The little Sahara Princess - and her pig

A Quiet Christmas

We are having an unusually quiet Christmas this year. Aside from Uncle Justin and Uncle Connie, none of our extended family are here to celebrate Christmas with us. Left to our own devices, we are indulging in simply listening to music, watching Christmas Story, long walks, and - what else - updating our blog!

I started to post a blog last week about our heady weekend - one full of firsts and activities for Zoe - but was too busy to finish it. About firsts and activities, Zoe got to go on the Merry-Go-Round for the first time at the Wild Animal Park last Saturday. She was so fascinated by it every time I took her to the Park that we decided it is time to take her on it. You can see her reaction on the video below.



On Friday, we took her to see Christmas lights at this neighborhood south of us. The entire neighborhood went all out with the lights and it was quite a sight. Zoe had a great time there. It was an unique experience too because she is hardly ever out of the house past 6 p.m. That night she got to stay out till 8:30 p.m!

But that was last week of course. It is Christmas today and we are enjoying it and thinking of our wonderful family and how lucky we are to have them.

Fashion Plate

Here are some more photos of Zoe's recent fashion statements. My personal favorite is the overalls. In my opinion, no baby doesn't look cute in overalls.

By the way, if you look carefully at some of the photos you'll notice that, more often than not, there's a little droplet hanging from Zoe's chin. This is the result of her nearly constant drooling. It's kinda gross and cute at the same time.

I think the English language needs a new word that means "gross and cute at the same time."

I look so cute

Auntie Desiree gave Zoe a lavender colored beanie for her 1st birthday. It was finally cold enough in the house for Zoe to have it on her head. We think Zoe looks adorable in hats.

Fish Spa!!

One of the more interesting things we did while we were in Singapore is this fish spa thing. I heard about it before, about how these little fishes love to eat dead human skin and how one's feet (or any other body part one cares to feed to the fishes) becomes baby soft after some "exposure" to the fishes. It was incredibly ticklish at first. A weird experience to see and feel the sometimes hundreds of fishes all over my legs. But I - and Dennis too - got used to it and we were very pleased with the result.



Incidentally, the fishes are Garra rufa or Cyprinion macrostomus, but commonly called "Doctor Fish." Garra rufa is a freshwater fish that can be found in the river basins of the Northern and Central Middle East, mainly in Turkey, Syria, Iraq and Iran. It has been used for the treatment of skin diseases in Turkey.

Zoe goes shopping

Zoe did Auntie Grace proud with her shopping prowess. This was taken while we were in Singapore. Imagine the following video with the soundtrack of Pretty Woman.

Adventures in Singapore and Cambodia

Orchids at the Singapore Botanical Gardens

We just got back from our little 12 days holiday to Singapore and Cambodia and are we glad to be home! As always, as much as I love the experience of seeing new places and breathing a different air, I love coming home. This homecoming is especially sweet too because of Zoe. We knew traveling with a young child wouldn't be easy, but it was more challenging than expected both psychologically and physically. The getting to was especially hard. On our flight out, Zoe slept only four hours during the entire 18 hours journey. Most of the remainder hours were spent fussing or crying. It didn't help matters that I am perfectly capable of sleeping all 18 hours on a plane. Something about planes - perhaps the drone - knocks me out in general. Then, because of jet lag and various sightseeing activities, it was hard to get Zoe onto a regular schedule. On top of it all, she didn't eat much the entire time. In short, we worried about her, which marred our otherwise wonderful trip.

Luckily for us, Zoe is quite resilient. She was mostly good humored and was curious about the new surroundings. And, already, she has began to make up for her not eating much during the trip. She ate a huge quantity of sugar snap peas, a chicken sausage, pasta, and yogurt last night.

As to Dennis and I, we ate like Singaporeans (well, a lot and frequently), met some of my friends (glad to say that I think he thought all of them charming and great company and vice versa), and visited some of my favorite haunts in Singapore (Peranakan Place, Emerald Hill, Boat Quay, Botanical Gardens). We even chanced upon a little peak at my Primary School. Then, of course, most importantly, we took great pleasure in showing Zoe off to Gong-Gong and Puo-Puo, both of whom delighted in Zoe. And we celebrated with Puo-Puo her 70th birthday (the prime reason we chose to go back to Singapore).

It was quite festive and almost overwhelmingly loud and crowded at home for a few days. But that is just as I imagined a three generation Chinese household would be. It was quite wonderful to see Gong-Gong and Puo-Puo fuss over Zoe. Gong Gong personally supervised the making of fish porridge for Zoe! As expected, everyone thought Zoe too skinny and "must eat more!"

At the Botanical Gardens. I love, love, love the Singapore Botanical Gardens. I spent a lot of time there as a child (we lived across the road) and as an adult would visit it with friends on the weekends.

At the Tiong Bahru Market for an early breakfast of $1.50 a bowl Wanton Noodles, Chinese Tunip Cake ($1 for 6) and lots of Iced "Kopi." We decided to have Wanton Noodles because there was a long line at the stall selling it. It must be good if there is a line at 6:30 am in the morning for it. It took a good half hour before we sat down to eat our noodles. It was not bad. Wanton was excellent. Soup was good. Noodles so so.

Reunion with high school class mates. Excepting for Aili, I was 16 the last time I saw Junyi, Fong Chew and Garen.

Scary Looking Rain Clouds!

Breakfast at Fullerton Hotel. The food was so-so, but the view of Boat Quay and Singapore riverfront magnificent. When I was living in Singapore, I would sometimes walk home from boat quay. A somewhat longish walk, but completely pleasant and doable in the evening.

We (mom and dad, Ben, Uncle Send and Auntie Connie and Derrick) went to have a Bak Kuh Teh (Pork Ribs Soup) breakfast at this rather famous place on Rangoon Road.

With Dad

Dad was sooo happy when Zoe allowed him to carry her. We visited this particular food court three times while in Singapore. On our first visit, Dennis and I ordered four pratas, two fish ball noodles soup, fruits, ice coffee and an ice kachang for the two of us!

Dad following Zoe.

After a few days in Singapore, we took a little 4 days 3 nights side trip to Siem Reap, Cambodia to see the famed Angkor Wat. Siem Reap is a huge contrast to Singapore. Whereas Singapore is super clean and super modern, Siem Reap is - to me - like a time capsule of the old Singapore. Many of the roads were dirt roads, some of the stores look just like the stores the lined Bras Besah and North Bridge Road in the 70s. The Siem Reap river reminds me of the little canal that ran between Bukit Timah Road and Dunean road. But a lot of it is very new and ultra chic. There were wireless hotspots. A lot of the restaurants we saw would not look out of place in New York city.

Our First Tuk-Tuk Ride

Zoe really enjoyed riding in the Tuk-Tuk. She loved the wind.

Going to our first meal in Siem Reap at FCC Angkor

Very Yummy Lunch at the FCC.

Tummy filled, we head off to Angkor Wat - Here at the Entrance.

At Bayon

Of all temples we visit, Ta Prohm is probably my favorite. I love the mysteriousness of the temple and I love the trees that has become one with the temple structures.

If Dennis felt "Lord of the Rings" in New Zealand, I felt "Tomb Raider" in Angkor Wat!

Most of the temples are worn and in a state of disrepair. Walking among the ruins, I thought of the poem by Percy Bysshe Shelley:

I met a traveller from an antique land
Who said: "Two vast and trunkless legs of stone
Stand in the desert. Near them on the sand,
Half sunk, a shattered visage lies, whose frown
And wrinkled lip and sneer of cold command
Tell that its sculptor well those passions read
Which yet survive, stamped on these lifeless things,
The hand that mocked them and the heart that fed.
And on the pedestal these words appear:
`My name is Ozymandias, King of Kings:
Look on my works, ye mighty, and despair!'
Nothing beside remains. Round the decay
Of that colossal wreck, boundless and bare,
The lone and level sands stretch far away.

Of course, being Buddhists (and Hindus), the kings probably never boasted as Ozymandias did.

On the bridge leading to Angkor Thom

One of the many beautiful stone carvings we saw gracing the walls of the temples.

Outside Banteay Srei

One of the intricately carved lintels at Banteay Srei

Pre Rup in the morning sun.

A busy street in the old market area now filled with bars and restaurants. Food is generally good and cheap in Siem Reap. All the restaurants we ate at had main courses that cost $3.50 to $5.50.

Fish Amok - One Of The Delicious Traditional Cambodian Dishes We Tried. This version came from Viroth's.

Happy at Viroth's, a most lovely boutique hotel. We loved the minimalist sensibilities of the owners. And we loved the salt water pool there. I actually went in there twice!

At the Elephant's Terrace at Angkor Thom

Zoe loves it when we let her have free play time. Here, you see her fascinated with the little holes in the stone blocks.

Walkabout at the Wedding

Our friends Kali and Bill were married this morning. The wedding and reception were held at the North Island Naval Station on Coronado. Zoe wore a flowery sundress and a hat that her grandmother made for her.

Zoe had a chance to practice walking at the reception. She was quite sure-footed in her brand-new shoes.

Playing in the kitchen

These days, we have Zoe with us in the kitchen while we cook. Sometimes she wanders around exploring the various surfaces, sometimes she plays with the Leap Frog alphabets we have on the refrigerator door. Other times, she plays with the little pot and wooden spoon I leave out for her, or checks out (again) the straps on her high chair or the recycling bin for her beloved juice containers. And, when she is bored with all that, she stands by the window to see what is outside. Occasionally, when she spies a bird or spies what she thinks is a bird, she would let us know by yelling "Bird!!"

Halloweeen

Zoe was swimming in this outfit last year and see how well it fits her now! Give or take another week and she won't be able to fit it at all!

Palomar Mountain State Park

Lower French Valley

We went out for a nice little hike at Palomar Mountain State Park yesterday. Perhaps it is because the weather was perfect (high 60s, partly overcast), or that the changing season clothed the hills and trees in lambent light, or simply that we haven't been out in a while, we had a great time. Zoe, even though she missed her afternoon nap, was in great spirits the whole way. She looked about curiously, and had fun yelling "Pa Pa" over and over again. We were one very happy family.

Carbo loading before the hike

Go to the Mattress!

I was changing Zoe's sheets and had her mattress on the floor. She was so curious she came scurrying in a hurry. She touched it and then got onto it with great interest. Here, you see her going to town on it.