I realised this when converting my photos this morning; that I have not been taking photos of Kyle consistently for the last couple of months. It used to be that there will be new pictures at least every few days, and I realised that I have been a rather slack when it comes to taking photos for the last 6 months.
One of the best thing about this blog when I look back at my old posts have to be the past photos that I have taken of Kyle and the family. So this really reminds me that moving forward, I really need to be consistent in taking more photos, at least on a weekly basis. As Kyle is really growing up too fast before my eyes, and soon (sob sob) he will be out of his preschool years 
We got to enjoy a couple of our favorite things this afternoon; sushi and sashimi for lunch! Kyle simply loves Tamago sushi and Chawanmushi, while I am a fan of Unagi Sushi and Sashimi. I would usually go for the cheaper option of Chirashi sushi don, which is bits of sashimi on top of a bed of sushi rice. Well, Japanese food is one of Kyle's and my favorite cuisine, not for hb though. But he is always a sweet and accomodating dad and hb to often go with what we feel like eating. I think these days, eating out is really expensive in Singapore. We had our lunch at Akashi at Orchard Hotel, and it cost us almost $90.00 for a 4 Tamago, 2 unagi sushi, a tini box of Chirashi Don and a Tonkatsu Pork cutlet set for hb! Overall, the Akashi experience is slighly overpriced for the so-so quality of Japanese cuisine that is equivalent to some of the other Japanese sushi chains. Have to eat out less often and improve on my cooking skills!
We went on to another of our favorite things to do as a family; foot massage!
Kyle is this foot massage junkie that loves getting a foot rub. Every night before he goes to bed, he will ask me for a couple of seconds of foot and back massage!
For an active child like Kyle, it is quite a feat for him to be able to stay still for 30 minutes while the therapist gives him a foot massage. For the next 1 hour, while waiting for hb and I to finish our massages, Kyle was quietly playing with his matchbox cars on the chair.
It was only after when I walked to the reception area that the receptionist told me that a certain caucasian lady who was seated on the left side of hb's chair complained about the noise that Kyle made. Kyle in fact was really quiet and compliant while waiting for us to finish our massage, he crashed his matchbox chairs together for less than 5 minutes, then when I told him to stop, he quietly played with his cars on his chair for the next half an hour.
Our post foot massage experience was shortlived when we heard about this other customer and her complaint. She was so irate to the point that she took the email addresses of the prioperter of this foot massage chain of shops to complain about her less than satisfactory experience here. Just too bad I did not get to hear about it from her and meet her, I would definitely not stay silent on this.
First of all, this massage premises have an open concept where chairs are laid side by side with only a wooden divider that can be used in between the chairs, so it is inevitable to hear noises from other patrons. In fact, each time when we visit their premises, we will always hear a patron who will be fast asleep in his/her chair, snoring really loudly and consistently throughout the next 30-60 minutes! Morever, there is no rule that children are no allowed in their premises, especially since Kyle was a patron in this instance. Also if she wanted exclusivity, she should have paid for a 'personalised and behind close doors' foot massage service and not a foot massage that cost $29 per half an hour, with patrons seated next to one another.
It is people like that, who give expatriates a bad name. The expectations that they have for that little amount of money that they spend are not reasonable. And besides, this really demonstrates a low tolerance of assimilating in another's culture. We learn to be tolerant and gracious of one another and noise in an open concept like this. If she demands total silence and peace, she should jolly well pay for that! I have to say this, what a cheap ang moh she is!
Arrgghh…this is just one of those days that a seemingly relaxed and quiet weekend afternoon is spoilt. Just had to rant a little in this space…
Indeed, cheap ang moh plentiful abound in our country. They require premium service and yet they can’t bear to part with more than a fraction of their penny. It probably still take some awakening time for them to come into their own reality check and realize they can’t call their own shots in their own terms akin our old grand father’s colonization times.
I think alot of expats are in fact very thrifty people…I have worked with so many ‘thrifty’ ones that they have never in those years of working together ever bought a gift for another colleague’s birthday or paid for meals, In comparison, alot of my local ex colleagues have no qualms buying people meals or birthday gifts. I pity those business who focus on doing their business, very hard to please them or earn from them seriously.