My brother and his wife held a celebration for their son's first birthday today. Happy birthday Matthew!! It was my nephew's first rock and roll party, complete with KISS (first outfit) and Rolling Stones (second outfit) t-shirts. It was so good seeing all the family gathered under one roof again. In this case, it was the 4th floor of Hotel V on Jelicoe Road, at 12-inch Pizzas & Records.
The pizzas there were fabulous. So unique too. Well, it was my first time having pizzas with toppings like black pepper crab, garlic prawns, and duck with hoisin sauce. Also on the menu were buffalo wings, and meatballs, which were nice and moist, served with a chunky tomato sauce that was good enough to have on its own. I wished they had served bread rolls or some pasta along with it but since there weren't any, I just slathered the crusts from the pizza with the sauce instead. Worked just as well.
I'd definitely want to come back to see what are the other types of pizzas on the menu.
Considering that there were so many people wanting to carry Mat (he is super adorable, but then again I am biased), as well as to hug and kiss him. It wasn't before long that he started getting a little grumps from getting all that attention. But to give him credit, he only let out a wail just when he was about to cut the cake.
Well imagine being in his shoes. All of a sudden so many people were standing in front of him, taking pictures of him, clapping their hands and singing the birthday song, which probably startled him as well. It was a bit overwhelming to say the least. But mommy and daddy were there to save the day and Matt became Mr Congeniality once again after a few minutes of time out from the crowd.
To think that we almost didn't make it there too. Afterall, my daughter was in the thick of PSLE preparations and the Chinese exam is tomorrow. Our initial plan was to drop by with the pressies, give hugs and kisses then head home to allow her to continue her studying. But family is family and we need to stand by each other through thick and thin right (no pizza pun intended here)? Plus she's been working really hard the whole weekend so it was good to let her take a break.
And besides, birthdays are important celebrations. It's a time to get together with friends and family members and catch up with what we've been doing since the last time we met. In this case, for me it meant sharing with them what I've done so far with Kids Invent! It's nice knowing that I've got them rooting for me, like my own cheerleading squad, wishing me success for this programme.
So anyway, cheers to Matthew on blowing out the candle on his first birthday cake, and that there may be many more of such wonderful celebrations in the years to come. May God bless him abundantly with a lifetime of good health and happiness.
Rock and party on little guy!!
Budding Entrepreneurs At Work
Sunday 30 September 2012
Saturday 29 September 2012
Sometimes, All You Need Is a Little Push In The Right Direction
Last night, a couple of girlfriends and I went to Saveur on Purvis St for a fabulous dinner. It was to celebrate a good friend turning four decades old. I almost thought we had to wait another 40 years to get in the door. I arrived at 6.30pm assuming that we had reservations only to find out that they don't take reservations. Oh boy... not a good start. Secondly, I was told that we had to wait for one and a half hours to get a table since we were such a big group.
Looking around, I saw that the crowd of people milling about outside the restaurant consisted mainly of small groups of 2 to 4 people and based on the layout of tables in the establishment it was highly likely that they would be seated before us. So I sucked back the sigh that was dying to escape my throat and quickly put my name on the waiting list. "Lorrin, 7 pax" the lovely but stressed out staff put down on her list next to my contact number. She looked so frazzled by the dinner crowd that I didn't have the heart to correct the spelling of my name.
It was so tempting to whatsapp my girlfriends, who weren't there yet, to suggest an alternative location but I thought better of it. We had already made the decision to eat there and come what may, we would. Apparently the food was good there. Awesome in fact, some people say. And from the looks of the eager faces around me, I suspected that it was true. Just then... I kid you not, a group of passersby talked about the place in loud voices as they went pass me, as though planted there by the chefs to promote the menu. From my expert skills in eavesdropping, I found out that the Foie Gras and apple infused with port wine was to die for, and so was the angel hair pasta served with tiger prawns and lumpfish caviar, as well as the duck confit. My stomach growled in anticipation.
A couple of aging newspaper cuttings pasted on the glass walls next to the entrance gives an indication to the beginnings of what is now considered as the epitome of affordable French fine dining experience in Singapore.
It started out with two young local chefs who were trained in a number of fine dining establishments including Guy Savoy and Tetsuya's in Sydney. I was told by my friends that these guys used to operate their business from a corner coffee shop opposite 112 Katong on East Coast Road before moving into their current premises. The same place where I used to buy stuffed tau kwa when I was growing up in that area. I guess they just wanted more people to cultivate an appetite for and enjoy French cuisine without the super high prices you'd expect to pay at fine dining establishments.
Having to wait for one and a half hours for our table and anticipating another 45 minutes for the food to arrive, we decided unanimously to order every single item on the menu so that we could try them all, except the bread rolls. After all, we did have a pregnant woman in our midst, and you never keep a pregnant woman waiting for food... well... except in this case. I was expecting raised eyebrows from our waiter but he seemed non-plussed by our greed.
The offerings were distinctly French in size... if you know what I mean, such as their starter of Duck Rillette which was served in a small jar with a side of teensy bits of toast and a few leaves of romaine lettuce on a huge plate. We were so on the mark to order more than 1 portion of the starters and soup of the day. Phew...
That all being said, it was well worth the wait I must say. The food was... to... die... for...
From starter to dessert, every dish came beautifully presented and tasted impeccable. I'm not a foie gras nor duck person but by the end of the evening, I was a convert. And the damage to my credit card wasn't too bad either. Mind you, we did order the ENTIRE MENU!! We each coughed up about $36 for the meal. Very reasonable. The only minus point of the whole experience was the service. Sad...
So we ate, reminisced and ate some more, well into the early hours of the morning. I updated my friends about my new business venture in Kids Invent! and spoke to them about the camps that will be coming up in November and December so that they could co-ordinate their vacation dates in order to send their kids to these camps. At one point, the conversation got a tad bit serious. We got to talking about each of us turning 40 and how we knew of a certain so and so who recently passed away or got diagnosed with some life threatening disease. Whether it's because of our diet or because of our sedentary lifestyles, we all agreed that we needed to take better care of ourselves now that we are at this turning point in our lives.
Someone mentioned that she recently got into Zumba to add variety into her exercise routine, and even got her husband to attend class with her as well. I told her that I've been wanting to get into the Zumba scene for a very long time, ever since I read about it and saw a couple of videos online. I even bought a Groupon for 6 Zumba sessions but never did get down to doing it. So she asked me to join her for her Saturday class. I have to admit, by that time it was close to 2am in the morning and I was so tired. The thought of having to wake up in a few hours time to go exercise was not exactly thrilling to me. But with some encouragement from her, I decided that I'd do it.
So later this morning, I woke up groggily from lack of sleep. Put on my exercise gear and got myself to Zumba class. What made me feel better was the fact that my hubby came along too!
Considering that I've not been exercising regularly, I was pleasantly surprised that I managed to follow the class quite well. Thought that I wouldn't be able to keep up with the pace. It was tough for me though, no doubt about that. I was panting and perspiring buckets by the time the session ended. I liked this class. Held at a sports hall, it was attended by overweight aunties, moms with kids (who studied at the back of the room while their moms danced their fats away) and out of shape people like me. It was a comfortable scene and something that I could come back to without fear of being scrutinised. So like all good Singaporeans who know how to get a good deal, we signed up for a package to get our discounts.
It's about time I got serious about losing weight and getting into shape. If I'm to keep pace with the kids attending my programme, I'll need the stamina to get my energy levels up for longer.
This weekend was supposed to be all about spending time with my kid, supporting her as she revises for her PSLE exams, meaning another quiet and sedentary weekend at home. I'm glad that I was nudged to get to that Zumba class. I spoke with my daughter about it, telling her how proud I was that I managed to shimmy and shake my way through the class, and how I was even more proud of her dad who wasn't fazed by being one of the only two men there. She's coming with us next Saturday and I'm so sure that she'll love it too.
In the meantime, I'm anticipating the aches and pains to kick in soon from all that Zumba-ing, reminding me that I'm not a spring chicken anymore.
Looking around, I saw that the crowd of people milling about outside the restaurant consisted mainly of small groups of 2 to 4 people and based on the layout of tables in the establishment it was highly likely that they would be seated before us. So I sucked back the sigh that was dying to escape my throat and quickly put my name on the waiting list. "Lorrin, 7 pax" the lovely but stressed out staff put down on her list next to my contact number. She looked so frazzled by the dinner crowd that I didn't have the heart to correct the spelling of my name.
It was so tempting to whatsapp my girlfriends, who weren't there yet, to suggest an alternative location but I thought better of it. We had already made the decision to eat there and come what may, we would. Apparently the food was good there. Awesome in fact, some people say. And from the looks of the eager faces around me, I suspected that it was true. Just then... I kid you not, a group of passersby talked about the place in loud voices as they went pass me, as though planted there by the chefs to promote the menu. From my expert skills in eavesdropping, I found out that the Foie Gras and apple infused with port wine was to die for, and so was the angel hair pasta served with tiger prawns and lumpfish caviar, as well as the duck confit. My stomach growled in anticipation.
A couple of aging newspaper cuttings pasted on the glass walls next to the entrance gives an indication to the beginnings of what is now considered as the epitome of affordable French fine dining experience in Singapore.
It started out with two young local chefs who were trained in a number of fine dining establishments including Guy Savoy and Tetsuya's in Sydney. I was told by my friends that these guys used to operate their business from a corner coffee shop opposite 112 Katong on East Coast Road before moving into their current premises. The same place where I used to buy stuffed tau kwa when I was growing up in that area. I guess they just wanted more people to cultivate an appetite for and enjoy French cuisine without the super high prices you'd expect to pay at fine dining establishments.
Having to wait for one and a half hours for our table and anticipating another 45 minutes for the food to arrive, we decided unanimously to order every single item on the menu so that we could try them all, except the bread rolls. After all, we did have a pregnant woman in our midst, and you never keep a pregnant woman waiting for food... well... except in this case. I was expecting raised eyebrows from our waiter but he seemed non-plussed by our greed.
The offerings were distinctly French in size... if you know what I mean, such as their starter of Duck Rillette which was served in a small jar with a side of teensy bits of toast and a few leaves of romaine lettuce on a huge plate. We were so on the mark to order more than 1 portion of the starters and soup of the day. Phew...
That all being said, it was well worth the wait I must say. The food was... to... die... for...
From starter to dessert, every dish came beautifully presented and tasted impeccable. I'm not a foie gras nor duck person but by the end of the evening, I was a convert. And the damage to my credit card wasn't too bad either. Mind you, we did order the ENTIRE MENU!! We each coughed up about $36 for the meal. Very reasonable. The only minus point of the whole experience was the service. Sad...
So we ate, reminisced and ate some more, well into the early hours of the morning. I updated my friends about my new business venture in Kids Invent! and spoke to them about the camps that will be coming up in November and December so that they could co-ordinate their vacation dates in order to send their kids to these camps. At one point, the conversation got a tad bit serious. We got to talking about each of us turning 40 and how we knew of a certain so and so who recently passed away or got diagnosed with some life threatening disease. Whether it's because of our diet or because of our sedentary lifestyles, we all agreed that we needed to take better care of ourselves now that we are at this turning point in our lives.
Someone mentioned that she recently got into Zumba to add variety into her exercise routine, and even got her husband to attend class with her as well. I told her that I've been wanting to get into the Zumba scene for a very long time, ever since I read about it and saw a couple of videos online. I even bought a Groupon for 6 Zumba sessions but never did get down to doing it. So she asked me to join her for her Saturday class. I have to admit, by that time it was close to 2am in the morning and I was so tired. The thought of having to wake up in a few hours time to go exercise was not exactly thrilling to me. But with some encouragement from her, I decided that I'd do it.
So later this morning, I woke up groggily from lack of sleep. Put on my exercise gear and got myself to Zumba class. What made me feel better was the fact that my hubby came along too!
Considering that I've not been exercising regularly, I was pleasantly surprised that I managed to follow the class quite well. Thought that I wouldn't be able to keep up with the pace. It was tough for me though, no doubt about that. I was panting and perspiring buckets by the time the session ended. I liked this class. Held at a sports hall, it was attended by overweight aunties, moms with kids (who studied at the back of the room while their moms danced their fats away) and out of shape people like me. It was a comfortable scene and something that I could come back to without fear of being scrutinised. So like all good Singaporeans who know how to get a good deal, we signed up for a package to get our discounts.
It's about time I got serious about losing weight and getting into shape. If I'm to keep pace with the kids attending my programme, I'll need the stamina to get my energy levels up for longer.
This weekend was supposed to be all about spending time with my kid, supporting her as she revises for her PSLE exams, meaning another quiet and sedentary weekend at home. I'm glad that I was nudged to get to that Zumba class. I spoke with my daughter about it, telling her how proud I was that I managed to shimmy and shake my way through the class, and how I was even more proud of her dad who wasn't fazed by being one of the only two men there. She's coming with us next Saturday and I'm so sure that she'll love it too.
In the meantime, I'm anticipating the aches and pains to kick in soon from all that Zumba-ing, reminding me that I'm not a spring chicken anymore.
Thursday 27 September 2012
What's in a name... really?
Having a lot of time on my hands was actually a good thing. (Although I think my daughter would say otherwise about her over eager, hovering and nagging mom. But hey, who else would get her to clean up her room, remind her to stretch and do her ballet exercises, and get in those extra few assessments into her already super packed schedule?) It allowed me to think clearly about what my next steps as an entrepreneur needed to be. And first thing on the agenda was that an important decision had to be made about how my new business venture was to be named. 'A name after all is just a name' you say? Well... not really because it's about giving the business a personality, isn't it? And I really wanted it to be a reflection of me as well.
Obviously not having a strategic planner on my payroll meant that I'd have to come up with a brilliant name myself. It had to speak volumes without being overbearing. It couldn't be too kiddie-ish or too bookish either. My brains were suddenly so overwhelmed that it felt like it would implode. So rather than just screaming my head off over such a small teensy matter, I did the next best thing... consult someone smarter (and calmer) than me. So we talked through the ones I had already come up with, slowly striking them off one by one, when suddenly she turns to me and asks me the most simple of questions- "what does this mean to you?"
"I want it to be the happiest thing that I do and would want to do till the day that I wouldn't be able to do it any more." I hear myself say. "A joyful journey for the rest of my life" I continued dramatically, coupled with waving of hands for added effect, which resulted in much rolling of eyeballs from my smarter and less dramatic friend. Then it came - Joyful Learning Path or JLP for short. It held so much meaning for me. This was going to be a learning journey for me as much as it would be for the people that I encounter through the programmes I'd offer. And it contained my initials too, which gave it a personal touch.
We gave each other high fives and hugs before reaching for the computer to register the name in ACRA, only to find out that the name was already taken. Sigh... but I still wanted it and so added a C for Centre, since it would be a centre for learning, perhaps a centre for like-minded people to network, and undoubtedly it will be the centre of my life... ok I'll stop here otherwise I'll let in on how corny I can get when inspired... and there you go... with a couple of clicks of my mouse button and a credit card payment, JLPC Consultancy was born.
So now my main offering is Kids Invent! but I'm hoping that in due time, the business will extend its programs to reach out to wider audiences, including kids of all ages with special needs and corporate training programs for the young at heart.
Who knows what the future holds for JLPC Consultancy and me? What is certain though, it's going to be an experience of a lifetime.
Obviously not having a strategic planner on my payroll meant that I'd have to come up with a brilliant name myself. It had to speak volumes without being overbearing. It couldn't be too kiddie-ish or too bookish either. My brains were suddenly so overwhelmed that it felt like it would implode. So rather than just screaming my head off over such a small teensy matter, I did the next best thing... consult someone smarter (and calmer) than me. So we talked through the ones I had already come up with, slowly striking them off one by one, when suddenly she turns to me and asks me the most simple of questions- "what does this mean to you?"
"I want it to be the happiest thing that I do and would want to do till the day that I wouldn't be able to do it any more." I hear myself say. "A joyful journey for the rest of my life" I continued dramatically, coupled with waving of hands for added effect, which resulted in much rolling of eyeballs from my smarter and less dramatic friend. Then it came - Joyful Learning Path or JLP for short. It held so much meaning for me. This was going to be a learning journey for me as much as it would be for the people that I encounter through the programmes I'd offer. And it contained my initials too, which gave it a personal touch.
We gave each other high fives and hugs before reaching for the computer to register the name in ACRA, only to find out that the name was already taken. Sigh... but I still wanted it and so added a C for Centre, since it would be a centre for learning, perhaps a centre for like-minded people to network, and undoubtedly it will be the centre of my life... ok I'll stop here otherwise I'll let in on how corny I can get when inspired... and there you go... with a couple of clicks of my mouse button and a credit card payment, JLPC Consultancy was born.
So now my main offering is Kids Invent! but I'm hoping that in due time, the business will extend its programs to reach out to wider audiences, including kids of all ages with special needs and corporate training programs for the young at heart.
Who knows what the future holds for JLPC Consultancy and me? What is certain though, it's going to be an experience of a lifetime.
posted from Bloggeroid
To Leave Or Not To Leave...
It has taken me a while to decide what I wanted to do in my life. My comfort zone has always been in advertising. It's my passion and where I feel most comfortable. But after 16 years of being an ad person, including the 5 spent at Ngee Ann Poly teaching advertising, I realised that something was missing in my life and that's why I made the decision to leave my high paying job as a Senior Account Director to start life afresh.
The thing is, my priorities changed and I wanted to spend more time with my daughter, who in a blink of an eye has transformed from a cherubic little baby girl, smiling at me from the comfort of my arms, to a little lady. I also wanted to do something that would give me a great sense of achievement but just didn't know what that was just yet.
I started looking for ways and means to utilise what God given talents I had, while allowing me to still contribute to the household income. It was hard and a lot of soul searching was done. I know that I couldn't have done it without my family's support and for that I am eternally grateful.
I was introduced to some angel investors in 2010 who wanted to set up a wellness centre here in Singapore as well as across Asia, starting with Thailand. It was a fantastic opportunity for me to be a part of a new enterprise and work on it from ground zero. it was such an exciting time for me. I spent almost the whole of 2011 commuting between Singapore and Bangkok working on ad hoc projects, and networking with suppliers and Thai contacts who were in the wellness industry. That was tremendous fun and what an experience too! Working with complete strangers was an unsettling feeling, not knowing if they understood me and what needed to be done. It worked out for a while but I missed home too much. Skype became an integral part of my life and helped me to overcome my feelings of being homesick but even then I knew that this wasn't going to work out in the long run. As fate would have it, the floods came and all my events scheduled for the end of the year was put on hold indefinitely. My contract was terminated at the beginning of 2012 and I found myself in familiar territory once again, searching for a new adventure.
Then came along a good friend who introduced me to Kids Invent!. Initially I was skeptical and didn't know whether this was what I was looking for. It took me a while to review the programme to really understand what the philosophy and pedagogy was about. But the more I looked at it, the more I was convinced that we needed a programme like this in Singapore.
My daughter is taking her PSLE exams this year and having journeyed with her for the past 6 years, I realised that she didn't have a life and that she was part of a huge majority of kids in this country that is experiencing the same thing year in and year out. Her life consisted of school, tuition classes and ballet lessons and very little of anything else. We always strive to ensure that our family is God-centred and that I believe is the reason why she is so down to earth and mature beyond her years. But she didn't enjoy studying, and learning was a chore more than a joy. It was a classic case of the passive, teacher-centred, rote learning environment that Singapore has built its education system on.
I enrolled her in one of the Kids Invent! holiday camps and volunteered to be a facilitator as well. The kids were so alive and engaged in all the activities. It was such a wonderful thing to see their eyes bright with excitement with each new challenge that they were given. And I was thoroughly amazed at what they were able to do. It was there that I was convinced that this was what I wanted to do and what I wanted to get involved in.
So I took the plunge...
The thing is, my priorities changed and I wanted to spend more time with my daughter, who in a blink of an eye has transformed from a cherubic little baby girl, smiling at me from the comfort of my arms, to a little lady. I also wanted to do something that would give me a great sense of achievement but just didn't know what that was just yet.
I started looking for ways and means to utilise what God given talents I had, while allowing me to still contribute to the household income. It was hard and a lot of soul searching was done. I know that I couldn't have done it without my family's support and for that I am eternally grateful.
I was introduced to some angel investors in 2010 who wanted to set up a wellness centre here in Singapore as well as across Asia, starting with Thailand. It was a fantastic opportunity for me to be a part of a new enterprise and work on it from ground zero. it was such an exciting time for me. I spent almost the whole of 2011 commuting between Singapore and Bangkok working on ad hoc projects, and networking with suppliers and Thai contacts who were in the wellness industry. That was tremendous fun and what an experience too! Working with complete strangers was an unsettling feeling, not knowing if they understood me and what needed to be done. It worked out for a while but I missed home too much. Skype became an integral part of my life and helped me to overcome my feelings of being homesick but even then I knew that this wasn't going to work out in the long run. As fate would have it, the floods came and all my events scheduled for the end of the year was put on hold indefinitely. My contract was terminated at the beginning of 2012 and I found myself in familiar territory once again, searching for a new adventure.
Then came along a good friend who introduced me to Kids Invent!. Initially I was skeptical and didn't know whether this was what I was looking for. It took me a while to review the programme to really understand what the philosophy and pedagogy was about. But the more I looked at it, the more I was convinced that we needed a programme like this in Singapore.
My daughter is taking her PSLE exams this year and having journeyed with her for the past 6 years, I realised that she didn't have a life and that she was part of a huge majority of kids in this country that is experiencing the same thing year in and year out. Her life consisted of school, tuition classes and ballet lessons and very little of anything else. We always strive to ensure that our family is God-centred and that I believe is the reason why she is so down to earth and mature beyond her years. But she didn't enjoy studying, and learning was a chore more than a joy. It was a classic case of the passive, teacher-centred, rote learning environment that Singapore has built its education system on.
I enrolled her in one of the Kids Invent! holiday camps and volunteered to be a facilitator as well. The kids were so alive and engaged in all the activities. It was such a wonderful thing to see their eyes bright with excitement with each new challenge that they were given. And I was thoroughly amazed at what they were able to do. It was there that I was convinced that this was what I wanted to do and what I wanted to get involved in.
So I took the plunge...
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