Sportsday

On the 7th of March the Norwegian and Swedish seamanschurch had their annual sport day. There are competitions for all the kids, any age, and for the adults. The day ends with a big soccer game - Norway against Sweden of course. The main point for this they, is of course to beat Sweden!!

Thomas running 40m. He did really well - Dad and I was quite surprised how well he ran - must come from me!!

Phillip, on the other hand, was a bit more skeptical...... Did not understand the point of the running - and way all these parents was cheering and screaming on the sideline! So nice to hold Mum's hand!

Thomas had a bit of problems with the jumping, not because he didn't do well. The problem was that he jumped from the with line, witch is correct, and not from the edge of the sand were they measured from to day!! But he really did well!!

Phillip really got the lightning McQueen style (or maybe Rostron style?!). The tongue is sticking out in every photo of him. Phillip also combined the jumping and running.... after jump you run as fast as you can to the other side! Well done Phillip!

At the end of the kids activities, they all got a medal from the priest of the Norwegian seamanschurch. Both the boys did a perfect performance this day!!

Chinese New Year at kindergarden

6th of February Pat's school house invited all the kids and parents to a celebration of the Chinese New Year. The kids would keep the entertainment and the parents the food. Luckily I was told to bring drinks, cups, plates etc. - maybe they also know about my "good" cooking skills!!

They were all suppose to wear Chinese clothes....mom remember that the night before! Luckily we have some local shops across the street, and I found size 12 and 8 - didn't look to bad......and not any red costume which is the colour of the festival! I had a parent commenting this to me, so I played stupid: "Ohhh, I didn't know....!!"

There was a lot of activities for the kids. Here Thomas is wearing a Chinese mask and going through the gates of good luck! While Thomas did all this, Phillip and his class had their performances........but no pictures! Sorry Phillip!

Thomas trying on the lion mask, and maybe he did a little lion dance too...??

Inside they had a lot of art and crafts activities. Here we are all trying to help Thomas to make a good wishing that are suppose to be hang outside a door - I think!

Thomas' class performance. Thomas was so exited and concentrated - and he really did a good job - same with Phillip! After this we all ate all the lovely food that parents had brought in!!

"Ma" out!

After quite a few years with the dummy, especially Thomas, it was about time to "give" them away. I guess its a bit mom and dads fault too that they were still there.... don't have the energy to do it, not good to do it right before we are leaving to Singapore or going home to Norway, everything is so new for them...etc - the list is long!

21. of January we had a long talk with the kids, and decided that we could make a count down. After the three weeks they could decide to send the dummy of to Kaptein Sabeltann, the postman or the garbageman! So the countdown started!

31. of January we had a trip to Toys'r'us, to check out what gifts we wish the postman (nice and easy one) would give as a thank you for the "Ma's". After that we wrote the letter, checked it, add some more... And on the 7. of February we put it letters and the dummies into a envelope addressed to the Postman......

....and went down stairs to the mailbox. I had already made a deal with the postman to pick it up from our mailbox. Now we just had to wait and see if the postman found the letter, and maybe return a present!

Suddenly the doorbell rang, and there was big bags of toys outside (Dad had been doing the shopping!!) The kids played with all the new toys, and slept without any problems! Struggled a bit on night two and three, but nothing to complain about! Well done boys!!

Chingay Parade Singapore 2009

The Chingay Parade is a street parade, which is observed annually in Singapore. The Chingay Parade in Singapore is a part of the Chinese New Year Festivities. The term Chingay itself originated in South East Asia, particularly in places like Penang, Malaysia. The term Chingay is a phonetic counterpart of a Chinese word which means ‘a decorated miniature stage’, or ‘float’
In 1972, the government banned firecrackers after a fatal explosion in the Lunar New Year period killed two people. But in this parade it sort of marks the start of it

One of the big "floats" in the parade.

Camera problems.... But there was a group of men carrying big flags on their shoulder, inside one hand, on their forehead etc. Very impressing!

This was a big dragon which were held up by people running without any shoes on the bits of burning coal (?) that was through out!

A lot of the communities participated also. I think this was the Malay on.

A lot of trouble with the camera, so not many good pictures from the parade. But the kids really enjoyed it! They had a snooze during the day, so they would be awake.

If you want to read more about the parade - http://www.chingay.org.sg/

Chinese New Year

The Chinese New Year last for for 15 days. We didn't know much about it, but we tried to participate a bit. The nice next door neighbour came we a red (which is the colour of the festival) goody bag with sweets, cookies, mandarins etc., which you should exchange with family and friends (we will remember that next year). They also wash everything - It is believed the cleaning sweeps away the bad luck of the preceding year and makes their homes ready for good luck.
We decided to have a look around i China Town during this festival, and ended up eating of course. At the restaurant they had a six-course new years dinner, so we went for that. It all started by tossing yusheng (raw fish salad). All the different ingredients was symbol for something (which i don't remember), but the higher you toss the salad, the more prosperity you will enjoy for the coming year.

The most common Chinese ways of saying Happy New Year are Gong Xi Fa Cai (Mandarin). Gong Xi is congratulations or respectfully wishing one joy. Fa Cai is to become rich or to make money. Thus, Gong Xi Fa Cai means wishing you to be prosperous in the coming year.

The hole of Singapore is decorated and especially China Town. This is one of the displaces that we walked passed. There is a lot of tradition and history around this festival.

As good neighbours we try to blend in with the locals, so I went and bought two "pineapples" (everything is in a per). Later on I was told that these are to catch the good spirits. The next door neighbour, which are proper locals, really decorated the outside, and she gave us some more lanterns to decorate with. We didn't want to overdo it, so the kids got most of them to make their beds nice...Tjihhi!!

Dragon and lion dances are common during Chinese New Year. It is believed that the loud beats of the drum and the deafening sounds of the cymbals together with the face of the dragon or lion dancing aggressively can evict bad or evil spirits. I think business owner have lion dancers coming to their house to dance. This is from one of the neighbours house.

If you want to read more about the traditions around the Chinese New Year:

http://www.herongyang.com/chinese/festivals/chinese_new_year_spring_festival.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_New_Year

Back in Singapore

After four wonderful and cold weeks in Norway, it was good to be back home in the heat again! It was quite a trip with delays, but luckily all the plans were delayed, so we got home the day we should.
I was really struggling with the jet-leg... Tried to sneak off to get a snooze, but the kids

was more up for playing. No maid to help cooking, so mum did her best!! Pancakes on the kitchen floor with a comic book.

Phillip showing all his different faces. This is the angry-face, quite scary!!

Finally the Christmas gift from mom and dad! The kids have been wanting a pet for a long time - rabbit has been on top of the list, but Nemo and Dory a close second. We thought it would be easier the a aquarium.....

The garden had suffered quite a bit during the four weeks, so Phillip, Thomas and Daddy are drying to fix and replace so it would look a bit nice again.

BBQ with Ingrid Johanne

Since Thomas started kindergarten in 2005 (Veritas kindergarden at Hovik), his been best friend with Ingrid Johanne. Even the first day, when Thomas was crying and crying, she tried to play with him and be his friend. When we left Norway for Singapore, Thomas' main concern was Ingrid Johanne!
So when we went back this winter we had to visite Ingrid Johanne and her family. Thomas even stayed the night - he was in heaven! The next day, we all went to the forest for a BBQ. Phillip, Thomas and Ingrid Johanne having a break on the way!

After the walk we were all hungry. Daddy is the BBQ master of sausage for the kids. It was not very late in the day, maybe around one o'clock, but it was already dark and quite cold.

The hole BBQ-gang!! Per - Egil ( Ingrid Johanne's dad) was the fire-up master of the bond-fire! We had our doubts, but he did it!!

The kids found a little water pond that was frozen, so they ate, played, fell etc. We stopped quite close to a little lake witch was frozen, but the last few day the temperature had rose and the sun had been out, so it was this layer of water on the top. Safe, but very "messy"!

On the way back, having a break. It had been a really great day out!

New Year 2008

For the last few years we have been the same gang celebrating New Year together - plus minus some people. This year we met at Stine, Thomas and Jonatan's house.

Anne - Siri and Phillip. Phillip snacking a bit before dinner - as normal!

The kids got their own table in the kitchen aways from the adults, and they were really having a party! Stine had even made a little candy bag for them!

* Thomas, Phillip and Jonatan

The adults were in the living room, eating the wonderful dinner Thomas and Stine had made - moose steak (I think), homemade mashed potato, a mushroom-stew and vegetables. For dessert we had warm blackberries with ice cream - jummy!!

* Stine, Thomas, Anne - Siri, Trond, Marius, Linda, Rob and I

The kids were playing in Jonatan's room most of the evening, waiting for the clock to be twelve. They also had a show for us, were they had some TV-programs - new and interviews! Here they are organising the show - or Jonatan is bossing Thomas around!! Tjihihi!

Finally it was midnight, and all the kids were still awake (but very tired!). Time for firework and sparklers! Happy New Year!!

Visiting Marius & Linda

After almost two weeks at Askoy with mormor and morfar, we spent the next two weeks in Oslo with Linda and Marius.
Hello!

Phillip loves when someone wants to read for him. Marius had to read Kaptein Sabeltann quite a few times for the boy!

Linda is from the north of Norway, were food is very important! Normally we would just have a sandwich with jam, but oh no - If the kids wanted eggs for breakfast Linda would make it, if they wanted spaghetti for dinner Linda would make it, if they wanted a little "snack" Linda have this wonderful drawer were she and the kids would sneak off to!

Hege came up from Grimstad one weekend to say hello - it was so nice seeing her again. Hege thought the boys (and Mom) to do hand knitting. So now we have threads everywhere!

Linda and Thomas. It looks like its well passed Thomas bedtime....

Playtime!

It is December, but no snow at all. The temperature was plus - minus around zero. Rain, snow or sun - we had to get some fresh air.

Phillip is the taxi-driver no. 1. So for Christmas he got some new ones to his collection! His first blue taxi, is well used - hardly any paint left, front window broken, wheels a bit unbalanced....

Had to find the kids gardening stuff that mormor and morfar have been keeping in the garage....spiderweb and dust, but we are tough!

Ooppsss, what happened her?? Not always the brightest!

Reni came at lot and played with the boys. They went to the playground, or outside the house or played with the toys at mormor and morfars. The boys really love having her over!

Morfar and Thomas playing with some of uncle Fred's old toys! Race-trek with a loop - Which car was able to do the loop?

The aquarium in Bergen

We needed to keep ourselves busy and to get out of the house during Christmastime, so we decide to take a trip to the aquarium.

Outside they have a big poll divided into two, where the penguins are on one side and the seals on the other side. The kids loved looking through the glass to see them swim.

Inside they have a little water pond where you get close to some fish, sea stars, crabs etc. Thomas and Gunnar are discussing the names of all the different creatures.

The aquarium have also a tropical part, where we saw crocks, turtles, monkeys etc.

The snake section!

On our way home, after some lunch of course!