Fresh Fruits Lab

Close to a month now, I've been heading into office on Tuesday afternoons and because ZX comes to pick me, we get a date night each week. #win

We went to Fresh Fruits Lab (FFL) {website} one of those evenings. It was actually our second attempt to eat there, the first being eve of CNY. I had been so excited to bring the girls because they love fruits and I figured FFL was all about the fruits. But it was closed - ugh never update website on CNY non-operating hours! - and we eventually discovered Do.Main Bakery, so all's good. (As for the "all about the fruits" part, the fruits are mostly in their desserts and beverages. There are fruit inspirations or sides in the mains but nothing centrestage there. See their menu here.)

True to it's name, there are a few laboratory elements within the small cafe, but nothing too mad scientist. In fact, it feels as cosy as your best friend's home. I reckon the place can seat around 30-40 people, with some on the bartop table/chairs, some outside and a grand total of two baby high chairs.

The beaker of water is a cute touch. The sheets of menu paper looking worst for wear, not so cute.

Parking options are by the side of the roads but the upside is that this joint is away from the buzz of Geylang and not as crazy crowded (almost at Kallang - quite close to office, hence).

A lot of effort went into the decor of the place, don't you think?

And I'm totally digging the chalk art.

Yes, but what about the food? I'm glad to say we absolutely loved it and will be definitely coming back to fill our tummies. We just have to overlook the very newbie staff though (we got the wrong order served initially and they don't seem very updated on the menu, but the place is new so must give chance, eh?)

The service staff greeted us with our complimentary aperitifs and by that, I meant, he just gave these to us. I called him back and asked what we were drinking, but he couldn't answer me. After checking with (presumably) the boss, he said these were "peach and carrot (on the left), spinach and cucumber (on the right)". Both were sweet and light, but the green tube did taste pretty 'raw'.

My golden osmanthus tea arrived pretty as a picture, but again, I was perplexed by what this was. "Am I supposed to add the leaves?" I asked ZX, who threw me an equally lost look. This time, I asked another service staff and she said the leaves are for when I need a refill of water. They brought the tray back to the kitchen when I eventually asked for a top up, so I still don't really know how it works. The tea, though, tasted like any ol' tea - maybe it wasn't infused long enough? Sad.

My Masago Caviar Pasta ($20). I totally wasn't expecting three ginormous scallops but yes, you can see them too right? The sauce was slightly too oily for my liking but it was bursting with flavour. While I don't usually finish my food nowadays (sad, my tummy has shrunk in capacity but the belly fat remains WAH LAU), I totally polished this! The penne was perfectly al dente. I'm even willing to forgive the piece of shell on my scallop - this always happens to me, and only me.

ZX's Da Bomb Burger ($19). The man loves his burgers and this is one more to add to his list. In retrospect, the burger looks so tiny in comparison to the fries but that's my bad. I was too lazy to angle the plate nicely. The shoestring fries didn't turn soggy by the end of the meal, so it's a winner in my books. And that accompanying salad adds such a refreshing twist to the dish, don't you think?

We had a couple of dessert takeaways, and the lady (whom I presumed is the boss) separated the recipes so the takeaways were sans GST. How thoughtful! 

The calamansi tart ($6.50) is super sour, and is really good for those who need their zing! The lone tart was for my Ah Yi who loves lemon meringue tarts and we dropped it off on our way home (she gave both thumbs up for this, btw). The lychee cake ($6.50) is supposed to be a chef's recommendation, but by the time we got home, it had melted and I didn't feel like trying it because I'm fussy like that. My mum said the lychee taste was really strong though, so I'm figuring it's good.

Mannnnnnnnn, blogging this at night is making me so hungry. My bro and his gf went for brunch before this and their dishes looked scrumptious too. Be back soon!

Love and Such

I've been sitting on this post (and its many variations) for some time. For this particular one, I intended to post it as a surprise on ZX's birthday but of course, that didn't work. (The idea was because ze laogong is probably the most ardent supporter of my writings, he would like anything I write so birthday present: FOC Priceless.)

I decided to revisit this draft so whaddaya know, it might see the light of day (on the www) after all.
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Right. You know, I know that we are rarely the PDA sort of people. But once in a while, I like to proclaim that my husband is the best one in the world. To me, anyways. So here goes:

1. He is my number one supporter
As mentioned above. He once asked me why I didn't blog for the longest time because he went to my blog every day but there wasn't any new piece. And he is really proud to tell his friends/colleagues/acquaintances that I'm a freelance writer for <insert fitness magazine>, although because it's a fitness title or because I do freelance writing, I'm not quite sure.

He was prouder that Bielet followed through with the class and shoot for this!

2. He never tells me I am fat
If you know ZX, you know he's quite the health nut. He's conscious of what he consumes and trains hard. Even though he has remarked that somebody else might look plumper/larger/bigger/okay FATTER, he has never said that about me. Add points. He also promised to be my PT so I can get back into shape. The plan was to do the exercises after the girls fall asleep, but *ahem* my PT always falls asleep before the girls so actually, this has never materialised. Minus points. He does, however, forward me URLs with content along the lines of "how to lose your tummy fat".

Minus minus minus points.

The photo I sent to him which incited his "how to lose your tummy fat" email response. Bah.

But. He still never says I am fat. Because to him, I'm perfect. (Pfffft, I made that up. HAHAHA)

3. He protects me
Some people have told me that I'm pretty low in the EQ department because I've made friends with really odd characters, and of which, two turned out to be stalkers. The first (who knew I had a boyfriend), I managed to scare away. The second (who knew I was married AND one kid then), I lost contact with when I quit my job. When ZX found out, he told me he would <insert expletive> beat the <insert expletive> up. He didn't actually punch the living daylights out of the two jokers, but I know he would have. My hero.

Don't mess with my man. (Snapped by Bielet during the last red beret parade.)

(For the record, contrary to how he speaks in his line of work with his fellow guy friends, he uses zero vulgar language at home.)

4. He treats me like a queen (of our small tiny kingdom, that is)
I've probably said this a thousand times, but he let me give up my full-time job to be sole breadwinner and even sold his precious zhng-ed car for me. Right, I know I've also whined about how crappy I feel when I want him to look after the girls when I'm tired but he just conks out. I am not superwoman ey? But all other times, I'm Queen Bie. And while he is (mostly) stingy with himself, he spares no expenses on me or the girls (on necessities). He always asks me if I am tired caring for the girls and to take care of myself too, checks whether I'm feeling alright (yes, I'm quite the pessimist but ZX brings out the best in me), solicits my opinions on things that matter to him and/or me etc.

Bet he can't do this anymore. LOL

Another case in point: He brought me to my favouritest restaurant Osia (very swanky) for my birthday, but was totally alright when I suggested Blk 85 for his. (Now I sound like a cheapskate, but actually we had some *ahem* issues with wardrobe choices of the day.) Bottom line is, while he prefers not to do the shindigs, he knows that birthdays are a big thing for me so he makes the effort to do something special. For me.

The guy who eats ba chor mee dry!

5. He talks to me
When I was watching Every Singaporean Son with my sis and bro a long time ago, I remarked that ZX talks exactly like the army guys on TV. And my sis went "he talks?!" Funny, but not funny. He might not talk to anybody, but he talks to me. Sometimes he misses out the parts that would induce a heart attack or bust an artery or maybe things he just didn't deem it important to pass on. But I know his hopes, aspirations, dreams, yadayada although mostly we just talk crap. YES, HE MAKES JOKES! SURPRISE!

(Source: wiki.jlpzj.net)

6. He embraces being a father
Yes, he's all tough and gruff but he relishes his daddy role. He was the one who steamed and cooked and pureed Bielet's first meals. He refers to Bielet as "his favourite girl" (don't tell Bieny that). He loves it when he gets to send Bielet to school in the morning before heading for work. He always tries his darnest to make Bieny laugh (maybe also cuz she has one of the cutest and happiest giggles around). He offers to carry Bieny around when we go out. He even decided that Bieny was gonna be her moniker on this blog. He says the bedtime prayer for the girls. He reads to them. He plans for their future. He makes them his priority. And the list goes on.

The girls looked cutest in this so I posted this. Oops.

We actually had this really big fallout a week back because he 'rescued' Bielet from this huge dressing down from me. I was really pissed that he 'interfered' with my teaching style (let's just say 20 and 100 aren't Bielet's favouritest numbers). I thought we agreed that he would only do the fun stuff? Then my sis pointed out that I don't want him to be an absent father. So yes, he gets to play dirty cop too then.

Do they make the t-shirts cute, OR WHAT! (It reads, "My daddy is a commando" btw.)

7. He keeps his personal life private
I used to be quite miffed that ZX never approved the tags of the girls on his fb profile. Right, I know that I post at least one picture a day of the girls and that can be a bit much for him. But since he learnt of the approve-stuff-before-they-appear-on-your-timeline function, he approves like two tags a year. What. And all he posts are his own adventure stuff or work stuff. Why doesn't he approve our family stuff?!

Then, my mum pointed out that he keeps his personal life private. That all made sense to me. He always said "don't leave a digital trail" but this wife went ahead and did it anyway. She might have done it, but he doesn't need to buy into it. Family life is family life. (Mental note to self on not being a oversharing parent.)

8. He buys me flowers (used to, anyway)
We've gone past the flowers stage, but when he was courting me, I did get the occasional bouquet. I tried to do the sappy lovestory thing and sun/dry the flowers for remembrance but it all got a bit much (and dusty). Another reason why he doesn't send me flowers anymore is because I've placed a ban. Pricey and unneeded expense, yes, but also because the last two times he sent me flowers, he got into a bit of a pickle.

When I was four months preggers with Bielet, he ordered me a bouquet of flowers before he went for a gruelling weeklong course (where we couldn't even talk on the phone, much less meet up). Then, he got into a mishap during the course that in mild terms, scared the bejeezus out of me. And when Bielet was a wee 6mo-er, he went for an overseas stint but made sure a surprise delivery of Mothers' Day flowers reached me. But as luck would have it, he got into a harrowing car accident. I had it. No more flowers. Tried proved tested hazardous to his health (and pocket).

Love love love. My calla lily bouquet from our solemnisation :))

9. He makes me laugh
My fondest memory of the wedding gifts I received is probably this card my sister wrote to me. In it, she said she was happy for me because she could see that ZX makes me happy. I like to think it's because he makes me break into the widest, silliest grin most times.

Maybe I'm biased but even stuff like this makes me lol.

So is it fist pump or fist bump?

10. He appreciates me
When others say I'm a supportive wife, I just brush it off. It's not that I don't think what I'm doing is being supportive, but hey, I already knew what I signed up for. Um, pun unintended.

When he started his job, he already prepped me for the indefinite hours at work, the long periods overseas, the only being able to plan vacays one month in advance because the schedule might change (heck expensive airfare and accommodation), the possible last minute stand-ups because of stand-bys etc. I'd admit, it was trying when the girls came along but we just had to learn to adapt.

Even though he went off on his solo climbing trips, I know he would have preferred company but the girls are still too little and anyway, I'm not as fit as before. When I took up travel stories that involved being away for three to four days, he traded diaper duty with me (when he returned from work and took over from my mum, that is). In every relationship, there's give and take and I don't necessarily see him or me giving more or taking more. We all need our own space, although maybe sometimes, people (I) prefer to have my space crammed with two kids.

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So there. A somewhat (very) lengthy response to my close friend's question sometime back on whether I ever think of giving up on my marriage. I hope you (whoever's reading) figured out that my answer was No.

"Some people care too much. I think it's called love." - A.A. Milne

Dreaming of Tasmania

Was trying to find some family photos and although I didn't manage to locate all that I wanted, I was pleasantly surprised when I unearthed photos from ZX & my holiday to Tasmania back in 2007. We simply fell in love with the scenic surrounds. It was the first time there for us both, plus our first road trip together and first really big ticket vacay (Tassie is expensive, coupled with the fact that I had just started working while he was still in uni).

Back then, social media was just starting up so ZX posted a few photos of our trip on fb (I was valiantly trying to keep offline and hadn't even set up a personal account then). Decided I want to post my personal favourites now too, so here they are! #extra Ps. Given that my memory is pffft, I'll try to give my take on the vacay as best I can.

{Relax in the quaintest accommodation}

Possums B&B (website)
This was our first lodging and mannnnnn did it set the tone for our blissful vacay. We took the Spa Suite and particularly loved the little outdoor nook for picturesque views as we had our meals.

Hatchers Richmond Manor (website)
ZX wanted a farmstay so this stay at Shepherd's Attic was our compromise. (I didn't want an actual one where we had to work for our keep hehhhh.) The plantations that went on for miles and the many farm animals we came across was such a treat, and it reminded me very much of New Zealand. More photos of the farm later on.

Wagner's Cottages (website)
Oh, how I absolutely adored this accomm. There was just something so magical about the cottage itself, the gorgeous setting and it was my favourite of all five lodgings. For once, I knocked out the entire night (and morning). In fact, I overslept so we had to rush through the breakfast that ZX cooked and drive like mad to reach our day excursion! In any case, I would definitely head back to this beautiful cottage if we went back to Tasmania.

Bicheno Hideaway (website)
With the sea just steps away from your doorstep, this secluded spot is perfect for those seeking a quiet retreat or who simply want to bask in nature's glory. We booked Chalet 3, which is right at the end of the premises and super private. If I remember right, the owners came here for their honeymoon and loved it so much that they decided to buy over the place. Sweet!

Edinburgh Gallery Bed & Breakfast (website)
Our accommodation for the last two nights, I really digged the art deco of the entire place but our photos turned out crap so just view the website if you're considering this accomm. While not self-contained like the rest of our lodgings, this was a superb location in the city and really convenient. We actually had ourselves too fun a time that we both overslept on our last morning and missed our flight to Melbourne and the connecting one back to Singapore. Ugh. Expenses++

{Tuck into exceptionally divine meals from fresh, local produce}

Did you spot the Richmond Bakery & Cafe sign?

The romantic Peppermint Bay

{Revel in the beauties of nature}

Almost close enough to touch the clouds at Mt Wellington!

Someone had to boulder on every rock. Crazy.

Tasman Bridge

Snap mid-drive

Got photobombed by some bird. Bleah.

St John's Chapel

Lots of horses on the farm! Prep yourselves!

Continuing to explore the large surrounds of our farmstay

There was even an odd car wreck on the farm grounds

Callington Mill: restored to full working condition!

My sherpa-looking (then) boyfriend. Love.

Even random pit stop also pwetty

{Share out-of-the-world experiences together}

1. Take a walk up to Cape Tourville Lighthouse

2. Ride an ATV (we booked through All4adventure)

3. Definitely soak up the beautiful Wineglass Bay

And climb some rocks when you're there...

4. A more spectacular way of viewing the splendours of Wineglass Bay is on water (we took the full wineglass cruise with champagne and oysters here)

Their resident dog!

Would you check out the gathering of penguins!

5. If you aren't easily spooked, drop into one of their gaols to see how convicts were housed (we went to Richmond Gaol and I was really creeped out...)

Cute loo signs notwithstanding

6. Be awestruck by the penguin march (ours was with Bicheno Penguin Tours)

7. Do some more climbing! We went to The Climbing Edge but it has since shut down. A quick google search will get you other indoor climbing facilities though.

8. Head to Grandvewe Cheeses to see sheep milking demos and sample different cheeses and wines

9. Go on a Cadbury factory tour! All together now, wouldn't it be nice if the world was Cadbury.......

10. And of course, still have time (and money) to shop up a storm

{Other random stuff}

A thought-provoking campaign to promote responsible driving which really stuck and I've kept it in mind ever since.

"It's a speed limit. Not a challenge."

Us at Changi before boarding the plane

Touch down bright and early! Pardon the finger.

Right, I'm looking really chaobin here but it was a really good hair day! Second favourite hairstyle to date. #boliao

HAHAHAHAHA

ZX took the instruction a bit too seriously

Bikes all lined up

That's the end, goodbyes!

Our travels used to be so jam-packed and involved really active activities. Ah, to be young and fit. That, and also to save my pocket from over-shopping; plus of course, ZX is hardly the best shopping companion. Nowadays, we still don't really do shopping on our vacays and our activities are confined to max two a day. Because we need to factor in regular mealtimes, clean toilets within a sprint away (or at least, not too dirty), naptimes, the-mother-of-all-tantrums time and kid-friendly stuff. We did try a staycation for the two of us just before Bieny was born, but ZX and I missed Bielet so much that we brought her over for the second night.

At the end of the day, what matters most to ZX and I is the time spent together as a family, and we wouldn't trade it for anything in the world :))