Mon: Happy 15Bday to #3, pix credits to his parents for the 3above pix. Nice that he is having a Bday-party, seldom do I remember or see him having company, usually the girls are the ones having all the gatherings! Hope that he enjoyed the goodie-basket from me. After the flock reached over 2digits in their age, goodie-baskets are what they get from me, and then cash when are are done with high-school. As far as my memory serves me correctly, they are totally over-load with stuff at home!
Appreciations to Gel for helping to consume the last of Thanksgiving-spread! Yes! guilty to have served leftover turkey for 5days in a row! No, will not be repeating another Thanksgiving-spread in this lifetime! and tkx to all who have helped to consumed the foods! And no, still not ready for Christmas!!
Tue: restless sleep the past 2nights due to some very over-strained neck muscles and at this age&stage, it will probably take a longer time to heal before being back to normal movements without feeling too much discomfort.
30Nov2021: WorldOmeter of COVID-19 deaths are as follow:
SIN/pop ~5.6+mil in an area of ~721km² – 718
SC/USA/pop ~5+mil in an area of ~82, 932km² – 14,210
Norway/pop ~5.3+mil in an area of ~365,268km² – 1,054
Wed: welcome Dec, only a month left for 2021 and I have not even started on the Season’sGreetings – am not even near there with my level of energy lately, at least the AdventCalender is up and that might probably be the only Christmas deco up for this year! Seemed like it was a hot night as I had to have the AC on and it has been a while since I needed the AC on at night.
Dec Bdays to note:
9 Dec – Happy Bday Stanley Neo
13Dec – Happy Bday Ingrid
16Dec – Happy Bday Andy Lam
19Dec – Happy Bday Rita Tann
21Dec – Happy Bdays ANG ChinSheng and Anna Tsang
23Dec – Happy Bday Minos Lam 25Dec – Merry Christmas
27Dec – Happy Bday Lisa Xiao
28Dec – Happy Bday Peggy Puddey
31Dec – Happy Bdays Jorden&Jagger Wong
Thu: got my act together and completed a dozen snail-mail Season’s Greetings ready to be put into the mail box (1-day delayed as I usually get them off by 1Dec). During the festive season it cost .80c as compared to S$1.60postage for a greeting card. Yes, still send hard-copies to some old friends and also receive hard-copies from them – it is a nice tradition to keep as long as I can keep the number to less than 20. Do remember sending 100+ back in the dark ages! The neck still hurts and on top of a headache now despite having to address only 12envelopes – disadvantages of aging.
Hopefully will get some decent longer hours of zzz tonight and the temps are supposed to dip to 23°C (yeah), and hopefully tomorrow will be a more relaxing day now that I have crossed off one item in the Dec list.
It’s paradoxical that the idea of living a long life appeals to everyone, but the idea of getting old doesn’t appeal to anyone ― Andy Rooney
Wed: grocery shopping for the next few days to prepare 3 Thanksgiving meals. Some funnies to chase away the pre Thanksgiving Blues! But, there’s always something to be thankful for and the more you practice the art of thankfulness, the more you have to be thankful for. Turkey火雞 Huǒ jī literally translated=Fire Chicken in Chinese.
Thu: Happy Thanksgiving to those who are celebrating and marking today (have not celebrated a Thanksgiving with my flock since 2012!). It is not marked or celebrated in this part of the world thus no holiday today or tomorrow.
A simple roast chicken. sausage, smoked-duck dinner+FamousAmosCookie (have to have something American!) with Calvin, Sam, Chris & Helen@CC. Tkx to Helen for salad and ice-cream.
Tkx to 1st-born for these pix, sooo missing my FabulousFivein the USA
and good to see them all here hands-on for their Thanksgiving dinner. Bon Appetit
Fri: TGIF and thank goodness DonaManisCakeShop@KatongShoppingCentre has the ChocolateTarts (S$5 per box of 5) – have been calling for them this whole whole week. These are the perfect bite size, not too seeet, and taste good for my dinner’s dessert tomorrow. Not being a fan of pumpkin pie, thus chocolate pie has been a tradition for my Thanksgiving dinner.
Was chatting with a friend a few days ago before Omicron surfaced! literally told him that what did not kill me will make me stronger after all my underlying health issues and surgeries. Just as we hoped&thought that the situation is looking up, a new mutated Omicron, the latest variant has been detected in SouthAfrica. To all, plx take whatever possible precautions&preventions to protect yourselves&your loved ones from getting and or spreading this hostile&nasty Coronavirus.
Sat: more of my favourite local foods (only 1dish~S$5) from outdoor Hawkers/Market Food Centre (max 5 vac ppl for now!) in SIN. AhHwee BBQChickenWing & SpringChicken, EastCoastLagoon FoodVillage, Stall14.$1.30per wing. This location is on EC Pk and is a pleasant 20mins brisk walk or 10mins to cycle by the sea from my 4-walls.
Belated Thanksgiving dinner and I do not think I have made a spread like this since I left the US: pumpkin soup (have to make something with pumpkin as long as not pumpkin pie!), no whole turkey, but sliced turkey, ham, roast-pork, sausages, smoked-duck (garnished with apples, corn, glazed-carrots, fresh-cranberries&Physallis) with BrusselSprouts, CranberrySauce, Gravy&Stuffing, GreenBeanCasserole, IrishCreamPotatoes. Tkx to Clem for cakes since he is no fan of chocolate tart! It has taken me a few days to get the food shopping done and I doubt that I will have the energy to do this again! Made enough food to last for a few meals with friends.
Sun: Happy Hanukkah to those celebrating. First Sunday of Advent – 3more Sundays for Christmas shopping! Will wait till Nov is over to gather some energy to think about Christmas but need to search for my AdventCalender of international ThankYou in 24Languages – might try add 24Languages for Peace for this year or perhaps Hope which is much needed in present circumstances! Lunch with HS and dinner at Les&Ivy with Jo&Sue. Abundance of food for this posting sums up the Thanksgiving week as we go into advent. And as SINs previous Irish Ambassador/GeoffreyKeating so appropriately puts it: Good Lord! Is it that time already?
Sat: FriedCarrotCake aka ChaiTowKway菜頭粿 – black or white, do not be mistaken by its name, this is a NOT your usual Western carrot cake and there is no carrot in this CarrotCake but a savoury dish! Because of a loose English from Hokkien translation of RadishPastry is called ChaiTow (white-radish) Kway (cake). Grown up with it as ChaiTowKway but the younger generation knows it as CarrotCake. Bukit Merah View Carrot Cake,115 Bukit Merah View Market & Hawker Centre #01-37
So proud of #4, amazing that she chose to play the DoubleBass! (pix credits to her mom). And also proud of 1st-born who still continues with her running (here@RCRC TurkeyTrot 5k 2021/USA, pix credits to Alex), despite of being a full-time mother raising her 5children, part-time coaching CC&track and now working full-time.
Sun: walking bright&early down StillRd trying to imagine what these buildings were like in their heydays before these pre-schools. Glad they are not completely torn down and everytime I walk by here, the imagination runs wild into another life-time with childhood memories in LaLaLand!
Do enjoy some of the old vs new contrast&charms on the East-side, my neck of this concrete-jungle in the human-zoo on this RedDot – taking care to live these moments to the fullest and making hay while the sun shines! But also important to get out and be able to get away from the concrete jungles and the dense environment for the well being both physically&mentally!!
One of the beauties of Jungle Law is that punishment settles all scores. There is no nagging afterward ― Kipling/The Jungle Book
Passing by after ChapelRd to discover this new place, EastCoastGrocers where I will be able to get fresh BrusselSprouts and probably fresh cranberries for Thanksgiving dinner. Hmmm gwei-lo lager looks interesting, not a beer drinker, but will probably get one for the fun of it. For my overseas family&friends, gwei-lo literally translates to devil-man, common Cantonese slur term for Westerners – once upon a time more a derogatory term, but not nowadays.
Not sure if there is a name for this lane off EC-Rd where some of my favourite one-story with a basement ConservedTerraceHouses are located.
Tkx for dinner at sis Jo’s – been quite a long time ago since I walked to&fro and tonigt decided to detour to EC Pk tonight with the companion of a beautiful full-moon – like the a moon, we all have dark sides which is not shown to everybody.
It’s always there, watching, steadfast, knowing us in our light and dark moments, changing forever just as we do. Every day it’s a different version of itself. Sometimes weak and wan, sometimes strong and full of light. The moon understands what it means to be human. Uncertain. Alone. Cratered by imperfections –
Mon: on to RafflesCity&Mustafa to check out if there might be any chance of finding CornishHen. Oh well! at least I have tried – the last time I found those hens here in SIN was when Carrefour existed. Today discovered MalaysiaChiak/CitySqMall with quite good foods.
Tue: got a cabS$12 just as the sky opened heading into Chinatown. Tkx CK for recommendations@People’s Park (Yong Xiang YongTauFoo) & popiah (from SpringCt/UpperCrossSt), all yummy.
YipYewChong’s new mural on a lane off TempleSt/Chinatown
Tue: booked for HighTea session on the Orient Express for Dec, a Christmas gift to myself to look forward to. Will also try to book to see the exhibition another day as this will end 5Jan2022, and since unable to be on the real Orient Express, this will be an early Bday gift to start the 72year life journey until hopefully I am able to cross off this item (from Istanbul-Paris on this train) someday on my bucket list. Pix downloaded.
Wed: early morning walk and somehow the Hokkien/Singlish term – Kiao-Kar came to mind when I saw this cat, but had to confirm with Leonard to be sure that it is correct. Kiao-Kar means to lift/kick leg, and refers to someone can afford to take it easy in life due to achieving some form of stability, such as a retiree! Such an eloquent expression for this most approciate pix!
Alice asked the Cheshire Cat – ‘What road do I take’? The cat asked, ‘Where do you want to go’? ‘I don’t know’, Alice answered. ‘Then’, said the cat, ‘it really doesn’t matter, does it’? Lewis Carroll – Alice’s Adventures In Wonderland
Great Bfast company with Helen@MTmarket and lunch with Gel@KatongShoppingCentre, pleased to find chocolate tarts@DonaManisCakeShop. Hoping to get some for dessert for the Thanksgiving dinner next week. This location makes limited variety of pies&tarts but what they make are excellent and for me returning, someone who is so particular on baked goods, that says alot abou t this cake-shop!
Today’s flavour was BlackSesame@TheHumbleScoop and do remember in Aug when I tasted their ORH HAW/HawthornBerry, nice&refreshing.
Managed to pick up some fresh HawthronBerries山楂ShanZha@PP-Fairprice to make juice. Have now finally tried this berry raw in its natural form, (~the size of a SIN-10c with at least 4+seeds) juice, Haw-flakes-candy (too sweet), and ice-cream is one of my favourite way to eat this berry. Tried blending them in a blender and then mixing with natural yogurt and that too is good&healthy.
Thu: hello on this lovely wet&rainy morning in SIN, nothing in comparision with what is happening in parts of BC/Canada areas. Family&friends in the affected areas – plx stay&be safe.
I play fictitious characters often solving fictitious problems. I believe mankind has looked at climate change in the same way, as if it were a fiction – Leonardo DiCaprio
Fri: TGIF – Bfast@ChinMinChin, was in the line~15mins and since I had to wait for Clement, decided to stay, but not worth the waiting time if I was not meeting him! With this new refurnished look, the old charm is no longer, but it is pleasant sitting outside with all the fans on when it is not too hot yet!
Fri: 0530hrs early&dark morning at the market for breakfast+fresh produce, no purple sweet potatoes but Roselle/Hibiscus for weekend tea. Not for everyone, especially if you are not a fan of tart flavour, but can always add honey, sugar or sweetener – I enjoy the natural tart flavour, like in cranberries&keylime!
There is something in the nature of tea that leads us into a world of quiet contemplation of life – Lin Yutang
Girls finished 12th; boys 14th@SC-State XC Championship/USA. Go Irmo – good job to #2&4+Coach Hall and pix credits to her.
Tkx to Les&Ivy and also having similar taste regarding butter&seafoods! Mussels cooked with Kerrygold+white wine&parsely.
Absoutely scrumptious where ever these seafoods may be from as long as they are fresh and have swam 3times – in water, in butter and in wine, hahaha! Tkx MeiPin for the company to walk down OrchardRd to see the lights, but far too early to post about Christmas! Still have yet to see Deepavali lights!! Feeling wonderful to be able to walk longer distances without getting short of breath.
Lobster has an aroma that is not in itself that appealing, more so than most other breeds of seafood. Yet, the lean protein of lobster is always joined by the lurid fats of melted butter, improving the texture and taste of most things, as well as increasing waist and decreasing arteriole width ― Quackenbush
Sat: dropped by to CC to wish Sam(10Nov)&Chris(15Nov) happy Bdays – found these Bday-musical candles which was a nice surprise, all of the CC ppl here tonight have never seen them! Made them their favourite fresh-fruit-cocktail-salad from me and tkx for yummy Häagen-Dazs strawberry-ice-cream/473ml which was my dinner – for real. Delighted to catch up with Yukie&Lum, been a while since we had a chat without being surrounding by other ppl.
Decided to walk by LittleIndia to see the Deepavali lights ie, if without too much of a crowd, NO, did not go into LittleIndia, its Sat night 2200hrs! Short stroll passing by RaceCourse&SerangoonRd from one bus-stop40019 on the main BukitTimahRd to the next bus stop07539 on SungeiRd – forgot my camera, thus downloading exactly what I saw tonight with angles&positions I would have taken these, but better&clearer pix! OK now the Deepavali lights are done, can move on to Christmas lights, not until after Thanksgiving – hahaha.
Sun: after consuming these rich dairy produces over the past 2days will now have to take a break from butter before packing it in again for the Thanksgiving dinner! Sorting out and taking care of medical bills trying to figure out which is for what, quite a chaos&confusion considering the amount of appointments, medications, precedures, tests, etc – thinking about what JackieWolford told me about her mother who would place these kind paper work in the pile and burnt them. Tempting!!!
1358hrs: just heard the DJ from Symphony924 telling how he gave his wife a gluestick instead of lipstick and she is still not talking to him – that did put a smile on my face as I am at this very moment holding a gluestick here getting the packages ready!
Mon: also do need to get these packages to the flock via snailmail if they are to arr to Norway&USA in time for Christmas – that means a short stroll to the post office@PP despite that moods&thoughts regarding Christmas are not even anywhere in the heart or mind. Also to get a new tracer on the way@MPCC as the 2nd old one has run out of juice. Oh well, some things have to been done, mood or not.
Mon: morning SGH appointment to fill out paper-work for tomorrow’s procedure – previous CTscan showed some abnormalities that need to be checked into. Took the afternoon into LittleIndia catching&soaking in some Deepavali ambience but still avoiding crowds. CitySquareMall/Daiso to get some small odds&endsS$30 for the flock’s Christmas stockings, light&small enough for snailmail. IncenseS$12 to last for hopefully 6months. Chicken BriyaniS$12@Tekka is enough to last me for 4meals, 1 for dinner for tonight and the other 3 to be packed ready for the freezer! All in all a productive&successful day.
Tue: checked into SGH for day surgery, not too concerned as my suspicion to the abnormal scan is probably due to some infection I had last month when I was coughing badly with short of breath. But because of the lung surgery 3months ago, had to scope to make sure that the cancer has not returned. Procedure done under local sedation, did not feel anything – had a good nap and was discharged by 1500hrs. Results seemed OK and should not need any biopsy for now and hopefully will never need a biopsy! Had a bite@Kopitiam, was hungry, have been fasting from last night for this scope. Got back to my 4walls just in time as the sky opened up raining cats&dogs!
A court in Singapore has put on hold the imminent execution of a Malaysian drug smuggler who campaigners say has limited mental capacity.
Such a brillant man&speaker when he was at his peak.
Wed: warm greetings from yet another wet day in SIN. Enjoying&loving every minute in these cool wet weathers, very relaxing – those who have to be outdoors stay safe. Pix downloaded.
Rainy days should be spent at home with a cup of tea and a good book said Bill Watterson, the creator of Calvin and Hobbs, one of my favourite cartoons.
Thu: have now been staying put in SIN for the past 2yrs due to the present circumstances and also due to underlying health issues which surfaced during the past 2yrs! Speaking&writing from experiences after having 3C-19shots+being admitted 5times (over the 2yrs) in SGH, NHC&RafflesHospital and am impressed with our public health care and the workers.
If interested in this humourious Daily Show with Trevor Noah – Singapore ends free treatment for unvaccineated ppl – Singapore’s like the parents who actually do the s**t that you threaten your kids with, and this time they’re taking on people who won’t get a Covid shot.
Wed: bus to BedokMall to pick up a tab-cutter@WatsonS$7.65. Appreciations to Helen for arranging hair-cut appt, last one was end Jul, just before surgery. MRT to PasirRis connecting to the new PasirRis–Interchange is a quite an experience, but the ladies’ restroom is clean&new! By the time I was done, had to look for the stop, missing the bus but no worries, always early for the next bus. 2above pix downloaded.
After 3months, there was quite abit of hair to be cut. Cappucinno&DarkChocolate ice cream are my favourites from EutopiaCafe+yummy curry-puffs to go from PrimaDeli@EliasMall
Tkx to Yoshie for chicken-noodles from HawkerChan and to Iyas for homemade curry-chicken, 5above pix credits to Helen. Great to catch up with CCfriends – tkx to Chris for the ride and for picking up the freezer+bike, appreciations for the loan.
Thu: Happy Deepavali/Diwali to those celebrating. May this Festival of Lights, the new year celebrations for Hindus, Sikhs&Jains bring new beginnings with the triumph of good over evil, and light over darkness to all. Delighted to have my lovely niece Yasmine in my neck of the woods for breakfast@ favourite CCFun stall – so sweet of her to take time despite of her short visit from London/UK. Was actually planning to pick up for her some ChickenBiryani from LittleIndia yesterday, but of course it would be suicidal of me to attempt into TekkaMarket last night!!
Fri: TGIF and a good weekend to all – just discovered coffee with butter/KopiGuYou, choices of butter are Tine/Norwegain, KerryGold/Irish and Lurpak/Danish in this order. Unable to get Norwegian butter here in SIN, happy with Irish or German butter, taste amazingly good, better than I could imagine!
NewPowerDrink of the SiliconValley, this BulletproofCoffee is coffee, with a spoon of good butter! Have read and known about it for ages – thinking that I would not like it, but have never tried until now! Making my own with my choice of butter and glad that I did – not sure how it will taste outside, am usually quite fussy&particular with my butter&fresh cream! Pix downloaded.
Sat: 665 Buffalo Rd, TekkaCentre&Market #01-232, #01-229 Food Centre, Allauddin’s BriyaniS$5 – Famous Nasi Briyani With Michelin Recommendation. Pix downloaded.
Appreciations for yummy dinner – tastefully done and good value for the price all delivered to your doorstep! The meat here was enough for 4ppl, but could do with a larger portion of potatoes, especailly for the younger ppl.
Sun: nice walk in my neck of the woods ppl-watching (not crowds!) enjoying their weekend-breakfast (still stuffed from last night’s dinner!) at this iconic KatongBakery&Confectionary (1925). In the 1960s (pix downloaded), a favourite hangout for local bands. The RedHouse today is restored as a residential(42units)-retail-lifestyle heritage development.
Sat: Blk 32 New Market Rd, #01-1084 People’s Park Complex Food Centre 珍珠百貨商場, Yong Xiang YongTauFoo 永祥興豆腐S$4.50. Note: in SE Asia, the term YongTauFoo=StuffedTofu is used to describe a dish instead of just a StuffedTofu item exclusively. Pix downloaded.
Sun: Happy Halloween – safe Trick-or-Treating to all. #1/USA, be safe in her 2nd U-year/USA, #1-5/USA, enjoy the early goodie basket! #6/Norway, do remember to turn back the clock despite of being camera-shy! Cannot even remember when I had my flock all together for Halloween but hopefully some of them will want to continuing Trick-or-Treating!
There is a child in every one of us who is still a trick-or-treater looking for a brightly-lit front porch – Robert Brault
31Oct2021: WorldOmeter of COVID-19 total deaths are as follow:
SIN/pop 5.6+mil in an area of 721SqKm – 394
SC/USA/pop 5+mil in an area of 82, 932SqKm – 13,716
Norway/pop 5.3+mil in an area of 365,268SqKm – 900
Mon: it is rather concerning considering that the total C-19deaths in SIN up to 30Sep2021 was 93 and today the total deaths is 394! meaning that just in the month of Oct, there was 301deaths averaging to ~10deaths a day – ouch!! Tkx to PP/Australia for this hahaha, needed it today. Welcome Nov and a good week&month ahead to all. Deepavali/SIN falls on Thu4Nov, a public holiday here. Thanksgiving/USA, Thu25Nov and everyday is a celebration of life.
Life is meant to be a celebration! It shouldn’t be necessary to set aside special times to remind us of this fact. Wise is the person who finds a reason to make every day a special one – Leo F. Buscaglia
2 Nov – Happy Bdays HongSze & JohnK/Ireland
3 Nov – Happy Bday AiLing
Tue: appt@SGH, picked some PorkSatay in Chinatown to have dinner with Les&Ivy, have not seen them for awhile. Had to cancel on them a couple of weekends ago, too tired then. And no, not wine in this lovely wooden box packaging with sauces! Used up 2ARTpackages (6kits) received 22Sep, ie have been out 6times since 1+month ago, ie ~once per week.
Glory my most favourite location for MeeSiam, NasiPadang&Popiah is no longer and up today, I am still searching for a palatable taste for those dishes at one location! Do miss the luxury&pleasure of being able to just walk there for a bite of their popiah+a cuppa.
Tue: friends&family all everyone in Italy and the BayArea, CA/USA, plx take care, be safe from these storms, torrential rains&floods. Pix downloaded. Climate change knows no borders – it is real and is happening right now.
The warnings about global warming have been extremely clear for a long time. We are facing a global climate crisis. It is deepening. We are entering a period of consequences ~ Al Gore
Wed: In fond memory of EllenAnnemorPoulssonHald (1924-2020) who would have been 97 today. 3months follow-up@NHCS+CTscan and since I had to be out, walked from SGH – Chinatown via the under-walkway from EuTongSenSt OutramMRT – ExitF –
ChinatownComplex to pick up some PorkSatay@168 CMY PorkSatayS$6 to go. Back on NewBridgeRd for LimCheeGuan 林志源 and today they had the left-over bakkwa ends which I got them to split into 2packagesS$26
ChinatownPt had some art exhibition (not to my kind of taste) at the entrance. Shopped@FairpriceS$9.17&DiasoS$41.60. Tkx for DurianShavedIce@MeiHeongYuen to Clement who also had a SGH appt today.
GuocoTower where I wanted to pick up a box of dark Royce’ChocolateS$15 – have not had any since nearly 2yrs ago! Clement got some salad@The DailyCut. Its been awhile since I have shopped&walked that much. Tkx to nephew for being there to make sure that I can do longer outdoor-walks again safely! And tkx to niece for the ride.
A grateful heart is a beginning of greatness. It is an expression of humility. It is a foundation for the development of such virtues as prayer, faith, courage, contentment, happiness, love, and well-being – JamesFaust
Thu: Salon du Chocolat in Paris/France opened today with chocolate fashion creations by France’s chocolatiers that are supposedly made with chocolate, but how do they prevent them from melting??? {ix downloaded. This International Cocoa Awards will be on my bucket-list. Believe it or not, only found out about this after I bought the chocolate yesterday! – what a coincidence!! FrancisW, HKGfriend was wondering if there are any tasting session afterwards? haha
The greatest tragedies were written by the Greeks&Shakespeare, neither knew chocolate ― Sandra Boynton
Fri: Happy80thBday to cousinLock/Canada; Happy18thBday to grandnieceKiera/SIN. Congratulations to GirlsVarsityCrossCountry for being RegionChampions 4yrs in a row and to BoysVarsityCrossCountry for their 2ndplace finish! Well-done to CarinaBurdick/3rd in Region, LilyJenkins/7th in Region, and Jonah/5th in Region for making the All-RegionTeam – Irmo High School International School for the Arts, SC/USA. Way to go #2&4 who is now taller than #2 (in the middle in this pix) and Coach Hall.
25 Oct 2021 – With Euphemia&Family
Thu: good to be able to breathe more or less normally again! Has been rough for a couple of weeks, probably some infection on top of the asthma. The immune system is definately not as it used to be, but then nothing is as it used to be and such is life. So just move along with the flow, accept the inevitable and using whatever common sense possible to make the best of the present circumstances&situation. C-19 cases&deaths are still very high and going out only when I have to – staying connected with family&friends online via WhatsApp&FB.
Appreciations to Hotmail, FBfriends for the social connections and for this share about SIN, worth-while-watch, beautifully&tastefully done. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=slFU_KyKcEA
Going down memory-lane
Tkx Euphemia/E for keeping in contact – above pix from 1985-86 and we, L&M used to look foward for her visits. E & I first met at a lunch on the QueenMary in 1985 LongBeach, CA/USA thru’ UncleVincent (nephew to 4BG梁旭光 Henry LEUNG related by marriage on the HKG maternal side), and the best part is that E & I became good friends.
Sep1986 – flew to some of the ports around the world trailing the battleship USS Missouri to meet with Richard (2nd-husband then), who was a naval officer in the US Navy. AKL was not one of the ports of call,Graham was dating E and she wanted me to check out if he would be a suitable mate for her. My gracious Kiwi was the perfect guide and will be a perfect mate for E.
Summer1990: met again during her visit to FL/USA
Mar2008: was greeted by her after 11hrs from BKK/Thailand and a long line at the AKL Immigration & Custom – meeting her&family made it all worth while. What a wonderful reunion, now with Charles, a charming talented son who is nearly 12. Chat all day to catch up with present time. BBQ by the pool with a view of the city and a full moon in the company of this delightful family – I could really live here! Will be heading to Hahei, about 2hrs drive from AKL for the Easter weekend.
Lovely Sunday alfresco dinner in E&G’s garden/AKL with new found cousin (paternal grandmother CHAN SweeNgor side), Chen WengKei&his family – thousand tkx to E&G for hosting us all and for putting me up.
Oct2021: now, still in NZ with Grahan&Charles who is 25 – pix credits to E.
Fri: feeling more human again after a proper night sleep. Grocery shopping at the neighbourhood Gaint which is now reopened – had to get detergents for cleaning, dishes, laundry, running out of all that. Giant was closed from 6-Oct due to staffs testing positive for C-19. They have now also extended their SenSav to everyday up to end of the year and today’s saving S$1.37
Sat: tkx to Clement for lunch+AromaMistDiffuser and to Audrey for cake. Hopefully this new gadget will help with the moisturizing&cleansing of the air – today’s essential oil is WarmingBalsamFir. Too tired to go anywhere besides seeing Clement off at the bus-stop where a creative garbage bin can be found.
Sun: more of some favourite local foods (only 1dish~S$5) from outdoor Hawkers/MarketFoodCentres (max 2ppl and vax for now!) in SIN. 335 Smith Street #02-168 Chinatown ComplexMarket&FoodCentre, 168 CMY PorkSatayS$0.60 per stick. [ix downloaded.
Mon: hello to a start of another new week, but at this stage of life, any day is a good day as long as I can breathe, eat, hear, see, sleep, smell, taste&walk – oh yeah! I am alive!!
There are many Mondays to go before I die. I may as well look forward to them ― Trevor Carss
Sun: Happy Halloween – safe Trick-or-Treating to all. 
