Hey Dad!
By Susan Ferroa, channelnewsasia.com Posted: 19 June 2009 2216 hrs
There are some dates on the calendar that we all can’t miss since everyone from florist to restaurateur won’t let us forget, like Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day.
But when it comes to Father’s Day, “somewhere in June” is probably the best answer most would hazard to offer.
To be precise, Father’s Day always falls on the third Sunday of June and this year, it’s on 21 June.
The date changes each year for Father’s Day, and if it fell on the first Sunday of the month, like Mother’s Day in May – that would make Father’s Day easier to remember.
Could that be one reason why Father’s Day gets less attention?
Or maybe it’s a guy thing wound around the father figure.
When Channel NewsAsia’s website users were asked in a poll here how they would describe their father, it turned out to be a close finish between the choice of a distant parent and a hard-working one.
Some also saw their father as the disciplinarian who is also nice.
Perhaps it’s that ‘big boys don’t cry’ image that most fathers work to uphold along with that nonchalant air he maintains whether he gets attention or not, that tell us that Dads don’t want any fuss on Father’s Day.
However, that's all on the surface.
Each day when I see a certain well-worn mug, I recall the pride and love shining in the eyes of a father as he recounted how his little girl bravely went up in public to say “I love my Dad” to earn the mug emblazoned with the same words which she presented as a Father’s Day gift.
You can't match that, so what else could you do for your Dad this Father's Day?
For starters, you could offer an Apple - not the fruit of course.
You could tap on the special engraving service offered by the online Apple store so you can let Dad know how you feel and have it etched forever on an iPod touch.
Students or faculty staff could also take up the back-to-school offer where the purchase of a Mac and an iPod comes with a S$365 rebate.
The offer which covers the latest MacBook Pro means you get for just a few dollars, an 8GB iPod touch with the latest Operating System as it’s shipped after 17 June.
Alternatively, the book-loving Dad could enjoy a coffee-table book filled with family photos and special notes which you can compile and create through iPhoto and send to the Apple online store for the publishing work.
As the way to a man’s heart has always been said to be through his stomach, a number of restaurants have come up with special menus for Father’s Day.
If you want to give Dad a treat along with the rest of the family, Tien Court, the Chinese restaurant at the Copthorne King’s Hotel is offering a special set menu which includes a number of its signature dishes such as Braised Lobster with Egg Noodles, as well as Steamed Yam dessert at S$48 per person.
Also at the Copthorne King’s is the Princess Terrace café which offers a Penang Buffet featuring favourites such as Fried Kway Teow, Laksa and Prawn Noodles done the way that would pass the muster of most Penangites.
If you relish dishes from Gurney Drive, head for this buffet priced at $38 for adults and $23.80 per child which also includes an aromatic Nasi Ulam which is not often found offered on restaurant menus, as well as Penang-style desserts.
The best part about this delicious spread is that even if you find the buffet booked out on Father’s Day, you could make it up to Dad on another day as the buffet is available daily, even in the evenings.
A chance visit on a Friday evening to the buffet found it well-stocked and none-too-crowded. But it's a good idea to make a reservation as the Penang buffet is popular as it is scrumptious.
Even if you've saved on making that eating trip to Penang, you could still take Dad and the family out to the airport.
At Terminal 3 is the one-year-old Crowne Plaza hotel.
Although it is a favourite among travellers making a short stay in Singapore, locals diners find it a worthwhile trip to make for some good wining and dining at the hotel.
The Azur restaurant has put together an International Buffet for Father’s Day which features a vast array of mussels from Sardinia, New Zealand and France, alongside freshly shucked oysters and poached Boston lobster.
There are three different $48 menus for the Father’s Day spread which offers both Asian and Western styled dishes.
If all else fails, a hug does go a long way, and so does a simple “thank you”.
So here's to da, Jock and the guy with the black mug - father figures who've made a difference to their kids and who have reminded me that no matter how old you get, you'll always remain Daddy's Little Girl or Little Buddy (even if he doesn't say so).
From ChannelNewsAsia.com; see the source article here.
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