NASSA Bronze Test

My girl started swimming classes when she was 4 or 5 yrs old, can't really remember when for sure. In between, she stopped due to a cough-related allergy. I had to stop her swimming for approximately half a year for the allergy to clear. She picked it up again when she was 6 yrs but stopped for a year when she entered primary school. When we finally went back to swimming, she didn't take to the coach as he did push the kids quite a bit. She wasn't happy there, so I took her out. While checking with friends, I came across her kindy classmate who was learning from a coach who goes to her condo pool. The timing worked out really well for us as I prefer not to let her train under the hot sun. And so began our swimming instruction under Uncle J.

From the first lesson, I was really impressed with him as he walked with the kids (3 of them) through each stroke that they took, through the entire length of the pool. He corrected them every step of the way.

Within a couple of months, he told us mums to sign the girls up for the last and final bronze test. I wasn't too sure if my girl was ready for it but he was very confident that she could do it. By the end of this month, all these NASSA awards will no longer be the standard with which to test swimmers. Thus, it's really good timing that we came to him and have him prepare the girls for it.

Today was a proud day for this mum as I watched my girl complete her test. Watching how she struggled with putting her face in water from the start some 3-4yrs ago, till what she achieved today, she totally deserves it after all these years and it's also an affirmation of her hard work and motivation. I'm so very proud of you, darling. You did great!

The reason I started her on swimming is because I never learned it till I was in my late teens, and even till today I can't swim well and have a fear of water. I used to watch a little girl of about 9yrs old swim like a fish and my sis and I used to admire her. We became friends and her father was the one who taught me to swim.

When I saw how fearful my girl was, to even put her face in the pool, I had to do something about it, to let her face her fears and confront it. I'm glad I did.

Swimmers getting ready at the start of the test.

Here she is treading water.

See, my flotation device is all ready.

Floating to the finish line.

Starting on her 400m.

After this final jump into the pool, the test is over. Hurray!

I made these bentos for the girls.

There is a wassant, kyuri, cherry tomato, grapes, Mocha nutella sandwich, blueberry, dried apricots, gummies, candies.

Do you see the football sausage? How cute. We couldn't resist when we spied them at the supermarket. :)

Chicky Rice

We had chicken rice today. My girl doesn't like chicken rice so much now, compared to when she was young. Well, she will eat the rice, but she won't touch the chicken, especially the breast meat. She says it gives her goosebumps when she chews on it. Haha. I bought us each a packet of rice today but did not order any chicken, reason being I preferred to have the Hainanese Pork Chop. We also had a side order of bean sprouts with salted fish. While she was at ballet, I decided to beautify her food up in order to entice her to eat. I rolled the rice into chicken rice balls and came up with this idea of using my latest punchers to make the mummy and chick's features and feet. I also added some wings using my angel wing picks. Some leftover curry gravy, sweet and sour sauce for the chops, some kyuri and cherry tomatoes completed the bento.

Bento with new toys

It's been a long while since I made a bento. With some new toys in tow, I couldn't resist making one for breakfast.

Universal Studios with the hubby

We got a ticket for hubby to accompany us to USS this Monday past. We took a break after a few rides and sat down at a cafe for a rest and to top up fuel for our tired bodies. We weren’t too hungry so I had a pastry while princess had cakes and hubby had a sandwich. Everything was so pretty in the shop and it was tough deciding on what to order.

Such pretty macarons.

Who can resist these gorgeous burgers?

Princess initially went for the pink bow cupcake but when I turned her attention to the burgers, she decided on them instead.

My opinion is that they look better than they taste. The cake was very dry.

Curry puff for me.

Salami sandwich for the hubby.

I didn't take note of the name of this bakery but it is at the main street on your right as you enter the park.

Old Town White Coffee

Even though they landed on our shores a couple of years ago, we never visited Old Town White Coffee once. We finally set foot in the Suntec City outlet last Saturday morning, after eyeing it as we left the mrt exit at Promenade station. Princess had to go for her appointment with the dentist and while waiting for her, hubby and I had our breakfast there. It is my first time setting foot in any of their outlets, and I decided immediately that I loved their decor, so quaint and very well-designed.

After rejecting the lovely booth seats which we were offered us, because both families behind hubby and myself had kids who were kicking against the seats, we settled on a table away from the noise. It was a good choice as it allowed me to play with my iPhone hipstamatic app. I couldn't think of a more appropriate place to use this camera effect than here.

Hubby ordered a blackcurrant drink which tasted like Ribena slushie.

The old town version of french toast.

There is peanut butter within the toast. Weird.

This has got to be the most delicious nasi lemak on earth. Hehe. Or maybe because it was late and I was hungry.

We had excellent service that morning and when I complimented the auntie who served us on the food and proclaimed to her that it was my first visit there, she took out a sheet of discount vouchers and promptly gave them to me, inviting me to visit again. Those were some good deals on the vouchers in conjunction with the World Cup.

Two days later, hubby wanted to visit the outlet again for breakfast as they opened at 8am, which meant it was perfect for us as we were rushing to USS for the opening at 10am. This time round, the service was non-existent and it left us with a bitter taste in the mouth after having had an excellent experience on our first visit. We were served by a lady who was first day on the job. We were easily the second table in the restaurant and while communicating with her, she couldn't answer a few of my questions and just said she wasn't sure as was her first day. She was the only server in the entire restaurant with no one to guide her or for her to shadow. Even the manager wasn't around. As the restaurant filled up, and time was ticking by, we were curious as to when we would be served even our drinks for a start. Unfortunately, no drinks arrived but for the table behind us, they were already given their drinks even though they had arrived and ordered after us.

A lady two tables away from us was fuming and shouting at the kitchen staff when she discovered that they had forgotten to fix her toast. I believe she was there before us. She told them off and left after paying for her expensive coffee, saying she'd never visit them again. I told hubby that if the table behind us got their order, we'd leave too. It was terrible how they could have messed up the orders. If they are lack of manpower, why then do they open at such an early hour? They should know that having the shop open at such an hour is to cater to the working crowd who do not have a lot of time picking up breakfast. Before long, I saw some items of food appear on the counter waiting to be sent to the tables. Hubby got up to check and saw an order of a nasi lemak. We thought we'd finally get our order, but guess what, our neighbour got it instead! I decided to walk out. Just at that moment, the manager entered the store and hubby gave him a good telling off. It messed up our plans (made us late as we had to find alternative place for breakfast). So, well, those were two very extreme experiences with Old Town in a matter of 2 days. Will I visit again? Well, yes, for the nasi lemak, and we have done so, but at the East Coast Parkway outlet. :)

Jonkers Nonya food at Thomson Plaza

On the last day of Princess' creative writing workshop, I decided to lunch at the mall. I came across this little corner near the food court called Jonkers if I am not wrong. They served Peranakan food and I decided to try the nasi goreng. I can't rave about it as it was so-so. Taste-wise it was ok but I felt the rice was either too oily or a bit soggy. I couldn't decide which category it belonged to. Sambal belachan is by request only. You need to ask the cashier for some, and she'd scoop it out from a container kept in the fridge. Hope to have another chance to try out their other dishes.

This very interesting prata was at the request of the princess who was hungry after her class and wanted something to snack on. I believe this is known as paper prata with chocolate sauce. Within the cone is lots of sugar crystals, and is a very messy dish to dissect. The prata is so thin it breaks apart very easily and becomes very crumbly. Don't be misled by the looks as it does fill you up. Lovely for a teatime snack.

Lunch date with 3 babes

I only realized today that I have a backlog of posts to update. While the girl is at swim class, I have taken along my laptop to catch up on them. This outing happened over a week ago but Princess, together with 2 of her friends, attended the same creative writing class last week, but at differing times. Since there was a lapse of an hour between both their class timings, I arranged with the 2 girls’ mums to take them out for lunch at the same mall where their school was. I have not arranged any playdates this June thus princess hasn’t seen her school/classmate since school closed at the end of May. It was lovely to see the girls again and even though they had an hour together, they had fun. We had lunch at Pizza Hut. It was cousin who took us there the week before because we only ever order pizza in. I have never eaten at the restaurant before. Found out that they do a nice set lunch menu where you can have your choice of main course from the main menu. There is a kids menu too, which included a drink and an ice-cream mouse. Yes, you heard right, they decorated a scoop of ice-cream to resemble a mouse. Very cute.

There are 5 choices of main course for the kids...

The smart choice lunch promotion.

My choice of main course was curry chicken baked rice, their house special. It was not too bad, rather spicy.

We spent an enjoyable hour in great company. :)