Nyan moved up yet another level in taekwondo in February 2020, getting the red belt:
Other highlights that month — a month when we were nervously hoping the world wouldn’t collapse under the weight of a viral pandemic (editor’s note: it did!) — included a quick business-trip visit from cousin Hoz, a.k.a. Harold, visiting from Maryland. We met up for a nice lunch.
Other random moments from February 2020:
Some more:
And just a few more pics from the month of Febuary 2020.
The Singapore Airshow is held every two years. It’s mostly a way for airline manufacturers and (especially) defense contractors to get together and sell their stuff to companies and governments across Asia. But they also open it up to the public who can come tour some planes, see fighter jets doing acrobatic things, and the like. We went in 2016 and again in 2018 (see here). So of course we were gonna go in 2020.
Or would we? The coronavirus was spreading ahead of the show’s February date, and restrictions were being put in place. There was even talk about canceling the show, but they ended up going ahead but with fewer tickets sold to ensure smaller crowds. We debated whether it was safe to go but correctly decided it would be. So Daddy and Nyan headed there one Saturday afternoon.
It was fun! It definitely wasn’t as big as in past years — several airplane exhibitors pulled out — but we still had a good time.
The Chinese Air Force was on hand, showing off their skills and their fancy planes.
The US military was also there, of course — two superpowers fighting for military and commercial control of Southeast Asia! Or something like that. Here are some of the planes on display — most years this tarmac is packed with aircraft and heaving with people. This year, not so much.
So, a subdued airshow. But still a good time. We’ll surely be back in 2022.
Nyan’s long-time friend Kyle turned 9 years old in February. What was going to be a large gathering at an indoor playground place got downgraded (thanks to the coronavirus, just emerging at the time) to an intimate party of mostly family and a few close friends at the Chinese Swimming Club’s bowling alley. We had a great time, as we always do with Kyle and his family.
There was, of course, cake:
And bowling, plus an appearance by the birthday boy in a dinosaur suit:
Mommy and Daddy had fun too; and check out Daddy with the stellar roll!
Finally, Kyle himself, playing with one of the toys Nyan gave him as a birthday gift.
Off in Western Singapore is a fairly tall hill (by Singapore standards at least) that’s covered in jungle and criss-crossed with some steep, though well-paved, trails. It’s the Bukit Timah Nature Reserve, and it’s a popular place for people to go hiking on the weekend. So one hot Saturday afternoon in February 2020, that’s exactly what we did.
It happens to be very close to where BFF Jayden lives, so Jayden and little brother Jonnie came with. And those three boys weren’t the only monkeys on the trail!
It was a good long hike, steep in parts (as mentioned) and very sweaty.
But it was a very nice stroll through the jungle.
Finally we reached the top and celebrated by climbing atop the ceremonial boulder.
Bonus behind-the-scenes material: Nyan and Jayden walking to the subway station on our way to the park:
And dancing as they waited for the subway:
Special bonus: just outside the park was a small cafe. We didn’t go in, but Nyan the sloth-lover absolutely had to get a picture taken with the sign.
An afternoon of sloths and monkeys. Nothing wrong with that!
One lazy Saturday February afternoon, Daddy and Nyan decided to visit the Singapore Science Center. It’s a kid-friendly place filled wit exhibits, hands-on activities, demonstrations and interactive displays about all kinds of science. We’d been once before, soon after we moved to Singapore, and were less than impressed, but it turns out Nyan may have simply been too young, as he had an absolute blast this time around.
The mirrored optical illusions and psychedelic video displays were cool:
Nyan was impressed by the bust of famed cosmonaut Yuri Gargarin (first human to travel into outer space, as Nyan has known for years!).
The hall-of-mirrors maze was a lot of fun, even if it did take us a while to find our way out!
Nyan loved to stomp on the digital floor fish:
And there was an escape room of sorts, except you were inside a crippled spacecraft and had to solve logic puzzles to fix the engine, get the oxygen flowing again, etc. Fun!
But the best part of the trip, in Nyan’s mind at least, was this. Sorry, but what 8 year old can resist a visit to the … Cheeky Fart Chamber??
Well, it was educational and it was science, and Nyan loved it. What can you do.
Nyan Thomas L's Blog 