Caterpillars to Butterflies!

Caterpillars have a special connection with children, because just like the kids, they are children themselves. The relentless appetite and their magical transformation capture our imagination, and the metamorphosis from 'ugly' to 'glory' is the essence of a fairy tale. Eric Carle's 'The Very Hungry Caterpillar' was one of our favourite bedtime stories when the girls were much younger, until the book fell apart.

After brief encounters with various critters from around our neighbourhood, caterpillars seemed like the next pet on our wishlist. However, they don't simply show up at your door, and it required a little bit of 'luck' and all of God's perfect timing for me to stumble across literally hundreds of them chewing up a creeper, where else but good old downstairs!

We brought home a couple, placed them in an enclosure we used for some of our previous critters, and I managed to identify the caterpillars as belonging to those of the Tawny Coster (Acrea violacea) from a caterpillar gallery on Nature Society (Singapore).

Here's a little picture composition of our new pets. Enjoy!

Some of the caterpillars were already quite mature, and we could expect some of them to turn into cocoons within a week.

The girls asked me about whether the caterpillars will miss their mummy if we took them away and put them in our home. It led to a discussion on how God has set us in families so that we know what love feels like, and how we should appreciate Mummy for all the sacrifices and hard work she puts into taking care of us. Caterpillars may never know, a mummy's love.

A caterpillar readies itself for the long nap.

Within a the same day we saw it hanging from the branch, it had transformed into a a zebra patterned pupa.

After five days, the cocoon turns black, signaling that within a few hours the butterfly will emerge. True enough, the moment arrives!

Releasing these amazing butterflies was a reminder to me that just like the little caterpillars that came to us a couple of weeks ago, it won't be long before these two precious girls spread their wings and fly away. When the time comes, will I be ready to open the cage door and set them free?

Mummy's Solo Day 1-3: Seoul to Naju

After a hectic year of work and school, the school holiday is finally here so off we go for another family holiday. But first! My personal travel time!! If mummy is well, the whole family would be well, isn't it? So I arranged for 2 weeks in Korea (yes, again...) before the rest of the family and cousins join me for another two weeks. That is a full month of travel! To make the trip more meaningful, I helped out at an  English camp in Naju. Naju is a small town located in the northern part of Korea. You can either take an intercity bus from Incheon Airport which would take you about 6 hours or you can take the KTX from Seoul Station. With the new line, you can reach there in about 2.5 hours.

My team mates and I opted for the KTX ride so we headed to Seoul one day before the camp was due to start. We booked a one night stay in Metro hotel which is situated right in the shopping haven of Myeongdong and since we arrived too early for check-in, we went to change our money at Dongdaemum. This particular money-changer in Dongdaemum, at exit 6 and 7, has the best exchange rate I have ever seen. When most places in Korea and Singapore have the exchange rate of S$1 to 800 won, we were able to get an exchange rate of 820 won. Of course, if you are changing a small amount, it may not be that worth it to travel all the way down just to do the exchange. But when you are changing money for a month's worth of travel, every cent counts.

The view once you come out of Dongdaemun Exit 6. It is actually a shorter walk from the subway if you take Exit 7.
The money-changer is just a few stalls away from the Exits 6 and 7. 

The shop with its' yellow signboard. The exchange rate is written on the whiteboard in the store. 

Finally checked into our room in Metro Hotel. My team mate and I took the smallest Superior Room.
Clean and bright. A bit narrow for all our suitcases but since it was only for a night, it did not bother us.  

Very clean 

Standing shower. 

Simple coffee and tea. Oops, the strawberries are not included. 

We took a short stroll around Myeongdong before heading back to our hotel room early. We needed to pack for the camp and have a good rest since we had to catch an early train the next day. It was raining the whole day and we were warned that it would be very cold the next day....

Our view while on the train to Naju...it was really freezing...even with gloves, our fingers were all frozen stiff. 

Snow!!! Never thought all white would be so pretty.

We had a few hours of break before the camp's young children arrived so we were brought out for lunch and a mini-tour around Naju. Having done the camp for three consecutive years, we never really had the chance to go around Naju. We have only tasted their nationwide famous Naju pears so we were all looking forward to explore what this little town had in store for us. We were first brought to this restaurant along a small road, where it is known for their galbi. I was a little under the weather so in order to maintain the stamina I needed for the camp, I intended to go slow on the food intake but when the food and side dishes arrived, the urge was too much to resist.

Mouth-watering beef galbi. The side-dishes were simply delicious as well. Indeed, the food in the Naju is simply...heavenly.....

We were brought to the restaurant early to avoid the lunch crowd. When we were outside, we were certainly not expecting such spacious, clean and warm interior. 

Hopefully with this business card, you can find your way there with a local driver.

Next, we experienced one of the locals' favorite pastime - hiking. A slow walk to digest the heavy lunch was welcomed. However, we were a bit apprehensive at first and unsure if the hike would be more intense than expected, but when we arrived at Geumsongsan, we were put at ease by the beauty of Mother Nature. The air was so fresh that we were rejuvenated and were more than ready to take on the hiking challenge.

The freshness of the air couldn't be captured no matter how good a photographer I am. 

Signs of winter setting in. Apparently, in the summer, the area in the background becomes a swimming pool. 

My favourite shot - the combining beauty of the seasons. 

Thankfully, the walk up wasn't not steep so we were able to stop and enjoy the scenery. 

The fallen autumn leaves, when mixed with the rain and snow, made it slippery. Good hiking shoes are recommended. 

The walls of a temple in the background. 

The lake just at the entrance before the drive into Geumsongsan.

We were brought to a mansion for tea! Just like the ones we saw in Korean dramas! SO romantic. 

We just need a good-looking Korean actor to share the bench with. 

The interior of the cafe matches the romantic exterior. It felt as if we were set back in time and were in an English cafe with warm wall papers and yellow lighted chandeliers. Food like pasta and sandwiches were served in this cafe but we had stomach for only the beverages. We ordered coffee and Korean red date tea and their traditional ginger tea. Everyone in the group agreed that the tea was simply marvellous. The red date tea was more like a red date soup, thick and flavorful. As a friend put it," Unlike what we have back home, where we throw in one date or two and call it red date tea." Funny but true. Their ginger tea was also thick but the ginger taste was not too overwhelming that it burns the throat. The ginger tea or should I call it soup, was sweet and warmed the body up immediately. It was certainly much needed in the cold that was creeping in even as we enjoyed ourselves.

Traditional Korean Ginger Tea. Photo Credit: instagram @janelkuuu

Caffe Latte. Photo Credit: instagram @janelkuuu

Naju is indeed a beautiful and peaceful little town. You would need to drive or engage a driver if you want to explore the place. With the new KTX line, it takes only 2.5 hours so if time is tight, you can just choose to do a day trip. Definitely a relaxing trip, away from the crowd and rush in Seoul. 

ArtScience Museum: The Deep, Dreamworks Animation, Singapore Stories

We paid a visit to the ArtScience Museum over the weekend and were in for a treat.  There was free SG50 exhibition by The Straits Times entitled Singapore Stories (17 July to 4 October), and $59 got us a two-adult-two-kids package to see Dreamworks Animation (13 to 27 September) and The Deep (6 June to 27 October).

We took many pictures, but you can be sure viewing these images are not the same as actually being there. The galleries are not just about the exhibits, but as can be seen by the museum's name, they're artistically presented to touch not just the mind but also connect with the senses.

Enjoy the photo-composition!

The Deep: Illuminating the Mysteries of the Deep Sea

The caption 'Illuminating the Mysteries of the Deep Sea' is fitting. The deepest, darkest places in the vast ocean do not see the light of day, and it seemed like the organisers are trying to bring out that eerie feeling as we step into a dark gallery, lit almost only by the light of the exhibits themselves.

Chronological timeline depicting the developments in undersea exploration over the years.

Classifications of the ocean by depth.

Deep down in the dark, light is produced by the living!

An artistic presentation of some animals found in the depths. There was an artistic element to the display that required staff to shine UV light into large jars to illuminate them.

In the hidden depths, even the fish take on unique forms.

I think we've seen something like this before in the fish markets of Korea.

Bearded eel?

Larger angler fish!

Images featuring light producing organisms in the deep.

This is called the Football Fish

Hagfish: jawless scavengers of the deep

More creatures that appear to have popped out from your scariest nightmares.

This tiny fish has an adorable face!

Not so adorable faces, but interesting nonetheless!

Gulper Eeel

There was a mini-cinema where visitors could laze around on beanbags and benches to enjoy amazing videos taken from deep sea expeditions.

The adorable looking deep-sea isopod, aka 'Teletubby'.

There was an activity corner for kids to create marine-themed masks but we gave it a miss as the little ones needed to use the restroom.

Posing with a display of the Goblin shark.

An informative panel on the passionate Claire Nouvian, an explorer, filmaker, researcher and ocean ambassador.

Dreamworks Animation: The Exibition - Journey From Sketch to Screen

We were apprehensive at first at taking the package for both these exhibitions, thinking that we'd be too tired to enjoy both in the same day. We were glad that we heeded the advice over the counter that it would be both an eye-opener and fun time for the children.

The experience was extremely educational, and charts the arduous process of creating an animated story. It was mind-blowing the number of steps involved in coming up with the final product we see in the cinemas (or in our case, on the in-flight entertainment systems during the holidays). In-addition, the exhibition highlights the development of the animation industry and technology from the past to what it is today.

The entrance welcomes you with a lesson on character conceptualisation!

Character marquettes are hand-crafted sculptures made during the character development process.

The marquettes bring out the unique traits and characteristics of the characters.

A collection of artists' sketches of the characters from the animation Madagascar.

Technology helps to combine various facial features to get that perfect facial expression of a particular emotion. Here, an interactive tool allows us to pick and choose the various facial features and appreciate the outcome.

A story isn't a story without a plot. Brainstorming leads to a series of storyboards.

Artists reenact the scenes using props to better communicate ideas and what the scenes might look like to the animators.

We watch a presentation of the storyboards at the brainstorming table.

A comparison of the number of storyboards used across various animations.

Playing around with the visual effects on an interactive screen. Here, we can tweak the amplitudes and frequencies of the waves and ripples on the ocean's surface and enjoy the effects.

There was a craft table where kids could put together a little flip-book and learn about this old-school animation technique!

Inside this mini-theatre, we're taken on a tour of the 'set' of the animation 'How to Train Your Dragon' on a widescreen perspective of the rider on the dragon's back in mid-flight.

Sit back and enjoy the show!

Miniature models of the sets found in the animations.

Shrek's house!

There was a drawing room where visitors could design their own drawings and use high-tech means to create a short animation.

The girls love to draw! Before we knew it we were stuck here.

It took a little time to learn the software, but once we got used to it, we got pretty engrossed. Even Daddy got involved. I must admit we never really figured out how to work the animation part though.

Singapore STories: Then, Now, Tomorrow

The FOC exhibition in celebration of SG50 tells the Singapore story through the lens of the journalists and photographers of The Straits Times. It was simply stunning walking though history and reading everything that made the front page in the last 50 years!

We enjoyed toying around with this interactive touch-screen that allowed us to choose a key place in Singapore, and swipe over to go back and forth between the present and vintage image of the place. Here, the place shown on the screen is Boat Quay.

There was a large, sprawling timeline that highlighted key dates with images of newspapers from the time.

The children watch on of the many video features in the gallery.

Dress-me-up cutouts that featured our national costumes, and also included commonly seen coffee-shop T-shirt, shorts and flip-flops outfit.

We left the museum after over three hours of fruitful walking. We were so engrossed by amazing experiences at the first two exhibitions that by the time we reached the Singapore Stories gallery, we were tired. Since it is free, there may be another time for us to return and enjoy it fully.