2015 - an emotional life adventure

2015 has been extremely emotional for me. I don’t remember being on such a roller coaster, even when pregnant. Yet, at the same time, it has showed me that I’m so blessed. I guess that’s the irony of life.

While still reeling from the freak accident I had last year,, my dear paternal grandmother had a life endangering stroke. I hobbled to Hong Kong to see her. It was an emotional trip - if I hadn't had the accident, I could have visited her in December, and chat with her the way we used to. I could have heard her call me by my nickname again.

Still, I was glad I got to see her, though she was in a coma. I knew she knew I was there, massaging her and talking to her. I was comforted that I managed to do that for her.

Then I found out that a secondary school friend, a year younger than me, died suddenly, leaving behind three young kids. I see her sometimes now, at the columbarium where my maternal grandparents are, and I say hi. And I'm reminded, life is so fragile; one can go when one least expects it.

Then my paternal grandmother passed away, and while back in Hong Kong to attend her funeral, an accident similar to mine happened. The lady victim died. And I realised: I could have died that fateful night in October.

Again, I'm reminded, just how lucky I am to be able to hold my little darlings every day. Nothing is more important than your loved ones. 

Those few months were difficult, physically as well as emotional. Physically because I had to get back on my feet again. Emotionally because of the shock and grief I had to go through. Psychologically too because I still keep away from trucks and avoid bus stops.

But I’m slowly healing. 

Mostly, I’m grateful.

Grateful for a supportive family, who stood by me and watched out for me when it was nearing the one year anniversary of my accident. They made sure I was fine.

Grateful for my pillar of strength, my husband. Without him, I don’t think I could have gone through this myself. 

Grateful that, while the leg still hurts, especially during rainy days (not sure if this is a coincidence), and gets stiff when I sit too long, and may never be what it was before, I can still walk and bring my little two darlings out and about.

Grateful for being alive. 

In 2016, I hope that everyone I love and care for will be happy and healthy.

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Media Invite: Canon Christmas Party

Recently, we were invited to Canon’s new office at Galaxis at one-north for a food styling and photography Christmas party. We were brought on a tour of the one month old office, feasting our eyes on a shelf full of cameras from the past, and on the Canon Imaging Academy facilities.

It is interesting to note that besides photo and video classes, the studio at the Canon office is also for rent for keen photographers, at $25 per hour - much cheaper than market rate, we hear.

Following this, we were brought to the really huge pantry for the event proper. Nugene Chiang, resident Canon photographer, brought us through the tips and tricks of food styling and photography. 

He focused on picture taking at buffets, and how to make buffet food look appetizing on camera. 

The trick, he said, is to focus on one, or the most two, items on your overflowing plate of food, rather than the whole plate. Not enough lighting? Use your camera flash, but shine on the food from the side, he says. 

Even food at the buffet table can look good. Just focus on a small portion of the whole tray, making use of the garnishing or decorations that is already around the table to add additional elements to the photo.

Everyone had a chance to loan a camera for the night and I had my hands on the Powershot G3 X. First impressions? Folks after stylish form factor can move on as the boxy G3X doesn't have much of it. To me, it's for those slightly more advanced amateur photographers who want to dabble more into the capabilities of a camera.

Here are some of the photos I took. Not too bad eh?

Thanks to Canon for the invite.

Disclaimer:  We received a media invite to the Canon Christmas Party. No monetary compensation was received. All opinions and images are my own, unless otherwise indicated.

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Review + Giveaway: Jon Klassen books

This is probably going to be our last book review of the year, and it’s nice to end the festive period with books illustrated and authored by Jon Klassen. These titles are Extra Yarn, House Held by Trees and I Want My Hat Back.

Extra Yarn

This is a delightful heartwarming story about a little girl who has so much extra brightly coloured yarn that she is able to spread warmth and joy to everyone living in her cold, grey town. Upon discovering a box of yarn, little Annabelle begins knitting a jumper for herself, only to find that she still has some yarn left. She knits a jumper for her dog and still more yarn remains. The supply of yarn seems magically endless, such that she’s able to knit warm and cosy stuff for everyone in her town. Why is she able to do this? It’s because her kind innocent heart still believes in magic, and when the evil Archduke sets his eyes on the box of yarn, it doesn’t quite work for him.

The story is a simple, warm and cosy reminder of the importance of being good, and of a child’s ability to do magical and wonderful things if only he or she believes. The story may be by Mac Barnett, but it’s Jon Klassen’s beautiful yet simple illustration strokes that make the story come alive. I like how the yarn is drawn in subtly in bright colours, and yet it is balanced with how little Annabelle and her fellow town folks are drawn in grey. Some of the town folk’s facial expressions are rather funny too, wondering why this little girl keeps knitting and knitting. Jon Klassen’s illustrations are already very distinctive in this title, and he was awarded a Caldecott Honor award for his work. One will also see the appearance of a familiar-looking bear, which is the star in his debut picture book I Want My Hat Back. 

House Held by Trees

This is a touching, moving story about change, the passage of time, how children grow up and move on with their lives, but the house which they lived in remains. Again, Jon Klassen’s signature illustrations fill the pages, and I like the way his illustrations seem to put us, the readers, as the observers as the story progresses. We are observing from behind some young bushes, hiding in the secret place, as we see the happenings of the house. We are observing from above, as we see the house without a single tree to give shade to the young family. As time passes, the lawn without a tree remains that way, as the family clear their lawn of any plants that might grow. Then the children grew up and moved away, and eventually, so did the father. Empty and without any human being to remove them, seeds settle and plants grow. Jon Klassen brings our attention to the plants as they slowly grow bigger and bigger and nature begins to take over, so much so that the house becomes ‘held’ by the trees. Together with Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Ted Kooser, they tell a story about the power of nature, simply told and illustrated. This is such a powerful collaboration that the title is the first ever to win both the Kate Greenaway and Caldecott Medal award.

I Want My Hat Back

The keen observant reader will notice the familiar bear that appeared in Extra Yarn. The bear makes an appearance in Jon Klassen’s debut picture book, in an endearing way as he goes on a search for his missing hat. He does so patiently and politely, asking each and every animal he meets if they have seen it. Each animal replies in their own unique way that they have not, and this is where the lesson of empathy and understanding that every individual is unique can be taught. More importantly is the lesson of perseverance and determination. As the bear begins to lose hope and lies on his back in despair, a question asked by a certain animal triggers him, and he resumes his search with a renewed determination. It shows that when one gets frustrated searching for something, sometimes it is good to relax instead of being caught up in the frustration, because something will always trigger one’s thoughts to help in the search. It also shows, through a simple lost-and-found story, that as long as one perseveres, one will be able to succeed in the end.

Giveaway!!!

Pansing is sponsoring ONE set of three titles Extra Yarn, House Held by Trees and I Want My Hat Back for ONE winner. Just follow the Rafflecopter instructions below. Most are optional, but they do give you more chances to win. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway Terms and conditions:
- Entries that do not fulfill the requirements stated will be disqualified without notice.
- This giveaway is open to Singapore residents only.
- This giveaway starts on 3 December and ends on 9 December (inclusive) at midnight.
- The winner(s) will be chosen from a random draw of entries received in accordance with these Terms and conditions.
- The winner(s) will be announced on this post by 11 December.
- The winner(s) will be notified directly via email by the sponsor regarding collection of the prize(s).
- Toddly Mummy's responsibility will end once the winner's details are passed to the sponsor.
- Only one winner per household is allowed.
- The organisers accept no responsibility for entries that are lost, delayed, incomplete or cannot be delivered or entered for any technical or other reason.
- Entrants into the giveaway shall be deemed to have accepted these Terms and Conditions.
- Terms and conditions are subject to change without notice, at the organisers' sole discretion.
- This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with Facebook.
- Participants are providing information to Toddly Mummy and the sponsor(s) of this giveaway and not to Facebook.

Disclaimer:  We received two sets of three titles Extra Yarn, House Held by Trees and I Want My Hat Back for the purpose of this review and giveaway. No monetary compensation was received. All opinions and images are my own, unless otherwise indicated.

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Review + Giveaway: Original Sprout hair products

Last year, while killing time waiting for my doctor appointment, I chanced upon a shop selling kids’ daily necessities such as shampoo and cream on the second floor of Square 2. There, I discovered the Original Sprout Miracle Detangler (118ml, S$16.90). The salesgirls explained that it's designed to instantly remove the knots in hair when combing. Sure, it could very well have been a sales talk, but since EV has very long hair, and sometimes her hair does get into knots especially after waking up, I thought I'd give it a try.

Two words describe my experience with it - extremely effective. Just a few spritz on EV’s hair makes the tangles disappear, and her hair so much easier to comb. Smoothing out tangles has become a much easier process for both of us. It also comes in useful when we go swimming and her hair is more prone to tangles due to the drying effect of the chlorine.

I was very delighted when the folks at Original Sprout decided to send me a few products to try out. They are: Hair & Body Baby Wash, Natural Shampoo, Deep Conditioner, Scrumptious Baby Cream and of course the Miracle Detangler. 

A close look at the product packaging and I'm comforted by the fact that the product (and all other Original Sprout products) doesn't contain any parabens, petroleum oils, irritants like titanium dioxide and sulphate, which can be harmful to young skin. They can potentially irritate skin and also strip hair of its natural oils, causing hair to feel dry and frizzy, sometimes leading to split ends. Individuals who are sensitive to soy, gluten, honey, peanut and dairy will also have no worries, as all Original Sprout products come without these. Products are also biodegradable - great for EV, as she’s now rather environmentally friendly, thanks to her kindergarten and much to my delight.

The Hair & Body Baby Wash is a convenient head to toe wash that comes in a clear gel. I find that it lathers rather easily into a foam as other more commercialised brands that we’ve used. I like that besides this small 354ml bottle (S$25), it also comes in a really big 975ml bottle to last a long time. I mean, with two kids using it, it doesn't take long for the small bottle to be finished. The big bottle is not exactly cheap (about three times that of the small bottle), but take advantage of promotions at places like Watsons to get a better deal. I also think that the fact that it doesn't contain those potentially harmful ingredients I mentioned previously makes it a worthwhile buy. It puts my mind at ease knowing that my kids are using a safe product with a gentle pH of between 4.5 to 5.5. Plus, this all-in-one wash helps me save time, helpful especially when the kids are in a cranky mood. 

We have used the Natural Shampoo (354ml, S$25) a couple of times, in between using the Hair & Body Baby Wash, and this sulphate free shampoo is really not too bad. Its organic conditioning ingredients means that you don’t really have to put a separate conditioner. EV’s hair is easy to comb, and hydrated, so I do like this convenience. But you know, at the rate EV has been going swimming, the hydrating effects of the Natural Shampoo is just not enough.

So we use the Deep Conditioner (118ml, S$16.90). This creamy concoction is as the name suggests, deeply hydrating, so it really takes the tangles and frizziness out of EV’s hair, and combat the drying effects of chlorine. I also put this on AA’s hair to reduce the drying. Again it has a gentle pH, so really, it’s designed for everyone, even adults. Yup, this mummy does use a bit of this from time to time.

Lastly, the Scrumptious Baby Cream (118ml, S$16.90). This has come in so handy for us. Even though EV and AA are young, and their skin are still quite supple. High exposure to chlorine can still make their skin dry. Natural zinc in the Baby Cream helps to protect against the environment while rosemary soothes skin. I usually put this on the kids after their swim and shower, so that their skin can be rehydrated with a protective layer.

Giveaway!!!

Original Sprout has kindly sponsored THREE sets of Hair & Body Baby Wash and Scrumptious Baby Cream for THREE winners. Just follow the Rafflecopter instructions below. Most are optional, but they do give you more chances to win. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Terms and conditions:- Entries that do not fulfill the requirements stated will be disqualified without notice.

- This giveaway is open to Singapore residents only.

- This giveaway starts on 1 December and ends on 7 December  (inclusive) at midnight.

- The winner(s) will be chosen from a random draw of entries received in accordance with these Terms and conditions.

- The winner(s) will be announced on this post by 10 December.

- The winner(s) will be notified directly via email by the sponsor regarding collection of the prize(s).

- Toddly Mummy's responsibility will end once the winner's details are passed to the sponsor.

- Only one winner per household is allowed.

- The organisers accept no responsibility for entries that are lost, delayed, incomplete or cannot be delivered or entered for any technical or other reason.

- Entrants into the giveaway shall be deemed to have accepted these Terms and Conditions.

- Terms and conditions are subject to change without notice, at the organisers' sole discretion.

- This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with Facebook.

- Participants are providing information to Toddly Mummy and the sponsor(s) of this giveaway and not to Facebook.

Disclaimer:  We received Hair & Body Baby Wash, Natural Shampoo, Deep Conditioner, Scrumptious Baby Cream and the Miracle Detangler and three sets of Hair & Body Baby Wash and Scrumptious Baby Cream for the purpose of this review and giveaway. No monetary compensation was received. All opinions and images are my own, unless otherwise indicated.

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Review: Asus Zenfone Selfie

Oh yes, the Asus Zenfone Selfie. Some of you may be aware that I attended the event recently, and had a taste of some of its cool functions. Here’s my account. Fast forward a couple of weeks later, I finally got the phone in my hands and I’ve been playing with it for the past month. 

Fun, fun fun. I took selfies, but I think the Zenfone Selfie has made me want to take more. To the point where my kids would just look at me as I hold the phone in front of me, and sigh. They must be thinking ‘here mummy goes again’. But being the tech-savvy generation, they can’t resist taking selfies with me either. The little one keeps moving a lot though, and so far, we haven’t managed to get a proper clear shot! 

Alright, back to selfies. Yes, I hate to admit it, but now I enjoy taking selfies more and more. Usually, I look quite pale and tired, with terrible eye bags (blame it on the boy who likes to cuddle in the middle of the night), so I was not exactly a fan of selfies. Now, I’m amazed at just how good I can look, even though I only put on some foundation and blusher, with a little help from technology, specifically a photo mode called ‘beautification. So as I’m looking at myself on the phone, I can toggle with the different options to brighten or soften my skin, remove blemishes magically, say goodbye to the extra flesh around my chin, and even add more blush if I don’t look cheery enough. 

See here? I was having a pimple on the right side of my cheek, but it magically disappeared! I think my skin has never looked so smooth and slim for a long time. Of course not, since I’ve never really been one to spend hours before a mirror ‘painting my face’ before venturing outside. But wow! The ‘beautification’ function really did wonders on my face. I think this is also because of the capability of the front camera itself. It is as powerful as the rear camera, an added bonus with the 13 megapixel imaging quality. In some ways, the front camera is more powerful, with a f2.2 aperture for taking photos in low light conditions, a 88-degree wide angle lens with dual-LED flash, a 140-degree Selfie Panorama for taking selfies with a scenery behind you, or just for those wefies with lots of friends. While I think the ‘beautification’ function will be the go-to mode when using the front camera, there are also 16 other camera modes such as slow motion, time lapse, low light, and GIF animation to have fun and to make photos or videos look wacky. It looks like the Zenfone Selfie is made for taking selfies and wefies with my sister. 

I think I’m getting hooked on selfies. Yes, I even tried a ‘try to look sleepy in bed’ kind of selfie. That was how ‘inspired’ I was. I think I spent almost 30 minutes trying to get everything such as the pillow in the right position, while worrying that the kids will barge in and pounce on me, and look at me with wide eyes thinking ‘what weird thing is mummy up to now?’. But I did pull it off, I think. Skin quite clear hor? You can still see the little lump of a pimple there, but it sure looks less obvious than it does in reality.

Now let’s talk about the rear camera. It’s just as exciting. Why? Because the 16 photo modes can also be used on the rear camera. You can really spend a long time taking photos of a single subject, and then deciding which ones are better later, which is what I did with this little yellow flower that I chanced upon one sunny day. I played around with the effect mode, which had effects such as sepia, edge detect, cartoon, pencil, hue, vintage and even LOMO. The kids? They kept themselves busy at the playground nearby.

Another evening, DaddySay and I brought the kids to another playground, where the playground was only lit by the park lights. I took photos using the low light and night modes. Below are the results. Not too bad for a mobile.

 

And here are some photos I took during rare me-time lunch recently.

At the rate that one will take photos with the Zenfone Selfie, memory is a key factor. This phone has 32MB of built-in memory, with a lifetime 5GB Asus Webstorage. It also supports up to 128GB Micro SD Card memory. One just has to remember to regularly sync and back up these photos, so memory will not run out.

So, fun aside. How’s the hardware like? It’s as sweet as it looks. I got the Aqua Blue unit to play with, but the colour that tugs at my heart is Chic Pink. Plus, its sweet factor is heightened by the Lollipop. What? I meant it’s run by the Android 5.0 Lollipop operating system. So far that I’ve used been using the 170g phone, there’s been little lag, and it responds rather fast to finger touches on the scratch-resistant, anti-fingerprint Gorilla Glass 4 that, according to Asus, is 85% less likely to break. The 5.5 inch full HD display has a wide 178-degree viewing angle and I like how red and blue colours pop out vividly. The phone’s back case is thickest at the middle and tapers to a thin 3.9mm at the sides, so it’s really easy to hold. See? Even our in-house dinosaurs can’t help but climb all over it.

Parents like myself will find the Kids Mode extremely useful. The mode comes with built-in parental controls and a timer to limit how much time the kiddos spend on the phone educating and entertaining themselves. There’s no need to repeatedly keep track of how long they’ve been having screen time. It may also help in cutting down the whining and begging for ‘Five more minutes please? Pretty please?’.

I definitely had an enjoyable time with the Asus ZenFone Selfie this past month. At a list price of $399 (without line contract), it’s quite friendly to the pocket. Now I’m really tempted to get one for myself, just so I can take even more selfies and photos.

Disclaimer: We were provided with a unit of Asus Zenfone Selfie for review purposes. All images and opinions are our own.

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Thank you

Note: This is going to be a rather long post about the wonderful people I've met in my life since October last year. If you're interested to find out more, please read on. Thank you for reading this heartfelt 'thank you' post.

I believe in angels. Everyone of us has an angel, some of whom we know, some of whom we don't, some suddenly appear in our lives during times of trouble to give us a boost.

Like those in the medical field, like doctors, nurses, physiotherapists, paramedics, anyone. In my opinion, they are angels in white. They are on call most of the time, looking after the sick and injured. In addition, they have to deal with worried family members, who can be quite nasty. Definitely, to have a loved one fall sick or get injured can be rather frustrating, emotionally, psychologically and physically, but really, there's no need to take it out on medical professionals. All they are doing is to care for their charges.

It's amazing how these angels in white do their job with a smile on their faces, all the time. It's amazing how they reach out to the people who really need their help, and give them a much needed boost, at the most unexpected times. They may be frustrated, but they try their best not to show it. And when someone shows appreciation, you can tell that they appreciate it. 

Exactly one year ago tonight, I had the most freak accident one can imagine. I could have very well lost my life, as is evidenced by a similar case in Hong Kong about 5 months later, where the victim died. I didn’t, and throughout my recovery till today, I met some awesome white angels whom I’m grateful for. From the ambulance paramedics and the doctors in the emergency room, to the doctor who operated on me and the nurses who looked after me in the ward, to the care I received from the doctors and physiotherapists after I got discharged, these medical professionals have been crucial in aiding in my recovery, physically. Psychologically, well, that is something I need to work on. But without the care and concern of the medical professionals I've met since October last year, I guess it would have been even more difficult.

So I'd like to take this opportunity to thank these angels in white who have helped me on my road to recovery, in one way or another.

- the paramedics, thank you for your support and reassurance while I was feeling very lost by the road and through the bumpy and painful ride. 

- the emergency room doctors, thank you for trying to relieve my pain as much as you could, as you x-rayed my thigh and tried to straighten it as much as possible. Thank you for understanding the amount of pain I was in.

- Adjunct Associate Professor Dr Ernest Kwek, Chief of Orthopaedic Trauma Surgery, Tan Tock Seng Hospital, thank you for operating on me. It was truly my lucky day, or night, when I found out that the head of the department himself would be operating on me the next day. Up from the operation till now, thank you to you and your team for ensuring that the metal rod was well-placed in my thigh bone and that the bone fracture is healing. Thank you for your encouragement and believing that getting back on my two feet would be an easy feat.

- the nurses in the ward, thank you for your care and concern during my stay. I know you had many patients to look after, and were very busy. But you tried to help make me as comfortable as possible before my operation, and after it, you helped the bedridden me and taught me how to look after myself.

- the physiotherapists at the ward and at the clinic, thank you for teaching me how to walk again, and helping me to strengthen my leg. It's still somewhat weak, depending on what I do, and I'll know it will never ever be the same as before. Still, I'm working on it, and hopefully, I'll get my injured leg back to what it was before, as much as possible.

I would also like to thank those at the scene of the accident. Thank you for calling the ambulance, thank you for looking out for me, and offering me water and tissue. Thanks for making sure the truck driver stopped and alighted. Simple gestures like these, and your reassurances made those few agonizing long minutes easier to bear.

I must not forget my family who have supported me with their love and concern. To my mum, dad, bro, sis and the rest of the family, thank you. During our trips to Hong Kong to visit our then critically ill grandmummy, thank you for looking out for me, while I was 'bai ka' and using crutches. 

Thanks to my wonderful helper. With me injured and unable to walk properly, she not only had to help look after the kids, but me as well. She even made sure I avoided certain foods like crabs and so on, which apparently, are not good for bone healing, or something like that. Thank you also to my parents-in-law. Thank you for keeping the kids entertained and bringing them out, since I couldn't do it at all.

And most of all, I want to thank DaddySay. During my recovery, you took over the parenting of EV and AA, so that I could recover well. You ensured that the kids understood I was injured and therefore they needed to be extra careful around me. You brought me for my medical appointments, especially in the first few months. You pushed me in my wheelchair, you stood by me when I walked with crutches, you were my pillar of support during the difficult time. You are and always will be my pillar of strength, my BFF. Without you, I think I would have faced even more difficulties. 

To my little kids EV and AA, thank you both for your understanding and love, for understanding that mummy couldn't bring you out even though I really wanted to, for willingly joining mummy on the bed and play. EV, thank you for understanding mummy's fear of bus stops and big trucks, and thank you for holding my hand last Saturday, assuring me that you will hold my hand tight and be by my side while you led me to walk past the bus stop. I still don't dare walk past the whole bus stop, but I managed a bit. It's a start, and I couldn't have done it without you.

My heartfelt thanks to everyone who have helped me in my ongoing recovery. I assure you that I will stay strong. Thank you.

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Media Invite: Asus ZenFestival

I’m selective when it comes to attending events I get invited to. But when it comes to anything related to tech and gadgets, I get itchy, naturally, since I was a former tech journalist.  There was absolutely no way I could say no to an invite to the Asus ZenFestival.

Held on Wednesday evening at Chijmes Hall, the event saw the unveiling of the brand's four latest ZenFones. Though Asus is mainly known for their laptops, they might just make some headway with the ZenFones. The model which attracted the most attention has to be the Zenfone Selfie. It’s got a great Beautification function that automatically adjusts selfies taken, whether it is to smoothen the skin tone, or even to make the eyes look a little larger. This function means that selfies will always look their best, and there’s no need to use any other applications to edit.

And while I was there, I also played briefly with the ZenFone Selfie’s macro, time lapse and slow motion video recording functions. It definitely seems quite a promising mobile.

Various camera functions on the ZenFone Selfie.

Trying out the macro function.

Having fun with the slow motion function.

The low light mode that can adjust shadows.

While at the ZenFestival, I also checked out the ZenFone 2, ZenFone 2 Laser and ZenFone Go, but I still prefer the ZenFone Selfie. I can’t wait to get my hands on a review set. Stay tuned for that.

Michelle Chong is the brand ambassador and here she is on stage.

I’m doubly glad I attended the event as I also met an old friend, who was the former editor of Straits Times’ digital edition. We had a great time catching up. It’s events like these that give me fond memories of the good old days. Thanks Asus!

Disclaimer: I was invited to the Asus ZenFestival event. No compensation was received. All opinions and images are my own.

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Media Invite: Times new concept store @ Marina Square - 5 things you want to know

Times The Bookstore. For some of you, you may remember how this iconic bookstore looked like in the past. I still vaguely remember the blue logo of the past, and these are sweet memories. Sweet because Times was where I discovered the beautiful world of books. Times was where I discovered classics like Little Women and Jane Eyre (abridged versions) during my Primary school days. Thanks to a certain tuition teacher who went to the extent of bringing my mum and I to Times to recommend books for me to read, because my mum was Chinese educated and had no idea where to start when it came to improving my English. This tuition teacher was a retired teacher from the older generation, who spoke perfectly articulated English and had such beautiful cursive writing. I will never forget her and her cat, and of course, our trips to Times to discover books.

Times has definitely come a long way since then. I admit, I’ve not been to Times for years. I don’t know why, I guess I grew out of it, and I was attracted to more independent bookstores and online bookstores. Times, to me, was an experience from the past. I knew they had a revamp, but it still wasn’t enough to entice me to walk into the store.

So when I was invited to check out the new concept store at Marina Square last week, I decided to experience it again. A key question I asked Anna Leong, marketing manager of Times was: what’s the new concept about? Because, as you can see from this photo, Times at Marina Square doesn’t look all that different from its other outlets from the outside.

Photo: Times

Here are 5 things I gathered from my conversation with Anna and my two hours of discovery around the store.

1. There is a good selection of children’s books such as picture books and early readers. I was glad to discover a whole shelf of Shel Silverstein books, and even numerous titles by Leo Lionni. 

There are also several shelves devoted to picture books by local authors. About 30% of the store is dedicated to children’s books and other merchandise.

2. The new Times doesn’t just sell books any more. There is a good selection of educational toys and games. Think board games and even Lego. 

There are also word card games, games like ‘Vowel Owels’, Play Doh and also science kits. There are even plant pot kits to let kids develop a love for nature.

3. I think adults, especially Star Wars and Star Trek fans, will be attracted to Times not just for the books. They can also feast their eyes on memorabilia from Star Wars, Star Trek, Game of Thrones and even The Walking Dead. I even saw a little Alien on the shelf, just next to Batman. The folks at the store put these items right at the front of the shop. Smart move I say. Get the adults in, and the kids will follow.

4. I also saw quite a number of other items that are related to books, such as poetry magnets, adult colouring books and even these tempting tote bags that feature classic children’s and adults’ titles. I really love these tote bags, but they’re a tad too expensive for my taste, at $69.90 each. 

However, I found an alternative - these four tote bags featuring Alice in Wonderland, The Wizard of Oz, Picture of Dorian Gray and Sherlock Holmes, at $12.90 each.

5. The 2,800 square feet store is extremely bright and cheerful, and the children’s section has pastel ‘clouds’ on the ceiling. The kids might not immediately notice these ‘clouds’, because they are just so focused on the books in that area, so it’s good that the decorative details are subtle. I like the even brightness of the store - it makes reading more conducive and is better for kids’ eyes. The alleys between shelves and displays are quite wide, so kids can sit and read, and store patrons, as well as prams, can still move around comfortably.

Photo: Times

I like the new Times bookstore, I’m sure I’ll be back really soon. Yet, I fear stepping into the store. Why? It means I’ll most probably, most certainly, buy even more books, even though I don’t read them fast enough. Yes, I buy books faster than I read them, but hey! I do need books all around me for those sneaky me-times that I can steal.

There’s another reason why I dread walking into Times at Marina Square.

A whole section devoted to Disney! Eh…. I’m not sure whether I should let EV see this…..

Can’t wait for the biggest, 7,300 square feet Times bookstore to open at Waterway Point in Punggol in January 2016. The only thing that might keep me away? Distance. I got to stay far far away.

Disclaimer: We were invited to the launch of the Times Bookstore at Marina Square. We received a complimentary card and a $50 voucher. No monetary compensation was received. All opinions and images are our own, unless otherwise stated.

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