Dreams In Flight

I received an invite from TIME for the Singapore Arts Festival opening performance La Fura dels Baus. Terence and Gideon came along. It was a "Free admission" event but because TIME was the magazine sponsor, guests of TIME got grand stand seats - which was great! Bumped into Ewe Leong as well... Anyways, the show got off to a pretty slow start with a shadow performance depicting daily routines like "eating", "watching" etc. Just when I was getting worried that the two boys were getting fidgety, the spectacular wheel of red and gold appeared! Magically suspended in mid-air, the wheel hovered above the crowd and the sight was simply awesome (though I was wondering at the same time what would happen if the wheel fell). And then there was this amazing aerial human net which suspended magically in the air as showers of fireworks lit the night sky. I think each one of us had different imaginations of what each act depicted. Gideon, for sure, believed that the wheel was from Planet Naboo and the human bodies on the net were actually Snow Troopers (for those who don't know, the planet and troopers are from Star Wars :-). As for me : Wow! I never got this close to fireworks! I wasn't even expecting fireworks...

Vintage Virgin

Was having breakfast at YahKun on Friday morning when I saw racks of colourful dresses being carted out to the atrium of B1 Raffles City. I passed by and saw signs being put up - Dust Bunny Vintage, Granny's Day Out etc. Hmmm I'd better check it out before the lunch crowd comes. So I sneaked out of the office at 11am and sinfully bought some items from Dust Bunny. I will not say how much was spent. I quickly called Jemej to inform her of my incredible find. I never owned any vintage outfits but always thought they were so one-of-a-kind and if worn properly, they were really pretty. The bag caught my eye first - I felt so Audrey Hepburn carrying it (or was it the "mirror trick"!?). Then I went on to the rack of dresses and voila... I was back in the office by 11.30am with Julian proclaiming that I must've spent too much money on "yellow (stained) armpit" dresses :-( Well, they were both black - thankfully :-)

A Day for Mums

Mother's Day is simply too commercialised to me. But still, we we were part of that whirlwind of Mum's Day activities which has sucked in many Singaporeans - lavish gifts, dinners with hiked prices and sudden surge of ads everywhere - each proclaiming the most thoughtful of gifts for mum.

As a mum myself, the best gift on this day is simply the joy of a healthy, happy child - my little monster G! I think the best gift this Mother's Day was him stopping his crying routine in the mornings when I drop him off at school. For some reason the past couple of weeks, he managed to hold back tears, say goodbye to me and even manages a loud morning greeting to his teacher! My gift from Gideon : a lovely card he made in school and a Mother's Day song.

Anyways, we figured our Mum will feel left out if we didn't do something special - so we had one of her favourite buffets at Swissotel Merchant Court's Ellenborough Market Cafe.

Thanks Mum for all you've done for us! Now I know what matters as a mother - not lavish gifts; just the simple pleasures of being with family and knowing your children are happy :-)

Gideon's 5th

No big bash this year since we just took a holiday in Bali. Sunday, 29 April was spent at China Square where we bought him his choice of Star Wars figurines. That evening was spent with Mum and Sis' family at East Coast Parkway where he could enjoy kiddy rides.

His classmates celebrated with him the following day at school. This year, Gideon decided on a Super Heroes cake instead of Star Wars (phew! Star Wars is going to be tough otherwise).

Happy Birthday Super Hero!

Bali Beautiful

The 4-day Bali trip was wonderful! We had been planning this for the longest time. Since the same 3 couples went to Bali almost 8 years ago, we had always been saying we should do the same thing again. We finally did it. This holiday was relaxing and absolutely fun. It was late Friday when we arrived in Bali, after a one-hour flight delay due to a computer outage at the Jetstar counter. Still, our spirits were high and we were simply looking forward to the villa we were going to call home for the next few days.

Seminyak Suites didn't disappoint. Our 3-bedroom villa was clean, contemporary and HUGE. Each bathroom is the size of a regular hotel room (or larger). I took these pictures from the website (better quality) but the real thing was definitely not far from what you see from the web images. Russell and Gideon spent most of their time in the pool. Their Gameboy was of course the other important companion throughout the trip.

For the adults, shopping was mainly done at Surfer Girl - Chris and Terence picked up some surf gear which were supposedly cheaper than in Singapore. The girls took some time away from the boys for a stroll along Seminyak just outside the villa. There were some interesting shops and we of course landed some good bargains.

The beach is just at the end of the Seminyak stretch. We spent one morning there and were of course swarmed by peddlers - from manicures and massages to caps and clips. Angie and myself of course lazed under the parasols for Kodak moments :-)

Jimbaran had transformed since our last trip there. It is now a thriving stretch of seafood restaurants. When we were last there 8 years ago, I recall only a few restaurants and they would pull tables and chairs onto the beach if customers wanted to eat with their feet in the sand. The beautiful sunset was breathtaking! As for the food, well it was definitely "tourist prices". The 6 of us (minus the 2 kids) paid almost SGD200 for dinner!

The Semiyak stretch is definitely good for families. Lined with shops, restaurants, supermarkets, cafes and convenience stores, you need not worry about running out of food or essentials. We spent quite a bit of time at this little outdoor cafe just outside the main supermarket where we got our daily dosage of beer, fruits and snacks. There is even an Internet centre right above the cafe.

It will definitely not take us another 8 years to go back to Bali. See you soon!

SWARMED

Yes, this is what's happening in the Red Office. All of us are swarmed one way or another. Stephan created the tongue of my "Talk of the Month" Beanie Bear (it's been hanging like this for the longest time, by the way). I thought it aptly personifies everyone in the office and looks quite funny. Everyone's slamming away at the keyboards for some reason. Well, another day of craziness and I'll be vegetating in Bali by tomorrow night - yahoo!

"Hi! My name is Jada Mathy."

I finally got down to creating a new "Me" in another world - a virtual world. After Stephan's explanation of www.secondlife.com and our intentions of creating a Swissotel in secondlife, I decided it was about time I learnt more about this amazing technology and site. In a nutshell, secondlife is a virtual world which allows one to create personas (humans, animals, half-human - anything you like). It is a world where more than 5 million residents reside to-date. Residents trade in Linden dollars (named after the founder Linden Labs) and Linden dollars can be bought through your credit card (US$1 = approx L$270). There is a 'live' exchange rate as well.

With Linden $ you can buy clothes, bags, land to build a house or a hotel, go for a haircut etc. Your secondlife character is capable of making friends, getting married, going to the pub, teleporting to another island etc. You make friends by typing a message just like msn chat. Starwood has already created their hotel "aloft" in secondlife. The hotel is built based on ideas provided by secondlife residents. This will in turn supposedly inspire Starwood in their creation of the aloft hotel in the REAL world.

Some argue that this site is a cult. Some are in awe of the amazing technology behind it. Some question the real personalities behind the characters in secondlife. Are they individuals unable to fulfill their real life expectations, thus using secondlife as an outlet to live out their imaginary and ideal life? I don't have answers to that. But I'm certain there are many secondlife residents, who, like me, are just curious what this virtual world has to offer. Since I created Jada Mathy, I've made about 10 friends from different walks of life and different parts of the world. So I suppose as long as one uses the techonology appropriately, there's really no harm.

Say hi to me one day - I'm Jada Mathy.

Attack of the Pox

Gideon was down with a slight fever on Wednesday evening so Terence decided to let him skip school the next day - much to Gideon's delight of course! On top of that, Terence took him to his very first movie at GV Tampines Mall - Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. It was after the movie that Terence discovered some small spots on Gideon's tummy - straight to Dr Sim. It is Chicken Pox! Was worried sick being thousands of miles away in Zurich - was he in pain; itching; aching; high fever??? The reply sms I got : "Don't worry. He said "Yahooooo!" when Dr said no school the next 2 weeks." And this was the face that greeted me when I got home this morning...Incidentally, the meeting went alright. Long story short : the "future" looks ok for now though not sure how I will cope with the slightly new structure. We'll see...

Que Sera Sera

Well, in not much of a mood to write this weekend. Will be leaving for Zurich tomorrow and I've decided to go straight from the office - to make it less traumatic for me and Gideon. Hate the sight of him sobbing whenever I walk through the immigration doors. This trip is a little question mark for me as I'm supposed to be discussing "my future" and of course, there's the Corporate Marketing meeting. For some reason, I don't have very good vibes but Que Sera Sera... the future should be clear by the time I fill my next post. Wish me luck!

March Full of Birthdays!

March is definitely a month filled with birthdays - well at least for me. We spent almost every Saturday this month welcoming a new-born at a hospital. There's Liam Simon, Ryan & Ashlynn. And of course there was Terence's and our godson Jerome's birthdays on the 15th. It was such a busy day at work, I only managed to get Terence's present at 5pm! It was either a pair of Tag Heuer sunglasses or something from Mont Blanc. It was Mont Blanc eventually... and he likes it (of course, as Julian says, he could always "pretend" he likes it :-( Anyways I like it, and BIG watches are IN now, no?

And there was Jerome's birthday on Saturday. The kids turned the Safra bungalow upside down. Time flies, Jerome turned 8! I can still remember all the excitement since he was the first-born in the gang. This just means we're getting older, isn't it?

By the way, Gideon was sulking and refused to be in the picture (read : Why are you forcing me! I don't want to take photo!!!!!!!!!)

Grumpy G

How quickly children grow. Of late, Gideon has been acting and speaking like an adult! I hear and see myself sometimes 'cos he emulates us adults. And yes, he tells you when he's unhappy and says things like, "I don't understand why you like to force me to do this!" That "Talk of the Month" face is the face that usually follows... arggggh!

Ankara Awoken

The order of my Turkey posts is kinda weird, I know. All due to collating photos from a few cameras. Well, more on Ankara, Turkey. Swissotel Ankara is right smack in the heart of a residential neighbourhood - think Holland Village minus the happening restaurants and nightspots. Strange one might think but apparantly, many businessmen choose the hotel simply cos it's away from the main city. Ask around which is the capital city of Turkey and almost everyone will tell you it's Istanbul. Wrong. It's actually Ankara!

The WW Conference certainly awoken the Swissotel neighbourhood. Mid-afternoon games held right outside the hotel during one of the coffee breaks at a temperature of about below 10 degrees. That certainly got the neighbourhood peeking from their windows. We were given Michelin-looking wind breakers - so huge we looked like odd shaped snowmen getting together for afternoon tea.

And the night tour to the Ataturk museum was really cool. The musuem grounds are actually closed in the evening but special arrangements were made just for the Swissotel group! Ataturk is highly revered as the "father" of Turkey and the museum showcases his glorious battles and bits of his private life.

I think there were lots more of Ankara we missed. And despite its understatedness as compared to Istanbul, I am sure Ankara will emerge as a thriving city very soon.

Turkish Delights

Taking advantage of the WW Conference in Ankara, the team stopped over at Istanbul for a night at one of Swissotel's best hotels - Swissotel The Bosphorus, Istanbul. We arrived on a Sunday and packed a day of shopping (the Grand Bazaar was closed, unfortunately), sight-seeing and eating. We visited the Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia, Topkapi Palace and adventured to local eateries for breakfast and dinner.

The amazing view from my room...

For those of you planning your next holiday, Istanbul is definitely worth a visit simply for its exotic(ness) and spectacular sights.

Swissotel Worldwide Conference 2007 - Turkey

This year's conference in Ankara, Turkey marked the first after the Raffles International (RIL) era. The split of the Raffles and Swissotel brands meant leaner teams, tighter resources and for some, transfers to a different brand. For me, I was fortunate to remain in Swissotel. For the past 8 months or so, there were lots to be done and learnt. Different bosses meant different management and work styles. Bottom line - most survived. And this conference is especially symbolic as it shows how well the Red team did, under all that pressure and constraints. For the Singapore team, the long distance "relationship" with Zurich worked out; and much was achieved. From department restructures to the revamp of Club Swiss Gold and the entire brand's collateral, Red Team East did well.

The conference was an opportunity for many to put the face to the name finally! For me, it was a chance for the young Singapore team to present itself to the "world" as they personify the many accomplishments since the restructure. I am proud of them! Since my first WW conference in Bangkok when I first joined RIL, I wondered if there will come a day when I could have the opportunity to make presentations, strike up conversations or even get to know our GMs well. I look back now with a smile - knowing I've done all that! I've been recognised for my work, all thanks to Petra, a strong, assertive boss, yet one who never fails to find time to tell us how well we've done. That all important "pat on the back" which many often forget. And of course, I am tremendously blessed with many wonderful bosses I've worked with in the company - Jack, Mr Ong, Mr Muhlemann, Mr McAuley... without whom I couldn't have achieved today's success.

And this is me with Jack and my award for Best New Concept, which I dedicate to my team, Petra and my ex-bosses...

Reunion of the Golden Gals

I only managed to give Rina, Violet and Sheran their X'mas pressies yesterday, during Chinese New Year! It's been some time since we met, with two of them in China and one whom I've been too busy to catch up with. We managed to catch up on some latest gossips and updates. And of course, we managed to coax Gideon into taking this picture for us...

Happy Oink Oink!

It's the year of the Pig - my year! As feng shui would have it, those born in the year of the pig are at conflict with Tai Tsui and so this is a year that may not be very good for the "piggies". Ah well, I can't complain 'cos last year was a really good one for me. As for the year ahead, I guess piggies will just have to take things easy, watch your backs and be more charitable (general advice from most feng shui masters).

I started the lunar new year with very bad jet lag. Returning from the WW Conference in Ankara, Turkey on on Friday, I spent Saturday drowsy in bed. It was only at the reunion table that I realised I have not gotten my nian gao and mandarin oranges! Thank goodness for petrol kiosks stocked with new year goodies.

Dinner was rather "chaotic" as usual, with the kids tossing the yu sheng so high I think there was more salad on the table than on our plates. As you can see from the photos, everyone was excited and moving so much, I couldn't catch a clear picture (and no one heard my pleas to look into the camera).

We visited my mum and then Terence's mum on the first day. Not before sending my mum to the temple as she was intent on praying for the pigs in the family (all pigs except my Tiger brother). Then we had the gang over in the evening. The mini-me(s) turned the house upside down as usual and the big boys had their usual card session until the wee hours of the morning.

Updates...

Well, it's been some time now that I've been searching for this picture and I finally found it in my laptop! This is crazy but Shu got married, like, last year and I'm posting it only now! Still, I'm so happy for her and can't wait to see mini-me(s) of theirs soon.
Speaking of mini-me(s), Aik Hong's and Angie's little Seraphina celebrated her one-month birthday a few weeks ago. Check out this cool surfer outfit which Aunty Philo got for her... happy birthday Beach Gal!

2007 here we come!

Before the stroke of midnight on New Year's eve, throngs of sms(es) had already started pouring in. Simply too many to reply to. Then I chanced upon breaking news of the bombings in Bangkok. It is sad that the year has to close with another tragedy, another crisis. Since Terence was out, I took the opportunity of some "me time" after Gideon fell asleep to remember 2006. Looking back, I have nothing to complain about 2006. I made some pretty "decent" achievements at work. I visited Zurich, Lucerne, Geneva, Beijing and Shanghai. Terence & I managed a few vacations - a cruise; Bangkok and then Hong Kong. Gideon got used to school and has even attempted holiday courses! I started a blog. Etc etc. Now, looking ahead, I do have a few resolutions for the New Year. As with the countless marketing plans I've done, not all may be accomplished but at least I give myself some goals to work towards.

• World peace - I know it sounds cliched but ...
• Exercise - I simply don't do enough. I will swim instead of just basking in the sun when we take Gideon to the pool.
• Temper control - especially at home.
• Holiday to Australia - I will make it come true this year for Gideon.
• Family / Work Balance - less time in the office (and at the computer at home); more time with Terence & Gideon.
• More time with friends

A Blessed New Year to all and may you get as close as possible to your resolutions; better still - REALISE them!

All I Want For Christmas - Star Wars and more!

Gideon insisted I took a picture of his favourite Christmas presents. What else but his Star Wars transformers and a really cool R4 - P17 (R2 - D2's galfriend) from Aunty Angie. It's amazing how quickly kids grow up. I did some packing of his toys and gave away little Tonker trucks, Sesame Street toys etc. His toy box now contains light sabres, guns, Darth Vader masks and Marvel Heroes cars, books etc! Well, at least I see no traces of Barbie and Hello Kitty :-)

Ho Ho Ho!

Mum, Alice and the kids spent Christmas in Korea. With the house empty, I decided to volunteer organising this year's Christmas get-together. The usual "gang" plus Stephan and Lisa who were spending their first Christmas in Singapore. The wet weather didn't deter a great party. The kids, as usual, tore the house down. I was busy busy busy - totally forgot to snap some pictures. These are all I managed, at least...