14/12/2009 by amylamsg

Grassroots

14 Dec 2009 – Happy Birthday to Ingrid HUSTAD in Norway

Have been back from CBR for a week and still have not unpacked yet… surge of low energy or perhaps just lazy! Anyway why bother to unpack when I have to be off again next month? Kenson commented that I have a monotonous wardrobe when traveling, but when one is on the go every month, it is easier to keep it that way. Especially when I usually have no check-in luggage and public transport is my mode of transportation.

Spent Sun with Linda LANDERS who was in SIN for a job interview. We met at the SIN Art Museum/SAM Dome Cafe (formally Les‘s old school, St Joseph’s Institution) early in the year where I was having tea and she joined my table. She is from Sydney but at present working as an art teacher in KL/Malaysia. Thanks to Les & Ivy for brunch. Good to catch up with Michael CHUA & TEO Kim Beng, Albert‘s brother & brother-in-law who will be off to CBR with their families for the holidays. Safe journeys to all.

So convenient to discover that the new local grocery, Shop n Save and it opens 24hrs. Long gone are the days when I had to lug cartons of milk to last for the Christmas or Easter when shops in Norway closed for many days during the holidays. While shopping at the vicinity of the Marine Terrace Market, I stumbled upon the Year-End Block Party cum Christmas Celebrations. Nice to see the grassroots enjoying the evening’s entertainment with Senior Minister GOH Chok Tong as the Guest-of-Honour. No, I did not gate-crash the party 🙂 These shots were taken from outside the fenced-off area! SM may keep his balloons, I want the kid’s light sable… but a bigger one 🙂 🙂

An inflated balloon, impressive to look at but hollow at the core and easily punctured – Diane Feinstein

12/12/2009 by amylamsg

Pre-Christmas Picnic

12 Dec 2009 – Family & Friends

A beautiful day with 3 generations at HortPark, home of the vertical garden/living wall for limited space like SIN. Getting up at 0600hrs, picking up my share of the food and changing buses twice to get there was worth the effort. Thank you to all who took the trouble with the delicious picnic spread. Adeline‘s watermelon Christmas trees were most festive for the occasion. What a creative way to start the holidays. Must figure out how we can arrange a family reunion where as many as possible can attend, but where and when?? Open for suggestions and comments.

This park is gardening-related with recreational, educational, research, activities and is also part of the park connector, connecting Telok Blangah Hill Park to Kent Ridge Park. Took us about 4hrs to walk from Mt Faber Park to Science Park via HortPark when cousin Wilki visited. He was impressed with the whole trail, especially this park. Today there were lovely unusual displays for green wedding set-ups, ie environmental friendly decorations and I just could not resist taking pictures!

The struggle to save the global environment is in one way much more difficult than the struggle to vanquish Hitler, for this time the war is with ourselves. We are the enemy, just as we have only ourselves as allies – Al Gore

09/12/2009 by amylamsg

CBR-BNE-SIN

9 Dec 2009 – Goodbye CBR

Appreciations to Patricia & Albert for their gracious hospitality and for having to put up with a havoc auntie. Hopefully the new airport will be ready for, who knows, perhaps another visit! A big hug to Kiera for being such a delightful 6-year-old, and for keeping her grand-auntie on her toes, in-line and offline 🙂

Amazing that CBR is the capital of Australia but there are no direct flights from there to the rest of the world. With less than 400,000 in population on an area of 814.2 sq km, one does not have to worry about the crowds, except for the opening of the Masterpieces from Paris at the National Gallery! (SIN’s pop is just under 5 million over-crowing on 710.2 sq km). An entirely planned-city, it is neat and clean, and originally designed by an American architect Walter Burley Griffin. Located in a state of its own, Australian Capital Territory/ACT is definitely worth the visit and a good place to raise a young family.

Cost A$2 to go online for 20mins@BNE airport, rather expensive when you consider that it is FOC@SIN airport. If one goes online for communication and work in a public place, charging after 15mins might be a good way to limit the use. There is an unusual sculpture by Ben Trupperbaumer titled Anchorage & Passage, made of recycled spotted gum & bronze in 1995. It is located near Gate 81 where flight EY473 was heading to Abu Dhabi via SIN.

Etihad Airways/United Arab Emirates- 8hrs from BNE-SIN flew quickly by with 80 movies and 114 documentaries to choose, in addition to the audio programs; cocktails and 3-course meal with wines and Cointreau to keep me from feeling any hunger or pain! Needed a whole day to recover, considering that CBR is only 3hrs ahead of SIN!! Will not have any problems taking this airline again.

When I was One,
I had just begun.

When I was Two,
I was nearly new.

When I was Three,
I was hardly Me.

When I was Four,
I was not much more.

When I was Five,
I was just alive.

But now I am Six, I’m as clever as clever.
So I think I’ll be six now forever and ever – AA Milne

07/12/2009 by amylamsg

CBR Highlights/2

7 Dec 2009 – Addition to LAM-Heritage

Congratulations to cousin Yat-Soon YEO (son of 9th auntie LAM Poh Kue/1921-2000) & Helen VICKERY and welcome to their first daughter Merle YEO Tsing Kei born 30 Nov 2009 in London/UK.

Thu: War Memorial on beautiful grounds with a section about the invasion and surrender of the Japanese in SIN. An impressive & touching experience.

Fri: Yarralumia Nursery & Western Park. There were at least 10 kangaroos ( a mob ) taking refuge from the sun under whatever shade they could find. This is the first time I have seen so many out in the wild. Frightened by the closing of the car door, one by one, they hopped across the road resembling the yellow road-signs… cute!

Sat: Ivy flew back to SIN this morning. Afternoon siesta in the afternoon was the best way to have enough energy for the evening! Manuka is a charming & trendy district. According to Patricia&Albert, similar to SIN’s Holland Village. Dinner at Fuel*** kangaroo meat, interesting taste but good with a sweet salad dressing. Can imagine the gamely taste without the dressing.

Sun: 6am walk to Red Hill with Chocolate. The hot-air balloons floating in the blue sky made a perfect peaceful scene on my last day in CBR. Nice trail but rather exposed. Shared my bottle of H2O with Chocolate! Kiere is afraid of going on the hot-air balloon at present but hope that she will grow out of that fear. Very memorable experience with Linn&May on them when living in California. Would like to be in that basket once more before my time is out 🙂

Gundaroo about 35mins from CBR, a sleepy joint out of nowhere where we had pizza for lunch at Cork Cafe*** An old converted stable well hidden on Cork St, the main street. A bar, church, shop and hotel are located on this street. That’s it but more than Lyngseidet/Norway, where there was a gas station, grocery (bank & post office also in there) and medical clinic when I was living there in the late 1970s. The nearest town is Tromsø and it takes about 2/3hrs to drive there, ie if the roads are opened and if the car-ferry is operating !

A short distant away from Gundaroo is Old St Luke’s Studio, a church building and adjoining school master’s residence. The church yard dates back to 1845 but the cherry trees were planted recently. This is where internationally renowned ceramic artists Ian JONES & Moraig McKENNA display their pottery in the church, their home is the school master’s residence. To see the wood-fired ceramics: http://www.oldsaintlukesstudio.com.au

02/12/2009 by amylamsg

CBR Highlights

2 Dec 2009 – Places of Interest

CBR is a city full of interesting things to see and do. It is neat and clean and everything is laid out systematically. Unable to recover my own pictures, but will keep trying and will post them when and if I am successful.

National Gallery more than 100,000 works of art including the history of indigenous art from the earliest to the most recent. The beautiful outdoor Sculpture Garden would be an ideal picnic spot and for ET to phone home on this lovely sunny day.

The design of National Portrait Gallery is inspired by the notion that the proportion of a building should correspond to that of a person. Hard-wearing terrazzo and concrete paving are used internally and externally, with inlay strips of stones from each State & Territory and timbers from around the country. The tasteful building compliments the cafe*** food and the gifts sold in the store.

Along the shores of Lake Burley Griffin, one can find International Flags Display. There are more than 80 flags dedicated to the United Nations to represent every country with which Australia has diplomatic relations. They are flown 24hrs a day and are lit at night. It was festive to see all those flags flapping in the wind, especially when I spotted the SIN flag!

National Botanic Gardens on a beautiful clear day and a yummy lunch at the Gardens Cafe***

Black Mountains Tower/870m above sea-level with 360 degrees view of CBR. No skyscrapers in this capital. SIN must be so envious of all this land & open space 🙂