Once in a while, you find the need to indulge in a streak of exhibitionism and hedonistic fun. It isn’t always that one gets to do something that will turn heads in the public.
First, we took Ethan along to East Coast Park, where he had fun cycling…
Tag: personal
I Know That You Guys Are Desperate But…
…do you have to resort to this in order to grab my attention?
Spotted this officious looking “Notice” which was stuck on my door handle. It certainly looked – at first glance – like a notice from the housing authority, exhorting us flat dwellers to repair our ceilings within the stated period. The moment I saw the phrase “No Obligation Call Us Now At….”, I knew that I have been had. Well almost.
What would they do next? Create an envelope with the “state-crest” and the words “ON GOVERNMENT SERVICE”?
My Family’s Car Accident – A Tale of Service Excellence
Yesterday afternoon, my wife together with my son and maid got into an accident along CTE (I was attending a work lunch then). What happened was a tale of God’s divine providence mixed with extraordinary service excellence.
My wife was driving towards the city and encountered the usual Saturday afternoon jam. Traffic was extremely heavy and crawling at a snail’s pace. Unfortunately, a slick black BMW driven by a young 19 year old guy crashed into the rear of our car. He must either be driving his dad’s car or distracted by his girlfriend.
The shock was so hard that the beamer’s airbag popped up. Fortunately, my family didn’t suffer major injuries although my maid had a swelling on her head (currently under observation) while my wife’s back hurt. Both cars stopped and my wife took down the driver’s full particulars (NRIC, license plate, hand phone photos of damage, insurance company, car model).
Wildlife Wonder at Werribee
To satisfy my child Ethan’s creature cravings, we decided to drive up to nearby Werribee at Melbourne to check out their famous Werribee Open Range Zoo. Modelled after an African-styled savanna grassland, it offered a different wildlife experience for those keen to see more animals in a natural habitat beyond your usual marsupial suspects.
Look out for hippos up ahead!
Marvellous Melbourne Museum
One of Melbourne’s foremost cultural destination, the Melbourne Museum is both an architectural icon and a wonderful repository of natural history. Located next to the Royal Exhibition Building in Carlton Gardens, the museum is part of Museum Victoria which is Australia’s largest public museum organisation. Touted as the biggest museum in the Southern Hemisphere, the museum was housed in a modern monolith of massive proportions.
Built in the 1990s in the modern style, the museum was designed by Denton Corker Marshall and constructed at a cost of A$250 million.
Healsville Sanctuary – a Natural Respite
One of our first stops recently en route to Melbourne was Healesville Sanctuary, an open concept reserve for Australia’s indigenous wildlife located just off the picturesque Yarra Valley area. While it wasn’t quite as fabulous as our own Singapore Zoo and the prices of the tickets were rather steep at A$23 per adult (good thing Ethan gets in free as he is under 4!), we still did enjoy ourselves somewhat. I suppose the weather (yeah I missed it!) helps tremendously plus of course those cute marsupial furries…
Part zoo and part wildlife conservation facility, Healesville Sanctuary is a sprawling reserve of native Australian marsupials, monotremes and others.
Melbourne – Cosmopolitan City of Soul
My family’s recent holiday in Melbourne was a great adventure, spanning 8 days and covering different kinds of experiences. Its difficult to capture everything in one blog post, so I will split it into several parts, interspersed with regular posts on marketing. First on Melbourne City itself.
Led by Lord Mayor John So (a Chinese no less), Melbourne City presented a unique melting pot of different cultures while being both sophisticated and cosmopolitan. Walk along its streets and chances are that you will see people of different ethnicities happily mingling with each other. One of its major advantages is the weather, which is mostly cool and breezy any time of the year without going to extremes.
Melbourne residents are sports fanatics, and it was interesting to see many of them jogging, cycling and playing Aussie football at virtually any time of the day. The city is also full of life, with museums, historic buildings, art performances, restaurants, shops and parks adding much colour and vibrancy. A quirky aspect of the city is its transport system. You can either get around on foot, bicycles, buses, trains, trams, taxis, cars, and even skateboards and horse-drawn carriages!
Caught in the Act!
Evidence that demands a verdict?
This morning, as I was taking the lift from my home downstairs, I caught a man red-handed as he nonchalantly tossed a burning cigarette butt on to the floor. He probably didn’t see me coming from behind.
I immediately asked him in a polite but firm manner, “Excuse me sir, did you just throw that cigarette butt on the floor?”
Off to Melbourne!
Am taking a break in the beautiful state of Melbourne in Australia for the next week or so with my wife and kid. Our itinerary is likely to have lots of koalas, kangaroos, wombats, penguins and all things child friendly. Have a great week all!
Fantastic Fireworks
Brought my family to catch the Fireworks Festival, a must go for anybody with a 3.75 year old. Part of the National Day celebration, this year’s event was unique as you could buy tickets to sit comfortably on the floating platform at Marina Bay. At $8 apiece, it wasn’t too expensive. Besides, it gives you a breathtaking view of the action.
Here are some pics and videos for memories. My son Ethan certainly enjoyed it and I am sure he will have sweet dreams tonight.