The Mommyhood Series [ii] - My Pregnancy Journey

In my last entry - the first chapter of The Mommyhood Series (read more here), I talked about how we discovered we were expecting a baby girl. 

My visit to the Gynaecologist's confirmed my pregnancy, and baby was 12 weeks' old by then. We were to have an Autumn baby; how exciting!

I saw Dr. Paul Tseng first, but later switched to Dr. W. H. Kee. During each visit, he would monitor my weight and blood pressure, do the necessary scans so we could see that Baby was healthy; and share stories as well as advice on what to expect during each stage. From 20th week onwards, I also had to do urine tests during each visit.

I could say I breezed by my first trimester since it was already over, and I didn't feel anything. Or rather, whatever uneasiness I felt were linked to my hectic schedule during the past 3 months (recap for those who didn't get to read my past entries- I was taking the property exams, shifting house and went Melbourne for 2 weeks back-to-back).

I didn't have much cravings for food; I think I had more cravings before pregnancy, Haha. I still enjoyed cakes and pastries a lot, just like pre-pregnancy days.

I also had to consume at least 8 to 10 glasses of fluids a day. Ideally, these fluids could be plain water; but if that's not possible - soups, caffeine free tea, juices, water-rich fruits etc all contribute to our liquids intake.

Tendency to feel more bloated was normal. I abstained from most carbonated drinks. Weight continued to increase by 1-2 kg a month (my own weight + baby's weight + water bag).

I was also advised to exercise at least 3 times a week - mainly walking and swimming. I could do Pre-natal Yoga but it seemed I could never find time for it.

Oh also, there's this saying about looking at photos of beautiful happy babies often, so that your baby would turn out this way, hopefully. Lol- so just toss genes out of then window and stare away at these pictures. They are cute to look at, anyway.

Talk to baby too! Educate it in its early stages by exposing it to nice music and your voice. You'll be surprised how it could actually understand, and absorb.

SECOND TRIMESTER

Second trimester was a little more challenging. I was adverse to a lot of smells, including skincare products that contain floral scents, chemicals, smell too creamy etc; I also grew adverse towards smells of my antibacterial hand-wash and washing detergents etc. Everything made me nauseous but the worst thing was that I couldn't throw up; they stayed inside me to haunt me, resulting in stuffiness around my chest area and headaches.

Also, I needed to look through the list of ingredients that went into the various skincare products, to ensure that they don't contain lead, butyl, propyl, paraben, sulfate, retinol, etc. I had to stop using anything that contained one of the supposedly-harmful ingredients.

I spent a bomb replacing skincare products - because I was adverse even to some of those organic / natural products. There was a lot of trial and error.  I even grew sick of my usual toothpaste!

And yes, I still used makeup during the course of my pregnancy because I believe there was no reason for me to become unattractive just because I was pregnant (light makeup is also considered a form of respect/ courtesy for clients in the business world).

I had to see the gynae on a monthly basis. On the 12th week, a series of tests were done on me - mainly health and blood tests. Mainly HIV and diabetic related. Remember that many women become diabetic during their pregnancy, or developed pre-clampsia (high blood pressure).

During the 20th week, we did the Chromosome Test to ascertain that Baby did not have any birth disorders or something like that. We also found out the gender by then - it was going to be a Baby Girl.

Body heat was another killer for me - I was constantly feeling so hot, I think it attributed to my headaches, need to defecate more than once a day, and even nausea. I needed the air-conditioner to sleep nightly too.

We started looking out for Baby Insurance, comparing quotes and coverage from different insurers. We settled on a certain established company that offered a comprehensive policy with competitive rates, covering an additional 22 baby illnesses, and has a beautiful facility for Mommy and baby to use for various activities. Insurance is very important- you  never know what happens in life.

Shopping for clothes was an adventure as the belly grew larger and larger and dresses  became shorter and tighter. I bought loose fitting clothes that I was confident of wearing even post-pregnancy.

By 26th week, the Baby's kicks should be more prominent and frequent. From here onwards, monitor their movements and ensure they are active. There are various methods to monitor and count their kicks - do some research on it.

THIRD TRIMESTER

They say this is this trimester where hormones run the wildest but I think I was fine. I felt that my temperament was worse during the first 2 trimesters, mainly due to the discomfort I felt.

Having insomniac nights or waking up in the middle of the nights was common. It upset me, but did not cause me very much discomfort in the daytime.

Diet-wise, I cut back on carbohydrates because by the end of the full term I gained 20 kilograms. My Gynae had wanted me to gain about a kilo a month so by his standard i was severely overweight. Other than that, I had a lot of fruit and proteins in my meals.

We should be attending some parental courses but never seemed to find time. Friends passed me some good books to read but I could not get started on them as well. Google became my best friend. I found myself constantly searching for "can pregnant women do / eat / drink xxxxx?"

Physically, the giddiness and adverse to scents lessened, but not completely.

My skin started to become more sensitive and itchy, especially the skin on my legs and ankles. I was fortunate that my face was fine - I didn't have super oily skin nor pimples popping all over.

My feet and legs became very swollen; shoes had to be expanded. I loved the 2 pairs of Ecco shoes I got as they were comfortable and looked good. Fortunately I did not have cramps which could be really painful. I did experience numbness in my hands and fingers frequently though.

I became heavier and clumsier. Certain chores that could be done in 5 minutes; I needed 10 minutes by now. I could not bend down or bend over. Getting out of bed required a lot of efforts. 

Despite my heavy weight and I was close to my Estimated Delivery Date ("EDD"), I was still actively going around appointments and events. 6 days before the actual EDD, I could still find a nice evening gown to wear for a gala event (see picture at top of post).

Gynae visits became a weekly affair by now.

By last few weeks we should start feeling contractions in the womb. The initial contractions would be so mild, we'd often confuse it with Baby's kicking. Then they get more intense. Doctor advised keeping in my bag a change of clothes, disposable underwear, maternity pads and a disposable sheet in case water bag burst while I was out.

We were also advised to pack the Hospital Bag and put it in the car, to prepare for Baby's arrival anytime. The bag should include supplies I would need for hospital stay, clothes for Baby, etc.

Emotionally, oh well, keeping busy is vital. It adds meaning to life and prevents us from over-thinking. I did have my moments of paranoia fearing that my hubby might have another hunny- so trust and communication are very important.

By now you would also realise that everyone around you is dishing out advice on what to do and what not to do during pregnancy. I dislike especially the superstitious advice that have no basis - I walked around a funeral parlour pretty often lol. It's all in the mind and heart. Everyone means well, but take all advice with a pinch of salt. Someone would tell you to take more bird's nest whereas another would ask you to abstain from it. Let's just say that each mother's body and baby's body are different; take everything in moderation.

Don't give yourself too much stress. The way we feel affects our babies greatly. Enjoy the pregnancy journey while it lasts.

My next chapter of The Mommyhood Series would focus on Prenatal Massage and Facial by SchoeMama @ Takashimaya. Keep a close lookout for it.

Backtracks

(i) The House-Hunting Series
(ii) The Honeymoon Series
(iii) The Nuptial Series
(iv) The Mommyhood Series (i) - Receiving The News

The Mommyhood Series [i] - Receiving the News

With the end of my House Hunting Series (click here to read more), the next step should come naturally - family planning. Or rather, it has always been in the pipeline. Me being a systematic person, I needed the step-by-step of marriage, honeymoon, new home before baby(ies).

We started trying shortly after securing the new home. From friends' experiences and my own perception of our lifestyle + my body (stress resulting to irregular menses), I estimated at least 6 months before we might get any results. I prayed we didn't have to resort to Intro-vito (IVF) or TCM, etc.

So life went on a hectic pace - me studying for and taking the RES exams, us packing for moving house, us packing for a 2-week Australian trip, and my usual wine sessions with friends. The missed menses, slight weight gain and short tempers were all attributed to these hectic activities, of course.

I returned from Australia in mid-November. The trip itself was okay - I ate and drank whatever. Toward the end of the trip, I began to feel somewhat unwell. The unpleasant feeling got worse even when we returned to Singapore. I began to feel strongly adverse toward a lot of things such as Ramen, red wine (!!!), etc; and my sense of smell sharpened immensely. I even began to feel giddy or headache towards a lot of things - like smells I was adverse to, bright lights, small fonts, etc.

Hunger pangs also prevailed - in Australia I had attributed them to queasiness, but now I began to have my sneaking suspicions. Bought a couple of pregnancy test kits to satiate my own curiosity. Then went to see a doctor to ascertain that I was pregnant.

Researched for good gynaecologists and asked friends for recommendations. Settled on a seasoned doctor from Thomson Medical Centre, and made an appointment to see him.

Although we were prepared for this pregnancy, the news still took us by (pleasant) surprise. It felt surreal having a little life-form within me, its survival dependent on me wholly. I also began to worry for its health because I drank a fair bit of red wine and ate sashimi in Melbourne, when the tiny baby would have just begun to form.

Other than that, we began to wonder what to buy for the baby, what were the changes needed to be done around the house to welcome this additional member of the family, how we were going to break the happy news to our families, what kind of parents we would be, and what adjustments we needed to make to our lifestyles to accommodate this new member.

The next chapters in The Mommyhood Series will document the 9 months pregnancy journey, including gynae visits, tests to be done, changes, the delivery process itself, and the amount of shopping, etc. Stay tuned.



Backtracks
(i) The House-Hunting Series
(ii) The Honeymoon Series
(iii) The Nuptial Series

The House-Hunting Series [ii] - Selling Off The Existing Property

In House-Hunting Series Part 1 (read it here),  I shared information on how we narrowed down our choices when searching for the dream home, and finally securing the right home.  We also decided to sell off our existing HDB Flat, and hoping to do so within 6 months so as not to incur Additional Buyer's Stamp Duty (ABSD) - a hefty 12% of the property price!

1.  TAKING PHOTOS OF THE HOME
Our first step for selling the flat, was of course, to take (nice) photos of the existing flat for sale. With that, we re-arranged the furniture a little, tidied up the house, and removed any unsightly objects from the photos. This is to portray a good image of the house and give prospective owners a positive feel to even want to contact you for a viewing. No one likes a cluttered, dim home because it simply doesn't appeal.

2.  POSTING THE PHOTOS ON PROPERTY PLATFORMS
We sourced for free portals such as Carousell, Gumtree, Locanto, Craigslist and RedAd, as well as our own social media accounts to post about our properties. We copied some wordings from websites such as PropertyGuru, 99.co,  ST Property etc to make the descriptions sound better.

Do not use anyone else's photos though - always use your own original photos. If you need a certain nice view or if you forgot to take a photo of the block of flat's exterior facade, go and take these photographs yourselves.

         

3.  PROPERTY AGENTS - TO ENGAGE, OR NOT TO ENGAGE?
It depends on a lot of factors, really. Are we able to sell on our own? Some of us may have pretty strong word-of-mouth through neighbours, or maybe an existing neighbour's children want to buy the unit to stay right next to their parents, etc.  What are other issues to take into consideration?

• timeline / urgency of sale - were we in a hurry to sell our flat?
• budget - could we spare that extra few thousand dollars so that someone can help us professionally to take photos, offer advice, source for clients, advertise and paperwork?
• home staging - a couple of agents we spoke to suggested spending money on this. Home-staging beautifies the home and replaces our furniture with nicer ones; the fees include storage of existing (uglier) furniture from our house for 2-3 months.
• engage on exclusive basis or non-exclusive basis?
• what were the opportunity costs if we didn't sell the flat in time?

I used a very efficient and down-to-earth agent from ERA Realty Network - Simon Leow. He responded to us very quickly, and was always polite and frank.

4.   OPENING THE HOUSE FOR VIEWINGS

Calls started coming in - either through our property agent or directly to us. The other parties negotiated for suitable dates and time to view our flat. If we were not represented by a property agent and the other party is, their property agent may negotiate with us for a fee because their clients ("buyers") are not obligated to pay agent's fees.

Before each viewing (which usually took 10 - 15 minutes maximum), we made sure to tidy up the place and put away newspapers, clothes, used plates etc so that the house looked presentable. When we had more time to prepare, we would also add little touches like lighting up a scented candle, soft classical music in the background, etc.

We would answer the prospective viewers' questions and bring them around the house. I served drinks as I would for any other visitors to our place. I even described each neighbour on the floor to them, so they knew who they would be potentially living next to. This was helpful, especially for families with children.

Sometimes we got weird viewings as well - those that appeared fishy, like managers training their new agents. So the "prospective buyer" would be a young single male or female, accompanied by an agent who claimed to be "a friend".   They would ask a lot of questions, the "agent friend" guiding the "prospective buyer" along, and then you never hear from them again.

5.   THE SUCCESSFUL SALE
Offers began coming in from prospective buyers who liked what they saw. We sat down and discussed the offers, rejecting the ridiculous ones and finally accepting one of the offer.  The flurry of activities began now - visits to conveyancing law firms, paperwork, HDB Inspection (to check for unauthorised alterations to flat), handing over, etc.

Before moving in officially, the buyers may request for a second viewing, or to come by to take measurements for their renovators' quotes. Sometimes they would just drop in to "visit", which we welcomed. After all, they might want to be familiar with their surroundings, or verify the neighbourhood, before exercising their options finally.

We were also very upfront with them on the areas that needed extra repairs such as a fallen kitchen sink, a broken glass panel on the folding kitchen door, etc.

6.   THE MOVING OUT

Moving out was a super hectic process. We had so much packing up to do:-

• discarded many, many old things we did not want to bring over to new place
• donated many things to The Salvation Army at Bukit Timah
• blessed furniture and electrical appliances away on various Facebook groups
• packing up the rest into nearly 40 cartons!

Then it was liaising with the movers, and selecting a perfect date to move out. Some people believe in "auspicious dates" and would work with a Fensghui master on that - we didn't. It depends on individual's preferences ultimately.

As much as I yearned to move out of the flat, I did miss it when the date was drawing near. It was, after all, a lovely home with good neighbours and unblocked canal views, and it served us well. I was delighted to have found it wonderful new owners who genuinely seemed to adore it from the very first viewing. I hope they are happy living here.

BACKTRACKS:
(i) The House-Hunting Series [i] - Seeking The Dream Home

The House-Hunting Series [i] - Seeking The Dream Home

I hope you enjoyed The Nuptial Series (read them here) when I was planning for,  and preparing for my wedding between 2015 to 2016. The series detailed our research and hunt for wedding photographers, the proposal, wedding venues, wedding gowns, leading right up to the Big Day, and even what to expect of married life.

The series was followed by The Honeymoon Series (read them here), detailing our honeymoon - how we planned it, who we engaged, what to prepare for the long trip, and the actual tour across Europe and Dubai, UAE.

1 year into the marriage, we began our house-hunt, that's when I began writing this House Hunting Series, sharing the process of selling, securing and moving into our new place. I hope you find this short series of real life experience useful in your own hunt for the dream home as well. Have fun reading!

Like most couples in Singapore, our first matrimonial home was a Housing Development Board (HDB) flat right after marriage - ours was a comfortable, mid-floor, spacious flat located in the West of Singapore. I wanted a brand new home for us, before we started our own little family, so the house hunting began.

1. WHAT TYPE OF HOME TO BUY?

There were so many choices to choose from - a brand new Built-To-Order (BTO) flat, resale flats (which gave us even more choices, including "endangered" housing such as maisonette, jumbo flats etc), Executive Condominium (EC) flats, or a private Condominium unit.  We tested waters a little here, assessing our options based on income, CPF savings, cash savings, and bank loan available.

I am not a fan of anything that's 2nd-owned or "pre-loved", so that eliminated our options of resale flats or resale condominiums. It helps to have some kind of filters, of course, so that we can be more focused on our search.

2. WHAT TYPE OF HOME OWNERSHIP?

As we currently have an older HDB flat, we weighed our options for the new home. Would we be able to retain this flat for rental purpose while we purchase a new private property? Or do we sell this flat for cash proceeds to fund the new dream home?

3. WHERE TO MOVE TO?

Because there were so many choices for us to choose from, so many newly-launched projects as well, we spent some time visiting show flats to understand each project better.  We also went to HDB website to check on the newly-released BTOs and Sale of Balance Flats. On top of that, we also visited newly-TOP condominium units where existing owners had no intention of moving in. These exercises helped us a lot so we knew the type of amenities, facilities and layout etc we could choose to have, both within and around the new dream home.

However, we did have a dilemma - to remain in the West or to move to the East? Most of our family members have moved to the Eastern part of Singapore, so it would make sense for us to move there to, to be closer to families. But most of the new EC flats (during the time we were hunting for our dream home) were located in the Western part of Singapore, or at least, the North-western areas.

4. TIME-FRAME

What was the time-frame we gave ourselves to move? That was also an important consideration for us. If we could afford to wait for 3-4 years, then a new BTO flat or new Condominium project would be ideal for us. I wanted us to start a family within these 2 years, and to be honest, I hated our current flat because it had been used by his family members for 15 years prior to me moving in, so it was, in a way, "second hand". 

With that, we further eliminated new BTO and Condominium launches, and focused on the pool of newly-TOP Condominium units where owners were not looking to move in. We also decided to focus on the East of Singapore, for that matter. This made our house hunt a lot easier, as I concentrated on fixing viewing merely for projects that obtained TOP between 2017 - 2018, but were listed as "brand new" and "not lived in" by their respective agents.

5.  SPOTTING THE DREAM HOME

We more or less determined on the exact project we wanted to move in, because of its resort-like theme, and there were about 5 swimming pools in the premises. We made offers on a couple of units, and got a top floor with lush greenery views! 

If you are buying a Condominium (be it EC or private), what are some factors to consider?

• size and layout of the unit
• location and views of the unit (i.e. far from main / side gate? Pool view but do many people pass by your ground floor unit? Are you facing BBQ pits? Etc)
• developers' reputation and past records (i.e. are projects by them deemed "problematic"?)
• pricing, of course
• facilities within the condo premises (swimming pools? gym? tennis courts? KTV? squash courts? billiard? what do you need?)
• amenities around the condo location (food centres? shopping malls? MRT station? nearby construction sites? good schools? etc)

6.  SECURING THE DREAM HOME

The next few weeks were a blur of visiting the conveyancing law firms, signing agreements and other paperwork, getting the bank assessment and loan secured, etc.

For bank loans, do check out different banks and their rates. Some offer fixed rates throughout, whereas others offer floating rate options. You can talk to a range of different loan bankers to share these information with you, or engage a Loan Broker who has access to all the banks and can help you take care of the comparison.

We also settled the mortgage insurance just in case something happens to one or both of us. This is VERY important - especially if you have young children (wouldn't want to leave them homeless, would you?). 

Of course, now we also had to start selling the existing HDB flat, and shop for furniture for the new home.   

Stay tuned for The House-Hunting Series Part 2 and Part 3 for these details. 

Outfit of the Day - White Bridal Gown with Short Front Hem

"There is such an emotional connection between the bride and her wedding dress, 

whereas in ready-to-wear you may just be focusing on color or prints for 

that particular season." - Jenny Packham

White bridal dress with short hem in front and long tulled hem at the back, perfect for photoshoot and the Registry reception, paired with high gold heels.

Wedding Dress: Kelly's Bridal (SGD$800.00)
Shoes: Anna Nucci (SGD$199.00)
Bracelet: Tiffany & Co

Vacation on a Cruise Ship - Star Cruise to Kuala Lumpur

So we were thinking up ways to celebrate our first wedding anniversary and my birthday together, since they are just a day apart. A short trip to Hong Kong? A resort trip? Fine dining plus staycation? BBQ for family and close friends? In the end, The Beau came up with the brilliant idea of a cruise trip, knowing my deep love for the oceans and seas.

We booked the SuperStar Gemini because it bore the closest date to our anniversary, and decided to sail for Port Klang, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. It was to be a 3-days 2 nights cruise trip, and we did not know what the expect because my last trip was ages back, while he never liked cruises (having served the Navy for a decade!).

Not a very huge ship, but there were 12 decks, made up of 5-6 restaurants, 3-4 lounges, 3 swimming pools, a karaoke lounge, casinos, spa and shops, etc. It was enough for us! The ship was set to sail at 9.00pm at night, but we could start boarding as early as 5.00pm to enjoy the facilities onboard. As there was no gala dinner, dressing could be anything from long flowy dresses to casual tanks and shorts. 

For room types, one could choose interior (no views at all; most economical, of course), ocean view through pot holes, ocean view on lower deck (corridor where crew would pass), superior ocean view stateroom and the rooms with balcony. Ours was superior ocean view - unblocked ceiling to floor views of the glistening ocean once we parted the curtains, and I loved it to bits and pieces.

Pork Parmigiano @ Belle Vista Restaurant

Miso Cod with Soba Noodles @ Belle Vista Restaurant

Array of seafood and lamb chops @ the open-deck Ocean Restaurant

Dimsum and other quality Chinese fare @ Dynasty Restaurant

Breakfast and dining-by-the-sea experience @ Mariners Restaurant

For dining, one could choose the inclusive restaurants or pay for more unique meals (2 of the restaurants were not inclusive). Food comprised Western set meals, Western / Continental Buffet, Indian Buffet and Chinese cuisine. I enjoyed the set meal at Belle Vista Restaurant (the miso cod with soba was awesome), seafood galore at Oceana Restaurant, dimsum at Dynasty Restaurant and the by-the-sea dining experience at Mariners Restaurant.

Performances were enjoyed at Stardust Lounge for 2 nights - over cocktails. We had a magic show on one night and circus performance on the second night. There were adult shows at other lounges and some shows for children as well.

I hit the pools a fair bit, really. Especially during the period when they docked at Port Klang for 8 hours and most people went down or out to explore. We had one of the pools to ourselves for a good 1 hour, before we hit the Jacuzzi. Drinks were not expensive - you could get bottles of wine starting from SGD$22.00 or one-for-one cocktails at a mere SGD$10.00!

Other than that, we spent a little time hitting the jackpot at the casinos, singing a few tunes at the KTV lounge, chilling out in our lovely by-the-sea room, and getting up on the decks. Whether we were standing by the berths overlooking the waves and vastness of the oceans, enjoying the strong breezes kissing our cheeks, or lying down to read on deck chairs, the feeling was tranquil and bliss. Imagine a totally relaxing vacation with everything onboard, and one does nothing but eat and laze around. 

There was very little turbulence or rocky motions so we did not feel sea sick at any point in time. It was an enjoyable trip and we would love to take more cruise trips in future, maybe explore the other vessels such as Royal Caribbean, or even cruises in Alaksa! 

The Honeymoon Series [xiv] - Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE)

The last post was on our Dubai Desert Safari tour (review here), so this shall be the final post in The Honeymoon Series, revisiting the rest of Dubai City, UAE - some of the famous landmarks and destinations in this exotic city.

PLACES OF INTEREST

Dubai City is mainly shopping, dining, and other city-esque leisure activities besides the deserts. it is also known for some impressive skycrapers, which we will introduce shortly.  It is no joke that the things here are expensive, especially the shopping. Expats working here disclose that despite their good salaries, a huge portion goes into rentals and there is not much left after saving,  because the rest goes into food and some entertainment. Nonetheless, this is an interesting cosmopolitan city retaining its ancient traditional values.

BURJ KHALIFA
1 Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Boulevard, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Website: http://www.burjkhalifa.ae/en/index.aspx
Opening Hours: 0800 Hours till Late
Fees (observation deck):  From SGD$134.00 to SGD$191.00

A magnificent tower standing at 555 metres tall with 125 stories, the Burj Khalifa has the highest observatory deck in the world.

DUBAI MUSEUM
34 Al Fahidi Street, Bur Dubai, Bur Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Website: http://www.dubaiculture.gov.ae/en/Live-Our-Heritage/Pages/Dubai-Museum-and-Al-Fahidi-Fort.aspx
Opening Hours: 8.30am to 8.30pm (Saturdays to Thursday)
Entrance Fees: SGD$1.15

Built in the year 1787, this magnificent museum was both a defence fort and residence to the monarch. From blasts of the rural to the riches of modern urbane lfiestyles, the museum encases it all in its 4,000 square metres structure. My personal favorite was the Shipbuilding Wing, where blue lights give the feel of being underwater.

RESTAURANTS

As a pretty Cosmopolitan city, there are multiple cuisine available in Dubai itself, but the most prominent ones would be Mediterranean fare and at times, Indian cuisine. Prices vary depend on whether one dines at the roadside diners, restaurants or shopping malls. Some local snacks include Dried Figs, Chocolate covered Figs and Camel Milk Gelato, if you are game for them.

GLORIA JEANS COFFEE
Al Mussallah Road  (Financial Centre Road), Level 1 Dubai Mall, Downtown Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Website: https://thedubaimall.com/en/shop/gloria-jeans-coffee-first-floor

Nice comfortable seats in the spacious mall with an array of coffee and cakes selection to choose from. I satisfied myself with a Hot Chocolate (SGD$9.00) which was pretty rich.

DUBAI MALL'S FOOD COURT
Al Mussallah Road  (Financial Centre Road), Level 2 Dubai Mall, Downtown Dubai, United Arab Emirates

A rather huge variety of food items available, from Mediterranean food to Chinese food to Japanese food to Western food and fast food, so one could easily find something to satiate their appetite. Note however, that food at the food court wasn't cheap - averaging around SGD$16.00 a meal. Our Kebab Set was around SGD$28.00, but it was pretty tasty, with good assortment of items.

THE CHEESECAKE FACTORY CAFE
Sheikh Zayed Road, 4th Interchange, Al Barsha 1, Mall of the Emirates, Dubai, UAE

An award-winning cafe chain that was established since 1978, The Cheesecake Factory lots of (cheese)cakes, of course, and also pizzas, pastas, sandwiches fish & chips etc for those looking for a meal or something savoury. We loved our decadent Blackforest Cake here.

ZAGAREED CAFETERIA
Near Al Bassam Centre, Port Saeed, Al Khabaisi, Deira, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Walked around the vicinity of our hotel and stumbled upon this cafeteria - a kind of local roadside dining concept, like our coffeeshop.  It was interesting because they had like a Western Fusion food.  The Beau had some Fried Chicken Sandwich and I had a Prawn Burger. Drinks were interest in flavours, like Chicku and Grape - fruits that we don't use for juices in Singapore typically. The food was pretty decent and cost us around SGD$30.00 in total, I think.

GIRAFFE RESTAURANT
Airport Road, Terminal 3 Dubai Airport, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Website: http://www.giraffe.net/locations/dubai-international-terminal-3-concourse-a

An Asian-fusion bistro-styled restaurant located at the humongous Dubai Airport, this places serves a variety of sandwiches, salads etc. What caught our eyes though, were the rice buckets with green curry or tomyum, filled with meat and vegetables, making for a sumptuous and nutritious meal.

SHOPPING

From the luxurious Dubai Mall to the Gold Souk Marketplace, we have seen it all; from the rows of branded items to local produce; there are plenty to buy in Dubai. Service staff can be rather friendly, even bringing you shopping baskets in large supermarkets if they see you carrying lots of things on your arms.

 

DUBAI MALL
Al Mussallah Road  (Financial Centre Road), Downtown Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Website: https://thedubaimall.com/
Opening Hours: 10..am to 11.00pm daily

A huge mall with a massive internal floor area of 51 million square feet, this multi-storied luxurious mall is divided into sections of modernity and Arabian cultural decor.. Besides high fashion and good restaurants, this mall also features a huge outdoor musical fountain, a large aquarium and underwater zoo, KidZania theme park as well as Olympic-sized ice-skating rink.

EMIRATES MALL
Sheikh Zayed Road, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Website: http://www.malloftheemirates.com
Opening Hours: 10.00am to 12.00 midnight

A smaller mall in comparison to Dubai Mall, of course, but there is also a good-sized ski park as well as good shops selling local made accessories at reasonable prices. International brands, 90 lovely cafes / restaurants and Dubai's largest Carrefour are all located here.

GOLD SOUK MARKET
54 Al Khor Street, Deira, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Opening Hours: 10.00am to 10.00pm

A labyrinth of covered walkways is home to hundreds of retailers with a dazzling offering of gold, silver and other precious stones. Each piece seems more beautiful than the other; each chain seems thicker than the last. Besides gold and jewellery items, the marketplace also houses a wide variety of hand-woven fabrics, traditional costumes, fragrances, spices for cooking or aromatherapy purposes, as well as other knick knacks.

ACCOMMODATION

From the 7-star Burj to our Best Western Premier Hotel, accommodation in Dubai is quite readily available, with essential amenities and professional service crew.

BURJ AL ARAB JUMEIRAH
Jumeira Beach Road, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Website: https://www.jumeirah.com/en/hotels-resorts/dubai/burj-al-arab

A beautiful and opulent 7-star hotel rising like a sail in the middle of the Jumeirah Beach with an exuberant interior and personalized service (concierge on every floor, for instance, and tablet control so you can get everything without moving your butt), this hotel seeks to spoil its guests rotten. Priced at SGD$2,228 a night per room at least, be expected to be pampered, no less.

BEST WESTERN PREMIER HOTEL
Corner of Abu Baker Al Siddique Road and Salah Al Din Road, 81877, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Website: https://www.bestwestern.nl/hotels/best-western-premier-deira-dubai-76706
Alternative website: http://bestwesternpremierdubai.com/

A mid-range hotel located in a pretty centralized location and close to both Emirates Mall and Dubai Mall, the Best Western Premier Hotel is worth a shot, in terms of dining and rooms. Whether one needs gym facilities, meeting rooms or a hotel nearby Dubai Metro Station, the Best Western Premier has it all. The rooms are around SGD$148.00 per night.

RESORTS
Indulgent resorts such as Waldorf Astoria Resort and Anantara The Palm Dubai Resort are perfect getaways for families or couples as well, with their soft-sand private beaches, turquoise lagoons, gorgeous sea views and an array of fine-dining eateries within the resorts, one can very well look forward to a decadent experience.

End of Dubai's tour..


Here I conclude the entire Honeymoon Series, and thank you sincerely for following us on our journeys, as we traversed from pre-nuptials to The Day, to our European-UAE honeymoon. If you have any questions at all, please feel free to email me at cloverleafwish@gmail.com.  Thank you my dears once again, and hope we cross paths someday xoxoxo


For backtracks:
(i) Honeymoon Series part 1 - selecting the destinations (click here)
(ii) Honeymoon Series part 2 - researching and booking (click here)
(iii) Honeymoon Series part 3 - preparing for the trip (click here)
(iv) Honeymoon Series part 4 - Rome, Italy (click here)
(v) Honeymoon Series part 5 - Siena, Florence & Pisa, Italy (click here)

(vi) Honeymoon Series part 6 - Venice and Milan, Italy (click here)
(vii) Honeymoon Series part 7 - Lorraine and Fontainebleau, France (click here)
(viii) Honeymoon Series part 8 - Paris, France (click here)
(ix) Honeymoon Series part 9 - Swiss Alps and Bern, Switzerland (click here)

(x) Honeymoon Series part 10 - Interlaken and Jungfrau, Switzerland (click here)
(xi) Honeymoon Series part 11 - Lucerne and Zurich, Switzerland (click here)
(xii) Honeymoon Series part 12 - Lake Titisee, Black Forest, Germany (click here)

(xiii) Honeymoon Series part 13 - Dubai Desert Safari Tour, UAE (click here)