Have a Hare-py Start to CNY 2023 at Suntec City, where you can Shop, Feast & Play at LEGO®️ Prosperity Burrows Event!

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Wait, what? What do you mean the Chinese New Year is NINE days away?? OMG, there seems to be tons of stuff to settle - from spring-cleaning to stocking up for festive goodies to getting new clothes for the family!

But even with so little time to get ready for the Year of the Rabbit, all you have to do is head down to Suntec City this CNY! Because shopping, feasting or play - this mall has it all!

Mai 兔 liao!  Enjoy exclusive mall rewards when you shop and dine at Suntec City. From redeeming Suntec+ Points, Red Packets, Rabbit Zodiac Plush and a LEGO®️ God of Fortune build, to Flash Sale deals and even a large-scale LEGO️ Prosperity Burrows event - Suntec City is the go-to place this festive season!

Oh, did I mention a LEGO️ festive wonderland... and that it is bunny-themed?

Yup, nothing like injecting some PLAY element into the CNY festivities for the kids - while us parents get busy with our CNY shopping! 😁

LEGO®️ Prosperity Burrows at Suntec City

Step into Bunny’s world at the LEGO Prosperity Burrows Event and celebrate the festivities with interactive thematic game stations and exclusive LEGO merchandise! From now to 5 Feb 2023, the LEGO Prosperity Burrows event at Suntec City, Atrium (Tower 1 & 2) allows families to bond ‘Tu兔-gether Through Play’ this festive season. Whether you are young or young-at-heart, the thematic game stations will challenge your motor, building AND jumping skills!

Don't worry, there is something for everybody because...

Complete all 3 game stations to redeem a LEGO polybag*!

*Polybags are random based on first-come-first-served basis.

*Limited to 1 redemption per person only.

Take part in the challenges to collect a stamp at each of the three thematic game stations. 

🐰 Spring-Clean Tu-gether 🐰

Here's where you put your motor skills to the test. Using the specially designed "LEGO cleaning machine", help the Mother Bunny to clean up 8 carrots from the burrow to earn one stamp.

🐰 Family Time Tu-gether 🐰

Building skills FTW! First, spin the wheel to find out which of the bunnies' favourite food you will help prepare!

Speed-build the chosen food item - instructions will be provided to guide your kid in completing the build. Earn another stamp once completed!

🐰 Harmonise Tu-gether 🐰

Since it's the Year of the Rabbit, there has to be some jumping involved... and this game station requires plenty of it! 😆 All you have to do is to step onto the jumping board and HOP LIKE A BUNNY!!!

The faster you jump, the more bulbs will light up. Light up a minimum of 8 bulbs to earn the final stamp!

DONE WITH ALL 3 STATIONS? Head over to the redemption station to redeem a free LEGO polybag.

PSST, want to get ANOTHER LEGO POLYBAG for free?

Here's a tip - Head to the community build area to personalise LEGO bricks and have your creation be part of a life-sized Chinese New Year greeting at the event! Pass your completed work to the redemption counter and receive an additional LEGO polybag.

Of course, there are photo opportunities galore too!

Snap a family photo 兔-gether with the 5-metre tall 360-degree rotating LEGO bunny centerpiece that is sure to leave the kids in awe! 

Don’t miss the Meet & Greet with a LEGO️ Mascot on weekends (14, 15, 28 and 29 Jan). The larger-than-life character will be roving the mall from 2pm to 6pm on these days and you can stand a chance to receive exclusive LEGO️ Red Packets when you greet them!

BONUS! 🐰 Spot The Hidden Bunny 🐰

Head to the diorama display located beneath the bunny centerpiece.

Count the total number of bunnies in the display.... yes, bunnies like these.

I have to say it's not easy although trying to spot the bunnies was such a fun experience with kids in tow! Once you think you have the answer, you can scan the QR code at the display to submit it.

Participants who obtain the closest answers will win LEGO sets!

You can also bring home the fun when you shop at the LEGO merchandise area by Bricks World and redeem limited edition Lunar New Year themed LEGO sets!

With a minimum spend of SGD 68, you can redeem a LEGO Creator 3-in-1 Panda Bear set. You can also redeem a LEGO Lion Dance set or a LEGO Year of the Rabbit set with a minimum spend of SGD 88 and SGD 108 respectively.

DETAILS

Venue: Suntec City, Atrium (Tower 1 & 2)

Dates: Now to 5 February 2023

Operating Hours: 10:30am to 9:30pm

FEAST & SHOP at Suntec City

After all that excitement, no doubt our tummies will be rumbling so hear it from me that there’s no better place to feast than at White Restaurant (Fountain Court, #B1-131).

Known for its signature white bee hoon dish, White Restaurant is currently offering CNY Reunion Dinner sets as well as its Grand Fortune Abalone Yusheng!

Available in Medium ($49.90) and Large ($66.80) sizes, White Restaurant's Grand Fortune Abalone Yusheng certainly fulfilled my (and Ale's) yusheng cravings! We know because we tried.

I love how the yusheng set came with a paper base, which listed all the Chinese sayings that one usually shouts when adding the yusheng ingredients.

And that rabbit figurine is cute to the max! Pity I can't take it home. 😅

Anyway, tossed away we did and I have to say the yusheng was just right in terms of moisture and sweetness. Nothing too over the top, and the mini abalones were the perfect complement to the yusheng.

The Grand Fortune Abalone Yusheng set is available at White Restaurant from now to 5 Feb 2023, while stocks last.

Okay, so maybe it wasn't such a good idea that I headed to Siddix Tailor (Tower 2, #02-495) after devouring the yusheng... because I had to get my new suit done for the new year!

Siddix Tailor takes great pride in creating suits that fit perfectly. And I found out that not only do they make Men's suits, but also for Women and Kids too. Perfect stop if you are looking to make some new fashion for the whole family!

Actually, there is no better time to do so than now because Siddix Tailor is currently running a promotion where you will receive FIVE items for FREE when you make a suit there.

For every purchase of a suit, you will receive the following: 

- Shirt (also custom-made!)

- Necktie

- Pocket Square

- Cufflinks

- Leather Card Holder

Adam from Siddix Tailor was there to take my measurements for my suit, and I love how he was giving me advice on the type of material and colour to pick which would look good and fitted nicely on me.

Few days later I tried on an unfinished suit and pants that Adam did, and it was a perfect fit!

I have to admit it had been a long while since I went for a fitting session - the last time was for my wedding which was like 20 years ago.😆 So I definitely felt pampered and was at ease with going with Adam's recommendations.

Do note that the promotion ends on 14 Feb 2023, and it is applicable to Blend Wool and All Wool suits only.

Be a pastry star in your family for each festive season and hone your baking skills at BELLS Baking Studio (Tower 5, #02-408)... so that when the next gathering comes along, you will be able to whip up your brand of cakes, muffins, cookies, bread, dim sum and so much more!

At this professionally equipped baking studio at Suntec City, you can choose from a wide variety of baking courses; making breads, cakes, cookies, scones, macarons, tarts, dim sums etc.

And no worries if you are a newbie baker because BELLS Baking Studio offers baking lessons that are curated for beginners and novice bakers. What's even better is that these courses are SkillsFuture Credit Eligible!

I sat in for one such lesson where the participants were learning how to bake Egg Tarts and Peach Blossom Pastries.

Firstly, I was impressed by how spacious the baking studios are - the aisles between each workstation are not narrow and the studios are brightly lit.

The participants also had a clear view of what the trainer, Chef Melissa, was doing at her workstation and from what I saw, they picked up her tips effortlessly! There was also a TV monitor showing live demonstration, instructions on whiteboard and a recipe book to follow!

Think I might just sign up for their upcoming Hands-on Baking of Breads & Tarts course in February!

WANT EVEN MORE REASONS TO VISIT SUNTEC CITY THIS CNY?

Spend & Redeem Promotions 

With min. spend of $108

- 3,000 Suntec+ Points (worth $3)

- Red Packets

With min. spend of $228

- Rabbit Zodiac Plush

- 3,000 Suntec+ Points (worth $3)

- Red Packets

Can I just say the rabbit plushies are super adorable??? 😍

With min. spend of $388

- LEGO®️ God of Fortune Build

- Rabbit Zodiac Plush

- 3,000 Suntec+ Points (worth $3)

- Red Packets

*Redemption available at any customer service counter. While stocks last. Click HERE for full promotion terms & conditions.

NEW SIGN-UPS

- Receive 2,000 Suntec+ Points when you sign up with Promo Code: SPRING23

FLASH SALE

- From now to 17 Jan 2023, purchase $8 Flash Deals and get up to 20% off brand e-Vouchers on the Suntec+ App! Participating brands include Din Tai Fung, Fruit Paradise, HOLLIN, Cafe Usagi & more!

Psst, these are just two of the deals that I am eyeing! (Because which kid doesn't love xiaolongbao, right? 😁)

MEMBERS' DAY

- Exclusively for Suntec+ Members, earn 4X Suntec+ Points on qualified receipts (with a minimum spending of $20) uploaded to the Suntec+ App on 18 Jan and 15 Feb 2023!

*Terms & conditions apply. Click HERE for full promotion terms & conditions.

With over 350 retail, dining and lifestyle offerings in Suntec City AND the chance to enjoy family fun at the LEGO® Prosperity Burrows event, I know where I will be headed to with my family this weekend!

For more details, visit HERE.

A Letter to Ash because he turns 18 today & I'm getting all emo

 

Dear Ash,

We made it! Happy 18th birthday, son! While it may seem like an eternity for you, it went by in a flash for me. I think a word hasn't been invented yet that even begins to describe the rush of emotions flooding towards me right now. Joy, excitement, confusion, nolstagia, pride, fear, sad (just a little!)... the list goes on... all of these emotions bundled into one.

It’s crazy how much has changed since you were born. Back then, Facebook was not open to the general public, and there was definitely no WhatsApp, Instagram and TikTok. The Sony PSP was just launched and the Palm Treo 650 smartphone was still a thing. Heck, even YouTube was only launched 1.5 months after you were born!

So I guess that confirms it then - that you are not a baby anymore.

Which is why today is both a wonderful and miserable day for me.  I've found myself wavering between immense pride and joy at seeing you all grown up, getting a taste of working life, pursuing studies that you enjoy, making new friends and memories...and getting lost in a whirlpool of mixed feelings, being emo because my baby is all grown up.

Some days I do miss that tiny baby, the innocent child that you were. It seems as if one day I reached down to hug you and to hold your tiny had... and suddenly, you are nearly at my eye level. And in the place of my precious baby boy stood a grown man.

It is a wonderful feeling, exciting and humbling even. But at the same time, it is bittersweet for me.

If there were one moment that I can pinpoint exactly that I felt you are spreading your wings, it would be yesterday when you asked if you could go for a day trip to Johor Bahru with your friends. At that moment, reality really smashed right into my face. Travelling overseas and exposing you to the sights and sounds of other countries was what your mum and I love doing. But now, slowly but surely, you will be experiencing it with your friends too.

Don't get me wrong. I don't intend to keep you for myself.

In my eyes, you have grown into a thoughtful, respectful, responsible, and independent person. In fact, I was amazed at your thought processes and writing when you showed me your written assignment for one of your modules a few weeks back. You have truly grown up.

But letting go is tough... and necessary at the same time.

And I am still learning and discovering more about you all the time.

No matter what happens, you will always be my baby, my child, my son. So I want to take a moment to share some advice with you on this special day of your life:

• Be confident, but stay humble and kind.
• Life isn't about finding yourself, it's about creating yourself.
• Be a voice not an echo.
• The grass is only greener on the other side because it's fertilized with shit.
• You were born an original.  Don't die a copy.

And finally, the most important one of all - Family is forever.

Yes, we can drive each other crazy at times but all of us will always be here for you. The door is always open, both literally and metaphorically. There will always a spot for you at our dinner table, in the bedroom, on the sofa, on the toilet seat or just a listening ear waiting for you at home.

So welcome to the ADULT WORLD, Ash. I can assure you that it isn't quite everything that it's hyped up to be. But it isn't quite that bad too, you know. Because it's what you make it. And I know you'll make it a beautiful one - similar to how you had made mine a beautiful one too.

This is it then. You get more control how you play this real-life role-playing game of yours from now on. But remember that no matter where this adventure might lead you, I will always be your dad, supporter, and friend.

Let's talk again when you turn 21. 😁

Until then, Happy 18 once again, Ash.

Always your #1 fan,

Papa