10 Jan 2016 – Over Norway

Fri: unsuccessful shopping in Mustafa, sold out for the TV and new stocks do get in until evening. Hello again Kinetic Rains at T1, looks like every droplets have been polished, beamingly shinny now and just as mesmerizing as ever. Was doing some shopping at T3 and decided to see Chris off. He is heading for Czech Republic for the ‘Singing Rock’ training. Safe journeys and take care there, my young friend.

A new concept to protect baggage and a colour that you cannot miss unless you are blind! $S15 per piece is worth it, if you baggage is not strong enough to go thru’ the planes’ check-ins, but then why would you get something that is not strong enough to survive the journey and a few scratches should not do any harm but give more character!

Tkx Yoshie for greetings, my first ever snail-mail from Japan. Thoroughly enjoyed my recent and first experiences there. The ancient Japanese knew about China and Korea, but they did not know of any land east of their islands. They believed theirs was the first land awakened by the rising sun. The Japanese call their land Nippon, meaning ‘Land of the Rising Sun’.

Sat: tourist guiding visitors from Ireland – Ann&Tim who have been to SIN many times but not to Gardens By The Bay. Good sport of them to go up to the Supertrees Skyway, nice views of the garden from 22m high. (S$5pp)

Here is the name of the tree as requested – Couroupita guianensis, Cannonball Tree. Was there just recently SG50 FOC then. This time round to just sit and enjoy a lovely breeze watching life on the waters around the Kallang River. Ann&Tim were in the domes (S$28pp non-SIN for both domes) which I have nicknamed Nessy 🙂 It was so relaxing that I would have dozed off if I could have rest my back or lay down…

A drive to Mustafa and around Little India to collect the TV. Glad that the MRT stations in front are completed and that the barricades are finally down at LaSalle. Such a difference LaSalle is now that a full view can be seen from the road.

Appreciations to Cathrine&Lee for dinner at Imperial Treasure at Paragon****nice to meet new people and young people, Alfonse. Tkx to good wines brought by Les&Ivy.

The cold weather in OSL created ice crystals in the air and the Northern lights have now met its match…

https://www.facebook.com/vgteve/videos/10156591217890354/?pnref=story

Seems like these phenomenon and strange but amazing lights happening over Norway the past few days may be some forms of chemical reactions and this one is not a good one, as beautiful as they are 🙁

http://www.theboredmind.com/nature/these-psychedelic-clouds-were-spotted-over-norway-theyre-beautiful-but-bad-news/

Sun: battery running low (less than 1bar) in everything and everyways! At this stage in life’s journey, one need to be realistic to recharge when needed.  My motto – take care, stay safe and keep moving forward one step at a time and one day at a time 🙂

8 Jan 2016 – In Preparations…

Wed: lunch with Clem at IKEA and also got some food there for CC. Looks like Monkey business will be the themes ahead! For the Chinese Ox horoscope, the year of The Fire Monkey will bring some major celebrations, also some major changes. Predicts that they will find love in 2016. Hahaha this is not the first time for this predictions, so take it with many grains of salt 🙂 There could be news of a pregnancy, either that or a new child born into the family – really, must ask May about this??

Campers Corner is extending both their Novena and Waterloo stores making 51 Waterloo the longest and the only one with a cork-board (finally done!) outfitter’s store in SIN.

Thu: Joy***is the story of a family across four generations centered on the girl who becomes the woman who founds a business dynasty and becomes a matriarch in her own right. Betrayal, treachery, the loss of innocence and the scars of love.

The Danish Girl****remarkable love story inspired by the lives of artists Lili Elbe and Gerda Wegener. Lili and Gerda’s marriage and work evolve as they navigate Lili’s groundbreaking journey as a transgender pioneer.

Good acting but I thought this rather a sad movie and unable to imagine what it is like to feel so out-of-place with one’s own gender that one is willing to risk everything, including life…

Fri: TGIF and a good weekend to all.  Looks like I need to do some shopping. Not one of my favourite things to do.

To be out in nature tops one of my favourtie things to do…

Girls in white dresses with blue satin sashes
Snowflakes that stay on my nose and eyelashes
Silver white winters that melt into springs
These are a few of my favorite things – Rodgers and Hammerstein 

6 Jan 2016 – With Good Memories

Mon: First day of school and so much to share! US domestic air travel will require either a traditional passport or a federally-compliant ID card called “Real ID.” State driver’s licenses will no longer allow Americans access to domestic flights, as they do now. Real ID will constitute an internal passport’.

In other words you need to find out if your whatever US ID meets the required regulations for where ever you might be traveling to. So to make it easy for those who HAVE passports, just take your passport with you when you are traveling. For those who do not have a passport, go find out before you travel.

Pix credit to my niece Candice and she is taking a vote – boobalicious or phallic 🙂 at the Pasadena Rose Parade, CA USA. Seen from this little girl’s innocent eyes, this was her favourite. The thought of the parade brought back memories when we lived in CA, USA. L&M at this parade in 1986…

Just got words that an old Irish friend, Keith is home from hospital. He broke a collar-bone and several ribs avoiding a stone on his racing bike. Had surgery and now back in his Switzerland home. Speedy recovery to him, dug out some pix from his visits in OSL and our visit in CPH 1983-86.

Appreciations to HongSze for a wonderful evening with dinner and drinks at the Tanglin Club. Good to catch up with Samantha who blooms to be more beautiful for every year.

What a pleasant surprise to bump into Billy. Trying to recall when was the last time our paths crossed?? Found a pix from his family’s visit to FL, USA when we were living there in 1990! Now he is a grandfather of 1 with 2 more expected this year!

Tue: On the twelfth day of Christmas my true love sent to me: 12 Drummers Drumming. Drum rolls for putting away all Christmas decorations! And this tree is now ready for the next season, ie if you are using an artificial tree and has storage space!

It has been many years since I had a Christmas tree and when I did we had real trees thus not possible to pack it away. The only tree I have now is an advent calendar tree and this is a no-brainer to pack nor does it need much storage space 🙂

I don’t believe in forgetting the past, Because it’s always going to be a part of my life. But I can learn from it, accept it and move on – Abhishek Tiwari

3 Jan 2016 – On Orchard Road

Sat: Happy Bday to grand-nephew Darryl. Dropped by to Les&Ivy to check that things are OK as they are away until tomorrow. Tkx for T with Daisy and good to catch up with Raymond.

The choices and taste of the cakes at Brunetti***Tanglin Mall has yet to disappoint me. Today they had this new cute cake name Walk With Me – looks good and rich but was not hungry enough to try it.

After Walk With Me, decided to walk from Tanglin Road down Pedestrian Night on Orchard Road. Quite a novelty to be able to walk in the middle of this usually busy traffic road. To my surprise it was not as crowded as I thought it would be.

Strange but nice to be able to stand still in the middle of Orchard Rd to get some decent shots. Other shots in the camera were from a moving bus thru’ the glass windows.

Thought it was going to be the whole of Orchard, but as as it turned out, was only from the junction from Scotts Rd to Cairnhill Rd – 660m.

After The Heeren at Cairnhill Rd the traffic resumed and most of the Christmas displays were already down around Centre Point and Gateway. Good to still see people enjoying this pleasant evening. Walked from Tanglin Mall to Plaza SIN, app 3+K

Sun: another cloudy and lovely day keeping the temps comfortable to open windows and no AC needed in the pad! Nice day to organize paper-work, etc before starting on the logistics for E1, which will be one of the last big challenges in life’s journey!

On the tenth day of Christmas
my true love sent to me:
Ten Lords a Leaping

And yes I need those 10 Lords not just leaping around but to make themselves useful and help me put away decorations and clean up this pad 🙂

1 Jan 2016 – Welcome 2016

Tue: need to rest the muscles and joints after yesterday. Just show how unfit this body is. Have to do something about it before the heart and the rest of the organs like the stomach unfriends the mind…

Wed: Before We Go***two strangers stuck in Manhattan for the night grow into each others most trusted confidants when an evening of unexpected adventure forces them to confront their fears and take control of their lives…

Carol****based on the novel The Price of Salt, the movie is set in 1952 following a young dep-store clerk, Therese Belivet, who dreams of a better life. She then meets and falls in love with an older, married woman named Carol, an alluring woman who is trapped in a loveless, convenient marriage…

A tad slow pace but excellent acting from the women.

Thu: on this last day of 2015 and the seventh day of Christmas my true love sent to me 7 Swans a Swimming – the exact origins and the meaning of the song are unknown, but it is highly probable that it originated from a children’s memory and forfeit game.

After qualifying the MDA Assistance Scheme and M1’s visit, decided to shop around for a small affordable HDM1 ready TV. Another learning and new experience as this will be my first TV here in SIN.

11.00hrs: started with the Expo and there was nothing there within my choice or budget. The MRT station is more interesting than what was inside the Expo!

11.30hrs: continued to Mustafa in Little India. Lucky me, 3 choices there. Do like shopping there when there are no crowds – the only 24-7shop of this kind in the world with everything under one roof. And there are as many entrances as there are exists to get totally lost!

Slightly disoriented when I got out and had to ask for directions to Tekka Centre! A young lady who gave me directions back to the main road advised me to take the MRT. By looking at me, she thought it would be too long a walk!!! How sweet and considerate – I thank her for directing me back on the main drag and took an enjoyable stroll.

Always enjoy this colourful and glittery stretch on Serangoon Rd passing Sri Veeramakaliamman temple, now newly painted.

The goldsmiths on this road seemed never-ending with beautiful Indian women decked in their finest painted on the pillars and walls. Somehow, this is what I kinda imagine what India is a little bit like, but somehow I also know that it is also an illusion knowing the poverty issues there! The ironies of life…

Tekka Centre, where my favourite biryani chicken rice and mutton soup are located and to be packaged to eat in the comforts of my ‘bechelotette pad’, term used by my nieces and nephews referring to my living quarters 🙂 Yummy NYE’s dinner. Another fun 5-6hrs day on the feet feeling grateful to families and friends who have crossed 2015 life journey’s path and made days, weeks and months memorable. Am blessed and ready for 2016.

Fri: Happy New Year from Kiritimati, the first location to have just passed midnight. Doubt that I will be able to stay awake to keep the mid-night clock going around the world.

Thank you Henry for his company and for sharing a New Year’s dinner with me.

With 40 different local times in use, it takes 26hrs for the New Year to encompass all time zones. And much of US Minor Outlying Islands including Baker Island, Howland Island are finally in 2016. Happy New Year to all around the world. May PEACE find a place to us all and also to the world.

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 15th uncle  and Ole K