26 Feb 2019 – Humanist Society

Fri: Expo 博览 எக்ஸ்போ MRT station – looking like a space age architecture with the platform to be columns-free giving a sense of spaciousness, designed by Sir Norman Foster. To see the full design or ride the circular elevator (must be the slowest elevator, even beats KK’s!), you need to walk to the end of the station.

After you get downstairs, the shaded pathway will lead you to Hall5 (only entrance for this show). Campers’Corner is located up front across from the only clothing stall in this whole travel exhibition! CC is the only stall for hiking&outdoor adventure here. The Taiwan rep AhHua 蔡坤樺 is here to provide info on Taiwan hikes&treks. Tkx to Calvin for dinner@EC LagoonFoodVillage. Pix credits of me checking the set-up to Calvin.

Sat: ticket (S$10) for this talk was purchased way before and could not help out at Expo today. Tkx to CheeHoew from the SIN Humanist Society for their Darwin Day 2019 talk. And what a treat – pizza&drinks during break!

The irony of the world’s largest&most foul-smelling bloom Rafflesia arnoldii is discovered by Raffles!!!

Took some time to explore around this interesting location Goh Loo Club 吾盧俱樂部 72 Club St and if not for the heat and the headache, would have taken a more time to explore this side of Chinatown.

Condolences to AnneWONG-Holloway for the passing of her husband. May he RIP.

https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/sphs-first-chief-executive-lyn-holloway-dies-at-90

Sun: last day for the NATAS Travel Fair@Expo where we can help you to get off the beaten path, far away from the maddening crowd. Hope to see as many of you there to celebrate life and to celebrate Calvin’s Bday. Appreciations to Yusoff for dropping by with yummy pies. Tkx for dinner@BedokMarketPlace, have not been here since over a decade ago with G for durians!

What I like about doing these shows is that one can meet a diverse group of ppl with various interest to share. The issues nowadays is that being on the feet for too many hours can take a toll on an overweight&older body!!

Condolences to Anne for the passing of her husband Lyn Holloway. Prayers&thoughts are with her&family and may he RIP.

https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/singapore-press-holdings-first-ceo-lyn-holloway-dies-at-90

Mon: appreciations to Eve for getting a bunch of old CHIJ Girls to say hi to Lynne before she heads back to the UK – safe journeys to her. Eve, Mary, Lynne, Sylvia, Angela, Peggy, me, Susan, Shirley&Pat – except for Susan&Mary, have known and was in the same class with the rest of the gang from 1962-1965.

We all had some issues finding this location, not knowing that MooiChin Hananese Restaurant is located inside the VillageHotelBugis/3floor@GoldenLandmark (1988) and I even pass by this building often!

Tue: finally a day to clear&store all the CNY deco and to get the laundry done&put away after overnight guest.

https://mothership.sg/2019/02/haw-par-villa-reopen-wedding/

Which of the 10 Courts of Hell should the weddings be held??????????

Fond&scary memories from HawParVilla with first-born Linn from 1979; with mother+guest 1959.

https://amylamsg.com/2015/08/11/haw-par-villa/

Ppl think I am joking when I tell them that the Norwegian word gift=married or poison – for real. Marriage is a fine institution, but I’m not ready for an institution ― Mae West

21 Feb 2019 – With 33 Installations

Tue: today, 15CNYday known as ChapGohMei is also Chinese♥Day and the start of Spring.  Appreciations to Ivy&Les for scrumptious dinner ending this 2019CNY celebrations. Amazing how misleading the size of this lobster claw is, the meat was only a bite!

Short walk to say goodnight to all in the presence of this beautiful super-full moon. Safe journeys to Kat who will be joining her USfamily for couple of days in FL to Disney before returning to NYC.

Wed: welcome back to SIN Lynne from UK – tkx for finding time for a cuppa before a FOC appointment to test my hearing, tkx to The HearingSolution. Anyone after age 50 should go and get the ears checked and yes with age (be realistic), it is inevitable that the sensory parts also age.  With a small washing machine, the laundry will have to spread them over a few days after overnight guest.

Wed&Thu: a nap before checking out iLights being the last weekend. With 33-installations+BicentennialCelebrations will need to space into 2nights. 33. CrysatllisationOfThoughts/LivingSpirits (Thailand)

What a better place to start than@Raffles Terrace/FortCanning – this body&soul is not as it was to climb nearly 100steps up from HighSt, had to stop a couple of times to catch my breath!! 32.ReflectingHolons/MartensM&VisserJ (Netherlands); 31.KeysOfLight/MrBeam (Netherlands) – this was neat, as I played the piano and the lighthouse lid up with different lights&designs, but unfortunately I could not take the pix and play at the same time! 30.LandPassBird/HuangCF (Taiwan).

28.RunBeyond/BonelloA (Italy); 29.ConstructiveInterference/SIN-U-Tech&Design (SIN).

Was trying to figure out 27.GoodFortune; 26.WhatAView/SIN-Design (SIN); bright lights bright logo!

25.BridgesOfTime/ACTLD (Belgium) – these lights&water show every hour and my pix do not do justification to the real presentations.

24.Where Do Stories Begin/Where Do Stories End/LeeM&Perception (SIN). 22.Time Rhythm/Bové&Onionlab (Spain). My pix here does not tell the same tale even though it is the same story! as Athene’s (a professional skilled photographer). Appreciations to her for allowing me to share.

23.Cenotaph For A Stone/Cadag, Loo, ZBMZ NUS (SIN); 21.Halo/DavisM (UK); 20-Time Frame /DONIS (Netherlands);

19. Oriflammes/LefevreS (France);

18.The CatInTheGarden/LoomProd (France), the Merlion is transformed to showcase scenes and nature of SIN, like the Tiger to suit my AT-name TigerLil – hahaha

Goodnight Moon
Goodnight SIN-Flyer
Goodnight Esplanade Concert Hall
Goodnight Merlion spitting at the Moon
Goodnight Everyone

Moonlight drowns out all but the brightest stars ― JRR Tolkien/The Lord of the Rings

17.FlowerClock (China); 16.TimeTraveller/PrawotoE (Indonesia); 15.Dune/RoosegaardeD (Netherlands); 14.LesFootballeurs/BrunR (France) and this is the only one I could not get a proper shot of the blue lights with a footballer kicking the ball and a goalie – moving too fast for this idiot-proof camera!

12.Squiggle/MuirA (NZ); 13.City GazingSIN/VOUW (Netherlands)

11.Cosmic Web/LaSalle (SIN); 10.Shades Of Temporality/Sweatshoppe (USA); 9.Sails Aloft/ Biangle Studios (Estonia);

The pessimist complains about the wind; the optimist expects it to change; the realist adjusts the sails’ – WA Ward

8.Shadow Exposed/Suh-VisualFeeder (USA); 7.The Floating Lighhouse/Prvacki, Zaini, Casteeld (SIN); 6.Prospegtive Prespective/Kng,Low,Teng NUS (SIN); 5.Facey Thing/UjiStudios (NZ);

4.Why Green/AP-Architects&Lighting (SIN); 3.The Rainbow Connection/Yun (SIN); 2.Lighthouse Of Time/RoseD (France); 1.The Time Vortex/Vendal&deWolf (Netherlands).

18 Feb 2019 – Food Fit For Kings And Queens

Sat: stumbled upon the official opening of Sparkletots Preschool/MarineParade, now a dual care center, with both childcare and kindergarten facilities.

Looks like lots of fun, but had to rush to a wake with Lawrence before the LIonDance started and before the arr of the GoH.

Another day at the wake – 2brothers are doing their best to entertain each other&themselves; the younger generations have outshone themselves with their origami.

Cakes&macarons from Antoinette – cakes fit for a Queen, and looking too pretty to eat. La Rose – grand cru chocolate mousse, exotic caramel, almond nougatine, cocoa sponge, grand marnier, dark chocolate Chantilly. The White Swan – chantilly cream exterior is light and fluffy cheese mousse layered with brown butter sponge. Chloe – Yuzu cremeux, white chocolate vanilla mousse, almond stable and a light sponge cake. And they all tasted just as good as they looked. Always wanted to taste these cakes and tkx to Clement, finally got to do so after nearly a year of wanting to try them…

https://amylamsg.com/2018/04/10/good-friends-foods-laughs/

Sun: a final dignified farewell from family and close-friends to porpor@MandaiCremaotrium followed by a tasteful lunch@PuiTien/KitchenerRd, tkx to Les&Ivy

Porpor would have liked many of the dishes here and this meal is in memory of her. Unusual&lovely presentation for the BitterGourd – fresh, crunchy&yummy with a touch of honey, 1st time eaten this way. Fish was fresh and delicious and so was the fine&thin noodles. There were leftovers to doggy-bag for dinner@Jo’s – enough food for 6ppl.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/2016/06/22/breakfast-like-a-king-lunch-like-a-prince-and-dine-like-a-pauper/

Breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dine like a pauper to stay healthy, say scientists – The Telegraph

Mon: wet&cool early morning coffee across the road while Lawrence had PrawnMee before another nap for him. To be 85, he is in excellent health and doing amazingly well taking buses with me all over the past few days. 1st time he is staying with me and it is quite a challenge in a 1-room studio-apt. Sent him off on bus196 on his own to the CBD-area for his banking with emergency contacts etc in his pocket. Throwback from 1954, 1964&2019. Have been blessed with 4bros who were/are good to me.

What i like about photographs is that they capture a moment that’s gone forever, impossible to reproduce ― KarlLagerfeld

Took time to explore@ChangiAirport the newly renovated T1 to be connected to The ‘Jewel’ which will be the latest addition at this world’s best airport whenever the polishing&sprucing are completed.  Confused and dis-oriented in this new section to T1 and it is no wonder, got off the bus36@T3 and took the sky-train to wander around all the three terminals.

Good to see that the Kinetic Rain is back in place, have missed it. Safe flight to Lawrence back to KCH.

…I can’t even make the comparisons anymore, because my memories of that time have all the depth of a photograph. It seems foolish to play games of better and worse. It’s simply a matter of is and is no longer – David Levithan

15 Feb 2019 – iLight Singapore 2019

Mon: today is the 7th day of the CNY traditionally known as Rénrì (人日, the common man’s birthday), is the day when everyone grows one year older. Enjoy your birthdays and a good week to start your PiggyYear. The Chinese character 人 Rén=human/person and when you add a bar across 大 Dà=big. Lucy’s with sharp eyes commented – ‘Man with the outstretched arms means da or big’ on my photoshop pix with a discreet white bar across; for me it is a reminder to keep learning&trying to be a bigger, ie better person for every 人日. Such fun learning Chinese.

Another enlightening&entertaining talk on Raffles – From Embarrassment To Icon, tkx to TP Barnard (NUS). For me to attend morning talks going from the EastC to ACM in town, means that I really want to be there! So far they have been well-worth the time. Appreciations to Yoshie for saving me a seat in this full-house audience. Always enjoy a durian ice-cream on thin wafers S$1 outside ACM by the river. Pix credits to Yoshie and tks to her for lunch@CC.

Dropped by to H&H to wish Peggy&Aileen a Happy CNY. A Journey of Happiness (HKG&Malaysia made movie)@Cathay Parkway. Nothing to write home about which might explain why I was the only one watching this movie!!

Tue: nice that this part of BoonTatSt by LauPaSat closes for traffic at 1900hrs every evening. Fascinating to watch how efficient everything was when the clock struck 7 on the dot, barracks were promptly in place at the junctions of RobinsonRd&ShentonWay, push-carts, tables&chairs were smoothly set-up and just before your eyes, the street turns into an amazing outdoor eating area. Been awhile since my last satay meal here.

Edited 18Apr : https://www.facebook.com/NGCasia/photos/a.133186930035772/2260751960612581/?type=3&theater

Tkx to Clement for dinner and a short walk first to introduce Magnus to LeVel33+just a couple of the lights@iLight Festival, so far – Dune by DaanRoosegaarde/Netherland and TimeTraveller by EkoPrawoto/Indonesia. Will have to return another evening to wander about in these lights.

Wed: condolences to Ivy for the passing of her mom (99) known to us as porpor. May she RIP. Thoughts&prayers are with Les&Ivy, Patricia&family and Kat&family. The next few nights&days will be at the SIN Casket for the wake.

Thu: Happy Hearts Day on this 2019 10thCNYday. The origins of Valentine’s Day is a pagan festival, Rome’s Lupercalia, not as romantic as you would imagine! But love is blind and lust is innate! And there is a Anapgi=LoveCastle (for real) located in Gyeongju/S-Korea.

https://amylamsg.com/2013/04/04/temple-and-tomb-in-gyeongju/

Lawrence arr from KCH to attend the wake&funeral and will be staying with me.

Fri: TGIF and Happy 40Bday to god-daughter Guri in Norway. Another day@SIN-Casket to support Les&Ivy+family for the loss of Ivy’s mom. More a celebration of life for her as she was blessed with a wonderful life surrounded and well-taken care by her love ones. In spite of circumstances, nice to catch up with Ivy’s cousin Irene&family from KL

10 Feb 2019 – Continuing The Celebrations

Fri: TGIF and a great weekend to all to start the Piggy-Year. Tkx Gel for her yummy home-made Kimchi. Her vOOkvision is one of the most flexible glasses which will stay securely on, tkx to the clever hooked-shape design frame. Most highly recommended for anyone needing glasses. To sign up for email alert on their launch of pre-orders or for any info&questions:

http://www.vookvision.wixsite.com/vOOkFreedom

Sat: @CC to wish Calvin&staff a Happy CNY. They will be moving locations in Jun, so enjoying what is going on in that area today – honey tasting@SAM at 8Q.

Beyond any doubt for me, the King of 鱼生 YuiSang=raw fish. Tkx to Ivy&Les for including me to Jessie&Franks’s 28ingredients 捞起 LoHei. Missed it the last 2yrs! Again, starved all day to taste this dish so that the flavour can linger till the next tasting, whenever that may be!

https://amylamsg.com/2013/03/03/28-ingredients/

Sun: needed today to rest for both the body&soul after over indulging with last night’s foods&wines. Somehow feeling rather nostalgic, tkx to these Then&Now postings by JeromeLim – The Long&Winding Road, one of the blogs I like following.

Where those row houses&the coconut tree (now BayHotel&TelokBlangahHouse) are in the B/W – the ice-cream man on bicycle used to ring his bell when he was by the palm trees in the early evenings.

Sharing these shots again taken from 5TemenggongRd (early 1950s, presuming that it is taken by my father?) towards then Wharf#8&Pulau Blakang Mati now VivoCity&Sentose (2014 taken by me).

https://amylamsg.com/2014/10/25/temenggong-rd-revisited/

Tkx Julie/NC,USA for sharing her lovely 2019 CNY family pix. Reminded be of the last 2006 CNY with L&M. Have not been together with my 2daughters for CNY since with just 2grandchildren then. Would be another dream come true if we could all get together with 6grandchildren for a CNY someday!

Thought that MarineParade Lunar New Year Charity Dinner 2019 was last night and that I would have a quiet evening tonight, but alas I was mistaken. What a huge turned out – I spied Yusof@GoH-Table looking very distinguished with his halo 🙂 Tkx to him for the explanation – last evening was for residents. This evening were comcare, the lesser fortunate, those from elderly homes within the GRC. Thus the 2 evenings.

Cousin Karen thought she spotted me in the group, and after enlarging the pix to give it a proper look, discovered what she saw and no – not me, was not at this dinner (stomach needs to rest) Wow! she has sharp eyes.

GoH-ESM GOH ChokTong – how convenient to be entertained by just leaving the door&windows open. And on the positive note, this common area downstairs was cleaned and quiet way before 2200hrs. Time for some zzz before another busy week ahead.

7 Feb 2019 – CNY Celebrations

Mon: Reunion dinner tkx to Ivy&Les for LoHei 捞起 – Cantonese-style raw fish salad, personal favourite taste is with fresh 西刀 Ikan-Parang Wolf-Herring, anything else is not the same! Do remember all the auspicious phrases as you add the fish&other ingredients into the salad.

Tue: 恭喜發財 Kung-Hei-Fat-Choy to each and everyone celebrating the CNY, Chinese/LunaNewYear. May the Year of the Pig bring you all Good Health, Happiness and Prosperity.

Greetings from some of the Green (sitting), Orange (standing – Kiera should have been in the front row with the PurpleG) &Purple (front row) generations from the LAM TinYue (BlueG) – at present, total of 71 (including those who passed on+spouses still in tact) from my father’s branch on this 1stDay for the Year of the Pig. Appreciations to Ivy&Les for their gracious hospitality and for teaching the younger generation the Art of BlackJack 🙂 Family group pix credits to MeiPin.

Bro-in-laws Michael&Khalid; god-sister, Pat’s son SengYee; nieces Pat&Sue, Adeline, LIMKimBeng (Albert’s bro-in-law). MichaelCHUA&fam (Albert’s bro) left before I could get a shot of them!

2above pix credits to David

Continued my visit to 4Sis-in-law who is under the weather and then to bro Steven@UMC, Queensway.

Tkx to Daisy for prata@Springleaf PrataPlace (TheRailMall ) and a drink@EagleWingsLoft, KingAlbertMall. Since we were in the area, wanted to take them to CAMACA which was closed by the time we got there.

Very seldom in this area and now suddenly twice within the week!!

Wed: CNY is also the start of the Spring Festival and this beautiful blossoming tree is at Kranji MRT Station. Not out there for any horse racing on this 2ndCNY day, but to visit 2Sis-in-law who lives with her 2nd-born&fam. Tkx for having me over and for her delicious home-cooking, especially her curry.

2nd bro, LAM KwokKiong’s (may he RIP) 4children, JenMun, Jenleng, JenWee&Steve and their families on the 1stCNY-day. At present 17total from here and more to be added as time goes by. Eldest grandnephew SuiChang recently got married and when they start their family, the new generation will be colour-coded Brown. It would be a dream come true if I am able to gather as many as possible together from the LAM TinYue’s branch for a family reunion. Above pix credits to JenLeng. 

If my calculations are correct, the total count ( including those who passed on+spouses in tact) from paternal grandfather LAM SongKee’s+3wives trunk to the branches, sub-branches, etc is 159 for today.

Thu: welcome Magnus back to SIN. Has it really been 7yrs ago when I first met him&the SMUexchange group? Always proud to show off how garbage&graffiti free SIN public areas can be. Underpass leading to EC Pk and a beautiful day to have a picnic brunch there. For someone from a maritime nation like Norway, even he is amazed with the all the ContainerShips in the background.

https://amylamsg.com/2012/03/25/what-an-adventure/

Every man’s life ends the same way. It is only the details of how he lived and how he died that distinguish one man from another –  Ernest Hemingway

3 Feb 2019 – Old Railway Station

Fri: discovered a new cinema – EagleWingsCinematics, an independent boutique cinema@KAP-Mall/KingAlbertPk on BukitTimahRd. Julian&LisaTheng are co-founders of the EagleWingsGroup. Medical doctor and lawyer siblings wanted to create a lively and vibrant hub that could enrich the lives, wellness, and growth in this community. It was quite a treat to share this new cinema with just one other person! The senior ticket is S$5.50, 50cents more than the regular cinemas but well worth it.

https://www.tnp.sg/lifestyle/others/new-lifestyle-experiences-eaglewings

CAMACA ice-cream&coffee joint is fascinating. Now I understand what they mean by No Scooping. Ice-cream in a capsule and being pressed out by a machine, thought they were large macaroons on first sight. Smooth&delicious and what a novelty. Excellent service from Silver (yes that is her name, asked twice and she ensured me that it is not Sylvia!), the young manager who also demonstrated how the machine works.

Storm Boy – a man tells the story of his boyhood, when he lived a lonely existence on an isolated coastline with his father and with an orphaned pelican who changed his life. He hopes to prevent his granddaughter from making the same mistakes he made – a beautiful movie on nature, animal&human bonding.

And everything lives on in their hearts – the wind-talk, the wave-talk, and the scribblings on the sand – Colin Thiele

Had some time to explore the area before getting caught in the rush-traffic! Behind the mall is this house which reminded me of 5Temenggong Rd. Heading to the bus-stop (some joker had fun with the sign!) to discover with joy that the old BkTimah railway station is just around the corner. Oh yes, definitely a detour to see the changes since the last visit there, 3yrs ago.

https://amylamsg.com/2016/01/16/the-green-corridor/

Hope that the station&sign will be restored when the MurnanePipelineProject is completed.

Crossed path with a native and 2teenage-boys&their dog.

Assuming that this was the station-master’s lodgings and hoping that too will be restored and that the big old trees will stay after all these constructions.

Had to cross the road to catch the bus, might as well do so on this bridge which is more pleasant than the overhead bridge parallel to this – looked like rush-traffic has started. Looking back without the buildings or trains, no matter how long I stop or how hard I look or listen! Sign post pix from 2013 UKc2cHike).

Making sure of some proper shots of this bridge, never know when or if there is a next time, but do hope to visit one more time when constructions and restorations are completed.

Sat: commemorating SIN bicentennial, Dr Green from the BritishMuseum is here@ACM presenting an interesting talk on Raffles’s Collection from Java – European Evidence of Civilisation. 

The question (which can also apply to many ppl) on this poster will really open a can of worms, but will not go into it unless reading&research are done thoroughly. If you have read the old history books about the scholar Raffles, then do read the newer books and you will find both the scholar&scoundrel. Such is life with all humans and there is always flip-side in all of us – Dr Jackel&MrHyde

The universal opinion (has been) that in places carried by assault, the army was entitled to make an immediate distribution of treasure&jewel – Raffles to Lord Minto

https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/farquhar-not-raffles-the-real-hero-of-early-modern-singapore-says-new-bicentennial-book

Bumped into Milly and good to see her, tkx to her for lunch@Privé/ACM, not often one is served with a rectangle quiche!!

Sun: looking forward and gathering up energy&strength for the CNY celebrations ahead!