Halloween in Singapore: costumes and supplies

There's nothing scarier on Halloween night than a bunch of little devils, ghouls and witches roaming around your block, demanding for treats.  

The Bride of Frankenstein and the Evil Witch 

Typically falling on the last day of October, Halloween has become a huge event in Singapore.  Kids and adults alike love this occasion where they get to fantasize, put on make-up and play dress up in their favourite characters and let their imagination run wild.

The Devil and The Angel

Most adults usually make do with Halloween accessories which they can easily get at any supermarkets (NTUC, Cold Storage or Carrefour) or department stores like Isetan Singapore or Robinsons.  Or they can rent a costume from speciality costume shops like Number 1 Costume Costume, Talent House Studio, Foreigners House of Costumes (Tel: 62823110) and one of the oldest suppliers in town, Costumes & Mascots (Tel: 62990882).  Depending on the quality of the costume, rental costumes may cost you between $50 to $200 for a 3-days period, and terms and conditions vary with each company.

For children, it is simply easier to purchase costumes as you don't have to worry about wear and tear and the forfeit of your deposit.  Also, if the costumes are of a more generic nature (like princess or pirate), they can be re-used on other occasions (birthday parties or school performance etc).  Plus, it is also economy of scale if you have kids of the same sex - you can recycle the costumes for the younger ones or exchange with friends who have children of the same sex.

So, where can you buy costumes for kids in Singapore? 

1. Almost any places that sell party supplies will have some costumes or accessories for you.
2. Toys "R" Us - catering to the various needs of kids, this toy retail chain offers a range of costumes for children the whole year round.
3. Spotlight - you can buy a range of costumes here, or if you are good with needles and thread, get the materials and make one yourself.  In addition, Spotlight has a range of supplies and decorations for you to choose from; a definite must-visit when preparing for Halloween.  
4. Mini Princess - a great concept store that lives up to its name, this store sells the prettiest dresses for your little girls, including princess and fairy outfits at very reasonable prices.  You will also love the lovely 'girly' shoes and accessories to complement the outfits.
5. The Internet is a wealth of resources for your shopping needs.  Check out these websites to get your costumes.

• www.ebay.com.sg
• www.bugsparty.com
• www.halloweencostumesonline.com
• www.buycostumes.com

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Tips for shopping online

1. Give yourself sufficient shipping time for the costumes to arrive.
2. Make sure the website you are purchasing from has good on-line safety features to protect your credit card and personal details.
3. Clarify the return policy before making a purchase.

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Even if you are not a big fan of dressing up, you may wish to decorate the entrance of your home to join in the fun. Click here for the list of party supply places and have fun when the little tykes come around with their face-painted or masked outfits begging for tricks or treats.

Happy Halloween!

Party: supplies list

Whether its a birthday party, an occasion, a celebration, a get-together or an event you are putting together for your company, school or family, party supplies are a must.

Here is a list of the best places to get your party supplies from.

1. Party with Us - there are 2 outlets, one at  The Centrepoint (#05-14), and the other at Valley Point (#01-10), 62350221
2. Party City - Holland Village, Tel: 6462-6011 and Raffles City Shopping Center (#03-28), Tel: 63362161
3. AZ Gift & Trading  - 116 Middle Road, #01-01 ICB Enterprise House, Singapore 188972, Tel: 62913130 and 390 Victoria Street, #01-39 Golden Landmark, Singapore 188061, Tel: 62989311
4. Heartlink Trading - 116 Middle Road, #01-02 ICB Enterprise House, Singapore 188972 - also provide balloon sculptors, face body painters, magicians, clowns and inflatables Bouncy Castles. Contact Sam at 62974939 or 91477801.
5. P&G - 116 Middle Road, #01-03 ICB Enterprise House, Singapore 188972, 63968208
6. ABC Bargain Centre Pte Ltd - 63 Queen Street, Bugis Village, Singapore 188542, 69935807
7. Yeo G M Trading - Blk 1 Rochor Road, #01-550, Singapore 180001, 62955545 - has a retail outlet and is also the wholesale supplier to some of the other party retail outlets in town.
8. Chin Giap Soon Trading - The Verge (Tekka Mall), 2 Serangoon Road, Level 5, Tel: 62970075
9. Hsen Global Pte Ltd - 312 Lavender Street, Tel: 62995510
10. SKP - has 46 Branches island wide and is the largest supplier of party wares in the country.

If you don't have time to physically visit the shops, do your shopping online at these websites:

1. Kidz Party Store
2. Bug's Party
3. Harvest Well Enterprise - is a balloon wholesale distributor that branched out to party supplies. They also have a small retail space called Party Joy on the second level of Parkway Parade.
4. Fantastic Party Supplies 
5. Kidforte Pte Ltd
6. Bouncy Castles

Other retailers were selling this White Unicorn Pinata at S$55 but I found this at Kidforte for only S$27.  

This large Disco Ball was sold at most of the party supply stores at varying prices between $50 to $120.  But I got it at a steal of S$30 at Yeo GM Trading!

Best Vacation Guide

Term break starts tomorrow! Have you planned any getaways yet?

Whether you are going a quick trip away or an extended vacation, great planning is the foundation to a relaxing, beautiful vacation. To cut short your research time, we've scout the net for some great sites for you to start your holiday plans.  Here's what we found on cheap airfares, great hotel deals, reasonable rental car rates and essential travel insurance.

Affordable AIRLINES

1. www.ZUJI.com.sg
2. www.airfares.com.sg
3. www.priceline.com.sg
4. www.skycanner.net
5. www.gogo.com.sg
6. www.expedia.com (especially for North American flights)
7. www.united.com
8. www.singaporeair.com

Selection of HOTELS

1. www.hotels.com
2. www.asiarooms.com
3. www.agoda.com

Travel on RENTAL CARS

1. www.traveljigsaw.com.sg
2. www.avis.com.sg
3. Budget
4. Hertz
5. World Drive Holidays

Tarun C, a seasoned traveller who travels frequently for business and takes at least 2 family trips per year, swears by www.traveljigsaw.com.sg. He shares that this is by far the cheapest, most transparent and best site for car rental deals he had used.

“Some of the car rental sites may quote cheaper, but they have a lot of hidden charges that you have to pay for when you retrieve your car at the counter. This is the only site that informs you upfront of the charges so there is no further ‘surprise’ when you go collect your car.”

Essential TRAVEL INSURANCE

When you travel, it is always a good idea to get travel insurance. This is even more so when you travel with young kids, you get peace of mind and coverage for the following:

• Loss/misplacement of luggage, shopping or personal belongings
• Accidents – car or personal
• Illness – self or child

The amount of travel insurance you have to pay depends on the region you are travelling to and the number of days. Always do your own research to find which ones are suitable for you. Here are some travel insurance for you to consider.

1. AXA travel insurance
2. HSBC travel insurance
3. Aviva travel insurance
4. NTUC travel insurance

This article first appeared in theAsianparent.com

How to tell if your husband is cheating on you.

Jack Neo isn't the only husband to stray when he already has a fabulous wife by his side. Wondering if yours is too? Here are 9 red flags that you should look out for!

It’s been a while.  Your hubby has been a bit distracted. You are not entirely certain, and you don’t want to be too suspicious but you can’t help wondering: Is he cheating on me?

Citrix Chee, a counsellor from the Kang Ren Counselling Services has seen her fair share of cheating spouses.  She shares that the main reasons for infidelity are the husbands’ inability to resist the advances from China ladies, or temptations from female colleagues, but she also adds that communication barrier between the couple and unavailability of the wife as a sexual partner to the husband are also contributing factors to extramarital affairs.

When a man is unfaithful to his wife, there is generally an increase in secrecy, abnormal changes in behaviour and attitude and an unexplained distance between the two of you. Here are some clues to look out for if you suspect your trust is being betrayed:

1. “How good do I look?” When your man suddenly becomes overly concerned with his looks, he is either coming out of the closet, going through a midlife crisis or cheating on you. Either way, it probably spells trouble.  Observe his sudden change in grooming habits such as getting or changing to a new cologne, obsession with going to the gym, or getting a new hairstyle or wardrobe. Be mindful if he acts like a teenager going on his first date.
2. “I have to work.” Watch out for any sudden changes to his work schedule, for example is he working late or travelling more than usual? The work commitments are usually not in the office and he is snappish whenever you try to inquire about his schedule. A cheating man doesn’t want to be accountable for his whereabouts.
3. “I need to answer this call or email. It’s urgent.” Is he taking calls at irregular hours of the day or night? Does he drop his voice or answer in a softer tone when he takes particular calls? Loud warning bells should go off if your husband suddenly begins to excuse himself and takes his calls privately, out of your hearing range, and not giving you any plausible reasons for the calls. Or if he begins to spend excessive amounts of time on the computer, answering emails or replying to face book comments (that are not yours).
4. “Please don’t touch my cell phone.” Does he password protect his cell phone, computer, email and or Facebook account? The main way that trysts are found out is through the discovery of incriminating e-mails, or cell phone texts So if he’s being unfaithful, he may guard his gadgets or act really defensive when you innocently touch his phone or computer.
5. “I want more or no sex.” Another symptom of infidelity is a change in sexual desire. Cheating husbands will often stop having sex with their wives or suddenly want to have more.  The latter is usually to assuage their guilt.
6. “I need some space or alone time.” A man who has betrayed his marriage covenant may act aggressively towards his wife.  He may start to pick fights or find faults with her to justify his reason for having his affair. If your husband has a sudden adverse change in attitude towards you, your family or home life, your guard should go up.
7. “Where has the money gone?” If your husband suddenly has no money to spend on you, your children or your family, you should be concern. Having an affair is costly, requiring your husband to spend money on flowers, wining & dining, gifts or dirty weekends away. But some husbands are crafty and will make use of company expenses or become adept at hiding their expenses from you.  Check his wallet for unexplainable receipts or look for more obvious signs like random purchases or unfamiliar scents on his body or clothes.
8. “Why are you carrying a condom?” Look out for physical clues of an affair such as lipstick on shirt collars, perfume odours on shirts or jackets, secretion stains on underwear. Are there unexplained bits of paper, receipts, and condoms in his pockets?
9. “Something is just not right.” Sometimes, despite all your precaution, it might be hard to track a devious cheater. Trust your intuition or gut feeling if something is not right.  Whether your husband is cheating on you or not, your investigations may lead to new discoveries.

But if you are still not sure, or you know that he IS cheating on you, here are a few websites to help you catch your cheating spouse.

• geylangchecker.blogspot.com – a female vigilante website exposing men for cheating with prostitutes.
• www.dpquest.com –  a detective agency that will help you get concrete evidence against your cheating spouse.
• www.catchcheatingspouse.org.sg/ – a portal that supplies a list of private investigators in Singapore

There is nothing worse or more difficult than the realization or suspicion that the one person whom you trusted and loved most is cheating on you.  According to the Statistics on Marriages and Divorces, 2010, divorces among Singaporeans are still high; especially those aged 35 – 44.   Couples who were married for up to 10 years accounted for the largest group of divorces last year.  97% of these applicants cited “unreasonable behaviour” and “having lived apart or separated for three years or more” as main reasons for divorce.

But not all infidelity cases end up in the Divorce Courts.  Chee says that couples can choose counselling as recourse but the success of these sessions depends on several factors:

1) The initial communication between the couple before the affair started.  If the husband had felt abused emotionally or psychologically by the wife and found solace in the “other” woman, he may not wish to continue the relationship with his wife.

2) The reason the affair began in the first place – was it one-time faux pas, sexual frustration at home or a long-term affair with the lover. “It all depends on the mom,” Chee says. “Usually the female wants to save the relationship; if it is a first offence, the wife is more willing to forgive.  However, if it is repeated offences, the marriage is often dissolved.”

3) Are there children involved? Children play an integral part in the reconciliation process.  According to Chee, couples with children under 5 years old are more open to reconcile or manage their relationship with counselling, whereas those with grown up children are more likely to separate.

If you wish to know more about marriage counselling, check out this list of services here.

This article first appeared in theAsianparent.com.

Musical Performance: The Lion King

As parents, we are very familiar with The Lion King - the songs, the storyline, the characters.  After all, the kids had only watched the animated feature like several hundred times.  When the international musical made its Southeast Asia debut in Singapore earlier this year (in March), we thought: “yeah, we’ll go see it when we have time.” After all, how different can it be?

When we got our tickets, we had no idea what a treat we were in for.  Right from the start, the vibrant sounds of the African beat, the elaborate setting and the remarkable costumes pulled us into an electric zone; our senses of sight and sound were fully engaged, and our heartstrings captured and manipulated by the skilful performance of the talented cast.

Our tickets seated us on the ground floor of the Marina Bay Sands Theatre (there are 3 floors) towards the aisle.  We had never felt so lucky! Julie Taymor, the acclaimed director of this production did not restrict the performance to the front of the theatre.  Our kids, 5 and 7, were delighted by the elephants, monkeys, and other wild animals of the jungle that traipse regally down the aisle throughout the performance.  Not to mention the flock of birds that flew in at the opening segment during the second half of the show!

For those unfamiliar with The Lion King, the storyline echoes that of famous playwright, William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, where a young prince is tricked of his heritage, his journey to learn from his mistakes and finally, his quest to reclaim his kingdom. Walt Disney released The Lion King as a feature animation in 1994 and it has since been adapted into a musical and magically transformed by Taymor into a spectacular theatrical experience, winning over 70 major international theatre awards and viewed by over 50 million people around the world.


A Jaw Dropping Theatrical Performance!

Apart from the love of the storyline, what impressed us about the musical were the clever usage of puppetry and stilts to depict the mood of a scene (check out the giraffes that strolled across the 'plains' and the jaguar that stalks them below), and the stunning theatrical effects to tell the story (we were so blown away by the use of lights to materialize Mufasa’s spirit (face) in the stars in the scene where he admonishes his son for not remembering his heritage).

And the beautiful costumes! The animal characters were vividly portrayed by the astounding masks and brought to life through the brilliant performance of the actors clad in intriguing costumes. The expressive and elaborate masks atop each performer looked like they weigh a ton, but were actually made of carbon fibre so they are actually much lighter. The performers were decked out in elaborate colourful costumes made of silk and natural fabrics that allow them to move easily. Who could forget the fluid dances of Nala with her tribe or the hilarious tirades between Timon and Pumba?

Together with the ingenious set design, the clever dance choreographies and the enchanting musical ensembles to popular medleys like ‘Can You Feel The Love Tonight’ and the more upbeat ‘Hakuna Matata’, The Lion King production coalesce to give you an exceptional theatrical experience.

The performance is worth the price!

Catch The Lion King performances on Tuesday to Sunday evenings at 8pm and Saturday and Sunday matinees at 2pm. Ticket prices for the engagement starts from S$65. Platinum packages, which include prime seat locations, a souvenir gift, S$10 merchandise voucher and a drink, are also available.
Due to overwhelming response, The Lion King performances have been extended indefinitely.  And to commemorate their status as the longest-running musical in Singapore, the organizers (Marina Bay Sands) have launched a special promotional family package, “Pride Pack” (four tickets). You save $100 per family. Tickets are available from SISTIC or the Marina Bay Sands Box offices.

The tickets are pricey (but well-worth it, in my opinion), so to ensure that you and your family have an enjoyable experience, here are some things to keep in mind:

• Bring a sweater; kids should wear long pants/tights - it can get a little chilly in the theatre.
• Get the kids to visit the bathroom before the show starts. The queue gets a little long during the interval (about 20 mins; a bell will cue you when the interval is over)
• Be punctual – if you are late, you will miss the spectacular start of the performance. Also, you are granted entry or re-admission into the theatre only when there’s an appropriate pause in the show.
• Pack some snacks and drinks for your child unless you don’t mind splurging at the Theatre Snack counter (a regular packet of chips or chocolate bar start at $3; soft drinks at $5 and alcohol from $10-15).
• Children under 3 years of age are admitted free of charge, provided they sit on their parents' lap.
• Get tickets near the aisle if you have a young child – you can get out easily if your child gets restless or frightened by the performance.
• Go for the matinee show (2pm) if your kids can't stay up past 9pm - the show is 2.5 hours long
• As tempted as you will be to photograph and record the performance, it is NOT allowed.

Now we understand why people couldn't get enough of it, and go back a second or third time.  We are watching it again. See you there?

This post first appeared in theAsianparent.com on 8 August 2011.

The Singapore Traffic Police Department answers some of our questions on child safety when travelling on the road.

1. What are the general car seat guidelines in Singapore?
Under the Road Traffic Act, a child below the age of 8 years old, who is the passenger of a motor vehicle, has to be secured using a child restraint that is appropriate for his/her height and weight, or use a booster seat cushion in conjunction with the vehicle seat belts. (A note to clarify: a child restraint comes with its own seat belts, but a booster seat cushion does not. A person sitting on a booster seat cushion has to be belted up with the vehicle seat belts.)

The law does not specify the age group that has to use a child restraint and the age group that has to use a booster seat cushion, because different children may grow at different rate. It is left to the discretion of the parents / driver to decide whether a child restraint or booster seat cushion is more suitable for a particular child. Parents typically switch from using a child restraint to a booster seat cushion when their children turn 4 years old.

2. Is it illegal to have your car seat in the front seat?
There is no traffic rule which states where a child restraint should be placed (front seat or back seat). However, some cars do carry labels on their sun shade flaps, advising against putting a rear-facing child restraint in the front passenger seat, due to the location of the air bag in the car. Parents should check their cars to see if they carry such a label, before deciding on the appropriate place to put the child restraint.

3. How old should a child be for him/her to sit in the front seat?
The law does not specify where a child has to sit in the vehicle. A child can sit in the front passenger seat as long as he is secured with a child restraint.

4. Will the driver get into trouble if a child is not buckled?
It is the responsibility of the driver to ensure that all his passengers – whether they are adults or children — wear seat belts. If the passenger is a child, the child has to be secured with a child restraint or use a booster seat cushion. A driver who fails to ensure that his adult or child passenger is belted up commits an offence which entails a composition fine of S$120 and 3 demerit points.

5. Can a child sit in the front seat with an adult?
A child who is travelling in a motor vehicle has to be secured with a child restraint. If sitting “in the front seat with an adult” means that the child is sitting on the lap of the adult, with the adult holding on to the child, it is not allowed.

The purpose of a child restraint is to secure the child properly so that he/she can have a safe journey. It is not possible to adequately protect a child by carrying him/her in the arms. This is because, in the event of a forward collision, the effective weight of the child would increase dramatically. An adult would not be able to hold on to this weight.

6. What are the penalties for flouting the traffic law on car seats - are there any?
Any driver who fails to belt up or ensure that his adult or child passenger is belted up commits an offence which entails a composition fine of S$120 and 3 demerit points.

7. Advice from traffic police on car seat / child safety in a moving vehicle
Motorists,  especially  parents,  should be aware that they are responsible for  the  safety of  young children travelling in their vehicles, and that they  are  endangering  the  lives  of these children whenever proper child restraints are not used. The use of proper child restraints is a simple act that could help save lives.

8. Are there any rules on children traveling in vans, lorries or trucks?
Yes, a child can travel in vans, lorries or trucks, but the same rule will apply — that the child has to be secured using a child restraint that is appropriate for his/her height and weight, or use a booster seat cushion in conjunction with the vehicle seat belts.

This article first appeared in theAsianparent.com