Friday, January 13, 2012

My 26th Singapore Zoo Birthday Bash

I am 26!
And to think I've just passed my 18th birthday not so long ago... *bleah*

One day before the actual day, I went down to Sweetest moments to collect my DIY cupcakes!

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That same smile. *grins*

Then, I did my birthday performance at All About Eve Bar that night with Yiyang, my keyboardist friend.


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To my surprise, a long time friend, Panda aka my 'Ah-gong' made a trip down to show his support. His wife, Serene, was with him. Thank you for coming, Ah Gong!

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The Zoo is my favourite place on earth. I wish I have to chance to visit all the zoos in the world and be fascinated with nature and wildlife.

No one would have thought that you can STILL have a birthday bash at the zoo even though you are no longer a child, can you?

Yes, you can!

~sing-along song~
We're going to the zoo zoo zoo,
how about you you you?
You can come too too too,
we're going to the zoo zoo zoo!


If you're the birthday girl, you'd be given a special wild birthday badge at the Singapore Zoological Gardens. This badge entitles you to exclusive birthday discounts, free ice-cream and everyone in the zoo saying "happy birthday" to you! Also, you may arrange special zoo tours with them for your guests to make this birthday even more special!

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Jessica was the first to arrive!
She offered to help with the goodie bag packing for me while I was busy settling the admission & tour fees.

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Jackie bought this ice box specially for this zoo trip. The ice box comes with wheelers and 2 small ice boxes.

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We couldn't get any ice in the morning. There was none at Cheers, none at any petrol stations nearby, not even when we tried to get Ben, Jackie's friend for help. In midst of the desperation, Dawn & Michelle, our zoo guides of the day, offered to check with the F&B outlets at the zoo and got us some ice! Excellence customer service!


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As my other BFFs turned up one by one, they had to design and decorate their names on the zoo lanyard.

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Wee Rong helped with mine because I can't draw. Thank you babe!

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When we saw Ben designing his name tag, I asked if he could do the other side of my tag. Heh-heh.

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Photo courtesy of Rachael Wee & Ng Pik Feng

All my 10 guests are here!
Front Left to right: Jessica, Me, Kyel(kneel), Jackie.
Back left to right: Yingzi, Yongwei, Silver, Rachael(sit), Ben

Pik Feng's the photographer.
Hey, where's Wee Rong?!

To get to our destinations on time, we were taken around in buggies! Yay!

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1st row onwards, Left to right: Yongwei, Dawn(zoo guide), Jessica, Me, Xiao Razer, Silver, Yingzi
Photo courtesy of Rachael Wee & Ng Pik Feng

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1st row onwards, left to right: Michelle(zoo guide), Ben, Jackie, Ice box, Wee Rong, Kyel


1st stop: Giraffe Token feeding session at 10.45am.

PEOPLE, DO NOT TRY THIS AT ALL!!!
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Yongwei ate up the giraffe's token feeding! The giraffes was staring at him, utterly upset!
Photo courtesy of Rachael Wee & Ng Pik Feng

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I really love this photo, look at the giraffe's expression!
Courageous Yingzi at the token feeding session.

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This is Kyel and Wee Rong, my besties!
Photo courtesy of Rachael Wee & Ng Pik Feng

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Look at Jackie's EPIC expression!
Photo courtesy of Rachael Wee & Ng Pik Feng

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Group photo with the giraffes! That's our handsome Pik Feng, 2nd from the right.

We visited the late Ah Meng's burial ground, with her favourite durian tree planted next to her. I've seen her a few times when she was still alive.

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Kangeroo token feeding(Australian Outback) at 11am was up next!

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Left to right: Ben, Jessica, Yingzi, Silver, Mint

Kangeroo means "I don't understand".

Silver spotted a kangeroo mummy with her joey in her porch. We were wondering how come the joey has its heads and all limbs dangling out of the porch, how did it do that? Yoga?

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Left to right: Pik Feng, Rachael, Me, Jackie
Photo courtesy of Rachael Wee & Ng Pik Feng

The kangeroos at the Singapore zoo are free to roam around in their area. If you spot one, feel free to stroke them. But remember to avoid stroking their heads. Zoo keepers will be there to oversee that everything is in order.

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Token feedings at the zoo can be purchased for $5 per packet/bowl. The token feeding sessions of different animals are listed in the zoo maps. Be early for the session as there is a limit of feedings this animals can take. Once the food is finished, you'll have to wait for the next token feeding session.

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Spotted a reptile yearning for his princess' kiss at the Australian Outback. It's being ignored by the skink crawling next to it. Poor fella.

After the token feeding sessions, we proceed to watch the Elephants of Asia show. Do you know how to tell the difference between an Asian elephant and a wild African elephant? The ears! Asian elephants have small ears(smaller then its head) while a wild African elephant have huge ears! The ones you'll find at the Singapore Zoo are Asian elephants; Really intelligent ones! These elephants are being taught in singhala language.

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Photo courtesy of Rachael Wee & Ng Pik Feng

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Photo courtesy of Rachael Wee & Ng Pik Feng

Just outside the entrance of fragile forest lives a family of Proboscis monkeys. The bigger the nose of the male proboscis monkey, the more charming he is. They are the fewer species of animals which zoo have to cage them up as they are both excellent climbers and swimmers. On top of that, these monkeys may eat up the wrong food. In order to digest their food properly, they have big bellies filled with digestive juices to digest their special diet.

However, why this proboscis monkey erect the moment he saw us, I have no idea.

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Off we go to the fragile forest!
Be mesmerize by the butterflies, amphibians, insects, sloths, mousedeers, lemurs etc.

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What is Yingzi thinking looking at the whistling duck?

The whistling duck is one duck which does not QUACK. From its name, you will know that it makes whistle sounds instead.

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The back of house is out of bounds to the public. You have to make pre-bookings with the zoo if you wish to enter. In there, we get up close interactions with insects like the Madagascar Hissing Cockroaches, Giant stick insects, tarantulas, scorpions...


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Skin of the deadly taranula, including its fangs!

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Giant millipede crawling on Ben's hand.

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Giant Stick insect.

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Our courageous Miss Silver Ang reached into the tank and hold out one madagascar cockroach!
No one else dared!

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Butterfly pupas evolving into pretty butterflies! These are REAL pupae!



If you are lucky, the butterfly breeding house may even be filled with mating butterflies!
We were!

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Photo courtesy of Rachael Wee & Ng Pik Feng

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We also tried feeding the Archer fish with crickets. They are 99% accurate.



That 1% non-accuracy comes from the fish aiming at Ben's armpits instead of the bait, TWICE!!!






My favourite poem of all:
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We had lunch and birthday singing session at Children's world. It was such a pity that the children water play area is under upgrading. I was planning for a photoshoot session. Oh well, I can go again when it's ready.

My BFFs were assigned to a cupcake each. They were to design their cupcakes and I would have to guess which design came from each person.

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Photo courtesy of Rachael Wee & Ng Pik Feng

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Pik Feng is very engross. I'm sorry that I said your cupcake looked the most messy! OPS~
Photo courtesy of Rachael Wee & Ng Pik Feng

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I'm quite sure Jackie is planning something evil up his sleeves from his expression.
Photo courtesy of Rachael Wee & Ng Pik Feng

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I'm real sure he has something evil up his sleeves now with THIS expression!
Photo courtesy of Rachael Wee & Ng Pik Feng

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Photo courtesy of Rachael Wee & Ng Pik Feng

See how pretty their designs are!
They have designed a dating couple, the guy in a 'no-milk' Tee and the girl wearing a dress. "M" represents Mint and the blue cupcakes represent the scenery. NICE.

I'll be tagging this cupcake photo with its designer in my facebook album. Find out who designed which cupcake! Let's hope I don't tag the wrong person!

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Photo courtesy of Rachael Wee & Ng Pik Feng

Happy birthday to me,
Happy birthday to me, 
Happy birthday to meeeeeeeeeee.... 
Happy birthday to me!

What's a birthday without a birthday toast? YUM SENG!

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Photo courtesy of Rachael Wee & Ng Pik Feng

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Photo courtesy of Rachael Wee & Ng Pik Feng

The zoo gang!
front row, left to right: Jessica, Silver, Me, Jackie
hind row, left to right: Rachael, Pik Feng, Dawn, Michelle, Ben, Yingzi, Yongwei(behind her), Wee Rong(Grey top), Kyel(in shades)

More feeding sessions! However this time, the bucket of mix vegetables cost only $2! The blue bucket which Wee Rong is holding.

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The poor little lambs were being pushed to the end of the enclosure while the other goats were pushing and tugging one another, fighting for food and survival. One was bleeding and we told the zoo keeper to attend to it.

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At 4pm, we head to watch the animal friends show at the Rainforest Kidzworld Amphitheatre. As it's a show more for children, the stage was decorated in vibrant colours.

Cockeroos, ferets, cats and dogs were introduced at this show. Most of them used to be stray animals which were ALMOST put to sleep. The ferets were illegally smuggled into the country and left to fend for themselves. How cruel!

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Photo courtesy of Rachael Wee & Ng Pik Feng

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Photo courtesy of Rachael Wee & Ng Pik Feng

Thank you BFFs, Thank you Jackie Goh, thank you Julia, Dawn, Michelle, Natalie and all your friends (i wish i know all their names!). I'm talking about 6-star customer service from all of you, treating us with 100% passion & warm-heartedness. Thank you!

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Photo courtesy of Rachael Wee & Ng Pik Feng

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Photo courtesy of Rachael Wee & Ng Pik Feng

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Photo courtesy of Rachael Wee & Ng Pik Feng
Our animal lover, Natalie!

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Photo courtesy of Rachael Wee & Ng Pik Feng
Thank you Dawn and Michelle!


The last stop we went to before we head off is the new exhibit: The nest of the Naked Mole Rats. Their teeth are so strong, they can chew through cement!

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The reason why we went to these stations was because there is a game going on at the zoo. If you download this zoo activity sheet, answer all the questions and sent it in, you might stand a chance to win
their discoverer tour on a buggy!



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Yongwei finished first. But it's not fair because he googled most of the questions! Some of the answers were slightly different from what was written in the exhibits and he quickly got them changed.


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Photo courtesy of Rachael Wee & Ng Pik Feng

Brain-dead after that. 读书都没有看他这么认真!

Meanwhile, the rest of us are trying our best to complete the worksheet.

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My birthday presents received on the day. Thank you BFFs!
The elephant was a birthday present from the zoo.

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Dinner in woodlands Alameen! They prepare the most delicious cockles ever!!!

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Photo courtesy of Rachael Wee & Ng Pik Feng

I reached home that night feeling totally exhausted! But what's a birthday without my beloved Bubble Leong taking a photo with me?

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See how cute!!!

Time to make a trip down to the Singapore Zoological Gardens if you've haven't done so in years:


80 Mandai Lake Road
Singapore 729826
Tel: (65) 6269 3411
Fax: (65) 6365 2331
E-mail: infocounter.zoo@wrs.com.sg 
Website: http://www.zoo.com.sg

Contact any of their other departments here.


Opening Hours
8.30am to 6.00pm daily
(Last ticket sale at 5.30pm)

Adult S$20.00
Child (3 to 12 years old) S$13.00*
All prices include 7% GST
Prices quoted are subject to change
* Admission for child below 3 years old is free.

Parking Rates
Car/SaloonS$4 (10 minutes grace period)
Lorry/VanS$5 (10 minutes grace period)

Make online bookings here

Like the Singapore Zoo on their Facebook page.

6 comments:

  1. Hello there was looking up the internet for singapore birthday event for I'm visiting Singapore on my b-day next month & saw ur blog. Im visiting Singapore zoo on my b-day too!
    It was soo fun reading ur post and I can definetly see u had an amazing day. I lived in singapore when I was in elemetary school( ISS), and I still LOVE Singapore and miss those years. Oh well, I was just very excited to see recent posting about Singapore and really enjoyed reading ur fun and so beautiful style of writing. Congratulations on ur marriage and as a woman,I envy u for the heart touching proposal.
    ^-^ p.s. I can see u got mask packs from etude house! I'm a Korean!:)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hello!

      you can always email your facebook email address to mintmintleong@gmail.com and I'll add you from there.

      Welcome to Singapore! When are you coming? Maybe we can go to the zoo together if I've no work!

      I'm actually using korean skincare products, Ossion! :)

      See you soon!

      Delete
  2. Congrats Germaine. So happy for you~!

    =)

    Ivy here btw! Love the proposal! So touching.. Haha! Enjo your engagement!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Teng teng deng deng... See i knew those pics in taiwan will b ur wedding pics. Save money la, dont reshoot!

    ReplyDelete
  4. HI , Thanks for sharing this trip with us . This is incredible . and the pictures are outstanding . Singapore Malaysia tour package

    ReplyDelete