A Different Kind of Garden

What's that they say? God laughs at plans. He must have had a good chuckle today.

All the guide books tell you to head to the Botanic Garden. Not only is there supposed to be a fabulous orchid garden, but an amazing, educational children's garden, too.

So that's just what we did this morning. After taking two trains (turns out a cab would have been far easier!), we arrived just in time for a monsoon-like downpour. At home, I always check the weather before making plans. Here, the forecast is always the same which includes a chance for rain. Some days that chance comes through. Some days, it doesn't. Even more bizarre, when I called Tom to whine, he said it wasn't raining where he was. 

So we decided to grab some grub at the Food Court, a place with absolutely no western food - a first. I got the kids fried potsticker-like things and a fruit platter. You pick out the fruits you want and they dice them and make a fruit platter. Amazing. I got noodles and steamed dumplings - something I recognized. Cheryl got a sliced fish soup that I wouldn't touch with a ten-foot pole! Hudson gobbled up my noodles and absolutely destroyed his nice, white shirt and - once again - got ahold of something spicy. Maisie nibbled at the fried dumplings. I never imagined my picky boy would be the one who liked Asian food.

With no end to the rain in sight, we caught a cab to a mall to try out an indoor playground. There are a zillion of them as it turns out. It's just too hot here so they have adapted and built all these playgrounds, even little crappy free ones inside of the middle of malls. Have I mentioned that there are a zillion, million malls here?

Anyway, Tom heard about this playground called Amazonia . Holy cow! This place was like something I've never seen. I mean - it was like being in the real Amazon. The walls are painted like a rainforest and the structure was absolutely adorable. Of course, Maisie was all bummed that we didn't stay at the garden so we kind of had to go somewhere else. Little did we know that it'd be so expensive and once there, I couldn't disappoint her yet again. So... I spent $55 Singapore which is $44 US just to get the kids inside!

Once again, to enter they took the kids' temperature, examined their hands and made them use antiseptic. Now I know it's because there's been this giant outbreak of foot and mouth disease (not to be confused with hoof and mouth). It's very painful and makes it hard to eat. In some cases, it's even fatal. We also had to buy socks for all of us. Note to self: pack socks every day just in case.

Anyway - the climbing structure was six stories and inside were all sorts of cool twists and turns - even a full trampoline in the middle and the deepest ballpit on the planet. Hudson ignored the big, ol' sign that said, "This area not for children under 3" and charged right in. He was by far the youngest kid climbing and the fastest, to boot. That kid is an future Olympian. Seriously. He was flying around in there at twice the speed of some 7-year-olds all while carrying a ball in his hand! Cheryl and I took turns chasing after him - far easier for her since I've got an extra full foot on her in height - at least a foot. I have a pinched nerve in my back, too. Ayi yi yi. After a while, Hudson even learned to go down the GIANT slide all by himself!

Maisie loved it, too! She jumped on the trampoline half the time which is great therapy for her. Of course, leaving wasn't much fun - lots of tears from Maisie.

Now the kids are watching a movie while I rest up for my first girls' night out courtesy another invite from Heather, my guardian angel. The cool thing? Cheryl will make them dinner and put them to bed. 

As for the Botanic Garden, we'll definitely go another day!