31 Aug 2018 – We Are What We Remember

Mon: downtown to take the free IKEA bus and what are all these new constructions by the OSL OperaHouse?? Above 2pix downloaded. Passengers on the IKEA bus reminds me somewhat of the Greyhound!

Edited: Thu’s newspaper – the Opera has become more invisible. Looks like the new library, Munch Museum will soon be joining here to change the skyline of this area! Will take some time getting use to the new blocks…

Had to pick up some wine glasses for May and for 6glasses@NOK49 S$8, you cannot go wrong. A bite to eat and pineapple plant for house-warming and good luck to Leng hit the spot.

A short walk to do some grocery@MENY (did not exist when I lived in this area in the 70s!) with some time to go down memory lane. Sjøengen kafé (1980s) as it was known then when I used to help Jenny, now Sjøengen Kro AS Billingstad.

The boats and houses here have grown at an overwhelming rate and I have lost count of the times I have crossed the bridge across to Nesøya. It will be a different story now that Ellen has sold the house and moved to Tromsø. Also far-away memories of flying into the airport@Fornebu in the 1960s!

Appreciations to the Lundemos for dinner@their lovely home. Was informed that there are ongoing NATO exercises, thus all these helicopters over the past few days.

https://www.straitstimes.com/world/europe/russia-to-hold-biggest-military-drills-since-cold-war

Nice view to Oslo Fjord, can barely see the bridge to Nesøya where I lived in the 1970s! Tkx Leng for driving me back downtown.

Tue: morning@DnB/Majortuen to take care of banking matters – the security guard there looked totally bored! Every time I pass by this statue, there are either pigeons or sea-gulls on the head! Wonder if Heyerdahl, an engineer for the foundation of Holmenkollbane would RIP if he knew what was going on top of his head!

Some day I will sit down at this delightful cafe and have a bite of a drink. Have been saying that for years and again saying it today as I had to catch the subway to Kolsås.

App 30mins from Majortuen-Kolsås, another area where I used to live in the 80s!

Tkx to Kirsten for picking me up at the station and for a drive up memory lane – Piggsoppgrenda, 

A wonderful afternoon@Henie Onstad Kunstsenter with Jakob Weidemann – self portrait (1942),  It is simplicity that I wish to attain… but honestly&personally, most of his works do not speak much to me.

Hymn of Life – Yayoi Kusama

Yummy Fishsoup and an applejuice@Piruetten for lunch.

A ride on one of the slowest elevators going down another memory lane to my first visit here 50yrs ago with my father.

Paying respects to the Onstads where the views to the area are quite lovely, including Kolsåstoppen in the far background.

Thu: what is it with public transport stations and me?? Catching this 0806hrs 6+hrs train-ride from OSL – Heimdal to visit with Anne&Roar for the weekend.

Was tired and snoozed most of the way. Had an apple juice NOK50 S$8+a cup of coffee&waffler NOK70 S$11.50 to keep awake so as to enjoy this spectacular view while crossing the DovreMts with Snøhetta 7,500′ 2,286m under the blue sky. Tkx to Roar for meeting me at the station.

Appreciations to Ola for sharing his 3boys – Sondre (9), Elias (8) and Jakob (5) orienteering run. Fun and always in support to see active kids out enjoying the good weather.

Anne, another doting grandmother here 🙂 Good turn out and baked-sales. Brownies were most popular and the first to be sold-out. Bought some slices enough for the boys before they were all gone!

Manners are a sensitive awareness of the feelings of others. If you have that awareness, you have good manners, no matter what fork you use.

26 Aug 2018 – Being Top Of The Happy Country List

Fri: woke bright&early to an amazing sunrise with the helicopter above. Could have done with more sleep, but somehow the mind would not go in sync with the body!

Had to get to the post office on a lovely morning’s slow walk to and back from Ullevål Stadion Shopping was well-received to get some fresh air in the asthmatic airways of the lungs and movements to the joints. Nice of Mette to meet me@BakerHansen for my shrimp salad lunch. Could not resist getting more seafood at the grocery since I was here.

Kari Traa for sale at half-price NOK245 S$40@Milslukr’n. There are a few Norwegian branded quality I like, HellyHansen, Brynje, Norrøna. And now, found this shirt that is light-weight, thin and drip-dry to hopefully dry within 5mins. The material seems strong enough for my travels, so let’s see how this goes.

Sunset with the Holmenkollen Ski-Jump in the far background before the sky opened to a short heavy downpour.

Sat: feast on smoked-salmon, mackerel and peel to eat shrimps – appreciations to Ingrid for lunch company. Norwegian shrimps are the best tasting ones as they are usually cooked straight from seawater after they are caught and that is as fresh as you can get them, ended the day with tiny piece of Halibut for dinner. To top the day, tkx to May for pix of #6 catching a large one, can’t wait to hear about it tomorrow.

Sun: some neighbours down the road were having some birthday bash last night, could hear them but was too tired to be bothered. A good night sleep of 10+hrs last night was much needed, do not remember when I had such a long deep sleep! Another beautiful morning in paradise watching the neighbours shed-building development since last summer!

A short walk to the only grocery in the neighbourhood open on Sundays, Kolobri@Damplassen.

Watching ppl enjoying each other gives me a good feeling. Tasted this Coffee&Cocoa Farm IceCream, but still prefer Ben&Jerry’s CoffeeCoffee!

While making food in the kitchen I heard some unhappy cries from the neighbour! spied a sweet little fella having time-out!! on this beautiful Sunday – a Kodak moment 🙂

Enjoy your Sunday, time-in or out – Time & Tide wait for NO one.

To discover that his older sister’s Bday is today and probably a lot is going on indoors – gratulerer med dagen, Nora! Pix taken of the Bday party from the patio.

Besides the fresh seafood from yesterday, the other foods&drinks I enjoy from Norway are various fishcakes, lomper/potato pancake wrapping around a hotdog while lefse is sweet and has layers of butter and sugar wrapped in it. The best apple juice I have tasted is from Norway. Do not usually drink soda, but Solo, I like.

Roast-beef salad supper today while waiting for the family to return from the mountains.

With the family safe&sound home, no need for helicopter 🙂 This amazing moose skull (may it RIP) with a perfect set of antlers was found and brought back to rest in the garden where apples are ready for harvest.

Norway – something in this clean air where the ppl really seem to genuinely enjoy their simple moments in life, cheerful chatters with laughter, etc. Norway is also where I remember both my happiest&saddest memories…

23 Aug 2018 – Hello Norway

Mon: bright and early catching the street-car connecting to the subway@Union Station for the UPEx to the airport. Did not make time to take any pix at Union upon arrival, so gave myself enough time this time round. Also a bonus being early, no crowds.

@YYZ with good time to spare with a last bite of Peameal bacon&egg for breakfast. 1040hrs AirCanada flight to FLL was overbooked. Since my FLL-OSL did not take off until 23hrs, I volunteered my seat on that over-booked flight and got C$400+$15 for food in return. So this trip is meant to be. RT airfares to and from YYZ has now been taken care of by my guardian angel.

Arr FLL before 1800hrs and good time to connect from T2-T3 to catch my upgraded 8+hrs flight which I made a min bid of US$100+on NorwegianAir-OSL. Seats in the PremiumClass are more spacious and the food was OK, but the awful cough did not permit me to enjoy fully the comforts of this 787-Dreamliner on seat 1C.

Tue: arr on schedule and glad to be the few first ppl to deplane and got thru’ immigration within 5mins. Improvements and constructions with more ppl to handle the lines are good to have. Was welcomed with open arms and the sweetest smile by #6 at the other end of the tram station and his drawing hanging in the neighbourhood grocery! These are the moments that make even the most uncomfortable trip worth the effort.

JetLag – your watch, phone, and computer all show different times, and you don’t know who to believe. Your body clock, of course, is of no help! 🙂 

Wed: feeling like a zombie and the cough is no help. Had to meet up at the police station to collect document@Grønland politistasjon/OsloPoliceStation, an area completely unknown to me. Walked 15mins in the drizzles from where I got off the tram as I got off at the wrong stop. Left early enough (usually do when going to unfamiliar territory) to make it to my appointed time. Usually a walk like this is a piece of cake, but this time round was so short of breath.

Interesting displays in the station to learn that in 1876 – ‘Sophie Johannesdatter was sentenced to death for poisoning, theft and arson. She was the last woman in Norway who was executed by beheading’.

Discovered the old Grønland kirke/church (1869) Brannstasjon/FireStation (1866). Did not have the energy to explore them. Now that I know where they are, might make time another day. Tkx to Eivind, I now have inhalers, medications for a viral asthmatic (another LAM gene I was hoping to avoid!) cough. A long afternoon nap and a short night sleep!

Thu: the fam headed to the mts bright&early for hunting and I will try to rest up in their absence. Hunting to control the pop of the wild-life is not the same as sports hunting and many ppl do not know or understand the difference.

19 Aug 2018 – Port Of Newcastle

Fri: TGIF, my last Fri in Canada. Breezy morning walk with these Canadian geese. Path to the lighthouse is private and no trespassers allowed! How did this private cottage get to be built right by the lake?

Looks like a huge mansion across from the marine – idiot-proof camera not good enough to get a sharper zoom-image.

Brig Restaurant and Marine – but why the USA flag??

Waterfront Trail to the Admiral’s Walk Clubhouse surrounded by new constructions.

Accidentally stepped on this tiny snail, size of a S$1coin – still no excuse for not looking, plx forgive me! A good weekend to all.

Tkx to Yun for driving me to Lakeshore Rd to this mansion for a closer look&shot at the resident of Kirk Kemp, owner of Algoma Orchard. View from the lighthouse of this mansion is such a different dimension.

For 100+yrs, the Gibson&Kemp families have been growing premium apples @AlgomaOrchards. In the Gourmet Country Market, apples in traditional varieties like McIntosh, Red, Golden Delicious, Empire, Idared, Spartan, Crispin and new additions like Honeycrisp, Gala, Ambrosia totaling to 28+varieties.

View back to the lighthouse by the Waterfront Trail. Would have walked back by the lakefront if I did not know that the marine there does not allow that route unless I can walk on water!

Walked over this cute uncovered wooden bridge with a fast chugging train over the railway tracks across miles and miles of cornfield.

Sat: St George’s Anglican Church –  built in 1857, this church has 2 Tiffany stained-glass windows shipped from NYC and installed in 1904-05.

Newcastle Community Town Hall/King St – donated by Chester Massey in 1923 is a charming location which can be leased for special events.  Beautiful Hydrangeas on one side

Lovely flowers by the other side with a gazebo. Wesleyan Methodist Church (1867).

Minos arr and nice to see that he has not lost his ex-profession chef skills. But of course we all know where he learnt his basic and foundations! Tonight’s feast is another one to die for. Tkx to May for all her yummy cooking. Who knows when our paths will cross again, but until then may y’all be blessed with good health.

https://amylamsg.com/2012/09/20/port-of-newcastle/

Sun: good food@Asian Legend, but too much MSG – had to drink a lot of  water the rest of the afternoon. Nice to catch up with Michael again (50yrs ago since we last met!) and to meet Philomena. Tkx to May&Lock and Yun for putting me up and for putting up with me. Last day here in Toronto and paying respects to 5thAuntie&Uncle, appreciations to Yun for driving.

Edited: reflections on Toronto’s new designs The Royal Ontario Museum (ROM, French: Musée royal de l’Ontario) and The Royal Conservatory of Music, branded as The Royal Conservatory intertwining with the old.

Personally I prefer them less dramatic like The Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO) (French: Musée des beaux-arts de l’Ontario) or even how the Church of Redeemer is situated against the newer background buildings, or our SIN National Museum.

I’m leavin’ on a jet plane
Don’t know when I’ll be back again – John Denver

16 Aug 2018 – Kensington Market

Tue: Phở Hưng, Vietnamese Restaurant for beef noodle soup. The large bowl was enough to fill us up for a whole day – was unable to finish it. Had to doggy-bag the summer-rolls, a case where the eyes are wider than the stomach!

Kensington Market, a bohemian multicultural neighbourhood attracting artists and tourists.

All kinds of trendy and interesting shops. Cocktail Emporium and could not resist this tiny MoscowMule copper mug – originally C$8, got it for $5 as there is a slight dent, even got the a straw C$5 to go with it. Now I can carry this with me, no more disposable straws and the perfect size for sampling any drinks, ie one sip 🙂

Courage My Love&Dancing Days, both clothing stores; another colourful wall mural.

All kinds of unknown fish to me and would have liked to try them all.

Would not have mind wearing any shoes from the Bata Shoe Museum if someone was pulling me around in this red chair or if I could ride the rainbow coloured zebra!

A contrast from the buzz and colours, Little Pebbles Cafe is a nice cozy place to quiet the eyes and mind ending this visit. Sakura cold coffee with a Sakura cookie hit the spot – the creamy dessert was just for my pix, did not feel like anything creamy.

En route to Newcastle (app 80-100k from Toronto depending which way you drive) on the DonValley Highway turning off for food-shopping and this must be the only place with an Indian Hakka Chinese Cuisine – wonder what that taste like?

Ho Ho BBQ 银湖烧腊 in Scarborough, good reviews and locations like these do make me feel that I am not that Chinese as I thought myself to be!

Amazing with all these places of worship on the same road, not even sure of what kind of religions? My favourite quote for places of worship is still –

It is better to go skiing and think of God, than go to church and think of sport – Fridtjof Nansen

Would not like to drive on the Highway-401 with 12 lanes of traffic – the way to give my heart an attack…

More grocery shopping – wonder how the Chinese characters Good World Supermarket become Field Fresh Supermarket?  Am I lost in translation again??

Grocery shopping with May&Lock to be sure to have enough food to feed an army 🙂 Her BambooClams were delicious, especially after we learnt and spent an hour cleaning them!

Wed: beautiful sunrise walk by the lake which is so vast that it feels more like the sea.

Morning has broken like the first morning
Seagulls have spoken like the first bird
Praise for the singing
Praise for the morning
Praise for them springing fresh from the world – Cat Stevens

Peaches galore in the backyard peach-tree and a beautiful Campsis radicans-creeping trumpet-vine.

Tonight’s dinner yummy Paella and fresh sweet corn from the farm.

Thu: beautiful serene morning with a fisherman and wild life@Wilmot Coastal Wetland, 5mins walk from where we stay.

Abundance of life with another sunrise.

Somehow cousins like Wilki in HI & Lock here like taking me to shop@Costco – we were not even hungry for their C$1.50 hot-dog. Wonder how many bottles of wine this glass holds?? PortDarlington with Newcastle in the far background, and no tkx to swimming here, too choppy even though it is a lake.

Decent CrabCakes@BobbyC’sDockside/PortDarlington. Not too hungry, had to doggy-bag.

Yun arr this afternoon. Haircut in Bowmanville C$23 and fan shopping@CanadianTire, where you can get everything under one roof except for food. May&Lock bought 2fans and I got 1tiny one, so imagine how hot it is here at present. Yummy LambRoast for dinner which was marinated a day ago.

Civilization is the lamb’s skin in which barbarism masquerades – Thomas Bailey Aldrich

14 Aug 2018 – A Tourist Thru’&Thru’

Sat: one of my favourite things to do – food tasting. St. Lawrence Market Complex today is comprised of three main buildings: The North Market and St. Lawrence Hall and the South Market which has more than 120specialty vendors, known for the variety and freshness of their fruits, vegetables, meats, fish, grains, baked goods and dairy products.

Tkx to Minos for the recommendations for the yummy Peameal Bacon Sandwich considered a signature dish here. Highly recommended and looking at the lines here, they too agree! SausageKing – Minos was one of the partners there, no more now. Pleasant music entertaining us.

Also known as cornmeal bacon is a type of back bacon made from lean boneless pork loin, trimmed fine, wet cured (not smoked, and rolled in cornmeal – credited to ham&bacon curer William Davies. Peameal bacon derives from the historic practice of rolling the cured and trimmed boneless loin in dried and ground yellow peas to extend shelf life. Since the end of WW II it has been rolled in ground yellow cornmeal. Above 3pix downloaded.

In food paradise after tasting a bites of Pintxo, Paella, Margarita, oyster, Jalapeno cream-cheese, 4 different kinds of smoked-salmons, wild-blueberry pie (lucky to buy their last 2pieces!), fig, PastéisDeNata=Portuguese custard-tart&roast-chicken, various hams, salamis, beef-jerky, BBQ pulled-pork, dried beets, ginger, nuts, illy ice-cappuccino, Canadian Ice-wine and a dry Rosa wine.

Great street entertainments, both pleasing to the ears and eyes 🙂

Was named the world’s best food market in 2012 by National Geographic. Thank you to Anna&Yun for a glorious scrumptious afternoon. After such a afternoon, no dinner was necessary…

Sun: on the way to meet Jen and decided to pop into the corner pub, to explore – neither a beer (24types here) nor Ceasar drinker, but will have to give this Canadian’s National Cocktail a try before I leave!

Pass by here daily and like their chalk-board tagline sign on the pavement. Dominion on Queen, one of Toronto’s oldest pubs, has been reborn under new ownership as Dominion Pub and Kitchen.

http://www.goodhood.ca/whats-good/dominion-gets-new-life-on-queen-east

A heritage-designated renovated church on Winchester Street houses Toronto Dance Theatre, beautiful front yards and houses.

Cabbagetown where the name derives from the Irish immigrants who moved to the neighbourhood beginning in the late 1840s, said to have been so poor that they grew cabbage in their front yards, but now those yards are a feast to the eyes.

Dating back to 1850, Toronto Necropolis is one of the city’s oldest and most historic cemeteries. Some of the most beautiful trees can be found in old cemeteries (like in SIN Bukit Brown). The cemetery has over 50,000 bodies. It is used to bury bodies used for research at the U of Toronto and is now part of the Mount Pleasant Group of Cemeteries.

Toronto Necropolis Chapel

Entrance to the cementary

The cemetery contains the war graves of 34 Commonwealth service personnel, 29 from World War I and 5 from World War II

Just learnt that Peter O’Byrne passed away peacefully in his sleep yesterday – he was in London for his sister’s funeral. Prayers, thoughts and condolences to his family. He will be greatly missed and a big loss to the orchid society.

Peter, a teacher@UWC/SIN was someone with a vast knowledge on orchids and helped to proof-read the MOR (Malayan Orchid Review) when I was in OSSEA (Orchid Society of SE Asia). He has also published many articles&books on orchids. May he RIP.

La Société is a French Bistro located on the Mink Mile on BloorStreet, heart of Yorkville neighbourhood.

The decor with the stained-glass ceiling are the reasons for this visit – tkx to Jennifer. Excellent service and decent creme brulee.

Mon: Lock&May arr this afternoon. Good to catch up with them.

10 Aug 2018 – 10th Uncle TSANG YanChuen

Tue: lunch@ElizabethSt JapanGo, decent beef bento box. The food@The Market by Long’s across the street looked impressive and tempting! And here is a typical case where the grass is greener across the road – lol

The Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO) C$16 S$16.80 for seniors. Like the Frank Gehry designed spiral staircase (app 11 residential stories tall and I certainly felt that in my thighs!); glass and wood façade facing Dundas St W, spanning 180m (590′) along DundasSt. 

Views from the staircase.

ᑐᓂᕐᕈᓯᐊᖏᑦ Tunirrusiangit=their gifts or what they gave in Inuktitut – Kenojuak Ashevak and Tim Pitsiulak. David Ruben Piqtoukun (1950) limestone of Guidepost (1995) and Journey of a Great Woman (1995).

Works from Tom Thomson, Group of Seven, Emily Carr and Cornelius Krieghoff; Henry Moore Sculpture Centre; Cornelius Krieghoff (1815) Village Scene in Winter (1850) bringing back memories of my stay in N Norway.

Nice stained-glass at an interconnecting passage with a view to the old Victorian houses across the street.

From the Baroque – Gian Lorenzo Bernini, The Crucified Christ (Corpus), c. 1650.

Entrance/Exit and Gift shop.

A lovely stroll on the RiverSide Bridge across the DonRiver with the railway track&a walking-trail on one side and the highway on the other. Korean chicken dinner@Kaboom on QueensSt.

Wed: lunch in Chinatown/Spadina Ave@SwatowRestaurant, yummy beef noddles, especially the tendons. Here you can even get durians and all the tropical home-fruits. Wandering around this area, I can understand that it is possible to live and Canada and not speak English at all. Bought 5 pairs@C$3pp of the hand-made sequins slip-on footwear to send back to SIN.

The owners said to me in Cantonese – you are not from mainland China. I asked how she could tell and was told that I was not loud nor did I try to bargain with her!!

Bata Shoe Museum, All About Shoes: Footwear Through the Ages (C$12 S$12.50 for senior) – home to the world’s largest and most comprehensive collection of shoes and footwear-related artifact. Exhibits a collection containing 13,500+ items from throughout history, as well as the present. It is the only museum in N America dedicated solely to the history of footwear.

Where there is a story and history for every pair of shoe.

Fascinating but would you wear any of these? Yes, if I do not have to walk.

Special temporary exhibition – Manolo Blahnik, The Art Of Shoes, a stunning retrospective by one of the world’s most influential figures within the fashion industry.

The Bata name brings back childhood memories of the Bata Factory on Temenggong Rd in SIN and in this museum, my N Norway days for the Lapps (Sami) display. Appreciations to Sonja Bata for this museum – highly recommended.

You know you’re old when someone compliments you on your alligator shoes, and you’re barefoot – Phyllis Diller

Great to catch up with Jennifer, dinner@KibuSushiHouse and dessert@TangoPalace, both on QueenSt for the convenience of the streetcar 🙂

Thu: Majulah Singapura and the best National Day ever for me – thank you to 10th uncle, TSANG YanChuen (only survivor of my mother’s siblings) for delicious lunch@Ginger & Onion Cuisine/Alton Towers Circle. Standing L-R: Francis (Winnie’s husband), cousin KarLeng, cousinWinnie (Anna’s eldest sis). Sitting L-R: cousinAnna, 10th Uncle, me, cousinYun, Henry (KarLeng’s husband).

So glad to be able to meet with mother’s youngest bro, 96yr and seeing him ticking off what he wants to eat on the menu and to watch him choose his own fruits and oils at the grocery is impressive.

Cousin KarLeng (daughter of mother’s older #4 sis ) and her husband Henry. who also live in Toronto. To the orange generation, 10th uncle is their grand-uncle from HKG who is the look-alike to the actor Charles Bronson.

Tkx to cousin Anna for arranging this. Feeling blessed to have this branch of the family crossing my life journey. Appreciations to cousin Yun for driving us to and from the other side of town.

Fri: TGIF – a good weekend to all. The Distillery District is a commercial and residential district located east of downtown.

It contains numerous cafés, restaurants, and shops housed within heritage buildings of the former Gooderham and Worts Distillery. The 13 acres (5.3 ha) district comprises more than 40heritage buildings and is the largest collection of Victorian-era industrial architecture in N America.

Has it been really exactly 5yrs ago I was here? Comment then was – if only these beautiful Bergo Designs are not soooo expensive and heavy. Today, 5yrs later (right), same comment!!

https://amylamsg.com/2013/08/17/booming-city-of-toronto/

The district was designated a National Historic Site of Canada in 1988.