We love picnics in the park!

And the best expression goes to... Panda the guy who's gonna eat my skewers.

What's it about picnics that we love? Perhaps, the fact that we are not able to do it back home. Not in that tropical weather. We will either be drenched in sweat from that sweltering heat or rain from those sudden downpours.

So we were glad to have caught the second last band from the park concert series at Leo J Ryan Park. This time we got there half an hour early to secure our picnic space before it's swarmed with people. 

We tried to stretch out our mat and place our bags around the area to secure more sitting space for our friends; they were politely but firmly pushed back to us by others. Strictly first-come-first-serve. Oops.

Being novice picnickers, the grandeur of others' set-ups always amazed us. Tables, chairs, candles, pets, wine glasses, bread baskets, doggy fence. Panda said that if we are staying for another year, we really have invest in a portable table.

I think it's to prevent me from spilling wine/beer/water/drinks all over the place. Or using my shoe as a substitute cup holder. I'm guessing this is pretty common in US.

It works, that is, if you don't mind the smell.

I didn't have time to prepare a proper dinner, so was grateful when more food and munchies arrived. In the end we have staples from the Leows, snacks from the Lows, and some skewers and madeleines from me. But food is always secondary to me at picnics. It's really the company and chit chats that count.

When it comes to picnic food, simplicity is really the best!

I'll be the first to feel sad when summer ends.

Concerts in the park rock!

On our fridge was a brochure about the series of summer concerts in Leo J Ryan Park at FC every Friday. Since we had nothing to do this evening, we strolled to the park a little after seven, an hour after the concert started, to enjoy a little post-dinner music in the evening breeze.

BIG MISTAKE. We should have arrived way before the concert starts. We heard rock music from afar and as we drew near, what greeted us was a sea of people at the amphitheater. People young and old; dancing, drinking, eating, chatting, giggling, screaming. There were even some boats parked at the side of lake where folks just chilled with their wine. (Again, we were stumped by the sheer number of inhabitants in this community. Where were they hiding in winter?)

At first shocked and shy to what we thought was a quiet evening of music, we soon found ourselves wiggling along with the crowd and getting rather high. The rock-your-body vibes from the band 'Hot for Teacher' was contagious. The crowd got wilder with each song and went mad when the organiser announced that we are all gonna be on TV because a film crew is coming.

We only saw the second half of the concert but I was already telling Panda that if we have the chance to come again - there are four more - we will have to bring our picnic blanket and come earlier to get good seats. We don't get things like that back home. Youngsters think it's 'uncool'; the older ones think it's embarrassing to dance. We are indeed a self-conscious lot. Since we are here, we better take advantage of the freedom to just do our body wiggles and have lots of fun like everyone else!