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Saturday, March 31, 2012

~ Earth Hour 2012 @ Marina Bay ~

This is our 3rd year in support of the Earth Hour. Unlike the previous years, we decided to bring the children out and spend the evening at Marina Bay. Coincidentally, there are a couple of events happening along the bay. First and foremost, we witnessed a doggy parade as these beauties become the center of attraction as they stroll down with their owners. From Huskies, Bulldogs to Poodles and German Shepherds. All eyes and cameras were on them. Even the children cannot resist their charm.

As the night falls, we sat by the Marina Bay waterfront promenade and enjoy a series of performances put up by Temasek Junior College. I particularly like the orchestral performances and it was a nice scenic view with the sailboats and buildings as the backdrop.

Rhythms by the Bay is a series of free cultural performances and concerts taking place on the last Saturday of every month. It is an initative by URA to showcase the local performing talents in Singapore. :)

 Orchestral and Dance performances. COOL!


Earth Hour is only minutes away and there is already a crowd seated at The Lawn @ Marina Bay awaiting for the free movie screening (by NESCAFE® PAssion Movie Night). During Earth Hour, all 31 iLight featured artworks will also be switched off for an hour (830-930pm). We found a nice spot, layed our mats and all set to countdown to the event!


Earlier, the public participated in a Mass Light Catcher Creation workshop. As we countdown to Earth Hour, everyone shone their torches through their Light Catchers for the commemorative light-up! It was pretty dazzling!




We had a very different Earth Hour and was glad to be part of it. However, the efforts of Earth Hour doesn't just stop after the hour, we must always remind ourselves to conserve energy and do our part to save the environment in our daily life.

Wednesday, March 21, 2012

~ Greenwich Contest - Vote & Win! ~

Last month, our family together with 14 bloggers participated in the Greenwich V Experience challenge and had lots of food and fun together.

We were being divided into 3 teams - Lifestyle, Urban and Village team. We went on an amazing race and our team (The Lifestyle Team) got 2nd in position! If you have enjoyed our stories, here's your chance to win $50 Greenwich vouchers!

Simply vote for your favourite team by entering your particulars at the following URL - http://contests.omy.sg/greenwich-v/

There will be 6 lucky voters and the winning bloggers team will also win vouchers too! Voting closes on 9th April 2012.

We hope you enjoyed the posts and had more information on whats there to offer at Greenwich Mall. Good Luck and may the best team wins! ^_^

Monday, March 19, 2012

~ Earth Hour 2012 ~

Another year has passed since we were priviledged to be covered by TNP for Earth Hour in 2011! - http://bpdgtravels.blogspot.com/2011/03/earth-hour-2011-coverage-on-tnp-shin.html

Earth Hour 2012 will be taking place in Singapore at 8.30pm, Saturday, 31 March 2012 and this will be the 3rd year where we will be participating in this significant and meaningful event. :)
Check out the official video for Earth Hour 2012 - Go Beyond the Hour


Once again, many organisations will be participating in this year's Earth Hour movement to go beyond the hour!

Earth Hour 2012 @ Orchard Road
Ngee Ann City, Civic Plaza (6.30pm to 10pm)
- A host of fun yet symbolic activities including the phenomenal human formation during the momentous lights-out hour which will commence at 8.30pm.
More information from http://www.wwf.sg/?203380/EARTH-HOUR-2012--AT-ORCHARD-ROAD

Picnic under the stars @ Woodlands Waterfront
Lawn area beside the central spine event plaza and the field beside the playground (7pm to 1030pm)
- and Concert, Movie screening, Flea Market, Stargazing, Overnight Cycling and more!
(Bring 10 plastic bottles for recycling and redeem a goodie bag. While stocks last!)

Various shopping malls including IKEA, West Mall, Hougang Mall, AMK Hub, Suntec City, Tampines 1 etc are also very supportive of this event. Thumbs up!

This year, there is also a theme for Earth Hour - "I Will If You Will" where people are encourage to make a difference by offering something in return. Carrefour has organised a contest where you can pledge a challenge to your friends or family. The top 3 most creative and environmental conscious pledge will win $500 worth of Carrefour vouchers each! Check out Carrefour's facebook page for more information.

We have made our pledge.... have you?

Wednesday, March 14, 2012

~ Chek Jawa Boardwalk Tour with our Kiddos - Part 3 ~


Truly enjoyed the natural beauty and clearer waters. Quiet and away from the city buzz.  

The children seems to be having fun so far. Not really bothered about the red ants,  mosquitoes and heat from the sun. 


A Wild Junglefowl (according to Ria) was spotted at the coastal edge! We got our cameras ready before we lost sight of the chicken. :)


Further down the trail, one of the kiddos spotted this bird. After checking with the other experts on what kind of shorebird this could be, it seems it is a common sandpiper.

Shelter ahead and it is a great spot to take a rest and have some snacks!



We met Ley Kun on the Coastal broadwalk and she walked us through the trail for Hornbill. Earlier, she took a nice shot of the papa bird and briefed us on it's nest box too.

We saw the artificial nesting home for the Hornbill but did not get to see the bird. :( Maybe next time.

Flowers and assorted coloured fruits can be spotted along the way.

Chek Jawa's Visitor Centre - This beautiful Tudor style cottage was built in the 1930s.  It was used as the visitor centre in 2006. The most interesting feature of this building is its fireplace, as it is probably the only working fireplace left in Singapore.


The children gathered and had a mini drawing session at the cottage. They were encouraged to draw what they saw and experienced in Chek Jawa so far! Cool!


We left the cottage and headed back to wait for the van. We were lucky to see some wild boars! Mummy boar and her 2 little ones are out for a walk. :)


Two cutie piglets

Mama Boar

We got on the van and passed by the quarry. Crystal clear waters!

Alright! We were back at the Ubin town for our lunch. I am feeling famished after the 2 hours walk!

Quick look around Ubin town...


On our way to take the bumboat ride back to Singapore island...


Bidding farewell.... and we are on our way home.

It was an educational and fun experience at Chek Jawa. Really a great experience not to be missed and it will be fun to bring your children along to feel and enjoy the nature! Here are some details:

Chek Jawa Boardwalk Tours is conducted by the Naked Hermit Crabs. The guided tour is held every 2nd Saturday of the month and you need to register first. :) - http://nakedhermitcrabs.blogspot.com/

Bumboat rides - $2.50 per person (about 10-15minutes ride from Singapore to Pulau Ubin)
Van rental - $4 per person (to and fro trip)

We will be back to explore Chek Jawa again in JUNE for another guided tour during the low tides! We are expecting it to be even more exciting! Stay tune!

Sunday, March 11, 2012

~ Chek Jawa Boardwalk Tour with our Kiddos - Part 2 ~

Our journey continues.... next on - taking the broadwalk around the mangrove zone. This is where we keep our eyes open for CRABS! The eyes of our kiddos are really sharp and they can spot the colourful fiddler crabs, tree climbing crabs and mudskippers!

This red and black fiddler crab is spotted by Denver. It is only about 2cm long and it's amazing how observant he is to spot this beauty! I need to change my glasses!


Tree-climbing crab

More crabs!

 Mudskipper. We spotted a couple along the way.

As we are in the mangrove area, this is also the place where mosquitos are most commonly found. We sprayed a lot of insect repellant but still fallen prey to these commandos. Nevertheless, that did not dampen our mood as it was all part of the natural habitat.

Visitors who wish to visit Chek Jawa, please prepare insect repellant and wear long sleeve if necessary. Kindly understand that it is a natural reserve and mozzies are bound to be around in the area. :)

Everyone kept a lookout as we took on the broadwalk. Squatting down and calling out when they spotted a creature of the wild. It's like a treasure hunt to see who can spot the most!


Our guide, Ria also pointed out the Nipah palm that is found within the mangroves. Ihe palm's sap is rich in sugars and can be tapped and fermented to produce alcoholic beverages. Its most recognised use locally is its edible young seeds (attap chee).

Mangrove forests is found along the coast and the edges of rivers. During high tide, the roots of the mangrove plants are fully immersed in seawater and exposed to the sun during low tide. Just take a good look at these roots!



Hmmm... what are they looking at?

Keep a good closer look and you will notice more crabs on the fine sand! They are so small that I nearly missed it! Notice that one claw is bigger than the other?




This is probably one of my favourite - The Coastal Broadwalk. I love the sea breeze, the ocean and the greenery! A relaxing and cooling walk with the aeroplanes flying above us past every other minute.



We avoided touching the railings as fire ants were spotted! Lots of them! It will be extremely painful to be biten by these little creatures!


A close-up look at the red ants.... scary...

I love the surroundings of the coastal broadwalk! The tide was getting higher and we probably missed out seeing some of the animals during lower tides. But I am looking forward to another guided walk in June where we will be exploring the shore again!





Denver and Gladys are having fun snapping away. Watch out for our Part 3 write up on the Broadwalk tour!