17 Jan 2012 – or I want too!

Today decided to check out the new I12 Mall@Katong. The number of the building is 112 but the way it is projected it looks like I want too! Nice to be in a brand new GV cinema with only 5 people, including me. Yeah, finally a cinema in walking distance, app 10mins walk or 3 bus-stops!

There is a water feature outside of the Food Republic food court on the top floor. Would love to bring my grandchildren here, like the SIN Zoo with a fantastic water playground there, even I am tempted to be in the water, especially with the hot hot hot days back.

Sherlock Holmes: A Game Of Shadows**a new action-packed adventure in this sequel that follows the world’s most famous detective, Sherlock Holmes, and his long-time trusted associate, Dr. Watson. The duo take on their arch-nemesis, the criminal genius Moriarty, with the help of Holmes’ older brother Mycroft and a fortune-teller called Sim.

My ratings are partial as action movies are not for me. Used to enjoy the old B/W Sherlock Holmes on TV but this Hollywood production has way tooooo much violence and had to close the eyes most of the time!

Condolences to Gerald, Greta and their families for the passing of their mother, auntie Pearl. May she RIP now after nearly 3 months of life-support in the ICU. Yesterday she was cremated@Mandai Crematorium where my parents are also located. Said my goodbye to auntie Pearl and paid a visit to my parents’ niche. It was a hot day and the walking out to the main road to catch the bus in the mid afternoon heat was rather overwhelming after a funeral.

What we have once enjoyed we can never lose. All that we love deeply becomes a part of us – Helen Keller

15 Jan 2012 – beside getting up in the years!

Must admit that the energy is not what it used to be. Enjoying the afternoon rests and naps if possible to fit them in, especially now that the hot and humid days are returning here in SIN after a very pleasant windy spell!

Tkx to Les & Ivy for a yummy cholesterol-filled breakfast@Tiong Bahru but then in the good company of a brother cardiologist, a sis-in-law GP, an older sis and a younger family friend, there is no worry for cholesterol 🙂

Appreciation to MeiPin for introducing all the trendy shops in this up-coming Tiong Bahru area where the family owned 3 Seng Poh Rd many moons ago!  Below a repeated post from 22 Jun 2010:

3 Seng Poh Rd was at one time in the hands of the LAM family (1940s-1960s). Cousins Lock, Yun & Chaiwho have immigrated to Canada lived there in the 1950s. It is now the New Cape Inn and Fook Weng Seafood Restaurant. Opposite #3 during the Japanese Occupation in the 1940s was where my 2nd brother sneaked to pick up the fallen grains of rice and where sister Jo saw the water-torture. The atrocities from those days are still in the memories of those who have experienced or witnessed them; never pleasant to hear but hopefully never to be repeated. There is a saying where war & love are concerned, there is no fairness or justice…

Next to #3 is the famous bird singing corner. There was a small temple across the road at the traffic lights but has recently been replaced with a boutique hotel (opposite the beautiful tree). Where the yellow taxi is standing, there used to be my favourite prawn noodle soup stall which was a push-cart where the whole kitchen was wheeled around with wooden chairs strapped around the cart. Prawn noodle was the only dish he sold and was usually sold out by 1000hrs. Today beside Jo‘s home-cooked prawn noodle, the only other one which can be compared to my 1950s push-cart favourite is @Blanco Court Prawn Mee**** Beach Rd.

You know you’re getting old when you can’t remember how old you are – Catherine Puzino

14 Jan 2012 – And Reunion dinner@Moi Lum

Tkx for including me for this early reunion dinner. The food was delicious and blessed to be with family. This is also the same place Steven & family had their reunion dinner last year during May& Bjørn’s visit. And now they are a family with a son name Olai.

http://amylamsg.com/2011/01/31/a-rainy-weekend/

Appreciations for the yummy ice cream cakes to celebrate 3 generations of Jan Bdays, grandnephew Darryl, niece Judy and myself.

Old people are fond of giving good advice; it consoles them for no longer being capable of setting a bad example – Francois De La Rochefoucauld

12 Jan 2012 – With a Complicated Life…

My Week with Marilyn****BBC production based on Colin Clark (an employee of Sir Laurence Olivier’s) documents about the tense interactions between Olivier and Marilyn Monroe during production of The Prince and the Showgirl in the summer of 1956. Clark works as an assistant  starring Olivier and Monroe who was also on honeymoon with her new husband, playwright Arthur Miller.

When Miller leaves the country, Clark introduces Monroe to British life and they spend a week together, during which time she escapes from her Hollywood routine and the pressures of work. All of London is excited to see the sex symbol, while Olivier is struggling to meet her many demands and acting ineptness and Clark is intrigued and infatuated by her.

A woman who had it all, especially sex appeal and sadly still could not find any contentment and inner peace within! Born as Norma Jeane Mortenson in1926 and died 1962 age 36 as MM. Her childhood was traumatic and she had 3 marriages behind her.

Journalist Anthony Summers examines the issue of Monroe’s relationships with the Kennedy brothers at length in two books: his 1993 biography of FBI Director J Edgar Hoover, entitled Official and Confidential: The Secret Life of J. Edgar Hoover, and his 1985 biography of Monroe, entitled Goddess. In the Hoover book, Summers concludes that Monroe was in love with President Kennedy and wanted to marry him in the early 1960s; that she called the White House frequently; and that, when the married President had to break off their affair, Monroe became even more depressed, and then turned to Robert Kennedy, who visited Monroe in Los Angeles the day that she died.

A wise girl kisses but doesn’t love, listens but doesn’t believe, and leaves before she is left – Marilyn Monroe

10 Jan 2012 – Back in SIN to bid farewell to 162 Elephants

The only one within the budget to adopt is by Wilairat TANO, 10cm Kasastra who is #180 out of 1,500 costing S$59. Contributed by buying a book and some gift tags, total cost+S$114. Good luck to the auctions and hope that this will help with some conservation to wild life. It never fails to sadden me with news where cruelty to the animals and the innocence are involved. It would be a different matter if it was a real issue of survivor but unfortunately most cases are greed.

Some wild life@SBG, a black swan on Eco Lake. Was trying hard for 10mins to frighten this reptile back into the bushes least someone who might not be paying attention to their steps might step on it.

Appreciations to Leonard, the computer savvy one who has taught me whatever I can do online! Today I learnt to synchronize and co-ordinate the blog header pix with my cover pix in FB, wow! Had a nice lunch, chicken rendang and Red Velvet Cake for dessert@Food for Thought*** the new SBG outlet. Still miss the smoked duck pizza from the N Bridge Rd outlet which is no longer now.

The ultimate tragedy is not the oppression and cruelty by the bad people but the silence over that by the good people – Martin Luther King

9 Jan 2012 – Happy Bdays to niece Judy & nephew Lee

Visits to KCH from the mid 2000s onwards were for the LAM Heritage research. This will make it the 9th visit! Most info regarding places of interest are posted: Mar 2008, May 2009, Mar 2010 and Mar 2011. Thus this time round, a wet Jan, the monsoon being at its height is only a short visit to see family & friends and will be riding the Tiger back to SIN early evening. Perhaps another trip for Lawrence’s Bday if the fares are affordable 🙂

Appreciations to M&L for putting me up in their home with a luscious green and beautiful Heliconia garden and for driving me around to visit Mabel’s family, for all the yummy food including my favourite of all wild ferns, Midin/Fiddleheads.

More local yummies, prawn mee/noodles, Kolo mee and black vinegar pig trotters… Denise don’ t freak out 🙂

Colourful Sun market/farmers’ market filled with goodies and the lovely aroma of the local coffee.

Thanks to Sia & family for including me to JiaJia’s 10th Bday.

How nice to be able to welcome baby, Kiefer to this world. Congratulations to Angel & Kurt and safe journeys to Brussels/Belgium.

It’s strange indeed how memories can lie dormant in a man’s mind for so many years. Yet those memories can be awakened and brought forth fresh and new, just by something you’ve seen, or something you’ve heard, or the sight of an old familiar face – Wilson Rawls, Where the Red Fern Grows,

6 Jan 2012 – Kuching=cat in Malay, thus Cat City!

KUCHING: A student and her would-be rescuer are missing after both fell into a monsoon drain during massive flash floods that left the city crippled. The student (29 )slipped and fell into the drain while walking to a bus stop to wait for her mother after her car stalled in the floodwaters. The rescuer (29) then jumped in to save her but was swept away by the heavy current…

http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2012/1/6/nation/10213275&sec=nation

This is so sad. By the time the Tiger landed, the worst floods were over. Today, another wet day but no floods. Good to be with family and eating KCH laksa which is different from SIN laksa. The soup or gravy here is more with a spice base than a coconut milk base in SIN.

And was so fortunate to have the laksa leafs in bloom in Mabel & Lawrence‘s garden. These leafs really bring out the flavour of the gravy!

Pix of the sky outside the flat window in SIN the night before flying off to KCH.

There was this really bright shinning mysterious star.

Star light, star bright,
The first star I see tonight;
I wish I may, I wish I might,
Have the wish I wish tonight

4 Jan 2012 – Lunch & Movie

Sun: organizing all the pix from 2011 so that they will not be lost or deleted! Quite a job when there are a couple of thousands!

Mon: a public holiday. Visited sister-in-law Poh Kit@Bukit Merah and Ivy’s mom as Les & Ivy are still in NYC.

Tue: tkx to Kenson for gifts and a vegetarian lunch@New Green Pasture Cafe****/Fortune Centre, one of my favourite vegetarian places. Their Vietnamese roll is tasty and filled with fresh crunchy veggies. Was introduced to this place when working in H&H some years ago. And it was also a good time to go and wish everyone in H&H a Happy New Year after lunch.

Before flying off tomorrow, wanted to catch The Artist****a French romance film. The story takes place in Hollywood between 1927 and 1932 and focuses on a declining male film star and a rising actress as silent cinema grows out of fashion and is replaced by the talkies.

Much of the film itself is silent; it is shot in black-and-white. Dujardin, the dashing main actor won the Best Actor Award at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival and has 6 Golden Globe nominations, the most of 2011.

An excellent movie, not easy to play silent movies. The body language and the expressions are so important to carry the message!

Will be heading to KCH on the Tiger, but have not made up my mind if the laptop is staying or going! Time will show…

When you see a silent movie, you understand everything that’s going on from the images because the images are so strong – Monica Bellucci

1 Jan – Happy 2012 from SIN to all on this Universe

Now that Hawaii/USA has passed midnight, the whole world is in sync to the year of 2012.

Being a wimp with crowds, the choice was to celebrate a quiet New Year’s Eve with cousin David & Leah from HI who will be flying off this evening. Tkx to Mica & Mun for drinks and food at the SIN Swimming Club  where we found a quiet place. A bubbly toast@my hide-away to welcome 2012. Safe journeys to David & Leah and to all who are traveling this holiday season.

Enjoy the fireworks pix downloaded from various sites…

Sydney/Australia & Hong Kong gave the most spectacular show according to the news report. Singapore where I am located now but was not anywhere near the maddening crowd!

 دبيّ‎ Dubai/UAE. مصر Cairo/Egypt where the protesters over-powered the fireworks. Cape Town/South Africa.

Always impressive in Москва́Moscow/Russia with the domes of Saint Basil’s Cathedral. Paris/France and London/UK creative show focusing on the London Eye .

Toronto/Canada. New York City/USA and Las Vegas/USA.

riːoʊ deɪ ʒəˈnɛəroʊ Rio de Janerio/South America where just looking at the crowd is enough to scare me off. Even being a big fan of fireworks is not good enough reason to get me into those kind of crowds 🙂

The best of luck to whatever 2012 resolutions or plans but most important, stay safe, healthy and be thankful.