Ok, so the annual panic for Primary 1 registration is here again. One year ago, we went thru a nail-biting episode – complete with ‘Toto’ Balls and the monotonous announcer - Yes, we went through the dreaded school balloting! But truth be told, surviving the P1 registration is just the tip of the iceberg. Whether you get the school of your choice or otherwise, your child will be in a school and, from experience, beyond the registration process, there’s a whole host of things you need to do to … [Read more...]
Archives for June 2015
The Road Less Travelled – The Joys and Challenges of Child Adoption in Singapore
23rd June, 2014, the day which I left for work being a father of one and returned home a father of two. This was my standard reply whenever I was asked how it feels like to adopt a child. That was one year ago and three days ago, on June 23, Alexander turned 1. I’m proud and overjoyed to call him my son in every sense of the word. While his birthday, like any child’s, is a time to celebrate the joy of welcoming the newest member to the family and to acknowledge the blessings, love and … [Read more...]
The Ritz-Carlton, Millennia Singapore – A Celebration Among Friends
Singapore is not short of luxury hotels and we've been blessed to have stayed in a few but what makes a stay at the Ritz-Carlton, Millennia Singapore truly one of the most memorable? In our home, I’m usually the 'crafty' one. No, I don’t do handicrafts but I do like to spring the occasional surprises for the wife and family. Recently, it seems that my wife and daughter have inherited my ‘craftiness’ – they planned and executed a surprise staycation for my birthday successfully. Both were … [Read more...]
He Chose Us…Celebrating Alexander’s 1st Birthday
A year ago today…this tiny little baby chose us. It happened within a day. A phone call, a trip to the hospital and then we began this journey, all over again… It was a regular day, both David and I were at work and the daughter had just returned home from kindergarten. I was in a long-drawn meeting when I received a missed call from an adoption agent whom I had contacted months back. We had prayed for an open door to adopt a sibling for Dana since 4 years ago but it somehow … [Read more...]
The Learning Lab – Learning for Life, Learning to Thrive
Education is not preparation for life, education is life itself. ~ John Dewey (American Philosopher, 1859-1952) It was rather late in the evening when we finally had the chance to plonk ourselves down on the sofa. Our daughter came prancing from her bedroom, full of energy and enthusiasm, eagerly wanting to show us something. As much as we want to hold our ideals of being attentive parents, it has been a rather long day at work and honestly we were not too eager to listen to one of … [Read more...]
Singapore Blog Awards 2015
We were away on our family vacation when we received the good news that our parenting blog, Life's Tiny Miracles has been shortlisted as one of the Top 10 Finalists for the Best Family Blog in this year's Singapore Blog Awards 2015. Many have said that life is a journey. For us, the journey to parenthood was one that very few have traversed; one that is wrought with child-losses, grief and pain. In 2008, when we knew we were going to be parents at last, we determined … [Read more...]
Books on Japan for Kids!
By the time you read this post, we're off to a short vacation to the land of the rising sun. It's our family's very first trip to Japan, we'll be doing it entirely Free & Easy and relying on the locals to help us on a daily basis. Naturally we want Dana to know more about this amazing country before we go. Here are some titles from the National Library which we've read in the past weeks leading up to the trip. Apart from books, we've also watched this DVD "Jiro Dreams of Sushi" … [Read more...]
Familiarity breeds… Dengue.
The weather is getting hotter, drier with the occasional rain. This hotter and more humid weather also spells…Dengue. Singapore is shielded from natural disasters, however that doesn’t mean we do not have ‘natural’ enemies. One of the common ‘enemies’ is the Aedes mosquito, specifically because it carries with it the deadly Dengue disease. In 2013 and 2014, the number of Dengue cases was very high and there were even several fatalities. Even though Singapore has seen fewer dengue cases this … [Read more...]
{Giveaway} Disney on Classic: A Magical Night
Experience the magic of Disney as never before with its most successful live orchestral show, Disney on Classic ~ A Magical Night! Following 12 years of sold out performances in Japan, it is finally coming to Singapore. Legendary Disney music maestro, Brad Kelley will lead our homegrown Metropolitan Festival Orchestra, together with 8 international singers to deliver a full length orchestral concert featuring well-loved tunes from Walt Disney. They will be joined by members of The Orchestra … [Read more...]
Temasek Presents Jubilee at the Botanics – A Celebration in the Gardens!
Music plays a big part in any celebrations. From anthems to waltzes, fanfares to choruses, orchestral music has always accompanied national celebrations. They add to the pomp and pageantry of the occasions but most importantly, rouse the emotions of the people, uniting them in one spirit. It is therefore befitting for Singapore’s 50th Jubilee that we have our very own internationally renowned orchestra - the Singapore Symphony Orchestra, pay a musical tribute 'Jubilee at the Botanics' for all … [Read more...]