Wednesday, May 07, 2014

T(r)opical - 1 - S.E.A

I keep losing steam with this blog. I'm always trying to start up a new series to keep me writing. (Yes I have lots to add in my lunches series, thanks for reminding me. Not)

Anyway, new series. Little snippets of stuff I do with Kid here in Singers.

So on Saturday we went to the Aquarium. The S.E.A to be precise. It's an incredible aquarium as aquariums go, and I've been to a few. This is a relatively new aquarium having opened in November 2012, just after we arrived.

When we first got here in 2012 I took him to see the aquarium as part of a month long 'getting-to-know-Singapore' plan that I cooked up. And on our first visit it seemed like the price for an annual card made more sense than an individual ticket. I certainly had plans of coming back. He got in free as he was just 3. So I bought an annual membership for myself without even going inside. 

It was a decision I have not regretted. He and I both LOVED the aquarium, with its big and varied displays. Anytime he had a weekday holiday or we had guests we would take the opportunity to show them our favourite aquarium. We more than used the value of that card by about 5 times last year. 

Then in November, when it was time for renewal, they announced that due to an overwhelming response they were re-working the scheme and membership was now closed. We used it one last time and then just waited to hear about new memberships.

Two weeks ago they sent out a postcard and an email to all existing/ recently expired members that the new membership was open! 

So this Saturday Kid and I went right back to get our new memberships (he gets one now that he is 4) and spent a wonderful morning at the aquarium. 

Inspite of huge crowds it's a welcoming space and it's lovely to watch little children squealing with delight as te giant octopus crawls across its window or the dolphins do underwater flips. The main attraction are the huge circular tanks and the giant picture window open ocean tank, at which we just sit and have our snack while staring at the many 
mesmerising fish on display.


We are using the time to walk, read and talk about the different fish and trying to play memory games with their names, but mostly we are just oooh-ing and aaah-ing at the magnificence of it all. 

A newfound love for a cartoon show called the Octonauts made this trip even more interesting for Kid. He seems to think he knows everything about fish, much like those underwater explorers. It's a wonderful time of inquisitiveness and I'm thoroughly enjoying it. He can't wait to go back and to be frank, neither can I. 

Any steam in this engine you think?