Weekend GetAway to Amsterdam

After sending my dad off at Schipol Airport in Amsterdam on the 4th April, we toured around the city for 2 days.

We managed to go to Keukenhof, the flowers park followed by a city tour by bus and canal cruise for the short 2 days stay.

Ah gong Backlogs...Finale?

We tried to maximize our time spent with Ah gong during weekends but sometimes, it's just too tiring driving around...so here are some other misc pics to share...

28 March 2009 - Lunch at Entrecote Resturant in Bordeaux
This is the only restaurant with queues before it's opening hours(rarely scene in France). This restaurant serves only Entrecote, just like the name of the resturant. Once you are seated, you will be indulge with the ambience and the 1st question to be asked by the waitress is,"How you want your entrecote to be cooked?" There are no other choices of starter and main dish to choose from except entrecote and it costs 16,95euros(if not wrong)...but it's really YUMMY!!!


29 March 2009 - Playtime at Chambrelent playground
Since it was a nice and sunny Sunday, we went to the playground outside the school with Jasmine and May families...


16, 18 and 22 March 2009 - Arcachon Beach, Park and Sunday Market respectively

Ah Gong Backlogs...cont'd

More pics...

21 March 2009:
On this day, we had a long day with visit to Cognac, then to Bordeaux to attend LV Cocktail organised by Louis Vuitton meant for Singaporeans...;p

Our 1st stop Cognac, the homes to Martell, Remy Martin, Otard, etc...
Fact: Starting in the 17th Century, they were transformed in eau-de-vie (literally, "water of life") and improved by ageing in oak casks. Cognac is born. And this is how the adventure of a city that was to become the capital of a world class business began. For more info, refer to link:
http://www.cognac.fr/cognac/_en/2_cognac/index.aspx

As it's a 2hrs drive from home, days before we depart to Cognac, I had checked online for visits to Remy Martin, although the visit to the Chateau will not be open till mid April, but I suppose that the boutique will be open...hiaz..to our disappointment, the WHOLE cognac is a sleeping town when we reached...therefore, we took only 2 pictures witnessing Ah gong really went to Cognac...

Ah gong at the front gate of Martell...


With disappointment, we depart Cognac to Bordeaux to attend the cocktail which is organised by Louis Vuitton. Although, this is not my first time attending the cocktail but it's my first time taking pictures in the boutique...kekekeke...
Since this is a cocktail, of cos, there are some finger food(I should say it's authentic French cusine, really nice and presentable) and drinks(Champagne, juice, etc). On top of the food, they have special service catered for children...can you imagine, two beautiful ladies entertaining our kids...see for yourself...
But before reaching the LV boutique, there was a funfair going on, and we spent some time there with Avril...and after the cocktail, we had diner with my neighbours in a Japanese restaurant.


PS: Even if you are not getting anything, you can enjoy these food and services too...kekekee....but if you purchase something on this day, you will be able to receive a special gift by LV...

Ah Gong Backlogs...

Okie, I know that it's overdued as Ah gong has already went back to Singapore safe and sound but pls bear with me...

Here are some places where we brought Ah gong around when he's here with us...

1. 14 March 2009 - Saint Emilion (Vineyard)
Saint Emilion is about an hour drive from home and we brought Ah gong to see the vineyards, the wine cellars, sceneries etc and not to forget wine tasting. We managed to get in time for a wine tasting session by an underground cellar, Clos des Menuts Grand Cru and it's free with just a little tips if you are not purchasing any wines from them...we were given to taste 6 different types of red wines and 2 white wines...it's really great!

2. 15 March 2009 - Gourette (Ski)
No time to loose...we brought Ah gong to Gourette to ski...you must be guessing if Ah gong really ski...I think you have guessed it right...he didn't as something happened to him before we can reach the snow mountain.
While we were on our way to Gourette, our dear Ah gong is hungry but he NEVER say it out which leads him to having car sick and vomitting at the foot of the mountain. I was hopping mad(actually quite worried) at him as I had prepared in advance bread, biscuits and drinks to munch in the car if anyone of us is hungry during the journey and the bag of FOOD is right under his legs!!! After he "merlioned", he told us that he needs RICE to replenish his energy, ALAMAK! where to find RICE at the area of the ski mountain...so with no other choices, he just have to indulge himself in his bowl of carbonara and our fries...
After the meal, the three of us (Ah gong ask us to excludes him) played with the sled till we have to strip as it's really HOT!

more backlogs...keep alookout...;p

Playtime at Bordeaux Lac IKEA

Avril makes her 1st entry into IKEA playground with Shannon on last Saturday, 11th April. The rules and regulations stated that the playground is strictly meant for children ages between 4 to 7 years old.

Woohoo, Jasmine and I are so happy that finally the girls can invade into the playground as everytime when we went to IKEA, we had to tell them that they are still young to enter...and finally, we can shop without worries/in peace for a max of 1hr...kekeke...

Avril's 4th Birthday!

Time flies real fast, in a swift, Avril is already 4yrs old...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BABY!
(Now she don't like us calling her baby, must call her Jingyi/Avril...hehehe)

While I'm browsing through the pics in my lappie, I saw a pic of her celebrating her 2nd Birthday with us when she first reached France as at that time as she has not make any friends...kekeke...we can't stop laughing cos she's too cute at 2yrs old...see for yourself...wahahaaa...




Okie, back to the topic again...
Since Ah gong is still here with us in France, we had a pre-birtday party for Avril on 1st April, Wednesday where the kids has no school and the guests are only the mummies and kids. The kids had an enjoyable day and the adults had great food specially prepared by Ah gong.

Huh? Are you asking what's in the menu?
Well, the cook(Ah gong) insists on having Fried Hokkien Mee(with some drama behind the show as the 1st pot of prawn soup toppled after all the preparations) and it's to be fried upon order...just like in hawker(he still can't get over his hawker life...hehee) and he had prepared Ngoh Hiang and Hei Choi. For me, I also did my part on the prepartion of food too, I did Fried Chicken Wings and Fried Sotong Youtiao.

Here are some pics on the party day, with fun in the garden, my neighbour's playground and a dance in the house...

Guests and Makan Time:

PlayTime and cake cutting in the garden...


Dancing Time...

From SAHM Discoveries...

From SAHM Discoveries...

Now, the actual day, 9th April...I brought a cake and some garbage(Chocos and sweets) to school and Avril has a small celebration in the class.
Finally, it's papa turn...where we bought a few pcs of good quality cakes and celebrate with her our usual way, just the Family of three...and of cos, like all kids, Avril enjoys her special day.