day 672 | april 13, 2013 | KL

Home away from home, which used to be home for us. I travel to KL about once a quarter for shoots, and schedule multiple sessions in the span of a few days. Because I'm always hungry for time with my little ones, I bring them along when I can. My schedule is always packed though, and it is doubly more challenging to travel with little ones versus going solo. The added complexity is not just with packing, but also scheduling -- they have nap times, and I need to organize play dates, make sure that there's regular food breaks. I'm the sort who can forget to eat, and will sleep only when my body fails me. My little ones keep me grounded and human. On the flip side, I'd like to think tagging along with their mommy's work trips have made the little ones a little bit more resilient... just a little bit.

Hotel = Playground

day 671 | december 5, 2012 | kidzania mania

"What do you want to be when you grow up?" That's a question I was always asked as a little girl, and I suspect, most little kids nowadays still get asked on a regular basis. It's a simple question that's loaded with expectation, and packed with plenty of push.

Answers like doctor, lawyer, or accountant always received proud smiles. Astronaut, teacher, musician, or painter get patronizing smiles. Responding to the question with "monkey" or "happy" will likely categorize you as a lost case. So I learned to give the answers that gave me the proudest smiles, kept my "unconventional" thoughts to myself, and tried to get closer to "monkey" in my spare time. With the help of my kids, I might have succeeded on the "happy" bit. :)

day 670 | october 8, 2012 | Jouer à Paris

Earlier, I shared some snaps from an art-infused night in Paris, called Nuit Blanche. The first time I went to Paris, it was spring, and with a certain wide-eyed innocence that probably made everything bright and rosy. Despite my mom being pick-pocketed at the Metro after we left the Louvre, I loved the memory of Paris like a best-friend who bullied you. It's just the way things are. I didn't realize how claustrophobic Paris could be, or how it smelled of human and dog piss in some areas, but on this trip, I was keenly aware of the many faces of the city. It's strange though, because I've grown to appreciate the hairline cracks rather than the illusory perfection.

Messy stories, unexpected turns, and familiar faces in unfamiliar lands; this is what I look for when I travel now.

day 669 | april 7, 2013 | Art of the Brick

Super Sundays. We've often wondered about what the inside of the Art Science Museum looked like. We've sat several times by the entrance of the museum, appreciating the pretty lilies in the pond that surrounds it. When we're in the area, we like lounging along the shaded sitting spaces as we contemplate the colorful Singapore skyline.

The kids are currently in a "builder" phase. They love wooden blocks, lego blocks, and pieces of train tracks that they can put together to build something that's their own. The few trips to Legoland further feeds that interest too. So when I told them that this exhibit was all about a boy who made many things using just lego bricks, they were sold on the idea. "Yey! We're going into the spaceship!"(Red kept nagging me about going back to Legoland after that.)

day 668 | december 15, 2012 | Penang

 
Penang is one of my favorite places in Malaysia. With a diversity in yummy, fatty-liver-inducing food, a colorful tapestry of cultural heritage, and an openness to the arts, it's a great destination for photographers and non-photographers alike. 

day 667 | february 23, 2013 | Ice Cream Entrepreneurship

Red was pretending to give away free ice cream at the playground. Kids were lining up at her booth, taking turns to order various ice cream flavors one at a time. She takes it so seriously, that she also operates a pretend ice cream plant by the slides, where she pretend manipulates some levers and knobs, and pretend directs her employees. 

Lesson 1: Find what you love, and do it!

Looking at her, she obviously loves running her factory, definitely more than interfacing with her "customers." It takes her more than a couple of minutes to address one customer (she takes her sweet time at the plant and orders her customers to "be patient!" and mumbles to herself). Surprisingly, the older kids were still there, lining up, and happy to wait for their ice cream. 

Lesson 2: Discerning customers understand that good things take time to make right. (Perhaps that. Or maybe, if you've got a monopoly, people are more willing to accomodate your quirks.)