I am a very traditional Chinese female at heart, who enjoys rowdy family gatherings, round-table chinese sit-down dinners and all things cheena. And that is the reason why I love Chinese New Year so much.

I just had my first Lo-Hei this year and it was during last Friday’s CG meeting with my spiritual family. :) The kids were excited about it! And it was especially rowdy and fun because of these wonderful kids in the cell group. =)

Woo so pretty and colourful, I love it!!!

Look at all the excited faces.. =)

Even the adults couldn’t wait, can you see? Mo Kuan was already chewing on his chopsticks. =.=

And the Lo-Hei-ing started after everyone took turns to say something auspicious in Chinese! Hee..

We were professional! It was thoroughly mixed with almost nothing dropped out onto the newspapers! No waste! =P

 

Love is when daddy shares a plate of lo hei with me. =D

Chinese New Year is 3 days away. Take this time to appreciate your loved ones and spend quality family time together. That’s the most precious thing in our lives. =)

This is Joey in her new school uniform at the new kindergarten she’s studying at.

Quite frankly, I am feeling the heat.

The daddy & mummy friends around me have either zoomed in to a Primary school they want to enrol their kids into, or have a more-or-less school they know their kids can get in either cos it was the school they went to themselves, or have siblings in them, or live within 1 km from school.

And me? NOTHING.

This is adulthood peer pressure, I tell you. I haven’t even given a thought to this whole “Which-Primary-School-is-Joey-going-to” issue, and I already have many asking me about it. It got me a little nervous especially when everyone else seemed to know what they are going, and I was the only one who didn’t. Most gave me a look of shock & disbelief when I said, ‘I don’t know.’

Then another friend reminded me the other day that next year (2012) will be the year that I have to register Joey for Primary School cos you have to register at year end for the following academic year. That totally freaked me out.

I have friends who would shift and move to a place nearby to their dream Primary school, and others who have joined some dialect clans as members, and yet others who became parent volunteers at schools they hope their kids can get into. For me, I will definitely not shift to anywhere just for the school, but I may consider parent volunteering. Some schools require just 40 hours of volunteer work and some friends have told me that I can just take one week’s leave and pack the school library books. That would clock the 40 hours, 8 hours a day for 5 days. =.=

Much as I want my Joey to go to a prestigious school well-known for its great standard, I think for practical reasons, I would have to choose a school that is nearby to where I live. I can only pray that within that boundary, God will let Joey get into the best school possible. (dear mummy friends out there, please don’t shake your head at my nonchalance.. =P)

The Woodlands Waterfront Park is just a very windy place and you’ll feel rejuvenated and refreshed by taking a stroll here. It’s also a good place for children to go to because there’s fresh air, green trees, pretty flowers and of course the vast large water catchment over here. My two kids had so much fun hanging out at this place, running everywhere. I’ll let the pictures do the talking. =)

Baby Jayne was so cute. The wind was so strong that she kept trying to sweep her curls away from her face. LOL!

It looked like it was going to rain at one point, but thank God there was no rain at all, just very cold winds… =)

This is a great place to spend time with your dear ones. =)

Woodlands Waterfront Park is located along Admiralty Road West.

One of the newest facility in Woodlands is the Woodlands Waterfront Park, and I tell you – It’s really HUGE & FUN!

There is a reason why this park was built. I can’t explain the right technical details, but basically it’s for some water conservation purpose. The park is so pretty and vast, and a really wonderful place for families to go to.

And you know how good looking at green things is? Here, you’ll find tons of greens everywhere!

And check out the playground. It’s amazing.

My kids went wild!!!

There was large spaces to run and roam about – A perfect place to bring hyperactive kids!!!

There were so many children at the playground and everyone was having so much fun. =)

The playground is so fun that even adults would enjoy all the climbing!

Apart from the playgrounds, there’s also a very lovely bridge that extends all the way into the water reserve. Check back tomorrow for great photos in Part B! =)

I’m sure you’ve heard by now that local home-grown Director, Jack Neo, has produced a new movie comedy entitled ‘Homecoming’. If you’re looking for a highly entertaining movie to catch with your family and friends this Chinese New Year season, this is one movie you cannot miss!

Truth be told, I have not watched the movie myself, but hearing so many good comments from friends around me who’s watched it, I am sure going to watch it soon. I’ve always been a supporter of Jack Neo’s movies – There is an unpretentious and forthright attitude about his movies that I feel should be applauded. Plus, how much more ‘local’ can you get?? The jokes found in his movies that Singaporeans can identify easily with and chuckle inside of us are just too classic.

The 90-minute movie stars Mark Lee, Jack Neo, A Niu, Jacelyn Tay etc and is about three stories of three different individuals going home for Chinese New Year. A major highlight of the movie is Jack Neo, who will be cross-dressing on the big screen again after eleven years since “Liang Po Po The Movie” back in 1999. He will be playing mother to Ah Niu’s character. It is said that he was told to lose at least 5kg for his role.

Check out what some of my friends have to say about the movie after watching it:

Looks like it’s really a movie worth catching!!! =D

And wait, I have some good news to share with all of you! EZ-Link Pte Ltd announced today the addition of SingPost outlets to their current network of ez-link card sales channels and top-up points. Effective from 28 January 2011 onwards, consumers will be able to purchase and top-up ez-link cards at all 62 SingPost outlets island-wide. This is good news to all who uses the ez-Link cards frequently as it is a lot more convenient to top-up your value now.

To help commemorate the sales of ez-link cards at SingPost, EZ-Link is introducing a set of four
“Homecoming” Limited Edition ez-link cards in collaboration with Golden Village and in support of the
local movie industry. EZ-Link decided to select “Homecoming” – a film made by local producers J-Team scheduled for release during the Chinese New Year period – to feature on its cards as the movie
reiterates the meaning of returning home, from wherever you are, for a reunion during the traditional
Lunar New Year. That’s so meaningful, isn’t it? =)

With effect from 28 Jan 2011, the “Homecoming” Limited Edition ez-link cards will be available for purchase at all SingPost outlets at the price of $28 per set with no stored value, consisting of four different designs. (For more information, please visit www.ezlink.com.sg.)

And just for you, dear readers, I have one set of the 4 “Homecoming” Limited Edition ez-link cards to give away to ONE LUCKY READER! If you want to own them, simply leave me a comment at this blog entry, telling me why you would love to win this set of ez-link cards, and I will send the cards to one lucky person. It’s that simple! :)

Don’t forget to catch “Homecoming” if you haven’t! I know I will! =)