Beautiful gal

Can`t wait to fly back and hold her in my arms..

She arrives!

She's finally here. After 10 months of endurance and waiting.
Shun and I can`t wait to meet our new family member, my new niece Charice.

Bravo to my dear sister who did it without epidural like me. But, we will probably beg for epidural next time round..Haha

Mt Fuji

Mount Fuji is not exactly near to our place but accessible within 2.5 hours. My father in law is a fan of Mt Fuji and he requested to go there after seeing the photos taken with my parents in March.

So, here we are posing at the foot of Mt Fuji again.

Japan thrice

2 weeks ago, my family flew over from Singapore to visit us. This was their third and probably last trip to Matsumoto as we are moving in May.

Shun was thrilled to see his grandparents and grand god aunt.

We arranged for one night accomodation near Mount Fuji, Japan’s most recognized symbol of landscape beauty.

The next morning, we woke up early to catch sun rise on the hotel balcony. My parents were totally mesmerized by the greatness and beauty of Mount Fuji that shone in the sun.


Despite my family`s low threshold for coldness (see how they wrap themselves up) , we took them to the ski place to see snow. It took 1.5hrs and Shun was getting lerthagic in the car by the time we reached.

His sour face lit up immediately when he saw snow. In the end, everyone got excited and started making ice balls for Shun to play. Shun didn`t mind the cold and crushed every ice ball with his hands till they turned red.




Pity we couldn`t see sakuras blooming in March but I hope that my family bagged some wonderful memories home.

Relatives visiting

Grandparents and grand god aunt are here to visit from Singapore.

Singapore 09

Make an on-line slide show at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Happy New Year 2009!

The Lunar new year used to be our favourite childhood holiday. We would receive lots of red envelopes filled with money and allowed to drink cold drinks. Today, new year means reuniting with my family and wishing for a year of happiness and health.

Shun celebrates his first Lunar New Year in Singapore this year. He liked the red packets but didn't fancy meeting the unfamilar faces who came too near his comfort zone. Happy and cranky depending on his mood. Hope he will be able to interact more next year. Happy new year!

Uncle JR and Mdm JR




Favourite uncle John and aunt mh.


Wishing for prosperity and health.


Great grandma and cousin Zhi en.

Japan Hour

My cousin and his wife were in Japan for a 2 weeks vacation last month. They visited us in Matsumoto and requested for a traditional hot spring inn (ryokan) experience, like what they have always seen in Japan Hour - a popular weekly hourly show featuring on Japanese culture and mouth watering cuisine.

There are numerous natural hot spring ryokans in Nagano prefecture. We are basically living in a hot spring area..Its everywhere..the nearest one being about 10 mins drive. After deciding on their budget, I searched around and found this nice and cosy inn about an hour drive from our home.



After immersing ourselves in the ryokan ambience, we went to the hot spring. In the evening, the inn filled the outdoor bath with Nagano apples. Sake was also provided free so we drank in the minerals rich bath while enjoying the snow flakes. Totally rejuvenated. Nothing can beat a good soak in a hot spring after a tired day.


The highlight of our trip is of course dinner. Cousin made a funny face when the raw horse meat was served (a local delicacy). Horse meat may sound disturbing but it is actually quite tender and succulent. We didn`t let Shun know that his favourite horsey in on our dinner table though..haha

I must mention the sukiyaki dish because it left a strong impression. We were served cotton candy filled in a wok and as we poured sake over it, the cotton candy melted and became the soup base! Amazing idea.


After dinner, we took a stroll in the hotel. Very lucky to see snow that night. It usually starts snowing in December but we had our first snow in mid November. Hope its not going to be a harsh winter this year.

Overall, we were very satisfied with this ryokan. The price was reasonable and the food was good. I hope my cousin and his wife have enjoyed their Japan Hour @ Matsumoto. So, who`s coming next?

Top of the mountain

The hills are alive in Matsumoto~~~

Imagine staying on top of the mountain surrounded by clouds and a panoramic view of the city below. This was what the hotel that we stayed in last week promised to offer.

Too bad that we didn`t get to see the sea of clouds due to the foggy weather but we did enjoy the stay with my mother in law visiting from Osaka.

Located about 2000m above sea level, this hotel is only accessible by the hotel shuttle. Takashi parked our car in one of the allocated parking areas and we took the shuttle to the top of the mountain. The road to the top is rocky and narrow hence the hotel restricted all private cars entry.

No complains about this hotel. Good food, great view and attentive service to even little Shun. Shun seemd to like the hotel too because there was a play room filled with his favourite balls and anpanman toys. He even surprised us by sitting throughout dinner (1 hour) and breakfast the next day. This is a big big milestone for him and us! We can finally eat our meals together! Hope he will continue to be a good boy..

I am looking forward to staying again this winter to see the snow capped scenery. But then, the road up the mountain will be not easy. Let`s see how things turn out.


Delicious dinner


Us braving the cold wind in the early morning to watch sun rise.


Beautiful sunrise 530am-630am. Outdoor temperature was 2 degrees.


Shun entertaining himself with anpanman magazine during breakfast.


Shun enjoying his breakfast yogurt.


Blue skies and a hearty breakfast.


The hills are alive!

Summer holidays Part 3

Fireworks show again! This time watching from ground level.

It was the first time for Shun to watch the displays up close and we were worried about how he will react to the loud blasts. To our relief, he showed no fear and even clapped his hands during the intervals. He loves fireworks too like his mama.


See how near we were from the displays? Totally amazing.




Showers of happiness and hope.





Sparkling fireworks


Shun and the Niagara falls fireworks.


Finale !


Fireworks blasting off

Summer holidays Part 2

We had big plans last Thursday. BBQ followed by watching fireworks from the hill top which was 10 mins walking distance from the BBQ venue. Little did we expect dark clouds to gather as we drove towards the hill. Thunder and heavy rain followed soon after. Our hearts sank as we thought of the fireworks show which might be cancelled.

Nevertheless, we proceeded with the indoor BBQ, praying for the rain to stop soon.


Let`s forget about the rain and BBQ!


We were in luck! The rain stopped and we were told that the fireworks show will be held as scheduled. Shun went stones picking with grandma while the others enjoyed the BBQ.

The kids finished dinner earlier and went up the hill to secure a good viewing spot. Soon we received a call from them saying that the mountain top was foggy and they couldn`t see anything.

Many people were leaving when we reached the hill top. They told us that the fog was thick and we should give up watching fireworks from the hill. The show had begun but we could only hear the loud blasts of fireworks. Everyone was utterly disappointed but our family didn`t want to give up waiting for a miracle to happen.


We were in luck for a second time! The fog started to clear up after 5 mins and we finally saw the first glimpse of lights. The crowd went crazy cheering, clapping and shouting for more!


Our second blast! The hill top offered a great view of the fireworks and the city skyline.



First experience for all of us to watch fireworks from 939m altitude hill.


Magical even in cloudy weather!


Beautiful finale. Definitely an unforgettable experience.