He Was Little Once...

Taken on 1 December 2008.

I keep watching this video taken by Opa on one of the visits to Barcelona. It's so amazing to see how much Zac has grown. Even though I know he's changed so much, nothing beats being able to watch it onscreen.

Lunch with Friends

I hadn't had the time to download the remaining pictures in my camera until today. Finding a quiet moment in a house bustling with lots of activity has proven to be quite a challenge. It seems like ages ago that we met up with our Barcelona friends for an excellent chicken lunch. We miss them lots.

Photos taken on 9 April, 2010

We're All Going to the Zoo Zoo Zoo

School's out and what better way to kick off semana santa (Holy Week) than a visit to the Barcelona Zoo?

We met a couple of Zac's friends and their mums/dads at the entrance. When we got there, we realised we were the first ones there. As you can see from the line in the background, practically every family in Barcelona who had young children had descended on the little zoo today too! The usually tranquil, uncrowded embiance of the zoo was bustling with children running amok, parents yelling at said children to get them to comply. It was like a zoo!

Joanna and Maxwell were first to arrive followed by Michelle and Miles on bike. Nuria and Sofia Rogers came a little later too. Since we didn't have the family pass everyone else had, we had to stand in line and buy tickets. A really good thing about this place as well as a lot of other attractions in Barcelona, children under the age of 3 go in for free!


Our first stop was the dolphin auditorium where there was a fun performance. I discovered that Zac does NOT like dolphins. While everyone else was applauding and hoots of excitement, he cried and whined the whole time save for the short interval where the dolphins bounced big rubber balls into the crowd. I did try to stay till the end since I wanted to inadertantly teach him that there was something worth being afraid of in that show. He calmed down a little towards the end but as soon as the final bows were taken, he pointed to the exit and said "GO".

Zac saying 'hi' to Miquel, the only other living thing to pique his interest.

The rest of the afternoon after the show was a blur and as Michelle put it, it was a little like "herding cats" from exhibit to exhibit. My boy was much more interested in running in no particular direction with only a stray cat making him stop in his tracks. The girls now including Nora and her dad and Sofia with her mum Ele and brother Miquel actually did stop to give some attention to the animals. We'd lost Maxwell and Miles (along with their mums) right after the dolphin show since they'd taken off in opposite directions resulting in mums yelling "we're bound to run into each other later" or "if we see you, we see you"!

We eventually stopped to feed the brood in front of the petting zoo where there was a requisite cafeteria and a big open space to picnic on. The weather was perfect for dining alfresco and it was a good thing it was since the tables and benches were packed solid with exhausted parents and overtired youngens. It was exceptionally nice to be able to sit on the grass and have a little something to eat with friends and their little ones. I don't know about Zac but I think I enjoyed this part the most.

After a bit more running around on the open grass and a stop at the cheetah enclosure, we headed for the petting zoo where a playground was the centrepiece. It was pandamonium and I think if I was an animal in that part of the zoo, I'd need some serious psychotherapy. Zac spent most of this time in the fort-and-slide structure while the rest ran around trying our the different playthings, occasionally paying some attention to the overstimulated animals in the corrals surrounding the playground. We spent practically an hour in there and just as we managed to gather the little ones, they open the goat section to let the children have a go at getting up close and (too) personal with the animals.

Ele and I stayed on the outside while Nuria and Tim went in with the kids. Zac looked pretty bewildered but was curious enough to try and pet one of the hairy things on four legs. What interested him more was the twigs the goats were chewing on and black pellets on the ground which on closer inspection was goat caca (read: poop).

The last ones standing get one last hurrah.

By now, the weather was turning and we were all getting really really tired so we made our way towards the exit. Nuria and Tim continued on their way to see some other animals with their girls but Ele and I decided to quit while we were ahead and mosey on home. On our way out, Ele bought Zac and Sofia an ice lolly from one of the many vending machines littering the zoo. It gave them both just enough pep for us to be able to leave the zoo sans any dramatic antics.

Even though my feet hurt, and all I remember was the dolphin show and the backside of an elephant, I think it was one of those rather lovely, perfect days.

Saying Goodbye

We are having our goodbye meals with friends these next few days so photos and such will be in installments.

Len's Spanish class at Shanti's on Diagonal.
(Ka-chan isn't in the photo but he was there too!)

Right after we dropped Oma and Opa off at the airport, we headed to Len's school because he had some things to do. We met up with Len's Spanish class and teacher at Shanti's after that.

Boxes, Boxes Everywhere

... and yet, it's still a mess. Can you tell that we've already packed a whole lot into our shiping boxes?

The monstrous task of packing and tossing out old junk we can't remember we even had has begun. We've found 2 companies to ship our thngs via, one being insanely cheaper than the other. Only downside? No insurance.

After a think, we decide to ship most of our staff with Transras (no insurance, super affordable and fast - think less than 20 days) and the will-cry-and-cuss-if-lost boxes with Sevenseas Worldwide. Thus far, it's the cheap-cheap option that has us impressed with efficiency and low cost. The other company, though really convenient and enabling, fails to be that way when they send or pick things up from us! These days I wonder if it's really true that you get what you pay for!

We're saying prayers over our boxes which contain our life here in Barcelona and keep our fingers (and toes crossed) that they all reach Singapore in one piece.

Have a Nice Day

Daddy, Opa, Oma and Zac at Port Vell having a breather.

It was such a nice day so we took a stroll after brunch with Vicky, her family, Aziz, his family, Alberto and my family. We certainly needed it since we ate SO MUCH at Marmalade. Pancakes, breakfast burgers, smoothies, scrambled eggs - so good.

Happy Graduation Daddy!

It's been a long time coming but finally, it's graduation day!

The race has been long and hard and oftentimes as frustrating but my man's made it to the finish line. I am so proud and truly believe no one has done it with as much grace, humility, dignity, diligence and consistency. It's no wonder that he's the Best Overall MBA and an all-round nice guy (so much so that he got rejected by a certain big name company. Seriously, who would have thought?).

Jumping head first into this MBA, neither of us knew how tough we would be having it over the span of 2 years. Many said it was madness to attempt doing an MBA abroad with a fledgling family in tow. The start out was like a baptism of fire, for Len in school and for me on the domestic front. Bumped and knocked into place, God's refiner's fire seems to have distilled us to our finest qualities so that we emerge better and more sure of ourselves than before. We've even found out new things about each other during this process. I think we did very well for ourselves and Zac will benefit greatly from his parents who have "grown up" over the past 2 years. I proudly pat ourselves on the back and say "Happy Graduation Day Pattiselannos!"

Congratulations also to all the graduating ESADE students of 2010!

Zac's Last Day at The Playhouse

Tick tock, tick tock
The clock says, "Tick tock."
The clock says, "Tick tock."
It's time to say goodbye.

Goodbye Ellen...

Goodbye Raquel...

Goodbye Auntie Sarah... It's time to say goodbye.

It's Zac's last day at The Playhouse and we're sad that our time at this amazing pre-school has come to an end. It's not official last day of the school year but because we leave Barcelona on the 14th of April, we're not likely to be around after everyone comes back from semana santa (Holy Week) break.

I'm not sure if Zac really understands that this is his last time in his school but he seemed more tearful and sensitive this morning. Perhaps his little mind sensed that things were not the same as usual school days. It made me feel a bit sad that he most of his memories of his time here and of his friends may only be contained in photographs. Still, it was lots of fun and truly wonderful while it lasted. Who knows, we might all meet again one day.

It's a Matter of Perspective

Conversation I had with Zac on the bus on our way to school:

Zac (pointing at the ad printed on the inside of the bus' doors): "Mummy, trees!"
Me (looking at ad with silhouette of raised hands against light): "Oh! No darling they're hands. They look a whole lot like trees don't they?"
Zac (thoughtfully): "Tree hands!"

Winding Down

We're heading into our last few weeks of our life in Barcelona. It's so surreal that we've been doing this Spain-Singapore tango for almost 2 years now! I've been so very blessed to have met some really wonderful friends through Zac's school and am sad to have to leave them all behind.

At this point in time, we're not quite sure what the future holds and we're waiting and praying to see what God will reveal in His time. Len is in Germany for an interview as I type this entry. He left yesterday morning and comes back this evening. We have not heard from him about how things went but I guess we'll be filled in this evening. I don't think we'll know for sure what the results of the interview are until later but it's exciting stuff and we wait with baited breath.

Our short term plan, post graduation (March 26th, ladies and gentlemen!), is to spend a little time seeing some parts of Spain. We might choose to kick back and stay in Barcelona since Len hasn't had much rest the whole MBA. We ARE planning to go back to Singapore April 14th regardless if he gets a job offer or not. So there you have it, The Plan.

Captain Underpants

I've been toying with the idea and shelving it for a while now but today I decided to give potty training with Zac a go. I'd already bought his Cars underpants from H&M a while ago but I never could figure the best time to get started. Since today happened to be one of those do-nothing days and we're both happy to stay home, it seemed like an opportune time to get crackin'.

How'd I know Zac was ready? We've been spending lots of time with our friends Ele and Sofia and Sofia is already out of her diapers. He's noticed that she sits on the toilet when it's time to "go" and he's also watched the other toilet trained children in school. This is probably why he's asked to sit on the pot (albeit with his diapers on) even though nothing comes out.

So far, I have mopped the floor 3 times and am starting to wonder if I should be doing something differently. Anyone care to offer tips or suggestions?

Come to Bed Daddy

Zac has been waking up at odd hours the past few nights. This is thanks in part to the late hours his daddy has been keeping because of school and the plethora of projects he's working on. Zac usually wakes a little but goes back to bed once he's confirmed the presence of his parents in bed near by. These few nights however, the munchkin has woken to find that his daddy is still hard at work at our dining room table.

This morning, he woke at 4AM to the usual ring of light coming from outside the bedroom.

Zac (groggy): "Mummy, daddy?" (ie, where is he?)
Me (groggier): "Daddy is still outside working babe. Go back to sleep."
5 minutes later...
Zac: "Mummy, daddy?
Me: "He's working outside. It's ok babe, go back to sleep."
Pause
Zac: "Zacky go get daddy mummy."
Me (groggy): "Ok."
Sound of pitter patter in the dark. Door opens.
Zac (beckoning): "Come on daddy. Come boboh." (boboh = sleep)
Len: "I'm coming baby. Go back to sleep first."
Zac pads out and pulls his daddy into the room.
Zac (insistent): "Come boboh daddy. Come on."

I couldn't help but smile in the dark as the two of them lumbered back into the room.

Valencia Day 2 - Oceanografic

I was so so so so grateful that I was feeling better in the morning. The night was spent drifting in and out of sleep, shivering with fever then breaking into sweat only to have the fever come back again. The boys seemed to sleep better though, thank you Lord!

We were off to the Oceanografic (O) today so it really would have been a shame if I was too sick to go. I love watching animals and really hope that this will rub off on Zac (who is still obsessed with things on wheels). Weather was alright most of the morning but it did start to sprinkle a little as walked towards the O from the bus stop.

Zac fell asleep on the bus so we had a pretty peaceful ride and trouble-free start to the day. Don't they all look so angelic when they're asleep?

The O is housed in a pretty amazing structure with several buildings holding various types of underwater environments. I really liked the Beluga whales which resembled carved marble statues in their perfection. It was the sharks for Len though he didn't get to see a Great White. For Zac? It was the audio guide but not because of the content but because it looked like a giant phone. He spent most of his time calling Superwhy (see: PBS Kids)!

After this, we had lunch at one of the restaurants at the O. I wouldn't recommend it unless you had little choice since the food was expectedly expensive and not quite worth all the money you fork out. In the end you pay more for convenience.

We took a long long long long nap after heading back to the hotel from the O. By the time we woke up, it was really wet outside plus it was already dinner time. Since we hadn't had the time to do much planning beforehand, we attempted to head to the Mercat district to grab a meal. It was meant to be this Italian restaurant Len Googled but when you're cold, wet and hungry, you stop at the first thing that catches your eye.


In this case, Ichido - Japanese food joint run by Chinese so you get a lot of "fusion" food. Still, it works for anyone who has an Asian toddler to feed! (Rice, noodles, SET!)

Walked around a little bit since the rain let up but that didn't last long. Back to the hotel to call it a night.

Reading in Bed

Weather Update: SNOW!!!

It's actually collecting instead of melting upon contact!

It started off as rain then sleet then now it's full-out SNOW! Talk about unpredictable weather. It's coming down fast and hard but I'm hoping it'll ease up a bit so Zac and I can go play a bit. Fun stuff.

I can already hear people hooting and hollering with glee in the park behind our building. The pigeons flying around look terribly confused and disoriented. Poor things.

View from our back window!

From our bedroom window.

Update: Zac got up from his nap so we got bundled up to go onto our balcony. His first taste of snow. Tentative first steps on the slushy ice but now he's bugging me for more!

Valencia Valencia

The travellers!

Finally, a chance to see another city in Spain! We have been wanting to go on a short trip for a long time but never had the time or the right "long weekend". Somehow everything seemed to fall into place this time and we were headed to Valencia during the Las Fallas (big street festival/party in honour of St Joseph, patron saint of carpenters) period!

View from inside the train station at Valencia.

Len has to be credited for planning the logistics of this particular break though the bad weather was sadly unexpected. We did have lots of sun on the first day but since we didn't pull into the train station in Valencia until closer to Spanish lunch time (ie, 2pm), most of our daylight hours were more or less burnt. In adition, the getaway started off badly with me falling sick (fever and sore throat) and Zac being a crab for most of the holiday. Still, there were good spots in the 4-day break even though we were more tired after we were done than when we first began!

DAY 1

• Arrived around 2.30PM in the afternoon. Small one slept on the train so he was in a good enough mood.
  
• Check into Hotel Mediterraneo near the Placa Ayuntamiento - centre of most of Las Fallas activities.
• Haul our tired butts to the City of Arts and Sciences after purchasing our tickets for the Oceanografic and the Museo de las Ciencias Principe Felipe at the hotel front desk.
• Famished and grumpy, since we hadn't eaten except for some rice cakes and fruit on the train. I needed to eat, FAST.
  
• Head to mega mall just opposite the City and procceeded with McDonald's lunch/tea. Now we're just tired.
  
• Hauled grumpy butts to the Oceanografic but it was an hour to closing. Can't do justice to the Oceanografic in a measly hour so we get the tickets changed to Friday and Saturday.
• Spend remaining time at the mall. Zac seemed rather happy playing with the shopping carts with kiddie car attachment in the front. We played for almost 2 hours in total with the carts!!
• Had our first taste of paella valenciana which was pathetic to say the least but it was food nonetheless. Caught Zac on film after having sucked a lemon.

• Hop onto bus no. 35 to head back to the hotel for SLEEEEEPPP.

Will continue this post later. In the meantime, see photos here.

Learning the Hard Way

There is no such thing as a relaxing vacation when you go with two-and-a-half-year-old chipmump (Zac-speak for chipmunk). No matter how "compliant" you think he is! I believe some Panadol is in order tonight after the parade tonight.

From,
Pooped-out-of-their-minds Patti Parents
(in Valencia for Las Fallas)

P.S.
Photos to follow once we've kissed the floor of our apartment!

YUMS: Paraguayo

If you like your meat, specifically beef, Paraguayo is worth a look-see (and eat). (Thank you to Moto and Grania for the recommendation!) We went there for lunch with Alberto (Uncle Ulbetteto as Zac calls him) who we haven't seen in a while.

They started with some really delicious tidbits looked like bingka ubi but where the latter is sweet, the former is savoury and tasted like quiche. The lady who served us evidently lost her voice so I didn't catch what it was called. Pity. The bread bowl was next and among the rolls and breadsticks there were these incredibly chewy and very tasty cheesy breads that looked like cream puffs but without the cream..

Alberto had a skirt steak and Len had a sirloin. I had one of the specialties which was seasoned beef bashed to paper-thinless and fried with light batter. Sinful. Next time I'll take more photos of the food.

Zachary in the Morning

Our morning routine usually starts off with Zac having a lounge on the comforter that we have spread out in front of our couch.

(Top left: taken on February 26, 2010, others taken today.)

Once he's good and ready to have his teeth brushed and nappy changed, Zac and I have breakfast at our new favourite spot in the apartment - the kitchen, more specifically, in front of the kitchen window. He likes dining al fresco and particularly enjoys listening to the neighbours going about their business.

Zac: "Ee-aww-ee-aww, VIOLIN mummy!"
Me (shocked and astounded): "That's right babe!"


The view from the kitchen window.

His favourite breakfast right now is peanut butter on wholegrain bread with a cup or two of Milo. He even makes the sandwich himself (more or less)! On some days I make oatmeal, French toast with Lyle's golden syrup, pancakes or scrambled eggs but the peanut butter sandwich is one of the few things he can make on his own without going near the stove.

Zachary making his breakfast.
(Taken on February 27, 2010)

I'm going to miss these mornings where we can both take our time and enjoy each others company. It's one of those valuable take aways from our Barcelona experience fo' sho!