the hairdryer!

Light but Powerful

I honestly do not care if the Dyson V9 digital motor is big or small, but the fact that it is small and yet powerful, allowed it to be positioned in the handle, making handling the dryer a breeze. No need to “balance” the heavy head of the conventional dryers and no more strain on the wrists even after drying all 5 kiddos!

It is indeed powerful. Starri was in awe.

Gentle on Hair

I do not know about you but I had personally “burnt” my own hair before due to extreme heat lor, and I could still remember the smell! This will never happen with Dyson, because of the glass bead thermistor that measures the temperature a whopping 20 times a second, with the microprocessor making sure it does not overheat based on the data it receives. In short, with its 3 airflow settings + cold air and 4 heat settings, it is safe even for the kiddos to use!

The Attachments

Well truth be told, we never really used them (except the gentle flow) because just the dryer itself was really good enough for all of us. Because you know lah, we are not that stylo milo lor. But I did try them on to find out what difference they made, and the gentle flow really diffused the heat and airflow, making it an even more comfortable experience for the kiddos.

The different attachments that come with the set.

I think if my wife had permed hair, she would probably find the Diffuser great as it is supposed to dry without frizzing up the hair, while the Styling Concentrator would be helpful if I had long fringe like before and needed to style just that part. Oh yeah, the attachments really stayed cool to the touch when in use, just like Dyson claimed!

In Conclusion?

Well if you ask me, there is really nothing that I would complain about Dyson Supersonic. Erm.. but I was hoping that all the attachments would be able to fit into the beautiful case that came with it lah! You can easily get yours online at https://www.dyson.com.sg/products/hair-care/dyson-supersonic-hair-dryer/shop-all too. It comes with a set of complimentary brush kit along with the case that you can personalize at Dyson Demo Store - Owner Center Capitol as well!

A personalized case in pink for my lady.

A couple of hundreds for the Supersonic may be small change to many, but can be a little extravagant, especially when one compares it to the $20 hairdryer that one can easily find. But having experienced it ourselves, I feel that it is definitely worth the price you pay. You only need to try it for yourself!

Guitar Lessons at Aureus Academy

I remember Steffi would often strum some notes on the old guitar that my mother-in-law brought over for the kiddos to play with, and ask me to guess the songs. I was rather surprised she could play a few tunes, but later learnt that YouTube was her resource. What else one cannot learnt from the internet these days?

 

 

It seems she also has guitar lessons in her school, but then she would have to compete with rest of the entire class for the teacher's attention. It is not exactly the most conducive environment to learn how to play music instruments, but there is only that much time a school can allocated for music. It so happened that a review collaboration with Aureus Academy opened up and they had a branch over at AMK Hub too. That made everything really convenient for us and we enrolled Steffi for her private 30min weekly guitar sessions with her teacher, Mr Hazriq, much to her happiness.

 

Now more than half a year into her lessons, Steffi is still enjoying her time at the academy, under the caring guidance of Mr Hazriq. I had noticed on numerous occasions while waiting to fetch her from her lessons, that Mr Hazriq looked and sounded like the most patient music teacher I had met. In comparison, my primary school music teacher was a terror.

 

 

He would update me on Steffi's progress without fail whenever I turned up, and share with me on the songs or techniques that he is coaching her on. I would also remind Steffi that she should be enjoying the whole experience and never to feel obligated because I know schoolwork is tough enough. We signed her up not for her to become a musician, but for her to get better at something she enjoys doing, and I am glad to report that she is still loving every moment for now! I am also looking forward to singing to her music lor.

 

 

With their many schools in Singapore, I am pretty sure you would be able to find one Aureus location suitable for your little ones. You can check out their website for more information and to book your free trial so as to gauge its suitability for your kiddo.

Sudio Fem

[Review]

I was introduced to my first pair of wireless earbuds last year when I tried out Sudio Tolv. I personally found the sound quality really good and it served me really well. I do have a concern though, and that was losing the earbuds somehow!

The Sudio Fem came in a nice CNY package!

We are nevertheless, really happy to try out Sudio's latest true wireless Fem, which was just launched last December. And here's my take on the latest product that we got to try out for the past couple of days!

My Sudio Tolv is in black while the white is the Fem!

It looked really modernistic, comes in white, black, blue and pink, and even thought the name is Fem (sounds like feminine to me), the casing and buds looked bigger than the Tolv. At first I was kinda worried that they may not fit well but hey, I was wrong because they felt more snug then my Tolv!

Easy to carry everywhere I go!

Battery life is good and one charge can last me a couple of days as I mainly use them on my daily commute. A full charge of the carrying case would require about 90 mins and the fully-charged buds can last about 6 hours. However the carrying case can charge the buds a further 2 more times with the full charge!

The kiddos trying out the Sudio Fem but it was a little too big for Leroy.

Just like the Tolv, pairing the Fem with my handphone was as simple as can be. One just needed to turn on bluetooth, find the Sudio Fem, pair it and viola it's done! As simple as ABC! I do not have the ears of a musician, but I find the sound quality really decent and it felt immersive too lor!

Hahaha... need some music to cancel out the noise of these little ones!

I seldom exercise lah but I can imagine how comfortable it would be wearing these buds and going about jogging with the music playing! No worries about sweat or rain also, because the buds sweat and rain "tolerant".

The Sudio Fem comes with a special CNY package and pouch too! No mandarins though!

There is a CNY promo happening right now till 14 Feb. Get a special CNY package + crossbody pouch + buy any 2 sets for 10% off. But if you use my code: THEPERFECTFATHER15, you get an extra 15% off, for a total of 25% off! So hop over to http://www.sudio.com/sg/ and get your Sudio Fem with free worldwide shipping and 18 months warranty now! You are still in time to get a pair for Valentines lor! 

Gentle Giants Wildlife Tour

[Media Preview]

Wildlife Reserves Singapore offers a variety of guided tours across its parks that allows visitors to have a special behind-the-scene experience with the animals and their keepers. What I love about these tours is how strictly they stick to their policies regarding animal shows or contacts with humans. In short, the shows or tours are always about education and conservation, and not the usual "pay for photo with drugged / mouth-taped / domesticated / trained animals" that one often encounter while overseas.

The kiddos were asking about the whereabouts of the elephants in the photo.

The really lucky kiddos got to experience a preview of the latest Gentle Giants Wildlife Tour that will only be starting on 16 November, way before everybody else, and were treated to a very exclusive and intimate one-hour session with the keepers and the five Asian elephants in the Zoo. Let me share a little with you on what you can expect during the tour!

Hopped on the buggy to start the tour!

The first thing you get to do on the tour, would be meeting your guide at the entrance and getting onto the buggy to be ferried to the elephant show area. Along the way, you will pass by various animal exhibits and your friendly guide (in our case, Sean) would be glad to answer your burning questions on the animals you see. In fact, you need not ask, because he provided a very wonderful commentary and would ask you questions related to the animals instead. That surely entertained and educated the kiddos.

Louie had fun feeding the elephants!

The friendly keeper did an awesome job keeping the kiddos entertained and educated at the same time!

Feeding the elephants snacks will be the next order of the day. However it is not only about feeding the gentle giants, but learning more about the humongous residents from the keepers as well. Get to know their habits and hear a little more about the history of the individual animals from the keepers. There will of course be photo opportunities and the keeper would be more than happy to get the elephant to strike a pose for your group!

So how does an elephant eat a coconut?

This is how pills are washed down its mouth if medication is required.

A pedicure in progress!

Finally you get to the back-of-house of the elephants, which I had been told, was the first time the zoo is opening up the area to the public. There will not be tricks performed by the magnificent creatures, but instead, you will be get to see how the keepers communicate and train them to do what is required of them, so that medical procedures such as pill-feeding, temperature-taking and physical examinations can be performed safely and without stress to the animals.

Look at all those bananas! I was tempted to eat one too!

The jack fruit is meant for the elephants as well (but I would gladly eat too), probably as a treat!

The kiddos also got into the air-conditioned "food shed" where all the elephant food is stored, be it fresh fruits or dry rations and it is pretty amazing how much food the keepers need prepare for the animals daily. I tell you hor, the animals are really well taken care of, even getting exotic fruits such as jack fruits as well, and the fruits looked even better than those sold at some fruit stalls lor!

Some of the prehistoric creatures are already visible to the public!

That's because they are so big that they have nowhere to hide!

This paid tour ($98/adult & $65/child) is only one of the many activities happening at the Zoo when its "A Mammoth Adventure Back in Time" programming (16 Nov - 29 Dec) starts this school holidays. Get to know the giant prehistoric creatures that roamed the Earth following the extinction of the dinosaurs and earn limited edition pins when you complete the trails! Best thing is, local residents get 15% off admission fees when tickets are purchased online, while kids who dressed up as Cave Kid (think Flintstones) gets free entry on 23 and 24 Nov! Don't say never say!

Thank you to the WRS team for the swell time we had this morning!

So do not hesitate further, check out the Zoo's official website for more information to mark the dates and thank you Wildlife Reserves Singapore for the invitation for the family!

The Gingerbread Man

[Media Invite]

It has been a while since we last watched a production by Singapore Repertory Theatre at KC Arts Centre. But it was our very time attending a media event at the place last weekend, and it included a meet-and-greet with the cast from The Gingerbread Man.

Great morning with fellow parents!

The kiddos with Ryan, Natalie and Alyssa!

 

Getting to know the characters before the show!

 

I really do not know how the performers do it, but I do not think I can ever bring myself to sing and dance so exaggeratingly for the audiences, which made the entire production so entertaining, especially for the little ones! I think it was also our first time seeing audiences dancing and singing along too.

 

 

I am honest, to me as an adult, the storyline was so-so only lah, because damn simple and predictable mah but if the success of a musical is how much the kiddos enjoys and remembers, then I must say the cast did a great job! I am still hearing my kiddos singing "elec-tri-city, let's make some energy!" out loud every now and then! I even remind the siblings about teamwork lor! Catch it with your kiddos, and you will know what I mean! The production will only run till 04 Dec 2019 and you can get your tickets here.

 

Once again, many thank you Singapore Repertory Theatre for hosting our family at the meet-and-greet and also having us for the performance!

Brandt: In-Home Product Demonstration

I do not know about you, but I always feel that whenever we buy any new equipment, be it a new laptop or household appliance, we will get used to the few basic functions and then just assume that that's all the equipment does. User usually does that without reading the instruction menu in the first place too, well, at least that's me.

That's just one very regular daily load.

To be absolutely honest, this is the first time I have heard of a company offering in-home product demonstration after sales. Usually it would be in-store demonstrations before one makes any purchases right? But theses days online shopping are so prevalent, that even buying expensive household appliances by simply relying on online descriptions or reviews is also commonplace now.

Patiently going through the functions of the dryer with the wife and Steffi.

We were informed of the complimentary product demonstration by Brandt when we got our appliances from them. Apparent it is free when you buy any ovens, washers / dryers, coffee machines or dishwashers, but you must make the arrangement within 6 months after having them delivered. We got a very friendly and patient staff by the name of Dennis.

Next up, learning more about our new induction hob.

We had arranged for an evening appointment and he was absolutely professional from the moment he stepped into our place. As patient as a teacher, he went about explaining the different functions of our washer and dryer, as well as going through the steps of maintaining the machines so that they will last longer! Being first time users of a dryer, my wife surely grilled him on the functionalities! 

Was also taught how to wash the filters.

We were also shown the many safety features of our induction hob as well as how to clean the filter panels of our hood. Of course, we were also taught how to fire up to clear the grease in the oven thoroughly once a while and how the different programmed buttons of the microwave work for different purposes such as thawing or cooking! 

The microwave had a lot of preloaded buttons for different type of food and purposes.

Good to know that Brandt provides such a great after sales service. Makes sense for them too, as consumers feel valued and not forsaken after deal is sealed and proper usage and maintenance of their appliances will also lead to lesser complains and product failures mah, correct boh? Works both ways!

Learning how to take out the glass of the oven for a thorough cleaning if required.

This post is a review collaboration between The "Perfect" Father & Brandt but all photos and views belongs solely ours. 

Brandt Pyrolytic Oven and Combi Microwave 

Brandt Front Load Washing Machine and Front Load Dryer
Brandt Induction Hob
Brandt Built-In Extractor Hood