17 Jan 2019 – Life Happens, Coffee Helps!

Wed: a quick bowl of KoloMee on the way to the airport. AirAsia to SIN arr into the KCH gate 0930 and was deplaned by 0940, boarded 0945 and on the tarmac by 1000. Farewell for now KCH. Do not usually get a window-seat, but was assigned one by the computer this time round. Scheduled take-off time was 0950 and still managed to arr in SIN on schedule, 1125hrs, quite impressive!

It is just me? Or does anyone else have that nice feeling every time when landing in SIN, even just after 1+hr flight?? Maybe it is that you know things will run smoothly from the time you land, you are in a clean,cool&safe environment, efficient immigration, luggage usually already on the belt, getting to your public transport without any harassment – all that means a lot to any traveler, especially a jetlag-tired one!

The new Jewel in the background due to be completed sometime this year and a fleet of SIN-Airlines which I can never afford to fly with! Safe&sound back in SIN after a fantastic week in KCH. Too tired to do anything and time to just meditate&reflect for the rest of the day.

Thu: appreciations to NaotoOrui, the founder of The Musical-Box Museum for another educational&interesting presentation&sharing of Coffee Roasting&Tasting. 

Learnt about these 3coffee beans – Arabiac has smaller leaf and what a Peaberry bean is. 10-20yrs after planting before one can harvest the beans. Surprising Vietnam is the world’s biggest coffee producer.

Roasting, grinding (an aroma I can never get enough of), dripping (app 10grams of beans/before grinding, to 200ml boiling water) and tasting. Raw beans can be stored up to 1-2yrs; after roasting but before grinding 2wks-1mth in the fridge. Preferably grinding just before you drip the water on the grinds to savour total freshness. Personal favourite today is the Mt Killimanjaro Arabica roasted lightly.

Such a treat again with Mr Ouri’s cooking – soup of local pumpkin (+skin), tomatoes, chicken+broth (slow-cooked for 4days). He certainly is an excellent cook and has a refined palate. Surprise-treat today was a taste of this new Gateau Chocolat introduced by the owner and his cute toddler. Sinfully rich smooth&sweet, complimenting this cup of self-roasted coffee with every morsel.

https://headlines.yahoo.co.jp/article?a=20190116-00059284-gendaibiz-bus_all&fbclid=IwAR1kSB9ZJsDViJxi–tQfmk-_dSIhBIdQ_AbFTDBstQchFtN_PKkf2GxDT8

To top it all, this session ended by admiring the new exhibits in the museum – a music-conception (still under restoration) from the RafflesHotel (now under renovation), a musical cigarette-holder and a scarf by Hermès – 1st  here was 3yrs ago. Got a text from Yoshie later to apologize that she forgot to celebrate my Bday. Told her that this was the most perfect celebration and tkx to her for the invite.

https://amylamsg.com/2015/08/21/musical-box-museum/

Coffeeology – espresso yourself, so many blends, so little time. Take life one sip at a time and stay grounded. Better latte than never, take time to smell the grinds…

Fri: TGIF, have been dreading this day – a tooth has to be extracted, but enjoying the early morning rains. Ended up with 2teeth extracted – double ouch 😦 😦 after 2hrs wait, costing S$300+ Need to check if there is any financial aid out there.

An afternoon@Parkway watching More Than Blue – a Chinese tearjerker where love is portrayed here as when the happiness of your loved one is of top priority! If only ppl can do that in their relationships, but the reality is what IS!! Since being a member on Netflix (tkx to Seb), have not been to a big screen for a few weeks but will catch some of the latest&Asian flicks (not available on Netflix) on the big screen.

15 Jan 2019 – Happy Bday To Me

Mon: coffee shop for KCH Laksa with auntieNgor whose father was paternal grandmother CHAN SweeNgor’s half-bro.

Interesting shops around to look-see – fresh 4-winged beans and yellow-skin rumbutans.

EderlyCareCentre where uncleKuun is staying at present – quite a contrast from when I last saw him in SIN, CNY2017. Somehow his eyes glint with smiles to the recognition of Lawrence and I would liked to have believed the he was happy to see my bro who is born the same year as he, 1934.

Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day – Corinthians 4:16

Being Mon, many stalls were not opened at the wet-market, but nice to have a few shots of the fresh local produces from the few stalls which were opened.

Appreciations to the KCH Rotary Clubs, the Rotarians, their family&friends for their presence&support@TelangUsan Hotel for my talk&Power Point Presentation –  Hiking Norway – my 2nd Home.

Tkx to Lawrence&Mabel for sponsoring a scrumptious dinner and to Audrey for a yummy BdayCarrot-cake. The ox-tail here is to die for and AyamPansuh (chicken cooked in bamboo) is excellent.

Appreciations to Jack&co for attending the presentation and for Martin’s signed copy of his The 25Best DayWalks in HKG. Looking forward to do another hike there someday!

Tue: the last year for being in the 60s starts today with 364days ahead – bring them on and come what may! Saying hi to a few of my favourite trees here in the heart of KCH.

Lunched@SarawakClub which is ready to welcome the Year of the Pig. Good of Chuan to join us.

Short drive thru’town to check out the construction of the new museum. To say that it is a great contrast to the charming old museum across the road would be an understatement. Not my cup of tea and like the Sarawak State Legislative Assembly Building by the river, this new construction is an eye-sore and completely out of place here too.

Dinner@TopSpot with many kinds of seafood and fresh produces.

After the food poisoning from here some years ago, am taking shell-fish with caution. Everything looks good and Lawrence chose the biggest lobster.

Lobster, ManiChai (finally a pix of this uncooked veg which has been in this KCH trip many times in the cooked version!), +fish&noodles, too much food again. Getting ready to fly back to SIN tomorrow, ie if I survive the night!!!

Wisdom doesn’t necessarily come with age. Sometimes age just shows up all by itself – Tom Wilson 

13 Jan 2019 – The Essence Of My Life

Sat: lovely ambiance for a bowl of KCHLaksa@LittleHainan Restaurant. Good to see Lily, Angelina&Zephyr and nice to meet with Corrinna who happens to be an old classmate of Chuan – small world.

Strangely enough, I was trying to get a haircut the day before I took off for KCH, but time was not on my side then. Angelina met her hairdresser friend when we were eating and her salon is just across the road from where we were. Also she was not too busy to fit me in. A seldom haircut by a professional hair-stylist@HairDo/AeonMall (MYR50 S$17) was worth the time and value.

Tkx to Lawrence&Mabel for dinner@The Heritage, one of the few places who knows how to prepare midin the way I like best – blanched and dressed with fish sauce+chillies, etc. Tasty ribs.

Fish fillet cooked with egg-whites, Mango-duck wrap, Crab-meat wrap. They have certainly earned and deserves their reputation as one of the best Chinese restaurants in KCH. Lucky to get a table here tonight, usually need to book in advance, especially for the weekends.

Appreciations to Lily who took the trouble to find Dabai – SarawakOlive, Canarium odontophyllum of the family Burseracea, it bears no relation to the olive and is listed as a rare fruit in the wild. She has kindly prepared for me to try for the 1st time. Blanched in hot water and seasoned with a bit of thick soya-sauce, the flesh is creamy like an avocado and absolutely yummy to. Am told that the seeds are also good, so cracked it opened and it is nutty&yummy.

Sun: according to my US pastry chef friend Gayle –It looks like all you do is eat and visit friends/family! I want to eat all of this. And yes, the essence of my life is family&friends, food&fun. The rains were relentless this morning, but did not stop Lawrence&I from an early breakfast. Trying to find out the names of some of these fruits. Appreciations to Janice for her yummy yummy home-made pineapple tarts and butter-cake.

Bought a small bunch of Buah Kelubi/Asam kelubi – posted a FB message to ask for info and tkx to everyone’s input, managed to find the correct name of this extremely sour fruit.

To Jenny for her comment: we don’t normally cook it.. just eat it and add with a little bit of Belacan to enhance… or we use it for cooking with fish dish for the sour taste.

http://animhosnan.blogspot.com/2018/02/buah-asam-paya.html

Blessed to be included to Mabel’s bros Victor’s&Sunny’s combined Bdays dinner with her side of the family. Appreciations to Sunny&Mary for yummy food at their beautiful home.

Thank you to Alfred for sharing his fish.

Don’t just count your years, make your years count – George Meredith

11 Jan 2019 – Real Food But Poor Service

Sun: tkx to Leonard for getting the PowerPoint, etc on my computer going. Now to get the presentations ready for KCH trip.

Mon: posting in FB – thank you to KK for lunch@RealFood/OrchardCentral. OK food, high prices and poor service (a waitress who insisted on speaking Chinese even when we replied in English) and no, will not return. Not recommended.

Comment from JohnK/Ireland – ‘In the few years I’ve known you Amy, I’ve never heard you say a bad thing about anywhere you’ve been or anyone you’ve met. I can only imagine how bad your experience at this place was to have prompted you to write this post’.

Reply – hahaha John – how are you and Happy 2019!I Good to hear from you. The experience with a friend was good (and yes will lunch or dine with him another time!!), but we both noticed how poor the service was.

Told KK that I will make a note of it here and you know me, my words are as good as action! If I have read a comment like this from any of my FB friends, would have not gone to this place. Did not have the NasiLemak, just, a pix as this was the only pix with a price tag at the entrance.

Those who know me also know that harping on negative&nonconstructive issues is not my lifestyle, and also keeping a distance from ppl who have much negative energy, ie always complaining, whining and finding faults in everyone&everything.

Tue: struggling with the choices of pix for the presentations. Tkx to Faith for yummy chocolate, cakes and for dinner co.

Wed: welcome Christopher from Shanghai back to SIN. He is here for a wedding and glad to catch up with him at the airport (easier and more time efficient as I live near the airport) even just for a couple of hours. Pix credits to him of the selfie&pix of me taking a pix of him!

Thu: Happy 30thBD to grandnephew KeeYang. How is it possible to have a 30yrs old grandnephew??? Still struggling to edit presentations and packing for my afternoon flight to KCH.

Safe&sound in KCH, the CatCity (not a fan of cats) after a smooth 1hr AirAsia flight (arr 30mins ahead of schedule) from ChangiT4. Hope that these new PandanCookies from PrimaDeli will be well received!

Tkx to Lawrence&Mabel for Thai food dinner@BlackCanyon/AeonMall, and nice to have met with Georgina&CC Lau.

Fri: TGIF- good morning from KCH-CatCity. What a wonderful way to start this trip with a bowl of scrumptious KCH-KoloMee@NoodleExpert in good company of Jenny&JohnKing. Julie&TYT were late and had to rush off to catch their flight thus no pix of them. A fabulous weekend to all.

Appreciations to Matthew Wee (Principal) and to SC Sia (Parent) for hosting my presentation – Not All Those Who Wander Are Lost@Lodge International School. A big thank you to an attentive young audience who had many good&relevant questions.

Lunch and all my favourites – Kedondong/ambarella juice, Midin, ManiChai Bee-Hoon, a rice vermicelli dish usually stir-fried with egg and ManiChai. All these fruits and veg are wild from the jungle and usually considered as poor-man’s dishes, but this is real food to me and will be happy just having that thru’out my stay here!

Followed by fresh jungle durians&mangosteens. Chuan watch where you sit 🙂 and I am in food heaven.

More yummy Dayak food@AwahCafe with CNY deco in place and where there is a Kedondong tree in the garden. Another glass of juice+2bottles to go. The stomach will not be too happy tonight, but such is life and tomorrow is another day. Thousand tkx for a very lovely&memorable day to Chuan&AnnChee+Yong who serenaded us with his ukelilli at the back of the car.

Those are the memories that made me a wealthy soul.

I’m just trying to keep things simple, and just be a little more offhand and not get so deep into things. Enjoy what you got right now, because who knows what’s going to happen tomorrow – Bob Seger

5Jan 2019 – And Thanks for 2018

Tue: byebye 2018, welcome 2019. Wishing each&everyone 12months of good health, 52weeks of fun, 365days of prosperity, 8,760hrs of joy, 525,600minutes of good luck and 3,1536,000seconds of peace. Reading thru’ HC of 2018 Season Greetings, really like this hand-painted card from Inger/Sweden. Picking up some sale items@Parkway and a light snack of soft-shell crabs was delicious but something to be said about the service in this location!

Wed: now that the circle of life in this whole wide world🌏is in sync into 2019, let’s all do our best to live mindfully in harmony&peace with each other where ever we may be. Tkx to Adrian&Seb for lunch co and to check out the latest updates with the constructions of the TEL MRT line@the show-room, EDC 2023. Looking good, especially for one of the Marine Terrace station exit just around the corner from block 46, and once above that exit, will take less than 1min to get to my 4-walls.

Thu: TGIF – enjoying the 1st 2019 Fri, admiring posters@Bedok-Interchange – no complains where SIN’s public transportation is concerned. With my senior citizen ticket, 0.88c is the most to pay for a single ride, compared to Norway where a single ride is S$5-6!! And in London it is free for local seniors.

Bedok today while waiting for my free shuttle to IKEA.

Glad that this table was on sale and that Inessa managed to get all the heavy pieces up to her place and got it set up. Have seen this item for the past years and thought it to be one of the most practical dinning tables for small apt. And today she got it for under S$200 at the sale price+members’ discount, pix credits to her.

Fri: another interesting ride with buses 16, 30&78+MRT EW-NE lines to the industrial area (quite a view from the 4th floor of 21PandanAve) to return an item (ideal size hand-held mini vacuum, but unfortunately it did not work) bought online.

From East-West-FarrerPk: started 0910hrs arr@FarrerPk 1245hrs with 6transfers and getting item returned S$1.76. Sending it with a delivery with cost S$20-30 and since I have the time, made the trip into an adventure. OH East is East, and West is West, and never the twain shall meet – Kipling

Tkx to Les&Ivy for lunch@Bar.B.QTonight. Safe journeys back to NYC to Kat&family who will be flying off after the weekend.

Eating with Les&Ivy, there is always more than enough food to last for another meal. Protein overdosed – so much food left over and nothing went to waste when one can doggie-bag!

Les’s new clinic@FarrerPk Hospital to be completed by 1Apr. Like the high ceilings, but most of it will be closed soon, except the waiting area.

An uncomfortable stroll down SIN river to catch with dinner appointment. Breeze was mis-leading, feeling hot, humid and muggy. Had a quick look at these Bicentennial exhibits on either side of the river.

https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/singapore-s-bicentennial-commemoration-in-2019-a-time-to-reflect-9823248

One more scrumptious seafood meal@Jumbo with Clem&Vincent before Larry has to head off back to the US after the weekend too. Safe journeys to all travelling.

With touristy ClarkeQuay in the background ending this long day with one refreshing dessert/cocktail Lychee Martini@ParkRoyal On Pickering hit the spot.

A week of non-stop on the go and this will be the last of a 14+hrs on-the-go-day or may not survive to see another day, not to mention another year!  Feeling no pain in the shower and hitting the sack just after midnight. Tomorrow is another day and will need the weekend to recover.

Sat: Happy 70Bday to Gerald, one of my first boyfriends! Happy Bday to Leonard, my computer guru. Too tired to think today!!!

2 – Happy Bday Darryl

5 – Happy Bdays Gerald  & Leonard

6 – Happy Bday Cindy

9 – Happy Bdays Judy & Lee

10 – Happy Bday KeeYang

15 – Happy Bdays Angie  & me!

18 – Happy Bday Isabelle (SunSun)

19 – Happy Bday Kari

21 – Happy Bday Michael

22 – Happy Bday Katy

24 – Happy Bdays 15thUncle  and Ole K

Run when you can, walk if you have to, crawl if you must; just never give up ― Dean Karnazes

31 Dec 2018 – On The Eve Of 2019

Fri: TGIF and enjoy this last 2018 Friday. Here is the 2018 favourtie gift to myself. Have been eyeing this book-lamp for 3yrs ever since I first set eyes on it at the National Design Centre. But was not willing to pay S$300+ or even S$200+ when I saw it again early this year. Then a month ago, saw this online (certainly a copy!) for S$50.

Some of the shops@the EsplanadeConcourse have gone (no more HäagenDazs ice-cream 😦 ) and new ones like this fully self-serviced cafe where there is no one there to hear or listen to your complains or orders@KissaKalm’s. Standing room only and the choices depend on what are in these vending machines!

The cafe is no longer – use to frequent this library when I first returned 20yrs ago and did not have my piano then. There was and still is a sound-proof room with a piano where you can rent hourly.

Tkx Audrey for catching up. Die die must try, Marinated Cockies Teochew style were absolutely delicious @FamousTreasures/Capitol Piazza. (tkx to Irene for her share). Wokfried-Squid with Cincalok+Lady’s Fingers/Okra, KL-style HokkienMee, Marble Goby with Preserved veg (on the salty-side) were good. Wanted the crabs, but they were out. It was buy 1dish and get one free promotion – total S$38 for 2 was affordable, otherwise too pricey for this stomach. The sweet cherry-tomatoes appetizer were unusual and I like the taste

Yummy Vanilla Soufflé@HoshinoCoffee. TigerSugar, some new gimmick Brown Sugar Milk Tea. Will try it when the novelty dies down and no more lines! Have been told that my fellow country ppl like standing in lines – crowds&lines are NOT my cup of tea!

Capitol building brings back memories of CHIJ school days where there was a Magnolia Ice-cream bar where I used to enjoy their chocolate milk-shake once in a while! Also when classes got boring looking out of the class room&assembly-hall (now MRT offices) into these rows of shops, but of course they were not so beautifully spruced-up then.

Sat: a welcoming quiet day to catch up with myself…

Sun: appreciations to Insessa for the pot-luck at her place. Quite an experience to change from bus to MRT CircleLine&NorthEastLine and LRT to RivervaleLink (3changes). Took over an hr from door to door costing only S$1.10 (senior fares). Nice to meet with new ppl and tkx to Philip for his yummy fusion Shephard’sPie and for the ride back. Saved me an hour and managed a short nap before the next gathering.

Thank you to Pat&David with nieces, grandnieces, nephews, grandnephews (Les&Ivy had to leave early) for a yummy BakKutTeh=meat bone tea – literally translated but actually more a savoury clear broth, consisting of fleshy pork ribs cooked for hours in a broth of herbs and spices, including star anise, cinnamon, clove, fennel seeds, garlic and everybody has their own way of making this. 1st taste for Greg who really liked it.

Mon: tkx to Kat&Greg for yummy roast-chicken dinner and to MeiPin for her delicious home-made cranberry-sauce. Paper-dolls with Devon, Russian-poker with Kiera and Scrabble with all the generations. It has been a long time ago since I stayed up until past mid-night for New Year’s Eve with poppers to welcome 2019. Appreciations to MeiPin for the ride and surprisingly the traffic thru’ OrchardRd&NicollHighway was smooth flowing with no jams!

Blessed&grateful to have family&friends crossing this life journey’s path. Good bye 2018.

Tomorrow, is the first blank page of a 365 page book. Write a good one – Brad Paisley

27 Dec 2018 – And Life Goes On

Sat&Sun: blessed with good company of family – Daisy, Clement, Stanley, Darryl and friends – Sam, Calvin&Chris. Thank you for their wonderful company to lunch&dinner on this 4th Sunday Advent. For those good spot ppl Yoshie&Gareth trying to guess Calvin’s green circular pix, here is the spoiler for his creative pix – a green see thru’ cup on top of a lid-star…

Mon: pleasant 10mins walk (mostly under shade in well-groomed MP HDB estates and on 1over-head-bridge) to the Polyclinics. The doctor attending me there was complaining that he had to work on Christmas Eve, bringing back memories of a certain Grinch at the TanglinClub some years ago!! The consolation after 2hrs wait was no serious problems from the blood tests.

On the way from the bus-stop to Les&Ivy and tkx to them for a yummy dinner, tasty&moist turkey (not this rooster by the road!) from Goodwood Park Hotel. Those who drive might not notice the lovely&interesting surroundings around. I think this same rooster&his flock has greeted me not too long ago 🙂

A small get-together as auntie Winnie has to fly off back to HI early tomorrow. Welcome Kat&Greg+Devon&Eliott from the US and Lawrence from KCH to SIN. Happy 20th Wedding Anniversary to May&Albert who just returned from Rome. Devon there making sure that Santa will not miss this house tonight!

Got back by midnight: somewhere out there beneath this beautiful full moon, we are all underneath the same big sky. Near or far apart, here is to wishing each&everyone who is celebrating a Merry Christmas🎄PEACE☮️be with all from my family in the US/Linn, Norway/May and from me in SIN.

Tue: appreciations to Les&Ivy for hosting this delicious😋ChristmasDay🎄Lunch@the TanglinClub – blessed with the good company of 30family members (for once this is only family&their spouses+their families, ie everyone here is related by blood&marriage to Les&Ivy) of all ages, pix credits to one of the servers, tkx to David who did the set-up.

After a 3hrs semi-buffet lunch, needed to nap for nearly 3hrs and will not need to eat for another 3days🙃

Wed: tourist guiding Larry from the US on this hot&humid Boxing Day, St Stephen’s Day, also known as Wren Day or Constitution Day. Not sure how much longer more I can continue doing this? Was completely beat and snoozed on the bus nearly missing my stop! What happened to those days where I can go from brunch to dinner without needing to take a break?? Came back to another leak, wrote in to the MP TownCouncil with hopes of getting this problem resolved!

Thu: saw Lawrence off@T2 ChangiAirport. Unlike the OrchardRd decorations&lights. these are more appropriate for the season and quite tasteful to my eyes this year!

If you have the time to explore around when you are at T2, this Lego Mural by the children of the Befrienders Club is worth the time to look at, even the title appeals to me. Surprised (as I did not except such prompt response) from the MPTC informing me that they will send someone out to check about the leak this afternoon.

I’ve learned that you can tell a lot about a person by the way (s)he handles these three things: a rainy day, lost luggage, and tangled Christmas tree lights ~ Maya Angelou