My Little Princess and Prince: 2026

The last time we came to Lower Peirce Reservoir Park, one of the trails was closed due to some maintenance works. We recalled the maintenance work notice stated that it is supposed to end on 31 Mar 2026. As such, we decided to visit the park today as the maintenance work should have completed. However, the moment we alighted our car, we saw a notice at the car park entrance informing visitors that the maintenance work is now extended to 31 May. As such, we did a detour and entered the boardwalk from another entrance, just like the previous visit.

The walking trail was pretty short and as we exited the boardwalk, we decided to walk to the nearby Thomson Nature Park.

We took the Langur and Macaque Trails before returning to the boardwalk at Lower Peirce Reservoir Park.

At the end of our walk, we spotted a Sunda Colugo clinging on a tree trunk. This was our first time seeing a colugo at this park.

5 Apr 2026 - Amazing Wildlife at Bishan - Ang Mo Kio Park

Two weeks ago, we explored the eastern River Plains section of Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park. Today we decided to cover the western section of the park, home to the iconic Lotus Pond and a variety of themed gardens.

The moment we entered the park, we saw a group of parrots enthusiasts with their feathered companions, similar to those that we saw previously at Sengkang Riverside Park.

Located closer to Upper Thomson Road and the Lower Peirce Reservoir, this 24-hectare section is characterized by its shaded pathways and diverse aquatic habitats. The Pond Gardens is an engineered wetland system is a highlight of the western side. It uses carefully selected plants to naturally filter pollutants from the river water without chemicals, creating a picturesque habitat for dragonflies and water birds.

Asian Openbill Storks are a common sight.

We even witnessed one which picked up an apple snail from the water and had a feast.

Monitor lizard and Plantain Squirrel were also frequently seen.

Following were some of the birds that we spotted during our walk.

The Lotus Garden is a tranquil spot featuring beautiful lotus blooms that provide a classic, peaceful backdrop for reflection.

Really did not expect to see so much wildlife at Bishan Park. Will definitely come here more frequently since it's one of the nearer parks to our place.

1 Apr 2026 - Home Grown Pea Sprout (豆苗 - Doumiao)

Tracy has been growing all sorts of plants, especially edible vegetables, recently. One of them being the Pea Sprout. It was quite successful and she harvested it today and used it to cook a dish.

Wednesday, April 1, 2026

31 Mar 2026 - Javier turns 17!

Javier has turned 17 years old today. From a cheeky little boy to now a young man who is taller than me, how time flies..... We brought him to Jack's Place for lunch to have his favourite steaks.

We then bought his favourite cheesecake and had a mini celebration at home.

Jerlene also bought him a Nintendo Switch game (Kirby Air Riders) using her internship pay. Happy Birthday, Javier!

Sunday, March 29, 2026

29 Mar 2026 - Dairy Farm Nature Park to the Summit

In the past one month, whenever we drove to Chestnut Nature Park, we would pass by Dairy Farm Nature Park and told to ourselves, one day we will "conquer" it. And that day was today. We kicked off our walk on the Wallace Trail, a gentle 2.2km forest track named after the famous naturalist Alfred Russel Wallace. It’s relatively flat and well-maintained, perfect for waking up the legs.

At one point, we saw a sign pointing to a flight of steps indicating "To the Summit". Then we realized we could actually climb up to the summit of Bukit Timah Hill from here. After a bit of ponderation, we decided to take on the challenge to scale the hill.

After reaching the Dairy Farm Hut, we were faced with a choice whether to go on the Lower Loop (shorter but steeper steps) or the Upper Loop. We chose the latter.

The real test began on the Upper Loop, home to the notorious Devil's Stairs. This wasn't just a walk, it’s a relentless vertical climb up steep hillside steps. Thick secondary forest closed in as we climbed, and the sounds of the city were replaced by our own heavy breathing and the symphony of cicadas.

After conquering the final flight of stairs, the trail eventually merged with the Main Summit Road.

We continued to push on a short, steep climb, and we were standing at the Bukit Timah Summit stone which is 163.63 metres above sea level. Even on a busy Sunday, the sense of accomplishment at the top was unmatched.

Dominating the skyline at the top were several massive, high-security telecommunication towers.

Unlike many mountain peaks, Bukit Timah Hill doesn't offer a wide-open panoramic view of the city because the forest canopy is so thick and tall. Despite the "difficult" rating by NParks of the trails, the biodiversity makes every step worth it.

We headed back down via the Cave Path for more nature.

This was really not an easy climb and at one point, we actually procrastinated whether to proceed. Though the sign provided the distance to the summit, it did not provide the elevation which was more critical. We saw quite a few climbers having breathing issues along the way. Glad that we managed to complete the climb eventually. This will be our warmup climb before our upcoming trip to Chongqing, which is known as "Mountain City", and has a varied topography with an average urban elevation of roughly (244–318 meters). :-)

28 Mar 2026 - Jerlene's First Internship Project: Suntec Earth Hour 2026

Jerlene is currently doing her NYP Internship with Suntec Singapore. And her first project was to design and create an animation for Earth Hour, which is a global environmental movement organized by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF). It encourages individuals, communities, and businesses to switch off non-essential electric lights for one hour, typically from 8:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. local time on the last Saturday of March, which was today. As such, we decided to go Suntec to witness her work being displayed on a super BIG screen.

Suntec Singapore’s "The Big Picture" is a massive, three-story, high-definition LED video wall located at the driveway entrance, formerly holding the Guinness World Record as the world's largest high-definition video wall. It consists of 664 individual 55-inch LG LED displays, providing a,62m x 15m, vibrant welcome to visitors and showcasing high-definition content 16 hours a day. Initially we thought all animations screened on such big screen were done by professional. Now we know it's not true.

Well done, Jerlene! Not many people have the opportunity to display their work on such big screen. :-)

Sunday, March 22, 2026

22 Mar 2026 - Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park

We started the day with a morning walk at Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park. Spanning 62 hectares, it is one of the largest and most vibrant urban parks in the heartlands. What makes it truly special is the naturalised Kallang River that meanders through the landscape, a far cry from the concrete canal it used to be.

The park is divided into two main sectors by Marymount Road: River Plains (East) and Pond Gardens (West). Our walk this morning was mainly concentrated at the eastern sector of the park.

The River Plains is arguably the best spot in the park for consistent wildlife sightings. First we saw a Chinese Pond Heron among the open grassland.

Then we saw a Purple Heron staying very still in the wetlands.

Along the river, we saw schools of Tilapia and the occasional Snakehead fish darting between the submerged plants.

Javan Myna was a common sight, not just in parks but everywhere on this island.

Located near the park's eastern end (closer to Bishan Road), Butterfly Habitat, an enclave is filled with nectar-rich plants like the Ixora and Snakeweed.

However, instead of seeing butterfly, we saw quite a few Carpenter Bee.

Can you spot a bird in the photo below? There was actually a Waterhen on the lotus leaves.

We were a bit surprised to see so much wildlife in this urban park.

Growth Chart for My Little Ones

Thursday, April 30, 2026

Saturday, April 25, 2026

Sunday, April 12, 2026

Wednesday, April 1, 2026

Sunday, March 29, 2026

Sunday, March 22, 2026