31 Dec 2018 – On The Eve Of 2019
Fri: TGIF and enjoy this last 2018 Friday. Here is the 2018 favourtie gift to myself. Have been eyeing this book-lamp for 3yrs ever since I first set eyes on it at the National Design Centre. But was not willing to pay S$300+ or even S$200+ when I saw it again early this year. Then a month ago, saw this online (certainly a copy!) for S$50.
Some of the shops@the EsplanadeConcourse have gone (no more HäagenDazs ice-cream 🙁 ) and new ones like this fully self-serviced cafe where there is no one there to hear or listen to your complains or orders@KissaKalm’s. Standing room only and the choices depend on what are in these vending machines!
The cafe is no longer – use to frequent this library when I first returned 20yrs ago and did not have my piano then. There was and still is a sound-proof room with a piano where you can rent hourly.
Tkx Audrey for catching up. Die die must try, Marinated Cockies Teochew style were absolutely delicious @FamousTreasures/Capitol Piazza. (tkx to Irene for her share). Wokfried-Squid with Cincalok+Lady’s Fingers/Okra, KL-style HokkienMee, Marble Goby with Preserved veg (on the salty-side) were good. Wanted the crabs, but they were out. It was buy 1dish and get one free promotion – total S$38 for 2 was affordable, otherwise too pricey for this stomach. The sweet cherry-tomatoes appetizer were unusual and I like the taste
Yummy Vanilla Soufflé@HoshinoCoffee. TigerSugar, some new gimmick Brown Sugar Milk Tea. Will try it when the novelty dies down and no more lines! Have been told that my fellow country ppl like standing in lines – crowds&lines are NOT my cup of tea!
Capitol building brings back memories of CHIJ school days where there was a Magnolia Ice-cream bar where I used to enjoy their chocolate milk-shake once in a while! Also when classes got boring looking out of the class room&assembly-hall (now MRT offices) into these rows of shops, but of course they were not so beautifully spruced-up then.
Sat: a welcoming quiet day to catch up with myself…
Sun: appreciations to Insessa for the pot-luck at her place. Quite an experience to change from bus to MRT CircleLine&NorthEastLine and LRT to RivervaleLink (3changes). Took over an hr from door to door costing only S$1.10 (senior fares). Nice to meet with new ppl and tkx to Philip for his yummy fusion Shephard’sPie and for the ride back. Saved me an hour and managed a short nap before the next gathering.
Thank you to Pat&David with nieces, grandnieces, nephews, grandnephews (Les&Ivy had to leave early) for a yummy BakKutTeh=meat bone tea – literally translated but actually more a savoury clear broth, consisting of fleshy pork ribs cooked for hours in a broth of herbs and spices, including star anise, cinnamon, clove, fennel seeds, garlic and everybody has their own way of making this. 1st taste for Greg who really liked it.
Mon: tkx to Kat&Greg for yummy roast-chicken dinner and to MeiPin for her delicious home-made cranberry-sauce. Paper-dolls with Devon, Russian-poker with Kiera and Scrabble with all the generations. It has been a long time ago since I stayed up until past mid-night for New Year’s Eve with poppers to welcome 2019. Appreciations to MeiPin for the ride and surprisingly the traffic thru’ OrchardRd&NicollHighway was smooth flowing with no jams!
Blessed&grateful to have family&friends crossing this life journey’s path. Good bye 2018.
Tomorrow, is the first blank page of a 365 page book. Write a good one – Brad Paisley
Thu: thought I would have a quiet day to chill, but life is such that the kitchen ceiling had a leak and had to empty out the cabinate to dry and clean out the overflown basin there. It had happened before, (that why the basin was place there!) but the neighbour upstairs refused to take responsibilities then. Thank goodness when it happened some years ago and now again, I am here to take care of it, but will need to do something about it as I am not always here.
Welcome from HI/USA auntie 
Everywhere in the world, both historically and in contemporary cuisines, the use of flowers in food has been special and exceptional and the flowers themselves have always been included with intent and care, never accidentally or without purpose. Flowers are used in food by someone who cares about you, and who cares about the beauty of what you are about to eat ― 
Thank you to chefs Jamie&Giovanni for the yummy food@The Terminal Cafe – a combination for a memorial to Betty and a Christmas lunch. Chose this location as this is where we had our last lunch together. This lovely bird (Balearica regulorum) gray crowned crane, quite a tongue twister!) crossed our path in the car-park but nobody knows where it popped up from. Someone suggested that it might be a runaway from the bird-park, but then the bird-park is nowhere near here. Why did the bird cross the road?? Bird pix credits to April.
Sun: 2nd Sunday of Advent, and how I do hope&pray deep down in my heart that ppl can live with love in their actions, mind, speech&thoughts. Need to get all the Season’s Greetings completed and out in the mail by the beginning of the week. Sent a Halloween card in Oct and it took 3weeks getting to the US even-though Surface-Mail no longer exist – Snail-Mail has truly earned its reputation. Card&letter writing seem outdated but there are still a handful who like to receive a hard-copy.
To Mark, AmyR, KatieM&DianaB and to all celebrating – Hag Hannukah Sameaj, Happy Hannukah – may the glow of all the candles being lit for the next 8 days all around the world, bring the much needed light into our beautiful and complicated world.
