Hello Everyone,
last Saturday, Baby and I were at Ben & Jerry’s Chunkfest 2012 and well, it was sort of a last minute decision to go for the event as we flipped the coin to decide whether or not to go.
Prior to the event, I have heard about Ben & Jerry’s Chunkfest 2012 from Dr. Jiajia and Big Bro’s Facebook Page and also the Ben & Jerry’s Facebook Page.
Not knowing what to expect for the event [or thinking that free ice-creams would be served], we drove down from the office. Entrance fees to Sentosa via private passenger car is super “chor”/ex and furthermore, we have to pay the parking fees at the Beach Carpark!
Anyways, the weather was hot and sunny and it was about a 10-15 minutes walk to the venue where the event took place.
When we reached, the place was just bustling with curious onlookers and excitement, and I took the liberty to pose for lots of photographs. Oh and yes, pets are allowed!
Every visitor was given a carnival game card [where you have to complete certain activities at the various booths and get a stamp] that gives visitors the opportunities to win some prizes.
What we found really cool was the Merchandise that Ben & Jerry’s were selling. Unfortunately, they didn’t have what I was looking for [Ben and Jerry’s Calendar].
Here’s me posing for a photo with Ben & Jerry’s Mascot!
Just in case I forgot, the only currency used at Ben & Jerry’s Chunkfest 2012 was the Fair Coins [which we could exchange at the booth with cash]. 1 Fair Coin is equivalent to $1.
When we entered the fair area, there were lots of activities that were going on. Some adhoc games were organised and there were even performances that were put up by local bands.
A local band doing some song covers.
This rather exciting and challenging game where it really gets sticky.
Imagine having diluted strawberry and chocolate syrups trickling down your body on a hot sunny day.
I think Ben & Jerry’s really did a fantastic job in organising the event and the decorations and props very much fitted the beach theme pretty well.
As it was our first time checking out Ben & Jerry’s Chunkfest, we didn’t really know what to expect but having checked out the various booths, we more or less realised that Ben & Jerry’s were very big on corporate social responsibility and Chunkfest was organised for the purpose of contributing its success back to the society/community.
Hence, some of the following photos that you see are actually photos of the various booths that were set up by various organisations that cater to people with different needs.
I have to make special mention of the booth that was set up by the Dyslexia Association of Singapore.
Not many people know about this condition known as Dyslexia and I felt that it is important for us to recognise that this condition exists and that we can help to make a difference by understanding what this condition is all about.
Here is a description of Dyslexia which I gotten from the Dyslexia Association of Singapore’s Website:
Dyslexia is a condition that makes it very difficult for children to read, write and/or spell. It has nothing to do with the person’s intelligence. In fact, many people with dyslexia are very bright. But not being able to read well can make many areas of learning a problem.
Dyslexia is a specific learning difference that is neurological in origin. It can go undetected in the early years of schooling. The child can become frustrated by the difficulty in learning to read, and other problems can arise that disguise dyslexia. One will notice a severe discrepancy between the child’s intellectual abilities and achievements. In the long run, the child may have low self-esteem and displays frequent behaviour problems at home as well as at school. In addiion, the child may become unmotivated and develop a dislike for school. As a result, the child’s success in school is jeopardized if the problem remains untreated.
It has been estimated that about 10% of Singaporeans may be dyslexic which tends to be run in families. Dyslexia can range from mild to severe and often occurs alongside other specific learning difficulties, such as Dyspraxia or Attention Deficit Disorder, resulting in a variation in the degree and nature of individuals’ strengths and weaknesses. Dyslexia is life-long, but the difficulties caused by dyslexia can be overcome with successful specialist teaching and the use of compensatory strategies.
And I truly believe in this because education is a right and a privilege and that people should not be deprived of quality education just because of learning differences.
This is how difficult it is for children with Dyslexia to learn to read words.
After checking out the various booths, we went on to see what other activities there were.
You could either customise a tote bag
Wrestle with your friends [sumo-style]
or Hug the Maple Tree like I did
Speaking of Maple Tree, Maple Tree Hugger is a new Ben & Jerry’s flavour that was launched in Singapore and you got to absolutely try it. There were other flavours specially imported from the US but they were only available at Chunkfest; so for those of you whom missed it, you could either head to US or wait for the next Chunkfest.
And so, Baby and I bought a scoop of Late Night Snack to try and it is really unique and it exactly matches the description as stated.
Yummy Ice-Cream on a hot day is definitely cool
And yes, there were literally potato chip clusters [yes potato chips!] and it was definitely worth trying.
On a parting note, it was really an eye-opening experience for us at the Ben & Jerry’s Chunkfest 2012 and though we didn’t really participate in most of the activities, we had the opportunity to learn about how Ben & Jerry’s enforces Corporate Social Responsibility and that is more important than anything else.
So, Baby and I will definitely support Ben & Jerry’s all the way and buy lots and lots of Chunky Monkey to munch on for supper.
Stay tuned to more updates from us!
God bless!
