Regular Swimming?

We were at the swimming pool again today. It's just so convenient, being 200m away from home. I can see us coming more often when weather permits. Maybe sign her up for lessons if she takes to the water.

OO The Photographer?

Meimei was busy with YY and had handed OO her phone to play make-believe photography.

It was mostly random snaps and blurry photos. But when Meimei was clearing the photos she found this gem. OO had lined up her stuffed toys for a photoshoot. Quite smart for a 3 year old.

Free U-Lock

I was at the basketball court with OO yesterday evening to try out her new bicycle when a policeman, in shorts (who says they only wear that in the 60s) approach us. I didn't know what he was up to till I saw the U-lock he was carrying a. I vaguely heard from somewhere that the police were giving out such locks last year.

He asked if OO was my kid and offered us the U-lock. I started chatting with him about the rate of bicycle thefts and he advised that it's pretty high for our area. I told him I was thinking of getting a bike myself soon and wondered if he could give me another U-lock. He didn't have another but promised to come again tomorrow with one.

And true enough, when I came home today it was there on the table. Mama said a policeman had came earlier to our unit to hand it to us. Thanks Mr Policeman! And kudos to the police for this initiative. Now I just need to get the bike to put this into good use hahaha.

Celebrating 3 At School

We celebrated her 2nd Birthday at school last year and made sure we do the same for her 3rd. Plus I was able to take a day's leave to participate in the celebration.

The kids seem too young to understand it all though I can tell a few of them can't wait to blow out the candles. Well it's more of a fun event for the kids. And the chance to have cake for tea break is always welcomed.

Meimei also took the time to pack goody bags for OO's classmates too. It was nice to see OO handing them to her classmates. Sharing isn't one of her strengths so we try to cultivate that whenever we can.

OO Is 3!

Today's a double event as we celebrate OO's 3rd birthday.

They grow up too fast. It was just yesterday that she was coo-ing in my arms. Now she's already a young lady who knows what she wants and makes sure you know it too.

I bought a set of 'Around The World' Duplo Lego for her while Meimei bought her a bicycle. I think she is a whole lot more excited about the bicycle than the Lego.

阳阳's Full Month

Like with all family events, it was mostly low-key. A simple buffet at home and only relatives, close friends and colleagues.

Meimei bought balloons again to spruce up the place. Definitely makes the place more lively. We did ran out of space though when more people arrive. 405 just can't compare to 303 on space.

YY was very cooperative and awake throughout the celebration. Everyone had a chance to take pictures with the handsome prince of the hour. Heheh.

Some pics of our little boyboy in his first month.

Freezer Trouble

I came home this week to the freezer failing. Mama, Meimei and the maid all lay the blame on the confinement lady for opening the freezer door too long. We had bought the Hitachi freezer about a year and half ago so I was surprised it became faulty so soon. They really don't make it like they used to.

So I called for the Hitachi technician to come. Parts are under warranty but we have to pay $90 for the labour. The technician opened the back panel of the freezer compartment and the problem area was immediately obvious. Ice had formed at one of the intake fan valve. After querying the tech, it seems there was no way it could have formed in the short span that the confinement lady was here. This, he mentioned, had to be from months of thawing and freezing. So all the times when we accidentally fail to close the freezer doors completely had contributed to the build up of ice. I suspect the confinement lady just 'tip it over' with her incessant opening of the fridge doors to check out what we had in it.

Sister & Brother

It warms my heart to see the two together. Hopefully as parents we can play an active part in helping them bond. I never really had a relationship with my brother. We are practically like strangers. I hope OO and YY does not suffer the same lack of kinship between siblings as I.

Long Flight Home

Like the trip to get here, I was stuck in the middle seat for most of the flights home. Only on the one from Cincinnati to Seattle did I get a window seat. But that's only for a five hour internal flight which does not serve anything and has no entertainment whatsoever. I spent most of the flight either catching a nap or staring at the ground. Interestingly the plane wasn't flying very high and I could watch the land unfold bit by bit.

Sun rises over Cincinnati as we take off

Can you see the little white windmills?

Flying over the Rocky Mountains

Final approach to Seattle

When we reach Seattle it was only 9am in the morning locally. We had a three hour wait for the next flight and went hunting for food.

It looks fancy but nothing to shout about. I was already a little sick of wraps and potatoes. But I knew I had to eat something before the long haul flights. I might not get to eat till we land in Singapore.

I didn't get any pictures for the next flights. It was eleven hours to Narita, two hours transit and finally an eight hour flight into Singapore. A whopping total of thirty hours. We started out on what was Singapore's 6pm Saturday and arrive at half past midnight on Monday morning. A entire weekend gone flying in the air. I bet it'll be a long while before I travel to Cincinnati again.

Dinners At Cincinnati

Lunch are catered for at the workout and nothing to talk about. Simple breads, salads and wraps. We are on our own for dinner so we try to see if there are any decent restaurants nearby.

We were at AppleBees on Sunday after the outlet shopping. Comfortable atmosphere, 80s 90s pop music singing in the background. I had the Bourbon street chicken and shrimp.

We were there again on Wednesday night. The french onion soup has too much cheese for my liking. I was practically full before the steak arrive.

Monday was Mexican at Chuy's. It seems to have good reviews on Google so we decided to give it a go.

It turns out to be somewhat like fast food fare. Food is cheap and in huge portions. The place was crowded and every table had food filled to the edges. However the only things I found nice was the chicken soup and my Bud Light. My Chicka-Chicka Boom-Boom was too spicy and I couldn't savour any favour of the rice nor chicken.

Everyone agreed not to have Mexican for the rest of the trip haha.

Someone at the workout recommended Mitchell's Fish Market so we were there on Tuesday.

I ordered the Fisherman's Platter and a side of grilled vegetables. It was all fried food and the grilled vegetables lack any seasoning. I quickly became satiated a quarter way through and forced myself to finish the meal. At the end of it I could feel the soreness in my throat.

Thursday was a get-together at a nearby golf driving range. It was a low 7 degree celsius and they decided to host the event at an open air range?! We were freezing our butts off and had to huddle close to the heaters.

Tonight's the last night at Cincinnati and we spent it at The Cheese Cake Factory at Kenwood Mall.

Meimei highly recommended the Chinese Chicken salad which I ordered for sharing. It had a refreshing taste of citrus and everyone liked it.

Main course was the Shrimp Scampi which is a minor disappointment. Should have gone with the Filet Mignon like Meimei recommended.

Although I took a picture of the cheesecake selection, everyone was full after dinner and couldn't have anymore. I suppose we'll leave this bit for the next trip, if it ever happens.

All in all dinner was an ok affair. It was starting to taste the same ... there seems to be little variety in western cuisine. That or I was going to the wrong places for food. Whatever the case, I am already dreaming of the hawker food and can't wait to fly home tomorrow.

Hearty Breakfast

Western breakfast are my favourite. Eggs. bacon, sausage, toast bread ... all super foods to perk up a morning and get the energy flowing.

The hotel serves make-to-order hot breakfast and a buffet of breads, cereals, fruits, juice and waffles. All for a very reasonable USD9.99. Gosh ... I was the first one down every morning to enjoy this wholesome meal. 

I'm sure some readers will see this and raise both eyebrows at my glowing comments for what must be a dull normal breakfast. But you cannot get this this good this cheap in Singapore. So it's a fair deal for me to be eating this every morning for the stay. Yummy!

Walmart Grocery

Besides the baby clothes, the other shopping task I was handed was a trip to the grocery mega stores. It seems you cannot find these anywhere in Singapore. So I dragged my colleagues along on pretext of getting drinking water. Haha.

Lawry's Garlic Salt - Mama's request

McCormick's Smokehouse Maple - Meimei's grill mix

Hershey's Cookies 'n' Creme Dipped Pretzels

I found these at a Walmart store. They didn't stock the condiments in larger bottles so I took the largest I could find. Lucky Meimei was online so I can take a picture for her and round up the quantities to buy.

The Big Ride

It had to be big. There were four of us so it had to at least carry four large luggages. I had even planned for another right from the beginning of the trip.

So when we were at the Hertz counter we asked for a big car. And wow ... we sure got a monster. And this monster comes with all the fancy gadgets and assistance systems anyone could ever dream of. This baby costed USD700+ for a 7 days rental but I would say it was worth every penny. The size and road presence helps a lot when driving in a foreign land.

Comfortable Accommodation

We are staying at the Hilton Garden Inn West Chester. You can tell it's pretty new. That or they kept up the cleaning and renovation very well.

It's just off I-75 and 15 minutes drive to Evendale. There are several restaurants across the street and the housekeeping is up to par. If I ever come to Cincinnati again, this will be my top choice for hotel stay. 

Outlet Shopping

I would say this is the only saving grace of the trip. An opportunity to go shopping at an outlet mall for baby clothes. Before traveling Meimei already did her homework and found the nearest outlet mall to my hotel. She also shortlisted a long long list of baby clothes to buy and even had a cart on Carter's webby just so I have a picture to reference.

My entire day was spent hunting for baby clothes at Carter's, Gymboree and OshKosh. I had bought a Samsonite luggage as a first stop and dragged it to Carter's for the rest of the morning. It was full when I walked out of the store with a USD300+ bill.

Lunch was simple pizza at the food court. I was happy for the break and wasn't too eager to get back at it. I had achieved most of my targets and didn't really fancy any more hectic shopping. The morning at Carter's was draining as I had to run down the list and match the clothes to the pictures.

My colleagues however were still raring to go. They were still discussing on their after-lunch shopping route and trading good deals. I played tag-along for the afternoon and it wasn't all a waste. I managed to buy two Polo Ralphs tees each for Meimei and myself, and a pair of Clarks walking shoes.

Dinner was at an AppleBees opposite the hotel and we retired early after a hard day of shopping. It wasn't the end of it for me though. I laid down everything I bought today for a showcase display before going to bed, just so Meimei could have a quick look to see if anything was missed. This has to be the most shopping I've done in years! And I'm quite proud to say I did it!