Drrrrrrilllliiiinnnnggg!!

Wow, it's loud! They're replacing the waterproofing on the roof of our tower and there seems to be a need for an awful lot of drilling and jack-hammering. On the plus side I've found out where the pitch & putt practice area is. It's on the 5th floor of the multi-story car park. But of course it is. How did I not find it there before? Well, I haven't actually seen it yet but it should be good therapy after a day with the kids.
Other things we've done since I last blogged. We met up on Saturday with T's new faculty for lunch (various dishes of very nice food at a road side restaurant). Seem like a nice bunch. Her boss has two kids of similar ages to D and Z. D spent his time (after getting over his initial shyness) playing throw the jigsaw puzzle on the floor with Nico (his lunchtime partner in crime). They seemed to get on well and went on a bit olf a scout to see what else they could find before being called back from the small pond. Z on the other hand sat in her high chair (Ikea must do a raging trade in their bog-standard high chairs as every eatery we've been to so far seems to have at least five), eating everything in sight (including the chilli king prawns) and trying her hand at chopsticks, much to everyone's amazement and amusement. 

Dan was fascinated by the candles for the Hungry Ghost next door. Afterwards, on Chris' suggestion (a colleague of T's who, along with his wife who came along to the Botanic Garden with me, we have befriended as "newbies'), we went over to Sentosa Island. Not a trip for the feint hearted as the cable car is quite high up. T and Chris both hate heights but there were some great views. On leaving the cabin of the lift, I found a lift to take me and the buggy up to the ground floor. When I arrived at the ground floor I found myself at the back of a gift shop with nowhere to go. There was no way through the glass doors and no way that the staff were going to let me through. So back down the lift and carried, with the help of Chris, the buggy up the flight of stairs. Not sure what you do in a wheelchair! Still very much WIP. Chris and I took the quick route down to the beach via the luge, an experience which was over all too soon frankly. I was just starting to get up some decent speed. Zoe covered herself in sand, we drunk anniversary cocktails with Claire and Chris (who were married a month ago today) and Dan slept in the buggy. Sentosa, a manufactured haven for tourists and Singaporeans alike, is really just that. Not terribly organic and you can see how the planners have enjoyed being able to put everything exactly where they want it. And you pay for everything. Through the nose. Except the free bus which takes you back up to the lifts (designed remarkably like something you'd find at a ski resort in the Alps). The free nature of the bus probably explains the huge queues that we encountered at the bus stop. In the end we bottled it and caught a cab home. It was a good call as the kids were not up for hanging around (and I don't think we were either). Then home in time for a dip in the pool with Dan becoming ever braver and Zoe ever more frustrated that we won't let her jump in or swim by herself! A good time had by all.

Work In Progress - an alternative view