Author: SengkangBabies

I am a Blogging Daddy of four. Our kids are roaming Singapore to bring you FUN, This blog is use to capture our kids' growing up phases, and we want you to leave our blog with a smile :)

Books that moved me

[ Daddy’s childhood memories ]

Growing up, I would always return home from school to a quiet home.
My parents would be working, only my grandparents and younger brother would be home.
Doraemon 100 birthday

Every so often, I would be secluded in my own world of fantasy.
You can say that I was a loner, my childhood was filled with adventures and fantasies from the world of comics.

Doraemon (小叮噹) was my favourite, the robot cat and Da Xiong (大雄) kept me entertained in the afternoons. Doraemon always has a solution for everything contained within his pouch. Together, 大雄 and 小叮噹 always stand up to the bullies.

Doraemon’s gadgets are so ingenious!
His door can time-warp you anywhere.
Unravel history in his time-travel machine, hidden inside Da Xiong’s drawer!
Everyone can fly with Doraemon’s flying thingy!
I love the gadget which allows one to shrink themselves so that they can start riding on their toy cars and planes!

Do pop by our Doraemon moments during our Hongkong and Taiwan tour.
I was more excited than the kids !
Doraemon comics, doraemon gadgets

Doraemon comics spent many happy moments with me during my childhood, I would always day dream and let my imagination run wild. Sometimes I wished I had Doraemon as my buddy too 🙂

A pity all the comics are no longer in my possession, either given away to neighbours or Karang Guni. I brought the kids back to my favourite second-hand bookstore at Ang Mo Kio Ave 6 Block 724, but alas the bookstore has already closed down.

It would be cool if I can find some 小叮噹 comics to reminisce on my childhood memories, and share them with my kids.

Recently, Singapore Memory Project has launched a campaign “Books That Moved Me”. This campaign hopes to trigger our memories about the joy of reading and books.

Video : Find out how Yihao manage to reunite with his childhood memories, with the help of social media.

What is your favourite books and comics growing up? Pop by irememberSG’s Facebook page for the Books that moves me album to discover more old time favourites.

Maybe one of these “scribbled” books belong to you? (Ghost Stories and 老夫子 included!)

The Singapore Memory Project (SMP), a whole-of-nation movement that aims to capture and document precious moments and personal memories of Singapore, is presenting two exhibitions during the Read! Festival this year. Based on the theme “Books that moved me”, we hope the exhibitions trigger memories about the joy of reading and books. Come on down to the National Library and check them out!

There are 2 showcases on “Books that Moved Me”.

Date: 20 June – 31 August 2014
Venue: Lobby, Level 1, National Library Building
This exhibition features 40 reinterpretations of book covers, from local titles to international best-sellers and literary classics. A collaboration between SMP and KULT, artists from Singapore and overseas will present their take on book covers well-loved by the public, such as the works by Enid Blyton, Shakespeare and Catherine Lim. The artworks, accompanied by memories from readers, will be showcased in an SMRT train and at the lobby of the National Library Building.

Date: 20 June – 31 August 2014
Venue: Central Public Library
SMP embarked on a journey to reunite old books with old friends, and the result is a reunion showcase for avid readers with popular books of yesteryears and recent times. This exhibition invites the public to contribute their memories of reading and books. Activities will also be held over selected weekends for the public.

ps.. All content submitted will be contributed to the Singapore Memory Project. Please visit iremember.sg to find out more.

Disclosure. This is a sponsored post.

Feeding Frenzy trail at S.E.A Aquarium

[ Media Invite ]

How often do we get to see Manta Rays feed?
At 2014’s Science Festival, you will get to see the Manta Rays feed at S.E.A Aquarium.

Daddy was invited to a Feeding Frenzy Trail last week. Over 2 hours, participants will better understand the feeding habits of the marine creatures at SEA Aquarium and how the meals are prepared.

We started our tour with Jaws. Different Jaws, different purpose, for chomping, grinding etc. Daddy has a fear of sharks no thanks to Hollywood’s infamous Great White JAWS.

Moray eels are known for their bad attitudes, and you do not want to mess dive with them.
They always look sneaky and nasty behind their lairs, waiting to ambush unsuspecting preys.

Daddy always has a soft spot for the jelly fish. As they pulses and glides across the water tanks, they look so graceful and carefree.

Beware, under their lethargic outlook, Jelly fish’s tentacles are lined with toxins, waiting to sting and paralyse their next meal.

Through the microscopes, we peep into the food chain of the Marine world. Micro organisms (planktons) at the bottom of the food chain are so small yet they can sustain the largest mammals on Earth. Really Amazing!

From Planktons to Krills (small shrimps), some of the feed can actually be cultured. We learn that photosynthesis allows algae to thrive (coated) on the rock surfaces, and some micro organisms will then feast on the algae.

Under the Ocean, big fish eat small fish (大鱼吃小鱼).

Everyone will get a better understanding of marine life and their diet. We try to match a few marine life to their favourite meals.

Cockles, the same fat juicy ones in our Char Kway Teow, are also stingrays’ delights.

We made our way to the roof of Open Ocean.

To Daddy, Feeding Frenzy’s highlight is watching the magnificent Manta Rays surface and swallow their lunch! As it swims up, followed by a school of fish, the aquarist will pour the feed straight into the ray’s mouth.

It looks like a giant vacuum-machine in action, Cool!

Video : Magnificent Manta Rays gliding through the Open Ocean

We see all sorts of seafood in the food preparation area, not unlike our wet market.
The meals will be separated into containers and labelled, and aquarists will then deliver them to the S.E.A Aquarium’s inhabitants.

Portions, schedules, food types and even supplements, everything runs likes clockwork inside the kitchen.

Some other things we learn along the way.

– Aquarists are specialists who look after the fish (definition here)
– Bluetanks (some blue fish) like to peck on the corals, aquarists will coat a layer of Mazuri gel beforehand
– Supplements like garlic and vitamins are mixed in the feed, to help improve fish’s body immune system.
– The freezer is a cool -22 degrees celsius!

We heard the last feed for the day at S.E.A Aquarium is 4pm, and breakfast 8am the next day.

As Feeding Frenzy Trail starts at 8.30am, participants will be be able to witness some of the feeding actions. And since S.E.A Aquarium opens at 10am, the whole aquarium is yours!

Due to bad weather, we could not feed the 20,000 coral fishes at Rainbow reef (Adventure Cove Waterpark). Our kids love their previous snorkeling experiece!

(image credit RWS)

To quote from S.E.A Aquarium :
“Dedicated to marine conservation, education and research, S.E.A Aquarium aims to transform the way students learn about marine life through educational programmes catered for students of all levels, by interacting with marine animals and learning from marine life specialists.”

Daddy finds the 2 hours “Feeding Frenzy trail” highly educational and enriching. Do take note that participants are not required to swim or snorkel to feed the fishes.

More details about Feeding Frenzy can be found on Science Festival‘s homepage.
Dates: 20, 26, 27, 28 July and 9, 10 August
Time:8:30am – 10:30am

Pre-registration is required for “Feeding Frenzy Trail” (suitable for kids 6+ )
Telephone: +65 65777515 or Email: public.programmes@rwsentosa.com
(Please quote ‘Feeding Frenzy Trail – SSF 2014) in email subject

Max: 20 pax
Tickets: $20 (excluding admission to S.E.A. Aquarium)

More details about Singapore Science Festival can be found on their website and Fanpage.

1. Science Centre
– Science Ahoy! requires $5 fee per participant and event ends 18th July (Normal Admission charges to Science Centre applies). We recommend Science Ahoy! for kids 6+ as they need to grasp some of the concepts. More photos on our Fanpage.

– Human Body Experience HBX (where you get swallowed into a Human digestive track)

2. Sea Aquarium
– Feeding Frenzy Trail (This article)
– Junior Marine Explorer
– Ocean Dreams Sleepover

3. ArtScience Museum

Do pop by our Fanpage album for more Marine Life photos. You may wish to visit our previous S.E.A Aquarium and Adventure Cove Waterpark experience too.