Family Holiday @Hong Kong - Day 5 Ocean Park

We started the day with Meimei being very sick and running a high fever. She wanted to puke and was running for the toilet. It's obvious she was having food poisoning and we are guessing it was the curry dish we had yesterday for lunch. Papa tried some too and had rejected it because it tasted bad. Meimei had a piece of the pig skin and even though it was bad she swallowed it. Bad move.

So sadly Meimei had to stay in the hotel while we went out for breakfast at Kam Wah. I packed some to make sure she had something to eat. But she is clearly in no condition to go anywhere else.

Breakfast was the typical nissin noodle with ham, sausage or beef variants with a side of the Po Lo Bao and a hot drink. 

We set off right after breakfast. Again Papa came to the hotel to join us for the Ocean Park fun. He's probably has originally planned to come with Yeeyee and XY but since we were here already he came along as well. He even insisted on paying for the entrance tickets to the park.

I knew upfront we were not going to stay too long. So the first thing is to get on the cable car to get to the other side of the park. It's always been the highlight of going Ocean Park for me. Just the view of the bay fully justifies the price of entry.

Before we reach the station, 萱萱 caught sight of a super crazy roller coaster that spins upside down. She got very excited but I was certain nope of us are going to accompany her on it. 

We went on The Rapids instead where you sit in a circular wheel that constantly spins as it flows along the wet path. There would be people in overhead bridges spraying water at you as you go by so we were pretty wet after the ride. The kids loved it and we went twice before I could pull them away.

After The Rapids we made our way closer to the roller coaster rides area and 萱萱 spotted an ice cream stall. We stopped for a cold treat before 萱萱 insist she wants to get on a roller coaster called the Arctic Blast that has been zooming behind the benches we were resting on. I didn't let 阳阳 come on the ride. You can see the disappointment in his eyes but thankfully he is a sensible kid and stayed behind with Ana at the bench. As we rode past the benches and made a point to wave at him. He caught us too and was waving back excitedly.

Lunch was simply junk food at the same area. Ocean park has become like one of those travelling carnival for me. There were other attractions but the kids were not interested to go around to catch them. Plus the panda exhibits is closed today so we couldn't catch sights of them anyways.

萱萱 went on a couple more rounds of Arctic Blast before we made our way back to the hotel. I packed Pepper Lunch for dinner in the hotel room. It's the most practical option since Meimei is still recovering from her bout of food poisoning. She managed to get some bathtub play with the kids though so all is not lost.

Family Holiday @Hong Kong - Day 4 Switching Hotels & Family Dinner

We are switching hotels to Royal Plaza Hotel in Mongkok East. First time here but there were great reviews of it online. One of the key pluses was the convenience and proximity to the mall and MTR. It also has Family room packages that boosts connecting rooms. And to top it off, it's about 40% cheaper than our last favourite hotel Cordis. Well Cordis is still top in my mind with the in-house restaurant and high floors. But having already shed out a ton for the Disneyland hotel stay, which is horrendously expensive, this was the better option for 2 nights.

We checked out before noon at Disney and was already at Royal Plaza at 1pm. Unfortunately they don't have rooms for us to check in early. Well actually they did and tried to get us to accept it ... there were readily available rooms on the 19th floor ... which does not have lift access. Well of course those were available ... who would want those rooms?! It's not like they are offering a 20% discount on them, which I think they should seriously consider doing if they want to fill them. But paying the regular rate we were never going to accept it. So we had to come back at 3pm which gives us ample time to go for lunch. We left the luggage with the concierge and went right to Moko mall.

Papa had travelled to the hotel too to meet us. He recommended lunch at a Chinese restaurant he's been to before so we gladly took the suggestion.

We ordered the usual fried rice, CCF and meats for the kids. But one speciality that you would not get in Singapore is the goose wings. This is the highlight of the meal.

As I write this after the holiday I deliberated if I should include the picture of the curry dish. It's a Hong Kong classic, you'll find market stalls selling these at every street corner. But what made me think twice is because this dish made Meimei fell sick with food poisoning the next day. More on that in the next post.

After lunch we got into the rooms. The rooms were very spacious and comfortable. Meimei and I had the King bed while the kids and Ana shared two double beds in the next connecting room.

We stayed in the room and watch some TV before we left for a family dinner. Papa had organised a get-together with relatives. I don't know half of them, they are his cousins so we probably never met before this. I don't even know how to address them other than uncle or aunty.

Anyways I'm glad we got to have dinner together. The food was great and the kids had a great time playing Pokemon with their distant cousins. The most important thing for me though is the group photo. Its rare to get everyone together so this is one of those moments in time which is to be treasured.

Family Holiday @Hong Kong Day 3 - Disneyland Cont'd

We are back at Hong Kong Disneyland again today. 阳阳 looks to be better today but we are not risking it.  We start off the day splitting into 2 groups. 萱萱 wanted to ride the rollercoaster at the Frozen area again so I took her there. We were there early and there was no queue. It's a wet day too so the crowd is relatively thin.

We joined Meimei and 阳阳 right after that at the Jungle area. Meimei and 阳阳 and already gone on the boat ride once but they were ok to go again so off we went.

After that 阳阳 seems to be doing ok so we decided to go to the Elsa ride. It started raining when we exited the ride and had to hide at a corner to wait it out. Meimei took the time to go shopping at the Frozen store with the kids while I guard the stroller. I left once to go to the toilet and when I returned they had bags of loot. One was a behemoth of a stuffed toy .... Salamander. It's as big as the stroller!

Once the rain stopped we made our way to Tomorrowland. First stop was the Obitron ride. It's a relatively mild ride so we let 阳阳 on too. The last time we were here both kids were fighting over the controls to move the shuttle up and down. So this time we had them in 2 separate cars.

Next we stop for some popcorn treat. I had bought the meal tickets so might as well use them all. 萱萱 somehow spotted the Hyperspace Mountain ride and keep bugging us to accompany her on it. She is truly the adrenaline junkie! We had to do a relay, taking turns to go with her. Ana was up first and I found out later that she went to puke in the toilet after the 2nd run. Meimei had a turn with her and didn't look well after that. I was the last to accompany her and I can say it was truly tummy churning.

We had lunch at the Starliner Diner. The kids love it as it's burgers and fries but I wasn't impressed. They tried to make Marvel theme burgers like the Red Iron Man or the Green Hulk burgers where the buns are coloured.

After lunch Meimei and the kids went souvenir hunting at the various shops at each theme section. I was tired and stay at the diner. It was also raining lightly so there were not many rides we could go to without having to grapple with the crowds. 阳阳 came back earlier as he was tired. He was still under the effects of the fever though the temperature has hovered around 37.5. 

At some point he complained that he was tired and wanted to get back to the hotel. Meimei wanted to continue to shop so we split into 2 groups. I was to pack dinner and go back to the hotel with 阳阳 and Ana first, while Meimei and 萱萱 continue to shop.

It was a good plan but the diners here do not have proper takeout boxes and we had to pack on our own. Between the struggles to pack dinner, the bad rainy weather, absent Meimei and a visibly tired and potentially sick 阳阳 I was extremely frustrated.

I kinda lost it on the way back and gave him a big scolding because he kept whining and changing his mind and wanted to stay with Meimei. He had a bad meltdown and was sobbing and crying all the way back to the hotel.

I'm not proud of what I did but its important to write about it so I can remember and not make the same bad mistake in letting my emotions get the better of me ... especially when it comes to our kids.

Anyways its our last day at Disneyland and it'll probably be a long while before we ever come here again. 

Family Holiday @Hong Kong - Day 2 Hong Kong Disneyland

We set off relatively early for the park. Even so there were massive crowds already at the gates. There was a special hotel guest lane which let us breeze through the gantries. Once inside, Meimei mades us take a bee line towards the World of Frozen section. It's the newest attraction and we want to get on the rides as early as we can before more people arrive. 

First stop is the Frozen Ever After ride. The ride had a surprising turn where we went backwards down a gentle slope as you reach out to Elsa. At the end of the ride there was a steep downward fall which was short but still relatively scary since we were not expecting it.

Great ride overall with the many different theme and songs at each section of the ride. The figurines had live-like movements that created a great immersive experience.

Next up was the more exciting and scary Wandering Oaken's Sliding Sleighs. It's a proper roller coaster and you can hear the shouts of people on it as you wander around the World of Frozen.

阳阳 prepared for it by making a meditating pose. We were cautious with him as he tends to be less daring. Thankfully we made through it without cries. 萱萱 on the other hand was ecstatic and wanted to go again. She's a thrill seeker and wears it like a badge of honour that she wasn't the least bit afraid.

Next we move to a slower and more enjoyable pace with the Smallworld ride. It has always been one of my favourite with the "It's a small small world" tune ringing through the ride. 

After Smallworld we made our way to the Central Area to get on the Winnie the Pooh ride and the Teacup spin ride. There was no queue on both rides. I think everyone has congregated at the World of Frozen so it's comfortable to go for other rides.

Right after the teacup ride 阳阳 started complaining he was cold and wanted to curl up in the stroller. We suspected something was wrong and tested him and not surprisingly he was running a fever. So we had to make our way back to the hotel for room service again.

After making sure 阳阳 was comfortable and rested we left him and Ana to stay in the room and watch TV. In retrospect as I write this post, I strongly believe he was "scared sick" by the Oaken ride. Unfortunate but it happens with the best of us. We just need to take note and manage it.

So anyways we went back to Disneyland and went on several rides again with 萱萱. She loves the personal attention and company. We stayed till about 6 plus and managed to catch the drone light show. We didn't want to stay too late since 阳阳 is still back at the hotel.

Dinner was yet another room service meal at ridiculous prices. Oh well what can you do right? As long as the kids were enjoying it ... at least there's that.

Family Holiday @Hong Kong - Day 1 Disneyland Explorer Lodge

Family holiday in Hong Kong. We deliberately chose Hong Kong as this was supposed to be XY's first trip overseas. Unfortunately she fell sick and YeeYee had to take the difficult decision to pull out at the last moment.

We spend the morning and early afternoon travelling on Cathay to Hong Kong. It was uneventful and we reached the hotel around mid-afternoon.  We are staying at the Disney Explorer Lodge till Wednesday then switch to one in the city.

The hotel entrance was pretty grand with a huge tree. Everything is decked out in Disney motif which gives you the sense of immersion. The view from the hotel room is pretty scenic.

Today's a lazy day so we went around to explore the hotel. We didn't bring swimming attire so the kids couldn't swim. Thankfully there was a cart park where they could ride and burn off some energy before dinner.

There are a few restaurants at the hotel but the kids were tired so we decided to order room service. The one shocking revelation for me was the price of food at all the restaurants. Each plate cost an average HKD240 which is about SGD50. So a meal for 5 cost around SGD250 .... so if you add up breakfast lunch and dinner. That's close to SGD800 a day just for simple microwave food. Crazy. But that said, the kids are having a great time.

阳阳's P1 Orientation

We are at Yuneng today for 阳阳's P1 Orientation. There wasn't one when 萱萱 started P1 because of Covid.  阳阳 looks apprehensive the whole morning and I can understand why.  There was a photo booth at the hall so we took a family photo to commemorate the start of 阳阳's primary school journey. 

The hall was very hot and the spot we were at had the full blast of the speakers so I had to go stand at the back. That gave me the opportunity to step away and go spy on 阳阳. The children were having a snack break in the canteen to give them their first experiences of buying food and drinks from the stalls. I hid behind a pillar and tried to zoom and catch pictures of 阳阳 .... while a few teachers or parent volunteers were eyeing me suspiciously.

I eventually got 'caught' when 阳阳 went to wash his hands at the basin and came over to me excitedly. I think he was feeling glad to see a familiar face. Anyways I encouraged him to quickly go back to his bench. I think he'll do fine in Primary school :-)

I Caught Our Daughter

萱萱 was home and bored. It was close to lunch but we always have a rule that there will never be iPad for Pokemon nor Video in the morning, period. 

I caught her playing Pokemon in the room. She wasn't exactly hiding it, just back against the cupboard and out of sight when you walk by. She was so engrossed in catching the toons that she didn't notice I entered and was staring at what she was doing.

I didn't scold her but calmly told her she shouldn't be playing Pokemon without permission and confiscated the Ipad. I did look at her sternly and probably showed much displeasure.

At night she came to pass me this note. I sense she was expecting that she will get the Ipad once she says sorry. But I made it a point to explain that saying sorry is definitely needed, but that doesn't negate the punishment. Hopefully she gets it and understands that it doesn't pay to try and do something that is wrong. I suspect there would be more instances of these happening and it's just part and parcel of growing up. I've my fair share of doing the wrong things in my youth too.

 

Day Out With 阳阳 @ VroomTown Marina Square

Meimei planned a great outing for 阳阳 today as 萱萱 was off on a school outing. Meimei knew 阳阳 loves cars and so we are at VroomTown to let him have a go at driving the bumper cars.

I would love it as a 6 year old if my parents brought me to such a place. Thankfully we get to live it through our kids haha.

阳阳's Piano Recital

We're at Forum again for 阳阳's piano recital session. It's an opportunity for the child to build up confidence to perform on a stage at whatever grade they are proficient in. There are those who can play more advanced pieces, and there are those like 阳阳 who can play simple tunes. All are good and appreciated.

This is however probably the last time 萱萱 and 阳阳 gets to play in a recital. We have pulled them out of Aureus as there has not been much progress since we started a year ago. Plus their way of deducting fees upfront directly against my credit card, even when we have a deposit, is very irritating. Every other extra circular center we sent them to would send an invoice for me to pay.

Meimei managed to find a home piano teacher who cost about the same. It's much easier when we don't have to travel to Bedok Mall for the lessons. And hopefully with a male teacher they can be more focused on picking up playing skills instead of just playing around.

 

Graduating Pre-School

We are at Joystar today to attend 阳阳's graduation ceremony. They do it early as they know some parents will take their kids out earlier to go for holiday treat before starting primary school.

Next year we'll have both kids in primary school and I expect our schedules to be different. Meimei and I would go to office more often after sending both to school. We no longer need to run 2 places to pickup kids from school. 

Time flies so fast. And we know it even as I keep saying it. Just need to remember to enjoy the journey.

Kiddo Pic Oct 2024

Don't have much to share this month as I was in Bangalore for 2 and half weeks this month.