29 Mar 2012 – Walk with Dignity!

It doesn’t matter how your day has gone – always go home with your head held high.

Plucked, pounded, mistreated, overworked but still with dignity.

Attitude is everything….

Tkx Denise for sharing. Hang on this roller-coaster ride and have no regrets! Remember that today will pass and tomorrow will be a new day 🙂

Tue: lovely company of grandniece Kiera who is visiting from NYC. After a morning movie with her, spent a nice afternoon together with mother & daughter catching up. How is it possible that I baby-sat niece May/Patricia in early 1970s in Dublin and now her daughter is 8 going on 9yrs… 🙂 🙂

The Lorax****an animated adaptation of the Dr. Seuss 1971’s children’s book, follows the story of Ted trying to win the girl of his dreams by finding her a real tree. He then stumbles upon the Lorax who tells him that his home, the Truffula Forest, is in danger due to the machinations of O’Hare, the mayor and greedy proprietor of a bottled oxygen Co.

Anyone who is fortunate to have the company of elementary school kids, do go watch this with them!

Wed: A Dangerous Method*** about Sigmund Freud, mentor to the fledgling psychiatrist and Carl Jung. Set on the eve of World War I, the film follows the turbulent relationships between the duo and Sabina Spielrein, the disturbed but beautiful woman who comes between them. Heavy and slow but worth seeing.

Appreciations to Peggy & Pat Tham for their company to lunch and the movie.

Salmon Fishing In The Yemen***when Britain’s leading fisheries expert is approached by a consultant to help realize a sheik’s vision of bringing fly-fishing to the desert, he immediately thinks the project is absurd. However, when the Prime Minister’s press secretary latches on to it as a good will story, a team will have to put it all on the line and embark on an upstream journey of faith and fish to prove the impossible, possible…

This BBC production is entertaining and encouraging way to pass an afternoon.

Analysis does not set out to make pathological reactions impossible, but to give the patient’s ego freedom to decide one way or another – Sigmund Freud

26 Mar 2012 – Play It Back

The Queen Elizabeth Walk/伊丽莎白女皇道 is a promenade located along the Esplanade and bordering the Esplanade Park. Built in 1943, the Esplanade Park is one of the oldest in Singapore.

1950s: my parents would take me here on the cooler evenings. Enjoying our satay and bobochacha (a popular local dessert make of coconut milk together with sweet potatoes, yam/taro and tapioca cubes) with an unobstructed sea view. Running around the fountain playing with the water and climbing the steps to The Cenotaph, thinking they must be the tallest steps… 🙂

Sun: today the unobstructed sea view is obstructed, but the memories linger and the documentary on the history of the Esplanade Park and a slide show (tkx to National Archives) do help to refresh those memories.

Satay, Eurasian food, drinks including Coke floats for sale to the audience.

Ethnic dances by Era Dance Theatre and Apsaras Arts & SIFAS Choral Group. The sky opened and poured buckets for a short time in between these dancers. Good time to take shelter under the bridge to view the slides. Cleared to a lovely cool evening.

The SIN Police Force Band (formally the 2nd Straits Settlement Band formed in 1925), in full ceremonial costume. Men in uniform is such a handsome sight! A little boy marching a chair to his parents is probably the favourite sight 🙂

Story telling time in Malay/Mokther, English/Kamini and Mdm LEE (amazing 70yrs lady) who told The Story of ChangE and the Origin for Mooncake Festival in Cantonese, translated by CHAN Wei Hun. Mdm LEE learnt from the famous Cantonese story-teller LEE Dai Soh. Chinese Theatre Circle with a Cantonese Chinese Opera/Wayang

PsalmiDeo Chorale, Jeremy Monteiro Big Band and young jitterbug/swing dancers to end the entertainment for this first Play It Back. Glad I had the chance to be part of it as who knows if there will be another and if so where life’s journey’s path may lead…

I hate to mention age, but I come from an era when we weren’t consumed by technology and television – Jimmy Buffett

25 Mar 2012 – From an Indian Wedding to the Forest!

Fri: A beautiful wedding invitation to Kiri & Falguni’s wedding@Holiday Inn/Orchard. The sari and accessories in Indian weddings are exquisite. Vegetarian dinner was yummy, especially the cilantro chutney. Must learn how to make that! Entertainment with songs and dances performed by the bride and groom and their families.

 Appreciations to Les for including me as part of his family to this function, ie the father of the groom is his patient!

Sat: have been wanting to do this since I heard about it from CH. Today, a charming and delightful group from the SMU Exchange students and gracious Grace joined me. Tommy (met on the place to KCH in Jan), Ryan, Ashley, Natasha are from the USA, Jean-Baptiste from France and Magnus from Norway (managed to surprise him by speaking Norwegian to him!)

S$40 is well worth this adventure. This is really fun and the group (ages 18-22) who did the entire course. Having fasted on water for a week, was too low on energy, thus decided to skip Site 4 letting Magnus ahead of me as he was held back by a group who by-passed the black diamond route/Site 2 (tough section which took much energy and focus).

A group of I-rated local middle-aged females thought he was jumping the line and started to complain with unpleasant raised voice and seemed to refuse to hear my explanation. Had no time to deal with such, so left it for the well-trained staff to handle it. Perhaps that explains the preference to the company of the younger generation! As the saying goes, against ignorance and stupidity, even God fights in vain…

 http://www.forestadventure.com.sg/

Introduced some real local food to them@Bedok. So nice to see lovely young people who are adventurous and willing to experience and enjoy life away from their homes. Having studied, lived, worked away from my roots and integrated to all the places I have lived for nearly 40yrs have taught me so much. Tkx but no tkx to the young people for the invitation to Zouk, appreciate the gesture. The zouking days are now past life’s adventure 🙂

I am living out my adolescent dream of travel and adventure – Tim Cahill

23 Mar 2012 – via Blog Readers

This is quite amazing. First I received words from a relative of sis-in-law, Mabel about their great-grandfather and another relative buried@Bukit Brown and now appreciations to more words from another friend and blogger, Lucy (http://singaporegirl.wordpress.com) that she has a friend, Linda in Sydney who wrote this:

While reading your updates today, I managed to read about Amy Lam’s blog and then to learn that Mrs Molly Ong passed away earlier this year in Feb. And then she posted photos amongst which I spotted my 2 cousins Wong Hong Sze and Richard Lee also related to Jolie Svasti and Ricca Liu! She talked about her family and I then realised she is the first cousin of Lam Kah Yun who was my classmate in 1958 before she left for MGS and I caught up with her in Toronto in 2001. Also amongst the many photos was Amy’s childhood house at 5 Temenggong Rd which the Lams bought from one of our Wong relatives!

Linda not only is related to my childhood friends but also classmate with my cousin Yun. Richard, if you are reading this, are you in contact with Linda who is only crossing my path for the first time by name! Such a small world!! Pix from 1950s taken from Temenggong Rd with the view of the Gate 8 habour/today VivoCity, and with paternal grandmother CHAN Swee Ngor, sisters Jo & Joyce and cousin Yun.

Extremely Loud And Incredibly Close****a story of 9-year-old Oskar  who lives in NYC with his parents. He spends a lot of his time with his father, playing a game called Reconnaissance Mission. But his world comes crashing down when he loses his father in the terrorist attacks on 11 Sep 2001. He finds a key and goes on a journey across NYC to find where it might fit thinking that his father had meant for him to find. Good story line and acting from Tom Hanks, Max von Sydow, Viola Davis, Thomas Horn, Sandra Bullock.

Creativity is the power to connect the seemingly unconnected – Willian Plomer

21 Mar 2012 – Bukit Brown

The last time by passing this area was in the 1950s when we drove from the Leungs who lived@Kheam Hock Rd then to the SICC@Upper Thomson Rd. Recently Bukit Brown has created much attention as a highway will be build and some of the graves will be exhumed. To make room for the living as they say, but let’s hope that these magnificent trees can be saved as they are still living! Just a first and last visit before the constructions begin!

Revision: 22 Mar: just discovered that my KCH sister-in-law Mabel ONG LAM’s great grand father ONG Ewe Hai is buried here. He had a daughter ONG Ann Neo and the same name in the exhumation list at grave number 1955. Would have taken a pix if I had this earlier. A little bird told me that the SIN Govt would elevate part of the new road to save more graves and hopefully trees too. Tkx to Raymond ONG & Sean COLLUM for the info.

Appreciations to Hannah and her parents for wanting to join this early morning paranormal walk!

For those who think of Singapore as an antiseptic place of high-rise buildings, bustling streets, glitzy shopping malls and immaculately tidy parks, Bukit Brown comes as a bit of a shock….

http://www.economist.com/blogs/banyan/2012/03/singapores-heritage

The Bukit Brown Municipal Cemetery, located between Lornie Road and Mount Pleasant Road, was officially opened on 1 January 1922. Previously a 211-acre plot of land that belonged to the Hokkien ONG clan, the Municipality had acquired a section of it in 1918-1919 to serve the burial needs of the wider Chinese community. It was opened for more than half a century until its closure in 1973. 

Bukit Brown was named after George Henry Brown, a shipowner, trader and broker who arrived in Singapore in the 1840s. He opened a company named Brown, Knight & Co., at Malacca Street in 1865

On 21 March 2010, a newspaper report claimed that the oldest grave in Bukit Brown dated to as early as 1833, not 1844 as previously claimed. The headstone belongs to a man called Fang Shan, who died in 1833. Fang Shan’s grave is looked after by the Fang Shee Association, a local clan association for those with the surname Fang.

The tomb of ONG Sam Leong and his wife in Bukit Brown is said to be the largest tomb in Singapore. Built in 1918 before plot sizes were fixed, the area is reported to be as large as 10 small Housing and Development Board (HDB) flats

http://infopedia.nl.sg/articles/SIP_1358_2009-07-13.html

We say we love flowers, yet we pluck them. We say we love trees, yet we cut them down. And people still wonder why some are afraid when told they are loved – Author Unknown

19 Mar 2012 –  metaphorical meaning of dispelling ignorance

Creation of Light, by Gustave Doré. The engraving depicts a literal representation of Genesis 1:1

It was a lovely cool evening after the St Patrick’s parade activities and since this was in walking distance, took the opportunity to see what the lights are about. Tkx CH for being such a spot to accompany me on this Walk in the Lights 🙂

i Light Marina Bay 2012: http://www.ilightmarinabay.sg
Asia’s 1st & Only Sustainable Light Art Festival in SIN, 9 Mar-1 Apr

To view all the displays one should start from Customs House, walk around MBS, Helix Bridge, along Esplanade Drive and to the Merlion.

Disorders ll/TAN Swee Siong

Wedding couple not part of the display but maybe having second thoughts with 5Qu1D/Ryf Zanini. Perhaps they should sit on the Deck Journey/Zulkifle Mahmod to clear their minds 🙂

The Light Dam/Uno Lai, and Bio Shell/Shinya Okuda. Pix credits to CH, (wrapped in the plastic feeling trapped) 🙂 🙂

Pretty effects with the green lighting up the pillars. How these fragile looking support foundations of the ArtScience Museum can take the size and weight of the lotus-shaped structure is amazing!

Some years ago, a daylight pix of Esplanade/Theatres on the Bay with Swissôtel The Stamford in between was circulating around. Managed to capture from HelixB with a different, a not so high building in between. The one with the hotel in between was taken from MBS. Hope that it will not burst the ego of the person who circulated the first pix 🙂 🙂 🙂

My favourite: Key Frames/Groupe LAPS, France: tubes to create a display of more than 20 static stick figures. When paired with an electrifying soundtrack, the lights create a choreographed display which evokes movement, activity and a festive atmosphere.

Even the Merlion was slowly filled in with different colour lights. For the benefits to those who are not familiar with this mythical creature with the head of a lion and the body of a fish, used as a mascot and national personification of SIN. Mer meaning the sea with a fish body which represents SIN origins as a fishing village when it was called Temasek which means sea town in Javanese. The lion head represents SIN, Singapura meaning lion city!

We can easily forgive a child who is afraid of the dark; the real tragedy of life is when men are afraid of the light – Plato

18 Mar 2012 – a Bundle of Joy arrived!

Happy Happy Bday to my first-born, Linn who has brought so much joys in life’s journey and still continuing to do so. Born the day after St Patrick’s Day in Dublin/Ireland and moved to Norway when she was only 4 months. Then another move to the USA when she was 11yrs. Not easy to have to deal with these moves but she has graciously made the best of both worlds and has developed into the amazing person as she is meant to be.

Thank you to a wonderful & beautiful (in everyways) daughter who has made a proud mother, mother-in-law and grandmother of me. Today a mother of 5 lovely children (3 girls & 2 boys) and my hat off to her!

A woman has two smiles that an angel might envy, the smile that accepts a lover before words are uttered, and the smile that lights on the first-born babe, and assures it of a mother’s love – Thomas C. Haliburton

Started the day with visiting niece PatLynn and grandniece Beth@Mt Elizabeth Hospital. Both mother and baby are well and of course Beth is as cute as a button. Thanks for lunch SueLynn in good company of Ivy. Apologies, had to rush to get to the parade in time.

Only a handful of the IGAS/Irish Graduates Association of SIN members were present and the IGAS banner was missing. Appreciations to CH for the good company, support and for taking pix (pix credits of Carmel, Min & I goes to CH). Thank goodness it was not raining during the parade but it poured down buckets after most have found their ways to the pubs! Cleared again during the Irish dance performance to a lovely cool evening.

Begorra! even the Irish community in SIN is having a parade today for Linn 🙂

Another Irish joke to complete the celebrations…

 An Irishman and an American were sitting in the bar at Shannon Airport.

‘I’ve come to meet my brother,” said the Irishman. “He’s due to fly in from America in an hour’s time. It’s his first trip home in forty years’.

‘Will you be able to recognize him?’ asked the American.

‘I’m sure I won’t,’ said the Irishman, ‘after all, he’s been away for a long time’.

‘I wonder if he’ll recognize you?’ said the American.

‘Of course he will,’ said the Irishman. ‘Sure, an’ I haven’t been away at all’

🙂 🙂 🙂

17 Mar 2012 – Happy Bdays to niece PatLynn & her new born!

Congratulations to PatLynn & David for the birth of their baby daughter born today. Also congrats to Lucas for his baby sister. Welcome to the world on St Patrick’s Day, grand niece, Beth! Now if this not well-timed, what is… LOL!!

Sat: this year’s Paddys Day’s reception was Thu night and the parade is not until tomorrow! It would have been nice to celebrate on the day itself! Difficult to really get in the mood when not in Ireland! Last year was traveling up the Sarawak River during Paddy’s Day. So it must be 2010’s parade last attended!

http://amylamsg.com/2010/03/17/happy-st-patricks-day/

What is Paddy’s Day without an Irish joke? Tkx Denise for sharing this. Enjoy! Appreciations to the Irish for teaching me their sense of humour! 🙂

Two Irish friends leave the pub. One says to other, ‘I can’t be bothered to walk all the way home.’

I know, me too but we’ve no money for a cab and we’ve missed the last bus home.

‘We could steal a bus from the depot,’ replies his mate.

They arrive at the bus depot and one goes in to get a bus while the other keeps a look-out.

After shuffling around for ages, the lookout shouts, ‘What are you doing? Have you not found one yet?’

I can’t find a No. 91

‘Oh Jaysus Christ, ye thick sod, take the No. 14 and we’ll walk from the Roundabout.

🙂 🙂 🙂

Fri: accompanied por-por (bro Les’s mother-in-law in her 90s+) to her annual temple visit@Waterloo St. This year she is in a wheel chair and Miela (family help for nearly 20yrs) wheel her all the way up to the offerings. No point for her to struggle with her walking stick in the crowd. Good to be able to visit a handicapped friendly temple!

As por-por was doing her worships to the deities, was actually content to ride on her dedications to be grateful for all the blessings in life. We seem to take our blessings for granted and forget to be gracious and grateful for them. Today was not one of those taking for granted day! Chicken rice and roast pork lunch nearby the temple.

Joyful Noise**about a mother who takes over as a small-town’s church choir’s newly appointed head after the sudden passing of their director. The late director’s widowed wife who is a major donor to the church choir believes she should be in charge.

Two strong-headed women are forced to put their differences aside in order to save their church choir that is being threatened to be shut down due to budget cuts. Typical Hollywood story line but wanted more so to hear Dolly Parton and Queen Latifah sing.

What a contrast from a Chinese temple to Southern USA Gospel singing 🙂

Nature is the true revelation of the Deity to man. The nearest green field is the inspired page from which you may read all that it is needful for you to know – Arthur Conan Doyle, Sr.

15 Mar 2012 – but why do we insist on making it complicated?

Wed: Ellie’s 7th Bday. Where has all the time gone? Was then preparing for the AT Thru-Hike while waiting for her birth. As everything was meant to be, was there for Linn, Jeff & Katy after Ellie was born and took off on the hike 30 May.

A Simple Life*** based on a true story of a man and his devoted servant Ah Tao who has spent 60yrs wholeheartedly serving many generations of the Leung family. When Ah Tao suffers a stroke, she quits her job and moves to a nursing home. Her current master, Roger, not only helps her move into a nursing home, but takes time to caring for her after all that she has done for him and his family. If only there are more Rogers, this world would be a better place!

Have mentioned my preference to watch HKG movies not dubbed and this has not changed. But being in SIN there is no choice! Glad to have seen this refreshing movie! For a change, a movie with no intrigues, knifing, manipulations, motives and all that games people play in soap operas… just a simple life as titled!

Tourist guiding two 80+ USA ladies. Diane is a friend of Katie who crossed my path in the 1980s, Long Beach, CA/USA The two ladies just completed 18days cruise in China & SE Asia, passing SIN for a couple of days. Was impressed that they were willing to walk from the YWCA/Orchard Rd to Kopitiam for tea, then to Raffles Hotel to take pix. Safe journeys to them.

Thu: early St Patrick’s Day reception at the Irish Ambassador’s home. This year’s Guest of Honour is Ireland’s Minister for Public Expenditure & Reform, Mr Brendan Howlin, T.D. What more one ask for where top fresh quality of Irish beef, mutton, salmon, black & white pudding, ham, sausages, bacon, my favourite bread pudding, etc etc and Galway Bay oysters flown in less than 24hrs ago. As for drinks, needless to say there was a free flow of Guinness and whatever your heart desire!

Beannachtaí Pháidrige do mo chairde go léir. Pionta Guinness, le do thoil 🙂

Thank you Ambassador & Mrs Hayes for a lovely and delicious evening.

Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated – Confucius