A Sponsored Review

Thanks to Walt Disney Studios Motion Picture, Singapore and Nuffnang, I managed to catch the Premiere of Toy Story 3 Today!

Guys, this is one cartoon that you cannot miss! The movie is not just funny, but also very touching as well. It got me all emotional, that I even felt inspired to look for my old toys again!

The official Synopsis says:

In the third installment, Andy is preparing to depart for college, leaving his loyal toys troubled about their uncertain future. Lee Unkrich (co-director of “Toy Story 2” and “Finding Nemo”) directs this highly anticipated film, and Michael Amdt, the Academy Award-winning screenwriter of “Little Miss Sunshine,”  brings his unique talents and comedic sensibilities to the proceedings.

But the story is definitely much more than these few sentences. As I don’t want to spoil the show for you and reveal too much, this is a heart-warming movie about love and relationships and it is suitable for all ages. I was not bored at all, and my 5 year old girl was totally engrossed as well!

If you have been following Toy Story 1 and 2, you will also notice that your favorite toys are back. But this time round, there is Barbie, Ken and other characters.

As predicted, I liked the parts with Barbie and Ken, and I am sure you will like these new characters as well!

To conjunction with the launch of Toy Story 3, there are also FREE Video games that the kids might be interested in as well.

The Jigsaw puzzle is actually quite challenging. This was my score when the level of difficulty was set to easy.

Btw, I put all my high scores in the pictures, so that you guys can pit yourselves against me! Let me know when you guys beat me…:)

I then decided to set the level of difficulty to hard, and it was definitely a whole new ball game. The pieces had to be individually rotated to find the correct spot. You will have to try it out for yourself to find out what I mean.

Try it and let me know your scores!

The video games also include a pinball game:

A platform game – this game is quite challenging, as you have to move Woody around to collect all the coins.

There is also a Toy Creator where you can create your own toys for your usage.  This is the little guy I created, in conjunction with the World Cup!

As you can tell, my little friend is dressed in the Brazilian Colors!

With the Image Maker, you can even create your own favorite icons for :

1) Twitter

2) iPhone Wallpaper

3)  Messenger Wallpaper

I did all these avatars and images with just a few clicks of my mouse. No fuss at all, and users are aided by a very user-friendly interface,

And that’s not all, there are even pictures that you can download and print, so that the kids can color. Looks like the kids are really enjoying it!

If you are deciding whether to watch the movie or not, I hope this trailer will seal your decision!

You can also find out more Toy Story 3 at their Facebook, Twitter and YouTube pages.

And before I end…Do bring your family to the show…I know that you guys will definitely enjoy it… ’To Infinity and Beyond!” (SHOUT with One Hand Raised)

I got the groove on Saturday night as I headed for the inaugural Singapore Dance Delight Vol 1 held at Ngee Ann City. It was better than groovy! It was ROCK’IN!!!

I must confess, I’m no dancer. But I fell in love with Street Dancing when I saw the King at it!

The last time, I tried dancing, I was struggling with my moon walk… But I have always enjoyed Street Dancing, as the moves are always so expressive and well choreographed!

As I was invited by omy.sg to cover the event, I was pleasantly surprised to bump into some old friends at the event!

Guess what!!! One of the very first readers of my blog , Theresa who is working in O School, was one of the organisers for the event!

Talk about Coincidence!!!

Theresa showed me around the place, and she gave me a rundown for the night’s events.

There were going to be 28 teams and only 20 teams were proceeding to the finals.

The teams dancing tonight were also the best in Singapore and she got me really excited about the whole event.

Theresa also introduced me to O Crew!

O Crew – is the premier dance team in Singapore and they are the official dancers from O School.

And Naturally when they were dancing, the crowd went wild and they were very entertained!

Besides, getting to know dancers like Gin and the rest, I also got to meet up with 2 of the Judges for the preliminaries:

• - Kenny Low (Co-Founder of O School)

- Ryan Tan (Creative Director of O School).

I had the privilege to conduct a quick interview with Kenny and ask him a few questions:

Why Dance Delight?

Singaporeans, especially the younger ones have always been interested in dance, and as Street Dancing has been gaining in prominence, Singapore is now ready to send a team to compete in Japan.

What were the Judges looking for in this Competition?

This is a dance competition. We are looking for groups with good technical dance skills.  Besides that, the winning team is going to be a team that is able to fuse good technical skills with entertainment value.

How is the dance standard like in Singapore?

Definitely good enough to match the standards in Japan and compete in the same playing field!

Let me tell you, the Street Dance Community is very BIG and ALIVE and definitely very well Supported!

Check out the crowds that gathered for the event, and to support their favourite teams. There was definitely standing room only!

In fact, the whole side-walk was packed, and people had to climb up to the Street lamps to get a better view!

So if you are looking to really catch some of the dance fever on 18 April …U have got to be quick, as the organizers are expecting a full house in the upcoming finals!

But before I go…Let me tell you that there is also something “groovy” that you can find at the finals…You can expect to be cooled down by F&N!

You will love the taste, and the drinks will prove to be a real Life-Saver in the heat!

The dancers loved it!

And the kids loved it too!

So…What are you waiting for?

Get your Tickets and Get Ready to “Get Into The Groove” on 18 April 2010 at “The Warehouse”!

KFC Egg Tarts have arrived in Singapore!

The last time I had Egg Tarts, was when I went to Glacier Confectionary at Serangoon  Ave 3.

This time round, I was invited by OMY.sg (Thanks to Klessis), to the promotional launch of KFC’s Egg Tarts.

Hailing from Macau, the Egg Tarts are an authentic recipe developed by the famous Margaret Wong who made Portuguese Egg Tarts a legend in Macau (It seems that Margaret is so famous, that even cab drivers will bring you to her cafe, when you mention her name).

Priced at $1.30/ piece, the Egg Tarts make a great snack and I love it when it is served Piping Hot!

Definitely a Tart worth trying, when you looking for a quick afternoon snack.

Here’s a Video of the Promo done by OMY.

Guess what…yours truly is in the Video…Look out a guy in a blue shirt, and you will catch a few glimpses of me!

Recently, I was invited to check out Singapore’s 1st Synthetic Ice Skating Rink.

I have tried Rollerblading before, so I thought to myself – This will be interesting!…And I signed up for the event!

Frankly, I have never heard of the term Synthetic Ice, and I thought that I would go well prepared for the event.

These days, after my Korea trip, when I think of ICE, I think of…

Winter Jackets and gloves…as it will be really cold!

So on that day, when I made my way to the Stamford American International School, I brought along my jacket, as I was prepared for a COLD WET EXPERIENCE.

Well, I was very surprised when I finally saw the Synthetic Ice. It was NOT COLD and NOT WET at all.

In fact, the ice skating rink was OUTDOOR, and the kids were playing in the rink with their SHORTS!

So, there wasn’t a need for any gloves or jackets at all!

To my surprise, there was no cold mist from the surface, and when I touched the surface, it felt just like smooth plastic!

Made of high-tech polymeric compounds which closely mimic the performance of real ice, synthetic ice is especially suitable for Singapore’s tropical climate as it does not require a climate-controlled environment and is significantly easier and cheaper to maintain compared to real ice surfaces. Definitely REVOLUTIONARY!

Well, to truly bring out this post and to maximize my visit…

 I TRIED OUT THE ICE FOR MYSELF!

This is a daunting task, as I have never been on the ICE before. After volunteering to go, I was getting a little bit nervous, as I realized that nobody else was trying out the synthetic ice!  There were only experienced skaters on the Ice!!!

Was I going to be the only person falling?!?

The Verdict

Well, the good thing was that I had Leonny (A fellow Parenting blogger) with me.

Although I was expecting to fall, I managed to prevent myself from hitting the floor, or injuring any innocent passerby!   The surface is not really that slippery, and you can stand on it, as if you were rollerblading.

Starting off is therefore harder, as you require more momentum, but once in motion, it feels like the real thing!

The kids in the school seemed to loved it, and they could not wait to get onto the ice!

If you are planning to bring your kids, I am sure that they can pick up the sport quite easily as well!

How good is the surface?

The Amazing Thing about Synthetic ice, is that it works so well, that the Singapore Ice Hockey Association is using it for their Ice Hockey practise.

In fact, the Singapore Ice Hockey Team has been training on a concrete hockey court, since the closure of Fuji Ice Palace at Jurong East Entertainment Centre.

With the 2011 Asian Winter Games in Kazakhstan fast approaching, the all-Singaporean national ice hockey team will be training on the SAIS rink thrice-weekly as they prepare to represent Singapore in the sport for the very first time.

Here’s a photo of me & Leonny with the players from the Singapore Ice Hockey Team.

Good New for all Readers

To encourage the growth of Ice Hockey in Singapore and to expose more Singaporean’s to Ice Skating, here is some EXCITING NEWS:

The Stamford American International School  is extending an invitation to the public to try out the rink over the next 2 weekends:

Date:  13, 14, 20, 21 February 2010
Time: 2:00- 2:30 pm 
            2:30 – 3:00 pm 
            3:00 – 3:30 pm 
            3:30 – 4:00 pm
Fee: $10/half hour slot (inclusive of skate rental)                       Venue: Stamford American International School               
Address: 11 Lorong Chuan Sing 55682

Interested members of the public can pre-register online via SAIS’ website, www.sais.com.sg.

Please contact SAIS with any questions at +65 6602 7247 or email: reception@sais.com.sg. 

Confirmation is based on a first-come-first-served basis.
*Skaters need to CALL AHEAD to confirm a booking and they have to bring their own socks. They are also advised to bring gloves for safety reasons.

The kind folks at Singapore Science Centre and Mead Johnson Nutrition recently gave the Tay family, an experience of a lifetime!

The kids were all excited, and Nadine was more than ready to get her photo taken to record the moment!

In fact, Daddy has heard so much about the Omni theatre ever since he was young, and he was overjoyed that he could finally savour the OMNI experience for himself.

As we entered the Omni Theatre, we realized that Mead Johnson’s collaboration with the Science Centre underscores their commitment to provide scientific-based solutions to help in supporting the brain development and body resistance of the child while Science Centre provides the environment to nurture their learning.

Mead Johnson’s tie-up with the Science Centre will definitely give children an excellent environment, as the many fun activities will help nurture their learning processes.

One of the many facilities that the Science Centre offers is the Omni Theatre.

The Omni Theatre is actually quite big, and has a seating capacity of 276 seats.

The hall was also filled with children, as Mead Johnson also invited guests from Grace home for the event. This was definitely a nice gesture by the company.

With each seat reclined to get a panoramic view of the large 5 storey screen, the kids were all excited and climbing over each other.

The short movie entitled “Under the Sea” was a real eye-opener, as the screen managed to help us see the sea creatures up close and personal.

We were captivated, as the screen gives you an impression, that you really are in the ocean swimming with the sea creatures. The kids were so intrigued by the effects of the theatre, that Nicole was exclaiming, “The fish are swimming under my feet!”

At the end of the movie, the feeling from the kids were mutual! They loved the experience!

Before we left, Mead Johnson completed the events by giving us a complimentary can of Enfagrow A+, which has more than 4X DHA and coupled with the new Triple Protection Guard.

The 4X DHA is super important as it helps the children’s brain cells to establish and strengthen the children’s ability to learn!

Daddy and Mummy were really elated with the milk

as we knew that Enfagrow is a quality product that we can definitely depend on!

Overall, it was a great experience and many thanks to the Science Centre and Mead Johnson for inviting us for the event!

Also, Check out this great deal:

Mead Johnson will be giving a FREE Science Centre Ticket (Child) with every purchase of Enfagrow A+, Enfakid A+ and EnfaSchool A+ (Promotion start from 5 – 30 November and it’s Only available at all NTUC Fairprice outlets).

Nicole has been wanting to use the phone a lot lately, as she always wants to talk to Mummy, Daddy, Auntie Weng, Gong Gong, Popo, Grandpa, Grandma….ok..I think you get the point…!!!

Just this week, as we passed by the SingTel shop at Bugis, I was stopped by their eye catching ads!

One of their new plans that really caught my eye was the SingTel RedPAC Supplementary Plan!

First of all…Why SingTel?

Well, my whole family is on SingTel, and it is the most reliable network around! (Tried the rest, and have gone back for the BEST!) 

2ndly, if i want to get my daughter a phone, I do want to waste unnecessary money for a phone line which is not used extensively.

Daddy & Mummy are both currently on SingTel’s mobile plans, and we do have some unused talk time at the end of the month.

At only $8.56/month (UP $10.70), I get to share my unused talk time with my daughter.

What’s more…when I sign on for the RedPAC supplementary plan, Nicole gets to talk for up to 1000 free mins with Daddy without me worrying about the increased cost! Awesome right!!!

SingTel has also put some thought into this plan, as when Nathan and Nadine are of age, I can also sign them up for the plan as well! SingTel has made provision for up to 3 RedPAC lines for each main line!

I think Nicole’s line will definitely be put to good use especially when she goes for ballet classes, and when daddy or mummy is late. We can always call her or she can call us when there is an emergency!

Here are some simple facts about SinTel’s RedPAC plan:

1. 1,000 minutes of FREE calls between you and each RedPAC line (Translate to $160.50 of free calls)
2. Additional FREE 150 SMS to any mobile number
3. FREE in-coming calls for your RedPAC line(s)
4. FREE 3-month Caller-ID for your RedPAC line(s)
5. Add up to 3 RedPAC lines for each main mobile line

It’s amazing what modern technology can do, and the number of new things we have to learn as parents. Soon, i will need to teach her about phone etiquette…How we should put our handphones to silent mode in the movie theatres…and of course talking loudly is a big No..No!!!

But most importantly, the cost of using a handphone!

I can’t have her making unauthorized calls halfway across the world, or voting for her favourite artist without my permission.

Furthermore, I will also need to teach her, that she can only reveal her number to trusted individuals…One just has got to be careful in today’s society!

I think, It’s going to be a steep learning curve for all of us!

Btw, if you sign up for the RedPAC supplementary plan from now till 31 August 2009, you will stand a chance to win Bay Grandstand tickets to the FORMULA 1 SINGTEL SINGAPORE GRAND PRIX for a family of 4 worth $1192.

So, what are you waiting for? Sign up today!