The Places We Go

Sunset at the Utsukushigahara Plateau in Nagano, Japan.

“Like all great travelers, I have seen more than I remember, and remember more than I have seen.”

– Benjamin Disraeli, former British Prime Minister and author.

Travelling exposes our senses to a myriad of experiences, each of these unique and irreplicable in and of its own accord. This is a record of the Lim Family's travelling adventures both in distant lands as well as places not too far from our backyard. We hope that in sharing our experiences with you, that you too will be inspired to embark on your own adventures!

Tales from Distant Lands

US East Coast Trip 2018 - The Lims embark on their most daring adventure yet...A 40-Day driving expedition up the East Coast of the United States of America. It's a 5 leg trip spanning the states of Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, Virginia and Maryland.

Australia 2014: Perth, Harvey, Geographe Bay, Margaret River, Pemberton - An adventure that transcends time and space as the Lims descend deep into the earth and ascend high into the skies...

Korea 2013: Jeju, Busan & Gyeongju - An epic journey scaling perilous mountains, trudging through deep dark forests, and braving the sudden fall of snow...

Japan 2013: Kyoto, Kurashiki, Tottori & Osaka - A picturesque journey into the heart of traditional Japan.

Short Getaways

March 2015: Malacca with the Kids - New adventures in an old town; why we need to search for both water play playgrounds and char siew pun fei sau!

October 2014: KL Getaway - Just the Two of Us - Seeking out the street foods in the Malaysian capital city while living in the lap of luxury...

Home is Where the Heart Is

Art & Drama Workshops

December 2014: The heART of a Lion - heART Studio review Part 3.

November 2014: A Wild Time at the Academy - A review of "Wild Things" Workshop at Act 3 Drama Academy.

June 2014: Art from the heART Part 2 - Z begins his journey following the footsteps of renown artist Friedensreich Hundertwasser.

Mar 2014: Art from the heART - Our older son Z goes for his first art class at heART Studio.

Sports & Gym

December 2014: Ready, Set, Go! A review of Ready Steady Go Kids Singapore.

December 2014: "Monkeying Around": A review of My Gym Singapore

October 2014: Try and Score - A review of RugBees Sports Programme for Kids

Theatre & Dance Productions

November 2014: Dancing with the Devil - A Review of "The Soldier's Tale" by the Singapore Dance Theatre.

November 2014: What If... - A review of I Theatre's "Hop and Honk".

September 2014: Pigeon at the Wheel - A review of "Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus" by UK-based Big Wooden Horse Company.

July 2014: Look! See! Explore! Discover! - A Review of I Theatre's Round the Moon, Blue the Sky - A regional production exploring how children learn through play.

June 2014: Five in a Row: A Review of the ACE! 2014 Festival by I Theatre - We present our reflections after watching all five ACE! 2014 Festival shows.

June 2014: Sparkles in the Sky: A Review of "Starbird" by Toto Tales - The last in the series of five ACE! 2014 Festival theatre reviews.

June 2014: Do You Believe in Dragons? - A review of "Dotty the Dragon", a fun-filled musical by UK-based Blunderbus Theatre Company. ACE! Festival 2014.

May 2014: The Jewel in the Tale: A Review of I Theatre's Under the Dragon Moon - An excellent interpretation of five Asian folktales. The third review for ACE! Festival 2014.

May 2014: Spotting Differences and Celebrating Commonalities: A Review of the I Theatre Production "Spot the Difference" - ACE! Festival 2014. Curvy and swervy vs straight lines and straight paths.

May 2014: Of Singing Cats & Operatic Ogres: A Review of I Theatre's "Puss in Boots" - The first in the a series of five ACE! 2014 Festival theatre reviews.

Mar 2014: Let Down Your Hair! - Review of the Singapore Repertory Theatre production of Rapunzel.

Mar 2014: There is a Time for Everything - Review of the I Theatre production of The Ant and the Grasshopper. A modern interpretation of a traditional tale.

Nov 2013: Movement Rocks! Review of Hello Adam - The Lim Family makes friends with Adam, and discovers that his playground is actually larger than life!

Nov 2013: Into the Woods with Red Riding Hood - A brave young girl travels far and deep into the woods to seek answers that could save her parents' ailing bakery.

Aug 2013: Explorations into Fun: Review of PLAYtime! Hello Ling - The Lim family heads for a fun time out with Ling and her magical world of light.

Aug 2013: If Animals Could Talk: Review of Hey Little Mousedeer - Join the Lim family in the forests of Southeast Asia to witness how Sang Kancil, the clever mousedeer, outwits his friends.

Jun 2013: Eat Your Vegetables! Lessons from the Enormous Turnip - A delightful tale of hard work and perseverance as the Diggorys attempt to grow the biggest turnip ever!

Places of Interest

November 2014: A Mystica Quest at the Night Safari - A preview of the wildlife park's year-end festivities.

September 2014: Feasting the Senses - The Lims jump right into Sensorium 360, a contemporary art exhibition at the Singapore Art Museum.

August 2014: Imagination Comes ALIVE - An out-of-the-world artistic experience at Singapore's Alive Museum.

August 2014: Merlion - A National Day Walk in the Lion City - Celebrating Singapore's 49th National Day with a tour of the country's favourite local icon.

June 2014: Sentosa: A New State of Fun for Young Families - A review of Sentosa's new branding campaign and what families can expect from the island.

Apr 2014: Fragrance from the Netherlands - A sneak preview of Tulipmania 2014 at Gardens by the Bay.

Feb 2014: When Plants Get Hungry - Hungry? Care for an insect snack? The Lim Family embarks on an experiential learning journey at Gardens by the Bay.

Sep 2012: Building the Imagination: Legoland Malaysia Review - We head to Asia's first Legoland Park on its Opening Day, sharing some tips on how to plan a trip there with the children.

Comments

Malacca with the Kids: March 2015

Malacca has always been our go-to place for a short getaway. Most of the time, it's been without the kids. We love soaking in the ambience of Jonker Street and strolling by the river. Of course, the food never fails to draw us back to this laidback town with its sleepy atmosphere. The facade of Malacca has, however, changed over the years. Imposing mega malls loom over two-storey shophouses. I would probably have not brought the boys along as the streets are narrow and traffic seemingly never ebbing, but when I googled "Malacca for Kids" this time round, there were quite a few options for the kids to enjoy. Of course, the main reason why we decided to go was because we were attending my dearest cousin's wedding dinner. This brings back memories of how my cousins and I used to hang around at Chinese restaurants. We would be so thrilled to be on an actual stage... And our choice of accommodation was largely influenced by the water play area wh...

Setting Up a Finnish School in the Home

The issue of private tuition has again come to the forefront after a senior education official pronounced in parliament that the Singapore education system is "run on the basis that tuition is not necessary". Ms Indranee Rajah, Senior Minister of State for Education, added that schools provide "comprehensive levelling-up programmes" as well as remedial and supplementary classes to support weaker students. In the days that followed, mainstream and social media agencies were abuzz with reports from parents and students alike, many of whom disagreed with Ms Indranee's assessment of the education scene. They argued that private tuition is already a multi-million dollar industry, and that its very existence disputes notions that tuition is unnecessary. From the perspective of an educator in Singapore, I can understand the comments made by the Senior Minister of State, especially since it is the responsibility of the Education Ministry to teach our school childre...

"Monkeying Around": A Review of My Gym Singapore

Our 2/1/2-year old son E has always been an active child. When he was an infant, E would crawl around and get into all sorts of mischief, until one day when he discovered that he could climb on his poor Daddy, in an inspired moment of pretend play - Daddy was his mountain and he was Sir Edmund Hilary - the first person to scale Mt Everest! It was therefore with great excitement that we we heard that Parenting on Purpose had been invited by My Gym Singapore to participate in a series of four classes. We agreed at once; knowing that our little boy would thoroughly enjoy gym class - this was also a chance for our exuberant toddler to work off his energy and hopefully fall fast asleep after getting home. Our little son having a swing of a time at gym class. My Gym has an interesting educational philosophy that emphasises building self esteem in children. This is an excerpt from the company's website: The philosophy that guides My Gym’s programming and bre...

Schooling for Gold: a Parent Reflects on Singapore's First Olympic Gold Medallist

50.39 seconds. The (less than) one minute of time that made history for the small island nation of Singapore. Millions in Singapore and around the world watched as 21-year-old Joseph Schooling defeated his long-time idol and heavily-decorated Olympian Michael Phelps, the man described as "the most-decorated Olympian of all time". Indeed most of the international news footage had been previously focussed on Phelps, given that the American is expected to retire at this year's Rio Olympics. The New York Times even ran an article with the headline: " Somebody (His Name’s Joseph Schooling) Finally Beats Michael Phelps"! For Joseph Schooling, it could not have been a prouder moment, as he not only bagged Singapore's first and only Olympic Gold, it was also a race that proved he had not only matched, but also beaten his childhood idol. Indeed a 2008 photograph of 13-year-old Schooling standing side by side with Michael Phelps has been spreading like wildfire o...

Hong Kong for Kids: Our Dorsett Wanchai Experience

It was only a few months back when we had our lovely holiday experience in Hong Kong. We had then stayed in the Cosmopolitan Hotel, a lovely place located at the northern tip of Hong Kong island, near the world-famous Ocean Park. Most people have asked us why we chose Hong Kong as a destination for our kids given the island's reputation as more of a food and shopping paradise. We shared with them that there is actually more than meets the eye to this territory known affectionately as the "Pearl of the Orient". The view from Stanley, one of our favourite spots in the beautiful city of Hong Kong. Rooms in Hong Kong are small, and we had a hard time looking for a place to stay that could meet the needs of our two very energetic children. We settled for the Cosmopolitan Hotel, given that it was one of the few hotels that had affordable prices for its Family Quad Room, a large room that could accommodate all four of us comfortably. We were pleasantly surprised when we r...

A Safe Space: Adventures in Fostering

Fostering challenges traditional notions of what a family is and what a family should be. At the end of the day, what is your idea of "family"? The younger child seemed a little troubled during bedtime. "Mummy..." he said. "Yes Darling," replied Mummy. "It will be very sad when R has to go home to the tummy mummy and daddy one day." "Yes, Darling. It will be very sad." "But it's all up to God, right?" "Yes it is. You know that R's tummy mummy and daddy can't take care of any child right now? That's why R is with us." "Yes I know. R is with us just for awhile. Not like Kor Kor and I. The four of us are a forever family." "Yes we are. So how will you feel when R goes back to the tummy mummy and daddy?" "It will be sad, but it will be all right." The older child, who was a silent participant in the conversation, decided to speak at th...

The Father I Will Never Be

We recently went on a holiday to Fraser's Hill, one of the less-visited places in Malaysia. For Sue and I, this is a place that is filled with memories. It was, for her, a childhood oasis, a place where her family would visit year after year, and build many precious memories together. It was, for me, a special place where I visited with a band of dear brothers during our university days, and where we set a stake in the ground, to declare that we wanted to surrender all of our days to the glory of God. It was, for Sue and I, the location of our honeymoon, the place where we enjoyed our first few days of marital bliss; the place where we chiselled our marriage covenant and planned for our future as one. This is how I remember Fraser's Hill. Shrouded in mist and somewhat mysterious; a grand legacy of days gone by. I remember my first visit there as a single young man, not yet a quarter of a century old, but yet imbued with the desire to be the best father I could be sho...

The Insecurities of a Homeschooling Dad

Social media can be very deceiving. We scroll through the news feeds of people we know (or of celebrity bloggers and content experts), and assume that they are living perfect lives. With every holiday photo they post, every food picture presented, or every insightful article they write, we slip into social media envy and assume that our friends are enjoying the time of their lives. And many people assume that of me as well. They seem to think that I am living the dream life with a wonderful job and wonderful kids. And when I meet people at my various engagements, I seem to get the nod that I am the model citizen of social media society. A recent holiday in Disneyland. After long queues under the hot sun, we were quite the "model" family! There is some truth to this. At this moment, I can say that there is no other job I would rather do; to be my own boss and to conduct training workshops for others, sometimes with my wife; what more could a man ask for? And my kids? T...

Parenting Your Child for Marriage

It's not often that the Father of the Bride gets to speak at a wedding. Oftentimes, the only words are in response to the question, "Who presents this woman to be married to this man?" In that instance, it is normally a mild-mannered man, one who shuns the attention of the moment, who barely manages to whisper out the refrain, "I do." A precious photo of a very special couple. This was completely not what happened at a wedding I was at almost three weeks ago. In response to that question, the Father of the Bride seemed to have an entire speech prepared for the Groom, "I present to you the key to my daughter's heart, " he declared. "I have protected her heart all her life until this point, and now I am handing over this responsibility to you." And with a firm voice, he presented this solemn reminder: "Remember that you will not be able to do this on your own, but only with God's help, and by spending time with Him daily....

Of Yellow Ribbons & Fathers for Life - the Legacy of Jason Wong

Tie a yellow ribbon 'round the ole oak tree It's been three long years Do ya still want me If I don't see a ribbon 'round the ole oak tree I'll stay on the bus Forget about us Put the blame on me If I don't see a yellow ribbon 'round the ole oak tree The old folk song Tie A Yellow Ribbon is based on a delightful American story that tells of an ex-convict who returns home to his loved one after serving time in prison. Prior to his release, he had requested for her to tie a yellow ribbon around a tree outside of the town where she lived. And if there was no ribbon there, he would simply go on his way, understanding that she might never forgive him. However, when he passed by the tree, there were 100 yellow ribbons, symbolising that his sweetheart had forgiven him, and that he would be welcomed home. Learning to love and accept one another. The popular Yellow Ribbon Project is based on this premise. Founded in 2004 by Senior Prisons Of...

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